AP scandal

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News/Politics 6-20-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

There’s a whole lot of news on the Gang of 8 Immigration/Amnesty Plan. The CBO has crunched the numbers, take them for what they’re worth. Just remember, they always leave stuff out, they only work what they are given, and the numbers always come in worse than they predicted. First up, TheWashingtonExaminer

“If the Senate immigration bill becomes law, federal health care spending would increase by $112 billion over the next decade as more people take advantage of Medicaid, Medicare and subsidies from President Obama’s health care law, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

In a highly anticipated report, the CBO found that overall, the immigration bill would reduce deficits by $197 billion in the first decade and $700 billion in the following decade, based on the assumption that a flow of new tax revenue would more than offset increased spending on federal benefits and other provisions of the law.

That said, CBO noted that the current language in the bill leaves it unclear which  categories of immigrants would be eligible for various government benefits. Under CBO’s interpretation, passage of the bill would boost spending on subsidies to purchase health insurance on Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges by $82.3 billion from 2014 through 2023; increase Medicaid spending by 29.3 billion; and raise Medicare spending by $0.8 billion. In the second decade following passage, the law would increase federal spending on low-income health programs by $400 billion, according to the CBO.”

The ObamaCare estimates from the CBO have already doubled to almost 2 trillion. More on the numbers here.  From TheDailyCaller

“The Senate’s pending immigration bill will pave the way for the arrival of 46  million legal immigrants over the next 20 years, increase the federal debt in  the same time period and shrink Americans’ average wage, according Alabama  Republican Sen. Jeff Session’s critical reading of two new reports on the  pending immigration reform bill provided by the Congressional Budget Office.

But Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, the most prominent GOP advocate for  the immigration reform bill, says the CBO reports are good news for  Americans.

“The CBO has further confirmed what most conservative economists have found:  reforming our immigration system is a net benefit for our  economy, American workers and taxpayers,” Rubio said in a statement on Tuesday.  “The report offers encouraging evidence that the  [bill could] reduce the  deficit over the next 20 years.””

Yeah, and I have a bridge to sell you. 🙄  Part of the problem here is that their “reform” doesn’t even fix the problem. From CNSNews

“The advocates of S. 744, the immigration bill under consideration in the U.S. Senate that would legalize many of the illegal aliens already in the United States, have argued that the proposed legislation would also secure the border and prevent future illegal immigration.

However, the cost estimate of the legislation that was released on Tuesday by the Congressional Budget Office says that the legislation would actually allow the flow of new illegal aliens into the United States to continue at a rate equal to 75 percent of the current rate of illegal immigration. This will be the case, in part, argues CBO, because of people who overstay temporary work visas that will be authorized by the bill.

This revelation that 75 percent of illegal immigration would continue if the Senate immigration reform proposal were enacted is included in a section of the report headlined, “Future Unauthorized Residents.” The section is on page 23 of the 63-page report.”

I sure hope the House has a better plan than this. This one solves nothing, and it doesn’t secure the border. How is that reform?

And will this cost Rubio? One things for sure, this would drive McCain and the Old Guard nuts. From TheHill

“Former Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) said Wednesday that he may mount a primary  challenge to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in their state’s 2016 Senate primary.

West told station WMAL that he could run for Senate, “If I see people that are not taking our country  down the right path, if I see people that are not standing up for the right type  of principles and putting their own party politics before what is best for the  United States of America.”

“Rubio, a Tea Party favorite, is seen as crucial to winning conservative support  for the immigration bill. But the Florida senator has suggested he may oppose  the measure he helped write unless tougher border security requirements are  adopted.”

And I don’t get where they think conservatives are lined up with Rubio on this. The conservative position is secure the border, then we can discuss it. This doesn’t, and never will. I just don’t see it.

I guess we have our answer to the question above….. From TheHill

“Sen. Marco  Rubio (R-Fla.) is feeling the heat as potential GOP allies are now turning  against his immigration reform bill.

Republican colleagues who were previously viewed as possible “yes” votes are  keeping their distance from the 1,075-page measure.

On Wednesday, conservative activists ripped Rubio and Sen. John McCain  (R-Ariz.) — both sponsors of the bipartisan immigration measure — at a Capitol  Hill rally.”

“The crowd, which was protesting the bill’s effort to put millions of illegal  immigrants on a path to citizenship, booed at the mention of Rubio’s name during  the six-hour event.”

And he had such potential. Oh well.

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And since I mentioned ObamaCare…. From TheChristianScienceMonitor

“The central feature of Obamacare – getting the uninsured to sign up for health insurance – is due to start on Oct. 1, less than four months away. But both the federal and state governments are behind in their preparations.

That’s the conclusion of two reports issued Wednesday by the congressional Government Accountability Office (GAO) looking at the status of government efforts to set up online “exchanges,” or marketplaces, for both individuals and small businesses.

“Much progress has been made, but much remains to be accomplished within a relatively short amount of time,” said the GAO report on the establishment of “federally facilitated” health-insurance exchanges for individuals. Those are the exchanges being set up for the 34 states that opted not to set them up themselves.”

And local govts are following the lead of many major restaurants and retailers. From InvertorsBusinessDaily

“When Regal Entertainment Group (RGC) in April blamed ObamaCare for the fact that it  was cutting some of its workers’ hours, backers of the law mounted a furious  backlash against the theater chain, among other things filling its Facebook page  with boycott threats.

“Greed and selfishness make me sick,” one of them said.

Darden Restaurants (DRI) felt this intense heat last year after  suggesting it might shift to more part-time work to minimize the cost of the  law’s mandate that companies offer coverage to all their full-time workers. CEO  Clarence Otis even blamed its lowered outlook for 2013 in part on “recent  negative media coverage” over “how we might accommodate health care reform.”

Yet while private companies are getting all this unwelcome and hostile  attention, local governments across the country have been quietly doing exactly  the same thing — cutting part-time hours specifically so they can skirt  ObamaCare’s costly employer mandate, while complaining about the law in some of  the harshest terms anyone has uttered in public.”

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This one, well let’s just say it worked as intended. From BuzzFeed

“What I learned from our journalists should alarm everyone in this room and I think should alarm everyone in this country. The actions of the DOJ against AP are already having an impact beyond the specifics of this particular case,” AP CEO Gary Pruitt told an audience at the National Press Club. “Some of our longtime trusted sources have become nervous and anxious about talking to us, even about stories that aren’t about national security. In some cases, government employees that we once checked in with regularly will no longer speak to us by phone, and some are reluctant to meet in person.”

After it was made public that the Justice Department took AP Washington bureau phone records as part of the Obama administration’s aggressive anti-leak operation, Pruitt said the fear among potential sources has spread to reporters from other outlets.

“I can tell you that this chilling effect is not just at AP, it’s happening at other news organizations as well,” he said. “Journalists from other news organizations have personally told me it has intimidated sources from speaking to them.””

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And lastly today, a video with some brutal honesty from a La. State Senator who has switched from D to R, and his reasons why.

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by

News/Politics 5-24-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

I’ll put a bunch up to start, then you tell us what interests you.

First up, more IRS scandal news.

When Bopp learned years later that Lerner had been promoted to an IRS  position, he became concerned. “She was in effect being promoted for what she had done at the Federal  Election Commission and now was going to be expected … to replicate that at  the IRS and now we know that’s exactly what happened,” he said. From FoxNews

Her reputation for bias is what got her the IRS gig.

Lois Lerner Directly Involved in IRS Targeting, Letters Show, from NationalReview

She’s finally getting some consequences and repercussions for her actions. But with pay of course. 🙄

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member of the tax writing Finance Committee, said in a statement Thursday that Lerner was placed on administrative leave after she refused a request from Danny Werfel, the newly installed acting IRS commissioner, to resign. From Politico

UPDATE!

Here’s a video showing Schumer and Franken dodging questions on their involvement in requesting the behavior the IRS is in trouble for.

With a Hat Tip to DrivesGuy

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Next up, Benghazi…

Looks like the Lerner situation, rewarding bad behavior, and silence.

President Obama on Thursday nominated Victoria Nuland, a State Department official involved in the editing of the administration’s talking points on Benghazi, to be the next assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs. From Politico

Meanwhile, a subpoena for another witness.

Pickering, Issa reach agreement on testimony, from HotAir

That one should be fun. He’s the former ambassador who helped the Obama admin investigate themselves.

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And then the AP/Fox record scandal. Holder insisted repeatedly that he knew nothing and had recused himself. That appears to be false.

Eric Holder Signed Off On Search Warrant For James Rosen Emails: NBC News, from TheHuffingtonPost

But don’t worry, Obama is having Holder investigate himself and his dept. in order to get to the bottom of things. 🙄

President Obama is a little uneasy with the way journalists have been dragged into the Justice Department’s aggressive pursuit of national security leak investigations. In fact, he has ordered Attorney General Eric Holder to conduct a 45-day review of the department’s guidelines on the issue. From ABCNews

Even HuffPo thinks he should be fired. But someone should hose him down first and extinguish his pants.

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Here’s more funny business from Obama’s HHS and Sec. Sebelius.

Current and former administration officials have taken on leadership and  fundraising roles for Enroll America, a nonprofit aiming to make sure people  sign up for new coverage options. As the ties grow deeper, the organization has  come to feel like “just an arm of the administration,” said one official who  works closely with insurers. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has already come  under fire from congressional Republicans because she has raised money for the  organization. From TheHill

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Here’s an update on the Trayvon Martin/ George Zimmerman case.

Martin’s cell phone contains photos of a gun, drugs, and texts about delinquent behavior. From WFTV.com

His school records, as well as school police video, hold more potential evidence. None of it good. And the defense wants to include discussion on his marijuana use. They claim he was likely under the influence at the time of his death. Needless to say prosecutors would like all these matters suppressed. It won’t help them and they know it.

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The Boy Scouts have caved. Not good, but not surprising given the pressure brought down on them by the media. It was only a matter of time.

The Boy Scouts of America threw open its ranks Thursday to gay Scouts but not gay Scout leaders – a fiercely contested compromise that some warned could fracture the organization and lead to mass defections of members and donors. Of the roughly 1,400 voting members of the BSA’s National Council who cast ballots, 61 percent supported the proposal drafted by the governing Executive Committee. The policy change takes effect Jan. 1. From TheAP

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by

News/Politics 5-21-13

The full scope of the devastion in Oklahoma is more apparent this morning. Sadly most of the news is not good. There is also the chance of more tornadoes today. From NBCNews

“At least 51 people, including 20 children, were among the victims of an enormous tornado that roared through the suburbs of Oklahoma City Monday, pulverizing entire city blocks and leaving behind miles of mangled cars and splintered wood.

Officials warned the death toll was likely to climb, making it among the deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history.

Forecasters warned that more “large and devastating” tornadoes were possible Tuesday with cities including Dallas-Ft. Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Shreveport, Texarkana and Little Rock potentially at risk.”

More From CBSHouston

“A monstrous tornado at least a half-mile wide roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods with winds up to 200 mph, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school. At least 51 people were reported killed, according to CBS News.”

Many of the victims were children. It’s just so sad. Please keep these folks suffering loss and damage to their homes in prayer. And all those working on rescue and recovery efforts as well.

UPDATE

The death toll continues to rise. From KFOR-TV

“Officials have confirmed at least 91 people have been killed in the Moore tornado Monday.

The medical examiner’s office confirmed at least 233 people have been injured.

That number is expected to rise as recovery efforts continue Tuesday morning and daylight arrives.”

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In other news….

This woman should be spending time in prison. From TheWeeklyStandard

“Perhaps no other IRS official is more intimately associated with  the tax agency’s growing scandal than Lois Lerner, director of the IRS’s  Exempt Organizations Division. Since admitting the IRS harassed  hundreds of conservative and Tea Party groups for over two years, Lerner  has been criticized for a number of untruths—including  the revelation that she apparently lied about planting a question at an  American Bar Association conference where she first publicly  acknowledged IRS misconduct.”

“The trouble with this defense is that, prior to joining the IRS,  Lerner’s tenure as head of the Enforcement Office at the Federal  Election Commisson (FEC) was marked by what appears to be politically  motivated harassment of conservative groups.”

“One of the most shocking things about the current IRS scandal is the revelation that the agency asked one religious pro-life group to detail the content of their prayers and asked clearly innappropriate questions about private religious activity. But under Lerner’s watch, innappropriate religious inquiries were a hallmark of the FEC’s interrogation of the Christian Coalition. According to Bopp’s testimony:”

And does anyone doubt that this is exactly why she’s received her newer assignments? Me neither.

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We also have attempts to intimidate reporters seeking answers at the IRS office in Cincinnati. From ABCNews

“As we traveled the public hallways of the building – watched over by security cameras – an armed uniformed police officer with the Federal Protective Service followed us. We were looking for a particular office—of someone who would not want to be seen talking to reporters–but chose to bypass it because of our official babysitter.

Asked why we were being escorted in a public building, the officer identified himself as Insp. Mike Finkelstein and said he was only trying to make sure that the newsmen were not a “nuisance.” He brushed aside further questions. The cop said a supervisor would call to explain.”

“One of the reporters wanted to know if the act of following the journalists was an effort intended to scare off any federal employee who might have considered speaking to the press. That’s sure what it looked like; and, even if that wasn’t the goal, it was the effect.”

Chicago style.

Next is the ever changing talking points. Regardless of whether it’s Benghazi, the IRS, or the AP story, the issue of a continually changing narrative seems to be a theme. From Politico

“The White House on Monday once again added to the list of people who knew  about the IRS investigation into its targeting of conservative groups — saying  White House chief of staff Denis McDonough had been informed about a month  ago.

Press secretary Jay Carney said again that no one had told President Barack  Obama ahead of the first news reports: not his top aide McDonough, nor his chief  counsel Kathy Ruemmler, nor anyone from the Treasury Department.”

“Monday’s revelation amounts to the fifth iteration of the Obama administration’s  account of events, after initially saying that the White House had first learned  of the controversy from the press.”

Quick, blame the video or something! 🙄

And there’s much more on this. Here are some examples.

A bushel of Pinocchios for IRS’s Lois Lerner, from TheWaPo

Senior W.H. staff knew of IRS investigation, did not tell Obama, from Politico

Riiiight. 😉

The True Scandal, fromNationalReview

“A tea-party group targeted by Democrats gets attention from the IRS—and the FBI, OSHA, and the ATF.”

“Two months later, the IRS initiated the first round of questions for True the Vote. Catherine painstakingly answered them, knowing that nonprofit status would help with the organization’s credibility, donors, and grant applications. In October, the IRS requested additional information. And whenever Catherine followed up with IRS agents about the status of True the Vote’s application, “there was always a delay that our application was going to be up next, and it was just around the corner,” she says,

As this was occurring, the FBI continued to phone King Street Patriots. In May 2011, agents phoned wondering “how they were doing.” The FBI made further inquiries in June, November, and December asking whether there was anything to report.”

“On the same day they received the questions from the IRS, Catherine says, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) launched an unscheduled audit of their machine shop, forcing the Engelbrechts to drop everything planned for that day. Though the Engelbrechts have a Class 7 license, which allows them to make component parts for guns, they do not manufacture firearms. Catherine said that while the ATF had a right to conduct the audit, “it was odd that they did it completely unannounced, and they took five, six hours. . . . It was so extensive. It just felt kind of weird.””

The fourth shoe is coming according to Drudge Editors and Dem. Sen. Max Baucus.

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And we have yet another example of govt agencies harrassing people, and once again, an ever changing story. From NBCNews

“The Justice Department’s secret subpoena for AP phone records included the seizure of records for five reporters’ cellphones and three home phones as well as two fax lines, a lawyer for the news organization tells NBC News.”

“David Schulz, the chief lawyer for the AP, said the subpoenas also covered the records for 21 phone lines in five AP office lines — including one for a dead phone line at  office in Washington that had been shut down six years ago. The phone lines at four other offices – where  100 reporters worked — were also covered by the subpoenas, Schulz said.”

We know they also targeted at least 3 Fox reporters as well. From WeaselZippers

Jay Carney would like to remind everyone that leaks will not be tolerated. From TalkingPointsMemo

“Insisting repeatedly that he can’t comment on the Department of Justice’s 2009 probe of Fox News reporter James Rosen, White House press secretary Jay Carney on Monday emphasized the severity of leaks related to national security.

Carney said that President Barack Obama has long valued the First Amendment and an open press, but that leaks of classified information “are not tolerated.” The White House spokesman said that the media shield law proposed by Obama strikes that balance.

“I think it is very important that leaks are not tolerated,” Carney said.”

Well, except for those that benefit and come from the administration right Jay? 🙄

From Breitbart

“The Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General published a new report Monday that confirms former U.S. Attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke leaked a document intended to smear Operation Fast and Furious scandal whistleblower John Dodson.”

Apparently some leaks are more equal than others.

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Democrats are planning an attempt to place restrictions on crisis pregnancy centers. Of course no such restrictions for abortion mills were not included. This is just rich. Gosnell they ignore. His victims, they ignore. And they don’t seem real concerned with full disclosure from Planned Parenthood before for an abortion. In fact, quite the opposite. From TheHill

“Democrats in the House and Senate are looking to stop what they say are  deceptive advertising practices by anti-abortion health clinics that imply they  offer abortion services, but instead encourage birth and promote  adoption.

The legislation is aimed at crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs),  which are clinics often set up by a church or other anti-abortion groups.  Democrats in Congress and other pro-abortion groups say these clinics are known  to indicate they can perform abortions in order to attract pregnant women  patients, and then try to convince them to carry their babies to term.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), the House sponsor of the Stop Deceptive  Advertising for Women’s Services Act (H.R.  2030), said CPCs should not be allowed to deceive women who are seeking  information about their pregnancy.”

But this enabler who sponges blood money from abortion groups wouldn’t dare try this on PP, where it’s actually needed. Hypocrite.

Meanwhile some actual honesty and following of the law is completely lacking from Planned Parenthood. From TheBellinghamHerald

“An Everson man who impregnated a preteen girl and forced her to have an abortion must serve a six-year prison sentence, then leave the country.”

“He brought the girl to a Planned Parenthood clinic in August 2012. She told staff members that her 14-year-old boyfriend impregnated her, but she couldn’t give the boy’s name or address.

Six weeks after the abortion, the girl told a detective how she had really become pregnant. Gonzalez-Jose had insisted “it would be best for her” to not have the baby, according to the documents.”

Perhaps their new-found fondness of honesty will let them explain how a 14 year old girl, accompanied by a non-family member adult male, can get an abortion in one of their clinics without serious questions being asked and the authorities alerted?

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by

News/Politics 5-16-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

The IRS scandal continues to grow.

The acting IRS Commissioner has resigned. From CNN

Acting Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Steven Miller revealed Wednesday that officials had identified two “rogue” employees that were responsible for subjecting Tea Party groups to extra scrutiny in their requests for tax-exempt status. From HuffPo

That doesn’t sound truthful considering this info.

The Treasury Inspector General’s damaging report on the IRS-Tea Party scandal has destroyed the administration’s claim that low-level workers in a Cincinnati, Ohio office are to blame, revealing that 10 of 12 agency offices referenced in the affair are in Washington. From TheWashingtonExaminer

Documents: IRS letters harassing conservative groups came from Washington, DC  headquarters and from California offices, despite Inspector General’s focus on  Cincinnati employees. From TheDailyMail

Perjury?

Representative Dave Camp, chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, charged top IRS officials, including former commissioner Doug Shulman, of lying to Congress over the targeting of tea-party groups. From NationalReview

As usual, the buck always stops somewhere else.

NBC: W.H. Blaming Treasury Dept. for IRS Scandal. Via TheWeeklyStandard

The list of victims continues to grow.

Some counts say it will be as high as 500. From TownHall

‘Very Frightening’: Prominent Catholic Prof. Claims IRS Audited Her After Speaking Out Against Obama and Demanded to Know Who Was Paying Her. From TheBlaze

The Koch brothers and other Romney donors as well.

Frank VanderSloot: ‘I’m not the only’ major Mitt Romney donor audited. From TheDailyCaller

Pro-life groups are getting the same treatment Franklin Graham’s group did.

IRS is also targeting pro-life groups: Thomas More Society. From LifeSiteNews

Report: IRS denied tax-exempt status to pro-lifers on behalf of Planned Parenthood. From TheWashingtonExaminer

I’m sure the White House had nothing to do with this either. 🙄 harassment on behalf of the abortion mills, just like the DoJ has been doing to sidewalk counselors.

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And is there yet another possible IRS scandal?

The Internal Revenue Service is now facing a class action lawsuit over allegations that it improperly accessed and stole the health records of some 10 million Americans, including medical records of all California state judges. From HealthCareItNews

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The White House has released several Benghazi related e-mails. And yes, they expose a little more on how the lies that came from the Obama admin in the weeks after the attack were put together.

The Obama administration released 100 pages of emails Wednesday that reveal differences between intelligence analysts and State Department officials over how to describe the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. post in Benghazi, Libya. From WaPo

You can view them yourself here. From Scribd.com

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Holder had a testy hearing on the hill.

Apparently it’s “unacceptable and shameful”  to point out how he repeatedly refuses to provide info to Congressional investigators on numerous topics. From FoxNews

Meanwhile, Holder continues to play dumb and insist he knows nothing about the AP scandal.

Holder said that he recused himself from the  making the controversial decision to subpoena the phone records of Associated  Press journalists, saying that it was made by Deputy Attorney General James  Cole. From TheDailyMail

Yet there is no paper trail showing that he ever officially recused himself. He even admitted as much.

And he’s not sure when he did. From RCP

Sure. It seems the only thing he does know is that he doesn’t know. See for yourself.

And according to Carney, repeatedly as well I might add, the White House has “No Comment.”.

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And yet again we must ask, is there yet another phone records scandal coming?

Would You Believe The Administration Got Phone Records of The House Of Representatives? From TheGreenRoom

That’s the revelation made by California Congressman Devin Nunes, who sits on the House Ways And Means Committee on Hugh Hewitt’s Show Wednesday night.”

“HH: The idea that this might be a Geithner-Axelrod plan, and by that, the sort of intimation, Henry II style, will no one rid me of this turbulent priest, will no one rid me of these turbulent Tea Parties, that might have just been a hint, a shift of an eyebrow, a change in the tone of voice. That’s going to take a long time to get to. I don’t trust the Department of Justice on this. Do you, Congressman Nunes?

DN: No, I absolutely do not, especially after this wiretapping incident, essentially, of the House of Representative. I don’t think people are focusing on the right thing when they talk about going after the AP reporters. The big problem that I see is that they actually tapped right where I’m sitting right now, the Cloak Room.

HH: Wait a minute, this is news to me.

DN: The Cloak Room in the House of Representatives.

HH: I have no idea what you’re talking about.

DN: So when they went after the AP reporters, right? Went after all of their phone records, they went after the phone records, including right up here in the House Gallery, right up from where I’m sitting right now. So you have a real separation of powers issue that did this really rise to the level that you would have to get phone records that would, that would most likely include members of Congress, because as you know…

HH: Wow.

Wow indeed. Nixon? Anyone?

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Oh. And the Russians are saying they arrested a US spy. Possibly Boston Bombing related?

This morning the Russian foreign  ministry today  issued a formal protest to American ambassador Michael  McFaul who was summoned  to explain the alleged espionage mission of one  of his diplomats. Again, TheMail

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This next one? Well, I only have one comment….

Suckers. What did you expect?

Deep in the list of taxes that the president’s Obamacare plan will hit Americans with is a 40 percent excise tax on health plans typical union members have, especially in Midwest states, according to a new analysis. From TheWashingtonExaminer

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