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News/Politics 9-11-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open Thread, as always.

First up, the Syria debacle. The President made his pitch to the country last night. I doubt many will be swayed by his speech. The official storyline changes daily. A little consistency might help his cause.

From WeaselZippers  “Yesterday: Obama Says Assad Not A “Credible” Threat To America – Today: Assad Is A Threat To Our National Security…“

“Assad has capability “relative to children,” the president told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, but “he doesn’t have a credible means to threaten the United States.”

“The question now is what the United States of America and the international community is prepared to do about it, because what happened to those people — to those children — is not only a violation of international law, it’s also a danger to our security. Let me explain why.”

“Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security, are at stake in Syria, along with our leadership of a world where we seek to ensure that the worst weapons will never be used.”

Zip asks the appropriate question “Which is it?”

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The spin machine is working overtime.

From BuzzFeed  “The Obama administration’s explanation of how a Russian proposal to get rid of Syrian chemical weapons came to be has morphed rapidly in the past 24 hours from being portrayed as an unexpected slip-up to — in its new incarnation — a plan that U.S. officials were involved in as early as last week.

“I had some conversations about this with my counterpart from Russia last week,” Secretary of State John Kerry said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, referring to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “President Putin raised the issue with President Obama at St. Petersburg. President Obama directed us to try to continue to talk and see if it is possible. So it is not something that — you know, suddenly emerged, though it did publicly. But it cannot be allowed to be a delay.”

Later, under questioning by Rep. Hank Johnson, Kerry said he had not made a mistake when he suggested the proposal in a press conference in London on Monday.”

“The administration has quickly changed its line on an idea that it scrambled to play down yesterday in the White House and State Department briefings even as the Russians immediately followed up by making the proposal to the Syrians, who “welcomed” it.”

Again, which is it?

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Rebels are demanding strikes.

From YahooNews  “The chaos in Syria will only get worse and destabilize the entire region if the global community fails to act, key figures of the war-torn country’s opposition said Tuesday.

Only Washington can deter Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons and so the US Congress should give the White House the go-ahead to target the strongman, they added.

Ahmad al-Jarba, president of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, and Salim Idriss, chief of the rebel Free Syrian Army, wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Post.”

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In other news……..

The cover-up continues.

From WeaselZippers  “Report: Kerry Refuses To Allow Congress To Question Benghazi Survivors, Republicans Threaten To Issue Subpoenas…“

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This has to sting the “Smart Diplomacy” crowd’s egos.

From Reason.com  “Poll: 64 Percent of Americans Say President Obama’s Handling of Foreign Policy Is Worse or the Same as President George W. Bush’s

74 percent of Americans say strikes on Syria would be “unwise” and half of Americans believe the D.C.  establishment wants war more than the public

As the country debates launching airstrikes on Syria, President Barack Obama’s standing on foreign policy has taken such a hit that the latest Reason-Rupe poll finds 64 percent of Americans, including 68 percent of independents and 41 percent of Democrats, believe President Obama’s handling of foreign policy is worse than, or the same as, former President George W. Bush’s handling of foreign policy.”

Ouch.

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Looks like an October House vote on the Immigration/Amnesty bill.

From MSNBC  “Republican Congressman Bob Goodlatte, chair of the House Judiciary Committee overseeing immigration, said he expected Congress to pursue reform legislation despite a tight schedule featuring debates over Syria, health care, and the debt limit.

Those and other issues “should not deter us from getting to [immigration] as soon as possible,” Goodlatte said in an appearance on WAMU’s Kojo Nnamdi Show on Tuesday.

Goodlatte said he expected votes soon, perhaps in October, on a series of smaller House bills on border security, internal enforcement,  guest workers, and high-tech visas.”

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Unions that supported ObamaCare are asking for a “fix” for them, which would cost taxpayers 187 billion over a decade. Funny how all the supporters of this bad law want to be excluded from its effects. Congress, govt workers, and now Unions.

From TheWashingtonExaminer  “Big Labor officials are negotiating with Obama administration officials on a “fix” to spare multi-employer pension plans, which are provided by many unions to their members, from the higher costs they would face under the president’s health care law.

A forthcoming report estimates the cost to taxpayers for that fix at $187 billion over 10 years.

Multi-employer plans — also known as “Taft-Hartley” plans — are ineligible for federal subsidies under Obamacare. This has many unions worried, since it will raise the cost of the plans, pushing employers to either limit coverage or pull out altogether. Some are already moving in that direction.”

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Some union members are finally figuring out that national union leadership is not working in their best interest. They’re more interested in helping Democrats push progressive causes. Including some that work against union members. ObamaCare is a perfect example. Immigration/Amnesty is another.

From TheWashingtonTimes  “The AFL-CIO needs to stick with representing workers and stop trying  to take on social  causes for the far left, said the union head for the  International  Association of Fire Fighters.

Harold Schaitberger, who presides  over the IAFF,  said there is “great  value” in aligning with political groups — but only as a  secondary  mission, he told The Hill. And the AFL-CIO’s  recent push to bring in environmental groups and  progressive-minded organizations to the union cause is leading the IAFF to express  concerns about politics becoming the priority, over the  representation  of members.

“To say that we are going to grow this labor movement by some kind of  formal  partnership, membership, status,  place in this federation, I am  against. This is the American  Federation of Labor. We are supposed to be  representing workers and  workers’ interests,” Mr. Schaitberger said in  The Hill. “We are not going to be the American  Federation of  Progressive and Liberal Organizations.”

He’s not alone in that view. Union members from the construction  sector have been especially vocal against bringing environmental  groups  into the AFL-CIO family, viewing them as the enemy in the Keystone XL  pipeline fight.”

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Meanwhile ObamaCare continues to be a job and hours killer.

From TheWeeklyStandard  “A Grand Rapids, Michigan report on a company that had to lay off over 1,000 people due to the Obamacare medical device tax:

“There are also new taxes affecting West Michigan industry, in particular, that took effect this year,” says a local reporter. “There’s a new 2.3 percent excise tax on medical device manufacturers. According to some reports, Kalamazoo based Stryker has laid off more than a thousand people because of it–and owes the federal government upwards of $100 million dollars this year alone. Late last week a Stryker spokesperson told me that Obamacare will cost the company fully 20 percent of its total research and development investments.”

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And it appears that the first reports on the altercation between George Zimmerman, his estranged wife, and his father-in-law may have been seriously exaggerated. Police are calling into question many of his estranged wife’s statements.

From ABC/ActionNews  “Lake Mary Police are now questioning the validity of several statements Shellie  Zimmerman made when she told 911 dispatchers her estranged husband, George  Zimmerman, threatened her and her father at gunpoint Monday afternoon.

“We did not find a gun, did not locate a weapon,” said Zach Hudson, public  information officer with the Lake Mary Police Department.  “Nobody ever saw  a gun. A gun is not part of this story.”

“”He continually has his hand on his gun and he keeps saying, ‘Step  closer.’  He is just threatening all of us,”  Shellie can be heard  telling dispatchers.”

“Hudson told ABC Action News Shellie provided a written statement Monday night  saying she never saw a gun and only assumed her estranged husband was carrying a  weapon because he touched his stomach.”

As I’m sure you’re all aware, this isn’t the first time she’s been accused of being untruthful with authorities. In fact she was already convicted for it. What a mess.

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News/Politics 9-10-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Harry Reid is delaying what would have been a 9-11 vote on Syria. They’ve lost the battle, and are starting to realize it.

From TheHill  “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Monday delayed a vote on using  military force against Syria.

Faced with stiffening opposition from Republicans and skepticism from many  Democrats, Reid said he would not rush the vote to begin considering the  controversial use-of-force resolution.

He insisted he was not delaying action because of a lack of votes.”

Sure Harry. And Obama never said anything about a red line right? 🙄

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Next, Assad’s forces have launched an attempt to liberate the Christian villages being attacked and terrorized by Islamic rebels.

From JPost/Reuters  “Syrian government forces launched an offensive to wrest back control of an historic Christian town north of Damascus on Monday, activists said.

In the past six days, the town of Maaloula has already changed hands three times between President Bashar Assad’s forces and rebel groups, some of which are linked to al-Qaida.”

More here from WaPo 

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More bad news for ObamaCare.

From RedAlertPolitics  “While much of the public relations campaign for President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has centered around convincing Millennials to buy into the law’s healthcare exchanges, just 11 percent of them now plan to do so according to a new poll by The Morning Consult.

The August National Healthcare Tracking Poll, which was released Wednesday, found that only 11 percent of  registered voters were “almost certain to purchase” insurance through the healthcare exchanges, while just 24 percent were “likely certain” to do so. Half of those who responded said they were “about 50-50″ when it came to buying into the healthcare exchanges, while 27 percent were unlikely to do so.

Overall, only 8 percent of registered voters were almost certain to buy into the exchanges and 14 percent were likely certain to do so.”

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More dirty dealings in Chicago and Illinois. And once again, it involves associates of the President.

From TheChicagoSunTimes  “The U.S. attorney’s office in Springfield has been busy the past few years investigating a variety of fraud schemes involving state grants. Thirteen people have been charged so far, six who have pleaded guilty.

Two of them have ties to President Barack Obama. One is the daughter of his controversial former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Another was chief of staff to Obama’s longtime friend Eric E. Whitaker when Whitaker was Illinois’ public health chief.

In all, prosecutors are alleging a total of $16 million in fraud involving state health or commerce department grants and contracts.”

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It would probably be a good idea to avoid DC on this day. A million muslim march, and a biker counter protest. What could possibly go wrong? 😯

Needless to say the city tried to discourage the bikers by denying their permit. They’re havin’ none of it.

From BizPacReview  “The countdown to Sept. 11 commemoration demonstrations by patriotic bikers versus a fringe Muslim “truther” group is taking shape, and despite some confusion about the technicalities, the court of popular opinion isn’t even close:

Let the good guys roll.

Denied a permit by the nation’s capital for a special “non-stop” ride through town with a waiver for red lights, stop signs and other traffic controls, organizers of the “2 Million Bikers to DC” ride to remember 9/11 are undeterred.

Just riding on a public street doesn’t take any special permission after all, even if you have a million people doing it. They just sought the permit to make life easier on the city’s residents and businesses.”

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And George Zimmerman has new legal problems.

From TheDailyMail  “George Zimmerman was today questioned by police  after allegedly threatening his estranged wife with a handgun in an altercation  sparked by claims he has been having an affair, MailOnline can reveal.”

“Police were called to the Lake Mary, Florida  residence owned by Shellie Zimmerman’s parents, David and Machelle Dean, after  she made a panicked 911 call at around 2.15pm Monday.”

“‘He’s in his car and he continually  has his  hand on his gun. He keeps staying “Step closer”. He’s just  threatening all of  us with his firearm. He’s going to shoot us.”

UPDATE!

Police are now saying there was no gun involved.

From NBCNews  “Police now say they didn’t confiscate Zimmerman’s gun

Lake Mary PIO Zach Hudson backtracks during a press conference on initial police reports that George Zimmerman had a gun during altercation with wife.”

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News/Politics 9-9-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread, here’s 4 from me.

First, Syria.

From TheGuardian  “President Bashar al-Assad did not personally order last month’s chemical weapons attack near Damascus that has triggered calls for US military intervention, and blocked numerous requests from his military commanders to use chemical weapons against regime opponents in recent months, a German newspaper has reported , citing unidentified, high-level national security sources.

The intelligence findings were based on phone calls intercepted by a German surveillance ship operated by the BND, the German intelligence service, and deployed off the Syrian coast, Bild am Sonntag said. The intercepted communications suggested Assad, who is accused of war crimes by the west, including foreign secretary William Hague, was not himself involved in last month’s attack or in other instances when government forces have allegedly used chemical weapons.”

“But the intercepts tended to add weight to the claims of the Obama administration and Britain and France that elements of the Assad regime, and not renegade rebel groups, were responsible for the attack in the suburb of Ghouta, Bild said.”

President Obama plans to do what he does best today. Campaign. He has 6 network interviews planned for today, and a speech to the public tomorrow. At least he’s not giving free stuff away on the taxpayer dime to gain votes this time. That doesn’t work with Congress. They already have all the free/taxpayer-funded stuff they need.

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Next, Benghazi.

From NationalReview  “Gregory Hicks, the former deputy chief of mission in Libya who testified before Congress about the 9/11 attacks on an American diplomatic facility earlier this year, believes he has been “punished” for speaking out about the Obama administration’s response the night of the attack. He said he believes at least two of the Americans lost that night could have been saved if the United States had responded in time.”

“While Hicks still remains on staff at the State Department, he has not been reassigned to a post since being called back from Libya. In a statement to This Week, the State Department said Hicks was not removed from Libya as a result of the statements he has made about the Benghazi attacks and it is working on reassigning him.”

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Back to the US, and the anti-war left.

From TheHollywoodReporter  “Ed Asner Explains Hollywood Silence on Obama, Syria: They ‘Don’t Want to Feel Anti-Black'”

“In 2003, ahead of a U.S. attack on Iraq, a robust anti-war movement in Hollywood included a TV commercial starring Martin Sheen and Sean Penn visiting Baghdad. There were online petitions signed by Ed Asner; letters to President George W. Bush pleading for peace were signed by Matt Damon, Tim Robbins, Barbra Streisand and Alec Baldwin; former M*A*S*H star Mike Farrell fronted multiple press conferences where celebrities denounced war. In interviews, Janeane Garofalo stopped identifying herself as an actor — she preferred to be called a member of the U.S. anti-war movement.”

“The good news for President Barack Obama as he considers a military response against Syria for using chemical weapons against rebels is that he probably won’t have to deal with a similar anti-war movement from Hollywood. But that’s not because there isn’t opposition. It’s just not organized, and, as Asner and Farrell – two of the industry’s most vocal progressive activists — told The Hollywood Reporter Friday, perhaps it never will be.”

And then they go on to try to justify their hypocrisy. Even though it might be a war crime, there’s just not time to mobilize their opposition. 🙄

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And last, an interesting read. I can’t say I disagree with much of what she says.

From McClatchy  “Two-thirds of Americans cannot name a single Supreme Court justice, former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor told the crowd that packed into a Boise State ballroom to hear her Thursday.           

About one-third can name the three branches of government. Fewer than one-fifth of high school seniors can explain how citizen participation benefits democracy.”

““The more I read and the more I listen, the more apparent it is that our society suffers from an alarming degree of public ignorance,” O’Connor said.

That ignorance starts in the earliest years of a child’s schooling, she said, but often continues all the way through college and graduate school.”

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by

News/Politics 9-7-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

We’ll start out today with a good news story.

From WCHSTV  “A just-released 911 call reveals the dramatic moment when two Dallas-area teens were able to help save a woman who had allegedly been kidnapped after they saw her mouth the words “help me” from the back of a moving vehicle.

ABC News reported that Charles Atkins Lewis, 37, was arrested Aug. 22 after allegedly kidnapping the woman, 25, who has not been identified, at gunpoint and forcing her into his car in downtown Dallas. The two teenagers noticed the woman from their car as Lewis allegedly drove her through Kaufman County, according to the recording.”

“Police arrested Lewis and he has been charged him with aggravated kidnapping. He remains in jail on $50,000 bond and it’s unclear whether he has a lawyer.”

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Then some bad news outta Texas too. The next 2 are related stories.

From TheBlaze  “San Antonio’s leaders on Thursday approved anti-bias protections for gay and transgender residents, over the disapproval of top Texas Republicans and religious conservatives who packed a City Council hearing and occasionally shamed supporters for comparing the issue to the civil rights movement.

The 8-3 City Council vote in favor of the ordinance was a victory for gay rights advocates and for Democratic Mayor Julian Castro, a top surrogate of President Barack Obama. Castro has called the ordinance overdue in the nation’s seventh-largest city, where there is a stronger current of traditionalism and conservatism than other major Texas cities that already have similar gay rights protections.”

““The problem I have is that you criminalize us if we speak our faith,” said Marc Longoria, 42, a pastor at My Father’s House Church. “We are Christians all the time. We don’t have an on and off switch.””

Here’s the original story again that I linked to a couple of weeks back.

From OneNewsNow 

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Some Democrat Senators are proposing an alternative plan for Syria. Or it’s just a “Peace in our Time” type moment.

From TheHill  “Two Senate Democrats are circulating an alternative resolution on military  intervention in Syria that would give President Bashar Assad’s regime a 45-day  window to avoid a strike if it signs a chemical weapons ban.”

“In addition to the ultimatum presented to Assad, the resolution would also  require the president to present a “long term strategy” on Syria to prevent the  use of chemical weapons.”

““The failure by the government of Bashar al-Assad to sign and comply with the  [Chemical Weapons] Convention clearly demonstrates a disregard of international  norms on the use of chemical weapons. If the Government of Syria does not sign  the Convention within 45 after the date of the enactment of this resolution, all  elements of national power will be considered by the United States government,”  read a draft obtained by The Washington Post.”

And it looks like maybe the President just found his out. Let’s hope he takes it.

From TheDailyCaller  “President Barack Obama hinted Friday that he might not strike Syria if Congress rejects his authorization request.

“I’m not itching for military action… and if there are good ideas that are worth pursuing, then I’m going to be open to them,” he told one reporter who asked if he was seeking alternatives to a missile strike.”

“Some in Congress have suggested giving the Syrian regime 45 days to sign the  Chemical Weapons Convention, get rid of its chemical stockpiles, do something  that would enhance the international sense of accountability for Syria, but  delay military action,” the reporter asked.

“I am listening to all these ideas, and some of them are constructive,” he said.”

Face, saved.

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Attention is being drawn to just who it is the Obama admin is taking advice on Syria from. That undue influence from radical Muslim groups thing the admin is known for. Again.

From HuffPo  “A Wall Street Journal op-ed cited this week by both Secretary of State John Kerry and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has drawn scrutiny for not disclosing writer Elizabeth O’Bagy’s ties to a Syrian rebel advocacy group.

On Thursday, The Daily Caller examined O’Bagy’s role as political director for the Syria Emergency Task Force, a group that has lobbied the White House and Congress to support the rebels. O’Bagy told The Daily Caller that she is not a salaried employee, but serves as a paid contractor.

Journalist Laura Rozen questioned Friday why the Journal op-ed — which was published a week ago online and in Saturday’s print edition — did not identify O’Bagy’s affiliation with the group.”

It also explains why McCain is so far out there on the matter, and is adamant about aiding the rebels.

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Others in the Democrat ranks are happy for the distraction Syria is providing.

From TheWashingtonExaminer  “White House plans for a health care messaging blitz ahead of Obamacare’s rollout have been overshadowed by the president’s call to strike Syria, distracting the administration from its plan to focus attention on a litany of domestic issues.

Obamacare was supposed to get its time in the limelight over these next few weeks, ahead of October’s open enrollment launch for the healthcare law’s insurance exchanges.”

“Some Democrats, however, downplayed the lack of attention on the health law.

“Politically speaking, it’s not the worst thing,” a veteran Democratic strategist, given anonymity to speak candidly about Obamacare, said. “Recently, the focus on health care has done more harm than good. I’m highly skeptical that a new PR blitz, even from the likes of President Clinton, will do much.”

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We have a new record number of Americans no longer in the work force, so the unemployment rate is down again.

From CNSNews  “The number of Americans who are 16 years or older and who have decided not to participate in the nation’s labor force has pushed past 90,000,000 for the first time, according to data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The BLS counts a person as participating in the labor force if they are 16 years or older and either have a job or have actively sought a job in the last four weeks. A person is not participating in the labor force if they are 16 or older and have not sought a job in the last four weeks.

In July, according to BLS, 89,957,000 Americans did not participate in the labor force. In August, that climbed to 90,473,000–a one month increase of 516,000.”

The number was 80 million when Obama took office. 10 million more now, and that’s how you drop the UC rate. But is it a recovery? No.

From MSNMoney  “Payrolls in the U.S. climbed less than projected in August after smaller gains the prior two months, indicating companies are being deliberate in their hiring as they wait for a pickup in demand. The unemployment rate unexpectedly fell as more people left the labor force.

 The gain of 169,000 workers last month followed a revised 104,000 rise in July that was smaller than initially estimated, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The median forecast of 96 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for an August increase of 180,000. Unemployment dropped to 7.3 percent, the lowest since December 2008.

 The weaker data come as Federal Reserve officials, who meet Sept. 17-18, are debating whether the expansion and job market have improved enough to warrant trimming monthly bond purchases. While some companies are awaiting a pickup in sales before adding to staff, Ford Motor Co. (F) is among those putting more workers on assembly lines as the auto industry surges.”

And the actual job gains are always lowered on revision, and this will be too.

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by

News/Politics 9-6-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, an interesting read that further disapproves the assertions of Kerry and Obama.

From DallasMorningNews  “When the main Syrian opposition group speaks, it is often through a longtime U.S. resident whose ties to Islamist extremists were detailed in a 2010 Dallas Morning News report.

The Syrian-born man, Louay Safi, has made big news twice recently. Last month, at a coalition news conference in Turkey, he accused Syria’s government of using chemical weapons. A few days ago, he called President Barack Obama’s consultation with Congress about attacking Syria a “failure of leadership.”

Safi used to work occasionally on U.S. Army bases, teaching soldiers about his Islamic faith. But as we reported in 2010, he was suspended shortly after the Fort Hood massacre and subjected to a military criminal investigation.

Authorities said these actions stemmed from a complaint about the alleged terrorist connections of Safi’s main employer at the time, the Islamic Society of North America, or ISNA. Thirteen members of Congress asked the Defense Department to “stop any lecturing by Louay Safi or ISNA affiliated speakers.”

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What Kerry says also doesn’t jive with intelligence reports.

From Reuters  “Secretary of State John Kerry’s public assertions that moderate Syrian opposition groups are growing in influence appear to be at odds with estimates by U.S. and European intelligence sources and nongovernmental experts, who say Islamic extremists remain by far the fiercest and best-organized rebel elements.

At congressional hearings this week, while making the case for President Barack Obama’s plan for limited military action in Syria, Kerry asserted that the armed opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad “has increasingly become more defined by its moderation, more defined by the breadth of its membership, and more defined by its adherence to some, you know, democratic process and to an all-inclusive, minority-protecting constitution.

“And the opposition is getting stronger by the day,” Kerry told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday.

U.S. and allied intelligence sources and private experts on the Syrian conflict suggest that assessment is optimistic.”

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Russia has warships heading to the area.

From YahooNews  “Three Russian warships crossed Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait Thursday en route to the eastern Mediterranean, near the Syrian coast, amid concern in the region over potential US-led strikes in response to the Damascus regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons.

The SSV-201 intelligence ship Priazovye, accompanied by the two landing ships Minsk and Novocherkassk passed through the Bosphorus known as the Istanbul strait that separates Asia from Europe, an AFP photographer reported.”

“Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday that any US Congress approval for a military strike against Syria without UN consensus would represent an “aggression”.”

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And now Iran is making threats. They’re threatening abductions, rape, and violence against Americans, the families of US officials, as well as the Presidents daughters. Pretty disgusting.

From TheDailyCaller  “As Congress debates whether to support President Obama’s call for a limited  strike against Syria for the alleged use of chemical weapons, Iran is vowing to  back Bashar al-Assad’s regime to the hilt and threatening to unleash terrorism  should the U.S. strike.

Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Quds Forces, Wednesday told the Assembly of Experts — the body that chooses the  supreme leader — that “[w]e will support Syria to the end.””

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This is getting out of hand. And in an ironic twist, there are reports the Senate will vote on this on 9-11.

So on the day that marks the anniversary of Al-Qaida and Bin Laden’s attack against the US, they’re gonna vote to help Al-Qaida? Wow. Talk about tone-deaf. Good thing this won’t make it past the House.

From RollCall  “Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, told reporters Thursday that House leaders expect the Senate to vote on the Syria resolution on Sept. 11.

Reading an email off his phone from his chief of staff, Culberson indicated that Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., thinks the Senate will vote on the Syria resolution next Wednesday.

While the House may not always have the best idea of what is going on in the Senate, “Cantor expects the Senate to vote on 9/11,” Culberson said, parroting the guidance email.

While the Sept. 11 anniversary might seem like a curious day to hold the vote, Culberson thought it was fitting.

“How could it be any clearer? That’s the perfect day to do it,” Culberson said. “They need to defeat it to honor the victims of 9/11 and we will not give aid and comfort to al-Qaida and the psychopaths that carried out the 9/11 attacks.””

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And this one is just another sad result of the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman fiasco.

From NBCNews  “Shellie Zimmerman filed divorce papers Thursday against George Zimmerman, who was acquitted of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, her attorney told NBC News.

“The documents have been received by the Seminole County clerks” in Florida, the lawyer, Kelly Sims, said by email, updating and confirming a tweet by George Zimmerman’s older brother, Robert:”

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News/Politics 9-5-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, the rush to war. They’re in such a hurry they broke their own rules to get it moving.

From TheDailyBeast  “Senate Democratic leadership tossed aside the rules for moving legislation with regard to the resolution authorizing the use of military force against Syria, angering some Republicans and creating confusion on Capitol Hill in the run-up to the war vote.”

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The Russians are chiming in as well.

From TheGuardian  “World leaders will gather in St Petersburg on Thursday for what has transformed into an international showdown with Vladimir Putin threatening to send a missile shield to Syria if the US launches an attack without the authority of the United Nations.

The G20 summit, hosted by Putin, had been expected to focus on the world economy and growth, but will now be dominated by the Middle East crisis, even if the formal agenda remains fixed on the slowdown of growth in emerging markets.”

Putin has also called Kerry a liar.

From Reuters  “Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday the U.S. Congress had no right to approve the use of force against Syria without a decision from the U.N. Security Council, and that doing so would be an “act of aggression”.

He said “anything that is outside the U.N. Security Council is aggression, except self-defense. Now what Congress and the U.S. Senate are doing in essence is legitimizing aggression. This is inadmissible in principle.”

“They lie beautifully, of course. I saw debates in Congress. A congressman asks Mr Kerry: ‘Is al Qaeda there?’ He says: ‘No, I am telling you responsibly that it is not’,” Putin said at a meeting of his human rights council in the Kremlin.“

“Al Qaeda units are the main military echelon, and they know this,” he said, referring to the United States. “It was unpleasant and surprising for me – we talk to them, we proceed from the assumption that they are decent people. But he is lying and knows he is lying. It’s sad.”

As much as I dislike the Russian leader, and most of what he stands for, I can’t say I disagree.

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Meanwhile, the people these strike will benefit have struck again. And yes, despite Kerry’s claims, they are Al-Qaida.

From TheBostonHerald  “Al-Qaida-linked rebels launched an assault Wednesday on a regime-held Christian village in the densely populated west of Syria and new clashes erupted near the capital, Damascus — part of a brutal battle of attrition each side believes it can win despite more than two years of deadlock.

As the world focused on possible U.S. military action against Syria, rebels commandeered a mountaintop hotel in the village of Maaloula and shelled the community below, said a nun, speaking by phone from a convent in the village. She spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

The attack came hours before a Senate panel voted to give President Barack Obama authority to use military force against Syria — the first time lawmakers have voted to allow military action since the October 2002 votes authorizing the invasion of Iraq.”

They have also vowed to slaughter Christians after Obama “liberates” Syria.

From Raymond Ibrahim  “Arabic news agency Al Hadath gives more information concerning this latest terror attack on Syria’s Christians, specifically how the al-Qaeda linked rebels “terrorized the Christians, threatening to be avenged on them after the triumph of the revolution.”

Thus al-Qaeda terrorists eagerly await U.S. assistance against the Syrian government, so they can subjugate if not slaughter Syria’s Christians, secularists, and non-Muslims — even as the Obama administration tries to justify war on Syria by absurdly evoking the “human rights” of Syrians on the one hand, and lying about al-Qaeda’s presence in Syria on the other.”

More here,

From WeaselZippers  “This video is a few months old but very relevant considering the Obama administration said yesterday the rebels are becoming more moderate and less affiliated with al-Qaeda. As shown in the above video, the exact opposite is true.

This footage from May and June 2013 shows battalions from the “Free Syrian Army” (FSA) declaring their unification with al-Qaeda’s Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra Front) in the eastern Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta and in Aleppo, both strongholds of the anti-government militants. Although some instances have occurred where clashes between the two groups have taken place, for the most part, the FSA and al-Qaeda unite under the banner of Islamic monotheism.”

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And in other news…..

From CNBC  “Standard & Poor’s on Tuesday blasted a $5 billion fraud lawsuit by the U.S. government as retaliation for its 2011 decision to strip the country of its AAA credit rating.

The McGraw Hill Financial unit was the only major credit rating agency to take away the United States’ top rating and the only one sued by the Department of Justice for allegedly misleading banks and credit unions about the credibility of its ratings before the 2008 financial crisis.

In a filing with the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Calif., S&P said the lawsuit attempts to punish it for exercising its First Amendment free speech rights under the U.S. Constitution but also seeks “excessive fines” in violation of the Eighth Amendment.

It said the government’s “impermissibly selective, punitive and meritless” lawsuit was brought “in retaliation for defendants’ exercise of their free speech rights with respect to the creditworthiness of the United States of America.”

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Next, 2 ObamaCare stories.

More from TheWeeklyStandard.

And different state, same outcome.

From HotAir  “The Lincoln Journal Star added to the annals of ‘If you like your plan you can keep your plan (Midwestern edition)” yesterday with a new report on the impact of ObamaCare on health insurance premiums in Nebraska.  Thanks to the mandates in ObamaCare, most of the individual insurance plans offered in the past will no longer be available, whether consumers liked their plan or not.  The replacements will be much more expensive, with cost hikes ranging from 21% increases to as much as 143%:”

“Nebraska Insurance Commissioner Bruce Ramge pointed out that a comparison of rates between Coventry and Blue Cross Blue Shield, the only companies of the four that offered rates in past years, showed that health insurance costs are going up for most Nebraskans.

Tom Gilsdorf, director of product development at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska countered: “An apples-to-apples comparison of 2013 health insurance costs to 2014 costs is virtually impossible,” he said. “Health insurance that will be sold to individuals, families and small businesses for 2014 is new and must cover a range of Essential Health Benefits that were not covered in the past.”

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And here’s a story related to a topic we discussed on the Daily Thread.

From TheWashingtonExaminer  “God is still great in the eyes of Americans, even on the internet. While an amazing 88 percent of the nation’s homes own a Bible, more and more are switching to the internet, cell phones and iPad for their weekly inspiration, according to a sweeping new survey of Bible use.

In their latest survey of Bible use, the American Bible Society finds that 41 percent of Americans used the internet to read the good book on a computer. Some 29 percent said they searched Bible verses on a cell phone and 17 percent said they read an electronic version of the Bible on a Kindle or iPad.

The trend is similar in the news business, with the readers shifting to digital over paper.

“The data shows a continual shift to digital content. The number of Bible readers who use their smart phone or cell phone to search for Bible content has increased each year, with a 6 percent increase in the use of this format from 2012,” said the Society. “Use of internet to find Bible content has also increased, up 4 percent from 2011,” they added.”

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News/Politics 9-4-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

The President continues to shore up support for military action in Syria.

From Politico  “A new use-of-force resolution for Syria sets a 60-day deadline, with one  30-day extension possible, for President Barack Obama to launch military strikes  against the regime of Syria President Bashar Assad — and it will also bar the  involvement of U.S. ground forces in Syria.

The revised resolution was crafted by Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Bob  Corker (R-Tenn.), the chairman and ranking member of the Foreign Relations  Committee, following several days of negotiations. The panel could vote on the  proposal by Wednesday.”

More here on the arm twisting, also from Politico.

And all this despite public opposition to it. Here’s the latest poll, from ABC/WaPo

And here’s further evidence that if we do this, we help the radicals. Seems there’s already delays to previous weapon supply programs because they can’t find anyone who isn’t a radical to give the guns to.

From TheWallStJournal  “In June, the White House authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to help arm moderate fighters battling the Assad regime, a signal to Syrian rebels that the cavalry was coming. Three months later, they are still waiting.

The delay, in part, reflects a broader U.S. approach rarely discussed publicly but that underpins its decision-making, according to former and current U.S. officials: The Obama administration doesn’t want to tip the balance in favor of the opposition for fear the outcome may be even worse for U.S. interests than the current stalemate.

U.S. officials attribute the delay in providing small arms and munitions from the CIA weapons program to the difficulty of establishing secure delivery “pipelines” to prevent weapons from falling into the wrong hands, in particular Jihadi militants also battling the Assad regime.”

The White House seems to think they can bomb Assad to punish him, and at the same time not help the radicals? Seriously? That’s one of the stupidest things I’ve heard yet. Any action tips the conflict, that’s reality.

Some are asking what’s the point of all this? Good question.

From BuzzFeed  “Frederic Hof spent President Obama’s first term as the State Department’s point man on Syria. He is now a furious administration critic, and a symbol of the growing consensus in the professional foreign policy community that the Obama Administration — no matter how its last-minute detour through Congress turns out — has badly bungled its Syria policy through two years of popular uprising turned bloody civil war.

“The events of the past ten days suggest that there was no administration forethought to the possibility of a major chemical incident in Syria,” wrote Hof, currently a fellow at the Atlantic Council, where his former boss is Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. Hof had floated the specter of a chemical attack by the regime months ago.

“The results of this mystifying lack of preparedness have been abysmal,” he wrote, calling Obama’s decision to seek congressional approval for the strikes “constitutionally sound, but strategically appalling” and suggesting the White House find “an objectives-based strategy.”

Our own Generals can’t even tell what the mission actually is here.

From TheFreeBeacon  “Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey couldn’t answer what exactly the U.S. was seeking in Syria Tuesday during questioning from Sen. Bob Corker (R., Tenn.) about a resolution authorizing military action there:”

Elect an amateur, this is what you get. Consequences, ya know. It seems to be an awful lot about the White House trying to save face now. And Obama’s ego.

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As you all know I’ve been rough on the anti-war crowd from the Bush years and the disappearing act they pulled when Obama was elected. Some are stirring from their slumber, so it’s only fair I point it out. They’ve been picketing Kerry’s house, and heckling him while he “testifies” to Congress. Yes, even the nuts at Code Pink. 🙂

From WeaselZippers  “Medea Benjamin, head of Code Pink,specifically, was screaming and got tossed.

This was Occupy/Anonymous and other odd assorted anti-war kids outside Kerry’s house two days ago:”

With some photos.

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Here’s a not at all shocking piece.

From TheWashingtonExaminer  “Just minutes after 35 jihadists crashed through the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, nearly one year ago, the facility got word to the State Department, FBI and Pentagon that terrorists were attacking, according to a forthcoming book that provides the fullest review of the assault to date.

In “Under Fire, the Untold Story of the Attack in Benghazi,” it is revealed that an unidentified security official in the Benghazi compound protecting Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens messaged the U.S. embassy in Tripoli: “Benghazi under fire, terrorist attack.” Stevens and three others died that night.

Twenty-five minutes after it began, the operation center at State received an electronic cable announcing the attack, according to authors Fred Burton, a former State Diplomatic Security agent and Samuel Katz, an author and expert on international special operations and counterterrorism.

Their findings in “Under Fire,” based on exclusive interviews of those in the battle, refute days of claims by the administration that the attack was sparked by Muslim anger at a U.S.-made anti-Muslim film, and raise new questions as President Obama eyes military action in Syria that U.S. diplomatic posts in the region are properly protected.”

It’s just one foreign policy failure after another.

From TheIndependent/UK  “A little under two years ago, Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, urged British businessmen to begin “packing their suitcases” and to fly to Libya to share in the reconstruction of the country and exploit an anticipated boom in natural resources.

Yet now Libya has almost entirely stopped producing oil as the government loses control of much of the country to militia fighters.

Mutinying security men have taken over oil ports on the Mediterranean and are seeking to sell crude oil on the black market. Ali Zeidan, Libya’s Prime Minister, has threatened to “bomb from the air and the sea” any oil tanker trying to pick up the illicit oil from the oil terminal guards, who are mostly former rebels who overthrew Muammar Gaddafi and have been on strike over low pay and alleged government corruption since July.

As world attention focused on the coup in Egypt and the poison gas attack in Syria over the past two months, Libya has plunged unnoticed into its worst political and economic crisis since the defeat of Gaddafi two years ago. Government authority is disintegrating in all parts of the country putting in doubt claims by American, British and French politicians that Nato’s military action in Libya in 2011 was an outstanding example of a successful foreign military intervention which should be repeated in Syria.

Next, to National Review, and the total destruction of that whole “smart power” meme thingy.

From NationalReview  “Democrats Suddenly Realize What They Miscalculated About the World: Everything”

“Being nicer to countries like Russia will not make them nicer to you. The United Nations is not an effective tool for resolving crises. Some foreign leaders are beyond persuasion and diplomacy. There is no “international community” ready to work together to solve problems, and there probably never will be.

You can pin this on Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Susan Rice, but most of all, the buck stops with the president. Those of us who scoffed a bit at a state senator ascending to the presidency within four years on a wave of media hype and adoration are not quite so shocked by this current mess. We never bought into this notion that getting greater cooperation from our allies, and less hostility from our enemies, was just a matter of giving this crew the wheel and letting them practice, as Hillary Clinton arrogantly declared it, “smart power.” (These people can’t even label a foreign-policy approach without reminding us of how highly they think of themselves.) They looked out at the world at the end of the Bush years, and didn’t see tough decisions, unsolvable problems, unstable institutions, restless populations, technology enabling the impulse to destabilize existing institutions, evil men hungry for more power, and difficult trade-offs. No, our problems and challengers were just a matter of the previous hands running U.S. foreign policy not being smart enough.”

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And last, well fine then, I guess I’ll just continue to be a bad person. At least in this lady’s eyes.

From HotAir  “We still have four more months left in 2013, but we may have found a winner for the single most vapid column of the year, courtesy of Slate. Allison Benedikt wrote a “manifesto” which appeared on their site today demanding that parents stop using private schools for their children, because — and I am not making this up — putting more children in failing schools is the path to improvement.  Benedikt begins her argument by pronouncing herself ignorant on education policy, and proceeds to demonstrate a nearly endless supply of ignorance throughout the rest of the article.

Actually, I’ve gotten ahead of myself.  She starts off her argument by pronouncing anyone who does not put their children in public schools a “bad person”:

You are a bad person if you send your children to private school. Not bad like murderer bad—but bad like ruining-one-of-our-nation’s-most-essential-institutions-in-order-to-get-what’s-best-for-your-kid bad. So, pretty bad.

Take a moment to mull over that gem. Benedikt’s entire argument is that non-participants in an organization ruin it by their non-participation.  It’s not the actual participants who are to blame for the institution’s failures – not the teachers, not the administrators, and not the policy-makers — but the people who avoid the failure that should be blamed.  That argument conveniently lets the participants in this “most-essential” institution off the hook for their own failures.  We’ll get back to that in a minute.”

And then it goes downhill from there.

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by

News/Politics 9-3-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

We have tons to choose from today.

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First up, a disturbing couple of stories. Many of us have warned of the “Slippery Slope.” We were assured it was all in our heads, and that it didn’t really exist. And yet we continue to slide down, and to a new and disturbing low. And a new low for the Post too. It will get worse too, if this is the type of opinion writing the new liberal owner is going to allow.

CONTENT WARNING!!!!

From TheWashingtonPost  “There is a painfully uncomfortable episode of “Louie” in which the comedian Louis C.K. muses that maybe child molesters wouldn’t kill their victims if the penalty weren’t so severe. Everyone I know who watches the show vividly recalls that scene from 2010 because it conjures such a witches’ cauldron of taboo, disgust and moral outrage, all wrapped around a disturbing kernel of truth. I have similar ambivalence about the case involving former Montana high school teacher Stacey Dean Rambold. Louie concluded his riff with a comment to the effect of “I don’t know what to do with that information.” That may be the case for many of us, but with our legal and moral codes failing us, our society needs to have an uncensored dialogue about the reality of sex in schools.

As protesters decry the leniency of Rambold’s sentence — he will spend 30 days in prison after pleading guilty to raping 14-year-old Cherice Morales, who committed suicide at age 16 — I find myself troubled for the opposite reason. I don’t believe that all sexual conduct between underage students and teachers should necessarily be classified as rape, and I believe that absent extenuating circumstances, consensual sexual activity between teachers and students should not be criminalized. While I am not defending Judge G. Todd Baugh’s comments about Morales being “as much in control of the situation” — for which he has appropriately apologized — tarring and feathering him for attempting to articulate the context that informed his sentence will not advance this much-needed dialogue.”

“The point is that there is a vast and extremely nuanced continuum of sexual interactions involving teachers and students, ranging from flirtation to mutual lust to harassment to predatory behavior. Painting all of these behaviors with the same brush sends a damaging message to students and sets the stage for hypocrisy and distortion of the truth. Many teenagers are, biologically speaking, sexually mature. Pretending that this kind of thing won’t happen if we simply punish it severely enough is delusional. If anything, to return to Louis C.K., the indiscriminate criminalization of such situations may deter students struggling with sexual issues from seeking advice from a parent or counselor.”

More here with links to other stories by media outlets attempting to normalize pedophilia, from NationalReview  “The Guardian and the Atlantic have published columns aimed at normalizing pedophilia. Scientific American and the BBC have publishing articles normalizing polyamory. Now the Washington Post publishes an opinion piece that advocates decriminalizing student-teacher sex.”

“How is society “damaged” by protecting children from predatory teachers? Karasik doesn’t actually say, other than to imply that Morales might not have committed suicide had the criminal case not been pending. Despicable. Oh, and maybe students would be more likely to discuss sexual issues with school counselors. 

I repeat, this was published in the Washington Post. How low can we go? I am afraid we are going to find out.”

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This one doesn’t surprise me. Snowden has struck again.

From YNetNews  “Individuals with connections to al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations repeatedly tried to obtain jobs in US intelligence community; ‘One of five CIA applicants has connections to hostile groups’.”

“The CIA found that among a subset of job seekers whose backgrounds raised questions, roughly one out of every five had “significant terrorist and/or hostile intelligence connections,” according to the document, which was provided to the Washington Post by former National Security Agency contractor.”

So how many made it thru?

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Next up, oh the Horror! 🙄

From NationalReview  “Fantastic news for angsty progressive-ish 15-year-olds everywhere: Finally — finally! — after a wait that must have seemed interminable, this readership has gotten its very own Ayn Rand, thanks to Frederic C. Rich and his debut novel, Christian Nation, a story with all the subtlety of a Slipknot video and artfulness of a Chick tract.”

“The basic gist of the story is thus: John McCain wins the 2008 election and then promptly dies from a brain aneurysm. Then Sarah Palin becomes president (the Sarah Palin character in this book puts Tina Fey to shame, by the way) and, in cahoots with those scary homeschool leaders and Evangelicals, sets America on the track to becoming a brutal theocracy where homosexuality, adultery, masturbation, and a bunch of other things are banned. The book’s protagonist, Greg; his best friend Sanjay (a gay man from India who is the new gold standard for one-dimensional characters); and Mike Bloomberg (now the governor of New York) try to stop them before it’s too late. Suspense!”

“Rich’s book suggests that he’s very, very worried that Westboro Baptist Church or their ilk will win the House, the Senate, and the presidency and then proceed to kill all the gays. In fact, above the book’s title on its cover is written “it could happen here . . . ,” suggesting that the book isn’t so much a novel as a progressive doomsday prophecy. Rich goes out of his way to intimate that conservative Evangelicals are currently doing what the Nazis were doing in the 1930s. “This isn’t the first time the world didn’t listen,” he writes after a quick discussion of dominionism. “In college I read Hitler’s Mein Kampf.” He prefaces one chapter with a quotation from Dr. James Luther Adams, an anti-Nazi dissident, which reads, “Repeatedly I heard anti-Nazis say, ‘If only 1,000 of us in the late twenties had combined in heroic resistance, we could have stopped Hitler.’”

Good grief. 🙄

More here from Townhall  “They said what they would do, and we did not listen. Then they did what they said they would do.”

Sounds frightening, doesn’t it? Who could “they” be? A 1984-like government? A terrorist organization? An alien force? Well, according to the author who wrote those words, the “they” are big bad Christians.”

Be afraid. Be very afraid. 😯

Or not.

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I bet the author above would be OK with this though.

From TheWashingtonExaminer  “With high-ranking Democratic officials listening reverently in the Iowa state capitol, a liberal activist and union official on Wednesday led a prayer for increased funding for abortions, for greater access to abortions, for doctors who perform abortions, and for what she called “the blessing of choice.”

Midge Slater, an organizer for the Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans, part of the Iowa Federation of Labor and the AFL-CIO, spoke to about 80 people who came to the capitol to protest a proposal that the State Board of Medicine end a program that allows doctors to prescribe an abortion pill for a woman after a video chat, rather than an in-person consultation.”

“In her invocation at the rally, which was attended by Jack Hatch and Tyler Olson, two Democratic candidates for governor of Iowa, Slater prayed that elected officials “may always support a woman’s right to make her own medical decisions.” She prayed for “increased financial support for low income women” to have abortions. She prayed that “women in developing nations” have greater access to abortion. She prayed to “give thanks and celebrate that abortion is still safe and legal.” And she prayed that families may know “the blessing of choice.””

Pretty sick if you ask me. But she’s not the only one. Sick seems to be a theme among abortion supporters.

From LifeNews  “The BroChoice campaign — which pushes the notion that supporting abortion is a good thing for men to do because it allows them to get out of the responsibility of becoming a parent by pressuring their partner to have an abortion — is getting worse.

Now, a writer at a popular blog called Return of Kings has written a manual on “How To Convince A Girl To Get An Abortion.” The column is as sick as the headline sounds.”

This one I agree with them on. At least be honest and just admit it. Safe, legal, and rare has always been a lie.

From TheNation  “When did so many feminists get polite on abortion? I cannot take hearing another pundit insist that only a small percentage of Planned Parenthood’s work is providing abortions or that some women need birth control for “medical” reasons. Tiptoeing around the issue is exhausting, and it’s certainly not doing women any favors.

It’s time resuscitate the old rallying cry for “free abortions on demand without apology.” It may not be a popular message but it’s absolutely necessary. After all, the opposition doesn’t have nearly as many caveats. They’re fighting for earlier and earlier bans on abortions, pushing for no exceptions for rape and incest, fighting against birth control coverage—even insisting that they have the right to threaten abortion providers. The all-out strategy is working; since 2010, more than fifty abortion clinics have stopped providing services.

The anti-choice movement isn’t pulling any punches—why should we?”

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After that, I need some good news. And a shower. 😦

From Stripes.com  “Gary Sinise, the actor who played Lt. Dan in the 1993 movie “Forrest Gump,” has been named an Honorary Marine.

Gen. James F. Amos, the Marine Corps commandant, said Sinise earned the recognition because of his efforts to support military veterans.

“There is little I can say to enhance the rich reputation Gary Sinise has earned,” Amos said during a ceremony at the Marine Corps Barracks in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. “What I can do, what I am privileged and proud to do, is to recognize this humble patriot’s selfless service by making him an Honorary Marine.”

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I liked this one too. 🙂 If you haven’t checked them out, you really should. 🙂

From TheChristianPost  “Silas Merritt Robertson, who’s best known as “Uncle Si” on A&E’s most  watched reality television show “Duck Dynasty” spoke with The Christian Post  about his new book, Si-Cology 1: Tales and Wisdom from Duck Dynasty’s Favorite  Uncle that will be available on Sept. 3.”

“Si’s mastery of storytelling runs throughout his descriptions of the Vietnam War  and how he met his wife, Christine. The always-jovial Uncle Si also speaks  candidly about the difficulties he and Christine have faced, and how God has  blessed and sustained them throughout their 43 years of marriage. He also shares  their unexpected blessing of having two children, Trasa and Scott, and eight  grandchildren.”

“According to Si, marriage is a union between two imperfect people who are  destined to make mistakes. But at the end of the day, their love for each other  and faith in Jesus Christ will bring them through every hardship and enrich the  most joyous times of their lives.”

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And this last one asks a question. Free speech, or treason?

From TheBlaze  “Since the U.S. has started serious discussions about taking military action against Syria, many have publicly spoken out against a possible military strike. And now it appears that some of our uniformed service personnel have come forward to express their disagreement with an attack, any attack on Syria.”

“More than 2,000 people have “liked” this image that was posted on Sunday.”

“There were also photos posted from people wearing the uniforms of the Marines, Navy and Air Force. These have also received Facebook “likes” in the thousands.”

“Is this kind of behavior allowed? Well, there are rules concerning what uniformed military personnel can and cannot do, especially when it comes to making a political statement.”

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by

News/Politics 8-31-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread.

Here’s a few to start off.

First, something to keep in mind.

From APNews  “You simply can’t safely bomb a chemical weapon storehouse into oblivion, experts say. That’s why they say the United States is probably targeting something other than Syria’s nerve agents.

But now there is concern that bombing other sites could accidentally release dangerous chemical weapons that the U.S. military didn’t know were there because they’ve lost track of some of the suspected nerve agents.

Bombing stockpiles of chemical weapons – purposely or accidentally – would likely kill nearby civilians in an accidental nerve agent release, create a long-lasting environmental catastrophe or both, five experts told The Associated Press. That’s because under ideal conditions – and conditions wouldn’t be ideal in Syria – explosives would leave at least 20 to 30 percent of the poison in lethal form.”

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The President’s approval is dropping.

From BusinessInsider  “President Barack Obama’s approval rating has matched its lowest ever recorded in a new NBC News poll.

 And huge drops in his foreign policy approval combined with poor marks for handling the situation in Syria are to blame.”

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Yet another reason to not send kids to public school.

From Chicago/CBSLocal  “Some people may think a five-year old is too young for sex education.

Administrators with Chicago Public schools do not.

New to the curriculum this year, mandatory sexual and health education for kindergarten classes.”

“Students will also take a look at the different family structures that exist in today’s society.”

Of course they will. Can you guess which family type will get the most attention?

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Say it with me now….. Most transparent administration evah!

From WFB  “White House visitor logs are not subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), a federal judge ruled Friday, blocking the public from reviewing the records.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in a unanimous decision in Judicial Watch v. U.S. Secret Service that visitor logs for the office of the president are not agency records and therefore not subject to FOIA requests.

Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, originally sued the Secret Service in 2009 after the agency refused to turn over seven months of visitor logs from the White House.”

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And lastly, this one. She’s always been an activist judge, so this isn’t exactly shocking.

From MSNNews  “Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is performing a same-sex wedding this weekend in what is believed to be a first for a member of the nation’s highest court.

Ginsburg is officiating at the marriage of Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser and John Roberts, a government economist, on Saturday. Kaiser says he asked Ginsburg to officiate because she is a longtime friend.”

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by

News/Politics 8-30-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

The President seems determined to push ahead with his plan for Syria, despite losing the UK and France.

From Politico  “President Barack Obama’s latest geopolitical problem: His closest ally won’t help him attack Syria.

But he is not letting that stop him.

Britain’s House of Commons on Thursday evening rejected a  motion from Prime Minister David Cameron to endorse British participation in  military action in Syria, potentially hurting Obama’s effort to punish the  Bashar Assad regime for its reported use of chemical weapons.

The White House made clear after the vote that it is willing to act alone on Syria.”

More here, from TheNYTimes  “The negative vote in Britain’s Parliament was a heavy blow to Prime Minister David Cameron, who had pledged his support to Mr. Obama and called on lawmakers to endorse Britain’s involvement in a brief operation to punish the government of President Bashar al-Assad for apparently launching a deadly chemical weapons attack last week that killed hundreds.       

The vote was also a setback for Mr. Obama, who, having given up hope of getting United Nations Security Council authorization for the strike, is struggling to assemble a coalition of allies against Syria.”

“But administration officials made clear that the eroding support would not deter Mr. Obama in deciding to go ahead with a strike. Pentagon officials said that the Navy had now moved a fifth destroyer into the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Each ship carries dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles that would probably be the centerpiece of any attack on Syria.”

Who’s the cowboy now?

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Don’t know if this will be useful to anyone, but I figured I’d throw it out there. There is help, but it isn’t easy to do.

From MSNNews  “More than 33 million workers qualify to have their student loans forgiven because they work in schools, hospitals or city halls, but too few take advantage of the options because the programs are overly complicated and often confusing, the government’s consumer advocate said Wednesday.

Roughly a quarter of the U.S. workforce could take advantage of federal rules that give favorable loan repayment options to those in public service fields, including the military, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The agency recommended Congress review the loan forgiveness programs and encouraged employers to make sure their workers know they are available.

“Teachers, soldiers, firefighters, policeman — public sector careers invariably involve some effort, some inconvenience or some sacrifice. People give up higher incomes to serve their city, their state or their country,” said Richard Cordray, director of the CFPB. “We believe that people who contribute part of their talents, part of the benefits of their education, to society as a whole should not be mired in debt because they stir themselves to the calling of public service.”

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The Affordable Care Act is not, unless you make under 20 grand a year.

From NationalJournal  “For the vast majority of Americans, premium prices will be higher in the individual exchange than what they’re currently paying for employer-sponsored benefits, according to a National Journal analysis of new coverage and cost data. Adding even more out-of-pocket expenses to consumers’ monthly insurance bills is a swell in deductibles under the Affordable Care Act.

Health law proponents have excused the rate hikes by saying the prices in the exchange won’t apply to the millions receiving coverage from their employers. But that’s only if employers continue to offer that coverage–something that’s looking increasingly uncertain. Already, UPS, for example, cited Obamacare as its reason for nixing spousal coverage. And while a Kaiser Family Foundation report found that 49 percent of the U.S. population now receives employer-sponsored coverage, more companies are debating whether they will continue to be in the business of providing such benefits at all.”

“The truth is, Obamacare is doing what it was intended to do: make health care affordable for the nation’s lowest earners by spreading out the costs among taxpayers.

The trap is that the exchanges also present a savings for some employers but a rate hike for their employees.”

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Fast food workers staged walkouts nationwide yesterday for higher wages.

From MyWayNews/AP  “Fast-food workers and their supporters beat drums, blew whistles and chanted slogans Thursday on picket lines in dozens of U.S. cities, marking the largest protests yet in their quest for higher wages.

The nationwide day of demonstrations came after similar actions organized by unions and community groups over the past several months. Workers are calling for the right to unionize without interference from employers and for pay of $15 an hour. That’s more than double the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, or $15,000 a year for full-time employees.

Thursday’s walkouts and protests reached about 60 cities, including New York, Chicago and Detroit, organizers said. But the turnout varied significantly. Some targeted restaurants were temporarily unable to do business because they had too few employees, and others seemingly operated normally.”

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New federal tax laws will treat “married” gay couples in all 50 states as married now, regardless of their state laws.

From Bloomberg  “Gay Spouses in All States Now Married Under U.S. Tax Law”

“Gay spouses in all U.S. states will be treated as married under federal tax law even if local authorities don’t recognize their marriages, in what gay-rights advocates are calling a victory.

The decision by the Treasury Department today implements the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June to overturn part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which had forbidden the Internal Revenue Service from letting married homosexual couples file joint tax returns.“

More here from TheWashingtonTimes

And Medicare benefits as well. More on that from TheWeeklyStandard 

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