politics

by

News/Politics 12-1-14

What’s interesting in the news today?

It was a slow news weekend, but here’s a few.

1. Obama’s immigration overreach dooms tax cut bill.

From Politico  “How could a major tax deal brokered by the top Senate Democrat die so quickly at the hands of a Democratic president?

Immigration politics and Democratic infighting came together to doom the $400 billion deal even before it had made it into print. The brinkmanship threatens to disrupt the lives of millions of taxpayers who rely on the mishmash of expired provisions the plan was trying to revive.

Interviews with the key players showed that the two tax-writing panels in the Senate and House had for weeks been making solid progress toward a final tax package that looked like it would include the breaks for low- and middle-income people sought by the president.”

“The immigration executive order soured the GOP on the tax cuts for the working poor and middle class sought by Democrats. Republicans worried undocumented immigrants targeted by the order would begin claiming the credits in droves. They found a friend in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who reluctantly agreed to drop his party’s demands to extend expiring parts of the earned income tax credit and its companion, the child tax credit.”

“The president, with liberal Democratic backing on the Hill, issued the veto threat and the plan imploded, making the tax deal the first major collateral damage of the White House’s immigration action.”

_______________________________________

2. A bomb plot financed by govt issued EBT cards?

From StLouisPostDispatch  “Two men indicted last week on federal weapons charges allegedly had plans to bomb the Gateway Arch — and to kill St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch and Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson — the Post-Dispatch has learned.

Sources close to the investigation were uncertain whether the men had the capability to carry out the plans, although the two allegedly did buy what they thought was a pipe bomb in an undercover law enforcement sting.

The men wanted to acquire two more bombs, the sources said, but could not afford to do it until one suspect’s girlfriend’s Electronic Benefit Transfer card was replenished.”

_______________________________________

3. Witness intimidation and lying in the Ferguson case.

From Breitbart  “Obama was wrong, at least in the case of Darren Wilson. In viewing thousands of pages of FBI interviews and grand jury testimony, it becomes eminently clear that many members of the local community did make up the story about Michael Brown being executed by Wilson – and pressured others to lie to police or keep silent.

According to the St. Louis County Police Investigative Report, the mob mentality took root almost immediately after the shooting. By the time detectives arrived at the scene of the incident, there was “a large crowd of bystanders and a large uniformed police presence at the scene when detectives arrived.” That crowd included both Brown’s mother and his stepfather, according to witness testimony. The police report states, “Many individuals were clearly upset and were expressing their frustration, by at times yelling obscenities and threats, and attempting to encroach on the crime scene itself.”

It got worse:

As the scene investigation continued, there were several large groups of hostile individuals around the perimeter of the crime scene. The investigation of the scene was interrupted several times by death threats directed toward police officers and gunshots being fired by an unknown persons around the crime scene.

According to the police report, a bevy of witnesses described intimidation from the local community, as well as falsification of testimony. One witness initially told police she didn’t want to “get involved for fear of retaliation.” She said, “I don’t know these people. I have to live here.”

Another female witness told police, “I don’t know nothin’.” An adult male near the scene “commented to detectives as they walked by that he witnessed the incident and the officer was ‘in the right’ and ‘did what he had to do.’ He added the statements being made by bystanders in the complex were inaccurate. The detectives momentarily stopped to speak with the male who was clearly uncomfortable speaking with detectives. The male indicated he was not making any further comments or identifying himself.”

_______________________________________

by

News/Politics 11-26-14

What’s interesting in the news today?

I’m starting my weekend early, so Open Thread. 🙂

Here’s a couple to start things off.

1. Since the grand jury refused to indict Officer Wilson many are calling on the feds to step in and charge him with federal violations. Only one problem with that. They can’t really make a case against him, although I doubt that stops them if the DoJ and Obama decide to push on anyway.

From TheWashingtonPost a little over a month ago–  “Justice Department investigators have all but concluded they do not have a strong enough case to bring civil rights charges against Darren Wilson, the white police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Mo., law enforcement officials said.

When racial tension boiled over in Ferguson after the Aug. 9 shooting, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. traveled to the St. Louis suburb to meet with city leaders and protest organizers in an effort to bring calm. He assured them that the federal government would open a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. But that investigation now seems unlikely to result in any charges.

“The evidence at this point does not support civil rights charges against Officer Wilson,” said one person briefed on the investigation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.

Justice Department officials are loath to acknowledge publicly that their case cannot now meet the high legal threshold for a successful civil rights prosecution. The timing is sensitive: Tensions are high in greater St. Louis as people await the results of a grand jury’s review of the case.”

_______________________________________

2. I told you about this guy last week. What was unknown at the time was just how close a relationship he had with the Obama White House.

From TheWashingtonTimes  “A prominent gay rights activist charged last week with sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy is a strong supporter of President Obama who has visited the White House more than a half-dozen times in the past two years, visitor logs show.

Terrence P. Bean, 66, who raised more than a half-million dollars for Mr. Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012, last visited the White House on May 30 when he met with the president, first lady Michelle Obama and political adviser David Simas.”

“White House visitor logs show that Mr. Bean, co-founder of the Human Rights Campaign, a leading gay rights group, also has visited the White House on at least six other occasions since June 2012. On one visit in 2013, Mr. Bean brought along Kiah Lawson, described in news reports as his ex-boyfriend, who is also charged with sexually assaulting the juvenile.

The White House had no comment on whether the president still considers Mr. Bean an ally. Some observers have credited Mr. Bean for helping to sway Mr. Obama into supporting same-sex marriage two years ago.

“He has the president’s ear,” former Oregon Gov. Barbara Roberts once said of Mr. Bean.”

_______________________________________

by

News/Politics 11-25-14

What’s interesting in the news today?

1. Well the grand jury in Ferguson has delivered a decision to not charge Officer Wilson. The reaction to it is as many feared.

From TheWashingtonPost  “A grand jury on Monday declined to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager, resolving a secretive, months-long legal saga and reigniting powerful frustrations about America’s policing of African Americans.

The decision means that Wilson, 28, will face no state charges for the Aug. 9 shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown. It also set off a show of fury on streets near where Brown was shot, a reflection of emotions that register in this riven city as either out of control or justifiable.

At least two police cars and a half-dozen buildings were set aflame. Not far from Christmas lights in downtown Ferguson that read “Seasons Greetings,” police fired tear-gas canisters to contain the crowds. People looted liquor and convenience stores, a response that ran counter to the peace that Missouri authorities, President Obama and Brown’s family had requested.”

Fox had on the President’s speech following the decision. As he called for calm, the split screen showed protesters trying to overturn a police car while fires burned in the background and tear gas clouds floated over the protesters. They obviously chose to ignore the President.

______________________________________

2. Just in time for the holiday. They hope we’re not paying attention.

From TheDailyCaller  “While Americans are focused on what delicious foods they’re going to eat for Thanksgiving, the White House is focused on releasing its massive regulatory agenda — marking the fifth time the Obama administration has released its regulatory road map on the eve of a major holiday.

The federal Unified Agenda is the Obama administration’s regulatory road map, and it lays out thousands of regulations being finalized in the coming months. Under President Barack Obama, there has been a tradition of releasing the agenda late on Friday — and right before a major holiday.

“It’s become an unfortunate tradition of this administration and others to drop these regulatory agendas late on a Friday and right before a holiday,” Matt Shudtz, executive director of the Center for Progressive Reform, told The Hill newspaper.

The White House’s regulatory agenda for spring 2014 was released on the eve of the Memorial Day weekend, when millions of people set out on weekend getaways or family vacations.”

3,415 new regulations to be exact.

______________________________________

3. About that new Benghazi report….

Security team members on the ground that night disagree forcefully. Basically the report says no one is at fault and nobody did anything wrong and there was no cover-up.

More here from PJMedia  

______________________________________

4. How Obama is still making things worse.

From TheNYPost  “The short bios in The Post and other places featuring immigrants who are in the United State illegally were fascinating. I was struck by their courage to leave their homelands, their pluck at navigating a new culture and their patience in waiting for America’s official welcome mat.

Something else struck me, too. Not a single one expressed remorse for jumping the fence or overstaying visas. The law was simply a nuisance, an unfair barrier to their right to live in America, and they felt no qualms about violating it.

Some of these immigrants, including one woman who sneaked in from Mexico 18 years ago, even complained that presidential ­amnesty doesn’t include free health care. “It isn’t fair,” Graciela Flores whined.

What luck — she and the other 5 million who benefit have found their soul mate in Barack Obama. He’s not into obeying laws, either. And he is endlessly entitled to whatever he wants, whenever he wants it.

Oh, sure, he has twice taken an oath to “faithfully execute” the ­nation’s laws, and to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” But he’s not serious about oaths, either. As America has learned, his word is not his bond.”

______________________________________

by

News/Politics 11-24-14

What’s interesting in the news today?

UPDATE!

Looks like we’ll have the answer this afternoon.

From MSN/WaPo  “A grand jury has reached a decision on whether to indict Darren Wilson, the white Ferguson, Mo. police officer whose fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager sparked days of turbulent protests, sources close to the process said.

Sources said that press conferences are being prepared by the county prosecutors’ office and the Missouri governor. Those press conferences will likely come later today.

The announcement gave no indication of whether Wilson, 28, will face state charges in the August shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, which triggered a frank conversation about race and police interaction with African-Americans.”

UPDATE 2 – NO CHARGES

______________________________________

1. Fact checked and found lacking. What they say, and what they are really doing, rarely match up.

From TheAP  “President Barack Obama made some notable omissions Thursday night in his remarks about the unilateral actions he’s taking on immigration. A look at his statements and how they compare with the facts:

OBAMA: “It does not grant citizenship, or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive – only Congress can do that. All we’re saying is we’re not going to deport you.”

THE FACTS: He’s saying, and doing, more than that. The changes also will make those covered eligible for work permits, allowing them to be employed in the country legally and compete with citizens and legal residents for better-paying jobs.”

“OBAMA: “Although this summer, there was a brief spike in unaccompanied children being apprehended at our border, the number of such children is now actually lower than it’s been in nearly two years.”

THE FACTS: The numbers certainly surged this year, but it was more than a “brief spike.” The number of unaccompanied children apprehended at the border has been on the rise since the 2011 budget year. That year about 16,000 children were found crossing the border alone. In 2012, the Border Patrol reported more than 24,000 children, followed by more than 38,800 in 2013. In the last budget year, more than 68,361 children were apprehended.”

______________________________________

2. Judge Janine (an actual legal scholar, doesn’t just play one on TV like Obama) skewers Obama’s plan.

______________________________________

3. If you missed it, SNL had an updated version of schoolhouse rock. Funny, but true.

______________________________________

4. Surprisingly (not really) the IRS has no comment on the newly found Lois Lerner emails.

From Forbes  “If you are an American taxpayer, the idea that your political (or other?) views could impact your taxes is pretty frightening. When you consider the power to tax—which includes the power to destroy—the mere suggestion of targeting is abhorrent. It’s one reason all the denials–including President Obama’s ‘no smidgen of corruption’ remark to Fox News in February–inflame rather than quell debate.

First, there was no targeting by the IRS. Then there was, but only by those rogue IRS employees down in Cincinnati. Then, there was a spontaneous uprising from a youtube video (oops sorry, wrong lie scandal). There was confusion about how to apply the tax law, but not political, and not from above. Then, top IRS Official Lois Lerner refused to testify.

IRS Commissioner Miller seemed defiant too and was sacked. Then, there was a year-long Congressional investigation before the IRS finally admitted the 2009-2011 Lois Lerner’s emails ‘disappeared.’ Then, the backups  didn’t work were recycled. Then, the new IRS Commissioner said the IRS needs a bigger tech budget.

Now, not the IRS but the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has found the 30,000 missing lost destroyed emails. They aren’t sorted yet, and who knows what they will reveal. Numerous IRS officials testified that the backup tapes were recycled and the emails were gone. Turns out they were misinformed mislead  mistaken. It isn’t only Congress that was asked over and over to buy the IRS “we have nothing” mantra. The IRS has said it in court too.”

______________________________________

5. The prison to Islam pipeline?

From TheDailyCaller  “Back in 2006, then FBI director Robert Mueller prophetically described the radical Islamist conversion machine operating throughout U.S. prisons, to a Senate committee. He said that prisons were a “fertile ground” for Islamic extremists, and that they targeted inmates for introduction to the militant Wahhabi and Salafist strains of Islam.” “The statistics are staggering, and woefully out of date. One out of three African-American inmates in U.S. prisons convert to Islam while incarcerated.”

“This statistic is no longer limited to African-Americans in prison. The Huffington Post reported an estimated 35,000 – 40,000 inmates convert to Islam each year, and that 15 percent of the total U.S. prison population or 350,000 inmates are Muslim.

This is more than 18 times the national representation of Muslims in America, reported to be 0.8 percent. Prisons are churning out converts to Islam who are taught they are righteously entitled to control the religion, speech, and dress of family, co-workers and strangers.

The key to conversion success is clear. Our government has been contracting and paying Muslim Brotherhood front groups, such as GSISS (The Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences) and ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) to screen and assign Muslim prison chaplains for at least 8 years.

While Egypt and Saudi Arabia have banned the Muslim Brotherhood, classifying it as a terror group, the White House, U.S. prisons, and the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security continue to work with Muslim Brotherhood groups.”

______________________________________

by

News/Politics 11-21-14

What’s interesting in the news today?

1. 12 minutes. That’s all I could take. It was laugh out loud funny at times, although unintentionally, but sad too, that the President could lie about so much in such a short time.

From Reuters  “President Barack Obama imposed the most sweeping immigration reform in a generation on Thursday, easing the threat of deportation for some 4.7 million undocumented immigrants and setting up a clash with Republicans who vow to fight his moves.

In a White House speech, Obama rejected Republican arguments that his decision to bypass Congress and take executive action was tantamount to amnesty for illegal immigrants.

It was his biggest use of executive actions in a year in which they have become his signature way of working around congressional gridlock.”

“With 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, Obama’s plan would let some 4.4 million who are parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents remain in the country temporarily, without the threat of deportation.”

______________________________________________

2. An upside down Pinocchio.

From TheWashingtonPost  “Politicians generally hate to say they have changed their minds about something. With President Obama poised to take executive action to address immigration, perhaps as early as this week, he was challenged by a reporter to explain why he believed he could take this action now, after years of saying his hands were tied. The president responded with a Pinocchio-laden straw man, saying that the questions had a distinct focus: “their interest was in me, through executive action, duplicating the legislation that was stalled in Congress.”

“The president has certainly been consistent on this issue—until he saw that the path through Congress was blocked. It’s clear from the interviews that the president was not being asked about executive orders that would have provided comprehensive immigration reform, but about specific actions that ended deportations of a subset of illegal immigrants—precisely the type of action he will shortly unveil.

Previously he said that was not possible, using evocative language that he is not a “king” or “the emperor.” Apparently he’s changed his mind. The president earns an upside-down Pinocchio for his flip-flop.”

______________________________________________

3. Just a reminder……

From HotAir  “Liberals in the media (but I repeat myself) have been having great fun mocking the idea that various Republicans may seek a legal remedy in response to tonight’s executive amnesty announcement. It’s all political theater, they say. These are just conservatives thinking of running for President themselves and posturing for the base. But as we move forward, it’s probably worth taking a moment to wipe the chalkboard clean and get back to basics.

According to the Constitution, upon taking office the President will swear an oath, and it shall include the phrase, to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Inside that document, in Article II, it directs that the President, shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed. The President took that oath, and as a noted constitutional scholar and professor, I feel safe in assuming that he is familiar with that directive.”

“Here’s another section of that pesky Constitution thing again, this time from Article I. The Congress shall have the power:

To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.

Only Congress is vested with the power to make new laws or amend or repeal existing ones. The President has no such authority. And I find it difficult to see how any court could look at this proposed power grab and find it to be within the powers described in the Constitution. In fact, the order to stand down would be precisely the opposite of taking care that the laws be faithfully executed.”

He’s failed at least one of his most basic duties, and now grabs power from the legislature which isn’t his to take.

______________________________________________

4. Now about those ObamaCare numbers….

From Bloomberg  “The Obama administration said it erroneously calculated the number of people with health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, incorrectly adding 380,000 dental subscribers to raise the total above 7 million.

The accurate number with full health-care plans is 6.7 million as of Oct. 15, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed today, saying the U.S. won’t include dental plans in future reports.

“The mistake we made is unacceptable,” Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said on her verified Twitter account. “I will be communicating that clearly throughout the department.”

The error was brought to light by Republican investigators for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, using data they obtained from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.”

Just an honest mistake I’m sure…. 🙄

______________________________________________

5. Here’s some more of that Obama “smart diplomacy” at work.

From TheWashingtonTimes  “The Pentagon is under fire for making a ransom payment to an Afghan earlier this year as part of a failed bid to win the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, according to U.S. officials.

Sgt. Bergdahl was released in May after nearly five years in captivity as part of a controversial exchange for five terrorists held at the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The ransom payment was first disclosed by Rep. Duncan Hunter in a Nov. 5 letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. Mr. Hunter stated in the letter that Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) made the payment covertly as part of a release deal. But the money was stolen by the Afghan intermediary claiming to represent the Haqqani terrorist network.”

““Given the significance of this matter, as well as the fact that Pentagon officials have denied that a payment was even considered — and you also said you were unaware of any such attempt — I ask you to immediately inquire with JSOC to determine the specific order of events,” said Mr. Hunter, California Republican and member of the House Armed Services Committee.”

And of course, more lies exposed.

______________________________________________

6. Another major Democrat donor bites the dust. Maybe Harry Reid should worry less about the Koch Bros. and spend some time cleaning up his own house.

From TruthRevolt  “A national “power player” for the Democratic party and the gay rights movement was arrested Wednesday on charges of sex abuse of a minor.

Terry Bean, a Portland-based fundraiser for Democratic causes, is being charged with sex abuse and two counts of sodomy involving a 15-year-old boy. Bean’s attorney claims that his client is the victim of an “extortion ring” and expressed full confidence that his name would be cleared.

The Willamette Week reports that law enforcement sources say Bean, 66, will be charged with two counts of sodomy in the third degree (a felony) and sex abuse in the third degree (a misdemeanor). The arrest followed a six-month investigation concerning a concealed video camera over Bean’s bed that accuser Kiah Lawson says was used to illegally film him and at least half a dozen other men “in a state of nudity engaged in intimate acts with [Bean].”

______________________________________________

by

News/Politics 11-20-14

What’s interesting in the news today?

I’m a little behind on the news today, so mostly this is an Open Thread, but here’s a few that caught my eye.

1. Tonight the President will announce his amnesty plan for illegals. Funny thing though, other than the news channels, none of the networks are broadcasting it. That seems odd. One network that will air it is Univision, the Spanish language network.

Gee, I wonder why? 🙄

I guess they want to make sure their target audience hears the news, the folks against it…. not so much.

From TheWashingtonPost  “President Obama’s announcement Thursday night of his plans to overhaul the nation’s immigration system is scheduled to happen at an opportune time — at least if the White House is hoping to reach a captive audience of Hispanic television viewers.”

“Univision says it will postpone part of the awards show to air Obama’s speech, while the big four TV networks, ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, currently have no plans to air the address.

Told about the scheduling coincidence by a pack of reporters, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) the second-ranking GOP senator, said, “Talk about a major pander.””

______________________________________________

2. In a not at all shocking development, DHS thinks there may be another surge of illegals at the border. I’d pretty much guarantee it after Obama announces more amnesty.

From TheWashingtonTimes  “Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson warned Wednesday that the country could face another spike in illegal immigration as the U.S. economy picks up and as seasonal patterns change, though he said they have made major progress in combatting the surge of illegal immigrant children that wrong-footed his department earlier this year.

“We’re determined that we need to do more ourselves for border security,” Mr. Johnson said in a speech at the National Press Club sponsored by Democratic group NDN. “I’m concerned about the possibility of another rise in illegal migration.”

“This summer’s surge of illegal immigrant children and families from Central America exposed flaws in the current immigration enforcement system — particularly U.S. agencies’ inability to quickly deport many of them.”

Sure, it’ll be the booming economy causing it and not the promise of amnesty. Riiiight….. 🙄

______________________________________________

3. And here I thought liberals were all about the separation of church and state. Apparently that only applies when you won’t shill for their causes. Sadly it seems many churches are fine with being shills for the govt.

From TheDailyCaller  “Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley made national news last year when he fought to pass and signed a tax bill that levied a tax on Marylanders, businesses and churches for the amount of “impervious surface” they have on their property.

Roofs, driveways, sidewalks, and parking lots qualify for the “rainwater remediation fee” to “protect the Chesapeake Bay.”

Though the O’Malley administration calls it a “fee,” it is commonly called the “rain tax” throughout the state. It is wildly unpopular and the promise to fight to repeal the tax was a large factor in Maryland electing Republican Larry Hogan governor this month.

Now Prince George’s Country is offering a way for churches to avoid paying the tax, which is estimated to be an average of $744 per year for them — preach “green” to their parishioners.

So far 30 pastors have agreed to begin “‘green’ ministries to maintain the improvements at their churches, and to preach environmentally focused sermons to educate their congregations” to avoid being hit with the tax, The Washington Post reports.”

______________________________________________

by

News/Politics 11-19-14

What’s interesting in the news today?

1. A better question is why hasn’t the White House done the same?

From CNSNews  “A State Department spokesman said Monday the administration was seeking clarity from the United Arab Emirates over its decision to list two American Muslim groups as terrorist organizations.

Spokesman Jeff Rathke seemed unaware that one of the two groups, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), has long been engaged in outreach programs with the U.S. government.

He said the administration was “seeking to gain more information on why” the UAE had included include CAIR and the Muslim American Society (MAS) on the list. Others among the more than 80 groups listed ranged from the Muslim Brotherhood to al-Qaeda affiliates and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL).

CAIR and MAS have expressed shock at the move, with MAS saying it would look to the U.S. government to help.”

Which they will because they call them advisers instead of what they are.

______________________________________

2. Here’s yet another example of Obama’s clueless foreign policy.

From TheFreeBeacon  “Last month in Juba, the capital of the relatively new nation of South Sudan, a small motorcade carrying the U.S. ambassador got entangled with a larger convoy ferrying a senior government official. Frustrated with the delay, a soldier in the South Sudanese convoy got out of his truck, fired two shots into the bulletproof glass of one of the embassy vehicles, and rejoined his own motorcade, which drove away.

So it goes in Juba. Since last December, when an coup allegedly perpetrated against the country’s Dinka president by his Nuer vice president led to Dinka troops going house-to-house in Juba, murdering men, women and children and trucking their bodies out to the bush, a civil war has been underway. The fighting calmed through much of the middle of 2014, but the dry season has arrived. Traditionally in South Sudan, negotiating is for the wet season, and fighting renews at its conclusion.

To get a sense of scale, consider that researchers at the International Crisis Group estimate that at least 50,000 men, women, and children have died in the hostilities thus far. That’s the minimum estimate. To get the flavor of the nightmarish, madcap nature of the conflict, take a look at this report from VICE News, where the correspondent accompanies government (Dinka) troops to the front lines as they mount an amateurish offensive against the Nuer rebels, who promptly rout them.”

“American policy towards South Sudan is a disaster—such that there is a policy at all. When decisions come, they come—as is the case in most conflicts where American diplomats and soldiers are involved today—from the very top, with policy micromanaged from the offices of Susan Rice and Samantha Power. In terms of meaningful action, the policy has involved the levying of travel and financial sanctions on mid-level commanders and suspected human rights abusers, who must have been devastated when word arrived at their swamp redoubts beside the upper Nile that they are no longer permitted to trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

In addition to sanctions, much hope has been invested in the ability of a regional coalition of neighboring states, organized as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development—IGAD, inauspiciously pronounced as Egad!—to broker a deal between the Dinka and the Nuer, the two tribal networks doing the fighting. IGAD includes among its members Uganda, which has troops in South Sudan backing the government-aligned Dinka, and Sudan, which is widely believed to be backing the rebel Nuers in an effort to act as a spoiler in its recently surrendered territory.”

______________________________________

3. How to stop Obama’s amnesty plan.

From Bloomberg  “There’s no evidence that any president, up to and including Barack Obama earlier in his tenure, ever thought that it would be proper to grant legal status to several million illegal immigrants unilaterally. Yet the president appears likely to do so very soon.

If that weren’t sufficiently outrageous as a constitutional matter, Obama’s stated rationale is worse. He is acting, he says, because Congress has not. It shouldn’t need to be explained that the refusal of Congress to pass legislation to the president’s liking isn’t a breakdown of the system that justifies an extraordinary presidential act.

The judgment that this diktat is improper doesn’t depend on the judgment that the policy Obama wants to impose is in itself wrong. I believe that the government should eventually grant legal status to most illegal immigrants — I’d even be happy to call it an “amnesty” — after it’s clear that immigration laws will be enforced at the border and the workplace going forward.”

“There could be a way out of this for Republicans. First, they should remember that in a democracy, even one that’s not working the way it should, argument and denunciation are never the same thing as “doing nothing.” Elected officials who disagree strongly with the president’s action should criticize it and try to make the president and his allies pay a political price for it.

But there may be more they can do. Why not try to pass a funding bill that pays for all of the operations of the federal government except for Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency in the Homeland Security Department that would carry out Obama’s order? They could then try to pass another bill that just funds that agency — but with a restriction saying no money can be used for the president’s amnesty.”

______________________________________

4. Who’s the man? Well Gruber was, but not so much now….

From TheFreeBeacon  “Former Obama administration official Steve Rattner said Jonathan Gruber was “the man” putting together Obamacare, contradicting President Obama’s statement that Gruber was merely “some advisor who never worked on our staff.”

“If you go back and look at the Washington Post or the New York Times or anything from that period, you will find Jonathan Gruber’s name all over it,” Rattner said. “Someone who’s a leading expert on health care, quoted by everybody, as someone who the White House was using.””

______________________________________

5. An “Innocence Project” that helps convict innocent men? Talk about false advertising.

From FoxNews  “Alstory Simon has always considered himself a forgiving person, but after being tricked into confessing to a double murder and spending 15 years in prison, he finds it hard to turn the other cheek.

In a case fraught with irony, Simon’s bitterness is directed at the Medill Innocence Project, an advocacy group dedicated to freeing innocent people. It was that group that he, and now prosecutors, accused of using threats, trickery and false promises to get a crack-addled Simon to say he killed two teens in a Chicago park in 1982. The confession of Simon led to his conviction and death sentence, but it also freed another man from death row and prompted Illinois to end capital punishment — ultimately sparing Simon himself from execution. “

“Members of the group, which was led by former Northwestern University Journalism Professor David Protess and included several students and a private investigator, confronted Simon in his home in 1999, telling him the mother of one of the victims had placed him with Porter at the scene and telling him they were working on a book about the murders.

“The Innocence Project had bum-rushed my house and accused me of murder,” recalled Simon, who was battling a drug problem at the time.

Simon denied any involvement in the murders, but the group persisted. Days later, it sent private investigator Paul Ciclino and another man to Simon’s home, with both flashing guns and Chicago Police Department badges. They urged Simon to confess if he wanted to avoid the death penalty, according to Simon.”

______________________________________

6. And here I thought we didn’t negotiate with terrorists?

From TheWashingtonPost  “Following weeks of intense negotiations, local police officials and Ferguson protesters have agreed to a dozen policies for how any future protests will be policed — but have yet to reach consensus over whether tear gas and riot gear will be used or whether the protesters will get advance notice of when the grand jury will announce its decision regarding Ferguson Officer Darren Wilson.

The negotiations have centered on 19 “Rules of Engagement” proposed by a coalition of 50 community and civil rights groups in an effort to avoid the violent clashes that brought worldwide attention to Ferguson after the shooting of a black teenager in August.

The list is largely a docket of best police practices, such as “the first priority shall be preservation of human life” and “excessive force and other forms of police misconduct will not be tolerated.” In general, protesters have agreed to peaceful demonstrations if police don’t interfere, while police have agreed to respect demonstrators’ right to assemble as long as there is no violence. ​

Negotiations on Tuesday continued to stall, however, over seven of the proposals, including the coalition’s request to give protesters 48 hours’ notice prior to the grand jury announcement.”

______________________________________