politics

by

News/Politics 4-24-13

What’s interesting out there today?

Open Thread, as always.

Me…. I’m beating that horse again. From Boston.com

“Russian authorities alerted the FBI not once but “multiple’’ times over their  concerns about Tamerlan Tsarnaev — including a second time nearly a year after he was first interviewed by FBI agents in Boston — raising new questions about whether the FBI should have focused more attention on the suspected Boston Marathon bomber, according to US senators briefed on the probe Tuesday.”

More on the mosque they attended here. From USAToday

“The mosque attended by the two brothers accused in the Boston Marathon bombing has been associated with other terrorist suspects, has invited radical speakers to a sister mosque in Boston and is affiliated with a Muslim group that critics say nurses grievances that can lead to extremism.

Several people who attended the Islamic Society of Boston mosque in Cambridge, Mass., have been investigated for Islamic terrorism, including a conviction of the mosque’s first president, Abdulrahman Alamoudi, in connection with an assassination plot against a Saudi prince.”

Check out the link. This place has a long list of radicals that have spoken there. And many of them have also been investigated for terrorism ties.

____________________________________________________

The Ricin letters suspect has been released. From NBCNews

“Charges were dropped Tuesday against the Mississippi man suspected of mailing ricin-laced letters to President Obama and other public officials — as authorities searched the home of another man hoping to find clues in the expanding investigation.

“I respect President Obama and love my country. I would never do anything to pose a threat to him or any other U.S. official,” Paul Kevin Curtis said at a news conference Tuesday.”

More from FoxNews

“The Mississippi man charged with sending ricin-laced letters to President Obama  was released on bond Tuesday, as the FBI searched the Mississippi home of a  possible second suspect amid an apparent probe into whether the first suspect  might have been framed. ”

“Shortly afterward, FBI searched the home of a possible second suspect. The FBI  zeroed in on this individual earlier in the day, a source told Fox News.”

More on another possible Ricin attack, from  WaPo 

“Federal authorities are investigating another potential ricin attack at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Southeast Washington, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Tuesday.”

____________________________________________________

Some pretty disturbing details are emerging in the Texas plant explosion. If true, arrests and prosecutions need to happen. From TheNYPost

“The fertilizer plant that exploded and wiped out much of a small Texas town last week once stored 1,350 times the amount of ammonium nitrate that typically triggers federal safety oversight, officials said.

Yet a person familiar with Department of Homeland Security operations said the company that owns the plant, West Fertilizer, failed to tell the agency about the potentially explosive fertilizer it stored last year, as required.”

Much more here from HuffPo/Reuters

“Fertilizer plants and depots must report to the DHS when  they hold 400 lb (180 kg) or more of the substance. Filings this  year with the Texas Department of State Health Services, which  weren’t shared with DHS, show the plant had 270 tons of it on  hand last year.

A U.S. congressman and several safety experts called into  question on Friday whether incomplete disclosure or regulatory  gridlock may have contributed to the disaster.

“It seems this manufacturer was willfully off the grid,”  Rep. Bennie Thompson, (D-MS), ranking member of the House  Committee on Homeland Security, said in a statement. “This  facility was known to have chemicals well above the threshold  amount to be regulated under the Chemical Facility  Anti-Terrorism Standards Act (CFATS), yet we understand that DHS  did not even know the plant existed until it blew up.””

With a Hat Tip to HRW

____________________________________________________

Several charges against Kermit Gosnell have been dropped by the judge. From LifeSiteNews

“A federal judge has dropped nine charges – including three murder charges and one count of infanticide – against Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell, as his trial resumed this morning.

Local media report the judge has determined Gosnell will not face three counts of murder, one count of infanticide, and five counts of abuse of a corpse. The latter charges related to Gosnell’s keeping the severed feet of aborted babies in jars in his clinic.

Gosnell still faces the remaining four charges of first degree murder in the deaths of newborn babies, and an additional charge of third degree murder over the death of one of his abortion clients.”

____________________________________________________

“What difference does it make?”

Well now we know why she wasn’t concerned with the truth getting out and was reluctant to answer questions. It was to protect herself and the White House. The House has issued it’s Benghazi report, which blames Hillary Clinton. From TheWashingtonExaminer

“A critical report drafted by five GOP-led House committees has determined that reduced security at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi in the days leading up to the Sept. 11, 2012, attack was approved by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The report also found that White House and high-ranking officials at the State Department changed CIA talking points following the attacks, which killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others, in order to shield the State Department from “criticism for inadequate security levels” on the ground in Benghazi.

The 46-page report provides a timeline of events leading up to the attacks in Benghazi and investigation that followed.”

A larger view of the report can be viewed here at Scribd.com

And it also appears that like her husband, she has lied under oath. From TheWashingtonExaminer

“House Republicans released their report on the investigation into the Benghazi terrorist attack, having concluded that then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was not telling the truth when she told Congress that she wasn’t aware that officials at the U.S. mission in Benghazi had requested extra security.

“The specific security requests pertaining to Benghazi, you know were handled by the security professionals in the department,” Clinton told Congress in January. “I didn’t see those requests, they didn’t come to me, I didn’t approve them, I didn’t deny them.”

The House report suggests that Clinton received a request for more security from Gene Cretz, who preceded Christopher Stevens as ambassador to Libya.

Not only did she receive and see the request, her signature was on the response cable which denied the request.

____________________________________________________

Democrats have been insisting the last few days that we need to pass the immigration/amnesty bill to protect against terrorism. It would do nothing of the sort. It’s what it really does that they are in a hurry to get done. From Politico

“The immigration proposal pending in Congress would transform the nation’s  political landscape for a generation or more — pumping as many as 11 million new  Hispanic voters into the electorate a decade from now in ways that, if current  trends hold, would produce an electoral bonanza for Democrats and cripple  Republican prospects in many states they now win easily.

Beneath the philosophical debates about amnesty and border security, there  are brass-tacks partisan calculations driving the thinking of lawmakers in both  parties over comprehensive immigration reform, which in its current form offers  a pathway to citizenship — and full voting rights — for a group of undocumented  residents that roughly equals the population of Ohio, the nation’s  seventh-largest state.”

“If these people had been on the voting rolls in 2012 and voted along the same  lines as other Hispanic voters did last fall, President Barack Obama’s  relatively narrow victory last fall would have been considerably wider, a  POLITICO analysis showed.”

THIS is the goal. It always has been.

____________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 4-23-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open Thread, you decide. Here’s a few from me…

Once again, the FBI, DHS, and INS dropped the ball. From TheDailyMail

“The Department of Homeland Security was  dragging its feet on processing Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s U.S.  citizenship after a routine background check revealed he had been questioned by  the FBI in 2011.

Tamerlan, 26, filed an application for  citizenship six months ago but immigration officials had not yet made a decision  on his case at the time of the Boston Marathon bombings.

Authorities knew the alleged bomber had a  domestic violence charge on his record but the fact he had been grilled by  federal agents is reportedly what threw up red flags, halting the progress of  his application.”

And he wasn’t deported because…….?

____________________________________________________

TheAP finally reports the obvious…….

“Two U.S. officials say preliminary evidence from an interrogation suggests the suspects in the Boston Marathon attack were motivated by their religious views but were apparently not tied to any Islamic terrorist groups.”

____________________________________________________

You can read the criminal complaint against bomber #2 here, from TheWeeklyStandard

____________________________________________________

Canada has thwarted a terrorist attack, with the help of DHS. From TheTorontoSun

““Had this plot been carried out, it would have resulted in innocent people being killed or seriously injured,” Royal Canadian Mounted Police official James Malizia told reporters in Toronto.

The RCMP said it had arrested Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, of Montreal, and Raed Jaser, 35, of Toronto, in connection with the plot, which authorities said was not linked to the Boston Marathon bombings, which killed three and injured more than 200 people last week.

Neither is a Canadian citizen, but the police did not reveal their nationalities.”

____________________________________________________

More here from TheNYDailyNews

“Two suspected Al Qaeda terrorists were busted Monday in Canada before they  could wreak havoc on the rails by blowing up a New York-to-Toronto passenger  train.

The plan hatched by Chiheb Esseghaier and Raed Jaser — and directed by Al  Qaeda operatives based in Iran — was derailed by the Mounties before it ever got  out of the station, officials said.”

____________________________________________________

Meanwhile the rebels our govt. is backing continue to commit atrocities against Christian minorities in Syria. From AssyrianInternationalNewsAgency

“Syria’s Christians fear an Islamist takeover should the current government be overthrown. During the ongoing civil war there has been a well-documented rise in the number of salafi-jihadist groups operating in Syria that pose a direct threat to Syria’s Christian community.These militant opposition forces espouse an Islamist ideology, which incorporates elements of Wahhabism and Salafism and whose stated goals and objectives are by definition hostile towards Christians. Firsthand accounts from Syrian Christian refugees in Lebanon reported by award winning investigative journalist Nuri Kino detail the horror in which they described kidnappings, rapes, harassment, theft and other violent reprisals at the hands of Islamist groups.

Those who survived reported “just being Christian is enough to be a target,” disproving theories that violence and kidnapping directed towards Syrian Christians is purely incidental or for economic reasons. One individual openly declared “We’re not poor. We didn’t run from poverty […] we ran from fear.”

____________________________________________________

Two Bishops have been kidnapped by rebels as well. From Reuters

“Two prominent Syrian bishops, who had warned of the threat to religious tolerance and diversity from the two-year conflict in their country, were kidnapped on Monday by armed rebels in the northern province of Aleppo, state media said.

SANA news agency said the Syriac Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Archbishops of Aleppo, Yohanna Ibrahim and Paul Yazigi, were seized by “a terrorist group” in the village of Kfar Dael as they were “carrying out humanitarian work”.”

____________________________________________________

John F. Kerry, reporting for duty…….

From AmericanThinker

“While  speaking in Istanbul, Turkey, Secretary  of State John Kerry compared the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings with  the terrorists who attacked IDF forces aboard the ship Mavi Marmara in  2010.”

“Speaking  at Istanbul, Turkey, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made a jarring comparison between the victims of the Boston Marathon terror bombs and terror activists from the IHH  group who were killed  when they attacked IDF forces aboard the Mavi Marmara in 2010.

Kerry  told his hosts in Turkey that he understands the pain of the  families whose  loved ones were killed aboard the Marmara – and added  that he can understand  their pain well, having just dealt with the  families whose loved ones were  slain in Boston.”

Is it really any wonder our govt. supports the terrorists in Syria, Egypt, and Libya? They don’t seem capable of even telling the difference between the parties involved. Their ideology blinds them to the obvious.

____________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 4-22-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

The big story continues to be the Boston Bombings.

The surviving bomber is awake and responding to questions from authorities. From ABCNews

” Law enforcement sources tell ABC News that the Boston Marathon bombings suspect is awake and has been responding sporadically in writing to questions. Officials say they have been asking about other cell members and other potential unexploded bombs. Details on any answers given have not been released.”

____________________________________________________

It’s a story of dueling press accounts as well. As you’d expect, MSNBC and like minded sources refuse to admit the obvious motivations of the bombers. They’re in denial about any religious motivations. Some foreign sources aren’t having that problem.

From TheDailyMail

“The Mail on Sunday has learned that the FBI  put Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, under surveillance after receiving an explicit  warning from the Russian intelligence services.”

“Despite all this, the FBI found no  substantive evidence that he was engaged in terror-related activities though  they continued to ‘monitor his internet use and contacts’.

According to an intelligence source, Russia  remained convinced that Tamerlan, an ethnic Chechen, was in ‘direct contact’ with Islamist militants, most likely based in the strife-torn southern Russian  region of Dagestan, where he lived for two years with his family prior to moving  to the US.”

The FBI has a lot of explaining to do. More from TheTelegraphUK

And here as well, also from TheTelegraphUK

MSNBC says don’t be too hard on the FBI, from Newsbusters

____________________________________________________

Meanwhile NBC Nightly News ignores the Islamic ties.

MSNBC insists it’s not related to Islam at all.

And Salon’s Clown Prince says we conservatives want them to be Muslims so we can have a bigoted, violent, civil-liberties-trampling reaction.

And the Atlantic insists it too soon to tell if Islam played a roll.

The NYTIMES publishes then revises a story seemingly sympathetic to the bombers.

____________________________________________________

The Mayor of Boston says the 2 suspects acted alone. From TheAP

“Boston Mayor Tom Menino says information he has indicates that the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing acted alone.”

“He tells ABC’s `This Week” that a pipe bomb was found at another location and that another person was taken into custody. The mayor did not elaborate.”

Well which is it? Or is this another totally unrelated bomber?

This publication disagrees with the Mayor. From TheMirrorUK

“The FBI was last night hunting a 12-strong terrorist “sleeper cell” linked to  the Boston  marathon bomb brothers.”

“A source close to the investigation said: “We have no doubt the brothers were  not acting alone. The devices used to detonate the two bombs were highly  sophisticated and not the kind of thing people learn from Google.

“They were too advanced. Someone gave the brothers the skills and it is now  our job to find out just who they were. Agents think the sleeper cell has up to  a dozen members and has been waiting several years for their day to come.”

I hope they’re wrong and the Mayor is correct.

____________________________________________________

This is a good piece on how the brothers came to be the extremists they were in the end. From TheBostonGlobe

____________________________________________________

Military tribunal or criminal trial? Go with A.  From ABCNews

____________________________________________________

Boston’s Police Comm. calls releasing the photos a turning point. From Boston.com

“Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis said releasing the photos of the two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing “may have led to the further attack” against MIT police officer Sean Collier, which he called an assassination. But he stressed there is no way to know for sure.

Releasing the pictures after many hours of behind-the-scenes deliberation, “was a turning point in the investigation, no doubt about it,” said Davis in an interview with the Globe.

“It forced them out of their hideout and they decided to commit further violent acts. But it’s my belief that they were already manufacturing explosive devices. Further violent acts were inevitable.” The suspects “were not making those explosives for nothing,” said Davis. “There was a plan there, and I believe that tragically [Collier] lost his life, but he was truly protecting the citizens of the city.””

____________________________________________________

In other news…….

An update from the Texas plant explosion story. Press has been allowed in, and the story is one of devastation. From CBSNews

“At least 14 people are dead and 200 injured after the blast in the tiny Texas town. Officials now say 12 of the 14 killed were first responders, CBS News’ Steve Futterman reports.”

“Meanwhile, on the first Sunday after the explosion, pastor John Crowder stood atop a long flatbed truck overlooking a hayfield and spoke to his congregation.

Crowder’s First Baptist Church in West remains blocked off as investigators work on the scene of Wednesday’s blast. So about 100 people sat in white folding chairs Sunday morning, while others carried their own.

“We have lost our friends and neighbors,” Crowder told the audience. We have lost the safety and comfort of our homes. But as scary as this is, we don’t have to be afraid.”

____________________________________________________

A bizarre report of shots fired at a nuke plant. Great, just what we need, more crazy. From WBIR.com

“A TVA spokesperson confirmed that a security officer patrolling TVA Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Spring City was involved in a shootout with a suspect Sunday at about 2:00 a.m.
The security incident happened on the Tennessee River side of the plant property, more than a quarter mile from the plant’s protected area, which houses its reactor and power production facilities.

TVA spokesperson Jim Hopson said the subject traveled up to the plant on a boat and walked onto the property.  When the officer questioned the suspect, the individual fired multiple shots at the officer.  The officer shot back, and when he called for backup, the suspect sped away on his boat. ”

____________________________________________________

Schumer and Graham are claiming this adds a need for urgency to the amnesty bill they want passed. 🙄 Shocking right? From TheHill

“The Boston Marathon tragedy is a reason for Congress to move faster – not  slower – to overhaul the nation’s immigration system, according to two  co-authors of a Senate reform package.

Some conservatives on Capitol Hill have suggested Monday’s deadly bombings – allegedly orchestrated by a pair of young immigrants from Russia’s volatile  Caucasus region – should cause lawmakers to move more deliberately in their  approach to immigration reform this year.”

“But Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) – chief  architects of a sweeping bipartisan immigration proposal unveiled last week – argued Sunday that their bill will help prevent future terrorist attacks at home  and should be taken up as soon as possible.”

Funny thing though, Chuck doesn’t like to be questioned on the specifics. From TheDailyCaller

“Chris Crane, head of the immigration officers union, was pulled out of a  Senate press conference today when he tried to question Sen. Chuck Schumer  during the televised roll-out of the 844-page immigration rewrite.

While reporters asked questions, Schumer ignored three requests from Crane,  who sought to question him about aspects of the far-reaching law, which promises  to tighten enforcement of immigration laws at borders, airports and  seaports.

“Will you take a question from law enforcement?” Crane asked, repeating the  question twice before being removed.

Schumer ignored the question, and repeated his advocacy for the bill. Crane’s  union represents agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)  service.”

____________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 4-20-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open Thread, so talk about whatever you’d like.

I’m going with the obvious.

____________________________________________________

The 2nd Boston Bombing suspect remains in serious condition in the hospital. From ABCNews

“The alleged Boston Marathon bomber who hid from authorities for more than 20 hours was captured tonight by police, sending cheers up through the Watertown neighborhood where he was found.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, was discovered by a homeowner lying in a boat in the man’s backyard around 7 p.m. The man noticed blood on the boat, spotted a body inside the boat and called 911, according to Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis.

According to police, a helicopter with infrared technology then located Tsarnaev in the boat and noted that he was moving about within it. The helicopter directed officers on the ground to the boat, where they briefly exchanged gunfire shortly before 7 p.m.”

____________________________________________________

The people of Watertown are relieved and thankful for the job police did here. They took to the streets in celebration. From TheAP

“Reporters and spectators lined up on the other side. The mood was tense, with the few neighbors who ventured out hugging and crying as they heard bangs. Others merely looked on curiously.

Then, one officer slowly started clapping. Then it spread to the crowd. Then loud cheers broke out.”

“But after the capture, celebratory bells rang from a church tower. Crowds lined the streets into the center of town. Teenagers waved American flags. Every car that drove by honked. Every time an emergency vehicle went by, people cheered loudly.”

“Hundreds of people marched down Commonwealth Avenue, chanting “USA” and singing the Red Sox anthem “Sweet Caroline” as they headed toward Boston Common. Police blocked traffic along part of the street to allow for the impromptu parade.”

____________________________________________________

The suspect’s sister is heartbroken and skeptical. Police seized a computer from her home. From TheAP

“The FBI on Friday removed a computer from the New Jersey home of a sister of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects. Police said she was cooperating with the investigation and was “heartbroken, surprised and upset,” though she told reporters she wasn’t sure the accusations against her brothers were true.

The woman, identified by local police as Ailina Tsarnaeva, told federal agents she had not been in contact with her brothers for years, according to Police Director Michael Indri.”

____________________________________________________

The father of the bombers had already alleged a set-up, now so has the mother as well. But that’s not what concerns me here. I’d expect them to say this. They’re his family. But some of the other things she has to say are troubling. From WorldNetDaily

“The mother of two brothers believed to be responsible for the Boston Marathon  bombing insists her sons are innocent and were “set up,” according to a  telephone interview with RT-TV, also known as Russia Today.”

““My son would never do this. It is a set-up,” the woman continued in her  interview with RT. “He was controlled by FBI for like, three, five years. They  knew what my son was doing. They knew what actions and what sites on the  Internet he was going. He used to come home, they used to come and talk to me.  They used to tell me that, you know, that they are controlling his – they were  telling me that he’s really a serious leader and they’re afraid of him. They  said, they told me that whatever he is, whatever country decides, whatever is  there, whatever information he’s getting, they are controlling him, so how could  this happen? How could they – they were controlling every step of him, and  they’re telling today that this is a terrorist act. Never, ever! This is not  true. My two sons are innocent.””

____________________________________________________

Now as I said, I’d normally dismiss her opinion, except there’s another story out there that says the FBI investigated the older brother 2 years ago at the request of an unnamed foreign govt. The assumption is Russia. He spent 6 months there around the same time. From CBSNews

“The FBI admitted Friday they interviewed the now-deceased Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev two years ago and failed to find any incriminating information about him.

As first reported by CBS News correspondent Bob Orr, the FBI interviewed Tsarnaev, the elder brother of at-large bombing suspect Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, at the request of a foreign government to see if he had any extremist ties, but failed to find any linkage.”

“CBS News correspondent John Miller reports it is likely Russia asked to have the elder Tsarnaev vetted because of suspected ties to Chechen extremists.”

“This is an issue they’ve had in the past. They interviewed Carlos Bledsoe in Little Rock, Ark., before he shot up an Army recruiting station in 2009. They were also looking into Major Hasan Nadal before the Fort Hood shootings.”

And it’s an issue that raises all kinds of questions about how the FBI is doing their jobs. It also shows a failure in leadership that this continues to happen. And that failure is the White House’s responsibility as well. When you couple that with the story yesterday  from JudicialWatch about a criminal arrest and conviction for domestic abuse, a deportable offense, then you have to question why these failures occurred. It appears that had at least 2 opportunities to remove him from the country prior to this. The FBI, INS, DoJ, and Obama Admin have a lot of explaining to do here. Why did this happen?

____________________________________________________

Rep. Peter King would like some answers as well. He tried to get some before on other cases of extremists like Maj. Nadal Hasan, and he was ridiculed and called a racist for his efforts. Rep. Steve King recieved the same treatment. Maybe folks will be a little more receptive to having this conversation now. Although I’d expect the Obama Admin to circle the wagons and not want to provide answers. Especially when the evidence seems to imply their policies are not working. From NationalReview

““We can’t be bound by political correctness,” adds King, who chairs the House subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. “I think we need more police and more surveillance in the communities where the threat is coming from, whether it’s the Irish community with the Westies [an Irish-American gang in New York City], or the Italian community with the mafia, or the Muslim community with the Islamic terrorists.””

““I’ve been talking about radicalization of the Muslim community,” he remarks, “and I think this is an example of it.””

____________________________________________________

And this also raises questions about the Admins preference for downplaying Islamic radicalism.

From TheTelegraphUK

“Mr Obama and his intelligence community know the threat from al-Qaeda affiliates, but have chosen to downplay it to the US public.

Even when that fight does directly touch on American lives, as it did last September when the US ambassador to Libya was murdered in Benghazi by an al-Qaeda linked group, the administration appears at pains to deny the connection.”

“But as many counter-terrorism experts have been saying – their voices often drowned out or ignored in favour of the pleasing simplicity of the Obama administration’s narrative – the threat from al-Qaeda is too amorphous and shifting to ever have been discounted.”

And it would be foolish to think this has nothing to do with the muslim influence in the Obama admin. That influence is reflected in their policies, and the decisions here to not investigate further and to not deport. And it’s reflected in places like Syria, Egypt, Libya, and pretty much the Middle East as a whole. These are the people they’ve backed in all those countries. That’s not a coincidence.

Like I said, lot’s of questions. But will we get answers?

____________________________________________________

But I must say I agree with the President and DoJ on this part. From WeaselZippers.

“During the press conference this evening, the question of whether Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had been read Miranda rights arose. Carmen Ortiz, the U.S. Attorney, noted that they had not read him the rights, but were employing the “public safety exception”.  The following is a good explanation of the exception.”

“At least 7 IEDs were reportedly found in their home in Watertown, as well as other bomb making equipment. So the question of more bombs were a very real possibility and the exception likely wisely invoked.”

He should be treated like an enemy combatant, because he is. Still, it will be interesting to see if the left get’s as upset about this as they did when Bush did it. But I won’t hold my breath.

____________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 4-19-13

In other news today………

Reid has had to pull the gun bill from consideration.

From TheWashingtonPost

“Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) announced Thursday that the Senate will “take a pause” and return to consideration of gun legislation at a later date.”

“Reid’s decision came the day after President Obama’s comprehensive gun control effort suffered defeat in the Senate, with all the major proposals he backed failing to gain enough votes.”

____________________________________________________

How Obama misread the politics of gun control. From NationalJournal

“Watching President Obama’s fury after Congress failed to pass any gun-control legislation was a sign of his political helplessness. Despite aggressively pushing for expanded background checks, despite enlisting the victims of recent gun violence to lobby their representatives, despite getting one of the more conservative senators to support a watered-down background-check measure, he fell five votes short of getting anything passed in the Senate, including losing four members from his own party.

If this doesn’t demonstrate the limitations of the president’s political muscle and the influence of his newly minted Organizing for Action lobbying group, I don’t know what does. Yet, despite the embarrassing setback, Obama nonetheless argued that he still held the upper hand, politically: “If this Congress refuses to listen to the American people and pass commonsense gun legislation, then the real impact is going to have to come from the voters.”  That couldn’t misread the political environment heading into 2014 anymore. That’s the audacity of mope.

Put simply, the 2014 Senate elections will be fought predominantly on the very turf that is most inhospitable to gun control–Southern and Mountain West conservative states. It’s no coincidence that three of the four Democrats who opposed the Toomey-Manchin bill are facing difficult reelections in 2014 and presumably are attuned to the sentiments of their constituents. Blame the National Rifle Association for the bill’s failure, but the lobby is feeding into already deeply held opposition to gun regulations and a broader sense of anxiety about the president’s and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s intentions–particularly given the president’s past publicized remark about “bitter” rural voters who “cling to their guns and religion.”  It doesn’t take much for the gun-rights crowd, significant in these states, to jump to inaccurate conclusions given that history.”

Inaccurate conclusions? I think he’s describing Obama, not the “bitter clingers.”

____________________________________________________

We’ve all seen the President and Senate Dems pitching fits over the whole thing in front of the cameras. But the fits the media are throwing over their failure to persuade the commoners is just as bad. From Politico

“Even by the standards of today’s partisan media environment, the response has  been noteworthy. Television hosts, editorial boards, and even some reporters  have aggressively criticized and shamed the 46 Senators who opposed the plan,  while some have even taken to actively soliciting the public to contact them  directly.

The decision by some members of the media to come down so  firmly on one side of a policy debate has only served to reinforce  conservatives’ longstanding suspicions that the mainstream media has a  deep-seated liberal bias.

“I guess the liberal media get annoyed when Senators listen to their  constituents and think for themselves, rather than doing the media’s bidding,” Bill Kristol, the editor-in-chief of the Weekly Standard, told POLITICO.”

Bias? What bias? 🙄

____________________________________________________

So the President plans on doing the only think he can. Make like a third world dictator and do it by decree. From TheWeeklyStandard

“Joe Biden says the president of the United States is preparing to take “executive actions” to deal with guns.

BuzzFeed reports:

Vice President Biden told White House allies in the gun control fight Thursday that President Obama will be announcing new executive actions on gun violence in the days after the Senate voted down a gun violence bill.”

____________________________________________________

Meanwhile the Senate has a bi-partisan amendment to prevent the media from releasing gun owner info, with strong support.

From TheWashingtonExaminer

“Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., in an attempt to prevent local newspapers from publishing lists of gun owners in a given area, convinced 66 of his colleagues to support an amendment that cuts funding for state and local governments if they release the information.

“If a state or local government releases private information on gun owners — which we know has happened — then that state or local government will lose part of its funding that comes from the Federal Government,” Barrasso said while arguing for the amendment.  “This includes private information on individuals who have licenses to purchase, possess, or carry firearms.”

Wow. Look at that. Some common sense for a change.

____________________________________________________

ObamaCare is causing rate increases? 😯

Say it ain’t so! 🙄 

But Dems like Franken would like you to believe it’s not true, just an insurance industry plot or something. From KaiserHealthNews

“Few aspects of the Affordable Care Act are more critical to its success than affordability, but in recent weeks experts have predicted costs for some health plans could soar next year.

Now health law supporters are pushing back, noting close ties between the actuaries making the forecasts and an insurance industry that has been complaining about taxes and other factors it says will lead to rate shock for consumers.

“Most actuaries in this country — what percentage are employed by insurance companies?” Sen. Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat, asked an actuary last week at a hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.”

____________________________________________________

And for the last one today, another abortion related story the national media will ignore. From LifeNews

“The former director of a leading abortion advocacy group who was caught in a child sex sting pleaded guilty to his crimes.

Scott Richard Swirling, who was the director of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA), was arrested for attempting to arrange for a sexual encounter with a twelve-year-old girl. He was charged with traveling across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct, a crime which carries a penalty of up to 30 years.”

“Sexual predators who impregnate underage girls rely on cooperative abortion clinics to cover up their crimes.  As Live Action, Life Dynamics, and others have documented, Planned Parenthood abortion clinics frequently fail to comply with mandatory reporting laws,” it said.

“The National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association strongly supports taxpayer funding for abortion clinics.  Many Planned Parenthood affiliates are NFPRHA members,” it added. “There is no mention of Mr. Swirling on the NFPRHA website.”

That’s not surprising.

____________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 4-18-13

What’s interesting in the news today.

As always, Open Thread.

There was a devastating explosion at a Waco, Texas fertilizer plant late Wednesday. Video from the scene shows a fire which set off a huge explosion. Authorities say 5 to 15 dead, and 160 wounded. Homes and businesses around the plant were leveled in the explosion.

From NBCNews

“At least five to 15 people were killed and more than 160 wounded when a large fertilizer plant explosion rocked a small Texas town late Wednesday, destroying dozens of homes under a cloud of toxic smoke, police said.

Firefighters, including local volunteers, were battling a blaze at the time of the blast, which caused a ground tremor equivalent to a magnitude-2.1 earthquake, the USGS said.”

“”It was a huge explosion,” Swanton said. “It reached blocks, if not miles, in its devastating effect. … My guess is going to be that … we will see the casualty rate rise and the injury rate rise.”

“We know fire was there, we know law enforcement was there assisting with traffic, and I believe there were EMS …,” Swanton said, adding some of those first responders were among the missing.”

Hat Tip to Donna J

____________________________________________________

Police have made an arrest in the Ricin letter case. President Obama was a target, as were a group of elected officials. The person responsible didn’t seem to care about the intended victim’s political party.

From NBCNews

“Federal agents on Wednesday arrested a suspect in the mailing of letters to President Barack Obama and a U.S. senator that initially tested positive for the poison ricin.

The suspect was identified as Paul Kevin Curtis of Tupelo, Miss., federal officials told NBC News. They said he may appear in court as early as Wednesday night.

Both letters carried an identical closing statement, according to an FBI bulletin obtained by NBC News on Wednesday.”

____________________________________________________

Police believe they have some suspects in the Boston bombing.

From TheAP

” In what could be major break in the Boston Marathon case, investigators are on the hunt for a man seen in a department store surveillance video dropping off a bag at the site of the bombings, a local politician said Wednesday.

Separately, a law enforcement official confirmed that authorities have found an image of a potential suspect but don’t know his name.

The development – less than 48 hours after the attack, which left three people dead and more than 170 wounded – marked a possible turning point in a case that has investigators analyzing photos and videos frame by frame for clues to who carried out the twin bombings and why.”

For some reason they haven’t released photos for the public yet. But at least one website claims to have photos of possible suspects.

From TheNYPost

“In the photos being distributed by law-enforcement officials among themselves, one of the men is carrying a blue duffel bag. The other is wearing a black backpack in the first photo, taken at 10:53 a.m., but it is not visible in the second, taken at 12:30 p.m.

“The attached photos are being circulated in an attempt to identify the individuals highlighted therein,” said an e-mail obtained by The Post. “Feel free to pass this around to any of your fellow agents elsewhere.”

“Meanwhile, officials have identified two potential suspects who were captured on surveillance videos taken shortly before the deadly blasts, law-enforcement sources told The Post yesterday.

Authorities know the names of the two men, but do not have enough evidence to make an arrest for Monday’s attack, which killed three and wounded 176, the sources said.”

UPDATE II  Or not?

From HotAir

“The FBI is (finally!) going to release the footage that everyone’s been clamoring for later today. If you’ve read the New York Post this morning, you probably think you know who the guys in the video will be. You’re probably wrong. I watched an interview on Erin Burnett’s show last night with Fran Townsend (I think it was her), who’d seen photos of the suspects circulated by cops; CNN refused to air the pics but it was abundantly clear from her description that it’s the same two guys in the Post’s story today. If you followed Reddit’s marathon photo sleuthing yesterday, you knew instantly watching that interview who she meant. There were at least five or six different shots of them near the finish line being scrutinized on Reddit — one of them wore a white cap and bulging black backpack, the other a blue track suit with a sagging duffel bag. I went to bed last night thinking that’s who’d be in the video released today.

But apparently I’m wrong. The administrator of the Reddit sleuthing thread posted an alert this morning urging people to back off.”

“We are not waiting for them to be officially cleared, one of the men has contacted the police to try and clear his name. Please understand that the FBI now knows who they are, so our posts now have no purpose. If the situation changes then people can make new posts. It’s not our job to keep their information out there, people are innocent until proven guilty – not the other way around.”

____________________________________________________

Some in the left-wing media are pretty upset about the “dark-skinned” references some news sources used. Others on the left are hoping it’s a white male that’s responsible. But only because they fear it could hurt Obama’s agenda or some such nonsense. And believe it or not, it supposedly has something to do with “white privilege.”

From Salon

“As we now move into the official Political Aftermath period of the Boston bombing — the period that will determine the long-term legislative fallout of the atrocity — the dynamics of privilege will undoubtedly influence the nation’s collective reaction to the attacks. That’s because privilege tends to determine: 1) which groups are — and are not — collectively denigrated or targeted for the unlawful actions of individuals; and 2) how big and politically game-changing the overall reaction ends up being.

This has been most obvious in the context of recent mass shootings. In those awful episodes, a religious or ethnic minority group lacking such privilege would likely be collectively slandered and/or targeted with surveillance or profiling (or worse) if some of its individuals comprised most of the mass shooters. However, white male privilege means white men are not collectively denigrated/targeted for those shootings — even though most come at the hands of white dudes.

Likewise, in the context of terrorist attacks, such privilege means white non-Islamic terrorists are typically portrayed not as representative of whole groups or ideologies, but as “lone wolf” threats to be dealt with as isolated law enforcement matters. Meanwhile, non-white or developing-world terrorism suspects are often reflexively portrayed as representative of larger conspiracies, ideologies and religions that must be dealt with as systemic threats — the kind potentially requiring everything from law enforcement action to military operations to civil liberties legislation to foreign policy shifts.

“White privilege is knowing that even if the bomber turns out to be white, no one will call for your group to be profiled as terrorists as a result, subjected to special screening or threatened with deportation,” writes author Tim Wise. “White privilege is knowing that if this bomber turns out to be white, the United States government will not bomb whatever corn field or mountain town or stale suburb from which said bomber came, just to ensure that others like him or her don’t get any ideas. And if he turns out to be a member of the Irish Republican Army we won’t bomb Dublin. And if he’s an Italian-American Catholic we won’t bomb the Vatican.””

🙄

____________________________________________________

The Senate has defeated the Obama admin backed gun bill. They couldn’t get the 60 votes needed. The President is not happy.

From TheHill

“The Senate delivered a devastating blow to President Obama’s agenda to regulate guns Wednesday by defeating a bipartisan proposal to expand background  checks.

It failed by a vote of 54 to 46, with five Democrats voting against it. Only four Republicans supported it.”

But they certainly aren’t giving up.

____________________________________________________

Meanwhile Benghazi is back in the news, thanks to new, and talkative, whistleblowers.

From CBSNews

“CBS News has learned that multiple new whistleblowers are privately speaking to investigators with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee regarding the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attacks on the U.S. compounds in Benghazi, Libya.

The nature of the communications with the whistleblowers and their identities are not being made public at this time. But in response, the Oversight Committee yesterday sent letters to the three federal agencies involved: the CIA, the Defense Department and the State Department.

The letters make the case for the whistleblowers to be able to share sensitive or classified information with their own attorneys, and ask for each agency’s official description of the legal steps that process must follow. The letters also state that additional witnesses may be “compelled by subpoena to give testimony.””

And a Hat Tip to CBS, who has been on this story from the get go.

____________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 4-17-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

UPDATE

An arrest has/will/might, or may not be happening now. Confused? Me too.

From WeaselZippers

“BREAKING: ARREST IN BOSTON BOMBING IMMINENT OR ALREADY TAKING PLACE – UPDATE: SUSPECT ARRESTED – UPDATE: NBC SAYS NO ARREST – UPDATE: FOX NEWS CONFIRMS ARREST MADE – UPDATE: AP CONFIRMS – UPDATE: CELL PHONE RECORDS LED TO ARREST…”

The press conference which should hopefully provide some answers has been pushed back to 5:00PM EST

____________________________________________________

Police say the Saudi man considered a “person of interest” in the Boston bombing is not a suspect.

From TheCable

“Director of National Intelligence James Clapper briefed members of the Senate Intelligence Committee behind closed doors in a pre-scheduled hearing that was supposed to focus on the budget, but Clapper began with an update of the bombings. Ranking Republican Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) emerged from the briefing and said he was told the 22-year old Saudi student who was injured during the bombings and remains in the care of a local hospital was no longer a focus of investigators.

“He was never categorized as a suspect; he was a person of interest. My understanding is that he totally cooperated and that he is no longer a person of interest,” Chambliss said.

Asked if there were any other persons of interest at this time, Chambliss said, “Not that I know of.””

____________________________________________________

And we have more examples of people rising to the occasion, and helping where they could.

From TheTelegraphUK

“Out of the horror of the Boston marathon bombings, there emerged uplifting examples of human kindness as the city’s residents did all they could to help those caught up in the attack.”

“So many of the runners continued to run across the finishing line and onwards to the Massachusetts General Hospital, in a rush to give blood, that they had to be turned away.”

“A retired American Football star, Joe Andruzzi, who won the Superbowl three times with the New England Patriots, carried victims away from the carnage. All three of his brothers were firemen in New York who responded to the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers.”

____________________________________________________

Congress has responded to the Boston bombing. And of course some Dems go with the same old play book. Don’t let a crisis go to waste. And blame the Sequester.

From Politico

“With the Boston Marathon bombings less than 24 hours old, some on Capitol Hill  are beginning to say the attack shows why Congress should’ve stopped automatic  spending cuts from taking hold in March.”

“Hoyer added: “I think there are multiple reasons for ensuring that we invest in  our security both domestic and international security. That we invest in the  education of our children, that we invest in growing jobs in America and don’t  pursue any irrational policy of cutting the highest priorities and the lowest  priorities by essentially the same percentage.””

“Rep. Xavier Becerra of California, the chairman of the House Democratic  Caucus, said that the first responders working Monday aren’t sheltered from cuts.

“We have to send you less money to help your first responders,” Becerra  said.”

Barney Frank, and numerous hacks pretending to be journalists have joined in on this meme as well. But don’t be fooled by the drama. There is plenty of money for needed things like this. However Homeland Security would rather waste it, many times on things that have nothing to do with their mission. Just as a reminder, they waste it on things like this.

Millions squandered at Homeland over the past decade.

DHS Counterterror Centers Produce ‘a Bunch of Crap,’ Senate Finds

Zombie Apocalypse Training

$98,000 for an underwater robot in Columbus, Ohio, where there are no major  rivers and few lakes nearby.

1.6 billion rounds of ammo.

50 million for new uniforms

And 2,700 new armored vehicles for patrolling American cities

They don’t have a revenue problem, they have a wasteful spending problem. They’ve wasted tons of money. But if Dems want to complain about Homeland budget cuts…..

Then I guess this should be pointed out since those in Congress and the press pushing this meme won’t mention it, since it doesn’t fit in the story they wanna tell.

From TheDailyMail

“Obama administration has SLASHED budget for domestic bombing prevention by 45 per cent, says former Homeland Security Assistant Secretary

  • $20 million  budget under Bush became $11 million under Obama
  • Both  administrations neglected domestic bombing prevention, devoting a tiny fraction  of the $1 billion earmarked for IED prevention overseas
  • Obama  issued a lengthy ‘National Policy for Countering Improvised Explosive Devices’  in February but a spokesman won’t say if it failed.”

____________________________________________________

More horrible details from the Gosnell case.

So a CONTENT WARNING!!! for this one.

From CNSNews

“Gosnell did these very late-term abortions at his clinic in West  Philadelphia assisted only by his wife, Pearl Gosnell, on the one day  the clinic was closed, Sunday. Other clinic workers were not allowed to  assist in these abortions and it is believed that many of the medical  records of these procedures may have been destroyed, according to the  grand jury report.

The grand jury report was released in January 2011. As it states,  “This report documents multiple murders of viable babies. The evidence  makes a compelling case that many others were also murdered. … It was  Gosnell’s standard business practice to slay viable babies.”

“Gosnell made little effort to hide his illegal abortion practice,” reads the report.   “But there were some, ‘the really big ones,’ that even he was afraid to  perform in front of others. These abortions were scheduled for Sundays, a  day when the clinic was closed and none of the regular employees were  present. Only one person was allowed to assist with these special cases –  Gosnell’s wife.””

____________________________________________________

“Why Evangelicals Back Obama on Immigration (and Why They Should Agree on Guns and Climate Change, Too)”

From NationalJournal

“The most important milestone on immigration reform this weekend was not “The Full Marco” – Sen. Marco Rubio’s seven-show Sunday blitz. It was a story in The New York Times documenting a shift by evangelical Christians toward easing immigration laws.

Julia Preston reported:

“The shift among evangelical Christians could have a powerful effect on the fight in Washington, as Republican lawmakers, including many who have opposed any amnesty for illegal immigrants, look to see how much they can support measures to bring those immigrants into the legal system without alienating conservative voters.”

“Evangelical leaders, seeing the opportunity to expand their influence on a social issue beyond abortion and same-sex marriage, have broadly united this year behind a path to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally. They are conducting an ambitious push to sway Congress, including ad campaigns on Christian radio stations in five states, meetings with lawmakers, and a challenge to churchgoers to pray every day for 40 days using Bible passages that speak of welcoming the stranger.” ”

____________________________________________________

And remember, vote fraud is a myth.

From Cincinnati.com

“Marguerite Kloos walked into court Tuesday as a nun who devoted her life to her religion. When she walked out, she was a convicted felon who escaped a prison term.

Kloos, 54, of Delhi Township, pleaded guilty to illegal voting, admitting to filling out and filing an absentee ballot for Sister Rose Marie Hewitt, Kloos’ friend who died before last November’s election.”

“Hers was one of three cases Hamilton County decided – so far – to prosecute from last fall’s elections.”

Nothin’ to see here folks. Move along.

____________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 4-16-13

What’s interesting out there today?

Open Thread

The obvious choice of course is the attack in Boston yesterday.

From TheBostonHerald

“Two huge explosions rocked the Boston Marathon finish line at Copley Square just before 3 p.m. today, killing three and injuring 144 at last count, including several traumatic amputations on streets crowded with runners, spectators and post-race partiers.

Many of those injured are children — including an 8-year-old killed in the blast, the Herald has learned. Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis said tonight there is “no suspect” and the death toll is now at three.

“We will get to the bottom of this. We will find out who did this and we will find out why,” said President Obama this evening. “They will feel the full weight of justice.”

We also know that at least 2 other unexploded bombs were found.

I think we can all agree with the President on this, regardless of who is responsible.

____________________________________________________

One thing that always stands out to me when things like this happen is how people respond. As with 9-11, in the midst of tragedy, the best of America shines through. I watched quite a bit of coverage. I saw many people helping. I saw Police and first responders who rushed into to lend aid to the injured, unconcerned with their own safety. I watched runners and spectators doing what they could to help.

From NBCNews

“As runners and their loved ones fled bomb blasts that tore apart the finish of the Boston Marathon on Monday, many were taken in by locals who offered them shelter, food and a comforting hand.

Ali Hatfield, who traveled from Kansas City with two friends to run in the race, said she was touched when a  mother brought her daughter out to offer help as the trio and their families wandered the streets of Boston’s Back Bay, unable to return to their hotel.

“I’m bringing my daughter her out here because I want her to see that there (is) good in people and I don’t want her to be scared,” she recalled the woman as saying.”

“Some Good Samaritans offered their homes, couches, cots and sleeping bags, while others, such as a local restaurant, offered free food, access to phones and a place to get together with other stunned racegoers.”

____________________________________________________

There are many conflicting reports about a suspect, but until that’s confirmed, why speculate? We also have reports that CCTV may have recorded the bomber placing backpacks in a trash can at the scene. I’ll post more as it becomes confirmed by authorities. Unlike certain liberal news organizations, I won’t speculate on who did this. As expected they rushed to try and link this to “right-wing” extremists. I won’t dignify such idiocy by linking to their trash. It’s irresponsible. Let’s wait and see what the facts show before rushing to judgment.

____________________________________________________

Police have confirmed that they searched a home in Revere, Mass. that was related to the bombing.

From FoxNewsBoston

“Police were seen carrying several large bags from a suburban Boston apartment  that authorities say was searched in connection to the Boston Marathon bombing.

The bags were removed from the apartment on Ocean Avenue in Revere just north  of Boston at about 2 a.m. Tuesday.”

“Massachusetts State Police confirmed that a search warrant was served Monday night but provided no further details.”

The FBI also participated. From TheAP

“The FBI took charge of the investigation into the bombings, serving a warrant late Monday on a home in suburban Boston and appealing for any video, audio and still images taken by marathon spectators.”

“WBZ-TV reported late Monday that law enforcement officers were searching an apartment in the Boston suburb of Revere. Massachusetts State Police confirmed that a search warrant related to the investigation into the explosions was served Monday night in Revere, but provided no further details.”

____________________________________________________

The NYPost is reporting that a possible suspect is in custody, and that it was his home that was searched.

“Police took a 20-year-old Saudi national into custody near the scene of yesterday’s horrific Boston Marathon bomb attack, law-enforcement sources told The Post.

The potential suspect was questioned by the FBI and local police yesterday at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he was under heavy guard while being treated for shrapnel injuries to his leg sustained in the blast.

In late afternoon, a large group of federal and state law enforcement agents raided an apartment in a building in the Saudi man’s hometown of Revere, Mass.”

____________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 4-13-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

The media continues to sandbag the Gosnell story. Here’s a rather pathetic attempt to explain why.

From Patheos

“Then I decided, since tmatt has me reading the Washington Post every day, to look at how the paper’s health policy reporter was covering Gosnell. I have critiqued many of her stories on the Susan G. Komen Foundation (she wrote quite a bit about that) and the Sandra Fluke controversy (she wrote quite a bit about that) and the Todd Akin controversy (you know where this is going). In fact, a site search for that reporter — who is named Sarah Kliff — and stories Akin and Fluke and Komen — yields more than 80 hits. Guess how many stories she’s done on this abortionist’s mass murder trial.

Did you guess zero? You’d be right. So I asked her about it. Here’s her response:

Hi Molly – I cover policy for the Washington Post, not local crime, hence why I wrote about all the policy issues you mention.”

“But gosh darn it, can you think of any policy implications to this, uh, “local crime” story? And that’s all it is. Just like a bunch of other local stories the Washington Post also refuses to cover — local crimes such as the killing of Trayvon Martin and the killing of Matthew Shepard and the killing of students at an elementary school in Connecticut. Did the Washington Post even think of covering those local crime stories? No! Oh wait, they did? Like, all the time? Hmm. That’s weird. But did they cover them in terms of policy implications? Asking politicians for their views and such? Oh they did that, too? Hmm. So weird. Oh, and Sarah Kliff herself wrote one of those stories? Well, gosh, I’m so confused.”

____________________________________________________

Meanwhile MSNBC continues to ignore the story as well. But they did take the time to investigate if the GOP is too pro-life.

From Mediaite

“As examples of self-parody go, you can’t do much better than this. As the story of Philadelphia “house of horrors” abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell explodes on the internet and makes its way gradually onto the radars of the nation’s newsroom editors, questions have arisen about why this sensational story never received the wall-to-wall treatment it appears to merit. From conservatives and liberals alike, the universal horror that the Gosnell story has inspired is palpable. But some have suggested that the story is politically inconvenient for absolutist pro-choice activists. It simply does not fit the narrative, some say, which the media has come accustomed to reporting. A rather textbook example of this narrative stewarding came today via MSNBC. The network has not yet reported on Gosnell’s infanticide factory, but they took some time out of their busy programming day today to ask a panel of political professionals if the Republican Party’s base voters are simply too culturally conservative – and too pro-life – for the party’s leadership and the general electorate.”

“UPDATE: Lest you think that this was simply an oversight by Todd’s program, MSNBC’s straight news anchor Thomas Roberts and panel guests dug into a new NBC poll which shows that more people feel that restrictions on abortion rights are appropriate. One would think that the Gosnell case would dovetail well with this segment. One would think…”

____________________________________________________

But as was noted in the story above, it is getting out. Not at NBC, CBS, CNN, ABC, WaPo, NYTimes, LATimes, Politico and others, but from less biased sources. And even on the floor of the House.

From TheWashingtonTimes

“Reflecting mounting frustration over the lack of press coverage of inner-city Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell’s murder trial, a group of pro-life House members took to the floor to denounce what they call a “national media cover-up” of the sensational case.

“Again, I ask my colleagues and I ask the news media, ‘Why the blackout?’” said Rep. Christopher H. Smith, New Jersey Republican. “Will America ever be told of the brutality of abortion?”

The congressional outcry is the latest effort to draw attention to the gruesome courtroom drama unfolding in Philadelphia, where Dr.  Gosnell stands accused of committing eight murders  including seven live  babies born after botched abortions  at the Women’s  Medical Society.

____________________________________________________

And I must say, Rep. Smith pulled no punches. See for yourself.

“If Dr. Gosnell had walked into a nursery and shot seven infants with an AR-15, it would be national news and the subject of presidential hand-wringing.”

____________________________________________________

Meanwhile the President continues to exploit the Newtown tragedy, and use the families as props to push his agenda. Here’s the latest display.

From Reuters

“President Barack Obama has asked a mother whose 6-year-old son was killed in the Newtown, Connecticut massacre to deliver his weekly radio address, an unusual move expected to turn up the pressure on Congress to pass tougher gun control laws.”

And just like the victims of Hurricane Sandy, they’ll be cast aside and ignored once the photo ops are over and they’re no longer useful.

____________________________________________________

They’re just going completely over the top with this nonsense. Now you have law enforcement and an Obama supporting prosecutor targeting soldiers outside Ft. Hood.

From TheDailyCaller

“The conflict between law enforcement and armed military personnel in the community around Fort Hood, one of America’s largest military bases, has recently and repeatedly involved the issue of gun control — and the tension has been exacerbated in part by an Obama-supporting prosecutor described as a “bandleader” of anti-gun efforts in the heavily conservative community.”

The conflict reached a fever pitch last month, when Texas police arrested an  active-duty Army sergeant for “rudely displaying” a hunting rifle. The sergeant,  C.J. Grisham, established an online legal defense fund after he was, in  his words, “illegally arrested and disarmed” for carrying the firearm.”

“Video of the incident obtained by The Daily Caller shows officers defending their behavior to Grisham while restraining him.

“In this day and age, [people] are alarmed when they see someone with what you have,” one of the officers tells Grisham in the video. “They don’t care what the law is.””

But you as a police officer should.

____________________________________________________

While the police are busy harassing law-abiding citizens/soldiers, the illegals continue to break actual laws. But these actual laws aren’t enforced like the non-existent law above.

From WOAIRadio

“Officials say the number of people entering  the U.S. illegally is way up and, tragically, the number of undocumented  immigrants who have been found dead in the unforgiving Texas Brush Country is  way up, and is on path this year to beat last year’s record for the number of  people found dead in the ranch country.

Linda Vickers, who owns a ranch in  Brooks County, which is Ground Zero for the immigration debate, pins the blame  directly on talk of ‘amnesty’ and a ‘path to citizenship’ for people who entered  the U.S. illegally.”

“”The Border Patrol agent was loading one man up, and he told the officer in Spanish, ‘Obama’s gonna let me go’.” Border Patrol agents report that immigrants are crossing the border, and in some  cases surrendering while asking, “Where do I go for my amnesty?””

“She says the current increase in illegal  immigrant entries began last summer, at almost exactly the same time as President Obama unilaterally announced plans to no longer deport young people  who came to the U.S. as children with their illegal immigrant parents.”

____________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 4-12-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

There’s a lot to choose from, that’s for sure.

We have some scary stuff, from TheCSMonitor

“That was the bombshell out of a House Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday.

It came when Rep. Doug Lamborn (R) of Colorado began quoting from what he said was an unclassified version of the DIA report, which has not yet been made public.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, the nation’s top military officer, appeared caught off-guard. The Pentagon has in recent days sought to strike a balance between words of warning to the North and attempts to calm the situation. General Dempsey’s reaction suggested that he was not pleased to have the DIA assessment made public, as it could further stoke anxieties over what is already a enormously tense international standoff.”

Greaaaaaat….. 🙄

____________________________________________________

We have Dems pretending to be European Socialists by behaving badly….. from Heritage

“One would naturally think it impossible that anyone would hesitate – even for an instant – to honor the woman who tackled communism head on as prime minister of Great Britain. Lady Margaret Thatcher was a principled politician who helped to foster the special relationship between Great Britain and the United States that we all benefit from today.

A Senate resolution to honor Lady Thatcher was supposed to pass last night.  However, per well placed sources on the Hill, Democrats have a hold on the resolution.”

I’m not shocked at all. And they’re not pretending either I suspect.

____________________________________________________

The President’s Priorities, from TheWallStJournal

“President Obama is pitching his new budget proposal as a fiscal peace offering to Republicans, but the details suggest everyone should expect more conflict. The fiscal 2014 plan he released Wednesday is a very slightly modified version of his previous budgets that reduces the deficit by raising taxes and trading defense cuts for more domestic spending.

The real news is that his budget ratifies much of the spending increase of the first term and tries to lock it in. He wants the feds to spend $3.78 trillion next year ($11,944 per American), which would still be 22.2% of national output nearly four years into an economic recovery. Before the financial panic in 2008, the government was spending about $1 trillion less, or closer to $2.7 trillion a year and an average of 20% of GDP—and President Bush was no slouch as a spender himself.”

“On the other hand, debt held by the public as a share of the economy will continue to climb—to what the White House predicts will be a peak of 78.2% of GDP in 2014. As recently as 2008, U.S. debt was 40.5% of the economy. Mr. Obama has nearly doubled it. (See the nearby chart.) With a modicum of spending restraint and faster growth, the debt burden will start to decline. The danger is that there’s no room to avoid Southern European debt levels if we have another recession or an interest-rate spike.”

Good thing we don’t have a spending problem huh? 🙄

____________________________________________________

So how exactly did that bi-partisan gun deal come about? Why in typical DC fashion of course. From TheWashingtonTimes

“Sen. Mark Kirk says the real driving force  behind the gun deal that was hatched by bipartisan work was booze and boat  retreats.

The Illinois Republican said to reporters that visits to the Black Tie, a  yacht owned by Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin,  played a large role in the Democratic-Republican come-together over background  checks and other legislation related to gun control, Roll Call reported.”

“You guys really ought to go out to National  Harbor and see the Black Tie, which has been much of the reason for much of  the bipartisan cooperation around here,” he said, as quoted in Roll Call.”

You can look, but don’t touch it. They don’t like the commoners touchin’ their stuff.

____________________________________________________

Next we have a serious case of judicial, and I suspect liberal, stupidity. From FoxNewsBoston

“The illegal immigrant who was drunk driving when he hit and dragged a Milford man to his death has been ruled incompetent to stand trial.

Judge  Janet Kinton-Walker says Nicolas Guaman’s “unique cultural background” and language barrier means that he doesn’t understand the court process. The court  also said that he lacks the ability to consult with his attorney properly.”

“FOX 25’s Melissa Mahan asked Maloney whether she believes Guaman does not understand the court process in the United States because of his language  barrier.

“No, I don’t believe it,” said Maloney. “In the past, he’s had other run-ins with the law. He’s been in court multiple times on other charges prior to all this in August 2011 and a Spanish interpreter or no interpreter was used for those hearings and he’s always managed just fine.”

Sure. And does he keep breaking the law because he doesn’t understand it too? Oh well. Let’s face it, the DoJ and INS would probably just release him anyway, what with Sequester cuts and all. 🙄

____________________________________________________

These last 3 are all education/indoctrination related. We have some doozies today.

First, from the hallowed halls of higher learning we have the Clown Prince of Professors, from FoxNewsRadio

“For two years the University of Southern California student had listened to the classroom ranting of liberal professors. So it wasn’t much of a surprise when Darry Sragow, his political science professor, launched into an anti-Republican tirade on the first day of class.”

“The 20-year-old political science major bought a hidden camera disguised as a shirt button. And that’s how he was able to secretly videotape every single lecture delivered by Professor Sragow.”

““On the first day of class he talked about how Republicans prevent blacks from voting,” Talgo said. “He also said that he used to work for Democratic candidates and it was his job to kill Republicans.”

““They’re really stupid and racist,” Sragow said at one point. “The Republican party is increasingly the last refuge of old, angry white people who don’t like what’s going on in this country.””

And yes, there’s video at the link. But with a  CONTENT WARNING!!!  for some cussing.

____________________________________________________

Next we have the further indoctrination of public school kids, disguised as education of course. Gotta get ’em young. From NationalReview

“One doesn’t need to be a global-warming skeptic to be appalled by a new set of national K–12 science standards. Those standards, developed by educrats and science administrators, and likely to be adopted initially by up to two dozen states, put the study of global warming and other ways that humans are destroying life as we know it at the very core of science education. This is a political choice, not a scientific one. But the standards are equally troubling in their embrace of the nostrums of progressive pedagogy.

Students educated under the Next Generation Science Standards will begin their lifelong attention to climate change as soon as they enter school. Kindergartners will be expected to “use tools and materials to design and build a structure that will reduce the warming effect of sunlight on an area” (perhaps this is what used to be known as “building a fort”) and “develop understanding of patterns and variations in local weather and the purpose of weather forecasting to prepare for, and respond to, severe weather.” Things get even scarier by the third grade, when students should be asking such questions as: “How can the impact of weather-related hazards be reduced?” The standards don’t mention protesting the Keystone pipeline as a possible “real-world” answer to the question of how to reduce “weather-related hazards,” but rest assured that the graduates of America’s left-wing education schools will not hesitate to include such hands-on learning experiences in their global-warming-politics — oops, make that “science” — classes. By high school, students are squarely in the world of environmental policy-making, expected to “evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.””

____________________________________________________

And the last of the bunch is also from a public school, again, get the kids. From EAGNews

“Eighth-graders in Wisconsin’s Union Grove school district were assigned to fill out a “Liberalism vs. Conservatism” crossword puzzle, and they learned some new and very questionable “facts.”

Students learned conservatism is “the political belief of preserving traditional moral values by restricting personal freedoms … ”

Conversely, they learned liberalism is “the political belief of equality and personal freedom for everyone, often changing the current system to increase government protection of civil liberties.”

“On the back side of the crossword puzzle was a political survey students were required to fill out to identify their beliefs, something Varebrook believes is equally troubling.”

That’s how they figure out who the free-thinking trouble makers are. Can’t have ’em influencing the collective with their conservative values. You know how radical 8th graders are. Best to identify ’em early.

____________________________________________________