politics

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News/Politics 10-3-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, “The Water Carriers”.

Or If you prefer an alternate headline, “Remember Folks, Liberal Bias is a Myth”.

From TheWashingtonExaminer  “The nation’s big three news networks are falling right into place for President Obama and the Democrats, blaming the Republican Party for the government shutdown by a whopping 21-0 story count.

According to a survey by the conservative media watchdog Media Research Center, in 39 stories during the two weeks leading up to the shutdown, CBS, ABC and NBC blamed the failure to cut a budget deal on the Republicans 21 times, both parties four times, and Democrats zero times. In 14 stories, nobody was to blame.”

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Really? Good grief. More from the RINO faction. 🙄

From TheChristianScienceMonitor  “The tea party created an existential threat to America, not Obamacare”

By pretending that the Affordable Care Act poses such an existential risk to the republic that it merits dragging our national character through the mud of a government shutdown, tea party Republicans are belittling the very real crises America soon may face.”

Harry Reid called Justin, he needs those talking points he gave you back for his evening press conference. Thanks.

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Two words Mr. President…… Bad Optics….

From Breitbart  “The Obama Administration has decided to block access to public memorials on the National Mall as a result of the government shutdown. Like its decision to end White House tours when the sequester cuts took effect, there is no rational reason for this. The Park Police, nominally in charge of monitoring these spaces, isn’t even effected by the shutdown. Shutting off access to these sites is gratuitous and petulant. “

“Having lived in DC for 18 years, I can tell you, the WWII Memorial is simply an architectural structure in an open public space. There is no official “access” to it. There are no guards. It’s a building in a park. Yet, the Obama Administration tried to block veterans from viewing the public memorial, even after hearing about the planned visit.”

“This is nothing more than a petulant response by the Obama Administration to the government shutdown.”

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Have these veterans, and the bad PR Obama and Dems have received as a result, caused them to blink?

From LegalInsurrection  “Everything has changed since the Obama administration Barry-caded the World War II Memorial and tried to keep out a group of visiting WWII Veterans, and then the Democrats in the House killed funding for the Veterans Administration.”

“Democratic hubris and Harry Reid’s fisticuff-style of politics were no match for elderly WWII Vets seeking to pay homage to their fallen comrades in what for many of them would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the WWII Memorial.

Everything changed overnight.  Even the biased mainstream media is being forced to cover the protests today.

Harry Reid has blinked in the face of the Scooter and Wheelchair Brigades, pathetically tweeting out blame for the Republicans even though the barricades were on order of OMB and funding for National Parks was killed by Democrats in the House.”

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More on the failed launch of ObamaCare.

Not what we would expect? Speak for yourself Junior.

And don’t you just love the Govt shutdown clock CNN is running? 🙄

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At least somebody is enjoying the ObamaCare launch….. Oh, wait….

From AmericanSpectator  “If you’ve been listening to Rush Limbaugh’s radio show today, you know this already: President Obama’s old friends in the ACORN crime syndicate have decided to get a piece of the big-money Obamacare action.

United Labor Unions (ULU) Local 100 in New Orleans, which is run by ACORN founder Wade Rathke, announced on its Facebook page that it’s gearing up “to do mass enrollment and help navigate people into the marketplaces in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas under the Affordable Care Act!”

“Wherever Rathke goes, lawlessness follows.

Before his calamitous 38-year tenure as ACORN chief organizer ended in his expulsion from the group in 2008, Rathke covered up a million-dollar embezzlement involving the nonprofit’s pension funds. He presided over massive campaigns involving identity fraud in furtherance of voter fraud. (ACORN even knowingly hired felons convicted of identity theft to work on voter registration drives, giving them custody of sensitive voter information.)”

And these are the guys and types of groups the Obama admin has hired to help “navigate” the system. Just give them your personal info, I’m sure it’ll be fine…. 🙄

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And last today, blood money is trying to buy the Virginia governorship. He’s promised taxpayers funds as repayment for the abortion mill money.

From TheWashingtonPost  “Planned Parenthood Votes has spent more than $1 million on television and radio ads that will soon air in the Norfolk and Richmond areas, telling women that they should not trust Ken Cuccinelli II, the Republican candidate for Virginia governor.”

“Planned Parenthood’s various political advocacy groups have been heavily involved in the Virginia race for more than eight months, pushing a campaign dubbed “Keep Ken Out” and endorsing the Democratic candidate, Terry McAuliffe. Women’s issues, especially those related to abortion, have dominated campaign commercials and debates.

Planned Parenthood Votes plans to release its television ad on Wednesday. It will hit airwaves in the Richmond and Norfolk areas later this  week. The ad warns voters about Cuccinelli’s stances or actions that the group considers dangerous to women’s health, including limiting access to birth control, opposing emergency contraception and banning abortions.”

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News/Politics 10-2-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, it’s finally time to panic. The Apocalypse has come. 🙄

From TheHill  “The Department of Defense released a statement early Tuesday that shocked  college sports fans. The department said that all athletic competitions at the  Army, Navy and Air Force academies would be postponed for as long as the  government remained closed.”

“The Air Force and Navy are scheduled to square off in a sold-out, nationally  televised football game on Saturday, while the Army has a planned match-up  against Boston College. If the government impasse isn’t resolved by Thursday,  both games will be suspended.

 Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a graduate of the Naval Academy, told reporters  that the cancelation of the Air Force-Navy game would be the “defining moment”  of the shutdown.

“The apocalypse is upon us,” McCain lamented.”

As an ARMY fan, I say big deal, it just delays the next loss. 🙂

Dems are throwing a hissy fit. The name calling, Taliban comparisons, and what not sure are predictable. And childish.

They’re also refusing to do stand alone funding for Veteran services and others affected. Despite their cries of “extremist Republicans” it’s they who refuse to compromise.

King, McCain, and the other surrender monkeys in the RINO faction are fretting and handwringing over the whole affair.

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Here’s an update on the story of the vets crashing the gates at the WWII memorial.

From TheDailyCaller  “The White House and the Department of the Interior rejected a request from Rep.  Steven Palazzo’s office to have World War II veterans visit the World War II  memorial in Washington, the Mississippi Republican told The  Daily Caller Tuesday.”

“Palazzo’s office was in touch with the heads of the National Park Service,  the Department of the Interior and the Capitol Police. He says all these  officials rejected his request to allow the veterans, many of whom are  octogenarians and some of whom are in poor health, to  attend.

Palazzo, a Gulf War Marine veteran who has participated in all five of the  Honor Flights, blames the  White House for making  it harder on veterans and playing politics. “At first I thought it was a huge  bureaucratic oversight,” Palazzo told The Daily Caller, “but having talked with  the officials I can’t help but think this was politically motivated. Honor  Flights, which bring WWII veterans to the nation’s memorials, are planned a year  in advance and cost anywhere between $80,000 to $100,000. How low can you get  with playing politics over our nation’s veterans?”

Much like the Sequester, people must be made to suffer. It’s the way these folks do business.

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They could agree to separately fund these things, yet they choose not to.

From Boehner, via USAToday  “The president isn’t telling the whole story when it comes to the government shutdown.  The fact is that Washington Democrats have slammed the door on reopening the government by refusing to engage in bipartisan talks.  And, as stories across the country highlight the devastating impact of Obamacare on families and small businesses, they continue to reject our calls for fairness for all Americans.

This is part of a larger pattern:  the president’s scorched-Earth policy of refusing to negotiate in bipartisan way on his health care law, current government funding, or the debt limit.”

“As of this morning, Senate Democrats, acting in concert with President Obama, have rejected four different proposals from the House of Representatives to keep the government running and fund basic services.”

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I see the new ObamaCare exchanges opened without a hitch yesterday. 😆

From NY/CBSLocal  ” The online insurance marketplaces that are at the heart of President Barack Obama’s healthcare overhaul struggled to handle the wave of new consumers Tuesday, the first day of a six-month open enrollment period.

A combination of high demand and technical glitches seemed to overwhelm the online system early in the day. Federal and state officials were working to address the problems, which led to long waits on government websites and a federal call center.”

“Even employees at a help center on Southern Boulevard couldn’t get past the homepage.

“It’s too confusing. It’s not user friendly,” one employee said. “It’s confusing for us as well, so I can imagine what its like for customers.”

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Once again, Twitter and Twitchy provide a source of amusement for me. Today, the Twits who think the failures of the ObamaCare websites are the result of a GOP/Tea Party conspiracy. A vast right-wing one even. 🙄

From Twitchy  “As Twitchy has reported, the much-heralded Obamacare signup sites are proving to be nothing less than a giant festival of fail. But surely that’s not due to the government’s unpreparedness or all-around incompetence, right? Surely more nefarious forces must be at play:”

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Meanwhile, McAfee is warning about actual hackers and attacks that may result from visiting the healthcare sites. But they didn’t mention Republicans or the Koch brothers.

From FoxBusiness  “Security firm McAfee warned Tuesday that hackers are likely to take advantage of the rollout of ObamaCare exchanges this week by launching phishing attacks aimed at stealing personal information.

Phishing attacks are designed to dupe users into revealing credit-card numbers or other confidential data by delivering phony links or attachments in emails and messages on social media sites.

“I can say with a high degree of certainty that they will come. We live in a world where people look at compelling events and look to do something malicious. This is just the nature of the beast,” said Gary Davis, vice president of global consumer marketing at McAfee, which is owned by Intel (INTC).”

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News/Politics 10-1-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread, as always.

Well, it’s shutdown. So this is either the worst thing ever if you listen to Dems, or it’s no big deal. I hate not knowing whether it’s time to panic or not. 🙂

From NBCNews  “With just hours to go before a midnight deadline, the Senate swiftly nixed a House-passed government funding proposal late Monday, tossing the legislation back to the lower chamber with unusual speed as the nation careened towards a federal shutdown. 

Shortly after receiving the House proposal to fund the government and delay a key provision of the president’s health care law, the Senate voted along party lines to send the bill back to the House for a last-ditch effort at meeting a midnight deadline to keep the government’s lights on. 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on the Senate floor before the vote that Republicans “have lost their minds” by repeatedly voting for “ridiculous policy riders” destined for failure in the Democratically-controlled Senate.”

If it’s the end of the world, why do I feel fine?

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This one? Well it’s kinda like that Sequester thingy. It’s supposed to be bad, and it might be for the little guys in the federal food chain. But rest assured, the people in charge are gonna be OK.

From TheWashingtonExaminer  “A federal government shutdown will temporarily cut off pay of thousands of Uncle Sam’s workers, but for those considered “excepted employees,” there could be a nice salary bump thanks to rules allowing overtime, compensatory time and other benefits provided to those the administration feels too important to furlough.

In advance of the potential shutdown, the Office of Personnel Management distributed a 30-page “Guidance for Shutdown Furloughs” that spells out who will get what, if anything, if President Obama and House Republicans can’t negotiate a break in the budget stalemate by Monday night, the end of the fiscal year.

Most workers won’t be considered excepted employees, but OPM emphasized that it’s not because their work isn’t valued. “Excepted employees include employees who are performing emergency work involving the safety of human life or the protection of property or performing certain other types of excepted work,” said the guide.”

Comp time and overtime will be permitted for the lucky ones. The ones who get furloughed will get back pay when they get back to work, at least they have the last 17 times this has happened.

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Today is the scheduled launch day for ObamaCare. And yes, it breaks federal law on taxpayers not funding abortions.

From TheWashingtonTimes  “The Office of Personnel Management ruled Monday that members of Congress and  their staffs will be able to buy health care plans that pay for abortions, even  though the premiums are funded largely by taxpayer money — a move that  conservatives say breaks federal law on abortion funding.

Under the terms of Obamacare, lawmakers and their aides are required to  ditch their government-sponsored plans and buy insurance on state-based health  care exchanges, though unlike most people on the exchanges, the staffers and  members will have most of the costs of their premiums paid by their employer —  in this case, taxpayers.”

“Federal law generally prevents taxpayer money from being used to pay for  abortions, but OPM said the health care plans offered through the exchange were  private. The agency also said it will make sure the money is segregated so that  the portion that pays for abortions comes out of the employees’ own  contributions, which amounts to about a quarter of the premiums.”

Please. Don’t insult our intelligence. That’s hogwash and they know it. It’s a distinction without a difference.

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And last one from me today…

The Obama DoD continues their war on Christians.

From FoxNews  “Evangelical Christian airmen at Lackland Air Force Base are facing severe threats and retribution for their religious beliefs and some personnel have been ordered to publicly express their position on gay marriage.

“There is an atmosphere of intimidation at Lackland Air Force Base,” said Steve Branson, the pastor of Village Parkway Baptist Church in San Antonio. “Gay commanders and officers are pushing their agenda on the airmen. There is a culture of fear in the military and it’s gone to a new level with the issue of homosexuality.”

Branson tells me at least 80 airmen attended a private meeting at the church where he heard them voice their concerns about religious hostilities at the Air Force base. It was a standing-room only crowd.

“The religious persecution is happening,” the pastor said. “It’s getting bigger every day. Gay and lesbian airmen can talk about their lifestyle, but the rest have to stay completely quiet about what they believe.”

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UPDATE

Looks like the govt isn’t the only thing down this morning.

From Twitchy  “Surprise! Obamacare health insurance exchange websites don’t work”

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Now by now you’re all aware that I’m a bit snarky. But I’m a rank amateur compared to some of these. 🙂  Via Twitter, the first hour of shutdown Tweets.

And the fun continues in the comment section. 🙂

Also from Twitchy  “We’ve just lost the Eastern Seaboard. Pray.”

“I think I just saw a star go out.”

“The space station is spinning out of control and the polar bears are dying.”

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News/Politics 9-30-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, the plot thickens….

From Politico  “House Republicans forced through a short-term government funding bill that  delays Obamacare and permanently repeals a tax on medical devices, setting up  their most dramatic face-off ever with President Barack Obama and Senate  Democrats.

The vote to delay Obamacare was 231-192,  with two Republicans voting against the bill, while two Democrats supported  it.  The Republicans opposed to the bill were New York Reps. Chris Gibson  and Richard Hanna, and the Democrats who supported the measure were North  Carolina Rep. Mike McInytre and Utah Rep. Jim Matheson.

The move represents a complete about-face by Speaker John  Boehner (R-Ohio) and the House Republican leadership. They wanted to shift the  focus of health care and budgetary squabbles onto the debt ceiling fight, but  conservative Republicans honed in on the government funding battle.”

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Maybe Boehner has found his spine.

From TheWallStJournal  “House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) issued a statement blasting Democrats for not reconvening the Senate sooner, in the latest round of recriminations over a rapidly approaching government shutdown.

If the Senate reconvenes as planned Monday afternoon, Democrats will be engaging in an act of “breathtaking arrogance,” Mr. Boehner said in a written statement early Sunday afternoon.

“They will be deliberately bringing the nation to the brink of a government shutdown for the sake of raising taxes on seniors’ pacemakers and children’s hearing aids and plowing ahead with the train wreck that is the president’s health care law,” Mr. Boehner said.”

Why should Democrats worry? They know the media will carry their water and blame it all on those dastardly Republicans.

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Here’s a summary of the job killing ObamaCare has wrought on the economy.

From InvestorsBusinessDaily  “ObamaCare’s impact on jobs is hotly debated by politicians and economists.  Critics say the Affordable Care Act, with its employer mandate to provide health  insurance, gives businesses an incentive to cut workers’ hours. This year,  report after report has rolled in about employers restricting work hours to  fewer than 30 per week — the point where the mandate kicks in. Data also point  to a record low workweek in low-wage industries.

In the interest of an informed debate, we’ve compiled a list of job actions  with strong proof that ObamaCare’s employer mandate is behind cuts to work hours  or staffing levels. As of Sept. 25, our ObamaCare scorecard included 313 employers. Here’s our latest analysis, focusing on cuts to adjunct  hours at nearly 200 college campuses. The ObamaCare list methodology is explained further in our  initial coverage; click on the employer names in the list below for links to  supporting records, mostly news accounts or official documents.”

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Canada has revoked the tax exempt status of The Islamic Society of North America for supporting terrorism.

From TheTorontoSun  “The Canada Revenue Agency has revoked the charitable status of an Islamic group after it says it distributed over $280,000 to an agency allegedly linked to a terrorist organization in Pakistan.

The CRA announced Friday it will strip the Islamic Society of North America Canada’s Development Foundation of its charitable status.

After a nearly two-year-long audit of its books, the CRA said it found evidence linking the group to an organization that funds a terrorist organization in Pakistan.

“The Government of Canada has made it clear that it will not tolerate the abuse of the registration system for charities to provide any means of support to terrorism,” a press release from the CRA said.”

And yet Pres. Obama praises them, and recently released a video which was played at their annual conference thanking them for their work…….

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I’ve told you before about this woman’s fraudulent credentials. And yet McCain hire her. Now you know why he supports the rebels in Syria. This is the type of adviser he takes advice from.

From TheDailyCaller  “Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain hired the Syria analyst in favor of U.S.  intervention who was fired for fabricating her Ph.D., Foreign Policy reported.

Elizabeth O’Bagy, formerly of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), will  start Monday as a legislative assistant in Sen. McCain’s office.

McCain told Foreign Policy that “Elizabeth is a talented researcher, and I  have been very impressed by her knowledge and analysis in multiple briefings  over the last year.” The senator’s office said they would not make any further  comment on O’Bagy’s employment.”

Gee, I wonder why?…… 🙄

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And lastly, I wonder when Holder and the DoJ will get around to investigating these leakers?

From TheDailyCaller  “A leaked State Department email indicates that officials were worried about  the safety of House Oversight Committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa after  Democrats revealed his plans for a secret trip to Libya this week.

Issa, a Republican from California, has safely returned from his fact-finding  trip to the country as his committee continues to investigate the terrorist  attacks that killed America’s ambassador and three others in Benghazi on Sept.  11, 2012.

CBS News reported Thursday on an email that quoted a  Libyan national sharing “his concern and his opinion that Representative Issa  should not come to Libya for his own safety.”

““Ranking Member Elijah Cummings’ reckless release of information was not going  to deter Chairman Issa from conducting his oversight responsibilities in the  wake of the Benghazi tragedy,” Issa spokesman Frederick Hill told The Daily  Caller. “Fortunately, despite the media attention and resulting threat, no  security incident occurred during Rep. Issa’s time in Libya.”

That’s low, even for a treasonous Dem like Cummings.

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News/Politics 9-27-13

What’s interesting out there today?

Open Thread, as always.

As launch day approaches, second thoughts?

From Bloomberg  “U.S. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia broke ranks with fellow Democrats and said he’d support a stopgap spending plan that delays the individual mandate in President Barack Obama’s health-care law.

“There’s no way I could not vote for it,” Manchin said at a Bloomberg Government breakfast today. “It’s very reasonable and sensible.”

“The individual mandate is the linchpin of the law that requires Americans who lack insurance to purchase health care through government-run exchanges. Republicans, led by a group of newcomers in the House, are pushing to dismantle the health-care law and are using a ticking clock on a possible Oct. 1 government shutdown as leverage.”

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So Manchin is a terrorist too?

What? I’m just repeating what I’ve heard. He might be a kidnapper and/or arsonist as well. Like us.

From BusinessInsider  “White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer used three vivid analogies to  attack House Republicans’ laundry list of demands for  raising the debt ceiling, comparing Republicans to arsonists, hostage-takers  and suicide bombers.

 “What we’re not for is negotiating with people with a bomb strapped to  their chest,” Pfeiffer said in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper Thursday  afternoon. “We’re not going to do that.””

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More problems…..

From DesertNews  “Days before the debut of new online insurance markets, a couple of last-minute technical glitches with President Barack Obama’s health care law are making supporters anxious and giving opponents a new line of attack.

The administration said Thursday that small business owners who want to use insurance markets designed especially for them will have to wait until sometime in November before they can finish their sign-ups. They still can start shopping right away on Oct. 1. And even with the delay, they can get coverage for their employees by Jan. 1, when the law takes full effect.

In a potentially more significant delay that affects the law’s larger insurance market for individuals, the administration quietly told Hispanic groups on Wednesday that the Spanish-language version of the healthcare.gov website will not be ready to handle online enrollments for a few weeks. An estimated 10 million Latinos are eligible for coverage, and 4 million of them speak Spanish primarily.”

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This one we’ll call “Lowered Expectations”.

From Politico  “Americans probably won’t flock to sign up for Obamacare coverage in October  or even in November — and the White House doesn’t expect them to, a top Obama  adviser said Wednesday.

Enrollment will go through lots of ebbs and flows over the six-month  enrollment period rather than remaining steady, communications adviser David  Simas told reporters during a 45-minute interview at an event sponsored by Third  Way at which he downplayed the Obama administration’s expectations for the law’s  rollout starting next week.”

“But he also acknowledged the realities on the ground. Simas said that  “perhaps” the administration could have started its outreach efforts earlier, to  prepare to sign up as many people as possible. But he blamed financial  limitations for the late start — an indirect reference to House Republicans who  have blocked the administration’s requests for more implementation funding.

“In a perfect world with a ton of money for outreach and engagement, perhaps  you could have started earlier,” Simas said. “This is not a perfect world, and  there are limitations on what you can do.””

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That’s funny. They need more money. Maybe they should just find the 67 million the IRS misplaced from their ObamaCare slush fund.

From Reuters  “With Congress debating whether to take funding away from the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said in an audit that the IRS failed to account for some of the agency’s spending to implement the law.”

“The IRS did not report $67 million in costs the agency incurred for employees who were working on the healthcare law for fiscal 2010 through 2012, the report said.

The money was part of $488 million the IRS tapped from a special fund the agency was using to implement Obamacare.

“Funding related to direct labor were sometimes inaccurate and not always substantiated by reliable supporting documentation,” TIGTA said.”

Translated, we spent it on perks and wasteful stuff and didn’t get receipts, but it’s all totally legit. Uh-huh. And yet Obama wants to give them another 1/2 a billion for their ObamaCare work.

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In other news, the revolving door between the press and Obama admin continues to spin.

From TheWashingtonPost  “As it happens, Carney was an early adopter. He was among the first of what has turned out to be a parade of journalists who’ve turned in their press badges for work in the Obama administration. In a trend that has raised some eyebrows among Obama’s critics, at least 20 reporters and editors from mainstream news organizations have taken high-profile positions in the administration within the past five years.

The latest hire: Richard Stengel, Time magazine’s managing editor (and Carney’s former boss). Obama nominated Stengel last week to be the State Department’s undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs, a top communications post. Stengel will succeed Tara Sonenshine, another journalist (ABC News, Newsweek) who became part of the government she once covered.

At State, Stengel can swap newsroom stories with Samantha Power, a former journalist (U.S. News, the Boston Globe, the New Republic) who is now the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. His staff will include Desson Thomson, a former Washington Post movie critic who became a speechwriter for Hillary Rodham Clinton when she served as secretary of state. Other colleagues will include two recent additions to Secretary of State John F. Kerry’s staff: Glen Johnson, a longtime political reporter and editor at the Boston Globe, and Douglas Frantz, a reporter and editor who has worked for the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times and, most recently, The Post. Frantz was also briefly an investigator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Kerry, then a senator from Massachusetts.”

All these connections ensure that the press remains “on message” for Obama. It’s Journolist 2.0

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This one, well once again…

Thank you Texas.

From TheHill  “Texas attorney general Greg Abbott (R) is threatening to sue the federal  government after Secretary of State John Kerry signed the U.N. arms treaty this  week.

“Texas stands ready to lead the charge to have the treaty overturned in court,”  Abbot said Wednesday, according to the Austin  American Statesman.“

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And the last one from me today. Saying goodbye to the greatest closer ever. Mariano Rivera’s final game at Yankee Stadium.

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News/Politics 9-26-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up today, someone notes the obvious bias in the treatment the filibustering Cruz has gotten from the media when compared to Wendy Davis.

From Politico  “Sen. Ted Cruz has been speaking on the Senate floor for almost 19 hours, as of this post. The talk is not technically a filibuster — he can’t actually block the Senate from going about its business — but symbolically, it’s more or less the same thing. The point is to show one’s opposition to something through a demonstration of physical will.

Which is why you can forgive conservatives for being upset with the mainstream media’s coverage of the Cruz affair. When a Democrat like Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis filibusters against abortion restrictions, she is elevated to hero status, her tennis shoes become totems. When Cruz grandstands against Obamacare, he is a laughingstock in the eyes of many journalists on Twitter, an “embarrassment” in the eyes of The New York Times editorial board.

“Gee I wonder why NYT and WaPo and everyone else gave ecstatic coverage to Wendy Davis but not to Ted Cruz. I just can’t make sense of it!” John Podhoretz, the conservative columnist, tweeted on Wednesday morning.”

Was that sarcasm? 🙂

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The usual suspects are all wound up over Ted Cruz’s behavior. Several have shown their true colors. McCain being the most obvious.

From WeaselZippers  “UNREAL: McRINO Backs Dems On Senate Floor After Cruz Filibuster, “The People Spoke” And They Want Obamacare – Update: Chuck Schumer Thanks McRINO For His “Outstanding Remarks”…

Yeah. Sad. And what polls has he been looking at? From day 1 the majority has been against ObamaCare.

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Senator Durbin seems to say a lot of stupid things. Here’s Exhibit B, also from yesterday.

From CNSNews  ” Questioning Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on the Senate floor Tuesday, Sen.  Dick Dubin, an Illinois Democrat, explained why he’s proud to have  voted for Obamacare.

He told the story of a chambermaid named  Judy who works “at a motel that I often go to,” and who will benefit  from Obamacare because she is so poor: “The good news for Judy is that  her income is so low that she now qualifies for Medicaid for the first time in her life,” Durbin said.”

Yes, you read that right. She’s lucky she’s poor. Wow. A face palm smiley would be perfect here, but I have to settle for this. 🙄

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But in a way he’s right, even if he is a condescending jerk about it. She is lucky, she won’t get what most of us will get. Higher premiums.

From Forbes  “For months now, we’ve been waiting to hear how much Obamacare will drive up the cost of health insurance for people who purchase coverage on their own. Last night, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services finally began to provide some data on how Americans will fare on Obamacare’s federally-sponsored insurance exchanges. HHS’ press release is full of happy talk about how premiums will be “lower than originally expected.” But the reality is starkly different.”

“Earlier this month, I and two colleagues from the Manhattan Institute—Yevgeniy Feyman and Paul Howard—published an interactive map that detailed Obamacare’s impact on individually-purchased health insurance premiums in 13 states plus D.C. As the accompanying article described, Obamacare increased premiums in those states by an average of 24 percent.

But those states were largely blue states that had set up their own, state-based insurance exchanges. The big data dump that we’ve been waiting for, since then, is from the majority of states that didn’t set up their own state-based exchange. That data is the responsibility of the Obama administration, namely HHS. Finally, with less than a week to go before the exchanges are supposed to go on-line, HHS has released a slim, 15-page report and a press release that summarize some of the premium data.”

“Former Congressional Budget Office director Douglas Holtz-Eakin agrees. “There are literally no comparisons to current rates. That is, HHS has chosen to dodge the question of whose rates are going up, and how much. Instead they try to distract with a comparison to a hypothetical number that has nothing to do with the actual experience of real people.”

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Next up, this is why I’ve said in Libya and Syria, if you aid the so-called rebels, you aid our enemies. Or stuff just gets “stolen” by the bad guys while the other rebels look the other way.

First one is on Syria, from TheBlaze  “Recent images from the front line of the Syrian war suggest that terrorists are enjoying the small comforts of U.S. equipment and supplies that are meant to aide legitimate rebels, who are part of the Free Syrian Army. This appears to prove all the concerns among U.S. lawmakers and analysts that aid to the Syrian rebels could end up in the hands of Al Qaeda.

The photograph allegedly shows Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) linked Commander Muhajireen Kavkaz wa Sham, along with other rebels dawning battle-gear and an RPG, inside a USAID tent.”

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The second is Libya, from FoxNews  “The recent theft of massive amounts of highly sensitive U.S. military equipment from Libya is far worse than previously thought, Fox News has learned, with raiders swiping hundreds of weapons that are now in the hands of militia groups aligned with terror organizations and the Muslim Brotherhood. 

 The equipment, as Fox News previously reported, was used for training in Libya by U.S. Special Forces. The training team, which was funded by the Pentagon, has since been pulled, partly in response to the overnight raids last August. 

According to State Department and military sources, dozens of highly armored vehicles called GMV’s, provided by the United States, are now missing. The vehicles feature GPS navigation as well as various sets of weapon mounts and can be outfitted with smoke-grenade launchers. U.S. Special Forces undergo significant training to operate these vehicles. Fox News is told the vehicles provided to the Libyans are now gone. 

Along with the GMV’s, hundreds of weapons are now missing, including roughly 100 Glock pistols and more than 100 M4 rifles. More disturbing, according to the sources, is that it seems almost every set of night-vision goggles has also been taken. This is advanced technology that gives very few war fighters an advantage on the battlefield.”

It wouldn’t be shocking to find that this is what was actually stolen from the CIA’s gun running program at the embassy on 9-11.

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News/Politics 9-25-13

What’s of interest in today’s news?

Sen. Ted Cruz began filibustering over ObamaCare funding yesterday. In fact, as of 6:15 AM this morning, he still was. Sen. Harry Reid is not happy, and would like to remind you it’s not a real one, it just looks and sounds like one. And “Green Eggs and Ham” was the perfect reading selection for an ObamaCare related filibuster. Like the man said, “We do not like it Sam I am”.

From WeaselZippers  “Cruz Begins “Talking Filibuster,” Vows To Speak “Until I Am No Longer Able To Stand” – Update: Harry Reid Whines: Your Filibuster Isn’t Real – Update: Enters Third Hour – Update: Dingy Complains, This Is “Fake” – Update: Reads “Green Ham And Eggs” On Senate Floor – Update: Passes 7 Hour Mark – Update: 8 Hours And Counting…Update: Approaching 16 Hours, Still Going! 

And it’s not just Dems and ObamaCare he’s being critical of.

From TheWashingtonTimes  “In his remarks, he repeatedly took aim at fellow Republicans, urging  them to  join him in voting against limiting debate on a stopgap spending  bill that also  defunds Obamacare. Many Republicans said they will vote  along with Democrats to  proceed with the stopgap bill because as of now  it contains the defunding  provisions.

Mr. Cruz, though, said it is certain Democrats will be able to strip  the  defunding provision with a majority vote later in the process, so  the only  chance to exert influence is early on, when it will take a  60-vote threshold to  even proceed with action.”

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The House GOP is offering another solution.

From Politico  “The House Republican leadership is seriously considering attaching a one-year  delay of Obamacare’s individual mandate to the Senate bill to avert a government  shutdown, according to senior GOP aides.

If House Republicans decide to go this route, it would all but provoke a  government shutdown, since Senate Democrats might not even schedule a vote on a  bill that includes that provision, Senate leadership staffers say. Even if the  Senate schedules a vote, there might not be time to move the legislation through  the slow-moving chamber.”

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Here’s an interesting read on the US terrorists involved in the mall massacre.

From YahooNews  “A heated debate has erupted among Somali refugees in the U.S. over the slaughter of civilians in the Kenyan shopping mall, highlighting what U.S. intelligence officials fear is fertile recruiting ground for Islamic jihadists.”

“When the conversation turned to Kenya, the room erupted in debate in a smattering of broken English and Arabic dialects between the men playing cards and sipping tea on ramshackle furniture.”

“”Al-Shabaab is not just recruiting young Somalis in the U.S. Also around the world,” Abtieon said in an interview outside the din of his arguing countrymen in the market’s back room.”

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Bob Beckel has had a stunning moment of clarity. Perhaps some on the left are starting to wise up.

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The same can’t be said for major US print news sources. Not surprisingly, they won’t point out the obvious, or the relevant facts. That wouldn’t be politically correct.

From NewsBusters  “Dare a top newspaper journalist to play connect-the-dots and chances are  he’ll fail miserably – at least with drawing the line between Islam and  terrorism. In Nairobi, Kenya last weekend, Islamist militants took over a  high-end shopping mall and began executing non-Muslims. In Pakistan, Islamist  suicide bombers detonated at a Christian Church on Sunday. 

Yet on Monday, September 23, 90 percent of the top ten (via  circulation numbers) daily newspapers’ headlines in the United States  censored the words “Islam” and Muslim” from Nairobi and Pakistan reports. One –  the New York Daily News – didn’t even have a headline for the latest Islamic  terrorist attacks. That’s journalism at its finest.”

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Looks like Obama and Kerry have a backdoor route to their gun control utopia in mind.

From TheHill  “Secretary  of State John Kerry is expected to sign an arms trade treaty opposed by the  Senate and the gun lobby as early as Wednesday, and Republicans aren’t happy  about it.

Kerry’s plan to sign the treaty on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly  in New York this week has sparked immediate criticism from GOP  opponents. 

“This treaty is already dead in the water in the Senate, and they know it,” said  Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services.  “The Administration is wasting precious time trying to sign away our laws to the  global community and unelected U.N. bureaucrats.”

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This one I only have one comment on. It’s about time.

From TheWashingtonTimes  “House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has no  Catholic right to be  granted Communion, said the leading cardinal of the  highest court at the  Vatican.”

“That’s canon law, not opinion, he said. Canon 915 states that  Catholics who are stubbornly contrary “in manifest grave sin  are not to  be admitted to Holy Communion.”

And Cardinal Burke said Mrs. Pelosi fits   the definition.

“Certainly this is a case when Canon 915 must be  applied,” he said,  the Western  Center for Journalism reported. “This is a person who  obstinately, after  repeated admonitions, persists in a grave  sin — cooperating with the crime of  procured abortion — and still  professes to be a devout Catholic.”

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News/Politics 9-24-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, a story of heroism during the terrorist attack in Kenya.

From TheDailyMail  “An off-duty member of the SAS emerged as a hero of the Nairobi siege yesterday, after he was credited with saving up to 100  lives.

The soldier was having coffee at the Westgate mall when it was attacked by Islamists on Saturday.”

“He is said to have returned to the building on a dozen occasions, despite intense gunfire.”

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Next up, once again things are missed, and the results are deadly for the victims. And again the Obama admin should be called to task for the influence these groups have on American policy, and within their own ranks.

From TheDailyCaller  “The Council on American Islamic Relations repeatedly tried to stop a  Minnesota community leader from warning about the dangers al-Qaida-linked group  posed to the Somali-American community prior to the Kenyan mall massacre.

“I tried to warn America,” Abdirizak Bihi, a Minnesota-based Somali community  leader, explained to The Daily Caller.

Minnesota residents were reportedly among the attackers in the grisly  assault by al-Shabaab terrorists on the Westgate mall in Nairobi, Kenya. The  Twin Cities are home to the largest Somali community in the United States.”

“But he told The Daily Caller the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR)  has blocked his efforts for years, telling law enforcement agencies by telling  them that he doesn’t know the Somali community and calling him “an Islamophobe”  in a recent report.”

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The Obama admin would like you to know that his foreign policy in Africa is working. Wait… What? 😯

From TheHill  “The president said the United States stands with Kenya against the “terrible  outrage” that saw al Shabaab’s Islamist militants kill at least 69 people in a  high-end shopping mall in Nairobi. He later joined in a moment of silence at the  United Nations.

“We are confident that Kenya, which has been a pillar of stability in eastern  Africa, will rebuild,” Obama said. “But this, I think, underscores the degree to  which all of us, as an international community, have to stand against the kind  of senseless violence that these kinds of groups represent. And the United  States will continue to work with the entire continent of Africa and around the  world to make sure that we are dismantling these networks of destruction.”

The attack has raised new concerns about al Shabaab’s tenacity despite  administration claims that Somalia is now a success story.”

““The fact of the matter is we’ve actually had a very aggressive effort to go  after al Shabaab in Somalia, both through direct U.S. counterterrorism efforts,  but also through support for AMISOM, the international force, including Kenya,  that has pushed al Shabaab out of a number of its strongholds in Somalia,”  Rhodes told reporters traveling with the president. “And, frankly, I think it  was that pressure on al Shabaab that, in terms of their own professed  motivation, led them to pursue an attack against Kenya.”

So relocating terrorists is a considered a successful anti-terrorism policy? All they did was just make them someone else’s problem. Here and abroad, their anti-terrorism methods are failing. Maybe it’s the company they keep?

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Which brings us to this, the company they keep….. The DC has another story out that is my recommended reading for today. This story exposes CAIR for the terrorism supporting outfit they are, and how they go about it. Sadly our Attorney General turns a blind eye to their criminal behavior. It’s an indictment of CAIR, but also our DoJ and White House. After all, they allow and even encourage it, while allowing the criminals to call the shots. They are breaking numerous federal laws, allow foreign govts to fund their efforts, and file false tax documents. And make no mistake, those efforts are successful and have borne fruit for the radicals. That’s why the MB and CAIR hold such prominence in this administration.

From TheDailyCaller  “Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has presented itself to American Muslims and  the media as a single organization centered on American concerns. But it shows a  different face to the IRS, with multiple corporate entities that conceal the  large financial donations that come to CAIR from Middle East sources.

As a registered lobbying group, CAIR is required to report to the IRS  contributions over $5,000. Its shifting 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) branches,  however, make it possible to collect millions of dollars from oil-rich  Muslim nations without disclosure. Documents show CAIR has received millions of  dollars in overseas contributions and tens of millions in pledges from  overseas.”

““In addition to violating its 501(c)(3) regulations, CAIR’s undisclosed and  hidden foreign donations amount to violation of the Foreign Agent Registration  Act as well,” Reaboi continued.”

““According to both the letter and spirit of the law, this is illegal as  CAIR is avoiding disclosure of foreign sources of funding to a 501(c)3  (CAIR-F),” Reaboi explained to TheDC.”

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Next up, Lois Lerner is getting her taxpayer funded retirement. Her payback from her handlers.

From FoxNews  “The Internal Revenue Service says an official at the center of the agency’s tea party scandal is retiring.

Lois Lerner headed the IRS division that handles applications for tax-exempt status when she was placed on paid leave in May. While she was in charge, the agency acknowledged that agents improperly targeted tea party groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status from 2010 to 2012.”

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Like I said yesterday, never mind the torpedoes……. 🙂

From TheWallStJournal  “The Senate plunged into debate over legislation to fund the government while cutting of money for the new health-care law, with both sides accusing the other of threatening to bring about a government shutdown.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) opened debate by denouncing the bill  passed by the House Friday that embodies conservatives’ campaign to “defund Obamacare,” as the health law is known.”

“Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) the leading proponent of the bill, set a confrontational tone by quickly proposing two motions he knew would be rejected — one to pass the House  bill by voice vote, and another to block any amendments that do not command a super-majority of 60 votes.”

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There was some news stories last week that joyfully told everyone the Pope had softened his and the church’s stand against gay marriage. This should help clear up any misconceptions that have arisen as a result of his taken out of context remarks.

From TheTelegraph/UK  “Pope Francis excommunicates pro-gay marriage priest. He’s not the liberal the media wants.”

“From all of last week’s headlines saying that the Pope wants to forget this nonsense about abortion and gays, you’d imagine that Germaine Greer had been elected to run the Catholic Church. Actually what the Pope was saying was that he wants the Church to talk more about what it’s for than what it’s against. But that doesn’t mean it won’t still be against those things that contradict its teachings and traditions.

Just ask Greg Reynolds of Melbourne – a priest who appears to have been both defrocked and excommunicated because of his radical views on women clergy and gay marriage.”

Oh No! In a totally unforeseeable turn of events, the Pope has turned out to be Catholic. 🙄

So the left will be resuming it’s regularly scheduled hate fest pretty soon.

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News/Politics 9-23-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread, as always.

Here’s a few from me.

From NBCNews  “The FBI is investigating whether as many as five Americans were among the small team of terrorists who took over a Kenyan mall and launched a bloodbath that has left at least 68 dead and 175 injured over two days of carnage.

The investigation is in its early stages and until a conclusion of the siege in Kenya —  which spilled into a second bloody day on Sunday — authorities may not know for sure whether any U.S. residents were involved.

The FBI is investigating terrorist group al-Shabab’s claim that five Americans helped them attack a Kenyan mall. NBC’s Pete Williams reports.

The notion that Americans were involved came directly from the terrorists themselves — or at least a Twitter feed purporting to represent the Somali al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabab, which has claimed responsibility for the mall attack.”

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More here from CNN  “There are believed to be between 10-15 gunmen involved in the attack, officials said.

Sources within Al-Shabaab told CNN that nine names listed on a Twitter site — now suspended — were people who were among the alleged hostage-takers.

Three of the alleged attackers are from the United States, two are from Somalia and there is one each from Canada, Finland, Kenya and the United Kingdom, according to the list.”

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The President spoke at a memorial for the victims of the DC Navy Yard shooting. In my opinion he once again played politics with a tragedy.

From USAToday  “President Obama called Sunday for a “transformation” of the nation’s gun laws, saying last week’s deadly shooting at the Washington Navy Yard echoes too many other killings across the United States.

“Our tears are not enough,” Obama said during a memorial service for the victims and their families.  “Our words and our prayers are not enough. … We are going to have to change.”

Gun violence in America “ought to obsess us,” Obama said.”

“Obama, who has proposed changes to the nation’s gun and mental illness laws, noted that shootings in other countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom led to changes in their gun laws. “What’s different in America,” he said, “is it’s easy to get your hands on a gun — and a lot of us know this.”

Transformation? Oh goody. Look how well his other attempts to “transform” things have gone. Should be tons of fun. 🙄

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