Once again, the Obama admin embarrasses the military with more of it’s social experimentation. I think they do this not only to further their push to make all things gay seem normal, but also just to humiliate the military. It’s pathetic.

From FoxNews “The U.S. Air Force said that a well-known drag queen group was invited to perform on base during a “Diversity Day” celebration because drag is a “symbol of gay pride and unity. But the performance sparked outrage among some airmen who called the drag show “totally offensive and inappropriate.””

“The Air Force said in a statement to Fox News that “Diversity Day” featured eight cultural groups and was meant to “foster equality and diversity in the workplace.”

““Drag acts to this day represent the struggle for freedom and equality of the LGBT community, while at the same time providing a deep-rooted historical form of entertainment for the LGBT culture,” said Peggy Hodge, a spokesperson for the Office of Public Affairs.”

But it has what to do with the military or furthering it’s mission? It’s disgusting, as are the so-called military leaders who play along with this idiocy.

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July 31, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-31-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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GUILTY! and not.

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

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

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

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

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

Unprecedented alright. Just not for the reasons he thinks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sure. That’ll do it. Right Detroit?

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July 29, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-29-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, Al-Qaeda is on the run and in disarray or something, according to the President.

From TheDailyBeast “Two spectacular al Qaeda prison breaks in Iraq, freeing over 500 of its members in two separate prisons simultaneously this week, demonstrate the group is back with a vengeance. Al Qaeda’s Iraq branch is also the moving force behind the jihadist success in Syria. The resurgence of al Qaeda in Iraq has sobering implications for what is likely to follow the drawdown of NATO forces in Afghanistan for the al Qaeda mother ship in Pakistan.

The double jailbreaks at Abu Ghraib and Taji prisons were massive attacks. Suicide bombers, teams of attackers using mortars and small arms, and two dozen car bombs were used. The firefight killed over a hundred Iraqi guards. The attackers also had inside help within the Iraqi security forces. The attacks were the culmination of what al Qaeda in Iraq’s leadership had promised a year ago when it launched the “Breaking the Walls” offensive to free its prisoners from Iraqi jails.”

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The Obama admins policy of using the military as a social experiment continues. Welcome to affirmative action in combat. Told you they would have to lower standards.

From TheDailyCaller “Senior military personnel are considering giving women different military training than men, The Washington Times reports.

The effort was proposed by Massachusetts Democrat Rep. Niki Tsongas at a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing because so far, she says training systems do not “maximize the success of women.”

Though the armed services have promised that combat standards will be the same regardless of gender, senior officers are considering initially separate training systems.”

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Next, states working against Obama and his agenda.

From Politico “Infuriated by what they see as the long arm of Washington reaching into their business, states are increasingly telling the feds: Keep out!

Bills that would negate a variety of federal laws have popped up this year in the vast majority of states — with the amount of anti-federal legislation sharply on the rise during the Obama administration, according to experts.”

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This one? Huh, coulda fooled me.

From CNSNews “In an e-mail to supporters, First Lady Michelle Obama says she grew up in a family that didn’t need help from the government, and that her husband is working to make Americans free from dependence on government once again.”

“”When I was growing up, a family like mine — living on my hard-working father’s salary at the city water plant — could build a solid life without much debt and without relying on any form of public assistance. Today, for too many families, that American promise is no longer within reach. “Barack is working to fix that and he needs solid Democrats in Congress to help him.” “

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Everything would be fine if we’d all just get on board with this “redistribution” stuff. He also issues a warning that race relations will continue to deteriorate in this country if we don’t. 🙄 Isn’t it great having a post-racial President?

From WhiteHouseDossier “President Obama said that if economic prescriptions of the type he supports to increase economic growth and reduce “income inequality” are not adopted, then race relations in the United State may deteriorate further.

“If we don’t do anything, then growth will be slower than it should be. Unemployment will not go down as fast as it should. Income inequality will continue to rise,” Obama said in an interview published Sunday by the New York Times. “Racial tensions won’t get better; they may get worse, because people will feel as if they’ve got to compete with some other group to get scraps from a shrinking pot. If the economy is growing, everybody feels invested, ” he said.”

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Remember, this is a “Phony Scandal” according to the President.

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Before reading this last one, the Obama admin would like to remind you that this was just workplace violence, and that any ties to Islam and the ongoing war are purely coincidental. 🙄

From CNSNews “”My complicity was on behalf of a government that openly acknowledges that it would hate for the law of Almighty Allah to be the supreme law of the land,” Hasan said in the lengthy statement released to Fox News (http://fxn.ws/1cafkA2 ) on Saturday. He then says in reference to a war on Islam, “I participated in it.”

Hasan, 42, is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder in the November 2009 attack at the Texas Army post. His trial is scheduled to start Aug. 6. He faces the death penalty if convicted.”

“”I would like to begin by repenting to Almighty Allah and apologize to the Mujahideen, the believers, and the innocent. … I ask for their forgiveness for participating in the illegal and immoral aggression against Muslims, their religion and their lands,” he told Fox News in the statement.”

Nothin’ to see kids….. Move along now……

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July 26, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-26-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

We’ve got a bunch today.

First up, from TheWashingtonPost “By a margin of 56 to 27 percent, more Americans say they’d prefer to impose limits on abortions after the first 20 weeks of pregnancy rather than the 24-week mark established under current law, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.”

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Next up, Holder begins his attempt to get around the recent Voting Rights decision from the Supreme Court. Why does he always speak to border-line racist groups about alleged racism from others?

From RedAlertPolitics “In response to the Supreme Court’s recent decision that states are innocent of institutional racism until proven guilty, Attorney General Eric Holder is arguing that Texas’ “history of pervasive voting-related discrimination against racial minorities” should make its voting laws subject to the Department of Justice’s oversight indefinitely.

While speaking before the National Urban League in Philadelphia on Thursday, Holder said his agency would ask a federal judge to require Texas to submit all its voting laws to the DOJ for review before they can be legally enacted because the state has a supposed history of discrimination and racism.”

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Meanwhile the Obama admin plays dumb in order to keep the money flowing to Egypt. Coup? What coup? 🙄

From TheHuffingtonPost “The Obama administration told lawmakers Thursday that it won’t declare Egypt’s government overthrow a coup, U.S. officials and lawmakers said, allowing the United States to continue providing $1.5 billion in annual military and economic aid to the Arab world’s most populous country.”

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Next we have another victim of ObamaCare.

From RedAlertPolitics “For almost 20 years Bob Westbrook has been a Cici’s Pizza franchise owner, selling “fresh taste at a great price.” But thanks to Obamacare’s not-so-great-employer mandate, Westbrook is forced to sell his buffet-style restaurants instead of pizza.

Even though Westbrook says his Texas stores were the top three performing CiCi’s Pizza franchises, he wasn’t making enough dough… er, money to provide health insurance to all 96 of his full-time employees, much less afford the penalty — which would cost him $78,000 more than what he says he made at his restaurants in 2011.”

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Here’s a new development in the NSA snooping.

From Cnet “The U.S. government has demanded that major Internet companies divulge users’ stored passwords, according to two industry sources familiar with these orders, which represent an escalation in surveillance techniques that has not previously been disclosed.”

“If the government is able to determine a person’s password, which is typically stored in encrypted form, the credential could be used to log in to an account to peruse confidential correspondence or even impersonate the user. Obtaining it also would aid in deciphering encrypted devices in situations where passwords are reused.”

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Meanwhile, we now know what it costs to buy an Ambassadorship. About a half a million.

From Bloomberg “At least 26 of Obama’s current and nominated ambassadors were major Democratic campaign contributors, giving a total of at least $13.6 million to him, the Democratic Party, and congressional candidates, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

“When he talked about toughening up lobbying rules, the sense was that this is a president really committed to international engagement,” said Dan Kurtzer, a 29-year veteran of the foreign service and former ambassador to Egypt and Israel under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. “Instead, we so devalue diplomacy that we assume anyone can walk off the street and do it.”

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And last, we have The Black Death. 😯

From NBCLosAngelos “A squirrel infected with plague bacteria prompted the closure of popular campgrounds in the Angeles National Forest on Wednesday, according to Los Angeles County health officials.”

That’s not cool.

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July 23, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-23-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up…

From RealClearPolitics “A week after George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the fatal shooting of black teenager Trayvon Martin, the backlash continues, with nationwide protests and calls to boycott Florida. President Obama spoke some undeniable truths when he noted that the African-American community’s reaction must be seen in the context of a long, terrible history of racism. But there is another context too: that of an ideology-based, media-driven false narrative that has distorted a tragedy into a racist outrage.

This narrative has transformed Zimmerman, a man of racially mixed heritage that included white, Hispanic and black roots (a grandmother who helped raise him had an Afro-Peruvian father), into an honorary white male steeped in white privilege. It has cast him as a virulent racist even though he once had a black business partner, mentored African-American kids, lived in a neighborhood about 20 percent black, and participated in complaints about a white police lieutenant’s son getting away with beating a homeless black man.”

Next up, I asked before, I’ll ask again. Assisting, or orchestrating?

From TheDailyCaller “At CRS headquarters, we (meaning I) regularly had to warn or take corrective action against career employees for acting as advocates instead of mediators,” Ondray Harris, the former director of the DOJ’s Community Relations Service (CRS), told The Daily Caller. CRS was the unit deployed to Sanford in 2012 to oversee anti-Zimmerman protests.

“Some CRS employees come to the Agency with anti-law enforcement or anti- what they would call the ‘white establishment’ [attitudes]” added Harris, an African American who joined CRS during the administration of George W. Bush in 2007 and left in 2010.”

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And Obama supported “Stand Your Ground” laws, even co-sponsored it in Illinois. His flip-flop is recent. Again.

From TheIllinoisReview “This past week President Obama publicly urged the reexamination of state self-defense laws (see remarks below). However, nine years ago then-State Sen. Barack Obama actually co-sponsored a bill that strengthened Illinois’ 1961 “stand your ground” law.

The Obama-sponsored bill (SB 2386) enlarged the state’s 1961 law by shielding the person who was attacked from being sued in civil court by perpetrators or their estates when a “stand your ground” defense is used in protecting his or her person, dwelling or other property.

The bill unanimously passed the Democrat-controlled Illinois Senate on March 25, 2004 with only one comment, and passed the Democrat-controlled Illinois House in May 2004 with only two votes in opposition. Then-Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) signed it into law.”

And the case for standing your ground on “Stand Your Ground”.

From HotAir “If you need a weekend reading assignment on an important topic, I will definitely suggest Charles C. W. Cooke’s essential read, Stand Your Ground on Stand Your Ground Laws at National Review. This is a subject which I’d thought was pretty much settled law, but has recently been brought back into the spotlight by Eric Holder, as well as his boss. Some of the opinions being expressed by our nation’s top cops fly directly in the face of the principles underlying current law in many areas. In fact, as Cooke points out, this concept is one which has found a comfortable home in many more places than you might think. For proof, he cites Eugene Volokh.

The substantial majority view among the states, by a 31-19 margin, is no duty to retreat. Florida is thus part of this substantial majority on this point. And most of these states took this view even before the recent spate of “stand your ground” statutes, including the Florida statute.”

Clueless about the law, or willfully ignoring it? Either way, that seems to be their M.O.

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This next one is just a coincidence I’m sure. 🙄

From TheDailyCaller “Former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman and two other IRS officials met with a top official at the White House one day before the agency issued new guidelines on how to scrutinize tea party and conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status.

Shulman — joined by his chief of staff and political aide Jonathan Davis and IRS spokesman Frank Keith — met with then-Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Jeffrey Zients at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House complex on April 24, 2012.”

“The very next day, April 25, the IRS’s chief counsel’s office — led by William Wilkins, who met with Obama at the White House that same week – sent Washington-based IRS officials “additional comments on the draft guidance” for approving or denying tea party tax-exempt applications, according to a report on the IRS scandal compiled by Treasury Inspector General J. Russell George.”

Top down.

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More waste, fraud, and abuse in the nations many food programs.

From WatchDog.org “Since Illinois has seen an explosion in the number of people receiving food stamps, even a slight error costs taxpayers millions.

In this instance, a mistake rate of less than 2 percent means $50 million is misspent.

That’s the hard truth behind the press release lauding Illinois for having a 98.3 percent accuracy rate for its Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.

Illinois’ error rate, from either overspending on food stamps or not spending enough, is 1.74 percent, according to Januari Smith, a spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Human Services.“

So the Feds have rewarded the state for their errors because hey, 50 mil in errors isn’t that bad. And what’s 50 million when you have 3 billion to play with?

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Next up, more ObamaCare problems.

From HotAir “Earlier this summer, three of California’s largest insurance companies announced that they were disinclined to participate in the state’s ObamaCare health insurance exchange system, and it didn’t take long for both Aetna and United Health to decide to stop offering plans through the individual insurance market altogether and instead opt to focus their activities on offering insurance through employers only.

Now, Anthem Blue Cross — California’s largest insurer for small businesses — is announcing that they have no intention of getting involved in the exchanges that ObamaCare plans to set up for the use of small business, and would much rather stick to going it alone. Via the LA Times.”

Let me guess, it’s ‘cuz they’re evil, profit chasing meanies right? 🙄

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And it begins……

From FoxSports “The first star to fall in baseball’s latest drug investigation is one of its biggest: Ryan Braun.

The 2011 National League MVP was suspended without pay for the rest of the season and the postseason Monday, the start of sanctions involving players reportedly tied to a Florida clinic accused of distributing performance-enhancing drugs.“

Hopefully A-Rod is next.

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And last today, the rise of the religious left?

From Salon “While politicians like Rick Perry and pundits like Bill O’Reilly may clog up a lot of media airtime, the proportion of religious conservatives in the United States is shrinking with each successive generation, and close to 20 percent of Americans today are religious progressives, according to a new survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution.”

“Religious progressives are significantly younger and more diverse than their conservative counterparts. The mean age of the religious progressive population is 44 – just under the mean age in the general population of 47 – while the mean age of religious conservatives is 53. Twenty-three percent of Millennials (ages 18-33) are religious progressives, while 17 percent are religious conservatives. Among Millennials, there are also nearly as many nonreligious (22 percent) as religious progressives.”

“They also tend to value different things in their faith:”

Yep. They value things like abortion and the “social gospel” instead of The Gospel.

No thanks, I’m good where I’m at.

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July 20, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-20-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread, so feel free to share. 🙂

First up, from “if I had a son”, to “it coulda been me”. 🙄

From WeaselZippers ” President Barack Obama said Friday that “Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago” in his first live comments since the verdict last weekend in the case of Martin’s shooting death last year.”

“While he says the jury has spoken, he then goes on to essentially attack the jury by acting as though the decision was all about race.”

Always classy huh Mr. President? Stop acting like a community organizer, stop feeding the beast, and get back to work.

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And by beast, this is the kinda stuff his remarks, along with Sharpton and company, are feeding. It’s irresponsible. If you’re not gonna be constructive, then just be quiet.

From TheLATimes “Organized “bash mob” crime rampages of roving groups attacking innocent people and businesses have been striking cities around the United States. Law enforcement agencies in Southern California have reported few similar problems — until now.”

“On Monday, a group of unruly young people broke off from hundreds gathered for a Trayvon Martin prayer vigil and rushed into a Wal-Mart on Crenshaw Boulevard, where they tossed merchandise and tried to break into a jewelry display case.

In Hollywood on Tuesday night, a flash mob of thieves rushed down Hollywood Boulevard, stealing phones, knocking over tourists and vandalizing shops, according to police, who said it may have been related to the George Zimmerman verdict. Twelve people — 11 juveniles and one 18-year-old — were arrested on suspicion of robbery. “

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And on a related note, which by the way is completely unrelated, but this is their new meme, soooo….. Never let a crisis go to waste.

From HotAir “Video: The media’s got a fee-vah and the only prescription is complaining about “Stand Your Ground” laws”

“A nifty medley from Andrew Johnson at the Corner of our media collectively deciding what social justice now requires after the Zimmerman verdict. (Dick Durbin announced just this morning that he’ll be holding a Senate hearing on “stand your ground” laws, on the theory, I guess, that state legislatures are somehow incapable of doing so themselves.) Anyway: Is it true, as many supporters of the verdict have claimed, that “Stand Your Ground” had nothing to do with the outcome of the trial? Well, yes. And no. But also yes.”

It’s almost like they’re all working off the same White House/DoJ talking points huh? 🙄

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Meanwhile, a judge rules she doesn’t like Detroit’s bankruptcy plan. She may have some legitimate points, but this ain’t one of ’em.

From DetroitNews “Ruling the governor and Detroit’s emergency manager violated the state constitution, an Ingham County Circuit judge ordered Friday that Detroit’s federal bankruptcy filing be withdrawn.

“It’s absolutely needed,” said Judge Rosemary Aquilina, observing she hopes Gov. Rick Snyder “reads certain sections of the (Michigan) constitution and reconsiders his actions.””

““It’s cheating, sir, and it’s cheating good people who work,” the judge told assistant state Attorney General Brian Devlin. “It’s also not honoring the (United States) president, who took (Detroit’s auto companies) out of bankruptcy.””

Wait, what? Since when is it relevant in bankruptcy court if something is “honoring to the president”?

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And another case that has 1st Amendment implications…..

From TheRawStory “A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the First Amendment right to free speech does not prevent a New York Times journalist from giving testimony in a high-profile government leak case.

“In Friday’s ruling, a three-judge panel ruled on a 2-1 vote that there is no so-called “reporter’s privilege” under the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech, meaning journalists do not receive special treatment.

“The reporter must appear and give testimony just as every other citizen must,” wrote Chief Judge William Traxler. “We are not at liberty to conclude otherwise.””

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July 18, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-18-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, the Race Card, how original. 🙄

From CNSNews “Addressing the annual NAACP convention in Orlando, Fla., Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that opponents of Obamacare are the same kind of people who opposed civil rights legislation in the 1960s.”

“”The same arguments against change, the same fear and misinformation that opponents used then are the same ones opponents are spreading now. ‘This won’t work,’ ‘Slow down,’ ‘Let’s wait,’ they say.”

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Holder wasn’t gonna be outdone.

Also from CNSNews “The nation’s top cop indicated that police treatment of black men and boys is part of America’s (alleged) racial problem. “And we must confront the underlying attitudes, mistaken beliefs, and unfortunate stereotypes that serve too often as the basis for police action and private judgments,” Holder said.

Just as his own father warned him about the police, so Holder says he has felt it necessary to warn his son:”

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And here’s a story on the NAACP conference Holder and Sebelius attended blackballing conservative black leaders.

From TownHall “According to author and Fox News contributor Deneen Borelli and her husband, Tom Borelli, black conservatives have been blacklisted from the NAACP’s national conferences for years. When the Borellis, who are employees of the conservative group FreedomWorks, attempted to pay for booth space at this year’s 104th National NAACP conference in Florida, they were told there was no room for them despite plenty of exhibit space remaining open.”

Meanwhile Obama tells Telemundo that the reason Republicans are against his amnesty plan is because they fear minorities in the majority. Race baiters, from the top down.

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Jay Carney was shocked to hear about threats made to the Zimmerman family. Again, the first he’d heard there was a problem.

From TheWaPo “A high school intern with the conservative Daily Caller Web site got into a testy exchange with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney Wednesday after asking if the White House would intervene to protect George Zimmerman from death threats in the wake of his acquittal on murder and manslaughter charges.

“Because of the death threats being received by George Zimmerman and his parents, is the president going to take any action for their security or are they on their own?” Gabe Finger asked.

Carney responded that he wasn’t aware of the threats and that Florida authorities would be responsible for handling them, but that Obama opposes “any violence of any kind” in response to the verdict in the Trayvon Martin case.”

Sure Jay.

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Liberals of all colors play along, so yeah, more white guilt. Always with the Race thing.

From Time “If there is one hopeful note amidst all the anguish and recrimination from the acquittal of George Zimmerman, it’s that growing numbers of white people have come to appreciate whiteness for what it is: an unearned set of privileges. And as a result of that dawning awareness, it’s become possible to imagine a day when that structure of privilege is dismantled – by white people.”

Yeah. 🙄

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And a little more background on the Zimmerman prosecutors. Can you say “malicious prosecution”? Yeah, I knew you could.

From NationalReview “And that was moderate. When Corey was appointed to handle the Zimmerman case, Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte, a former president of both the American Bar Association and Florida State University, criticized the decision: “I cannot imagine a worse choice for a prosecutor to serve in the Sanford case. There is nothing in Angela Corey’s background that suits her for the task, and she cannot command the respect of people who care about justice.” Corey responded by making a public-records request of the university for all e-mails, text messages, and phone messages in which D’Alemberte had mentioned Fernandez. Like Littlepage, D’Alemberte had earlier criticized Corey’s handling of the Fernandez case.

Not many people are willing to cross Corey. A Florida attorney I spoke with declined to go on record because of “concerns about retaliation” — that attorney has pending cases that will require Corey’s cooperation. The attorney mentioned colleagues who have refused to speak to the media for the same reason. And to think: D’Alemberte crossed Corey twice. He should get a medal.”

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And the CBC is up to their usual.

From TheHill “Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are readying a flurry of bills in response to George Zimmerman’s acquittal on charges in last year’s fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin.

The lawmakers are drafting proposals intended to rein in racial profiling; scrap state stand-your-ground laws; and promote better training for the nation’s neighborhood watch volunteers, among other anti-violence measures. CBC members had remained largely silent throughout the trial, but following the verdict, argued forcefully that, decades after the civil rights movement, the nation’s criminal justice system still discriminates against blacks and other minorities.”

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It’s odd that they’d want to scrap “Stand Your Ground”. Especially when you consider the facts.

From TheDailyCaller “African Americans benefit from Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law at a rate far out of proportion to their presence in the state’s population, despite an assertion by Attorney General Eric Holder that repealing “Stand Your Ground” would help African Americans.

Black Floridians have made about a third of the state’s total “Stand Your Ground” claims in homicide cases, a rate nearly double the black percentage of Florida’s population. The majority of those claims have been successful, a success rate that exceeds that for Florida whites.”

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And in non-race news, again, from the top down.

From TheWaPo “The chief counsel’s office for the Internal Revenue Service, headed by a political appointee of President Obama, helped develop the agency’s problematic guidelines for reviewing “tea party” cases, according to a top IRS attorney.”

Like everyone didn’t already know this went back to the White House. 🙄

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And did anyone really believe it ended with phone tapping and e-mail snooping?

From TheACLU “Automatic license plate readers are the most widespread location tracking technology you’ve probably never heard of. Mounted on patrol cars or stationary objects like bridges, they snap photos of every passing car, recording their plate numbers, times, and locations. At first the captured plate data was used just to check against lists of cars law enforcement hoped to locate for various reasons (to act on arrest warrants, find stolen cars, etc.). But increasingly, all of this data is being fed into massive databases that contain the location information of many millions of innocent Americans stretching back for months or even years.”

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More here from FoxNews “Law enforcement officials also point out that the technology is legal in most cases, automating a practice that’s been done for years. The ACLU found that only five states have laws governing license plate readers. New Hampshire, for example, bans the technology except in narrow circumstances, while Maine and Arkansas limit how long plate information can be stored.

“There’s no expectation of privacy” for a vehicle driving on a public road or parked in a public place, said Lt. Bill Hedgpeth, a spokesman for the Mesquite Police Department in Texas, which has records stretching back to 2008, although the city plans next month to begin deleting files older than two years. “It’s just a vehicle. It’s just a license plate.””

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July 12, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-12-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

We start today off with some good news. It’s a good story, let’s hope it happens more often. 🙂

From HotAir

“In a world where the dominant culture divides children into the wanted and undesired for the convenience of others, it’s worth noting when a news story demonstrates the power of hope, love, and life:

A Virginia church says it has received hundreds of calls from people around the world offering to adopt an unborn child with Down syndrome who otherwise would have been aborted.

After the unborn child came to the attention of Rev. Thomas Vander Woude of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gainesville, Va., an urgent plea was posted Monday on the church’s Facebook page. …

An adoption agency has narrowed down the hundreds of families to three, Drennan said, and is working with the birth parents to determine the best home for the child.”

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In other abortion news…. From TheHuffingtonPost

“Most Americans would favor sweeping new national restrictions on abortion after the 20th week of pregnancy, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll. But the poll also shows many Americans remain conflicted in their views on abortion.

By a margin of 59 percent to 30 percent, respondents to the new poll said they would favor a federal law banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.”

Don’t worry though, it’s HuffPo, so they still do their best to try to spin it to the pro side.

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The head of Planned Parenthood is having trouble explaining why late-term abortions are different from what Gosnell did. The difficulty is because they aren’t really any different, and she knows it. From TheWeeklyStandard

“Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards held a small rally outside the U.S. Capitol Thursday joined by Minnesota senator Al Franken, Connecticut congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and a crowd of 200 Planned Parenthood activists. Richards warned that new state and federal bills–including measures establishing late-term abortion limits–pose threats to women’s rights.

The new legislation is being debated and voted on in the wake of the trial of Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, who was convicted of murder in May for snipping the necks of babies after they were born. Following the rally, THE WEEKLY STANDARD asked Richards to explain the difference between the Gosnell killings and late-term abortions.

“I mean he was a criminal. And he’s now going to jail,” Richards replied. “It is very rare for a woman to need to terminate a pregnancy after 20 weeks. And quite often it’s stories like ones we heard today where” the fetus is diagnosed with a dire medical condition.

But asked about late-term abortion when there isn’t a medical problem (Texas’s proposed abortion limit has exceptions for the physical health of the mother and severe “fetal abnormalities”), Richards refused to answer. Nor did she reply when asked if she supports any legal limits on abortion.”

Like I said yesterday, it’s easy to spot who the real extremists are.

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In Egypt we have questions being asked about Morsi’s rise to power. From TheNYTimes

“Egypt’s new rulers gave new credence to a court case against the ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, and members of the Muslim Brotherhood on Thursday over their escape from prison during the uprising that toppled his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak.

The case was transferred from an appeals court to the State Security prosecutor for further investigation. No charges have yet been filed. Its acceptance by powerful prosecutors follows the arrest of many Muslim Brotherhood members and is a new blow to the group by the military-backed government.”

“His ouster and the subsequent suppression of the Brotherhood have enraged the group’s members and led to a spate of scapegoating attacks by Muslim extremists against Christians they accuse of supporting his fall, rights activists said.”

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Here’s more on the plight of Christians in Egypt. From WaPo

“With a mob of Muslim extremists on their tail, the Christian businessman and his nephew climbed up on the roof and ran for their lives, jumping from building to building in their southern Egyptian village. Finally they ran out of rooftops.

Forced back onto the street, they were overwhelmed by several dozen men. The attackers hacked them with axes and beat them with clubs and tree limbs, killing Emile Naseem, 41. The nephew survived with wounds to his shoulders and head and recounted the chase to The Associated Press.”

“The mob’s rampage through the village of Nagaa Hassan, burning dozens of Christian houses and stabbing to death three other Christians as well, came two days after the military ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi from power. It was no coincidence the attackers focused on Naseem and his family: He was the village’s most prominent campaigner calling for Morsi’s removal.

Some Christians are paying the price for their activism against Morsi and his Islamist allies in a backlash over his ouster last week.”

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Meanwhile the Obama admin is speaking out about Morsi’s ouster, and threatening to possibly cut off aid. I’m sure it has nothing at all to do with the Brotherhood’s influence in the Obama admin… 🙄

From TimesOfIsrael

“The Obama administration on Thursday sharpened its criticism of the Egyptian military and interim government’s arrests of supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, saying the continuing detentions are inconsistent with pledges of inclusivity made by authorities and may affect future US assistance.

While the administration has determined it is not in US national security interests to make any immediate changes to its aid program, officials said the continuing arrests of members of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood and political party are troubling. The criticism is some of the most severe of Egypt’s new leadership since Morsi was toppled last week and came a day after arrest warrants were issued for the Muslim Brotherhood’s spiritual leader and nine other Islamists accused of inciting violence.”

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If Obama had a son……… Sure it sounded good at the time. Sure it fanned the flames. But now that the actual evidence is out…….

From TheDailyCaller

“The White House refused to answer questions regarding President Barack Obama’s stance on the George Zimmerman trial on Thursday in an unexpected move to distance itself from Obama’s previous comments.

“[Obama’s] comments are what they were, but we’re not going to say anything from here,” press secretary Jay Carney said.

When asked by reporters if the Justice Department will be watching the outcome and reporting back to the President, Carney said, “I do not know the answer to that question.””

Sure, now he keeps his comments to himself. 🙄

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June 15, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 6-15-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, the fires continue in Colorado, but crews may be making progress. From NBCNews

‘The fight against a massive, deadly wildfire in Colorado faced a new challenge Friday when isolated thunderstorms packing gusting winds and lightning churned into the region — but got a little help from rain that blew in too.

Authorities inched closer to curbing the Black Forest Fire on Friday afternoon, bringing containment to 30 percent. Mandatory evacuation orders for thousands of Colorado Springs residents were lifted, according to NBC station KOAA of Pueblo, Colo.“

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Next up, who would have the motive and capability to hack a reporters computer? A reporter who just happens to be doggedly reporting on the Fast and Furious scandal. The Obama DoJ is the obvious choice. From CBSNews

“CBS News spokeswoman Sonya McNair said that a cybersecurity firm hired by CBS News “has determined through forensic analysis” that “Attkisson’s computer was accessed by an unauthorized, external, unknown party on multiple occasions in late 2012.”

“Evidence suggests this party performed all access remotely using Attkisson’s accounts. While no malicious code was found, forensic analysis revealed an intruder had executed commands that appeared to involve search and exfiltration of data. This party also used sophisticated methods to remove all possible indications of unauthorized activity, and alter system times to cause further confusion. CBS News is taking steps to identify the responsible party and their method of access.””

More here, from TheWashingtonPost

“Attkisson said she noticed unusual activity in her CBS-issued laptop and her home computer, such as dormant computers spontaneously “waking up” at odd hours. The unusual activity, which also included disruptions on her home phone line, predate the December 2012 breach that CBS confirmed.

She said in an interview Friday that she was “outraged” by the breach, which did not appear to be aimed at extracting personal financial information.”

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Meanwhile a judge has decided the President has exerted unlawful command influence that may have adverse effects on the sentencing of military members convicted of sexual assault. Nice job there Barry. From Politico

“President Obama’s comments condemning military sexual assault and suggesting that those convicted be punished with, among other things, a dishonorable discharge may be backfiring on his efforts to root out the growing problem.

In pretrial hearings in two cases, a Navy judge in Hawaii ruled this week that Obama had exerted “unlawful command influence” as commander-in-chief in outlining the specific “consequences” he saw fit for members of the military convicted of sexual assault.

As a result of Navy Judge Cmdr. Marcus Fulton’s rulings, the defendants in United States v. Johnson and United States v. Fuentes can’t be punitively discharged, even if they’re convicted of sexual assault. Stars and Stripes first reported on the rulings.”

And speaking of unlawful influence…… From NationalReview

“Details of that testimony are interesting. Representative Tom Graves (R., Ga.) asked, “Have you asked the individuals who ordered them to use this extra scrutiny to punish, or penalize, or postpone, or deny?” George turns around to confer with his assistant. Just the fact that the inspector general had to confer to know the answer to this crucial question is amazing. George’s assistant says something to him that is not recorded, but one can see the assistant shaking his head back and forth. Then George responds publicly to the question, saying, “During our audit, Congressman, we did pose that question and no one would acknowledge who, if anyone, provided that direction.””

“Anyone who knows anything about the rights and responsibilities of an inspector general has to be shaking his head in disbelief at George’s explanation. First, every employee of the government has the responsibility to cooperate with and provide information to an IG concerning his work.”

The same thing they did with the so-called “independent” commission who investigated Benghazi as well. Meanwhile the so-called “investigation” by the FBI of IRS abuses has yet to interview even one conservative group who was targeted. How can you get to the bottom of a crime if you don’t talk to the victims? It’ll be yet another whitewash.

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In other news Democrats who forced ObamaCare on the rest of us now want a pass for themselves. What a dirt bag move. From Forbes

“When the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) was being debated, proponents were accused of saddling Americans with inferior and expensive health care while keeping generous coverage for themselves at taxpayer expense. To rebut that allegation and build confidence in the bill, a provision was added mandating that members of Congress – and their staff members – get their coverage through the new exchange system the bill set up. Now that the time to sign up for exchange coverage is nearing, a Democratic member, Rep. John Larson (D., Conn.), is saying that “this is simply not fair” – as key staff members head for the exits to avoid Obamacare.”

Waaa. 😦 Somebody call the wambulance. Now you know how the rest of us feel. Thanks for nothin’.

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And lastly, more rewarding of big campaign contributors by Obama. From TheHill

“The White House said that Obama had named John Emerson as the next ambassador to Germany. According to the president’s campaign, Emerson raised at least half a million dollars last year for the president’s reelection effort, topping the between $100,000 and $200,000 he netted for Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Obama has also nominated Rufus Gifford, a former finance director for the Democratic National Committee and finance director of his reelection campaign, as the next ambassador to Denmark. Gifford also served as a major fundraiser for John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign and the chairman of the president’s inaugural committee.

Gifford joins the relatively small ranks of openly gay men to be appointed a U.S. ambassador. The president also appointed James Costos, an openly gay executive at HBO, as the next American representative to Spain. Costos gave $67,000 to support the president and Democratic National Committee during last year’s race, according to the Federal Election Commission.”

That’s a twofer there.

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June 11, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 6-11-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Well it’s Tuesday, a new day. And a new scandal. Can you say insider trading? Yeah, I knew ya’ could. From TheWashingtonPost

“Hundreds of federal employees were given advance word of a Medicare decision worth billions of dollars to private insurers in the weeks before the official announcement, a period when trading in the shares of those firms spiked.

The surge of trading in Humana’s and other private health insurers’ stock before the April 1 announcement already has prompted the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Wall Street investors had advance access to inside information about the then-confidential Medicare funding plan.

Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) told The Washington Post late last week that his office reviewed the e-mail records of employees at the Department of Health and Human Services and found that 436 of them had early access to the Medicare decision as much as two weeks before it was made public.”

More here from HotAir

“Is this scandal number five or number six? There’s Benghazi, the IRS, the DOJ snooping on reporters, Sebelius shaking down health executives for ObamaCare contributions, and now the NSA/PRISM/Snowden story. This new WaPo story makes six. No, wait — seven. Ed just posted on the State Department covering up misconduct. We’re going to need a bigger boat.

Actually, there are two potential scandals here. One is HHS tossing around what was supposed to be sensitive information to a huge swath of employees in-house. The other scandal is who actually leaked it, assuming anyone did. It might not have come from HHS at all but rather from some old-fashioned Beltway congressional/lobbyist incest. As with most of the other Obama scandals, this story is less about O himself than about the foreseeable abuses that result as the federal whale grows. You can have bigger government or you can have more accountable government. The guy who signed ObamaCare into law has made his choice.”

Yeah. Welcome to Washington. You didn’t think Congress critters were the only ones doing it did you? 🙄

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The govt would like us to believe that we shouldn’t worry about FISA snooping. After all, it’s all overseen by a court. A rubber stamp court, but still, a court. 🙄 Also from TheWashingtonPost

“Under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, the government is required to obtain a judicial warrant — similar to those issued in criminal investigations — before federal intelligence agencies can conduct electronic surveillance and gather intelligence within the United States in the interest of national security. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court was established by Congress to approve or deny warrant applications related to national security investigations. Read related article.”

34,000 warrant applications. Only 11 have ever been denied. That’s a rubber stamp court if I ever saw one.

And in case you were wondering, this is what hypocrisy looks like.

Meanwhile, the IRS wants in on the whole spying thing too. From CNSNews

“The IRS, currently in the midst of scandals involving the targeting of conservative groups and lavish taxpayer-funded conferences, is ordering surveillance equipment that includes hidden cameras in coffee trays, plants and clock radios.

The IRS wants to secure the surveillance equipment quickly – it posted a solicitation on June 6 and is looking to close the deal by Monday, June 10. The agency already has a company lined up for the order but is not commenting on the details.

“The Internal Revenue Service intends to award a Purchase Order to an undisclosed Corporation,” reads the solicitation.

“The following descriptions are vague due to the use and nature of the items,” it says.”

I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. I can’t think of any, but I’m sure there’s some. 🙄

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As the Senate prepares to vote on immigration/amnesty, keep this in mind. It’s all broken promises and they haven’t even passed it yet. They don’t even try to hide the lies anymore. From Senator Sessions, via TheLATimes

“The so-called Gang of Eight immigration plan now being considered by the Senate fails to live up to every major promise made by its sponsors. Far from improving the immigration system, their 1,000-page proposal would exacerbate many of its flaws. It would dangerously undermine future enforcement while imposing substantial burdens on taxpayers and taking jobs and pay from U.S. workers.

Indeed, the two unions representing our nation’s immigration and customs officers and those who process immigration applications have strongly urged opposition.

The sponsors’ promise of enforcement first was broken when lead sponsor Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) declared: “First, people will be legalized…. Then we’ll make sure the border is secure.” About 11 million immigrants who are here illegally — which includes 4 million who have overstayed their visas — would receive work permits, Social Security numbers and access to state and local benefits within six months of passage. The Department of Homeland Security merely has to submit a border plan, not accomplish that plan. Those legalized will then be free to compete for jobs at a time of low wages and high unemployment. It’s amnesty first, not enforcement first.”

“The sponsors promised that people here illegally would not be eligible for public benefits. But, after the immediate grant of legal status, the legislation confers permanent residency within 10 years after passage (in many cases sooner), guaranteeing eligibility for federal benefits at a staggering long-term cost. In the short term, many would become eligible for state public assistance programs upon receiving the initial amnesty.”

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I posted a story on this guy a week ago. Now that we know more, it looks even worse. I understand and support the restrictions placed on soldiers when it comes to the CiC. But this goes well beyond that. What is going on in our military resembles what went on at the IRS. A witch hunt against conservatives and religious folks. This is a man with a spotless 25 year record. From FoxNews

“A member of the U.S. Army Band who said he was reprimanded for having anti-Obama bumper stickers on his personal car, serving Chick-fil-A sandwiches at a party and reading books written by conservative authors like Sean Hannity is now facing Article 15 charges – which cropped up shortly after he went public with his complaints.”

“The Military District of Washington disputed allegations that Sommers had been reprimanded or disciplined. “The Soldier is not, and never has been, ‘facing retribution and punishment from the military for having anti-Obama bumper stickers on his car, reading books written by conservative authors like Mark Levin and David Limbaugh, and serving Chick-fil-A sandwiches at his promotion party,’” Public Affairs Director Michelle Roberts told Fox News in a written statement.”

“The MDW spokesman was either uninformed or was being disingenuous,” he said. “The counseling form clearly stated that he was being reminded of his limited ability to disagree with the President’s policies and implied that displaying the bumper stickers could lead to prosecution under the Hatch Act.””

“Sommers also came under fire for reading the works of Mark Levin, Sean Hannity and David Limbaugh. Last summer he was reading Limbaugh’s “The Great Destroyer” backstage at a concert when a superior officer told him that he was causing “unit disruption” and was offending other soldiers. “It wasn’t read aloud,” Sommers told Fox News. “I was just reading privately to myself.”

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