August 15, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 8-15-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

The fight for control of Egypt continues to be a bloody affair.

From TheWallStJournal “Egypt’s military regime, aided by snipers and bulldozers, swept the streets of Islamist protesters—setting off a day of violence that left more than 278 people dead, the government fractured and ties with its international partners in tatters.

Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers stormed police stations, burned down churches and battled with government supporters in several neighborhoods, after police sweeps left scores of protesters dead at two Cairo squares. The raid ended more than a month of sit-ins by thousands of Brotherhood supporters—sometimes joined by families, and daring the government to disperse them—who demanded the reinstatement of ousted President Mohammed Morsi.”

“Egypt’s interim president declared a monthlong, national state of emergency—raising Egyptians’ fears of extended conflict, further crackdowns and the prospect that the military regime they struggled to overthrow in 2011 was reasserting control.

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Once again the Obama admin finds a way to repay campaign contributions from Planned Parenthood. And this is just in DC. There’ll be plenty more for the abortion leader in other cities and states. Which will of course enable the contributions to pro-abortion politicians to continue. A vicious cycle indeed. Just like they planned it.

From TheWashingtonExaminer “Washington, D.C.’s health insurance exchange has awarded a $375,000 grant to abortion provider Planned Parenthood to help enroll participants in Obamacare, the exchange announced on Tuesday.

As part of its effort to boost enrollment in the exchange created by President Obama’s health care law, the D.C. Health Benefit Exchange doled out $6.4 million to 35 DC-based groups. Those groups include local churches as well as health care and community organizations.

One of the largest awards went to Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington D.C.”

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Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife have been sentenced. Seems light to me, and why on earth are they rewarding his criminal behavior by not making him repay the 3/4 of a million dollars he embezzled?

From WGNTV “A federal judge sentenced former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. to 30 months, or 2-and-a-half years, in prison for misuse of campaign funds.

His wife, former Chicago alderman Sandi Jackson, was sentenced to 12 months for tax fraud. Judge Amy Berman Jackson also ordered her to pay $22,000 in restitution, which is the amount she spent from her campaign as alderman.”

“The judge also ruled that Jackson does not have to pay restitution to his former campaign because it is now defunct.”

“In February, the 48-year-old pleaded guilty to using $750,000 of his campaign money for personal expenses—in many cases, on extravagant items such as a Rolex watch and Michael Jackson memorabilia. He resigned from Congress in November after 17 years in office.”

So 2 and a half years, out in half that for good behavior, and you make 3/4 of a mil on the deal. Who says crime doesn’t pay?

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The persecution of George Zimmerman and his family continues. This is completely politically motivated, and once again, the prosecution is caught lying. If you only look at one link today, check out this one, and how the prosecution misrepresents the facts.

From PJMedia “The affidavit for the perjury charge, written and submitted by special prosecutor investigator T.C. O’Steen, is — like the affidavit submitted for the murder charge — devoid of probable cause.

In fact, it does not establish a single specific statement made by Shellie Zimmerman and explain why that specific statement was false, why it was material, how it was a matter of objective fact, or why Shellie believed it to be false as she uttered it.

Of all of the elements of the offense that must be established and proved, the state established only that Shellie was under oath and testified in a judicial proceeding.

Not only does the affidavit fail to fulfill the elements of the offense, by omission it actually lies to and misleads the court. In this case, there is no doubt that Judge Lester was biased against George, but it is most likely that the affidavit was approved because judges are generally not used to dealing with prosecutors willing to lie to them. Receiving an affidavit for a felony charge, they tend to rubber stamp it, not considering that a prosecutor, an officer of the court, would mislead them. In this case, that’s exactly what happened.”

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The pandering to homosexuals in the military by the Obama admin continues. The irony here is the claim that “they just want the same rights and treatment as everyone else” while they’re getting special rights others don’t have.

From CNSNews “The U.S. Defense Department announced on Wednesday that it will make “spousal and family benefits” available no later than Sept. 3, 2013, regardless of sexual orientation, for all service members who can provide a valid marriage certificate.

And what about same-sex military couples who live in a state where same-sex marriage is not allowed? No problem.

“We recognize that same-sex military couples who are not stationed in a jurisdiction that permits same-sex marriage would have to travel to another jurisdiction to marry. That is why the department will implement policies to allow military personnel in such a relationship non-chargeable leave for the purpose of travelling to a jurisdiction where such a marriage may occur,” the DOD news release said.”

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And remember folks, there’s no evidence that shows workers hours are being cut because of ObamaCare. The White House said so.

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August 14, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 8-14-13

What’s interesting out there today?

Open thread, so feel free to share with the group. 🙂

First up, this guy just keep shooting more and more holes in the Obama admins “workplace violence” story.

From TheNYTimes “One year after he waged a deadly shooting rampage at the Fort Hood Army base here in November 2009, Major Nidal Malik Hasan told a panel of military mental health experts that he wished he had been killed during the attack because it would have meant God had chosen him for martyrdom.”

(And yet the coward selected targets he knew were unarmed)

“Major Hasan, 42, an American-born Muslim of Palestinian descent whose long-delayed court-martial began last week in a Fort Hood courtroom, said in the documents and in previous statements in and out of court that he carried out the attack to wage jihad for what he has called the illegal and immoral wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the documents, he described in blunt and unapologetic terms how he killed soldiers as he stepped into a medical processing building on Nov. 5, 2009. He said he wore earplugs to muffle the sound of his semiautomatic weapon, and shot into areas that had the “greatest density of soldiers.” In the end, 13 people were dead.

“I don’t think what I did was wrong because it was for the greater cause of helping my Muslim brothers,” he told the military panel.”

Call it what it is. Islamic terrorism. And give the victims their benefits.

You can come up with your own theory as to why the Obama admin continues to ignore the obvious. I already have one, and again, it’s because of the influence muslim groups hold with this administration.

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Pro-Morsi demonstrators are now protesting in DC as well.

From TheInvestigativeProject “A rally Saturday in Washington supporting deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, the second in a month sponsored by a group calling itself Egyptian-Americans for Democracy and Human Rights (EADHR), along with its press conference on Friday, makes it harder for some leading American Islamists to deny their connection with the Muslim Brotherhood.”

“The pro-Morsi demonstrators who packed Freedom Plaza just a block from the White House repeated many of the same chants that have been common in Muslim Brotherhood protests in Egypt since Morsi’s fall.”

“The demonstrators and protest organizers hope to get the Obama administration to follow Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., in calling Morsi’s ouster a “coup.” Thus far, Secretary of State John Kerry and the Obama administration have declined to do so, saying that the military intervened to keep Egypt from devolving into chaos.”

He’ll cave. Just watch.

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And remember folks, Al-Qeada is defeated and on the run. Or they just changed their name or something.

From TheWaPo “A rebranded version of Iraq’s al-Qaeda affiliate is surging onto the front lines of the war in neighboring Syria, expanding into territory seized by other rebel groups and carving out the kind of sanctuaries that the U.S. military spent more than a decade fighting to prevent in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the four months since the Iraqi al-Qaeda group changed its name to reflect its growing ambitions, it has forcefully asserted its presence in some of the towns and villages captured from Syrian government forces. It has been bolstered by an influx of thousands of foreign fighters from the region and beyond.

The group, now known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, is by no means the largest of the loosely aligned rebel organizations battling to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and it is concentrated mostly in the northern and eastern provinces of the country. But with its radical ideology and tactics such as kidnappings and beheadings, the group has stamped its identity on the communities in which it is present, including, crucially, areas surrounding the main border crossings with Turkey.”

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Once again Eric Holder is caught playing fast and loose with the facts.

From HotAir “Bloomberg News caught the Department of Justice in a particularly noteworthy Friday-night news dump over the weekend. The Obama administration, stung by accusations from the Left that it hadn’t gone after fraudulent mortgages and the lenders that helped fuel the bubble, claimed that a year-long initiative run by the Mortgage Fraud Working Group in the DoJ had charged 530 people who had victimized 73,000 people. When Bloomberg’s reporters began digging into the claim, the DoJ stonewalled — and then finally admitted it cooked the books themselves:

The Justice Department made a long-overdue disclosure late Friday: Last year when U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder boasted about the successes that a high-profile task force racked up pursuing mortgage fraud, the numbers he trumpeted were grossly overstated.

We’re not talking small differences here. Originally the Justice Department said 530 people were charged criminally as part of a year-long initiative by the multi-agency Mortgage Fraud Working Group. It now says the actual figure was 107 — or 80 percent less. Holder originally said the defendants had victimized more than 73,000 American homeowners. That number was revised to 17,185, while estimates of homeowner losses associated with the frauds dropped to $95 million from $1 billion.

Hey, they only inflated those claims by 80% and 9o% — or looking at it from the other direction, 500% and 900%. Shouldn’t they get a chance to round up to the nearest 1000%? If you’re wondering what prompted this sudden outbreak of honesty, Bloomberg explains that two of its reporters had figured out the fraud:

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Here’s an update from one of yesterdays stories. We may now know the culprits. Now all we need to know is who put them up to it.

From TheDailyCaller “A new rush through the U.S. border has been triggered by an outspoken progressive group that is exploiting new asylum regulations to demand American citizenship for 1.7 million illegals previously deported to Mexico, according to Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach.

Border officials have told advocates and TV stations that hundreds of people are using the group’s innovative legal tactic to get approval from the border patrol for a temporary legal stay in the country.

The National Immigrant Youth Alliance triggered the rush by sending a group of illegals back to Mexico. The illegals then successfully used the asylum claim to win a temporary stay in the United States. The members, dubbed the “Dream 9,” walked up to the U.S. border and asked for asylum, based on the claim that they’re afraid of Mexico’s drug-cartels.

The group’s tactic works because new regulations allow immigrants to ask that a judge, rather than a border patrol officer, decide their asylum claim. Instead of jailing the prospective immigrants until their courtroom date, border officials are releasing many into the United States.”

Where many will disappear and ignore their court date.

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And just further proof that the sequester meme from Obama and Dems was way overstated.

From GovExec.com “When sequestration was about to kick in, the Obama administration began a nearly across-the-board campaign to discuss the devastating impact the automatic cuts would have on agency operations.

At the center of these warnings stood employee furloughs: mandatory unpaid leave to help each department meet the lower budget caps that took effect March 1. Furloughs, combined with hiring freezes, would disrupt the proper functioning of government, agency chiefs said, as fewer employees working fewer hours could not accomplish the same amount as a fully staffed workforce.

While many federal agencies have in fact moved forward with furloughs, and there remain countless examples of sequestration interfering with government operations, most major departments have reduced furlough days, or eliminated them altogether.

The earliest examples came from departments that told Congress they would have to furlough employees, but ended up backtracking. The Education and Justice departments fall into this category. The Agriculture, Transportation and Homeland Security departments all received authority to transfer funds between agency accounts, and were therefore able to cancel planned furloughs. The Commerce Department projected furloughs at its National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, only to cancel them in May.”

Defense too.

August 13, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 8-13-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up today, a Benghazi update. Looks like gun running is the reason for the attacks after all, and what they’ve been trying to hide all along. Breitbart and DC’s WMAL provide the details.

Via WeaselZippers “Atty For Benghazi Whistleblower: 400 U.S. Surface-To-Air Missiles Were Stolen In Benghazi”

“Is this part of the threat that closed the embassies, the fear that our own weapons would be used against us? Joe Di Genova, who was a federal prosecutor, also notes that the President mentioned the sealed indictment to make it appear as though he was doing something, but violated a court order to reveal the sealed indictment.”

“On August 12, Joe DiGenova, attorney for one of the Benghazi whistleblowers, told Washington D.C.’s WMAL that one of the reasons people have remained tight-lipped about Benghazi is because 400 U.S. missiles were “diverted to Libya” and ended up being stolen and falling into “the hands of some very ugly people.”

The interview with the attorney is interesting to say the least.

Now what role do you suppose these weapons played in the recent warnings?

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The N.C. Gov. has signed an extensive new Voter ID law.

From TheWaPo “North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) on Monday signed into law one of the nation’s most wide-ranging Voter ID laws.

The move is likely to touch off a major court battle over voting rights, and the Justice Department is weighing a challenge to the new law, which is the first to pass since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the Voting Rights Act. “

“The measure requires voters to present government-issued photo identification at the polls and shortens the early voting period from 17 to 10 days. It will also end pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-old voters who will be 18 on Election Day and eliminates same-day voter registration.

Democrats and minority groups have been fighting against the changes, arguing that they represent an effort to suppress the minority vote and the youth vote, along with reducing Democrats’ advantage in early voting. They point out that there is little documented evidence of voter fraud.”

Wow. The Race Card. Didn’t see that comin’…… 🙄

As Politico points out, a war is coming now that the old act has finally fallen.

From Politico “State lawmakers from around the country crowded into a packed room Monday at the meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures to learn more about the impact of the Supreme Court’s recent decision striking down the Voting Rights Act as activists gear up for a new battle over the ballot box.

The panelists that led at the NCSCL gathering in Atlanta said there’s so much interest in possible voting changes that more chairs had to be brought in for the larger-than-expected crowd that topped 100.”

“The high court’s ruling in June means that parts or all of 15 states can now pass laws and make changes to elections without needing pre-approval from the Justice Department – and a handful of them began to act immediately. The Justice Department has moved to stop Texas from going forward and put it back under preclearance, and a similar lawsuit has been filed by a separate group against a small town in southern Alabama.

In the meantime, changes to voting procedures could be small and localized – which may make them even more dangerous, according to activists.”

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This next one is great if you’re an illegal immigrant. But you still can’t visit the White House. As you can see, they have other funding priorities.

From FoxNews “A sudden influx of illegal immigrants from Mexico requesting asylum is overwhelming immigration agents in San Diego, forcing agencies to rent hotel rooms for some undocumented families and release others to cities around the U.S.

Documents obtained exclusively by Fox News show Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been paying for hotel rooms for dozens of recently arrived families to relieve overcrowding inside the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa, Calif., processing centers. Some ICE employees are working overtime and others have been asked to volunteer to work weekend shifts. “Duties include intake, placements, transports and release of family groups and unaccompanied minors,” according to a memo obtained by Fox News.

The surge has raised suspicions about what is driving the influx, amid claims that illegal immigrants have learned they can attempt to get asylum by using a few key words — namely, by claiming they have a “credible fear” of drug cartels.

“This clearly has to have been orchestrated by somebody,” said former U.S. Attorney for Southern California Peter Nunez. “It’s beyond belief that dozens or hundreds or thousands of people would simultaneously decide that they should go to the U.S. and make this claim.””

Cough (Liberals) Cough (Dems and RINO’s) Cough (Obama) Cough……

Take your pick. Lot’s of suspects to choose from. Pretty much anyone in our govt is a potential suspect. 🙄

But all sarcasm aside, this will cause legitimate requests to be questioned as well. That’s not right. Unintended consequences are never considered.

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Here’s some more of your tax dollars at work.

From Reason “Labor activists using tactics adopted from the Occupy Wall Street movement are crashing restaurants across the nation in an effort to raise wages for workers – and they’re getting taxpayer money to fund the effort.

Using a combination of federal grants and grants from left-leaning organizations, the Restaurant Opportunity Center, or ROC, is technically a charitable nonprofit and not a union. But their pro-worker messages, anti-employer protests and self-proclaimed goal of organizing service sector employees for the purposes of negotiating higher wages make ROC look and sound much like a labor union.

Some see their tactics as a deliberate attempt to skirt the nation’s labor laws. Only unions elected by a majority of a workplace can negotiate with employers on workers’ behalf, though ROC seems to be doing so in the absence of any election.”

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Here’s an update on the Paula Dean lawsuit.

From MSN “A federal judge Monday threw out race discrimination claims by a former Savannah restaurant manager whose lawsuit against Paula Deen has already cost the celebrity cook a valuable chunk of her culinary empire.

Lisa Jackson sued Deen and her brother, Bubba Hiers, last year saying she suffered from sexual harassment and racially offensive talk and employment practices that were unfair to black workers during her five years as a manager of Uncle Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House. Deen is co-owner of the restaurant, which is primarily run by her brother.”

“But claims of race discrimination by Jackson, who is white, were gutted in the 20-page opinion by U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. The judge agreed with lawyers for Deen and Hiers that Jackson has no standing to sue her former employers for what she claims was poor treatment of black workers, regardless of her claims that she was offended and placed under additional stress.

Jackson, at best, “is an accidental victim of the alleged racial discrimination,” Moore said in his ruling. “There are no allegations that defendant Hiers’s racially offensive comments were either directed toward plaintiff or made with the intent to harass her.”

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And the rodeo clown with the Obama mask has been banned from the MO. State Fair.

From Yahoo “The Missouri State Fair on Monday imposed a lifetime ban on a rodeo clown whose depiction of President Barack Obama getting charged by a bull was widely criticized by Democratic and Republican officials alike.

The rodeo clown won’t be allowed to participate or perform at the fair again. Fair officials say they’re also reviewing whether to take any action against the Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association, the contractor responsible for Saturday’s event.”

“The fair said in a written statement announcing the clown’s ban that he had engaged in an “unconscionable stunt” that was “inappropriate and not in keeping with the Fair’s standards.” The fair’s press release did not identify the clown.”

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August 12, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 8-12-12

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, a weird story. I see the judge’s point, but I don’t see how this survives appeal.

From TheTennessean “A Newport mother is appealing a court’s decision after a judge ordered her son’s name be changed from “Messiah.”

Jaleesa Martin and the father of Messiah could not agree on a last name, which is how they ended up at a child support hearing in Cocke County Chancery Court on Thursday.”

“”The word Messiah is a title and it’s a title that has only been earned by one person and that one person is Jesus Christ,” Judge Ballew said.

Martin responded saying, “I was shocked. I never intended on naming my son Messiah because it means God and I didn’t think a judge could make me change my baby’s name because of her religious beliefs.””

I don’t see how she can either.

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And speaking of things that might not be legal…..

The Constitutional Scholar strikes again. Shouldn’t he know better?

From ABCNews “President Obama surprised aides when he revealed today the existence of a sealed indictment in the Benghazi, Libya, attack, leaving some wondering if he crossed a legal line.”

“That marked the only official confirmation so far of a sealed indictment in the Benghazi case. For days, officials across the law enforcement and intelligence communities have refused to publicly confirm reports of a sealed indictment.

After all, according to federal law, “no person may disclose [a sealed] indictment’s existence,” and a “knowing violation … may be punished as a contempt of court.” Contempt of court carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail.”

I guess he’s willing to break the law to toot his own horn. How classy. 🙄

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Another Dem using govt authority to intimidate political opponents and groups supporting Stand Your Ground laws.

From TheDailyCaller “Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin is facing a firestorm of criticism after sending letters to hundreds of organizations trying to find out the depth of their relationship with the American Legislative Exchange Council.

The senator’s interest in ALEC is based on the stand your ground legislation that has become a focal point for liberal activists and lawmakers after the George Zimmerman trial in Florida. But his hometown newspaper, The Chicago Tribune, editorialized that the inquiries looked like “Durbin’s enemies list.”

“Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz released a statement today blasting Durbin’s inquiry:

“Senator Durbin’s request for ALEC supporters to announce an official position on gun laws in advance of a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing is inappropriate, and I encourage recipients not to respond,” Cruz said. “While Senator Durbin is free to make any inquiry he likes, in my view this effort represents an inappropriate governmental intrusion into the personal and political views of American citizens and businesses.””

Just like the IRS and FEC.

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Next up, with this kind of administration, it’s no wonder they’re bankrupt.

From Bloomberg “In late February, cash-strapped Detroit received a $1 million check from the local school system that wasn’t deposited. The routine payment wound up in a city hall desk drawer, where it was found a month later.”

“This is the way Detroit did business as it slid toward bankruptcy, which it entered July 18. The move exposed $18 billion of long-term obligations in a city plagued by unreliable buses, broken street lights and long waits for police and ambulances. Underlying poor service is a government that lacks modern technology and can’t perform such basic functions as bill collecting, according to Kevyn Orr, Detroit’s emergency manager.”

Read the link, Detroit’s woes are legion. Gross mismanagement at all levels, and every office it seems.

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

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

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

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

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

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August 10, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 8-10-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

It appears House Republicans are prepared to put forth an ObamaCare alternative. Repeal and replace.

From TheHill “The conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC) is preparing to unveil legislation that would replace ObamaCare with a new set of healthcare reforms.

A spokesman for RSC Chairman Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) confirmed Friday that members of the group will introduce their measure after the August recess.”

“Chairman Scalise and the RSC Health Care Working Group are drafting legislation to repeal ObamaCare and replace it with a conservative alternative that fixes the problems in our healthcare system without the harmful taxes and mandates in the President’s law,” Stephen Bell said in a statement to The Hill. “The timetable for rollout is slated for this fall.””

This seems to be the idea the general public has too. They continue to come in strongly against. This poll has 57% calling it a joke. Ouch.

From FoxNews “Majorities of Americans think the new health care law is going to increase their medical costs and their taxes — and add to the federal deficit as well. Those are some of the reasons why voters say — by a two-to-one margin — that Congress should keep working on the law.

A Fox News national poll released Thursday also asks voters about how they think Obamacare is being carried out: 31 percent say “it’s going fine,” yet a 57-percent majority feels “it’s a joke.”

Republicans are more than three times as likely to say it’s a joke (87 percent vs. 25 percent). Still, a quarter of Democrats agree.

Nine times as many Democrats as Republicans say implementation of Obamacare is going fine (63 percent vs. 7 percent).”

It’s fine, everything’s fine. 🙄 Sure.

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But it appears they may be about to cave and vote for amnesty, if this is accurate.

Also from TheHill “Forty to 50 House Republicans will support immigration reform, Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill.) predicted Thursday.

Gutiérrez said many of the Republicans supportive of immigration reform don’t want to be identified, but he insisted they would support comprehensive immigration reform.

“If they ask me today, go find those 40 to 50 Republicans, I’ll tell them I found them. I know where they’re at,” Gutiérrez said in an interview with Ed O’Keefe at The Washington Post.”

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Good. Let’s get to it.

From FoxNews “The non-partisan Government Accountability Office confirmed Thursday it is launching an investigation into how the country’s largest abortion provider spent millions of taxpayer dollars.

Planned Parenthood received more than a half billion dollars in federal funding last year. The GAO’s investigation is in response to a request made by more than 50 members of Congress in February who asked for a detailed report on how money is being used by Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers across the country.”

“The GAO’s investigation comes on the heels of a settlement involving a Texas affiliate of the organization, which paid $4.3 million in July to settle allegations of fraud in billing to a health program for the poor. The settlement was $3 million more than what had been announced earlier by the Texas Attorney General.”

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Next up, privacy is dead. Not only is the govt peeping on your cell, internet, and phone, but now a court has said perverts can even look in your window and photo you and your kids inside your home. And you can’t do anything about it. Wow.

From TheNYPost “A Manhattan judge ruled this week that artistic freedom trumps the rights of parents who don’t want their kids secretly photographed through the windows of their homes.

Judge Eileen Rakower tossed a lawsuit brought by two parents against a Tribeca artist who snapped pictures of their children through their apartment windows as part of a controversial exhibition this year.

“But controversy erupted after Svenson’s models learned that they were being photographed without their knowledge — and that the images were being exhibited and sold for up to $10,000 each.”

“But Rakower ruled Monday that Svenson’s artistic freedom superseded their privacy concerns, and dismissed the case outright.”

Art trumps your privacy. Nice.

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August 9, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 8-9-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, I can see a judge issuing a gag order to witnesses. What I can’t see is why you threaten the families with loss of benefits if they don’t play along too. A military judge in a court-martial has no such authority over civilians. So where did the order to families not to talk to the press come from? DoD, or the White House?

From RedState “Autumn Manning, wife of Army Staff Sgt. Shawn Manning who was wounded in the Ft. Hood terror attack, is speaking out on Twitter. Manning claims that the Department of Defense has “slapped victims of violence with gag orders” and is preventing them to discuss denial of benefits and other developments in the wake of the attack.”

“Why would the DOD gag families, especially those who aren’t serving thus not obligated to comply?”

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The military won’t be the only govt agency used for social experiments by the Obama admin. Introducing the new and improved HUD.

From FoxNews “In a move some claim is tantamount to social engineering, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is imposing a new rule that would allow the feds to track diversity in America’s neighborhoods and then push policies to change those it deems discriminatory.

The policy is called, “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.” It will require HUD to gather data on segregation and discrimination in every single neighborhood and try to remedy it.

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan unveiled the federal rule at the NAACP convention in July.”

“Data from this discrimination database would be used with zoning laws, housing finance policy, infrastructure planning and transportation to alleviate alleged discrimination and segregation.”

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If you like that one, you’ll love this one.

From CNSNews “Secretary of State John Kerry announced Wednesday the formation of the Office of Faith-Based Community Initiatives, which will be headed by Shaun Casey, a former religion advisor to President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign and a liberal professor who last year touted the end of ‘civil religion’ in the United States.

“I, frankly, am glad American civil religion is dying,” Casey said at a discussion last year at the Center for American Progress focused on “God and Politics” in the last presidential election.”

“Kerry cited the Bible’s New Testament in describing the new office’s mission, which he said would seek “common ground” between “all religions.”

“One of my favorite passages from the Scripture sums up what Shaun and I think this effort is really all about,” Kerry said. “It’s a familiar Gospel of Mark in which Jesus says to his disciples, ‘For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for the many.’”

And there you have it. I’m not sure exactly what IT is, but there it is.

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Additional indictments from the Boston bombing case.

From Reuters “A U.S. grand jury on Thursday indicted two students from Kazakhstan on obstruction of justice charges, alleging they helped hide evidence related to the April Boston marathon bombing that killed three and injured 264.

Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov, both 19, were college friends of surviving bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.”

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Next up, “Phony scandals?” Depends who you ask.

From FoxNews “Benghazi. Snooping on reporters. The IRS and NSA. The White House dismisses them as phony and fake scandals. Americans do not.

A Fox News national poll released Thursday finds that 78 percent of voters think the questions over the administration’s handling of the terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi should be taken seriously. Just 17 percent call it a phony scandal.”

“Meanwhile, 69 percent of voters say the National Security Agency’s electronic surveillance of everyday Americans is serious, while 26 percent call that a fake scandal.”

And there’s more. Looks like a message fail for Obama and Dems all the way around.

Oh, and since we’re talking about them scandals…..

From TheWashingtonExaminer “In a remarkable admission that is likely to rock the Internal Revenue Service again, testimony released Thursday by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp reveals that an agent involved in reviewing tax exempt applications from conservative groups told a committee investigator that the agency is still targeting Tea Party groups, three months after the IRS scandal erupted..

In closed door testimony before the House Ways & Means Committee, the unidentified IRS agent said requests for special tax status from Tea Party groups is being forced into a special “secondary screening” because the agency has yet to come up with new guidance on how to judge the tax status of the groups.”

“In a transcript from the committee provided to Secrets, a Ways & Means investigator asked: “If you saw — I am asking this currently, if today if a Tea Party case, a group — a case from a Tea Party group came in to your desk, you reviewed the file and there was no evidence of political activity, would you potentially approve that case? Is that something you would do?”

“The agent said, “At this point I would send it to secondary screening, political advocacy.” The committee staffer then said, “So you would treat a Tea Party group as a political advocacy case even if there was no evidence of political activity on the application. Is that right?” The agent admitted, “Based on my current manager’s direction, uh-huh.”

Phony. Sure. 🙄

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Waste. Fraud. Abuse.

From TheWashingtonExaminer “A Maryland woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges related to setting up at least 15 false businesses in six states that received government contracts despite often being registered to people who did not exist.”

“The conspirators typically operated under a particular business name for a period of six to 12 months until the business was either disqualified from the FedBid marketplace or was otherwise burdened with lawsuits or liens,” the plea bargain said.

“The conspirators initially used their true names and addresses to register their businesses, but later attempted to conceal their true identities by using aliases to register the businesses and by renting commercial mail box store fronts.””

“The case illustrates how little federal officials know about where goods and services they purchase come from, with one Whitehead firm selling ammunition to the Army, according to government contracting records, thus raising questions about whether bullets of dubious quality wound up in soldiers’ hands.”

And it just gets worse from there.

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Lastly today, 2 abortion stories. First Wendy Davis, and the ignorance from Dems like her in the abortion debate. And of course you can’t talk about that without mentioning the media who enables it.

From HotAir “This spring and summer has seen the media bias in full bloom on abortion. The national media couldn’t be bothered to cover the trial of Kermit Gosnell, which they initially dismissed as a “local” news story despite its potential impact on the national debate over abortion, while they thundered down to Florida as a herd to cover the George Zimmerman trial … and to Arizona for the Jodi Arias trial, whose national implications were apparently “pretty girl kills boyfriend and denies it.””

“When Texas followed up on the Gosnell grand jury report to better regulate abortion mills to ensure that they operated as ambulatory surgical clinics and limited abortions to 20 weeks, the media only took an interest in the woman who tried to block the bill that had support from 62% of Texans and 61% of Texas women. The same national media who couldn’t be bothered to report on the Gosnell horror without being shamed into it — and then mostly focused on whether or not it was a real news story at all — hailed Wendy Davis as a heroine for her opposition. In fact, they gave Davis three times as much coverage in three weeks as they gave the Gosnell trial in eight weeks.

Oddly, though, they never actually pressed Davis to explain why she opposed regulating abortion clinics, given the horrors of the unregulated Gosnell clinic. When John McCormack of the Weekly Standard asked her about the majority support of women for late-term abortion bans in light of Gosnell, Davis replied that she was mainly ignorant of the Gosnell case, but claimed women overall were ignorant of the lack of risk involved.”

“Despite frequently mocking anti-abortion activists as anti-science know-nothings, abortion rights absolutists are the ones who play fast and loose with the facts of abortion. Because they are so rarely asked to defend their positions, Davis and her ilk apparently don’t feel the need to be informed. Follow-up questions to their strange and often empirically false statements are almost nonexistent, while offensive or misinformed comments from GOP back benchers are greeted with full-scale media hysteria.”

And the second is here. I’d be surprised if you’ve seen anything about this on the so-called news.

From LifeNews “Leading pro-life advocates marched in downtown Washington, D.C. to the doorstep of ABC News’ Washington bureau to accuse the network and other mainstream media outlets of bias and censorship on abortion.

Fifty six days after the grisly trial of abortionist Kermit Gosnell began, ABC broke its self-imposed blackout and finally offered coverage.

Lila Rose, the head of Live Action, which coordinated the event, said “Enough is enough. It’s time to report the news. It’s time to stop censoring the news.”

“She was joined by pro-life leaders like Jill Stanek, Ryan Bomberger and Charmaine Yoest of Americans United for Life.”

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August 8, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 8-8-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread, as always.

First up today, looks like someone wants to be martyred. Which is odd, because I’ve heard religion had nothing to do with this. 🙄

It’s also why when he’s found guilty, the sentence should be life in prison. Don’t give him the easy way out, or the fame and notoriety amongst jihadists that he craves.

From HotAir “The standby attorney for the Army psychiatrist accused in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting has told a military judge that Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan appears intent on receiving a death sentence.”

“Lt. Col. Kris Poppe (PAHP’-ee) said Wednesday at Hasan’s trial that he is willing to step in and be Hasan’s attorney. But if Hasan continues to work toward being executed, Poppe asked that his responsibilities be minimized.”

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Oh look. Why am I not shocked?

From Reuters “Congress has won some partial relief for lawmakers and their staffs from the “Obamacare” health reforms that it passed and subjected itself to three years ago.

In a ruling issued on Wednesday, U.S. lawmakers and their staffs will continue to receive a federal contribution toward the health insurance that they must purchase through soon-to-open exchanges created by President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law.

The decision by the Office of Personnel Management, with Obama’s blessing, will prevent the largely unintended loss of healthcare benefits for 535 members of the Senate and House of Representatives and thousands of Capitol Hill staff.”

How nice for them.

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Meanwhile, a plan to not fund ObamaCare for next year, but not one that requires a govt. shutdown.

From TheHill “A group of conservatives led by anti-tax activist Grover Norquist is pushing for a one-year delay of ObamaCare in the government funding bills that must be passed this fall.

In a letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Norquist and 18 other conservatives urged support for a one-year delay as part of any spending package.

“It is wrong to force people to participate in a system that is simply not ready,” the activists wrote.”

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This one? Also not surprising. Birds of a feather and all.

From WatchDog.org “Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe and three top GreenTech advisers met with the key White House aide responsible for helping bankrupt solar-panel maker Solyndra win federal loans and high-profile presidential support, a Watchdog investigation has revealed.

What they discussed in the Oct. 12, 2010, meeting with Obama “green energy” aide Greg Nelson is a mystery – the White House visitors log offers no details. But the confab came seven months after a stock transfer made McAuliffe a GreenTech minority owner and company chairman.”

“Months before the GreenTech meeting at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., White House officials already knew Solyndra was on the ropes – failing an independent audit and headed toward a predicted default on its federal $535 million loan. Despite warnings from allies and staff, the president visited Solyndra in May 2010, pointing to the company as a model of his new economy.”

And yes, this is the same GreenTech who’s sister company Gulf Coast Funds, is involved in a visa selling scandal, which also seems to involve McAuliffe. He’s also in on the electric car scam too. So what will it be? “Purely coincidental?” Or “Phony scandals?”

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The Recovery continues to gain steam. Or not. Depends on your definition of what’s successful. The Obama admin likes it, and loves to take credit. So give it to ’em.

From HotAir “Being on vacation last week meant that I missed the jobs report for July, which turned out to be as unremarkable as most of those in the four-plus years of the so-called economic recovery. The media reports I did catch while on the cruise focused mainly on the fact that the jobs added in July missed the expectations of analysts, and not on the fact that adding only 162,000 jobs meant another extension of stagnation, as the US economy needs ~150,000 jobs added each month just to tread water, thanks to population growth. That’s not even a decent maintenance number, let alone the kind of job growth needed to put the chronically unemployed back to work.

The media reports also missed another trend in job reports, one caught by a former chief of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and reported by McClatchy’s Kevin Hall this morning. Almost all of the job growth this year came in part-time work — and when we say “almost all,” we mean 97% of it:”

““Over the last six months, of the net job creation, 97 percent of that is part-time work,” said Keith Hall, a senior researcher at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center. “That is really remarkable.””

“Hall is no ordinary academic. He ran the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agency that puts out the monthly jobs report, from 2008 to 2012. Over the past six months, he said, the Household Survey shows 963,000 more people reporting that they were employed, and 936,000 of them reported they’re in part-time jobs.”

Gee, it’s almost like there’s some reason out there for the uneasiness, and it’s scaring the job creators and leading them to only hire part-time….

But this admin can’t figure out what it is. Must be another coincidence. 🙄

Welcome to the new normal.

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August 7, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 8-7-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up today, the Ft. Hood trial. It’s disgusting that his victims have to be subjected to this.

From FoxNews “The trial of the Fort Hood gunman, who is acting as his own attorney, took a surreal turn as the former Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 in the November 2009 attack grilled witnesses — including his former boss in the military and a fellow Muslim who spoke to him the day of the shooting.

After a short opening statement in which ex-Army Maj. Nidal Hasan called himself a “mujahedeen,” admitted to the rampage and said “the dead bodies will show that war is an ugly thing,” Hasan cross-examined prosecution witnesses, including retired Lt. Col Ben Kirk Phillips, his former boss. When pressed by the defendant, Phillips acknowledged that his officer evaluation report had graded Hasan as “outstanding.”

But he declined to cross-examine one of his shooting victims, Sgt. Alonzo Lunsford, who provided the day’s most damning testimony.”

Sure sounds like workplace violence to me. 🙄

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Next, the Obama admin has finally grown tired of the media getting to Benghazi suspects before them, so indictments have finally come.

From TheWallStJournal “The Justice Department has filed sealed criminal charges against a number of suspects in the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans, according to people familiar with the matter.

One of those charged, according to these people, is Ahmed Abu Khattalah, founder of Libya’s Islamist militia Ansar al-Sharia. Mr. Abu Khattalah was seen at the compound when it was overrun, according to intelligence officials. In interviews with reporters, Mr. Abu Khattalah has admitted being at the scene but denied involvement in the attack.

The exact nature of the charges wasn’t clear, nor was the number of suspects named in the investigation. Investigators and prosecutors are continuing to pursue the case, and they plan to charge additional suspects, according to the people familiar with the case.”

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Next, the other Benghazi scandal….

From Mediaite “On July 31, CNN’s The Situation Room broadcast a portion of an interview conducted by reporter Arwa Damon with a suspect in the Benghazi attacks. The suspect revealed to Damon that no investigator has attempted to contact him regarding his involvement in that deadly assault. The following day, CNN’s Drew Griffin broke the news that more than 30 CIA agents were on the ground in Libya on the day of the attack and they are being pressured by the spy agency to not reveal to reporters or congressional investigators what they know of the events of that night. Some CNN reporters are reportedly fearful now that their access to the White House will be hampered following their probing into a story that members of the Obama administration would prefer remain uninvestigated.

“Access is a very serious consideration when it comes to stories that could adversely impact a show, correspondent, or network’s relationship with the administration, a campaign, or any political leader,” one source with insider information told Mediaite.

“I would suggest it’s not an accident that those who have been given a lot of access to the president have generally been AWOL when it comes to stories that might reflect poorly on him,” the source, who did not wish to be identified, continued. “It’s the name of the game. And it’s bad for everyone trying to do this job the right way.” Those reporters have reason to fear for their access to America’s executive branch. Some suspect that reporters who soft-pedal or underreport stories uncomfortable to the administration receive preferential access to White House officials.”

Not shocked at all.

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Next up, it’s about time.

From LifeNews “The Government Accountability Office’s (GAO), a Congressional agency, has indicated it will conduct an investigation of the Planned Parenthood abortion, business, which was recently busted for millions of dollars of Medicaid fraud in Texas.

The abortion giant has engaged in at least $12.5 million in fraud over multiple states — that has become public knowledge so far.

Representatives Diane Black (R-TN), Pete Olson (R-TX), Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Senator David Vitter (R-LA) issued states late Monday saying they are grateful the agency will look into the abortion corporation and its financial dealings.

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Next up, the other shoe.

From CNBC “Detroit, you’re not alone.

Across the nation, cities and states are watching Detroit’s largest-ever municipal bankruptcy filing with great trepidation. Years of underfunded retirement promises to public sector workers, which helped lay Detroit low, could plunge them into a similar and terrifying financial hole.

A CNBC.com analysis of more than 120 of the nation’s largest state and local pension plans finds they face a wide range of burdens as their aging workforces near retirement.

Thanks to a patchwork of accounting practices and rosy investment assumptions, it’s not even clear just how big a financial hole many states and cities have dug for themselves. That may soon change, thanks to a new set of government accounting standards that could serve as a nasty wake-up call to states and cities relying on rosy scenarios and head-in-the-sand accounting.”

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More to worry about with ObamaCare. And yet another part running behind schedule and over budget.

From Reuters “The federal government is months behind in testing data security for the main pillar of Obamacare: allowing Americans to buy health insurance on state exchanges due to open by October 1

The missed deadlines have pushed the government’s decision on whether information technology security is up to snuff to exactly one day before that crucial date, the Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general said in a report.

As a result, experts say, the exchanges might open with security flaws or, possibly but less likely, be delayed.”

Doh! 😯

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This is the last for today. It’s bad enough that so much money already goes to public schools thru taxes. This is just insulting to taxpayers. And just one more reason to question just where priorities lie.

From NBCNews “Buying tissue and copy paper for your kid’s classroom – or subjecting co-workers and family members to endless fundraisers – have become standard. But some public school districts have upped the ante, charging students mandatory fees and holding out the threat of collections or barring students from participating in activities if their parents don’t pay up.

The ACLU says it’s illegal. Schools counter that they’re facing huge budget shortfalls and that charging fees is better than firing teachers. Education experts warn that fees create a dynamic of inequality. Meanwhile, families are caught in the middle as they dig deeper into their pocketbooks and bank accounts.”

““(Our district) spends more than $4 million annually to provide sports programs and other activities. These fees help recover a small percentage of that cost,” David Beery, communications director at the Maine 207 school district in the suburbs of Chicago, said via email. Beery’s district gained notoriety after an irate parent posted a photo of the mandatory fees — including a required $300 Chromebook — she was required to pay for her daughter’s sophomore year.”

And it’s way past time that the role of sports in depleting budgets is addressed as well.

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August 6, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 8-6-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First a story that shows how misguided this admins policies are, and how too often, he and the govt sides with the extremists. They get special treatment, his victims get denied benefits. It’s sickening.

From NBC/Dallas/Ft.Worth “NBC 5 Investigates has learned the accused Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Hasan receives extraordinary treatment in jail while victims of the attack argue they have been forgotten and mistreated by the U.S. Army.”

“Victims of the Fort Hood massacre told NBC 5 Investigates the Army’s efforts to provide for Hasan’s needs do not match the treatment they have received since the shooting. They feel the Army has gone the extra mile for Hasan but not for them. “

“Howard Berry said his son was constantly bothered by what he saw as a lack of consideration such as the Army denying victims of the massacre Purple Heart medals and other combat-related benefits while insisting the shooting was not an act of terrorism – a classification Fort Hood shooting victim Logan Burnett strongly disputes.”

Watch the video at the link.

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Meanwhile the White House meets with an imprisoned Muslim Brotherhood leader in Egypt.

From YahooNews “The second-most senior U.S. diplomat has met with the imprisoned deputy leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, according to a senior official, a sign that the United States is ramping up its attempts to mediate Egypt’s political crisis.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns traveled late Sunday night to the notorious Tora Prison, a jail in the middle of Cairo that has housed some of Egypt’s most famous prisoners, to meet with Khairat el-Shater, the official said.”

“The United States is furiously mediating between the military and Brotherhood, trying to help Egypt stabilize after the military takeover a month ago. Egypt has long been the United States’ most important Arab ally, and U.S. officials are eager to see the military avoid any steps that could lead to civil war.”

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Again, we back the wrong horse. These arms came from us. We armed the extremists.

From FoxNews “Jihadists in Egypt’s lawless Sinai Peninsula are using U.S. weapons to carry out attacks against the temporary government in the wake of the military’s ouster of President Mohammed Morsi, according to the embattled nation’s Interior Ministry.

The government office posted an official statement on its Facebook page along with images of an exploded missile that hit the third floor of a building in the city of el-Arish last week. The post said terrorist forces targeted the North Sinai Security Directorate office with a ballistic missile that struck the third floor facade of the building, leaving three soldiers injured. While attacks in the Sinai, which borders Gaza and is a haven for terrorist activity, have become commonplace, the prospect that militants have U.S. weapons typically fired from helicopters at their disposal is especially alarming.”

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Meanwhile, others suffering the extremist’s wrath get a cold shoulder, and no help from this admin, even as they were/are murdered in large numbers.

From TheTelegraph “Tens of thousands Syriac Christians – members of the oldest Christian community in the world – have fled their ancestral provinces of Deir al-Zour and Hasakah in northeastern Syria, residents have said.”

“Conflict in the area, desperate economic conditions, lawlessness, and persecution by rebel groups born from the perception that Christians support the regime, remain the main reasons for why Christian families are fleeing the area.

The growing presence of radical jihadist groups, including al-Qaeda, has also seen Christians targeted.”

As in Egypt, we arm and assist the radicals, but not their victims.

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OK, Boko Haram has been accused of heinous crimes by the International Criminal Court. Good. Now what do you plan to do about it?

From ABCNews “The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court says that after a preliminary investigation she believes that acts attributed to the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram are likely crimes against humanity.

“Information available provides a reasonable basis to believe that since July 2009 Boko Haram has launched a widespread and systematic attack that has resulted in the killing of more than 1,200 Christian and Muslim civilians in different locations throughout Nigeria,” Fatou Bensouda wrote in a report issued Monday.

She said the potential crimes against humanity include murder and persecution. But she said she will only move to a full-fledged investigation after further study and depending on whether Nigerian authorities themselves are willing and able to prosecute “those who appear to bear the greatest responsibility.”

So basically nothing, because the Nigerian authorities can’t stop them or bring them to justice. They can’t do it alone.

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And baseball has finally cracked down.

From FoxSports “Defiant till the end, Alex Rodriguez is intent on evading baseball’s most sweeping punishment since the Black Sox scandal.”

“Rodriguez was suspended through 2014 and All-Stars Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta and Everth Cabrera were banned 50 games apiece Monday when Major League Baseball disciplined 13 players for their relationship to Biogenesis of America, a Florida anti-aging clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs.”

“Others agreeing to 50-game bans included Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli and outfielder Fernando Martinez; Philadelphia pitcher Antonio Bastardo; Seattle catcher Jesus Montero; New York Mets infielder Jordany Valdespin and outfielder Cesar Puello; Houston pitcher Sergio Escalona; and free agent pitchers Fautino De Los Santos and Jordan Norberto.”

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August 5, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 8-5-13

What’s interesting out there today?

Open thread, as always.

First up, over the weekend the FBI conducted raids in more than 70 cities. They rescued more than 100 teens, mostly runaways and kids from broken homes, from sex-trafficking operations. Well done FBI.

From NBCNews “The sting resulted in the arrest of 159 “pimps” from San Francisco to Miami who were involved in the commercial exploitation of both adults and children, said Ronald Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s criminal investigative division.

It was the FBI’s largest action to date focusing on the recovery of sexually exploited children, and took law enforcement agencies to streets, motels, casinos and social media platforms, Hosko said. He said he hoped it would focus attention on sex trafficking, “this threat that robs us of our children.”

“The sweep was the seventh iteration of Operation Cross Country, part of a partnership begun a decade ago by federal authorities and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to address child prostitution.

The sting, over three days beginning Friday, demonstrate “how many of America’s children are being sold for sex every day, many on the Internet,” said John Ryan, the center’s president and CEO.”

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More on the threat that closed, and continues to keep closed, numerous overseas facilities. Security in the states has ramped up as well.

From ABCNews “On the day that almost two dozen U.S. embassies and consulates across North Africa and the Middle East are closed following the identification of a significant threat from an al-Qaeda affiliate, a senior U.S. official is providing new details about the communications intercepted from the terrorists, telling ABC News that al-Qaeda operatives could be heard talking about an upcoming attack. The official described the terrorists as saying the planned attack is “going to be big” and “strategically significant.”

“The part that is alarming is the confidence they showed while communicating and the air of certainty,” the official said, adding that the group — Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula — appeared to have a media plan for after the attack.

Authorities do not know the exact target of the planned attack, according to the official.”

Bill Kristol points out a painful truth. Despite the President’s rhetoric, reality shows al-Qaeda is alive and well.

From TheDailyCaller “Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol remarked on Sunday that President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign rhetoric on foreign policy stood in stark contrast to the turmoil in the Middle East stirred by threats from al-Qaida, pointing out that the U.S. closed 22 embassies throughout the Muslim world.

“Four years ago President Obama gave a much heralded speech as outreach to the Muslim world,” Kristol said. “And now, four years later we are closing embassies throughout the Muslim world. A year ago, the president said al-Qaida is on the run. And now we seem to be on the run.”

“I’m not criticizing the decision to close the embassies. That’s probably the right thing to do for the sake of trying to save American lives and others, but it’s a terrible thing,” he added. “That you know, just a year ago boasting al-Qaida is on the run and Osama bin Laden is dead.”

Or is it all yet another distraction tactic? Yes, cynical, I know.

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Some leakers are more equal than others. The White House will be all over this I’m sure. 🙄

From TheJerusalemPost “Unnamed US officials leaked information Thursday on alleged Israeli air strikes in Syria, and told The New York Times they expect an additional attack by Israel in the near future.

The sources, described by the Times as “American intelligence analysts,” discussed what they said were classified assessments, according to which a July 5 IAF strike on a Syrian facility housing Russian surface-to-sea missiles in Latakia failed to destroy them all.”

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It’ll be fun to see how the White House responds to this…

From FoxNews “A new petition on the White House website asks the administration to declare the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.

The request was posted on petitions.whitehouse.gov on July 7 and quickly garnered more than the 100,000 signature requirement for the Obama administration to officially consider the request.”

“The “We the People” petition program, which was set up by the White House late last year, stipulates that all requests must receive some sort of response from the administration when150 signatures are added within the first 30 days and the petition gains 100,000 signatures by the second 30 days.”

The 100,000 in 30 has been met.

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Planned Parenthood is forced to pay the state of Texas 4.3 million dollars for Medicaid fraud. But as expected the media response is to act like the 3 monkeys. Hear nothin’, see nothin’, speak nothin’. You know the drill.

From NewsBusters “In the first week of February 2012, the Big Three networks lunged to the defense of Planned Parenthood when the Susan G. Komen Foundation (very temporarily) withdrew its donation to abortion giant (about $680,000 the previous year). Network reporters whacked Komen, promoting “outrage and disappointment engulfing the Internet.”

But Mollie Hemingway of Get Religion pointed out that Planned Parenthood in Texas was recently forced to pay the state of Texas $4.3 million for Medicaid fraud. Where was the “outrage and disappointment” engulfing the media? The networks didn’t notice. Even the local newspaper coverage was terrible.”

“Planned Parenthood trotted out the usual corporate line that settlement wasn’t an admission of guilt — which might be the shriveled fig leaf the “mainstream media” would use to say it’s not newsworthy. But wait — Texas isn’t the only state where this fraud might be occurring, as the Heritage Foundation reported:

Alliance Defending Freedom’s recent analysis of state and federal audits of family planning programs suggests that in 12 states, Planned Parenthood affiliates overbilled Medicaid for more than $8 million. One federal audit of New York’s Medicaid family planning program reported that certain providers, “especially Planned Parenthoods,” had engaged in improper practices resulting in overpayment.”

Shhhhh….. It’s a secret. 🙄

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Well I guess this was way overdue. She should just take him up on his offer and tell the truth.

From TheNYPost “Twenty-five years after accusing an innocent man of rape, Tawana Brawley is finally paying for her lies.”

“She still owes Pagones $431,000 in damages. And she remains defiantly unapologetic.

“It’s a long time coming,” said Pagones, 52, who to this day is more interested in extracting a confession from Brawley than cash.

“Every week, she’ll think of me,” he told The Post. “And every week, she can think about how she has a way out — she can simply tell the truth.”

Sharpton threw her under the bus. Isn’t it time she returned the favor?