IRS scandal

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News/Politics 6-4-13

What news story has caught your attention?

Open thread, so let us know.

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The Ft. Hood shooter is being allowed to represent himself. It should be interesting to hear what he has to say. I’m sure a lot will just be propaganda, but I have a feeling he’ll make it clear that this was not simple “work place violence” as the Obama admin insists on labeling it. He’ll make his motivations known. From CBSNews

“A military judge is allowing the Army psychiatrist charged in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage to represent himself at his upcoming murder trial.

The judge also ruled Monday that Maj. Nidal Hasan’s attorneys will remain on the case, but only if he asks for their help.”

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This one is a bit hypocritical IMO. They complain about a school informing kids of a Christian program available after school and off-site, yet expect even greater benefits from the schools and the ability to pray in special rooms, and foot baths as well. Christian and Jewish students are not given prayer rooms or similar accommodations. All, or none. Which is it? From EAGNews

“CAIR-MI sent a letter to Roseville Public Schools after receiving a complaint from two parents of children who attend Huron Park Elementary School about distribution by teachers of permission slips for the Bible classes at a local Baptist church. CAIR Executive Director Dawus Walid wrote in a letter to the school district, “School staff and teachers are not to serve as advocates for one particular religion or congregation within a religion by passing out slips inviting parents to give permission for their children to attend religious instruction.”

But that’s precisely what CAIR sought in the nearby Dearborn district.

The Arab American News reported that CAIR staff “recently met with Dearborn Public Schools Superintendent Brian Whiston to discuss concerns from some parents regarding prayer accommodations in Dearborn Public Schools.

“Dearborn Public Schools has implemented a policy which fully accommodates student-led prayer in all the schools, as well as unexcused absences for students who leave early on Fridays for Jumu’ah prayers. CAIR-MI is currently in discussion with Melvindale Public Schools to get similar accommodations for students that are now in place for Dearborn Public Schools.””

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I gotta tell ya’, those “rogue employees” at the IRS could take some lessons from this guy on how to be better employees.

And this guy’s completely made up. This is your govt. at work. From WFB

““Richard Windsor” may have only been an alias for former Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson, but that didn’t stop him from being awarded numerous certificates for ethics and records management.

The EPA awarded certificates naming Jackson/Windsor a “scholar of ethical behavior.” Jackson, under her secret alias, was also awarded certificates for completing training modules on email records management.”

“EPA official Eric W. Wachter, director of the office of the secretariat, said Jackson was only certified under her alias because that was the account she happened to be signed in as when she took the online tests in a FOIA response letter to Horner.”

So she uses a fraudulent account and a made up employee gets certified? But she can claim credit for completing the course by fraud anyway. Nice.

Oh, and she’s not the only one either. This seems to be a preferred tactic in the Obama admin for hiding info from the public. From APNews

“Some of President Barack Obama’s political appointees, including the Cabinet secretary for the Health and Human Services Department, are using secret government email accounts they say are necessary to prevent their inboxes from being overwhelmed with unwanted messages, according to a review by The Associated Press.

The scope of using the secret accounts across government remains a mystery: Most U.S. agencies have failed to turn over lists of political appointees’ email addresses, which the AP sought under the Freedom of Information Act more than three months ago. The Labor Department initially asked the AP to pay more than $1 million for its email addresses.

The AP asked for the addresses following last year’s disclosures that the former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency had used separate email accounts at work. The practice is separate from officials who use personal, non-government email accounts for work, which generally is discouraged – but often happens anyway – due to laws requiring that most federal records be preserved.

The secret email accounts complicate an agency’s legal responsibilities to find and turn over emails in response to congressional or internal investigations, civil lawsuits or public records requests because employees assigned to compile such responses would necessarily need to know about the accounts to search them. Secret accounts also drive perceptions that government officials are trying to hide actions or decisions.”

Gee, I wonder why they’d think that?  🙄

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And speaking of IRS employees…. From APNews

“Conservative groups who were targeted by the Internal Revenue Service are getting their say on Capitol Hill just as the details of another IRS controversy are being made public.

The leaders of six conservative groups were scheduled to tell lawmakers Tuesday about their mistreatment at the hands of IRS agents. Several of the groups say their applications for tax-exempt status were delayed while agents asked intrusive questions that the IRS has since acknowledged were inappropriate. One group, the National Organization for Marriage, says the IRS publicly disclosed confidential information about donors.”

Looks like the Koch brothers aren’t the only ones.

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The Republicans are rejecting the DoJ’s explanation of Holder’s testimony discrepancies in the AP scandal. From FoxNews

“Republican leaders of the House Judiciary Committee on Monday accused  Attorney General Eric Holder of having “something to hide,” after the Justice  Department issued a formal defense of his questionable testimony on reporter  surveillance — a defense Republicans rejected as inadequate.

“This response is insulting and further proof that Attorney General Holder  refuses to hold himself accountable,” Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis.,  said.”

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Now back to the IRS….   I love this idea. This should jog some memories and loosen lips. From TheHill

“GOP  appropriators on Monday said they would use the IRS’s purse strings to get  answers about how and why it targeted conservative groups.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) said his panel may  impose conditions on IRS funding, calling the targeting tantamount to a  political enemies list that harkens back to “a dark page in our past.””

“Other Republicans on the panel wondered how Congress, in the words of Rep. Ander  Crenshaw (R-Fla.), “should spend one more dime” on the agency without having  more answers on how the tax agency is currently operating.”

““And I don’t need to remind you or anybody else that the power of the purse  rests with the Congress, and we’re prepared to use that purse to get to the  truth.””

Works for me.

And a Drudge editor is saying this is about to get real interesting. Seems the “low-level” employees are about to hit back. They say they were worried about this from the start and kept a paper trail for protection. A paper trail that leads to high level people.

😯  Ru-roh.

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This one sounds like a great idea, at least to me. It’s way overdue. From Politico

“Republican political strategist Stuart Stevens is seeking to publicly shame the executives at NBC Universal for employing and promoting the Rev. Al Sharpton — a man who has an “outrageous history of hate,” according to Stevens.

Stevens, the chief strategist on Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, writes in a new column for The Daily Beast that Sharpton “has gone from manipulating the news with vile accusations to delivering the news for NBC.”

“”If you are an NBC exec and have kids, sit down with them and watch the Times documentary on Tawana Brawley,” he writes. “And when your kids ask why your colleague Al Sharpton is working for NBC, you can explain to them why everything you’ve tried to teach them about honesty, fair play and decency is wrong and Al Sharpton is right.””

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This last one I offer with no comment. From TheWallStJournal

“New York City is launching a campaign to recruit gay and lesbian foster parents, part of a major push to expand the kinds of families who consider fostering and to find more welcoming homes for children who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.

The public ad campaign, set to roll out this week, features images of an interracial gay couple spending time with a young child. “Be the reason she has hope,” one of the ads reads. In another, a black woman is pictured alone with a white teenage boy. “Be the reason it gets better,” the message says.

How many of the nearly 13,000 children in New York City’s foster-care system identify as LGBTQ is unclear because the city does not keep such data. But, citing anecdotal evidence, researchers, child advocates and city officials insist that the children are disproportionately represented in the foster care system and say the need to find them supportive homes is great.”

“Mr. Richter, citing a study the city commissioned last year, said the data show that adults who identify as LGBTQ are more likely to want to foster a child who may also identify that way.”

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by

News/Politics 6-3-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

UPDATE

New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg has died.

From NorthJersey.com

“Frank R. Lautenberg, who rose from a poor Paterson boyhood to become a multimillionaire businessman and New Jersey’s longest-serving U.S. senator, died  Monday at 89 of viral pneumonia, his office said.

The oldest member of the Senate and its last World War II veteran, Lautenberg had struggled with health problems since late last year, when he missed several weeks of votes because of what he said was flu and bronchitis.

The death of Lautenberg, a Democrat, creates a vacancy that Republican Gov. Christie will fill. The appointee would serve until a new senator is elected to a full six-year term in 2014.”

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Eric Holder’s problems continue to multiply. I think it’s only a matter of time now. It’s not if he resigns or is removed, but when. From FoxNews

“The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said Sunday his panel is  investigating remarks Attorney General Eric Holder made under oath regarding the  Justice Department accessing a Fox News reporter’s phone logs and emails.

“It’s fair to say we’re investigating the conflict in his remarks, those  remarks were made under oath,” Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., told “Fox  News Sunday.””

“Goodlatte said the committee has sent Holder a letter asking him to explain why  his remarks before Congress in May seem to conflict with the language of an  affidavit he signed in 2010 asking a judge to give investigators access to Fox  reporter James Rosen’s communications and movement within State Department  headquarters.”

InvestorsBusinessDaily points out the ongoing and repeated lies from the AG.

“Before he lied to Congress while under oath about what he knew about targeting  reporters, he lied about Fast and Furious. As early as the New Black Panthers  case, Eric Holder had a problem with the truth.”

“That the House Judiciary Committee is investigating whether Attorney General  Eric Holder lied under oath during his May 15 testimony on Department of Justice  (DOJ) surveillance of reporters comes as no surprise. People have forgotten  about the New Black Panther case, perhaps the most clear-cut case of voter  suppression and intimidation ever. On Election Day 2008, New Black Panther Party  members in military garb were videotaped intimidating voters outside a  Philadelphia polling place.”

“Holder lied: A July 2010 memo shows Michael Walther, head of the National Drug  Intelligence Center, told Holder that straw buyers in Fast and Furious “are  responsible for the purchase of 1,500 firearms that were then supplied to the  Mexican drug trafficking cartels.””

Some in the White House wish he’d resign too. From HotAir

“If the Obama White House wants to send up smoke signals, it almost always turns to one outlet — the New York Times.  That’s what makes their profile today of embattled Attorney General Eric Holder so compelling.  Ostensibly, the profile positions Holder as taking arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, hoping to end them.  However, anonymous sources with connections to the West Wing make it clear that momentum is growing at the White House to end the heartache already:

Over the course of four and a half years, no other member of President Obama’s cabinet has been at the center of so many polarizing episodes or the target of so much criticism. While the White House publicly backed Mr. Holder as he tried to smooth over the latest uproar amid new speculation about his future, some in the West Wing privately tell associates they wish he would step down, viewing him as politically maladroit. But the latest attacks may stiffen the administration’s resistance in the near term to a change for fear of emboldening critics.”

“The White House views the attacks on Mr. Holder as a “political agenda” and “would not hasten the departure of someone who’s competent and runs the department and is a friend because there’s a drumbeat,” said William M. Daley, a former White House chief of staff under Mr. Obama. “Whoever Barack Obama puts in there, these people will try to drumbeat him out of there, no matter what.”

But that does not mitigate the frustration of some presidential aides.”

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Meanwhile, more lies exposed in the IRS scandal. From TheDailyMail

“Interviews with IRS employees have  established that the Washington, D.C. headquarters of the Internal Revenue  Service was engaged in targeting tea party groups and other conservative  organizations for unfair levels of scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt  status.

Rep. Darrel lssa, chairman of powerful House  Committee of Oversight and Government Reform, made that startling announcement  on CNN Sunday morning.

‘As late as last week,’ he said, ‘the [Obama]  administration was still trying to say the [IRS targeting scandal] was from a  few rogue agents in Cincinnati, when in fact the indication is that they were  directly being ordered from Washington.”

More here from ConservativeIntel.com

And the transcripts of the interviews are here, from OversightHouse.gov

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This was posted in the comments yesterday, and I didn’t want you to miss it. A fun little comparison video for you.

With a HAT TIP! to Donna J. 🙂

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Tony Blair is pointing out some inconvenient truths. Also From TheDailyMail

“The former Prime Minister addresses the  shocking killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich by going further than he – or  any front-rank British politician – has gone before over the issue of Muslim  radicalism.

Writing in today’s Mail on Sunday, he departs  from the usual argument that Islam is a peaceful religion that should not be  tainted by the actions of a few extremists.”

“Instead, Mr Blair urges governments to ‘be  honest’ and admit that the problem is more widespread.”

“‘We have to put it on the table and be honest  about it. Of course there are Christian extremists and Jewish, Buddhist and  Hindu ones. But I am afraid this strain is not the province of a few extremists.  It has at its heart a view about religion and about the interaction between  religion and politics that is not compatible with pluralistic, liberal, open-minded societies.’ He adds: ‘At the extreme end of the spectrum are terrorists, but the world view goes deeper and wider than it is comfortable for  us to admit. So by and large we don’t admit it.’”

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And one last piece, from the “Vote Fraud is a Myth” file.  From HotAir

“Democrats like to claim that concern over ballot fraud is just paranoid conspiracy-theory rubbish.  It might be a little more difficult to make that case after Miami-Dade investigators busted a ring of Democrats for attempting to push hundreds of fraudulent absentee-ballot requests in the 2012 election  – a ring that reached the inner circle of at least one Democratic Congressman, and perhaps two:

Congressman Joe Garcia’s chief of staff abruptly resigned Friday after being implicated in a sophisticated scheme to manipulate last year’s primary elections by submitting hundreds of fraudulent absentee-ballot requests.

Friday afternoon, Garcia said he had asked Jeffrey Garcia, no relation, for his resignation after the chief of staff — also the congressman’s top political strategist — took responsibility for the plot. Hours earlier, law enforcement investigators raided the homes of another of Joe Garcia’s employees and a former campaign aide in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation into the matter.

Garcia didn’t just work to defeat Rivera, who had ethics issues that made his re-election dicey at best.  He also worked to defeat Allen West, who lost by less than 2,000 votes and who complained about voter fraud at the time:

Hmmmmmm…………

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by

News/Politics 6-1-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open Thread, so feel free to share.

The DOJ has decided they’re going to crack down on speech offensive to religious folks, and comments considered to be anti-religion. It’s a violation of their civil rights. Well, certain ones anyway… 

From Politico

“A U.S. attorney in Tennessee is reportedly vowing to use federal civil rights statutes to clamp down on offensive and inflammatory speech about Islam.

Bill Killian, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, was quoted by the Tullahoma News this week suggesting that some inflammatory material on Islam might run afoul of federal civil rights laws.”

“”This is an educational effort with civil rights laws as they play into freedom of religion and exercising freedom of religion,” Killian said about the meeting. “This is also to inform the public what federal laws are in effect and what the consequences are.””

More here from JudicialWatch

And TheTullahomaNews

Some religions are more equal than others in the mind of our govt. I guess. The DOJ doesn’t appear to be planning on giving Christians, Catholics, and Mormons the same protections. That’s a shame, because they could start the crack down right now, and a whole lot of libs would be in trouble.

From TheBlaze with a CONTENT WARNING! because they get pretty bad.

“In February, Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, an Oregon-based bakery, found themselves at the center of a media firestorm after refusing to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple’s ceremony. Nearly four months later, the small business continues to receive threatening and harassing phone calls and e-mails, as they grapple with the ongoing fall-out from their controversial decision. This week, they spoke with TheBlaze about the ongoing drama.

It was Jan. 17 when a mother and her daughter showed up at the shop and chatted with Aaron about purchasing a cake; their meeting was short-lived, though. Upon learning that the wedding was for two women, the baker purportedly politely declined service to the women, citing his Christian faith. Aaron apologized, but stayed true to his values.”

“From claims that Aaron should be shot to one apparent threat that he be raped, the hate and angst being thrown the Klein family’s way is certainly serious in nature. Some have even wished for the couple’s five children to be stricken with illness. Aaron and Melissa shared a number of the e-mails with TheBlaze.”

This seems to be exactly the kind of behavior that they’re talking about. Why the double standard?

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Uh-oh. Looks like the healthcare rationing has already begun. Well, at least there are no death panels yet. Well except for that one…

From CNSNews

“A pre-existing condition health insurance program  established by Obamacare is already straining its own budget and, to  control costs, the administration’s Health and Human Services Department  (HHS) has stopped enrolling any new people in the program, according to  an audit by the General Accountability Office (GAO).

In addition, to further control spending, HHS has directed the program  to shift more of the costs onto the current enrollees, thus raising the  out-of-pocket health care expenses for the people with pre-existing  conditions.”

Not a 😯

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Remember way back like a week ago when the IRS scandal was just a few rogue employees? Those were the good ol’ days.

From CNNPoliticalTicker

“The Internal Revenue Service has told House GOP investigators they have identified 88 IRS employees who may have documents relevant to the congressional investigation into targeting of conservative groups, according to a congressional source familiar with the investigation.

The IRS asked these employees to preserve all the “responsive documents” on their computers, and it has been in the process of collecting it all to comply with congressional requests for information.  The IRS missed its May 21st deadline to turn over documents to the House Ways and Means Committee.

The same source said the IRS argues it missed its deadline because of the scope of documents it is collecting.”

Looks like they’ll need a new story. Again.

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How do you reward the man who helped us get Osama bin Laden? If you’re the Obama admin, you blow his cover and leave him to the wolves.

From FoxNews

“It was the Obama administration that sealed the fate of the Pakistani doctor  jailed for helping nail Usama Bin Laden, by divulging key details after the fact and dooming any chance Shakil Afridi’s cover story could win his freedom,  according to a confidential Pakistani report.”

“Indeed, Panetta and others in the Obama administration were sharply criticized  domestically for discussing the raid and efforts involving Afridi to obtain DNA  from the compound’s occupants by posing as a medical team offering vaccinations.  Nearly five months before Afridi’s sentencing, while the doctor was being held  and interrogated by Pakistan’s shadowy intelligence agency , Panetta spoke on  record in an interview to CBS “60 Minutes” confirming Afridi’s role in late  January 2012. The statements came after Afridi had testified to the commission,  and sharply contradicted his story.”

“The U.S. intelligence community was alarmed at the Obama administration’s  loose-lipped attitude toward the raid, according to New York Times reporter  David Sanger’s book “Confront and Conceal,” which claimed leaks prompted  then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to angrily confront Obama’s National  Security Advisor Thomas Donilon.”

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by

News/Politics 5-31-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

There’s plenty to choose from today.

First up, the continuing, and growing, IRS scandal.

“While the developing scandal over the targeting of conservatives by the tax agency has largely focused to date on its scrutiny of groups with words such as “tea party” or “patriot” in their names, these examples suggest the government was looking at a broader array of conservative groups and perhaps individuals. Their collective experiences at a minimum could spread skepticism about the fairness of a powerful agency that should be above reproach and at worst could point to a secret political vendetta within the government against conservatives.” From McClatchy.com

Is anyone really surprised?

Next up, who wants a Special Prosecutor? Pretty much everyone.

“A Quinnipiac  University poll released on Thursday shows 76 percent want a special  counsel to 17 percent opposing. The idea has strong support across all parties, with 88 percent of  Republicans, 63 percent of Democrats and 78 percent of independents calling for  a special prosecutor.” From TheHill

We’re supposed to believe the President when he says those responsible will be held accountable. And yet….

“Through 2012, then-Exempt Organization Specialist Stephen Seok signed many of the intimidating letters sent to conservative nonprofits. For example, this January 2012 letter sent to the Richmond Tea Party demanded the date, time and location of all group events, as well as copies of all handouts provided at the events, and the names and credentials of all organizers. Seok also demanded the names of all speakers and the contents of the speeches they made. According to WXIX-TV/Fox 19 in Cincinnati, Seok is no longer an exempt organization specialist. He has since been promoted to  “supervisor IRS agent.” From TheWashingtonExaminer

Now to Lois Lerner. We know a lot of what she’s done in this scandal. We also know she did the same type of political hit jobs while at the FEC. It’s obvious intimidation is her preferred tactic, and the reason she’s the administration preferred tool for just such dirty business.

We also know Durbin was one of the Senators writing and asking the IRS and Lerner to investigate and harass conservatives. And now we find out that Lerner has done similar dirty work at Durbin’s request before. And where else but Chicago? Here’s more.

“The IRS scandal may have its roots in Illinois politics. Specifically, the 1996 U.S. Senate race between Democrat Congressman Dick Durbin and conservative Republican State Rep. Al Salvi.

More than a decade before his 2010 letter to IRS officials urging the agency to target conservative organizations, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin’s political career crossed paths with Ms. Lerner when she was head of the Enforcement Division of the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and directly involved in the 1996 Illinois U.S. Senate race.

Soon after the IRS story broke, Al Salvi told Illinois Review that it was IRS official Lois Lerner who represented the FEC in the 1996 Democrat complaint against him. According to Salvi, Lerner was, without question, politically motivated, and went so far as to make him an offer: “Promise me you will never run for office again, and we’ll drop this case.” From TheIllinoisReview

It’s a good read.

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It looks like California has taken a page from Chicago and Lois Lerner. Intimidation and threatening/revoking tax exempt status. It’s obviously directed at the Boy Scouts. They’re saying this is for all “youth groups” though, and that troubles me. How long before Christian groups have their tax exempt status threatened for daring to hold to biblical standards too?

And this should disabuse some of the idea that you can compromise with these people and stop their constant attacks against anyone who disagrees with their ideology and agenda.

“Even as the Boy Scouts of America moves to allow gay youths to join its troops, the California Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would revoke the organization’s nonprofit status because it does not permit the participation of openly gay adults.

“They are out of line with the values of California and should be ineligible for a tax benefit paid for by all Californians,” Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, said as he introduced his bill. “SB 323 brings our laws into line with our values.”

The measure calls for revoking the tax-exempt status of youth groups that discriminate against participants on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identification.”

“The bill passed the state Senate 27-9, receiving the bare minimum of votes required. It needed two-thirds support because it changes California’s tax code. Three senators did not vote: Democrat Rod Wright and Republicans Anthony Cannella and Bill Emmerson. The bill now advances to the Assembly.” From TheSacramentoBee

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In other news from Cali…..

“The Los Angeles Unified School District is taking part in a program to educate middle and high school students about how to share their HIV and STD statuses with their cell phones.”

“Described by district officials as a sex education prevention resource accessed by secondary health teachers, Qpid.me allows users to obtain, store and privately share their health records and HIV/STD statuses.”

“State law allows for children 12 or older to consent to medical care involving the prevention of sexually transmitted disease without parental consent.” From LosAngelesCBSLocal

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We’ve all been shocked by the British terror attack against a British soldier by 2 muslim extremists. More details are coming, little of it good. Like the Boston bombers, authorities in the UK missed/ignored the obvious.

“Woolwich terror suspect Michael Adebolajo was  filmed encouraging 1,500 followers to turn against Britain in a hate-filled rant  on the anniversary of 9/11.

Video footage unearthed by the Daily Mail  shows the alleged killer addressing a crowd of young Muslims outside a mosque in  north London.”

“Film of the extremist rant follows the  revelation – the day after the slaughter of Drummer Lee Rigby last week – of  photos of Adebolajo standing behind hate preacher Anjem Choudary outside  Paddington Green police station six years ago.”

“It prompted MPs to call for an inquiry into what  MI5 knew about Adebolajo and the other terror suspect Michael Adebowale.” From TheDailyMail

This guy should have set alarms off all over the place. And yet just like the Boston bombers, he was aided by the govt. after another govt. had pointed out his radical ties.

“British diplomats recommended that a British man detained in Kenya 2 1/2  years ago on suspicion of attempting to join Islamic fighters in Somalia be  freed, the lawyer who represented him said Thursday. The man was let go and last  week allegedly helped butcher a British soldier on the streets of London.

Michael Adebolajo’s lawyer, Wycliffe Makasembo, said a letter from the  British High Commission in Nairobi recommended that the man be released because  there was no tangible evidence to link him to the crime.” From TheCalgaryHerald

Sound familiar?

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This one isn’t really shocking.

“Gallup: 77% say influence of religion declining in US”

“Over three-quarters of Americans (77%) say religion is losing its influence on American life, while 20% say religion’s influence is increasing. These represent Americans’ most negative evaluations of the impact of religion since 1970, although similar to the views measured in recent years.” From HotAir

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It looks like prosecutors in the Martin/Zimmerman case have some explaining to do.

“A court employee who retrieved photos and deleted text messages from Trayvon Martin’s cellphone has been placed on administrative leave after an attorney testified that prosecutors didn’t properly turn over the evidence to the defense, an attorney said Wednesday.

Former prosecutor Wesley White said he was ethically obligated to reveal that Fourth Judicial Circuit Information Technology Director Ben Kruidbos retrieved the data that weren’t turned over.

Kruidbos was placed on leave shortly after White testified during a hearing in George Zimmerman’s second-degree murder case on Tuesday. White said Kruidbos was interviewed by state attorney investigators twice before the action was taken.     

White said he wasn’t surprised of possible evidence violations by Zimmerman prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda. From TheMiamiHerald

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And if you like your plan……..

“Many people who buy their own health insurance could get surprises in the mail this fall: cancellation notices because their current policies aren’t up to the basic standards of President Barack Obama’s health care law.”

“But supporters of the overhaul are betting that consumers won’t object once they realize the coverage they will get under the new law is superior to current bare-bones insurance. For example, insurers will no longer be able to turn people down because of medical problems.” From TheAP

Uh-huh. I’m sure they will love it. Or not.

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by

News/Politics 5-30-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, another lawsuit against the IRS. And another lie exposed. Stopped a long time ago? No.

“Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American  Center for Law and Justice, told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Tuesday night  that he would soon be ‘taking a lot of depositions in a very big lawsuit’  against the IRS on behalf of 25 right-wing groups.

He revealed on the Hannity show that despite  assurances from the Treasury Department and the White House that the IRS had  stopped subjecting tea party groups to special scrutiny in 2012, his office  received a letter addressed to one of his clients ‘on May 6 of this year from  the IRS, asking for responses to intrusive questions.'”  From TheDailyMail

Meanwhile similar groups from the left like OfA continue to do the same unhindered. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that Obama is helping them fundraise. There doesn’t seem to be any problem with them using their tax exempt status for political purposes.

Obama Sends Fundraising Email On Behalf Of “Non-Partisan” OFA…

Fun fact: OFA operates as a 504(c)(4) non-profit, the same status the IRS targeted conservatives over.

Non-partisan, just like the President. 🙄

This is a new piece to the story… Did this tweet disappear to help hide the fact that the White House leaked Koch Brothers tax info in violation of federal law?

“In August 2010, Austan Goolsbee, serving at the time as economic adviser to President Obama, told reporters during an anonymous background briefing that Koch Industries doesn’t pay corporate income taxes. That statement was made at the same time that top Democrats, including President Obama himself, were demonizing Charles and David Koch, the owners of Koch Industries, for giving money to Tea Party groups. Goolsbee’s remark led to a federal investigation, the results of which have never been released.

In a September 2010 WEEKLY STANDARD interview, Mark Holden, a lawyer for Koch Industries, disputed Goolsbee’s claim and asked how Goolsbee came up with the idea that Koch Industries doesn’t pay corporate taxes. Holden raised the question of whether someone in the Obama administration might have looked at Koch Industries’ tax returns–which would be a violation of a federal law that was enacted in 1976 in response to Watergate.” From TheWeeklyStandard

Hmmmmm…..

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 Next up, Eric Holder’s really bad day.

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday expressing “great concern” about the possibility that Holder lied under oath during his testimony earlier this month on the Justice Department’s seizing of journalists’ records, CBS News has learned. From CBSNews

More here.

Two Republican lawmakers asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday to clarify testimony he gave Congress this month about his role in the targeting of journalists in a leak probe.House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia and colleague James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin sent a letter to Holder saying recent media reports “appear to be at odds with your sworn testimony.” From Reuters

And he’s not the only one. The same can be said of the IRS director.

So Holder called an off the record meeting with the press. Thankfully, some declined.

“We believe the meeting should be on the record and we have said that to the Attorney General’s office. If it is on the record, AP Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll will attend. If it is not on the record, AP will not attend and instead will offer our views on how the regulations should be updated in an open letter,” AP spokesperson Erin Madigan said in a statement sent to POLITICO. “We would expect AP attorneys to be included in any planned meetings between the Attorney General’s office and media lawyers on the legal specifics.” From Politico

Even the NY Times refused.

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This one…. This is how Sharia Law came to be in Europe. We don’t need police and feds, we’ll let our Imams police us instead.

From TheDailyCaller

“Politically influential Muslim activists are pushing to reduce the FBI’s role in  countering Islamic terrorism and are seeking greater federal reliance on  hard-line orthodox Imams.”

“The CVE program has been slammed by critics for giving too large an  intermediary role to small Islamic political groups such as MPAC, which portray  themselves as representatives of American Muslims. The groups try to foster the  growth of distinct Islamic communities.”

“Elibiary’s new call for reduced policing of Islamic communities, such as  Boston’s immigrant Muslims, was echoed by other speakers at the panel, which was  hosted by the progressive New American Foundation in Washington D.C.“

“Imams and counselors need to be given some leeway” by police,  said  Suhaib Webb, Imam of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center.”

And yes, that’s the Imam of the center affiliated with the mosque Tamerlan Tsarnaev attended, one of the Boston bombers. Seems to me they already had a shot to do what they’re asking. And they failed miserably.

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Meanwhile, while the feds bow to PC pressure and ignore where the radicals really come from, resources are instead wasted on political intimidation of perceived enemies. Gee, there seems to be a pattern of this with the Obama admin.

From LifeSiteNews

“The FBI office charged with investigating terrorism has said it intends to question the national director of a chain of crisis pregnancy centers. The development is the latest in what pro-life activists have charged is a pattern of intimidation on the part of the Obama administration against pro-life activists.Agents of the Joint Domestic Terrorism Task Force told Chris Slattery, national director of Expectant Mother Care (EMC) FrontLine Pregnancy Centers, only that they wanted to meet him “for a mutually beneficial relationship.”

“The rate of federal questions, and allegations of surveillance, of pro-life activists have led many leaders to conclude the Obama administration is gathering intelligence on the pro-life movement.”

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Another alternative to ObamaCare?

“But the decision to do away with insurance allows Ciampi to practice medicine the way he sees fit, he said. Insurance companies no longer dictate how much he charges. He can offer discounts to patients struggling with their medical bills. He can make house calls.“I’m freed up to do what I think is right for the patients,” Ciampi said. “If I’m providing them a service that they value, they can pay me, and we cut the insurance out as the middleman and cut out a lot of the expense.”” From BangorDailyNews

He even posts his prices. This is similar to what some are doing in Oklahoma.

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News/Politics 5-29-13

What’s interesting out there today?

As always, Open Thread.

Under intense pressure from Britain and France, the European Union’s arms embargo against the Syrian rebels has been lifted. From TheBBC

Canada however, has broken ranks because of the jihadist connections. Any country that sends in weapons will arm extremists. There’s no way around it.

“Our strong concern has been, and continues to be, the number of radical jihadists that have entered parts of the opposition and, in our view, that’s not getting better. It is, in fact, getting worse,” Baird said.” From TheSunNewsNetwork

I wish they’d sit McCain down and explain this to him. He just doesn’t get it. I’ve said numerous times that we shouldn’t arm these people. Once again we have reports, that if true, demonstrate why. This is who and what you will be arming.

Members of the Free Syrian Army reportedly attacked the Christian-dominated al-Duvair village in Reef on the outskirts of Homs on Monday, where they massacred its citizens, including women and children, before the Syrian Army interfered. From Examiner.com

Here’s the original story as well.

Armed rebels attacked a village in Syria’s Western province of Homs and slaughtered all its Christian residents on Monday.From TheFarsNewsAgency

And to make matters worse, Russia is planning to send missiles to the Assad regime. And Israel has stated they will bomb the shipments if they try. Nice.

How about we just stay out of it?

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Who’s up for an ObamaCare update? Or as I like to call it, the slow motion train wreck. Anyway,

LET THE PROPAGANDA BEGIN! Again.

“The goals, Pelosi writes in a “dear colleague” letter that begins the document, are “to educate our constituents about the new law, help to implement it, and strengthen the hands of those who have worked for this historic reform.”

The document is also optimistic about the cost of these plans: “A significant majority of people in the new Marketplaces will pay the same or less than they do for their coverage right now,” it says, citing tax credits available for health-care premiums.” From BuzzFeed

Uh-huh. That sounds familiar. Kinda like “If you like your plan you can keep it.” If you can still afford it once the rates climb. And climb they have. That will continue as well. And once again, Democrats are optimistic about costs, even after the advertised cost has already doubled. 🙄

And like all good propaganda, it must be coordinated.

“Reforming our health care system is an historic opportunity to make health care more affordable and bring the kind of change we were all elected to achieve for the American people,” Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and committee co-chairmen Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Robert E. Andrews of New Jersey wrote in a May 22 introductory letter accompanying each toolkit, one of which was obtained by CQ Roll Call.

“Nothing could be more important,” the letter continues, “which is why we now want to educate our constituents about the new law, help to implement it, and strengthen the hands of those who have worked for this historic reform.”

In other words, the toolkits — the culmination of months of collaboration and coordination — are meant to help get Democrats “on message” about the law that’s consistently derided by the GOP as a government overreach that will kill jobs. It’s certainly not the first time Democrats have tried to retool their sales job on the health care law, as polls consistently show Democrats have yet to win over the public.”  From RollCall

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Here’s an IRS scandal update. Looks like that “low-level employees” lie has officially past it’s expiration date.

“Additional scrutiny of conservative organizations’ activities by the IRS did not solely originate in the agency’s Cincinnati office, with requests for information coming from other offices and often bearing the signatures of higher-ups at the agency, according to attorneys representing some of the targeted groups. At least one letter requesting information about one of the groups bears the signature of Lois Lerner, the suspended director of the IRS Exempt Organizations department in Washington.” From NBCNews

The investigation seems to be expanding to all IRS data on the matter, and thereby, anyone involved.

“The Internal Revenue Service is in the process of locking down all computer data across the agency, a sign that investigations into the scandal-plagued agency may be taking a broader sweep than initially anticipated.

Agency employees last Thursday received an e-mail alerting them, “This is a late breaking top priority and things could change in the future,” according to an IRS employee who asked not to be named. 

Employees were directed not to “wipe, re-image or otherwise destroy any hard drives” on any machine currently in use or in stock.” From NationalReview

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This last one is just sad. With people in charge who come up with ideas like this, is it any wonder they abort 41% of pregnancies in NYC?

“The New York City Health Department’s NYC teen website now includes an app that teens can download to their smart phones to  get information on “sexual health,” including where they can get birth  control and abortions.

 The app, under the heading “Important Links and Info,” has three main  links – Where to Go; sexual health services, What to Get; condoms and  birth control; and What to Expect; at the clinic. From CNSNews

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by

News/Politics 5-28-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

President Obama took bi-partisan heat this Memorial Day for the backlog on veterans disability and benefits claims. Jon Stewart and Fox are hitting him from all sides. Even Bob Beckel is calling for the resignation of the head of the VA. A little bit of CONTENT WARNING! for the Stewart material for some bleeped cussing. Be sure to watch the video at this link. From Mediaite

“Typically, when the hosts of Fox News’ The Five play a clip of Jon Stewart, it’s used to demonstrate everything that’s wrong with the liberal, mainstream media. But for Memorial Day, the show decided to open with a segment from The Daily Show they could all get behind.

The clip in question came from the most recent installment of Stewart’s consistent attacks against the Department of Veteran Affairs’ benefits claims backlog.

Eric Bolling, who has had his disagreements with Stewart in the past, gave him credit for “very outspoken on this issue.” He reserved his criticism for President Obama, who “literally said we have to fix this” but “then he doesn’t do anything.”

The bipartisan nature of the issue extended to Bob Beckel, who was even more furious than Bolling over the VA’s apparent inability to process its benefit requests. Calling the situation “disgraceful” and “unacceptable,” he advocated for department head Eric Shinseki‘s resignation

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On this one, I have to agree with Michelle Malkin. This is a really bad idea. From TownHall

“Gird your loins, America. President Obama intends to empty out Guantanamo Bay and send scores of suspected Muslim terror operatives back to their jihadist-coddling native countries. Goaded by anti-war activists and soft-on-terror attorneys (including those from Attorney General Eric Holder’s former private law firm), Obama announced Thursday that he’ll lift a ban on sending up to 90 Yemeni detainees home and will initiate other stalled transfers out of the compound.

This radical appeasement of Obama’s left flank is a surefire recipe for more Benghazis, more U.S.S. Coles and more innocent lives at risk.

A little more than three years ago, the White House assured Americans that it would not release Yemeni detainees back to their al-Qaida-infested land. In January 2010, international press outlets reported that at least a dozen former Guantanamo Bay prisoners had rejoined al-Qaida to fight in Yemen. Yemen was also the terror training ground of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the jihadist who attempted to bomb Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas Day in 2009.”

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The White House’s least favorite journalist. Well, other than everybody at Fox. 🙂  From Politico

“The Obama administration won’t answer the CBS News correspondent’s questions  because her investigations — into Benghazi, Fast and Furious, Solyndra — often  reflect negatively on it. Some colleagues at CBS News, where she has worked for  two decades and earned multiple Emmy awards, dismiss her work because they  perceive a political agenda. And now, she says, someone may have hacked into her  computers.

Attkisson’s one piece of solace may come from finally gaining some like-minded  colleagues in the media. For years, Attkisson has been one of the few mainstream  reporters pursuing critical stories about the Obama administration. Today, as “scandal season” takes hold in Washington, she has seen her longstanding  skepticism of the White House and the Justice Department become the conventional  attitude among a formerly deferential Beltway press corps.

Attkisson is a dogged reporter, driven by a strong skepticism of government.  Producers at CBS News once nicknamed her “Pit Bull,” a source said, because she  gets on a story and won’t let go. But that is seen as both a strength and a  weakness. Her drive can produce great journalism, but it can also cause her to  push stories to the point that colleagues — especially those of a more  progressive bent — suspect a political agenda.”

Sure they do, because it doesn’t match their political agenda. 🙄

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Senator Durbin is finally fessing up to encouraging the IRS to target conservative groups. Of course along with a lame attempt to justify it. Funny, Obama for America didn’t concern him though. From RealClearPolitics

“SEN. DICK DURBIN: I can just tell you flat-out why I did it. Because that Crossroads organization was boasting about how much money they were raising as a 501(c)(4). Let’s get back to the basics. Citizens United really unleashed hundreds if not thousands of organizations seeking tax-exempt status to play in political campaigns. The law we wrote as Congress said that they had to exclusively be engaged in social welfare and not politics and campaigning. And, so, here is the IRS trying to decide whether or not these organizations really comply with the law. Crossroads was exhibit A. They were boastful about how much money they were going to raise and beat Democrats with.”

And……? OfA was bragging about breaking records for money raised. Yet you didn’t seem concerned with that.

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They targeted the  NY Times too? From YahooNews

“The New York Times reports the Department of Justice investigated national security leaks given to Times reporter David Sanger over his story last year about the Stuxnet virus by pulling all the email and phone records of government officials who communicated with the reporter. Last summer, Sanger reported the U.S. helped develop the Stuxnet virus and used it to attack Iran, becoming the first country to carry out a sustained cyber attack with the intent of destroying another country’s infrastructure. The was some hoopla and a hullaballoo about leaks and DOJ investigations, the Associated Press case, and now a year later we’re finding out just how far things went.”

Here’s a related story. Like Holder’s supposed recusal letter, it disappeared. From Reuters

“News Corp said on Monday it is still reviewing whether it has any record of a notification from the United States government involving a subpoena for a Fox News reporter’s phone records.

The media conglomerate was responding to the Justice Department, which said it told News Corp about the seizure of phone records for James Rosen, a reporter with Fox News, in August 2010.

“While we don’t take issue with the DOJ’s account that they sent a notice to News Corp, we do not have a record of ever having received it,” said News Corp spokesman Nathaniel Brown, who added the company is looking into the matter.

Fox News, which is owned by News Corp, has said it never received a notification from the government.”

Maybe he’s using invisible ink. 🙂

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A horrible story of abuse is finally coming to light in NY. The elite Horace Mann Prep School has released a statement admitting to years of sexual abuse by teachers and staff. There are at least 31 kids involved, many now grown. From TheNYPost.

With a CONTENT WARNING! for adult subject matter.

“The elite Horace Mann prep school today apologized for decades of sexual abuse suffered at the hands of teachers and administrators and pledged reforms to improve student safety, in its first public comments addressing the sex scandal.”

“The elite Bronx prep school has been accused of turning a blind eye to sex assaults on at least 31 children between 1962 and 1996. In today’s statement, the school admitted that “former teachers and administrators in fact did abuse, in various degrees,students.””

“Other survivors are pressuring lawmakers in Albany to approve a bill that would allow molested students to sue schools well after the statute of limitations has expired. Currently, the statue prevents adults who were sexually abused as kids from filing claims after they turn 23.”

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by

News/Politics 5-25-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First, a couple of quick IRS stories. More consequences and repercussions for Lerner. 

“True The Vote” Files Lawsuit Against Lois Lerner Personally, Serves Her At Her House, from WeaselZippers

With over 500 groups effected, expect many more to come. And discovery should be interesting, as will depositions.

Next up… Scandal? What scandal?

Only CBS Notes IRS Official’s Leave, Yet ABC and NBC Have Time to Show Obama’s Prom Photo with ‘Foxy’ Friend, from the MediaResearchCenter

Maybe they’re afraid they’ll be audited and have their phones tapped too.

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Next, is the Gang of Eight Immigration Bill falling apart? Let’s hope so.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) said Friday that the “Gang of Eight” immigration  bill doesn’t have enough votes to pass the Senate. From TheHill

Lawmakers heading the Republican push for immigration reform blasted President Barack Obama on Thursday for failing to meet with federal law enforcement officials even as his administration meets with illegal immigrants. From TheFreeBeacon

Here’s more on that, from TownHall

Meanwhile, the federal govt. is contracting with another questionable illegal immigration advocacy/community organizer group.

The National Council of La Raza (translation: The Race) has partnered with the Office of Personnel Management to encourage Hispanic activists and members to burrow into the federal government. From PJMedia

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This one is just unbelievable. The terror, murder, and mayhem that terrorist group Boko Haram has spread across regions of Africa is well documented. They’ve been responsible for the murders of hundreds of Christians and others, many burned alive or shot while worshiping peacefully in their churches. Not to mention the dismemberments, rapes, and slavery. It’s bad enough that our govt. rarely stands up to them or calls them what they are. But it’s even worse when our govt. finally gets up their nerve, it’s to condemn the African govt. that’s cracking down on Boko Haram. From PJMedia

“Talk of “poverty,” “inequality,” “grievance,” and the rest of the canards used by Western leaders to overlook Islamic violence blatantly ignores all the facts. Boko Haram began its jihad in earnest because a Christian won what was described as Nigeria’s freest and fairest elections. And Islamic law forbids non-Muslims from ruling over Muslims — not because they’re bad for the economy, but because they’re infidels.

The full name of Boko Haram is “Sunnis for [Islamic] Propagation and Jihad” — which doesn’t reflect any economic grievances. Their repeatedly stated goal is the establishment of a pure Sharia state in Nigeria. In other words, they are motivated by the same Islamic supremacism that is prompting jihadis all around the Islamic world to attack, kill, and displace infidels, leading to, among other travesties, a mass exodus of Christians.

Once again, then, reality is easily ascertained — at root, Boko Haram’s terror campaign is entirely motivated by Islamic teachings — even as the Obama administration refuses to designate the group as a terrorist organization, wastes millions of U.S. tax dollars on superfluous initiatives (or diversions), and pressures the Nigerian president to make concessions to the jihadis — including building more mosques, the very breeding grounds for Islamic “radicalization.””

“And now, when the Nigerian government goes on the offensive to neutralize the terrorists responsible for countless inhuman atrocities, the Obama administration offers “a strongly worded statement” to defend their “human rights.” Meanwhile, when such jihadis daily persecute and murder non-Muslims around the world — Christians at the top of the list — the only sound coming out of the White House is of crickets chirping.

Postscript: Following Kerry’s call to protect the “human rights” of Nigeria’s jihadi terrorists, Obama himself has just urged Myanmar to “halt violence against Muslims” and “move ahead with economic and political reforms” — all while omitting the fact that the government’s offensive is in response to violent, separatist Muslims, whose jihad has nothing to do with “economic and political reforms,” only the subjugation of infidels.”

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So how do we prevent another Kermit Gosnell? Do we regulate, inspect, and oversee clinics to ensure standards are met? Not if you’re a Democrat. From CNSNews

“The way to prevent abortionists like convicted  murderer Kermit Gosnell from occurring again is to build more Planned  Parenthood clinics, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said at a House  Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on Thursday about legislation that would  prevent abortion after 20 weeks nationwide.”

““We should be working to make sure that high quality health care is  provided to the uninsured to make sure the full range of health care  services, including family planning services that are available to  people with money are available to the poor and uninsured as well,”  Nadler said.

“If that means funding a Planned Parenthood clinic in every  neighborhood to put guys like Gosnell out of business, so be it,” Nadler  said.

Nadler called the hearing a “farce” and “just another battle of the Republican war on women.””

Says the guy taking thousands from the abortion mills who abort females by the millions. If there’s a War on Women, how come his side is the only one inflicting casualties?

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And one last piece….  Reason #6,486 to not send your kid to public schools. The school insists it’s all in good fun, and that the student council chose it. Yet the originally chosen name and subject makes that seem questionable to me. From EAGNews

“Deidri Hernandez’s seven-year-old son won’t be in school today, after officials at Tippecanoe School for the Arts and Humanities confirmed they’re still holding “Switch It Up Day” – a time for students to come dressed as members of the opposite sex.”

“Hernandez tells EAGnews the day was originally billed as “Gender Bender Day,” but Tippecanoe officials made the name change after she called Principal Jeffrey Krupar to complain.”

“She wonders if it is being done to promote the acceptance of homosexuality to students in school, which runs from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Hernandez thinks it’s inappropriate to expose young children to these issues, even in a light-hearted manner.

“They might as well call it ‘Transgender Day,’” she says.”

Is she over-sensitive? It’s not like some public schools don’t already have a reputation for indoctrinating kids with stuff like this already. Either way, it doesn’t seem appropriate for Pre-K to 8th graders.

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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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News/Politics 5-23-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Well the IRS scandal continues to raise more questions. And answers don’t seem to be coming anytime soon. Everyone seems to have “forgotten”, “didn’t or don’t know”, or took the 5th. It seems the only way we’ll get them is a special prosecutor. Maybe an offer of immunity will jar some memories and loosen lips.

Now as for Lois Lerner and her claiming the 5th…..

Lois Lerner might win the legal battle but she’s prolonging the political war. And her bravado has prompted House Oversight and Government Reform Committee  Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) to say she has waived her constitutional right  to not comment. From Politico

Some legal experts disagree with Issa. Other’s don’t.

Lois Lerner, the Internal Revenue Service’s embattled director of Exempt  Organizations, could be held in contempt of court and jailed for refusing to  testify before Congress, civil-rights lawyer Alan Dershowitz says. “She’s  in trouble. She can be held in contempt,” Dershowitz told “the Steve Malzberg  Show” on Newsmax TV. From NewsMax

That might help loosen her lips.

The IRS, like many in the Obama admin, are not being forthcoming with answers.

IRS Misses Filing Deadline: Fails to Comply With Congressional Demand for All Communications With WH About Targeting Conservatives, from CNSNews

Oversight on IRS targeting came from Washington all along, from NationalReview

So who’s next to go under the bus?

The Washington Post highlights her role in the IRS scandal, in which the top lawyer in the West Wing is purported to have played goalie with information in order to ensure plausible deniability:

Looks like we now know who pulled the strings in Cincinnati.

From Fox19

They also provide a nice run down of the players, and what they’re up to today.

“What this means for you… consider this chain of command since the story broke. Former Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller… retires-. Joseph Grant, Commissioner of Tax Exempt and Government Entities… retires. Lois Lerner, Head of Exempt Organization…says she will invoke her 5th amendment right to not incriminate herself when called before Congress on Wednesday. Holly Paz, Director of Exempt Organizations, subpoenaed to Washington to be interviewed by members of Congress. All of this IRS leadership, in Washington D.C.

Then one level down is Cindy Thomas, the highest ranking employee in Cincinnati in this Tax Exempt and Government Entities Department that no one in Congress is talking to… yet. ”

And yet the WH’s top lawyer says she never informed the President. 

We’re also expected to believe the former head of the IRS didn’t mention it on any of his 118 visits to the WH. From WeaselZippers

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In other news…..

According to Gallup, 72% of Americans think the country’s moral values are getting worse. I guess they’re just stating the obvious. From CNSNews

” A large majority of Americans hold a bleak  outlook on the state of morality in the United States, as 72% said the  nation’s moral values are “getting worse,” and only 20% said that moral  values are “getting better,” according to a recent Gallup survey.

The poll specifically showed that Americans who attend church weekly,  are married, or are Republican, were the most negative about the  country’s moral direction. But even Democrats, people who attend church  infrequently, and the unmarried had high negative outlooks about the  nation’s moral values.”

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I suppose that story is the perfect lead in for this one…

From NBCNews

“After years of emotional debate, the Boy Scouts of America are considering a proposal at their annual meeting to allow gay youths to participate openly in the popular organization for the first time.

The exclusion of gay Scouts has been the subject of much wrangling and soul searching in the century-old organization — from local troops and councils to online petitions to national board meetings. The dispute was even heard by the Supreme Court, which said 13 years ago that as a private membership organization the BSA was free to decide who it would admit.

Here is a rundown of what is at stake in the vote, which is scheduled to take place Thursday among the 1,400 delegates of the National Council gathered in Grapevine, Texas.”

This vote would allow gay scouts to participate, but would still ban gay scout leaders.

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Here’s some non-shocking news on Ivy League commencement speakers. From CampusReform

“The list of keynote commencement speakers at Ivy League institutions for 2013 does not include a single conservative, a recent study authored by the conservative Young America’s Foundation (YAF) found.

Instead seven of the elite schools opted to invite ideological liberal speakers such as media billionaire Oprah Winfrey, Vice President Joe Biden (D), Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D), Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I), among others.

Only Brown University, which chooses a commencement keynote from among its students, did not have a 2013 speaker who is generally associated with the left.”

Not at all surprising. The left is always intolerant of those who disagree with their ideology.

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