Benghazi

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News/Politics 8-13-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up today, a Benghazi update. Looks like gun running is the reason for the attacks after all, and what they’ve been trying to hide all along. Breitbart and DC’s WMAL provide the details.

Via WeaselZippers  “Atty For Benghazi Whistleblower: 400 U.S. Surface-To-Air Missiles Were Stolen In Benghazi”

“Is this part of the threat that closed the embassies, the fear that our own weapons would be used against us? Joe Di Genova, who was a federal prosecutor, also notes that the President mentioned the sealed indictment to make it appear as though he was doing something, but violated a court order to reveal the sealed indictment.”

“On August 12, Joe DiGenova, attorney for one of the Benghazi whistleblowers, told Washington D.C.’s WMAL that one of the reasons people have remained tight-lipped about Benghazi is because 400 U.S. missiles were “diverted to Libya” and ended up being stolen and falling into “the hands of some very ugly people.”

The interview with the attorney is interesting to say the least.

Now what role do you suppose these weapons played in the recent warnings?

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The N.C. Gov. has signed an extensive new Voter ID law.

From TheWaPo  “North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) on Monday signed into law one of the nation’s most wide-ranging Voter ID laws.

The move is likely to touch off a major court battle over voting rights, and the Justice Department is weighing a challenge to the new law, which is the first to pass since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the Voting Rights Act. “

“The measure requires voters to present government-issued photo identification at the polls and shortens the early voting period from 17 to 10 days. It will also end pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-old voters who will be 18 on Election Day and eliminates same-day voter registration.

Democrats and minority groups have been fighting against the changes, arguing that they represent an effort to suppress the minority vote and the youth vote, along with reducing Democrats’ advantage in early voting. They point out that there is little documented evidence of voter fraud.”

Wow. The Race Card. Didn’t see that comin’……  🙄

As Politico points out, a war is coming now that the old act has finally fallen.

From Politico  “State lawmakers from around the country crowded into a packed room Monday at  the meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures to learn more about  the impact of the Supreme Court’s recent decision striking down the Voting  Rights Act as activists gear up for a new battle over the ballot box.

The panelists that led at the NCSCL gathering in Atlanta said there’s so much  interest in possible voting changes that more chairs had to be brought in for  the larger-than-expected crowd that topped 100.”

“The high court’s ruling in June means that parts or all of 15 states can now  pass laws and make changes to elections without needing pre-approval from the  Justice Department – and a handful of them began to act immediately. The Justice  Department has moved to stop Texas from going forward and put it back under  preclearance, and a similar lawsuit has been filed by a separate group against a  small town in southern Alabama.

In the meantime, changes to voting procedures could be small and localized –  which may make them even more dangerous, according to activists.”

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This next one is great if you’re an illegal immigrant. But you still can’t visit the White House. As you can see, they have other funding priorities.

From FoxNews  “A sudden influx of illegal immigrants from Mexico requesting asylum is  overwhelming immigration agents in San Diego, forcing agencies to rent hotel  rooms for some undocumented families and release others to cities around the  U.S.

Documents obtained exclusively by Fox News show Immigration and Customs  Enforcement has been paying for hotel rooms for dozens of recently arrived  families to relieve overcrowding inside the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa, Calif.,  processing centers. Some ICE employees are working overtime and others have been  asked to volunteer to work weekend shifts. “Duties include intake, placements,  transports and release of family groups and unaccompanied minors,” according to  a memo obtained by Fox News. 

The surge has raised suspicions about what is driving the influx, amid  claims that illegal immigrants have learned they can attempt to get asylum by  using a few key words — namely, by claiming they have a “credible fear” of drug  cartels. 

“This clearly has to have been orchestrated by somebody,” said former U.S.  Attorney for Southern California Peter Nunez. “It’s beyond belief that dozens or  hundreds or thousands of people would simultaneously decide that they should go  to the U.S. and make this claim.””

Cough (Liberals) Cough (Dems and RINO’s) Cough (Obama) Cough……

Take your pick. Lot’s of suspects to choose from. Pretty much anyone in our govt is a potential suspect. 🙄

But all sarcasm aside, this will cause legitimate requests to be questioned as well. That’s not right. Unintended consequences are never considered.

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Here’s some more of your tax dollars at work.

From Reason  “Labor activists using tactics adopted from the Occupy Wall Street movement are crashing restaurants across the nation in an effort to raise wages for workers – and they’re getting taxpayer money to fund the effort.

Using a combination of federal grants and grants from left-leaning organizations, the Restaurant Opportunity Center, or ROC, is technically a charitable nonprofit and not a union. But their pro-worker messages, anti-employer protests and self-proclaimed goal of organizing service sector employees for the purposes of negotiating higher wages make ROC look and sound much like a labor union.

Some see their tactics as a deliberate attempt to skirt the nation’s labor laws. Only unions elected by a majority of a workplace can negotiate with employers on workers’ behalf, though ROC seems to be doing so in the absence of any election.”

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Here’s an update on the Paula Dean lawsuit.

From MSN  “A federal judge Monday threw out race discrimination  claims by a former Savannah restaurant manager whose lawsuit against Paula Deen has already cost the celebrity cook a  valuable chunk of her culinary empire.

Lisa Jackson sued Deen and her brother, Bubba Hiers, last year saying she  suffered from sexual harassment and racially offensive talk and employment  practices that were unfair to black workers during her five years as a manager  of Uncle Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House. Deen is co-owner of the restaurant,  which is primarily run by her brother.”

“But claims of race discrimination by Jackson, who is white, were gutted in  the 20-page opinion by U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. The judge  agreed with lawyers for Deen and Hiers that Jackson has no standing to sue her  former employers for what she claims was poor treatment of black workers,  regardless of her claims that she was offended and placed under additional  stress.

Jackson, at best, “is an accidental victim of the alleged racial  discrimination,” Moore said in his ruling. “There are no allegations that  defendant Hiers’s racially offensive comments were either directed toward  plaintiff or made with the intent to harass her.”

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And the rodeo clown with the Obama mask has been banned from the MO. State Fair.

From Yahoo  “The Missouri State Fair on Monday imposed a lifetime ban on a rodeo clown whose depiction of President Barack Obama getting charged by a bull was widely criticized by Democratic and Republican officials alike.

The rodeo clown won’t be allowed to participate or perform at the fair again. Fair officials say they’re also reviewing whether to take any action against the Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association, the contractor responsible for Saturday’s event.”

“The fair said in a written statement announcing the clown’s ban that he had engaged in an “unconscionable stunt” that was “inappropriate and not in keeping with the Fair’s standards.” The fair’s press release did not identify the clown.”

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News/Politics 8-7-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up today, the Ft. Hood trial. It’s disgusting that his victims have to be subjected to this.

From FoxNews  “The trial of the Fort Hood gunman, who is acting as his own attorney, took a  surreal turn as the former Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 in the  November 2009 attack grilled witnesses — including his former boss in the  military and a fellow Muslim who spoke to him the day of the shooting.

After a short opening statement in which ex-Army Maj. Nidal Hasan called  himself a “mujahedeen,” admitted to the rampage and said “the dead bodies will show that war is an ugly thing,” Hasan cross-examined prosecution witnesses,  including retired Lt. Col Ben Kirk Phillips, his former boss. When pressed by  the defendant, Phillips acknowledged that his officer evaluation report had  graded Hasan as “outstanding.”

But he declined to cross-examine one of his shooting victims, Sgt. Alonzo  Lunsford, who provided the day’s most damning testimony.”

Sure sounds like workplace violence to me. 🙄

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Next, the Obama admin has finally grown tired of the media getting to Benghazi suspects before them, so indictments have finally come.

From TheWallStJournal  “The Justice Department has filed sealed criminal charges against a number of suspects in the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans, according to people familiar with the matter.

One of those charged, according to these people, is Ahmed Abu Khattalah, founder of Libya’s Islamist militia Ansar al-Sharia. Mr. Abu Khattalah was seen at the compound when it was overrun, according to intelligence officials. In interviews with reporters, Mr. Abu Khattalah has admitted being at the scene but denied involvement in the attack.

The exact nature of the charges wasn’t clear, nor was the number of suspects named in the investigation. Investigators and prosecutors are continuing to pursue the case, and they plan to charge additional suspects, according to the people familiar with the case.”

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Next, the other Benghazi scandal….

From Mediaite  “On July 31, CNN’s The Situation Room broadcast a portion of an interview conducted by reporter Arwa Damon with a suspect in the Benghazi attacks. The suspect revealed to Damon that no investigator has attempted to contact him regarding his involvement in that deadly assault. The following day, CNN’s Drew Griffin broke the news that more than 30 CIA agents were on the ground in Libya on the day of the attack and they are being pressured by the spy agency to not reveal to reporters or congressional investigators what they know of the events of that night. Some CNN reporters are reportedly fearful now that their access to the White House will be hampered following their probing into a story that members of the Obama administration would prefer remain uninvestigated.

“Access is a very serious consideration when it comes to stories that could adversely impact a show, correspondent, or network’s relationship with the administration, a campaign, or any political leader,” one source with insider information told Mediaite.

“I would suggest it’s not an accident that those who have been given a lot of access to the president have generally been AWOL when it comes to stories that might reflect poorly on him,” the source, who did not wish to be identified, continued. “It’s the name of the game. And it’s bad for everyone trying to do this job the right way.” Those reporters have reason to fear for their access to America’s executive branch. Some suspect that reporters who soft-pedal or underreport stories uncomfortable to the administration receive preferential access to White House officials.”

Not shocked at all.

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Next up, it’s about time.

From LifeNews  “The Government Accountability Office’s (GAO), a Congressional agency, has indicated it will conduct an investigation of the Planned Parenthood abortion, business, which was recently busted for millions of dollars of Medicaid fraud in Texas.

The abortion giant has engaged in at least $12.5 million in fraud over multiple states — that has become public knowledge so far.

Representatives Diane Black (R-TN), Pete Olson (R-TX), Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Senator David Vitter (R-LA) issued states late Monday saying they are grateful the agency will look into the abortion corporation and its financial dealings.

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Next up, the other shoe.

From CNBC  “Detroit, you’re not alone.

Across the nation, cities and states are watching Detroit’s largest-ever municipal bankruptcy filing with great trepidation. Years of underfunded retirement promises to public sector workers, which helped lay Detroit low, could plunge them into a similar and terrifying financial hole.

A CNBC.com analysis of more than 120 of the nation’s largest state and local pension plans finds they face a wide range of burdens as their aging workforces near retirement.

Thanks to a patchwork of accounting practices and rosy investment assumptions, it’s not even clear just how big a financial hole many states and cities have dug for themselves. That may soon change, thanks to a new set of government accounting standards that could serve as a nasty wake-up call to states and cities relying on rosy scenarios and head-in-the-sand accounting.”

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More to worry about with ObamaCare. And yet another part running behind schedule and over budget.

From Reuters  “The federal government is months behind in testing data security for the main pillar of Obamacare: allowing Americans to buy health insurance on state exchanges due to open by October 1

The missed deadlines have pushed the government’s decision on whether information technology security is up to snuff to exactly one day before that crucial date, the Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general said in a report.

As a result, experts say, the exchanges might open with security flaws or, possibly but less likely, be delayed.”

Doh! 😯

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This is the last for today. It’s bad enough that so much money already goes to public schools thru taxes. This is just insulting to taxpayers. And just one more reason to question just where priorities lie.

From NBCNews  “Buying tissue and copy paper for your kid’s classroom – or subjecting co-workers and family members to endless fundraisers – have become standard. But some public school districts have upped the ante, charging students mandatory fees and holding out the threat of collections or barring students from participating in activities if their parents don’t pay up.

The ACLU says it’s illegal. Schools counter that they’re facing huge budget shortfalls and that charging fees is better than firing teachers. Education experts warn that fees create a dynamic of inequality. Meanwhile, families are caught in the middle as they dig deeper into their pocketbooks and bank accounts.”

““(Our district) spends more than $4 million annually to provide sports programs and other activities. These fees help recover a small percentage of that cost,” David Beery, communications director at the Maine 207 school district in the suburbs of Chicago, said via email. Beery’s district gained notoriety after an irate parent posted a photo of the mandatory fees — including a required $300 Chromebook — she was required to pay for her daughter’s sophomore year.”

And it’s way past time that the role of sports in depleting budgets is addressed as well.

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by

News/Politics 8-3-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, something that will make you say “hmmmmm….”

From TheBlaze  “The Obama administration is “changing names” of the Benghazi survivors and “creating aliases” to keep them hidden from congressional investigators and the American people, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) told Greta Van Susteren on Thursday night. He also said the administration is “dispersing them around the country” to keep them out of sight.”

“Gowdy’s stunning claims were overshadowed by CNN’s bombshell report that revealed there were “dozens” of CIA operatives on the ground in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012, the night of the deadly attack that killed four Americans. Meanwhile, the CIA is taking “unprecedented” to keep whatever it was doing in Benghazi a secret, according to the report.

“Stop and think what things are most calculated to get at the truth? Talk to people with first-hand knowledge. What creates the appearance and perhaps the reality of a cover-up?” Not letting us talk with people who have the most amount of information, dispersing them around the country and changing their names,” Gowdy said.

Good thing this a “phony scandal” and not a real. Otherwise this might look bad. 🙄

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Next up, of course he did. Your elite rulers and staff don’t need to worry about their healthcare costs rising. That’s just for us commoners.

From WhiteHouseDossier  “The Obama administration has granted members of Congress and their staffers an exemption from a provision of Obamacare that could have cost them thousands of dollars a year in added health insurance costs, according to Politico.”

“Congress currently allots itself generous health coverage through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. Nearly 75 percent of premiums are taken care of. But under Obamacare, our representatives and their worker bees will be thrown onto the health care exchanges like millions of Americans – without the FEHB subsidy. Fair is fair, right?”

No. They’re special.

More here from RollCall 

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Next up, how easy is it to get multiple ObamaPhones, which is not supposed to be allowed?  Really easy.

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Here’s one you’ll like. The prosecutor’s office in the George Zimmerman case is being sued by the man who blew the whistle on prosecutorial misconduct and evidence tampering. Sweet.

From FoxNews  “The former information technology director for Florida State Attorney Angela  Corey is reportedly suing for wrongful termination.

Jacksonville.com reports that Ben Kruidbos sued Corey’s office Thursday,  claiming he was illegally fired in June following his testimony that prosecutors  did not submit all information to George Zimmerman’s defense team in the  shooting death of Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26, 2012.”

“Kruidbos, according to the lawsuit, could not be fired for testifying in a  judicial proceeding in response to a subpoena. It also claims that the firing  was retaliation for his testimony in the Zimmerman case.”

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And lastly, some more good news. 🙂

From NationalReview  “Quinnipiac is out today with a national poll on a broad array of issues. One of the issues they polled was a 20-week limit on abortion, which has been in the spotlight between the House’s passage of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, and Wendy Davis’ infamous filibuster and the subsequent passage of a 20-week limit in Texas.”

Women (60 percent) are 10 points more likely to back the 20-week limit than men (50 percent).

Hispanics back the 20-week limit by a 39-point margin, 59 percent to 20 percent.

Young people (18-29) back the 20-week limit by a 27-point margin, 55 percent to 28 percent.”

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by

News/Politics 8-2-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up today, an ObamaCare update.

From SavannahNow  “Georgia may not start its Obamacare health exchange Oct. 1 when the rest of the country does because the state issued an emergency request late Monday for a delay.

Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens asked U.S. Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for another 30 days beyond tomorrow’s deadline to approve the health plans submitted by seven insurance companies wanting to do business in the state.

He said some rates were 198 percent higher than current plans available in the state.”

Ouch.

Meanwhile, the IRS chief says no thanks to ObamaCare.

From TheWeeklyStandard  “”Mr. Werfel, last week your employees who are a member of the National Treasury Employee’s Union sent a form letter for union members to send in to ask they be exempt from the exchanges,” a congressman asked. “Why are your employees trying to exempt themselves from the very law that you’re tasked to enforce?”

“I don’t want to speak for the NTEU, but I’ll offer a perspective as a federal employee myself and a federal employee at the IRS,” said the IRS chief. “And that is, we have right now as employees of the government, of the IRS, affordable health care coverage. I think the ACA was designed to provide an option or an alternative for individuals that do not. And all else being equal, I think if you’re an individual who is satisfied with your health care coverage, you’re probably in a better position to stick with that coverage than go through the change of moving into a different environment and going through that process. So I think for a federal employee, I think more likely, and I would — can speak for myself, I would prefer to stay with the current policy that I’m pleased with rather than go through a change if I don’t need to go through that change.””

So would a lot of folks, but if they can’t, why should you be allowed too? Finding out the President lied stinks huh?

Next up, an update on the Obama admin and schools getting together in their propaganda efforts. They insist there’s no concerted efforts to do so, yet some schools seem more than happy to do their part. Let me guess….. “It’s for the kids!…..” right? 🙄

From Politico  “Supporters of the health law see back-to-school season as a natural time for  Obamacare outreach, a chance to find young families who could benefit from new  health coverage options. But weeks before the school bells start ringing in  parts of the country, there’s no concerted effort to reach parents at the  schoolhouse door. It’s yet another sign of how the undying controversy could  overshadow attempts to get people enrolled.”

“And the big sign-up campaign from Enroll America, an organization of  Obamacare allies and health law stakeholders, hasn’t focused on schools, at  least not as of now.

States or school districts can act on their own; Los Angeles, for instance,  is training some high school juniors and seniors how to be Obamacare messengers  to their families and communities. But the lack of a national strategy is just  one more sign of how hard it is for the administration and its allies to focus  on health benefits, not health politics, as Obamacare enrollment nears. And the  Republicans have made it clear that they don’t want the schools to go anywhere  near the controversial health law.

“What authority does the Department of Education have to disseminate  information and assist with the implementation of the president’s health care  law?” Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), a former Education secretary, and other  GOP senators wrote Duncan in July. “How do the Department of Education’s  activities further the education of our nation’s students?””

OOOOO, OOOOO, I know! I know this one!….  They don’t. 🙄

But even if all the schools don’t help out, we still have 21 govt. agencies doing their part in the propaganda efforts. It’s becoming painfully obvious why they recently rescinded anti-propaganda law and regulations huh? Yeah……

From TheWashingtonExaminer  “Thirty-nine Republican senators want to know who the 21 federal agencies helping to implement Obamacare are and what those agencies are doing to promote the program.

A leaked April 2013 slideshow from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said 21 federal agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture and Education, are working on an educational program to implement Obamacare.

That reference prompted the senators’ curiosity.

“At a time federal agency budgets have been tightened by the sequester and the White House has warned of cuts to basic programs, I would like to know how 21 agencies, such as those overseeing agriculture and education, would have the taxpayer dollars to implement and promote the new health care law — an activity outside of their missions and an expense not authorized by Congress,” Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said.”

Yeah…..

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Next we have a “Phony Scandal” update. I posted a story months ago about the embassy in Benghazi being a CIA arms shipment operation to arm Syrian rebels. This will feed that idea, that’s for sure.

From CNN  “Sources now tell CNN dozens of people working for the CIA were on the ground that night, and that the agency is going to great lengths to make sure whatever it was doing, remains a secret.

CNN has learned the CIA is involved in what one source calls an unprecedented attempt to keep the spy agency’s Benghazi secrets from ever leaking out.”

“Speculation on Capitol Hill has included the possibility the U.S. agencies operating in Benghazi were secretly helping to move surface-to-air missiles out of Libya, through Turkey, and into the hands of Syrian rebels.”

Hmmmmmmmmmm………………….

Oh, and US Embassies and consulates throughout the muslim world will close Sunday due to threats. Nice.

From TheAP  “The United States is shuttering its embassies and consulates throughout the Muslim world on Sunday after receiving an unspecified threat, officials said.”

“Spokeswoman Marie Harf cited information indicating a threat to U.S. facilities overseas and said some diplomatic offices may stay closed for more than a day.”

And in other terrorism  work-place violence news……

From FoxNews  “On the eve of his military trial, accused Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Hasan  released seven pages of handwritten and typed documents to Fox News in which he  appears to renounce his U.S. citizenship, abandons his military oath as a  commissioned officer, and explains his relationship with radical cleric Anwar  al-Awlaki — the first American targeted for death by the CIA.

Most of the documents also include the acronym “SoA,” which is considered  shorthand for “Soldier of Allah.”  Hasan’s business card, also bearing  “SoA,” was found in his Texas apartment after the shooting.”

“”The government has tried to deny that this was an act of terrorism. I think  that, I hope that if people hear the words from Hasan’s own mouth that they will  understand that this was an act of terrorism,” Staff Sgt. Shawn Manning, who was  shot six times at Fort Hood on Nov. 5, 2009, told Fox News.”

“In the only document bearing a date — Oct. 18, 2012 — Hasan  writes: “I, Nidal Malik Hasan, am compelled to renounce any oaths of  allegiances that require me to support/defend (any – sic) man made constitution  (like the constitution of the United States) over the commandments mandated in  Islam … I therefore formally renounce my oath of office … this includes my  oath of U.S. citizenship.”

It’s time the Obama admin gives up on this charade and grants these soldiers and their families what they are rightfully due. This was terrorism. Stop lying and admit it.

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Next we have some union stories, irony, and bad behavior.

From TheFreeBeacon  “A judge ordered one of Chicago’s most politically powerful labor unions to suspend picketing against 16 funeral homes last week after receiving reports that striking Teamsters had, among other things, disturbed a child’s funeral.

SCI Illinois Services, Inc., one of the nation’s largest funeral home chains, asked a district court to intervene after striking funeral directors and drivers with Teamsters Local 727 allegedly harassed grieving families.

“We are grateful that the court agreed to issue this temporary restraining order, and we are hopeful that it will help protect grieving families who are experiencing the most difficult times of their lives,” Larry Michael, managing director for SCI Illinois Services, Inc., said in a release. “While we recognize and respect the Teamsters’ right to lawfully picket, we have been shocked and saddened by their attempts to make grieving families the target of the cruel and outrageous attacks.”

You won’t get much sympathy to your cause acting like jerks at children’s funerals. Seriously un-cool.

Next, the irony… Considering the way the ACLU uses the threat of litigation and lawsuits to stifle those they disagree with, it’s ironic that they would whine about extortion tactics when someone uses the press against them for a change.

From TheWashingtonExaminer  “Did you know that the clerical and other support staff for the American Civil Liberties Union is, well, unionized? Well, they are and that is causing ACLU executive director Anthony Romero some serious heartburn.

Romero told the Village Voice in a July 25 interview that the workers’ union, United Auto Workers Local 2110, was engaging in a “subtle form of extortion” by criticizing the ACLU to the press.

“[The union] is using the press to embarrass us and back us into a corner to make concessions that are not in keeping with the market and not in keeping with other employers,” Romero said. He was responding to a Village Voice piece the previous day titled: “The ACLU Is Going After Its Own Union Workers’ Contracts.””

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And in another waste of taxpayer money….  and govt. employees acting stupidly…… Someone illegally possessing a baby dear? Send the SWAT team in to kill Bambi. Sorry. It’s the law.

From WISN.com  “WISN 12 News investigates an operation raising questions about the use of  government resources and the state policy that meant a death sentence for a fawn.”

“Two weeks ago, Schulze was  working in the barn at the Society of St. Francis on the Kenosha-Illinois border when a swarm of squad cars arrived and officers unloaded with a search  warrant.

“(There were) nine DNR  agents and four deputy sheriffs, and they were all armed to the teeth,” Schulze  said.”

“The focus of their search was a baby fawn brought there by an Illinois family  worried she had been abandoned by her mother.”

Stand back folks! That’s weapons-grade stupid right there. Dangerous stuff. 🙄

That one got me thinking of another story I read, so I went and found it. Related? You decide.

From TheAP  “Small-town police departments across the country have been gobbling up tons of equipment discarded by a downsizing military — bicycles, bed sheets, bowling pins, French horns, dog collars, even a colonoscopy machine — regardless of whether the items are needed or will ever be used.

In the tiny farming community of Morven, Ga., the police chief has grabbed three boats, scuba gear, rescue rafts and a couple of dozen life preservers. The town’s deepest body of water: an ankle-deep creek.”

“An Associated Press investigation of the Defense Department program, originally aimed at helping local law enforcement fight terrorism and drug trafficking, found that a disproportionate share of the $4.2 billion worth of property distributed since 1990 has been obtained by police departments and sheriff’s offices in rural areas with few officers and little crime.”

“Sometimes he doesn’t get exactly what he’s requested, like the time he asked for a handheld laser range finder for a gun and instead got a $28,000 range finder from the nose of an A-10 Warthog tank-busting jet aircraft.”

Like I said, weapons-grade… 

I really need a face-palm smiley. Talk about waste, fraud, and abuse…..

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News/Politics 7-31-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up today, the fuzziest, wuzziest math you ever saw. 🙂

From ZeroHedge  “Don’t like how high debt-to-GDP figures are? Revise ’em. Unhappy at the post-‘recovery’ growth rates? Revise ’em. Disappointed at the pace of economic improvement in the last decade or two compared to the rest of the world? Revise ’em. This week “we are essentially rewriting economic history” as the BEA is set to revise GDP data from as far back as 1929. The ‘adjustments’ to account for intangibles (that best known of micro- accounting fudge factors) and as we noted previously in great detail, will increase GDP by around $500 billion. Of course, these changes are defended aggressively (just as the hedonic adjustments to inflation calculations ‘make perfect sense’) as GDP will now reflect spending on research, development, and copyrights as investment – and reflect pension deficits for the first time (think of all that potential future GDP from massive pension deficits now). With Q2 GDP growth estimates set for a dismal 1.1%, expectations are for the short-term economic data to be revised upwards (and with any luck the great recession never happened at all).”

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The election of 2016 has begun. So right off the bat, the press picks their candidate, and the like-minded will heap praise and awards on the new chosen one. Same script as last time.

From NationalReview  “I wasn’t surprised to learn that sometime before the 2016 election, NBC will be releasing a four-hour miniseries about Hillary Clinton starring Academy Award nominee Diane Lane. What did surprise me was that the series will cover none of her life before the Monica Lewinsky scandal, which took place five years into her husband’s second term as president and when Hillary was already 51 years old. It’s as if her first half-century will be airbrushed away, along with the many scandals that dogged her in those decades.”

Reports have 4 other networks planning their own pro-Clinton story lines. Meanwhile the praise from other areas is just as questionable.

From RedAlertPolitics  “Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is once again being honored with an award for her public service.

Clinton will receive the American Patriot Award from the National Defense University Foundation at a gala dinner on Nov. 14. The award is given to “leaders who have strengthened America’s strategic interests and advanced global security,” according to a press release.

Benghazi, Libya, and Egypt disprove their assertions about her foreign policy genius. How exactly did she do anything there that strengthened America’s strategic interests, or advanced global security? In Egypt the side they picked has already been overthrown. How is that a success story?

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And speaking of Benghazi…… The witnesses who have been hidden from Congress and the public will now tell their stories.

From CBSNews  “In recent weeks, members of the House and Senate and their staffers have held two classified hearings on the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya; conducted more than 25 hours of formal, transcribed interviews with witnesses; and spoken informally with several dozen additional witnesses, including some who are being called “whistleblowers.”

Among those who have recently spoken to Congress is Marine Corps Col. George Bristol who was in the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) chain of command on Sept. 11. Earlier this month, CBS News reported that the Pentagon declined Republican congressional requests to produce Bristol for interviews. At the time, the Pentagon said Bristol had retired and that they “cannot compel retired members to testify before Congress.”

But that’s not all. Remember the claims from the President and Mrs. Clinton that those responsible would be held accountable? Yeah, about that….

From TheWeeklyStandard  “More than ten months after the September 11, 2012, terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, Ansar al Sharia is even more entrenched in Libyan society. Members of Ansar al Sharia in Benghazi were reportedly part of the al Qaeda-linked jihadist coalition that killed four Americans, including a U.S. ambassador. But today, Ansar al Sharia is far from being on the run. The organization is expanding and is even tasked with providing security inside Benghazi. “

A success story worthy of praise and awards? No, it’s not.

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GUILTY! and not.

From FoxNews  “The U.S. Army soldier charged with providing troves of government documents to WikiLeaks was found  not guilty Tuesday of aiding the enemy, the top charge in his 21-count  indictment that could have carried a life sentence, however, he was convicted of  several lesser charges that can carry a 128-year prison sentence.”

“Prosecutors had to prove Army Pfc. Bradley Manning had “a general evil intent” and knew  the classified material would be seen by the terrorist group Al Qaeda. Legal  experts said an aiding-the- enemy conviction could set a precedent because  Manning did not directly give the classified material to Al Qaeda.”

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Sharpton, Obama, Holder, and other like-minded people have decided to go after states with, and those trying to enact, Voter ID. Gee, I wonder if Sharpton’s pals at NBC will play along too? 🙄

From Mediaite  “This week, MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton joined a number of civil rights leaders in the White House to discuss the future enforcement of the Voting Rights Act with President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder. Sharpton revealed that the Department of Justice and the White House intend to vigorously enforce the VRA, particularly against states instituting questionable voter ID laws. He added that Texas and North Carolina were two specific states in the DOJ’s crosshairs.

“It was one meeting – it was unprecedented – the attorney general and the president in the Roosevelt Room of the White House,” Sharpton began. “I talked to the attorney general for an hour and the president for 40 minutes.”

Unprecedented alright. Just not for the reasons he thinks.

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Still no White House tours, but the partying continues anyway.

From WhiteHouseDossier  “The White House continues to bar average Americans from touring “The People House” but nevertheless lavishes spending on all sorts of special invitees – from diners at last week’s Iftar dinner breaking the Muslim fast to sports teams and foreign diplomats.”

“Soon after the outcry over the cancellation of tours due to the sequester, the White House promised to see what could be done to allow some visits to resume. But nothing was done and no one can visit – unless President Obama finds you useful or amusing.”

“June’s events included a raucous celebration of LGBT Pride Month, a special movie screening in the White House theater, and visits by the WNBA Champion Indiana Fever and Super Bowl winning Baltimore Ravens and Division III Women’s Basketball Champion DePauw University Tigers.”

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And the President would like you to know that the best way to help the economy is…….

From CNSNews  “President Barack Obama – citing the job losses since he took office — said “the economy would be much better off,” unemployment would be 6.5 percent and the national deficit would be in decline if there were more federal, state and local government workers.

“If those layoffs had not happened, if public sector employees grew like they did in the past two recessions, the unemployment rate would be 6.5 instead of 7.5,” Obama said. “Our economy would be much better off, and the deficit would still be going down because we would be getting more tax revenue.”

Sure. That’ll do it. Right Detroit?

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News/Politics 7-19-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

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

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

And another good news story thanks to the first.

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

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

And expect more closings to come.

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

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

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

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In Benghazi news, NDA’s for all!

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

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

Gee, I wonder why…? 🙄

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And in other terrorism news……

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More here as well.

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

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News/Politics 6-8-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

The hits just keep coming.  The DoJ is fighting the release of a court opinion that found the surveillance programs activities unconstitutional. From MotherJones

“In the midst of revelations that the government has conducted extensive top-secret surveillance operations to collect domestic phone records and internet communications, the Justice Department was due to file a court motion Friday in its effort to keep secret an 86-page court opinion that determined that the government had violated the spirit of federal surveillance laws and engaged in unconstitutional spying.”

“For those who follow the secret and often complex world of high-tech government spying, this was an aha moment. The FISA court Wyden referred to oversees the surveillance programs run by the government, authorizing requests for various surveillance activities related to national security, and it does this behind a thick cloak of secrecy. Wyden’s statements led to an obvious conclusion: He had seen a secret FISA court opinion that ruled that one surveillance program was unconstitutional and violated the spirit of the law. But, yet again, Wyden could not publicly identify this program.”

More cover-up.

Not millions…. billions. From Bloomberg

“Collect telephone numbers for billions of U.S. calls, load the information into super-fast computers and you can start building a map of connections revealing patterns or oddities to help spot a terrorist.”

“The U.S. government’s primary electronic surveillance arm, the National Security Agency, is doing just that — vacuuming up U.S. phone records and, at least in certain circumstances, analyzing them to develop leads that authorities can pursue to identify and stop terror plots.”

Some of those hits are friendly fire too. From TheHill

“Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) on Friday disputed a claim President Obama made at a  press conference only moments earlier, when the president said that every member  of Congress had been briefed on the National Security Agency’s (NSA) domestic  phone surveillance program.”

““I knew about the program because I specifically sought it out,” Merkley said on  MSNBC. “It’s not something that’s briefed outside the Intelligence Committee. I  had to get special permission to find out about the program. It raised concerns  for me. … When I saw what was being done, I felt it was so out of sync with the  plain language of the law and that it merited full public examination, and  that’s why I called for the declassification.”

There went the blame Bush meme too.

Even NBCNews?

“The National Security Agency has at times mistakenly intercepted the private email messages and phone calls of Americans who had no link to terrorism, requiring Justice Department officials to report the errors to a secret national security court and destroy the data, according to two former U.S. intelligence officials. “

“Another former senior official, who asked not to be identified, confirmed Blair’s recollection and said the incident created serious problems for the Justice Department, which represents the NSA before the federal judges on the secret court.

The judges “were really upset about this,” said the former official. As a result, Attorney General Eric Holder pledged to the judges that the intelligence agencies would take steps to correct the problem as a condition of renewing the NSA’s surveillance program. “

Next up, does the US want to destroy privacy around the world? From BusinessInsider

“”It’s well past time that we have a debate about whether that’s  the kind of country and world in which we want to live,” Greenwald said on CNN.  “We haven’t had that debate because it’s all done in secrecy and the Obama  administration has been very aggressive about bullying and threatening anybody  who thinks about exposing it or writing about it or even doing journalism about  it. It’s well past time that that come to an end.”

The Obama administration and some members of Congress have defended the use of the  programs. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) said  the NSA’s collection of phone data has been going on for seven years. Feinstein  said it’s about “protecting America.”

“People like Dianne Feinstein and Saxby Chambliss can have press  conferences threatening people for bringing light to what it is they’re doing,  but the only people who are going to be investigated are them,” Greenwald said  in response.”

And it’s starting to look like this isn’t just on foreigners as first claimed. From WeaselZippers

“Anyone can appreciate the need to go after foreign terrorists, even that some information might cross over to some Americans who might be in league with foreign terrorists. Yet the order that allowed this massive NSA grab didn’t even give that as a justification, the order says the following:

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that, the Custodian of Records shall produce to the National Security Agency (NSA) upon service of this Order, and continue production on an ongoing daily basis thereafter for the duration of this Order, unless otherwise ordered by the Court, an electronic copy of the following tangible things: all call detail records or “telephony metadata” created by Verizon for communications (i) between the United States and abroad; or (ii) wholly within the United States, including local telephone calls. This Order does not require Verizon to produce telephony metadata.”

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And look what James Rosen found in the Friday Night News Dump. Susan Rice Benghazi documents. From TheGretaWire/FoxInsider

“State Dept does a ‘document dump’ late on a Friday – 97 pages of documents relating to Ambassador Susan Rice’s television appearances”

Hmmmmm……

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ObamaCare Navigators, coming to a red state near you. Or as I like to call it, ACORN Reborn. From WatchDog.org

“In those states where there is a significant level of hostility toward ObamaCare, trained “navigators” will be on the ground to ensure the program is successfully implemented,  senior administration officials said Thursday during a conference call.”

“Another administration official on the call said funding is available through the Department of Health and Human Services for ObamaCare navigators who she described as “trained in-person consumer assistants.” The official also told reporters $150 million is available in supplemental grants for community health centers, which she said are “quite prevalent in Florida and Texas.””

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I’m not a Ravens fan at all. But I like this guy. 🙂  From TheWashingtonExaminer

“Retired Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk, who won a Super Bowl with the team last year, skipped the team’s visit to the White House due to President Obama’s support for Planned Parenthood.

“I have great respect for the office of the presidency but about five or six weeks ago, our president made a comment in a speech and he said, ‘God bless Planned Parenthood,’” Birk, a former Minnesota Viking, told a local Minnesota sports blog. “I’m very confused by [Obama’s] statement,” he explained. “”For God to bless a place where they’re ending 330,000 lives a year? I just chose not to attend.”

Birk said he’s a pro-life Roman Catholic. “Planned Parenthood performs about 330,000 abortions a year,” he said. “I couldn’t endorse that in any way.”

Nice to see him sticking to his beliefs and principles.

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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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News/Politics 5-22-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

We have a lot today, so I’ll try to be brief.

First a story on just a few of the many heroes who aided their neighbors after the tornado in Oklahoma.

‘When the need is there, we step up’, from NBCNews

There’s plenty of other related stories at the link.

The tornado that left a path of destruction in Oklahoma was an EF-5, from APNews

The Democrat Senator from Rhode Island has had to apologize for his callous remarks following the tornadoes. From FoxNews

Of course he offers a lame excuse about pre-written remarks. It was just a coincidence that it was while Oklahoma was being hit. Sure.

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IRS’s Lerner Had History of Harassment, Inappropriate Religious Inquiries at FEC, from TheWeeklyStandard

Which is why this isn’t at all surprising.

IRS official Lois Lerner to invoke Fifth Amendment at hearing, from NBCNews

Meanwhile the shady non-profit run by the President’s half brother certainly appears to have actually warranted further questioning, yet for obvious reasons they weren’t.

The “charity” run by President Barack Obama’s half-brother that was  fast-tracked for IRS tax-exempt status is based at a Virginia UPS store, according to its website. The organization’s IRS filings list another Virginia address that is actually a drug rehab center where the foundation does not appear ever to have been based. From TheDailyCaller

Nope, nothing to see here. Just move along.

And just as a reminder, let’s not forget that the White House had others aiding their efforts. And this was right around when it all started. These folks encouraged exactly what the IRS did.

Durbin Asked IRS’ Shulman to Probe ‘Several’ Conservative 501(c)(4) Groups in 2010, from PJMedia

And in a related story…

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) said Tuesday that a pro-life group in Iowa was told by an IRS agent that its application would not be approved until the group’s board of directors swore it would not protest Planned Parenthood. From CNSNews

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It’s getting hard to hear with all these whistles blowing. Yes. More.

Ex-Diplomats Report New Benghazi Whistleblowers with Info Devastating to Clinton and Obama, from PJMedia

In a related story…

Raymond Maxwell, the only official at the State Department’s bureau of Near Eastern Affairs to lose his job after the attacks, tells Josh Rogin that he’s been scapegoated by Hillary Clinton’s team. From TheDailyBeast

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Meanwhile one of the few mainstream reporters actually doing her job on the many Obama scandals has had her computer compromised. She got the same treatment as Fox reporters. And this was way back during Fast and Furious. They’ve been operating like this for a long time.

Sharyl Attkisson, the Emmy-award winning CBS News investigative reporter, says that her personal and work computers have been compromised and are under investigation. From Politico

In fact, a whole lot more people were victims than we knew, including Rosen’s parents, the WH staffers, and Fox executives. From TheNewYorker

BREAKING: DOJ Grabbed Even More Records In Rosen Case Including Other Fox News Numbers, Media Visits To State Dept, Even WH Numbers…Update: Report: DOJ Seized Phone Records Of James Rosen’s Parents…Update: Locations Of Fox Numbers Inc WH, State Dept, Executives’ Lines…Update: Video, from WeaselZippers

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So what’s an embattled President to do? Why call in the troops for a good old-fashioned propaganda meeting of course.

Liberal Bloggers, Columnists Seen In West Wing For WH Meeting…, from WeaselZippers

In other words…. JournoListers to the rescue!

And in case you’re wondering, they’re gonna blame campaign finance laws for the IRS scandal and attempt to use this to push for new restrictive laws that will do the same thing.  Just watch. In fact, this coordinated effort between Dems and their propagandists has already started.

Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Finance Committee said Tuesday the IRS, while engaging in “unacceptable” targeting of  conservative groups, may have been set up for failure by campaign finance law  ambiguities that allowed tax-exempt groups to engage in partisan politics  without disclosing their donors. From TheWashingtonTimes

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In other news….

Senate panel OKs tax-welfare benefits for newly legal immigrants, from TheWashingtonTimes

This next one probably helps explain why Obama’s foreign policy is such a disaster.

Dems Who Do Campaign Time Get Prime State Department Spots, from PJMedia

Don’t bother asking Holder about this one. From what I’ve seen and heard from him, he doesn’t know anything about anything. He’ll tell you so himself. Repeatedly.

When the Department of Justice is finished violating journalists’ First Amendment rights, perhaps it should look into this: Liberty Counsel, an international Christian litigation organization, has obtained a brochure entitled, “LGBT Inclusion at Work: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Managers, distributed to DOJ managers by DOJ Pride, the department’s in-house LGBT association, in advance of “LGBT Pride Month” (a.k.a. “June”). From NationalReview

Here’s the PDF in question, from LibertyCounsel. And yeah, it’s as PC pathetic as you can get.

LGBT Inclusion at Work: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Managers

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News/Politics 5-20-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

We’ll start with some good news this morning. Here’s the first. From YahooNews

“When Marine Sgt. Ross Gundlach served as a dog handler in Afghanistan, he told the yellow lab who was his constant companion that he’d look her up when he returned home.”

“The 25-year-old learned Casey had finished her military service and had been sent to the Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office, where she was used to detect explosives.”

“Reynolds decided to arrange a surprise. First, he got in touch with the Iowa Elk’s Association, which agreed to donate $8,500 to buy another dog for the agency.”

“When Gundlach arrived with his parents, Reynolds told them the meeting had been delayed and invited them to join an Armed Services Day celebration in the rotunda. There, hundreds of law enforcement officers, military personnel and civilians were seated, keeping the secret — until they brought out Casey.

When Gundlach saw Casey, he put his head in his hands and cried. She licked his face, wagging her tail furiously.”

Good dog! 🙂

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Next we have a story of a woman abandoned at birth in a dumpster, and her adoption by loving parents who helped her overcome such a horrible start to life. From Today.com

“Rachael Clark is OK now. The straight-A student is graduating from the University of Maryland this year, getting married this summer, and excitedly making plans beyond that: To write a book about adoption; to pursue a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy; to become a mom to at least four kids.

The 23-year-old is so focused and busy that she sometimes forgets about the turmoil that’s dogged her since childhood. “Some days, it’s like it never happened,” Rachael said. “But some days, I really do struggle. I have such strong abandonment issues.”

Her issues stem from the way her life began. On Sept. 27, 1989, the day Rachael was born, she was sealed inside a dark garbage bag with her umbilical cord and placenta still attached. The trash bag was then thrown, hard, into a dumpster.”

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Tornadoes have once again caused serious damage in the nation’s mid-section. From NBCNews

“People in two states were taking shelter amid wailing warning sirens Sunday as tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down in Kansas and Oklahoma as part of an extreme weather system plowing through the nation’s midsection.”

“The system, which stretched from North Texas to Minnesota, also heaved hail — dime to softball sized — as well as heavy rainfall.”

“Across central Oklahoma, where multiple twisters were seen, homes were blown apart and off their foundations with some of the worst damage seen in the Twin Lakes area just outside Wellston, according to KFOR. Power lines were downed and trees uprooted.”

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There’s a news overload out there on the IRS scandal. I’m sure you’ve seen most of it. I’m just gonna point out two things. And remember this is a retiring Democrat Senator, and it sure sounds like he knows something we don’t. Yet.

And then this, “Everything comes from the top” From TheWashingtonExaminer

“A story in the Washington Post yesterday about the Internal Revenue Service’s Cincinnati office, which does most of the agency’s nonprofit auditing, clearly contradicted earlier reports that the agency’s targeting of Tea Party groups was the result of rogue agents.

The Post story anonymously quoted a staffer in Cincinnati as saying they only operate on directives from headquarters:”

““We’re not political,’’ said one determinations staffer in khakis as he left work late Tuesday afternoon. “We people on the local level are doing what we are supposed to do. . . . That’s why there are so many people here who are flustered. Everything comes from the top. We don’t have any authority to make those decisions without someone signing off on them. There has to be a directive.””

Exactly. Now who wrote it, and who’s hiding it?

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Oh look, another leak from the Obama admin. And once again, “low-level” people are responsible.  🙄

From TheJerusalemPost

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Bob Schieffer still seems pretty upset that WH officials used his show to push their lies on Benghazi. From NewsBusters

“As NewsBusters reported  two weeks ago, CBS’s Bob Schieffer is fed up with the White House’s talking  points concerning what happened at our consulate in Benghazi, Libya, last  September.

His impatience continued on Sunday’s Face the Nation when Obama  senior advisor Dan Pfeiffer gave stock answers to questions about the three  crises facing the President leading Schieffer to first accuse his guest of  taking “exactly the approach that the Nixon administration took” and finally  scolding him by asking, “Why are you here today? Why isn’t the White House Chief  of Staff here to tell us what happened?” (video follows with transcript and  commentary):”

“DAN PFEIFFER, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR: The point that our Chief of Staff  is making is that this is the Republican playbook here which is try, when they  don’t have a positive agenda, try to drag Washington into a swamp of partisan  fishing expeditions, trumped up hearings and false allegations. We’re not going  to let that distract us and the President from actually doing the people’s work  and fighting for the middle class.

BOB SCHIEFFER, HOST: You know, I don’t want to compare this in any way to  Watergate. I do not think this is Watergate by any stretch. But you weren’t born  then I would guess, but I have to tell you that is exactly the approach that the  Nixon administration took. They said, “These are all second-rate things. We  don’t have time for this. We have to devote our time to the people’s business.” You’re taking exactly the same line they did.”

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