What’s news today?

First we go to Oklahoma, for a good display of patient centered healthcare.

And no, it ain’t nothing like ObamaCare. This will actually work.

“What Free-Market Healthcare Looks Like”

From Reason.com

But we get this nonsense instead.

From HotAir

“Embedded within the shadowy depths of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (sometimes, I like to use its official name just to re-appreciate the irony of “patient protection” and “affordable”) is a 2.3 percent excise tax on the sale of taxable medical devices by the manufacturer/importer — and it’s no small thing. Happening now:

Medical device executives will descend on Capitol Hill today to press members of Congress to address the 2.3% medical device tax before it takes effect in January. …

“Without action from Congress, implementation of the medical device tax will cost our economy thousands of high paying jobs,” MITA executive director Gail Rodriguez said in prepared remarks. “These job losses will directly impact patient access to the most advanced, life-saving medical technologies available.” …

The letter includes support from physician groups, venture capital firms and other organizations asking the Senate to repeal the 2.3% levy on medical device sales, which device makers will start paying in at the start of next year.”

More here from Politico

“Every day, America’s medical technology community gets up and goes to work,  focused on improving the lives of patients throughout the world. Whether  manufacturing pacemakers, CT scanners or catheters, our passion for innovation  and ingenuity is why this proud American industry continues to lead the world in  these challenging times.

Unfortunately, in fewer than 60 days, a new medical device tax will hit this  innovative industry, and it threatens patient care and U.S. jobs.”

“This onerous policy — which is expected to cost more than $30  billion — is already having a real-world, everyday impact on our health care  system and our economy. Even though it doesn’t take effect until Jan. 1, medical  technology companies are already announcing job cuts and canceling plans to  build plants to pay for the tax. Others are trimming budgets in important areas  like research and development.

Put simply, this is a tax on innovation, and it is going to hurt American  workers and patients most. Congress can and should repeal it immediately.”

Throw in a Primary Care Doctor shortage as well?

From Yahoo

“The United States will require at least 52,000 more family doctors in the year 2025 to keep up with the growing and increasingly older U.S. population, a new study found.

The predictions also reflect the passage of the Affordable Care Act — a change that will expand health insurance coverage to an additional 38 million Americans.

“The health care consumer that values the relationship with a personal physician, particularly in areas already struggling with access to primary care physicians should be aware of potential access challenges that they may face in the future if the production of primary care physicians does not increase,” said Dr. Andrew Bazemore, director of the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Primary Care and co-author of the study published Monday in the Annals of Family Medicine.

Stephen Petterson, senior health policy researcher at the Robert Graham Center, said the government should take steps — and quickly — to address the problem before it gets out of hand.”

Even Obama supporters are forced to deal with this monstrosity, and yet they still supported him.

From Breitbart

“Stryker Corporation has announced that it will close its facility in Orchard Park, New York, eliminating 96 jobs next month. It will also counter the medical device tax in Obamacare by eliminating 5% of their global workforce, an estimated 1,170 positions.

Jon Stryker is heir to the Stryker Corporation, one of the largest medical device and equipment manufacturers in the world. Stryker’s grandfather was the surgeon who invented the mobile hospital bed. The company now sells $8.3 billion worth of hospital beds, artificial joints, medical cameras, and medical software every year.

Stryker, a member of the Forbes 400 list, was one of the top five donors to the Obama campaign. Having donated $2 million to the Priorities USA Action super PAC, Stryker also gave $66,000 in contributions to Obama and the Democrat Party.”

More layoffs at Stimulus-backed solar companies. Shocking huh?

From Heritage.org

“A pair of foreign-owned solar companies that benefited from a combined $84 million in Energy Department tax credits have announced they will lay off employees.

One of the companies, German-owned SolarWorld, was integral in the fight for tariffs against the importation of Chinese photovoltaic solar panels. The other, Chinese company SunTech, blamed those tariffs for its own layoffs.”

“SolarWorld received a credit worth $82 million, while SunTech’s was worth $2.1 million.”

A reason for Patraeus to resign that I hadn’t heard before.

From TheWeek

“When he admitted having an extramarital affair with Paula Broadwell, CIA Director David Petraeus, as a senior civilian in the presidential chain of command should something go catastrophically wrong in Washington, violated special behavior codes for officials who might one day be forced to execute nuclear strikes.

In classified presidential emergency action documents, the CIA director is among the dozens, if not hundreds, of officials who are listed as National Command Authority successors in the event that higher-ranking officials are no longer able to do their jobs.

Because under certain circumstances he’d have ready access to the nuclear satchel, Petraeus was indoctrinated into the Personnel Reliability Program, which evaluates and monitors the lifestyle and behavior of Americans with access to nuclear command and control mechanisms. Adultery is not a minor sin under the PRP rules.”

The Campaign continues. Now you know what the meeting with Obama was about.

From CNN

“Several major labor unions are banding together to launch an ad campaign next week urging members of Congress to raise tax rates on the wealthiest Americans and to protect entitlement programs from major cuts as a solution to the looming fiscal cliff, a source with knowledge of the effort told CNN Friday.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Service Employees International Union and the National Education Association are banding together for this campaign, which will be launched next week.”

“The effort will include a “six figure” buy of television ads, as well as ads online, the source told CNN.”

I love the smell of bailouts in the morning.

I told you about this one at the FHA already.

From TheLATimes

“The Federal Housing Administration, which has played a crucial role in stabilizing the housing market, said it ended September with $16.3 billion in projected losses — a possible prelude to a taxpayer bailout.

The precarious financial situation could force the FHA, which has been self-funded through mortgage insurance premiums since it was created during the Great Depression, to tap the U.S. Treasury to stay afloat.”

And now it looks like we may have another.

From the AP

“The federal agency that insures pensions for more than 40 million Americans last year ran the widest deficit in its 38-year history.

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. said Friday that its deficit grew to $34 billion for the budget year that ended Sept. 30. That compares with a $26 billion shortfall in the previous year.

Pension obligations grew by $12 billion to $119 billion last year. Assets used to cover those obligations increased by only $4 billion to $85 billion.

The agency has now run deficits for 10 straight years. The gap has grown wider in recent years because the weak economy has triggered more corporate bankruptcies and failed pension plans.

If the trend continues, the agency could struggle to pay benefits without an infusion of taxpayer funds.”

🙄

What’s news today?

The hits to their story just keep on coming.

From CBS

“CBS News has obtained the CIA talking points given to U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice on Sept. 15 regarding the fatal attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, four days earlier. CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan says the talking points, which were also given to members of the House intelligence committee, make no reference to terrorism being a likely factor in the assault, which left U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans dead.

Rice, who was considered a likely nominee to replace Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, has been attacked by Republican lawmakers for saying on “Face the Nation” (video) on Sept. 16 that all indications were the attack “began spontaneously” – suggesting it likely sprang from a protest against an anti-Muslim video found on the Internet. Protests of that nature had been seen in other Muslim nations in the days and weeks before the Benghazi attack.”

Budgets? BUDGETS! We don’t need no stinkin’ budgets!

From TheHill

“Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) confirmed Thursday that she will seek the chairmanship of the Senate Budget Committee next year but told The Hill that she cannot commit to doing a budget. This opens up the possibility that Senate Democrats will avoiding passing a budget resolution for the fourth year in a row.”

“Sessions said. “It is very distressing to me that Sen. Reid has, for political reasons, not allowed Senate Democrats to be on record for anything.”

“They don’t need a single Republican vote to pass a budget,” he said.

Unlike most bills, the budget resolution cannot be filibustered on the floor and it takes only 51 votes to pass. Democrats will control 55 seats next year.”

GOP leaders are backing Allen West’s calls for a recount. Shocking right?

From TheWashingtonTimes

“State and national Republican Party officials are getting behind Rep. Allen B.  West’s call for a recount of all early votes in St. Lucie County, Fla., saying it would be “unconscionable” not to answer lingering questions about the  results, which show the outspoken GOP lawmaker trailing Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy.”

“The congressman has gone to court to ask for the full recount, and his case  is slated for a hearing on Friday.

“The supervisor of elections owes it to the people that elected her to count  all of their votes that were cast early in the 2012 election cycle,” Florida  Republican Party Chairman Lenny Curry  said in a statement Thursday. “She has already admitted there was a problem with  the counting process and announced she would count all the votes. It makes no  sense to arbitrarily cut off the counting process before it was finished.”

Jobless claims spiked last week. Also not shocking.

Bloomberg blames Hurricane Sandy.

“More Americans than forecast submitted claims for unemployment insurance and factory production declined in the northeastern U.S. after superstorm Sandy struck the region.

Applications for jobless benefits surged by 78,000 to 439,000 in the week ended Nov. 10, the most since April 2011, the Labor Department said today in Washington. Indexes of manufacturing in the New York and Philadelphia areas showed contractions this month.

The reports add to evidence of the economic toll taken by Sandy, which killed more than 100 people in the U.S., disrupted rail and subway service, left more than 8 million homes and businesses without power for days and caused insured losses estimated at $20 billion. Many of those who lost their jobs were unable to immediately file claims because of the disruption caused by the storm, swelling the numbers last week.”

OK, sounds reasonable. Except this says it was PA. and Ohio that caused the spike.

From Breitbart

“From the Department of Labor press release this morning: In the week ending November 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 439,000, an increase of 78,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 361,000. The 4-week moving average was 383,750, an increase of 11,750 from the previous week’s revised average of 372,000.

Some of the new claims, especially in New Jersey, were due to Hurricane Sandy–but these were offset by a decline in claims filed in New York. The highest numbers of new filings came from Pennsylvania and Ohio, where there were thousands of layoffs in the construction, manufacturing, and automobile industries.

Both states had been targeted by the presidential campaigns. President Obama highlighted his record of job creation in Ohio in particular, focusing on the automobile industry. The state reported 6,450 new jobless claims in the week after the election–second-highest after Pennsylvania, which recorded 7,766 new claims.”

Here we go again. Move over Fannie and Freddie, we’ve got a new housing bailout coming.

From ZeroHedge

“A very important article came out from the Wall Street Journal yesterday titled “FHA Nears Need for Taxpayer Funds,” and it outlines the serious financial problems facing the Federal Housing Administration.  For those that are unaware or need a refresher, the FHA has been the key element to the phony “housing recovery” the government has been trying to create.  In the wake of the collapse of 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac blew up and what was left to pick up the pieces was the FHA.  No private player would issue loans with down payments of 3%, but this was no problem for the FHA!

Interestingly enough, a lot of the subprime borrowers that blew up the housing market the last time became the primary customers of the FHA.  Let’s see, 3% down and subprime borrowers…what could possibly go wrong?!  From the WSJ:

The Federal Housing Administration is expected to report this week it could exhaust its reserves because of rising mortgage delinquencies, according to people familiar with the agency’s finances, a development that could result in the agency needing to draw on taxpayer funding for the first time in its 78-year history.

Together with Fannie and Freddie, federal agencies are backing nearly nine in 10 new mortgages.”

Housing market recovery? No.

Insanely doing more of what got us here? Yes.

So what exactly is fitting punishment for an employee who walks off the job, in a planned protest, on your biggest day of the year?

From ClickOrlando.com

“A group of Wal-Mart workers are planning to stage a walkout next week on Black Friday, arguably the biggest holiday shopping day for the world’s largest retail store.

The walkout builds on an October strike that started at a Wal-Mart in Los Angeles and spread to stores in 12 other cities. More than 100 workers joined in the October actions.”

I’d want to fire every single one, but I’m a great big meany, so…..

😡

What’s news today folks?

I’d like to start with this. Say what you want about the man, (and I have) but you must admit, he’s always stuck to his beliefs. He was always a servant of the people, in his medical career and as a Representative. He’s been a strong voice for the pro-life movement, and a good servant of his constituents. He will be missed by many, and remembered by all. I tip my hat to the Gentleman from the great state of Texas.

Via CSPAN, The Ron Paul Farewell Speech

The President finally got around to a press conference with actual questions.

Here’s the transcript, via the NYTimes

“I hear you have some questions for me — (laughter) — but let — let me just make a few remarks at the top and then I’ll open it up.

First of all, I want to reiterate what I said on Friday. Right now our economy is still recovering from a very deep and damaging crisis, so our top priority has to be jobs and growth. We’ve got to build on the progress that we’ve made because this nation succeeds when we’ve got a growing, thriving middle class. And that’s the idea at the core of the plan that I talked about on the campaign trail over the last year — rewarding manufacturers and small businesses that create jobs here, not overseas; providing more Americans the chance to earn (sic) the skills that businesses are looking for right now; keeping this country at the forefront of research, technology and clean energy; putting people back to work rebuilding our roads, our bridges and our schools; and reducing our deficit in a balanced and responsible way.

Now, on this last item, we face a very clear deadline that requires us to make some big decisions on jobs, taxes and deficits by the end of the year. Both parties voted to set this deadline and I believe that both parties can work together to make these decisions in a balanced and responsible way.”

Well, some had actual questions. Others just wanted to kiss up.

From TheHill

“”Thank you, Mr. President,” Parsons said. “And congratulations, by the way.”

Obama then noted Parsons was there “when I was running for state Senate.”

“That’s right, I was,” Parsons replied, adding that she had “never seen you lose. I wasn’t there that one time.”

I wish I knew how to do a gagging smiley face.

Next up, we’ll hear from Mitt Romney, via the NYTimes/CaucusBlog

“Saying that he and his team still felt “troubled” by his loss to President Obama, Mitt Romney on Wednesday attributed his defeat in part to what he called big policy “gifts” that the president had bestowed on loyal Democratic constituencies, including young voters, African-Americans and Hispanics.

In a conference call with fund-raisers and donors to his campaign, Mr. Romney said Wednesday afternoon that the president had followed the “old playbook” of using targeted initiatives to woo specific interest groups  — “especially the African-American community, the Hispanic community and young people.”

“In each case, they were very generous in what they gave to those groups,” Mr. Romney said, contrasting Mr. Obama’s strategy to his own of “talking about big issues for the whole country: military strategy, foreign policy, a strong economy, creating jobs and so forth.””

This one? Well, this is just for fun.

Don’t sugar coat it Charles, tell us how you really feel.

Via Newsbusters With a Mild CONTENT WARNING!

“I mean, after all, what she said was absolutely and  completely misleading either inadvertently, in which case is complete  incompetence, or on purpose in which case it’s deception. And he basically he  took the bait on that and said, “Look, that wasn’t her speaking. That was me  speaking. If you want to pick on somebody, pick on me.”

Well how can anybody pick on him or even question him if  he hasn’t had a press conference in eight months? You know, he clearly hasn’t  been out there. He’s been hiding behind inquiries, behind investigations, and  now behind Susan Rice.

But now I think he’s out there, and he’s vulnerable on  this. I think he may regret having said that.”

Catholic Bishops are vowing to fight on against the HHS requirements.

From the StarTribune

“A top American bishop said Tuesday the Roman Catholic church will not comply with the Obama administration requirement that most employers provide health insurance covering birth control.

New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said church leaders are open to working toward a resolution with federal officials, but will meanwhile press ahead with challenges to the mandate in legislatures and in court.

“The only thing we’re certainly not prepared to do is give in. We’re not violating our consciences,” Dolan told reporters at a national bishops’ meeting. “I would say no door is closed except for the door to capitulation.””

And lastly, does this woman have a point? There does seem to be a tendency toward this.

From TheDailyBeast

“The more things change: one of the world’s most powerful men stepped out on his marriage, yet much of the public attention and opprobrium has focused on the far-less-powerful woman who was drawn to him, media critics and other observers charged Tuesday—with several comparing the coverage of CIA Director David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell to that of President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.”

“As with Lewinsky, much of the coverage of Broadwell has focused on her exchange with another women. Even an intelligence community source described emails Broadwell sent to Petraeus family friend Jill Kelley (who’s also the woman whom General Allen reportedly had “inappropriate communication” with over email) as “kind of cat-fight stuff.”

What’s news today?

Told ya, The Campaign continues.

And we can’t campaign without some good old fashioned, union organized, grassroots astroturf outrage! Coming soon to a city near you! And aimed at Republicans, of course.

From Google/AP

“Labor leaders said Tuesday that President Barack Obama remains committed to preserving tax cuts for middle class families and ensuring the wealthy pay more in taxes, outlining plans for a public campaign to pressure Republican lawmakers.”

“According to participants, White House aides said the president intends to hold campaign-style events across the country after Thanksgiving to drum up support for his proposed solution to the fiscal cliff. It would build upon more than 100 rallies organized by labor unions last week urging members of Congress to avoid cuts to entitlement programs.”

Speaking of unions……..

If you’re a Hostess fan, you better stock up quick, while supplies last.

From DallasNews

“Late Friday, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union went on strike against Irving-based Hostess to protest cuts and give-backs in the company’s last, best, final contract offer. The contract, which was rejected by 92 percent of the union members who voted, called, in part, for 8 percent pay cuts, a company hiatus from contributions to a multi-employer pension plan and changes in work rules.

As of Monday, bakers had set up picket lines at about 23 of the 36 bakeries and production plants operated by the bankrupt snack maker. Hostess said the strike “has prevented the facilities from producing and delivering products.”

“Our customers will not be affected because we will continue to serve them from other Hostess Brands bakeries, but sadly this action will result in the permanent closure of three facilities and the loss of 627 jobs,” said Gregory Rayburn, Hostess Brands’ chief executive.

“We deeply regret this decision, but we have repeatedly explained that we will close facilities that are no longer able to produce and deliver products because of a work stoppage — and that we will close the entire company if widespread strikes cripple our business.””

😯

Gov. Perry is just no fun.

From CBSHouston

“Texas Gov. Rick Perry has one message for the tens of thousands of Texans calling for secession from the United States: The state will not secede.

More than 76,000 people have signed a petition on the “We the People” White House website for Texas to withdraw from the Union and start a new government after President Barack Obama was re-elected.”

Yesterday there was some talk on the rights of women in Muslim countries. Sadly, this is another setback for the rights of women in Eygpt.

Women’s Equality Article Removed From Egyptian Constitution

The deficit is up, way up.

From YahooNews/Reuters

“The budget deficit rose in October, the first month of fiscal year 2013, as looming negotiations over expiring tax cuts and imminent spending reductions dominated the post-election political landscape.

The Treasury said on Tuesday the October deficit was $120 billion, larger than economist forecasts for a $114 billion gap and up from $98 billion in October of 2011.

Growth in expenditures outpaced rising receipts, deepening the deficit. Outlays grew to $304 billion from around $262 billion in the same month last year while receipts rose to $184 billion from $163 billion.”

The market is down.

From TheWallStreetJournal

“U.S. stocks fell to a more than three-month low as concerns about the fiscal cliff and Greece’s debt woes outweighed optimism about Home Depot’s better-than-expected earnings report.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added fell 58.90 points, or 0.5%, to 12756.18. The benchmark reversed intraday gains of as much as 83 points to finish at its lowest level since July 25.”

Welcome to the Revolution Evolution?

From Politico

“Welcome to the Rand Paul evolution”

“He’ll push to loosen marijuana penalties, legalize undocumented immigrants and pursue a less aggressive American foreign policy.”

“In the wake of Barack Obama’s reelection win and ahead of a possible 2016 White House bid of his own, the Kentucky Republican plans to mix his hard-line tea party conservatism with more moderate policies that could woo younger voters and minorities largely absent from the GOP coalition. It’s the latest tactic of the freshman senator to inject the Libertarian-minded views shared by his retiring father into mainstream Republican thinking as the party grapples with its future.”

Well, what do you think?

What’s news today?

Let’s start with this.

I had thought some of this would die down after Pres. Obama won re-election. It hasn’t, although the targets have changed from Romney, to anyone who disagrees with Obama’s policies. One need look no further than the treatment of the Papa John’s founder, his only crime being he can do math, and sees first hand the disaster Pres. Obama has layed on the already struggling economy. I won’t link it because it’s vile, but Twitchy has numerous examples. Left leaning Twitter users have gone from calling for riots and Romney’s death, to the same treatment of this man. Anyone successful is now the Enemy. The campaign rancor has shifted and there’s a coordinated reason for that. The same media is now being used for a new purpose.

From WhiteHouseDossier

“The White House is pulling a tactic out of its campaign playbook – and President Obama’s own community organizing past – using the organs of government to enlist average Americans to help Obama advocate for his priorities.

In an email sent to people who signed up to receive official updates from the White House, recipients are told to forward the message to their friends, asking them to help promote what is in effect White House propaganda. The White House email list, which government officials began compiling earlier in Obama’s term, is separate from the famed Obama campaign email list, but recipients are nonetheless being asked to engage in partisan political activity.”

“The email is part of a larger campaign by Obama to gin up support outside the Beltway for his position on cutting the deficit. According  to several news outlets, Obama will travel outside Washington trying to convince Americans to back him.”

The Campaign continues.

Some say it’s time for Pres. Obama to reward supporters. Jesse “Why yes, my son is a corrupt politician” Jackson said so.

From CBSChicago

““We voted early, we voted long. Our votes won,” he said.

Rev. Jackson, who spoke longer, louder, and more forcefully than he has in some time at the Saturday morning Rainbow/PUSH meeting, asked the crowd, “What do we want? We want, we want, we want, we deserve, we deserve … a return on our investment.

“What’s good for us is good for everybody. What’s good for blacks is good for everybody.,” he said. “We bled too much, we died too young, we cried too much, we prayed too long, now we want a return on our investment.””

The White House seems to have obliged?

From InverstorsBusinessDaily

“President Obama intends to close “persistent gaps” between whites and minorities  in everything from credit scores and homeownership to test scores and graduation  rates.”

“Under this broad interpretation of civil-rights law, virtually any  organization can be held liable for race bias if it maintains a policy that  negatively impacts one racial group more than another — even if it has no racist  motive and applies the policy evenly across all groups.

Equal Outcomes

This means that even race-neutral rules for mortgage underwriting and  consumer credit scoring potentially can be deemed racist if prosecutors can  produce statistics showing they tend to result in adverse outcomes for blacks or  Latinos.”

So it’s Franny/Freddie loans for all, regardless whether you qualify or not, all over again. But in all financial areas affected by your credit score? Or we sue your racist butts.

Sure, why not? What could possibly go wrong?

Setting people up for failure financially, because of their skin color, isn’t exactly what I’d call a reward.

Other supportive groups will meet with the President Wednesday to discuss their demands.

From Politico

“•Mary Kay Henry, SEIU •Lee Saunders, AFSCME •Dennis Van Roekel, NEA •Rich Trumka, AFL-CIO •Neera Tanden, Center for American Progress •John Podesta, Center for American Progress •Bob Greenstein, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities •Laura Burton Capps, Common Purpose Project •Max Richtman, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare •Justin Ruben, MoveOn •Deepak Bhargava, Center for Community Change

This list hits many of the major unions and liberal organizations that are urging the president to hold firm on his commitment to end tax cuts for wealthier families and to protect major entitlement programs.”

And the Teacher’s Unions want their reward too. And I’m sure they’ll get it.

From HotAir

“It is easy to forget that teachers’ unions are private entities, with income, expenditures and bottom lines that ultimately determine their health and effectiveness. Their revenues, however, are almost the entirely the result of the dues payments of public employees. If unions increase dues, the onus is on the  members. It is much better for them to increase the public education workforce, thereby bringing in new revenue and easing the burden on the existing rank-and-file.

It will be a high priority for the teachers’ unions to put a stop to layoffs and reignite the hiring binge that gave them the power they enjoy today. Teachers’ unions experienced decades of non-stop growth, and the recent economic downturn put them in an internal budget situation they were not used to dealing with. Whatever the effects of the November 2012 election on education policy, the larger issue is whether education policy will play second fiddle to the internal imperatives of the teachers’ unions – more members and less red ink.”

Here’s an interesting turn in the Benghazi incident.

Here’s a good summary from TheNYDailyNews

And this one we’ll call John F. Kerry, reporting for duty.

From the WaPo

“President Obama is considering asking Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) to serve as his next defense secretary, part of an extensive rearrangement of his national security team that will include a permanent replacement for former CIA director David H. Petraeus.

Although Kerry is thought to covet the job of secretary of state, senior administration officials familiar with the transition planning said that nomination will almost certainly go to Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.”

Did you know he was in Vietnam?

Maybe Kerry will act on this, since he’s a vet.

From TheGreenRoom

“It was one of the simplest, most poignant promises Barack Obama made in 2008 in his first campaign for the White House: He would fulfill “a sacred trust with our veterans” by significantly reducing the government’s lengthy backlog of pending claims for disability coverage. The goal: All veterans could get a decision on disability claims within 125 days.

The results:

Records obtained by the Washington Guardian show that as of Nov. 5, the day before Mr. Obama won re-election, 558,230 of the 820,106 veterans seeking disability coverage had their claims pending for more than the 125-day target. That’s 68.1 percent, or nearly double the 36 percent rate in the summer of 2010.

And there are tens of thousands more cases pending in various forms of appeal, where decisions can take months or years to resolve. For instance, the average time it takes to resolve a case before the Veterans Appeals Board is 883 days, or almost 2½ years.”

So what’s the weather like in Texas?

From theDailyCaller

“With more than 28,600 signatures collected since Nov. 9, a White House  website petition from an Arlington, Texas man has  attracted enough support to trigger an automatic review by the Obama  administration.

Petitions submitted through the Obama White House’s “We the People” program “require a response” from the administration  after they have attracted 25,000 signatures.

The Daily Caller reported Monday morning that since the day after President  Barack Obama’s re-election, citizens from 20 states had submitted petitions  asking for peaceful separations from the United States.”

It’s up to 25 states now. Heh.

🙂

UPDATE

It. Just. Gets. Worse.

From WaPo

“The FBI probe into the sex scandal that prompted CIA Director David Petraeus to resign has expanded to ensnare Gen. John R. Allen, the commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, the Pentagon announced early Tuesday.

According to a senior U.S. defense official, the FBI has uncovered between 20,000 and 30,000 pages of documents — most of them e-mails — that contain “potentially inappropriate” communication between Allen and Jill Kelley, the 37-year-old Tampa woman whose report of harassment by a person who turned out to be Petraeus’s mistress ultimately led to Petraeus’s downfall.

Allen, a Marine, succeeded Petraeus as the top allied commander in Afghanistan in July 2011. He also served as Petraeus’s deputy when both generals led the military’s Tampa-based Central Command from 2008 until 2010.”

What’s news today?

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

From TheDailyCaller

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

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

Speaking of needing a subpoena……..

From the WashingtonExaminer

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

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

The Blame Game continues, via Politico

“Rush Limbaugh couldn’t have been more right.

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

And that’s exactly what’s happening.”

Syrian troops and rebel fighting is spilling over into Israel.

From Reuters

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

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

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

From TheTelegraph/UK

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

Hamas is getting in on the fighting as well.

From Haaretz

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

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

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

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

From NBCNews

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

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

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

A huge explosion has rocked Indianapolis.

From CBS

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

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

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

UPDATE

Keep in mind he was just re-elected.

From CBS

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

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

“The tentative deal includes:

–Jackson resigning for health reasons.

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

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

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

From CBS

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

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

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

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

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

From RealClearPolitics

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

The WSJournal has more.

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

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

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

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

From the AsburyParkPress

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

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

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

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

In employment news, the fallout from the election continues.

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

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

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

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

And TheBlaze has more.

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

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

Don’t blame me, I voted for Romney.

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

From MyFoxTampaBay

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

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

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

Is that cool or what?

And this last one………..

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

From AP/MyWayNews

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

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

So, what, Bush is the new Kennedy?

Still, No Thank You!

Unless……………….

From TheHill

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

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

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

What’s news today?

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

From CBS Las Vegas

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

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

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

From CNBC

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

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

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

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

Boy that’s convenient huh?

🙄

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

From the NYPost

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

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

I need a head shaking, eye rolling, smiley.

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

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

This is just insult to injury.

From CBS New York

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

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

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

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

From TheBlaze

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

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

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

From ABC

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

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

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

And where were white voters?

From RealClearPolitics

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

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

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

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

From ForeignPolicy.com 

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

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

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

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

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

From FoxNews

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

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

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

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

🙄

It happened in international airspace according to CNN.

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

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

And from TheWeeklyStandard

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

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

🙄

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

What’s news today?

Let’s start with this, Boehner extends the olive branch, from CNBC

“House Speaker John Boehner offered Wednesday to pursue a deal with a victorious President Barack Obama that will include higher taxes “under the right conditions” to help reduce the nation’s staggering debt and put its finances in order.”

“His comments were generally along the lines of proposals by vanquished Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney that also were vague on specifics. Still, the speaker’s comments signaled a willingness to enter into talks. He suggested Congress could use its upcoming lame-duck session to get the ball moving on such a compromise.”

Harry Reid has his own plans, from TheWashingtonTimes

“Senate Majority Leader Harry  Reid said Wednesday that he will try to push through a change to Senate  rules that would limit the GOP’s ability to filibuster bills.

Speaking in the wake of Tuesday’s election, which boosted Senate  Democrats’ numbers slightly, Mr. Reid said  he won’t end filibusters  altogether but that the rules need to change so that  the minority party  cannot use the legislative blocking tool as often.

“I think that the rules have been abused and that we’re going to work to change them,” he told reporters.  “Were not going to do away with the  filibuster but we’re going to make the Senate a more meaningful  place.””

Still no word on a budget Harry? Do your job!

Re-election or not, Hillary’s still gonna bail, via CNSNews

“State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said Wednesday that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton still plans to step down after her successor is chosen despite President Barack Obama winning a second term.

“I don’t think the secretary’s plans have changed. You’ve heard her say many times that she intends to see through transition of a successor and then she will go back to private life and enjoy some rest and think and write and all those things,” Nuland said.”

And before the Benghazi investigation findings are revealed I’d bet.

Day 1 of the 2nd term agenda.

From Yahoo

“Hours after U.S. President Barack Obama was re-elected, the United States backed a U.N. committee’s call on Wednesday to renew debate over a draft international treaty to regulate the $70 billion global conventional arms trade.

 U.N. delegates and gun control activists have complained that talks collapsed in July largely because Obama feared attacks from Republican rival Mitt Romney if his administration was seen as supporting the pact, a charge Washington denies.”

“But the U.N. General Assembly’s disarmament committee moved quickly after Obama’s win to approve a resolution calling for a new round of talks March 18-28. It passed with 157 votes in favor, none against and 18 abstentions.”

I’m sure it’s completeley coincidental that this happened after the election.

And let’s not forget this looming over the country’s head.

From ZeroHedge

“Previewing Four More Years Of The Divided States Of America”

“Do not expect any changes to the trends of polarization and party non-conformists is the message from JPMorgan’s CIO Michael Cembalest. As he explains moderates like Blue Dog Democrats and Rockefeller Republicans are now artifacts in the Natural History Museum, having given way to their more ideological offspring (through retirement or after having been beaten in primaries).”

“However, defusing the cliff contributes to rising Federal debt unless the growth payoff is huge. In recognition of that reality, 80 US CEOs published a letter calling for Washington to strike a long-term fiscal “grand bargain” that includes higher tax revenues (but not in 2013). Here’s our latest Federal debt chart as a way to visualize the problem. The contours show the Congressional Budget Office Baseline Case and Alternative Case. As explained last week, while the Baseline Case represents “current law”, it has become increasingly preposterous, since it includes items that Congress passed but has been deferring for a decade (changes to the Alternative Minimum Tax and Medicare), and a wholesale resumption of 2001 tax rates that Congress has no intention of implementing. The CBO should put a unicorn next to it as an indication of how likely it is to happen.”

If yesterday was any indication, Wall St. doesn’t seem too excited about the prospects in an Obama 2nd term.

Also from ZeroHedge

“It seems like only last night everyone was celebrating more hope, if not much change. Now comes the hangover. The Dow Jones intraday drop is now 2.23% (and rising), greater than the biggest drop so far in 2012 record on June 1. The last time the market plunged as much: literally one year ago, or November 9, 2011.

Sadly, it appears that one can’t have their Dow Jones Industrial Average and redistribute it too.”

What’s news today?

The re-election of President Obama is the obvious choice.

From the NYTimes

“Barack Hussein Obama was re-elected president of the United States on Tuesday, overcoming powerful economic headwinds, a lock-step resistance to his agenda by Republicans in Congress and an unprecedented torrent of advertising as a divided nation voted to give him more time.”

““Tonight in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back,” Mr. Obama told his supporters early Wednesday. “We know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come.””

I guess he means in 4 years.

The voters have voted for 4 more years like the last 4, as much will remain the same. I keep wondering what voters were thinking?

Then I read stuff like this, and it becomes apparent that many weren’t thinking at all.

From NBC Chicago

“Jesse Jackson Jr. Wins Reelection From Mayo Clinic”

🙄

The consequences of re-electing Pres. Obama have already started.

From Bloomberg

“The dollar dropped the most in a week against the euro on speculation Barack Obama’s re-election as president will boost chances the U.S. will maintain monetary stimulus policies that tend to weaken the greenback.

The U.S. currency fell versus all except two of its 16 major peers as Obama defeated Republican challenger Mitt Romney, who disagrees with current Federal Reserve policy. Obama now faces the so-called fiscal cliff, $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts due to be implemented in 2013. Australia’s dollar rose for a third day as stocks rallied, boosting demand for higher-yielding assets. The euro gained against the dollar as the Greek parliament prepared to vote on austerity measures.”

In other news……

From Reuters

“Families and victims of a mass shooting in 2009 at the Fort Hood military base in Texas filed a wrongful death suit on Monday against the U.S. government, the accused gunman and the estate of an alleged al Qaeda leader.

The 148 plaintiffs are seeking damages and a ruling that the rampage was a terrorist attack. The finding would clear the way for them to receive benefits.

Major Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, faces 13 charges of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder for the November 5, 2009, attack on soldiers preparing to deploy to Iraq.”

And FEMA is still a joke. A really bad joke.

From the WashingtonFreeBeacon

“Eight days after Hurricane Sandy, Accetta is still waiting for FEMA to come and assess the damage to his home. After the hurricane, he was given a case number by FEMA. Now he waits in the cold.

“FEMA came to my block and a few neighbors were assessed,” he said. “I asked the worker if he could check my home and he replied, ‘You’re not on my list.’ “

President Barack Obama promised during his visit to the Northeast as he surveyed the damage that there would be no “red tape.”

That promise has not been fulfilled.”