912 Patriots of Lower Bucks - Your Daily Updates ALL in ONE Place!
May 21, 2013
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THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR: "For me, it's about collaboration. - National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley on the relationship between the anti-Tea Party IRS union and the Obama White House
Is President Obama directly implicated in the IRS scandal?
Is the White House Visitors Log the trail to the smoking gun?
The stunning questions are raised by the following set of new facts.
March 31, 2010.
According to the White House Visitors Log, provided here in searchable form by U.S. News and World Report, the president of the anti-Tea Party National Treasury Employees Union, Colleen Kelley, visited the White House at 12:30pm that Wednesday noon time of March 31st.
The White House lists the IRS union leader's visit this way:
Kelley, Colleen Potus 03/31/2010 12:30
In White House language, "POTUS" stands for "President of the United States."
The very next day after her White House meeting with the President, according to the Treasury Department's Inspector General's Report, IRS employees - the same employees who belong to the NTEU - set to work in earnest targeting the Tea Party and conservative groups around America. The IG report wrote it up this way:
April 1-2, 2010: The new Acting Manager, Technical Unit, suggested the need for a Sensitive Case Report on the Tea Party cases. The Determinations Unit Program Manager Agreed.
In short: the very day after the president of the quite publicly anti-Tea Party labor union - the union for IRS employees - met with President Obama, the manager of the IRS "Determinations Unit Program agreed" to open a "Sensitive Case report on the Tea party cases." As stated by the IG report.
Washington Times Writer: Fox News Scandal Goes 'Much Deeper,' W.H. Sitting on Something Top Obama Aides 'Terrified' About
The Blaze | Jason Howerton | May. 20, 2013 6:44pm
Washington Times columnist Joseph Curl on Monday said the Obama administration's developing scandal involving the monitoring of Fox News reporter James Rosen's email accounts goes "much deeper."
Citing a "CIA source," Curl claimed via his official Twitter account that the Fox News scandal was the "4th Shoe" and the White House is sitting on "something" that has top White House aides "terrified."
TheBlaze will continue to monitor this story for additional details.
DOJ Reportedly Snooped on TWO Additional Fox News Employees
The Blaze | Becket Adams | May. 20, 2013 7:59pm
The Department of Justice in its ongoing efforts to plug national security leaks closely monitored James Rosen, Fox News' chief Washington correspondent, the Washington Post reported Sunday evening.
The DOJ kept track of Rosen's security badge access records to monitor his comings and goings from the State Department, the Post reports. The department also traced the timing of his calls with a State Department official and obtained a search warrant for his personal emails.
But if you think that's bad, it apparently gets worse: Rosen wasn't the only Fox News employee to come under intense DOJ scrutiny.
Fox News' Megyn Kelly said Monday that Fox News correspondent William La Jeunesse and DOJ and national-security senior producer Mike Levine were also targeted by President Obama's Justice Department.
Justice Department probe threatens First Amendment
FoxNews.com | By Adam Freedman | Published May 20, 2013
Stop the presses -- or so that seems to be the ultimate goal of Justice Department efforts to seize the records of professional journalists.
First, we discovered that the Justice Department had obtained two months' worth of phone records from Associated Press journalists as part of a leak probe. Now, The Washington Post reports that the Nation's primary law enforcement agency has been tracking a Fox News reporter's coming and goings from the State Department and has obtained a search warrant for the reporter's personal emails.
To make matters worse, the FBI is reportedly making the unprecedented claim that the Fox journalist -- James Rosen -- broke the law by doing his job; namely, gathering information. No reporter has ever been prosecuted for soliciting information. It may be a coincidence, but Rosen has also been questioning the administration's handling of the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
The administration's moves against political reporters strike at the core of the First Amendment's guarantee of a free press.
I know they're calling the illegal alien amnesty, "comprehensive reform", but I think Schumer, McCain and Rubio might be putting a little too much confidence in the power of amnesty to reform criminals.
The eligibility criteria established for the Schumer-Rubio amnesty, S.744, are so generous that 45 percent of the criminal aliens in ICE's recent caseload would qualify for legal status, according to the Center for Immigration Studies' examination of ICE records. Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants with criminal convictions, and tens of thousands of aliens with arrests on top of serious immigration violations would be legalized under the provisions of the Gang of Eight bill. The proposed amnesty would significantly curtail ICE efforts to expel immigrants who have been a threat to public safety in American communities, including gang members, drunk drivers, and other offenders considered non-serious by the bill's proponents.
At least it's not like gang members are responsible for the majority of murders in Chicago. Oh wait... they are. But that just means we need to pass a gun amnesty that will legalize gun violence. If it works for illegal immigration, why not illegal gun violence?
"It's no wonder so many law enforcement leaders have gone public with their opposition to the Schumer-Rubio amnesty bill. This measure will legalize tens of thousands of offenders who should be deported instead. I shudder to think about how many Americans and legal immigrants will become the victims of their future crimes. The Gang of Eight seems more intent on protecting lawbreakers than protecting our communities."
You are invited to join a conference call with Glenn Beck on Wednesday, May 29 at 12:00 PM Eastern (11:00 AM Central, 10:00 AM Mountain, 9:00 AM Pacific). Glenn will address the mounting threats to Israel and what we can do to stand with Israel today.
We are only able to reserve a limited number of lines for this conference call. Please click herenow to sign up before the call is filled. We are providing access to this call on a first-come first-serve basis.
Whether Catholic or not.......
Whether or not Pennsylvanians will be paying for abortions through the Affordable Care Act is largely in the hands of our state senate and Governor Tom Corbett "governor@pa.gov."As per the below message from the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference,
"HB 818 passed the House in April and it is now the Senate's turn to take up this important legislation. Your senator needs to hear from you today- tell him or her to vote 'yes' on HB 818 with no amendments....
Of the four senators from Bucks County, only Senator Bob Mensch "bmensch@pasen.gov" receives a very unfavorable rating from pro-abortion Planned Parenthood. Bucks County should be rightfully proud of this ProLife champion!
Pro-abortion Planned Parenthood gives mixed ratings to both Senator Stewart Greenleaf "sgreenleaf@pasen.gov" and to Senator Tommy Tomlinson "rtomlinson@pasen.gov." Greenleaf and Tomlinson need strong pro life feedback from Bucks Countians!
Pro-abortion Planned Parenthood sees Senator Chuck McIlhinney "cmcilhinney@pasen.gov" as one of its own! Considering that McIlhinney identifies himself as a Catholic, this is absolutely scandalous and needs to be made clear as such by ALL of Bucks County's clergy. As per Pope Francis,
no one can "receive Holy Communion and at the same time act with deeds or words against the commandments, particularly when abortion, euthanasia, and other grave crimes against life and family are encouraged. This responsibility weighs particularly over legislators, heads of governments, and health professionals" (cf, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/letters/2013/index_en.htm).
Anti - IRS Nationwide Rally sponsored by The Tea Party Patriots and Valley Forge Patriots
601 South Henderson Road, King of Prussia, PA (edit map)
This is a rally against the actions of the IRS in targeting Tea Party groups, 912 groups, religious groups (including Franklin Graham) and individuals (Romney supporters). If you are following the news, you know the IRS made it extremely difficult for conservative groups to obtain 501 C4 status and that they performed unwarranted audits of conservative groups and individuals. This was done (and is still being done) prior to the 2012 elections and knowledge about this was withheld until after the elections. This is criminal. Now, the IRS is to be in charge of Obamacare implementation under the direction of the same woman that was involved in these deplorable actions. This is outrageous! Let them hear from us! Bring signs and bring your big conservative spirit! Please, no rudeness or ignorant signs or behavior. Be There!
Note: Tuesday May 21 is also election day so don't forget to vote.
Pot of Gold Money Drop
Our April/May Pot of Gold Money Drop has passed the half-way mark!
We hope to continue our efforts to restore limited government and free market principles--despite the IRS, President Obama, and his allies--but we need your help!
Many thanks to those who have already "dropped a donation!" So far, we have raised $3,000! If each of you gave just $5, we would surpass our goal many times over.
$5000
As an extra incentive:
* Those giving a $25 donation will receive an Independence Hall Tea Party t-shirt as our thank you.
* Those giving a $50 donation will receive one Independence Hall Tea Party golf shirt or two t-shirts as our thank you.
* Those giving a $100 donation will receive two Independence Hall Tea Party golf shirts as our thank you.
will be hosting Brooke Goldstein -- author, filmmaker, and human rights attorney. Ms. Goldstein's documentary, The Making of a Martyr, will be shown prior to her talk.
Drexel CR's Present: Brooke Goldstein and The Making of a Martyr
When: Wednesday, May 22, 6-8:45 PM; Cocktail Hour, 5-6 PM
Where: The Skyroom, MacAlister Hall, 3250 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia
Cost: Free and open to the public.
Sponsored by Drexel University College Republicans.
And finally, last but not least, the Independence Hall Tea Party will sponsor its 5th Annual July 4th Celebration on Independence Mall. This year's theme:
Preserving America's Heritage.
Preserving America's Heritage--Independence Day 2013
When: Thursday, July 4, 1-3 PM
Where: Independence Mall, 5th and Market Streets
Free and open to the public. Many more details to follow.
Hope to see you soon!
On behalf of the Association Board,
Teri Adams
On Thursday, May 30, the organization Friends of Israel will celebrate its 75th anniversary of helping Jews and the Jewish State of Israel with a gala in Voorhees, N.J. We hope you will attend their reasonably priced dinner as a show of support and unity.
As you will note, this Christian Zionist group began its mission 10 years before Israel was re-established. They were originally known as "The Friends of Israel Refugee Relief Committee." To this day they continue to be advocates for Israel throughout the world and lead an annual mission to Israel. Though this group is international in scope, it is based in South Jersey.
Friends of Israel leadership have attended our Philadelphia ZOA Gala each year and last year we honored its immediate past executive director, William Sutter, and his wife, Annette. We see Bill (who is still quite active) and his successor, Jim Showers, at nearly every pro-Israel event in the region. They truly are, as their name indicates, "friends of Israel."
Tickets are just $45. The event takes place at The Mansion on Main Street, on May 30, beginning at 5:30 p.m.........
Kosher meals are available
Please call me at our Office for all of the details at 610-660-9466. I hope you will be able to attend.
Thank you,
Steve
THE UNION LEAGUE PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE and
PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM CENTER
present
Michele
Bachmann
United States House of Representative for Minnesota
Friday, June 7, 2013 at 11:30 AM (EDT) at the Union League of Philadelphia.
WITH TRADITONAL VALUES, STRONG CONVICTIONS & FAITH IN OUR CONSTITUTION, HEAR MICHELLE BACHMANN'S VISION FOR OUR NATION.
In 2006, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann became the first Republican woman to be elected to represent Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a self-proclaimed "Constitutional Conservative" she is committed to fixing Washington's broken ways by advocating for America's adherence to the Constitution. As a believer in the traditional values upon which this country was founded, Bachmann consistently defends America's religious liberties and the importance of family as the first unit of government. As the federal government continues to grow under the current administration, Bachmann was honored to establish the Tea Party Caucus in July 2010. She is proud to stand with the Tea Party to call for lower taxes, renewed focus on the Constitution and smaller government.
Reception: 11:30 am * Luncheon/Speaking Engagement: Noon
Price: $50.00 inclusive
For additional information please call 484-380-2549 or log on to www.phillyfreedom.org.
Announcing the 2013 National Conference
& Legislative Briefing!
June 19 - 21 we will convene at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC for our fourth annual National Conference & Legislative Briefing.
And here's some really great news: This year's registration fee is only $229! Register by April 15th and you'll receive our "Early Bird" rate of just $189!
We also offer again this year special benefits for Patriot Eagle and Patriot sponsors.
We have some exciting new wrinkles planned for this year's event, and our list of confirmed speakers already includes:
Steven Emerson - Journalist, author, and the Executive Editor of the Investigative Project on Terrorism. A. M. Rosenthal, late-managing editor of The New York Times, described Emerson as "one of the nation's best national security correspondents."
John Guandolo - Former FBI agent and one of America's leading authorities on the Muslim Brotherhood and its inner workings in America. Guandolo spoke at our conference in 2011 and received rave reviews from conference attendees!
Ezra Levant - Canadian lawyer, author, newspaper columnist with Sun Media, and former publisher of the Western Standard. Hauled before a Canadian "human rights commission" because he published the Danish cartoons that satirized Muhammad, Levant's personal account of a politically correct government inquisition is something you won't want to miss!
The National Conference & Legislative Briefing will begin on Wed. evening, June 19th, and conclude on Friday, June 21st at noon, with additional optional training sessions Friday afternoon.
It will again feature our very popular Capitol Hill Awards Luncheon and our signature gala banquet-and of course, our Legislative Briefing, where Members of Congress will brief you on various issues and answer your questions.
So make your plans now to join us in our nation's capital for what promises to be our best National Conference & Legislative Briefing ever!
More details to come!
2013 RedState Gathering -- Early Bird Special
Dear RedStater,
We announced earlier this week that we'll be headed to New Orleans the first weekend in August for this year's RedState Gathering. As a member of our RedState family, we'd like to extend exclusive Early Bird registration and pricing to you (just use the promo code EARLYBIRD on the registration page).
The 2013 RedState Gathering will be held August 2-3 at the Westin Canal Place in New Orleans, LA. We'll have two full days of speakers and activities and you can expect a good mix of elected officials and potential candidates for the 2014 cycle (we'll keep you informed as additions are made).
The Gathering has always been a unique event, in that all speakers, even the most in-demand and influential, pay their own way and make their own travel arrangements. This helps keep our costs low, a savings we are happy to pass along to our conference attendees. Additionally, we strive to get you up close to the speakers, ask them to take your questions, and we take care of nearly all your meals during the conference. Bottom line: fewer frills, more thrills and access.
We are thrilled to once again be joined by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who will be hosting a reception for all attendees and appear at the Gathering podium as a keynote speaker. A huge hit in 2012, we're looking forward to Gov. Jindal playing an even larger role this year as he welcomes us to his home state.
Now, more than ever, true conservative activists must come together to exchange ideas and strategize for the future. That's what this year's Gathering is all about. We hope you'll join us.
P.S. Don't delay! You'll receive 20% off if you register today - just use the promo code EARLYBIRD. Click here.
From a trusted friend:
As some of you may know, I am associated with Coventry Christian Schools as a parent of a graduate (2010) and as member of the Board of Trustees. Last October we spent a wonderful evening honoring Mark Niehls at our revitalized Founder's Dinner and celebrated our shared heritage in the remarkable community that is Coventry Christian Schools. Our vision for future Founder's Dinners is to inspire and inform not only our alumni and current CCS families but to inspire and inform the Tri-County Area and even our region by hosting speakers and artists who can uniquely assist us in celebrating the heritage, core values, and mission of CCS while also lifting our vision for an even greater future built upon the foundation of our past. The caliber of our speakers and guest artists should provide us with wonderful opportunities to share our CCS story with new partners in Christian education. Proceeds from the dinner will be applied to our annual Coventry Kids Fund for CCS scholarships.
This year we are proud to announce that our distinguished guest and speaker is Dr. Benjamin Carson, and our dinner's theme is "Faith of Our Fathers: The Role of Faith in American Schools." Please join us as we welcome Dr. Carson to the Tri-County Area and celebrate the great things God is doing at CCS!
Dr. Carson is a highly regarded neurosurgeon and motivational speaker who has addressed various audiences across the country. He is one of the most honored and recognized physicians in the world and holds more than 60 honorary doctorate degrees along with hundreds of awards and citations. He is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. He is the author of five books and is the founder of the Carson Scholars Fund. The 2009 award-winning movie entitled Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. as Carson, premiered on TNT and is based on his memoir. Dr. Carson is an authentic disciple of Christ, has been married to his wife Candy for more than 37 years, and is the father of three sons.
The 2013 Founder's Dinner, which will once again be a part of our Homecoming festivities, will be held at the historic Sunnybrook Ballroom in Pottstown on Sunday, October 13th, 2013. Doors will open at 4:30pm, followed by dinner at 5:15. Dress will be business/professional. Tickets will be priced at $100 until May 15th, then will be $125, so reserve your tickets for the reduced price.
Due to Dr. Carson's international reputation and recent prominence in the media, including his recent speech at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, we fully anticipate that this event will sell out quickly once advertised to the public. Tickets go on sale to the public April 15. If you are interested in attending, tickets can be purchased online. I will send the link out to those who wish to go on April 15
th
. While online reservations are preferred because they facilitate efficient event planning, you may also complete a paper order form, which I can forward to you as well.
All of us at Coventry Christian Schools, look forward to sharing this very special evening with you and acquainting you with the school and its mission!
Blessings,
Christine Gordon
Sponsorships are available as well and are as follows:
Gold Sponsor $3,000
Two tickets at Speaker's Table
Two tickets at Headmaster's Table
Listed as sponsor on school website through 12 months post event
Listed as sponsor on pre-event print marketing
Mentioned by name at event
Full Page ad in Dinner Program
Silver Sponsor $1,500
Two tickets at Speaker's Table
Listed as sponsor on school website through 12 months post event
Half page ad in Dinner Program
Bronze Sponsor $500
Two tickets at Headmaster's Chairman's or Founder's Table
Listed as sponsor on school website through 12 months post event
·Quarter page ad in Dinner Program
Heritage Foundation weighs in on Common Core
By Rachel Sheffield April 11, 2013: Policy Analyst, The Heritage Foundation (courtesy of Citizens' Alliance of Pennsylvania)This coming school year, Pennsylvania public schools will begin implementing the Common Core education standards. Like many other states, Common Core standards are quickly making their way into the classroom. While proponents of the standards continue to champion their predicted benefits, there is significant cause for concern.First, the standards represent a massive federal overreach. The Obama Administration jumped on board from the get go, promoting national education standards, via policy and federal taxpayer dollars, as part of their education agenda. Billions of federal dollars have gone towards and are continuing to fund, the promotion and implementation of these standards nationwide. The federal government's involvement with the standards should be alarming. Pushing state and local leaders away from classroom curriculum is not only a breach in federalism but gives parents, teachers, and communities less say over what children learn in school. Education experts have also raised alarm over the quality of the standards. Sandra Stotsky, Professor of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas, has particularly expressed concern over the English Language Arts. Common Core's ELA standards reduce emphasis on literature by promoting the study of "informational texts." Stotsky says
, "A diminished emphasis on literature in the secondary grades makes it unlikely that American students will study a meaningful range of culturally and historically significant literary works before graduation. It also prevents students from acquiring a rich understanding and use of the English language. Perhaps of greatest concern, it may lead to a decreased capacity for analytical thinking."
Common Core goes SOCIAL MEDIA!!! Please share with everyone you know and help us make this a huge success. MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!! Not a TWITTER person.....grab a kid and have some fun.
Parent-Led Reform (@ParentLedReform) will host a Twitter Rally on April 16, 2013 which will start will go from 12:00p-2:00p (EST). We will discuss how the Common Core State Standards effect your family, community and schools? We invite you to participate.
There will be an expert panel and several organizations that will discuss#StopCommonCore. So far I know the panel will consist of:
I'll update with a live link for the Twitter Rally (or you can just follow the hashtag #StopCommonCore) and as the expert panel is finalized.
Update: Be sure to RSVP with the Facebook event invite, this will help keep you up to date with pertinent info.
The whole story on Common Core
Read the sourced and footnoted response to the National Review Online and get all the facts you need to know about Common Core HERE. Compiled by American Principles project and Glenn's research team.
Common Core is the new set of federal education standards being pushed by the Obama administration and several leftist organizations but it's even seeing some support from some conservatives.
defending Common Core, and Glenn gave the definitive response on radio today."Common Core is something that we didn't really get for quite some time and again it's something we've learned from the 9/12 project and concerned parents all around the country that have been bringing this to our attention. When we started in on this work, we thought it was pretty bad. The more we do, the worse it becomes," Glenn said.
Below are some of the points made by the National Review Online in defense of Common Core, followed by Glenn's response.
Today on radio, Glenn gave the definitive response. See that and get all the sources to back it up HERE.
Students in some Albany High School English classes were asked to participate in the unthinkable this week as part of a persuasive writing assignment. The objective? Prove why Jews are evil and convince the teacher of their loyalty to the Third Reich in five paragraphs or less. See the actual lessonHERE.
A concerned parent tipped off TheBlaze to the disturbing fact that NY public schools are teaching the U.N.'s Socialist-leaning Universal Human Rights. We also discovered that the schools are delivering this indoctrination using videos made by the Church of Scientology. Learn what our investigation revealedHERE.
TheBlaze has been at the forefront in uncovering the disturbing details of the nationalized curriculum standard known as Common Core. One of the most troubling aspects of this federal program is that government bureaucrats are currently mining sensitive and highly personal information on children through Common Core's tracking system. Watch the powerful segments from The Glenn Beck Program HERE.
We all know how tough it is to maintain your morals in today's media world. Here are two gifts from the AFA to you, each meant to help you navigate your way through media today:
The article discusses how far TV has fallen in recent years and outlines some practical steps you can take to protect your family.
And the free movie guide is a great way to find movies for family night that the whole family can enjoy.
I hope these tools are a blessing to you!
Sincerely,
Tim Wildmon, President American Family Association
America needs a history lesson
Sign up now for Hillsdale's newest online courses - available FREE to every American!
Did you know that over 500,000 other students have already registered for one of our free online courses?
As Ronald Reagan once said during a speech delivered on our campus in 1978, "Hillsdale deserves the appreciation of all who labor for freedom...Your creative outreach on national issues enables little Hillsdale to cast a long shadow."
As a school of only 1,400 students, we reach over 350 TIMES that number with our online courses on the Constitution and America's founding principles.
Now is your chance to join with your fellow citizens!
Register now for this free "American Heritage" online course so you can better understand - and defend - the principles of liberty. This is the type of education America's Founders thought necessary to preserve our republic. Lectures in this not-for-credit online course are delivered by members of Hillsdale's history department faculty, and readings are drawn from the American Heritage Reader used in the American Heritage core course taught on Hillsdale's campus.
Course Schedule
Approximately 40 minutes in length, lectures will be released each Monday according to the schedule below. Once available, each week's materials can be viewed at your convenience.
The critically-acclaimed film, The Third Jihad - Radical Islam's Vision for America educates about the nature of radical Islamic ideology. Law enforcement agencies across the country have used the film in their counter-terror training.
Understanding the threats of terror is the first step in preventing deadly attacks.
Please consider supporting our efforts
"This fantastic documentary is both entertaining and educational" - Dove Foundation
Rev. C.L. Bryant's documentary Runaway Slave has been a runaway hit! The film recently won the Crystal Dove Seal, and has been making waves across the country.
Runaway Slave is the story of C.L. Bryant, a former NAACP Chapter president who realized that the Democrat Party and progressive movement was hurting Africa-Americans and keeping them stuck on the government dole. Rev. Bryant discusses the impact of progressivism on the African-American community and how freedom works with a host of leaders including Dr. Alveda King, Herman Cain, Allen West, Dr. Thomas Sowell, and many others.
The Crystal Dove Seal award is given to films that are family-friendly and provide wholesome, educational content. Runaway Slave is an important movie for all audiences, and it has a message that should be heard if we want to achieve a society where character is king.
Congratulations to Rev. C.L. Bryant and the Runaway Slave team on their achievement!
"The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse." --James Madison
Government
"It turns out that Sarah Hall Ingram, who served as head of the IRS office handling tax-exempt organizations between 2009 and 2012 -- when the targeting was going on -- is now head of the IRS division in charge of the IRS office policing Obamacare. ... The IRS is assigned a lot of work by the Obamacare law. It will impose penalties on Americans who can afford health insurance but choose not to buy it. It will impose penalties on companies with more than 50 employees who work 30 hours a week and don't provide government-mandated policies. It will give tax credits to non-affluent purchasers of health insurance on state exchanges. The IRS says it can also give tax credits to such people in states that have federally run exchanges, though many argue the law does not authorize that. In other words, the IRS is going to possess and process a large amount of information not only on your income but on your health insurance and perhaps your health. The IRS was given these tasks by the drafters of Obamacare because no other government agency had the capability to gain access to people's personal financial information. They may have thought that taxpayers would trust an agency that they had gotten used to dealing with. That level of trust may not be as high as it was 10 days ago. Chilling effect, indeed." --columnist Michael Barone
Essential Liberty
"The president, as usual, acts as if all of this is totally unconnected to him. He's shocked, it's unacceptable, he'll get to the bottom of it. He read about it in the papers, just like you. But he is not unconnected, he is not a bystander. ... It is not even remotely possible that all this was an accident, a mistake. Again, only conservative groups were targeted, not liberal. It is not even remotely possible that only one IRS office was involved. ... What happened at the IRS is the government's essential business. ... Everyone involved in this abuse of power should pay a price, because if they don't, the politicization of the IRS will continue -- forever. If it is not stopped now, it will never stop. And if it isn't stopped, no one will ever respect or have even minimal faith in the revenue-gathering arm of the U.S. government again. ... This is not about the usual partisan slugfest. This is about the integrity of our system of government and our ability to trust, which is to say our ability to function." --columnist Peggy Noonan
Re: The Left
"Imagine for a moment if black civil rights organizations, gay groups or teachers unions loudly complained to members of Congress and the press that the IRS was discriminating against them. How long would it take for the White House to investigate? Answer honestly: Minutes? Hours? ... [Y]ou can be sure that the moment [Obama] heard credible allegations of political persecution of liberal groups -- outfits with 'progressive' or 'civil rights' in their names -- he would have moved heaven and earth to make things right. But when such allegations came from the right, the response from the president -- and from a press corps that until recently acted like a king's guard -- ranged from smirks and eye-rolling to flat-out lies or virtual applause. ... The time for democratic debate is always behind us with an administration that began with the mission not to let a crisis go to waste, for as Obama said in his second inaugural address, 'Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time, but it does require us to act in our time.' Moreover, President Obama often insists we live in a country where the 'government is us,' where there's no need to fear tyranny 'around the corner' because we could never be tyrannical against ourselves." --columnist Jonah Goldberg
The IRS had obtained a search warrant to obtain the financial records of one person. By the time IRS agents were through, they not only acquired that individual's financial records but they also seized the medical records of 10 million US citizens. Nothing in the warrant gave the IRS agents permission to access or seize any medical records.
A UPI report on the lawsuit stated:
"Despite knowing that these medical records were not within the scope of the warrant, defendants threatened to 'rip' the servers containing the medical data out of the building if IT personnel would not voluntarily hand them over."
If proven that the medical files were seized illegally, the IRS could also be facing charges of violating medical privacy laws. Additionally, IRS agents are accused of seizing workers' cell phone and telephone records, which were also not covered in the search warrant.
Following is a list of all members representing Pennsylvania in the United States House of Representatives. Their name, party affiliation, office number, phone number and Congressional assignments are listed. You can print this list for immediate reference. If you wish to have the email address of your representative, type in "United States House of Representatives," click on 'Members" and then search for your Congressman's name. Go to his web page, where you will find his email contact page, regional office phone numbers and addresses and, hopefully, other information regarding what he is doing to preserve the Constitution. Please note the committee assignments of each representative. They are very important.
Please pass this information to all those on your list! Thank you.
I think Governor Rick Perry is the conservative Ben Kenobi. I started to title this piece, "Help me Obi Wan Perry, You're My Only Hope."
In light of the IRS scandal, you would think that Texas Republicans would not be so foolish as to vote for SB 346 in the state legislature, but apparently they are that foolish.
The legislation, in Texas of all places, would require nonprofits engaged in politics to disclose all their donors. "Shouldn't they," you may say. Oh hell no they should not.
In California, those who gave to support Proposition 8 were targeted for harassment. Some were driven from the jobs. Some businesses were boycotted.
In Wisconsin, during the recalls, some businesses that refused to publicly support the recall were targeted for boycotts.
The IRS under Barack Obama has leaked the donors of conservative groups, including a conservative group in Texas.
Requiring nonprofits in politics to disclose their donors sounds great under the rubric of transparency. In reality, we see from the IRS scandal that it is human nature to wield power against foes. Legislators, bureaucrats, and political activists could use donor disclosures to punish those they disagree with using the power of the state. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
2.Maybe If The AP And James Rosen Had Made "Zero Dark Thirty" ...
The proper attitude of government towards its citizens is humility.The State kneels before the people who invest it with terrible authority.The Declaration of Independence and Constitution are full of language that illustrates this relationship, but you don't have to look back that far, because American politicians constantly cloak themselves in the language of humility.They always talk about how honored they are to receive the public trust, and speak often of the American people as their "bosses."They are very keen to portray themselves as the instruments of popular will.Few campaign victory speeches pass without the triumphant candidate professing him or herself "humbled."For that matter, losing candidates usually say they were humbled by the support they received from their supporters. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
4.Do Our Republicans Have a Pass on this One?
A common ploy in parliamentarian scheming is for leaders to hand out hall passes for vulnerable members to vote against leadership's proposal, knowing that it has the votes to pass anyway.The rationale is that those members should be able to hoodwink their constituents without compromising passage of the bill.This dynamic usually plays out with the leadership and rank-and-file of the same party, but during today's Senate Judiciary Committee markup, it was Chuck Schumer who was handing out hall passes to Republicans. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
5.We must ensure this never happens again
The right to life. It seems common sense enough that this is a right we must defend. Yet, the taking of innocent life is a practice all too common in this nation. Over 1.2 million unborn children die in abortions every year in the United States.
The recent trial and conviction of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, who operated a Philadelphia abortion clinic, is a stark reminder of the horrific, irreprehensible crimes committed against newborn babies and the unborn every day. Justice was served in his recent conviction, but it comes too late for the woman Kermit Gosnell killed in his clinic, the newborn babies who survived his abortions only to be murdered at his hands, and the countless unborn children lost in abortions he performed. The crimes Gosnell committed against the most innocent and vulnerable among us are unconscionable and have shocked us to our core.. . . please click here for the rest of the post →
The Case for Impeachment Bruce Walker Republicans ought now to push the theme that Obama is the Democrats' own Nixon. If they do, then the results of the second midterm of Obama will look much more like 1974 than 1998. More
Offensive...in More Ways Than One May 21, 2013 White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer is taking a page out of James "Trailer Park-Dollar Bill" Carville's book to save Obama's bacon. And it's working...at least with the media. More
Common Core or Hardcore: Nowhere Else to Go May 21, 2013 The intended consequences of the education reform movement have finally shaken out due to the debate over Common Core. We're left with nationalized standards via either the Common Core or hardcore progressivism. More
At what point does it matter? May 21, 2013 The move to "prevent this from happening again" obscures the need to find out what happened. More
Press shocked by their spawn May 20, 2013 The press is suddenly aghast the Obama regime could be so arrogantly obstinate and seemingly incompetent. More
May 17, 2013
Heartwarming: Military Dad Surprises Daughter Behind Home Plate
Daily Email - May 20, 2013 Top StoryThe IRS Targeted Conservative Media By Cliff Kincaid | May 17, 2013 Of the IRS abuse cases that have recently come to light, the use of the IRS to enforce the defunct "Fairness Doctrine" on broadcasters is one of the most disturbing. "I am alarmed by reports that suggest a federal official at the IRS instituting a de facto Fairness Doctrine," National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) President [...] From the AIM Blogs Chris Matthews Grills Carney-Even the Bush Administration Conducted Leak Investigations in Public [Video] By Don Irvine | May 17, 2013 Guest ColumnObama's Emptiest Benghazi Talking Point By Michelle Malkin | May 19, 2013 On Sept. 12, 2012, President Barack Obama vowed to "bring to justice" the perpetrators of the deadly attack in Benghazi, Libya. On Oct. 26, 2012, Obama said his "biggest priority" was bringing the "folks" in Libya responsible for murdering four Americans to "justice." Tick, tock, tick, tock. While White House press secretary Jay Carney sneers [...] AIM Newswire House set to cut Food Stamps
With White House scandals dominating each news cycle, President Obama's newly minted media critics may prefer to ignore their own culpability in creating this unfolding debacle.
Obama, at a press conference, explained there's no "there" there in defending his administration regarding the events surrounding four American deaths in Benghazi.
It seems Ms. Abedin, accurately described by the New York Times as Hillary's "longtime aide and confidante," spent her last months at the State Dept. not really at the State Department.
As the conservative website Politically Incorrect reports, state prosecutors in Kassel announced that they would not press charges against the creator of a cartoon showing a crucified Jesus hearing a vulgarity from God.
Conservative groups have told the media that the IRS asked for donor lists, Facebook conversations, copies of minutes and notes, and even lists of meeting participants.
Obama is using one of the oldest and most-underhanded political tricks in the book, a tactic some folks would call the "Potomac Two-Step." Obama probably learned it from former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley...
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"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." ~ Ronald Reagan
It's been 9 days since Congress last had a hearing on the terrorist attack in Benghazi. With scandals breaking out across Washington, D.C. it's important we don't forget about the four brave men who lost their lives on 9/11/12, and our mission to get the answers their families and the American people deserve. With 154 co-sponsors, House Resolution 36 would create a Select Committee that would have more power and influence than individual committees conducting their own investigations. This bill has the full support of our organization and is critical to getting the answers to the very important questions about Benghazi.
The American people have already waited for 8 months for answers. They should not have to wait weeks and potentially months for the next hearing on Benghazi. A Select Committee could focus and prioritize this issue in a way the other standing committee cannot.
During last week's Congressional Oversight hearing, the name Cheryl Mills came up in Deputy Ambassador to Libya Gregory Hicks' testimony. This was not the first time Cheryl Mills' name has come up in a controversial manner at a Congressional Oversight hearing. In fact, it's not the first time Ms. Mills has been the subject of potential wrongdoing in the very same hearing room-- Room 2154 Rayburn House Office Building to be exact.
While being questioned under oath by Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), Gregory Hicks testified that then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's chief of staff, Cheryl Mills, was "very upset" because a State Department minder was not allowed to sit in on a classified briefing with Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz who was in Libya on a Congressional fact finding trip. One has to wonder why Cheryl Mills was so upset. Was there something to hide? You can read the rest of the story here The New York Times.
Throughout the 1990s, Mills was a big part of the Clinton White House counsel's office "damage control" detail. Name a Clinton scandal, and Cheryl Mills was usually running interference for the Clintons with congressional investigators. In fact, in 1998, Mills allegedly crossed the line in her dealings with the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, who felt it was necessary to send a criminal referral to the Department of Justice regarding Mills' activities and testimony on behalf of the Clinton White House.
According to a January 22, 1999 article in The Washington Times:
Just last September [1998], Rep. Dan Burton wrote to the Justice Department requesting that Ms. Mills be prosecuted for lying under oath and for concealing documents sought under subpoena, charges that grew out of a House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform investigation. The committee was attempting to discover whether government computers and federal employees had been used to compile a White House database - a list of potential donors that was passed on to the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton/Gore campaign. If those public resources were used for political fundraising, several different laws were violated, including statutes against the theft of government property. Ms. Mills was the White House point person dealing with congressional requests for information. She was quite effective in thwarting congressional investigators - she hid documents that would have been damaging to the White House. When caught, she was questioned under oath by the committee, and denied hiding any subpoenaed papers. The committee concluded that Ms. Mills committed perjury in her effort to cover up her initial obstruction of justice.
The Washington Times piece above is based on an official congressional report from 1998 that has a section on page three entitled: "Deputy Counsel To The President Cheryl Mills Lied To The Committee And Obstructed The Investigation By Withholding Documents."
The dam has indeed broken.
The fact that one of the Clintons' most trusted lawyers was involved in this level of minutiae with regard to the Benghazi investigation is just another reason for a Select Committee--it's clearly time for Speaker Boehner to bring House Resolution 36 to the floor for a vote. Momentum is continuing to build--there are now a whopping 2/3 of the majority co-sponsoring the resolution in the U.S. House, and The Wall Street Journal editorial board has also endorsed the effort. Let's create the Select Committee, zero in on the facts, and get to the bottom of what happened last September 11th in Benghazi. We owe it to the families who lost loved ones to learn just what Cheryl Mills was so concerned congressional investigators would find out. It's time for House Resolution 36 to be passed, so that the Select Committee can get to work.
The Obama Administration, which has pursued more cases involving leaks from the government to the press than all other administrations combined, has been acting in this fashion since 2009, well before the current AP scandal. A case in point is the case of Stephen Jin-Woo Kim, who was a State Department arms expert with security clearance, and his leaks to James Rosen of Fox News.
Rosen wrote on his blog that U.S. intelligence officials felt that North Korea would respond to United Nations sanctions with more nuclear tests. That information was apparently given him by Kim.
A federal judge in Michigan has ruled that law enforcement officers were justified in muzzling the free speech of a group of Christians.
The Christians were standing on sidewalks at an international Arab festival in Dearborn, Michigan. In response to their signs and public preaching, a mob of Muslim youth gathered and pelted them with various objects.
Law enforcement officers intervened, but instead of arresting anyone in the mob they warned the Christians to cease their activities or be arrested.
The judge ruled that the mob violence justified the intervention by the officers against the Christians. See the WorldNetDaily story below (highlights added).
In other words, because the Muslim mob reacted angrily with violence, the officers had a duty to muzzle the speech rather than stop the violence.
Stunning.
The message is loud and clear: If you are a Muslim, and you object to speech you don't like, you can react with violence, because government authorities will reward your violence by muzzling the speech you don't like.
Suppression of speech fine if Muslims threaten violence
A federal judge has issued a startling ruling that suppressing Christian speech is allowed when Muslims threaten violence because they're upset over the message.
The ruling from Judge Patrick J. Duggan in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan granted Wayne County's motion for summary judgment of a lawsuit brought by a team of Christians who were badgered, bullied and targeted with garbage thrown by Muslims who disliked their message at last year's Arab Fest in Dearborn, Mich.
Officials with American Freedom Law Center, who have been arguing the case on behalf of the Christians, also said the judge denied AFLC's motion requesting that the court issue an order preventing the Wayne County Sheriff and his deputies from restricting the Christian evangelists from displaying their banners and signs on the public sidewalks outside of this year's Arab Festival.
It is scheduled for June.
In his ruling, Duggan said, "The court finds that the actual demonstration of violence here provided the requisite justification for [the Wayne County sheriffs'] intervention, even if the officials acted as they did because of the effect the speech had on the crowd."
Maj. Gen. Ralph Baker, commander of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, was fired March 28, according to a Washington Defense official.
The command is headquartered in Djibouti and runs U.S. military operations in East Africa, including some counter-terrorism operations.
Baker, a two-star general, is appealing the firing, which was ordered by his boss, Gen. Carter Ham, the commanding general of all U.S. military operations across Africa.
He was relieved of his duty for loss of confidence, three Defense officials told CNN.
It was second embarrassing dismissal of a high ranking officer involved in the U.S. military hierarchy in Africa in five months.
Gen. William "Kip" Ward, the first four-star general to command U.S. military operations in Africa, was demoted for excessive spending from duty at U.S. Africa Command (Africom).
He lost one star and retired a lieutenant general.
Ward used his rank to shuttle his wife on shopping sprees, enjoyed a lavish beachfront trip and once accepted a Defense contractor's gift of going backstage to meet actor Denzel Washington.
There are reports that two high-ranking military officers, Rear Admiral Charles Gaouette and General Carter Ham, were fired by Obama for wanting to come to the assistance of the beleaguered U.S. missions in Benghazi.
Fast & Furious: DOJ Leaked Documents To Smear Whistleblower
According to a report published on Monday from the Office of the Inspector General concerning the improper disclosure of the U.S. Department of Justice information to a member of the media, U.S. Attorney for Arizona Dennise Burke purposefully leaked a document with the intention to smear John Dodson, one of the Operation Fast and Furious whistleblowers.
The IG reports that "Burke's conduct in disclosing the Dodson memorandum to be inappropriate for a Department employee and wholly unbefitting a U.S. Attorney."
"We are referring to OPR our finding that Burke violated Department policy in disclosing the Dodson memorandum to a member of the media for a determination of whether Burke's conduct violated the Rules of Professional Conduct for the state bars in which Burke is a member," the IG wrote.
"We also concluded that Burke's disclosure of the Dodson memorandum to Levine was likely motivated by a desire to undermine Dodson's public criticisms of Operation Fast and Furious," the report continued. "Although Burke denied to congressional investigators that he had any retaliatory motive for his actions, we found substantial evidence to the contrary."
Posted by Daniel Greenfield @ the Sultan Knish blog
The radical-moderate continuum that has defined the dialogue on Islam in the War on Terror is not an authentic perspective, it is an observer perspective.
To the Western observer, a suicide bomber is radical, a Muslim Imam willing to perform gay weddings is moderate and the Muslim Brotherhood leader who supports some acts of terror, but not others, is moderately radical or radically moderate.
These descriptions tell us nothing about Islam or about what Muslims believe, but do tell us a great deal about its observers and what they believe. They turn Islam into inkblots that reveal more about the interpreter than the splotch of ink being interpreted.
Muslims are not radical or moderate. The radical-moderate continuum is how liberal countries rate individuals and countries to decide how well they will harmonize with the national and international consensus. Even if that consensus only exists in their own mind. The label of moderate does not mean a rejection of violence. Otherwise it could hardly be applied to the Muslim Brotherhood. What it means is a willingness to collaborate with Western governments and progressive organizations.
The radical-moderate labels are useful for liberals, but useless for anyone who wants to assess reality. It is tied into a number of false notions that are necessary for maintaining the status quo of liberal democracies. Notions such as the equal moral stature and interchangeability of all religions and peoples are key to running a liberal democracy, but they make it impossible to have a rational conservation about Islam.
In liberal democracies, no one really discusses Islam as a religion. That discussion is preemptively aborted by the defense of the general category of religion. To criticize Islam is to challenge the category of protection for all religions, much as to attack Communism during the Cold War was to attack the First Amendment.
The general category makes it necessary to subdivide the specific religion or ideology into a moderate majority and a tiny minority of extremists. This categorization tells us nothing about Islam and everything about the political and intellectual classes that refuse to rationally discuss it.
TODAY'S O-BOMBSHELL: IRS SUED FOR SEIZING 60 MILLION MEDICAL RECORDS
And the hits on our freedoms just keep on coming from the little dictator:
"IRS sued for seizing 60 million medical records" By Cheryl K. Chumley, The Washington Times, May 17, 2013
A healthcare provider has sued the Internal Revenue Service and 15 of its agents, charging they wrongfully seized 60 million medical records from 10 million Americans.
The name of the provider is not yet known, United Press International said. But Courthouse News Service said the suit claims the agency violated the Fourth Amendment in 2011, when agents executed a search warrant for financial data on one employee - and that led to the seizure of information on 10 million, including state judges.
The search warrant did not specify that the IRS could take medical information, UPI said. And information technology officials warned the IRS about the potential to violate medical privacy laws before agents executed the warrant, the complaint said, as reported by UPI.
"Despite knowing that these medical records were not within the scope of the warrant, defendants threatened to 'rip' the servers containing the medical data out of the building if IT personnel would not voluntarily hand them over," the complaint states, UPI reported.
The suit also says IRS agents seized workers' phones and telephone data - more violations of the warrant, UPI reported.
The complaint alleges the IRS was "invasive and unlawful" and stole access to intimate medical records that included patients' treatment plans and therapies, UPI said.
The suit seeks $25,000 in compensatory damages, per violation. The records' seizure could impact up to one in 25 Americans, UPI said.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
SOMALI JOURNALIST: LEFTIST MEDIA MAKES SWEDEN "MORE DANGEROUS THAN MOGADISHU" "HERE YOU CANNOT TELL THE TRUTH [ABOUT JIHAD], THE TRUTH IS KEPT SECRET, THE PEOPLE SILENCED"
Somali Journalist: PC-Media makes Sweden "more dangerous than Mogadishu"
Imagine: this Somali journalist, Amun Abdullari, is returning to Somalia after emigrating to Sweden in 1991 to become a journalist. She wrote about the radicalization of young Somali Muslims and pursued a news story on young Muslims who had changed "after studying religious scripture."
She investigated further and found that the leader of an after-school activity center lured Muslim youth into al-Shabab jihadist activity. After her news report on Swedish radio was aired, she received the requisite death fatwas, as is always the case. But what she didn't anticipate was the attacks by the left wing press. Behind these vicious attacks was Randi Mossige-Norheim, winner of the (get this) "Grand Journalism Award," among others. After the fallacious attack on Amun's courageous reportage aired on "Konflict," she was further ostracized. She received more threats (including a mutilated doll) and her own family turned their backs on her. After the show aired, she had to move again and she lost her job. She is moving back to Somalia. When asked if she was worried that "Somalia is a dangerous place," Amun replied, "Sweden is more dangerous than Mogadishu. Here you cannot tell the truth. The truth is kept secret, the people are silenced." (video hat tip Michael)
Kaitlyn Hunt, 18, had her entire life before her. Graduation. College. Job prospects. The high school senior was just preparing to start her life when she found herself expelled and slapped with criminal charges over her engagement in a same-sex relationship. What started as a relationship between two young women has snowballed into a legal battle that could land Hunt in prison. See the full storyHERE.
Is President Obama directly implicated in the IRS scandal? That's the opening question in a new story from The American Spectator. The piece focuses on Colleen M. Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union (i.e. the union for IRS employees), and her meeting with President Obama on March 31, 2010 � one day before the IRS started targeting conservative groups. Get the details on this potentially damaging bit of newsHERE.
Last week, TheBlaze reported that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan invited the father of one of the radical Islamist activists killed on the 2010 Gaza flotilla to join the official entourage on his visit to the U.S. last week. And while sources familiar with the visit told TheBlaze that the father did not enter the White House or meet President Obama, according to the Turkish foreign minister�s Twitter account, Kerry did meet with the father and even posed for a photo with him. See the evidenceHERE.
If there�s one thing that the Obama administration�s IRS scandal has done, it has united a large sector of the media. On Monday morning, the Washington Post showed just how far that skepticism is creeping when it published a blistering fact-check of the IRS and the department head in charge of the exempt organizations division, Lois Lerner. Check out the lies that earned Lerner this rating HERE.
A story posted by The Washington Post on Sunday Evening will stir new debate and review over the tactics used by the Obama administration to monitor how journalists interact with government sources. The reporter in focus � James Rosen, a top Washington Correspondent for Fox News. Find out why the DOJ was tracking Rosen HERE.
A 19-year-old suspected burglar chose the wrong house to invade last week. Michael Maxwell's mug show was taken after he was beaten, kicked, and shot in the arm with a stun gun by the Palm Bay, Florida homeowners who claimed they were defending themselves against Maxwell and a group of at least three others. See the photoHERE.
It appears that the Texas has managed to remove the controversial curriculum management program called CSCOPE from the state�s educational system. Texas State Senator Dan Patrick announced the move on Monday morning via a press release and press conference. Watch the video highlights from the press eventHERE.
Raymond Maxwell is one of the four State Department officials who was disciplined due to security lapses leading to the U.S. Consulate attack in Benghazi, Libya. According to CBS News, after he was placed on paid administrative leave last Dec. 18, rather than sulk in silence and shame, Maxwell has been publishing poetry about his ordeal�often scathing verse�that can�t be making officials in Washington comfortable. Read the "scathing verse"HERE.
A dash-mounted camera on a vehicle in Russia reportedly captured a shocking accident: a Van swerving into oncoming traffic and then launching and flipping in the air. Fasten your seatbelts and watch the clip HERE.
There are some innovative ideas to safely find and detonate land mines to prevent accidents. But one idea featuring an unlikely hero is causing quite a buzz � literally. See the bees being trained to hunt land minesHERE.
Video: Rep. Frank Wolf - "We Need A Select Committee On Benghazi"
May 20, 2013 01:57 pm
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May 20, 2013 01:52 pm "What do you expect when you target the President?" This is what an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agent allegedly said to the head of a conservative organization that was being audited after calling for the impeachment of then-President Clinton. Recent revelations that IRS agents gave "special scrutiny" to organizations opposed to the current administration's policies [...]
Video: White House Sr. Advisor: "The Law Is Irrelevant"
May 20, 2013 01:50 pm
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DHS Ammo Grab: No Longer "Conspiracy" But Plain Reality
May 20, 2013 12:00 pm It now seems clear that the Department of Homeland Security's stockpiling of ammunition and other warfare supplies can no longer be dismissed as "conspiracy theory," but is a very real development in the actions of an overreaching federal government. Many have suggested and assumed that the ammo and gun shortage experienced across the country [...]
Video: Rep. Frank Wolf - "We Need A Select Committee On Benghazi"
May 20, 2013 11:55 am
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Sheriff Joe To Congress: Investigate Obama's Eligibility
May 20, 2013 11:50 am Hey, while Congress is investigating the use of the IRS to harass conservative activists, is trying to find out what the Obama White House covered up about Benghazi and is looking into why the Justice Department went after reporters' phone records, why not include a check into Obama's eligibility, too? That's an idea confirmed in [...]
Video: White House Sr. Advisor: "The Law Is Irrelevant"
May 20, 2013 11:40 am
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Video: Rand Paul Suggests IRS Had 'Written Policy' Targeting Conservative Groups
May 20, 2013 11:30 am
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DOJ On 'Gays': 'Silence Will Be Interpreted As Disapproval'
May 20, 2013 11:20 am Under President Obama, "justice" is anything but blind. Neither is it deaf. In fact, based on recent revelations, it appears to be watching your every move and listening to your every word. Still, if you happen to be a federal employee, now it's even listening for your silence. The only thing this Obama White House [...]
May 20, 2013 11:15 am House Republican members are defying Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and five committee chairmen by endorsing a measure that would set up a special panel to investigate the deadly attacks in Benghazi, Libya. A growing number of members on the committees with jurisdiction over the Benghazi matter - Intelligence, Judiciary, Oversight and Government Reform, Armed Services [...]
May 20, 2013 11:10 am During the 2008 campaign, President Obama declared, "It's time to fundamentally change the way that we do business in Washington." And change it, he has done! It's been transformed into even more of a brash, thuggish, and coercive environment than it ever was before. The current IRS scandal of politically motivated discrimination against conservative non-profit [...]
Senator Wants US To Join EU Probe Into Oil Price Manipulation
May 20, 2013 11:05 am Days after the European regulator raided the offices of three oil giants over allegations of manipulating the oil price benchmark for over a decade, the chairman of the US Senate's energy committee yesterday urged the country's regulator to also launch a probe to find out whether they had manipulated fuel prices for US consumers. Senator [...]
Video: IRS Official Protected Liberal Humane Society
May 20, 2013 11:00 am
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New Benghazi Probe Evidence Puts Spotlight Back On Clinton
May 20, 2013 10:55 am New revelations about the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, are pulling Hillary Clinton back into a political firestorm that the presumptive 2016 candidate had so far managed to escape unscathed. House Republicans have unearthed new evidence suggesting the Obama administration could have done more to help the U.S. diplomats under attack last Sept. 11. State [...]
May 20, 2013 10:50 am Rush Limbaugh is taking a "whistling past the graveyard" approach to Barack Obama's scandals. He is being very cautious about allowing himself to feel that some damage will be done to Obama when the dust from these scandals clears. Rush even quotes James Carville's liberal wishful thinking about this lasting "only 30 days" to help [...]
Video: Paul Ryan: Now We're Is Seeing What Unlimited Government Does In Practice
May 20, 2013 12:14 am
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By almost any measure, last week was a bad week for the Obama White House. Predictably, the White House did its best to spin the trio of scandals making daily headlines with a presence on every major Sunday talk show. But rather than sending out Valerie Jarrett, one of President Obama's closest advisors, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough or Vice President Joe Biden, the American people were introduced to White House Senior Advisor Dan Pfeiffer.
Mr. Pfeiffer did not help the president's cause. Pfeiffer had one response to virtually every major question, "It's irrelevant."
We get a deluge of information whenever it suits the purposes of this administration. When Osama bin Laden was killed, President Obama wasted no time in going before the cameras. We got pictures of the president, Biden and Clinton in the Situation Room. We even have a picture of the president in the Oval Office being informed about the Sandy Hook shootings.
But we have virtually nothing about Obama's actions on the night Ambassador Stevens and three other brave Americans were murdered in Benghazi.
Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace tried in vain to get some answers about Benghazi, repeatedly asking Dan Pfeiffer where was President Obama and what was he doing on the night of the attacks.
Pfeiffer initially tried deflection, saying, "The question here is not what happened that night." When asked if Obama was in the Situation Room, Pfeiffer responded, "That's a largely irrelevant fact."
Moving on to the IRS scandal, on ABC's "This week," host George Stephanopoulos asked, "What does the president believe? Does the president believe that [targeting conservative groups] would be illegal?" Pfeiffer's answered, "The law is irrelevant."
A stunned Stephanopoulos asked, "You don't really mean the law is irrelevant, do you?"
The evasiveness continued on CBS's "Face The Nation." But a fed up Bob Schieffer put Pfeiffer in his place. Schieffer pointed out the Obama Administration's habit of sending out people, like Susan Rice, who know very little about a given topic to say even less. Then Schieffer asked, "Why are you here today? Why isn't the White House Chief of Staff here to tell us what happened?"
The American people do not believe these scandals are "irrelevant." A new CNN poll finds that 84% of Americans believe Benghazi is an important issue, 85% say the same about the IRS scandal, and 87% believe the Associated Press phone records scandal is an important issue.
The "Rogue" Agents Speak
Those "rogue" IRS agents in the Cincinnati office who allegedly targeted conservative and Christian organizations for harassment and increased scrutiny are speaking out. I'm not surprised since higher-ups in Washington are trying to pass the buck and blame them. Here's what one IRS worker in the Cincinnati office told the Washington Post:
"We people on the local level are doing what we are supposed to do. ...That's why there are so many people here who are flustered. Everything comes from the top. We don't have any authority to make those decisions without someone signing off on them. There has to be a directive."
We need to hear more from these folks so we can learn just how far up the ladder this scandal goes. We didn't get much from Commissioner Steven Miller's testimony Friday, and Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) was furious.
If you missed Rep. Kelly's exchange with Commissioner Miller, watch it here. It is a rare thing for a member of Congress to get a standing ovation during a congressional hearing!
Later this week we will hear from Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS office at the center of this entire controversy. She certainly has a lot of explaining to do.
A Remarkable Coincidence
Some in the media have tried to argue that there is no IRS scandal because there is no evidence that President Obama ordered the IRS to do anything wrong or that he even knew about it. He said he learned about the outrageous and likely illegal activity at the same time the rest of the country learned about it.
But top White House officials, including White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, did know about it last month. Former Clinton White House Counsel Lanny Davis (a guy who knows something about scandals!) is calling for Ruemmler to resign.
But consider this: According to White House visitor logs, the president of the IRS employees' union, Colleen Kelley, met with President Obama at 12:30 PM on March 31, 2010. According to the inspector general's report, the IRS campaign to harass and intimidate Tea Party and other conservative groups was launched a day or two later, on April 1st or 2nd.
The visitor logs prove nothing by themselves. The timing is a remarkable coincidence. For her part, Kelley is standing by the Cincinnati agents, telling the Associated Press, "No processes or procedures or anything like that would ever be done just by front-line employees without any management involvement. That's just not how it operates." Stay tuned!
Fox Reporter Investigated
News is breaking today about another potential media scandal separate from the controversy surrounding the seizure of phone records from the Associated Press. According to the Washington Post, the Obama Justice Department spied on Fox News reporter James Rosen in 2010. The investigation was launched after Rosen broke a story on North Korea's growing nuclear weapons program and its likely response to new sanctions.
Like the massive seizure of AP phone records, the Rosen case stands out for the extent of the government's intrusiveness. In addition to seizing phone records and personal emails, the government tracked Rosen's movements in and out of the State Department using "security badge access records."
Even more outrageous, the FBI suggested Rosen was a potential criminal co-conspirator in the release of classified information in order to justify a warrant to seize his email and phone records.
Michael Clemente, an executive vice president at Fox News, blasted the allegation, saying, "We are outraged to learn today that James Rosen was named a criminal co-conspirator for simply doing his job as a reporter. ...We will unequivocally defend his right to operate as a member of what up until now has always been a free press."
In addition, we are also following the breaking news that the Department of Justice obtained emails from two other Fox News staffers, reporter William La Jeunesse and producer Mike Levine. Their emails reportedly turned up in an inspector general's report released today on Operation Fast and Furious.
Eliana Johnson correctly identifies the emerging GOP narrative about President Obama's relationship to the IRS scandal. The president, we are told, has fostered a "culture of intimidation" that encourages the vilification of one's political opponents, thus inducing bureaucrats to target those whom the president has demonized.
I understand why the GOP is pressing this line. So far, it lacks evidence of White House involvement in the scandal, but wants to blame Obama anyway. And Obama has tended to vilify his political opponents.
Unfortunately, however, the "culture of intimidation" narrative strikes me as weak and whiney - the kind of thing I'd expect from Democrats. In fact, it's similar to attempts to blame violence such as the Arizona shooting of Rep. Giffords and others on the "demonizing" rhetoric of conservatives.
Politicians are responsible for their words, for the actions they advocate, and for the actions they take. But they are not responsible when/if a third party is motivated by their words to take actions they haven't advocated. To argue otherwise is to discourage forceful advocacy. Politicians' words can affect listeners in a wide variety of ways. They shouldn't worry about how extremists will be affected.
I happen to agree that some of the rhetoric and tactics Obama has employed against his critics, including the Tea Party, is unpresidential at best. Eliana's piece provides examples. George W. Bush, and indeed most of Obama's predecessors, absorbed harsh attacks without responding in kind. Richard Nixon is the main exception, and this fact supports comparisons between Nixon and Obama.
Obama therefore deserves criticism for the way he deals with political opponents. But that criticism is independent of the wrongdoing of overzealous partisans within the civil service. Obama's rhetoric would be just as offensive if the IRS had not acted improperly and is not made more offensive because the IRS has done.
I also believe that Obama has little appreciation for the democratic process, including the right to dissent from his agenda without suffering for it. In my view, he regards democracy and dissent as hindrances to the march of history he fancies himself leading.
But to make this indictment stick, we must point to concrete evidence, such as that mentioned in Eliana's piece. Speculation that bureaucrats acted improperly because of Obama's rhetoric doesn't meet that standard.
Having observed the federal bureaucracy up-close for 45 years, I can testify that many bureaucrats don't need presidential rhetoric to advance left-liberalism through improper and/or abusive action. In fact, they do so even when the president is a non-liberal.
But this isn't really my point. Whatever may be true of federal bureaucrats, trying to link their misconduct to general presidential rhetoric is a lazy man's game. It smacks of whining and is unlikely to resonate except among those who already dislike Obama.
There are two valid takeaways from the IRS scandal. First, it confirms that big government, whose power Obama is bent on expanding, cannot be trusted to behave properly. Second, it calls for further investigation to determine how high up the chain the wrongdoing extends and whether the administration acted promptly to stop the targeting once it learned of that activity.
As Scott discussed earlier today, the absence of any reference in the Benghazi talking points to the Muhammad video has raised a new set of questions about the scandal. Among the questions are: (1) why isn't the video mentioned in the talking points and (2) how, given the video's absence therein, did it become the centerpiece of subsequent explanations of the attack, including Susan Rice's.
As to the first question, Mike Morrell, the Deputy Director of the CIA, says he drafted the final version of the talking points. Morrell's mission was not to state the CIA's view - the original CIA talking points did that. Rather, he was tasked with coming up with a version that reflected the "equities" and concerns of those who had objected to the original talking points, notably the Department of State.
In performing this function, Morrell was willing to scrub the talking points of all content that the State Department and the White House disliked. That meant the removal of references to terrorism and to prior warnings that attacks might occur.
But Morrell did not include any mention of the video. Why? There are two possibilities. First, the video didn't come up in any of the discussions in which Morrell participated. Second, the video came up, but Morrell was unwilling to mention it because he doubted its relevance. In this scenario, Morrell was willing to scrub the talking points, but not to convert them into a piece of misdirection.
Which of these possibilities is the more likely? The video doesn't come up in the email traffic released by the White House until it is referenced in the subject line of a Saturday afternoon email from "USUN" to "Susan Rice, USUN" (page 92 of the documents). Specifically, the subject line reads "SBU/Closehold: 0800 STVS on Movie Protests/Violence."
Thus, the video, and its alleged relation to the violence on 9/11/12, apparently was discussed during a conference (on the "Secure Video Teleconferencing System") that occurred early Saturday morning. But I cannot tell who participated in that conference. The memo about the conference has been completely redacted. And I couldn't find any other email that specifically discusses this conference.
Was the "0800 STVS on Movie Protests/Violence" the main Saturday morning conference during which the concerns of the State Department were thrashed out. Or was this a different conference? Morrell, of course, was at the main conference. But if there was a side conference, he might not have participated.
In any case, by around 11:00 on Saturday morning, Morrell had re-drafted the talking points into something very close to their final form, based on the main conference that took place earlier that morning. And the talking points did not mention the video. Most likely, the video had been, at most, a footnote in the Saturday morning conference with Morrell at which the State Department advanced its "equities."
It was on Saturday afternoon, after the talking points had been finalized, that the video began its ascent from (at best) an omitted footnote to the core explanation of the Benghazi attacks. Unfortunately, the only email (or the only one that has been released) that might shed light on this ascent is completely redacted.
It seems likely, though, that on Saturday morning (if not earlier) the video was percolating in the minds of White House and/or State Department officials as something they wished to inject into the narrative. However, these minds realized that, with Congress pushing hard to receive the talking points and the CIA involved in the process, it was not feasible to weave the video into the talking points.
In other words, the best that could be done with the talking points was damage control - the elimination of "harmful" information. The insertion of the video would have to occur "off-line," after the CIA was out of the loop but before Rice went on the Sunday talk shows.
But who actually decided that the talking points would be the centerpiece of Rice's appearances? Karl Rove suspects the White House via Ben Rhodes and Tommy Vietor. I suspect the State Department with clearance from the White House.
But the bottom line is, we don't know. Additional hearings are required. Susan Rice should be a star witness.
I'm attending the two-day Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute in St. Paul this year. It's a great program that attracts leading practitioners from all around the country. I have attended several times in years past, but this year I'm here because I need the continuing legal education credits (including Minnesota's offensive get-your-mind right elimination-of-bias requirement) before June 30. The institute program draws a large audience which begins with plenary sessions for a couple of hours each morning followed up by breakout sessions in specialized areas.
It didn't occur to me that anything of general interest might be happening here, but one of the speakers is NLRB acting general counsel Lafe Solomon. At the plenary session an hour ago Solomon addressed the legal limbo in which the NLRB now finds itself as a result of the D.C. Circuit's ruling on the unconstitutionality of Obama's recess appointments to the board. More generally, he described the board as under assault politically, legislatively and judicially.
Solomon reported that the Third Circuit issued a decision last week in harmony with the D.C. Circuit ruling. Solomon is optimistic that the Court will vindicate Obama's recess appointments in the end, but the Court hasn't yet taken the case and a ruling would not be issued before somewhere near the end of the Court's term next year. (See this handy recess appointments litigation resource page for details and developments.)
Solomon conveyed a mournful angst and subliminal anger about the situation in which the board finds itself. Perhaps it is the bureaucratic equivalent of combat fatigue.
At the moment I am in a breakout session with Solomon in which he is providing an in-depth update on board issues. Despite his funereal affect in the plenary session this morning, he perked up when I asked if I could snap a photograph (above left) on my iPhone for this post, to which he graciously consented.
I've expressed my puzzlement and disappointment here before about how Apple, like so much of Silicon Valley, is reflexively liberal in its politics. So it is with some curiosity that I note the story out last week about how Apple CEO Tim Cook was trying to "get out ahead" on the story of his appearance before a Senate committee tomorrow in Washington where he will essentially be called unpatriotic-by both parties unfortunately-because Apple doesn't engage in the sadomasochism of bringing home to America the roughly $100 billion in profits it has earned overseas-and is keeping there to avoid America's punitively high corporate income tax rates.
From all appearances Cook is going to grovel and apologize. According to one story:
In an interview with The Washington Post, Cook says he plans to present specific proposals at the Senate hearing to overhaul the U.S. corporate tax system.
"If you look at it today, to repatriate cash to the U.S., you need to pay 35 percent of that cash. And that is a very high number," Cook said in an interview Thursday. "We are not proposing that it be zero. I know many of our peers believe that. But I don't view that. But I think it has to be reasonable."
Cook also pointed out that if state and federal taxes are combined, Apple pays roughly $1 million per hour in taxes, possibly making Apple the largest corporate taxpayer in the country.
He shouldn't be defensive. Rather, he should take a page from Intel from about 20 years ago. Back in the early 1990s, when California's fiscal situation was similar to today (in other words, deeply under water), Gov. Pete Wilson proposed abolishing the sales tax on capital equipment purchases by manufacturers. While Nordstrom or Home Depot have to locate where consumers are, manufacturers can locate anywhere, and the sales tax on capital equipment was a huge disincentive to expanding or building new plants in CA. Intel figured this tax added as much as $60 million to the cost of a new plant.
Democrats naturally opposed abolishing the tax because "we need the revenue," oblivious as always to incentive effects. So Intel's tax manager appeared before the State Senate finance committee and explained the facts of life, as Intel was in the midst of deciding whether to build a new billion-dollar chip plant in California or New Mexico, which didn't have a sales tax on capital equipment. As I recall, his point to the committee went something like this:
You're not going to collect this sales tax on capital equipment from Intel. There are two ways you're not going to collect this tax. You won't collect this tax if we build our new plant in New Mexico. And you're not going to collect this tax if we build our new plant in California. Get it?
Of course the Democrats didn't get it at the hearing. Their economic illiteracy would be comical if it didn't have such baleful consequences. Gov. Wilson stuck to his guns, and the tax was eventually abolished, I believe.
So I wish tomorrow morning that Tim Cook would look senators directly and say this:
There are two ways you're not going to exact America's highest-in-the-world corporate income tax on Apple. You're not going to collect it if we keep the money overseas, as is our right under the tax code that you people wrote into law; and you're not going to collect it if we bring the money home. Get it?
I can certainly imagine Steve Jobs putting is this way.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the White House counsel was advised of the Inspector General's audit findings weeks ago. Doug Ross has compiled a useful IRS scandal timeline into which this latest tidbit fits.
A friend with substantial experience as a chief executive officer looks back on what we have learned to date about the IRS harassment of Obama administration political opponents. He raises the issue of executive responsibility:
Someone needs to call out Obama on the phony claim that he was precluded from being alerted in 2012 because of the investigation. They are hiding behind the existence of the investigation to justify his failure to act. His staff has an obligation to bring to his attention any improper and illegal activities and he has the authority and obligation to act upon hearing of them. Once alerted, and the activities halted, the investigation could proceed unhindered. If Obama's logic prevailed, the mere initiation of an IG investigation gives you a hall pass to do anything you want until it leaks.
In this case, there is no evidence that the targeting activities were stopped once the IG office began its inquiries. They got the best of all worlds - unhindered political malfeasance in an election year and claims they were powerless to do anything about it. We, of course, know they didn't want the activities to stop, which explains why they are taking the position that it was "out of their hands."
UPDATE: My friend writes to specify that he was referring to the June 2012 alert given by the IG to senior Treasury department officials:
Upon hearing of such potential improper activity, the administration had an obligation both to alert his superior and to take immediate action to get it stopped. A simple memo could have been written to halt the activity immediately: "We are concerned improper targeting may be taking place. Please alert us if you are aware of any activity like this occurring. If you have initiated such activity, halt it immediately."
By neglecting to take action to halt the activity immediately, the administration is guilty of suborning it. Any business executive that caught a whiff of something in his or her business such as bribery, insider trading, or out-of-compliance quality, and delayed halting it, would face legal sanctions.
On a related note, a reader points out the dog that didn't bark in Doug Ross's timeline: "One obvious omission from the table of events is a stopped the targeting event, which is one key....Congress does not ask the critical question."
More monkeying with voting machines ...
Whoever gets the most votes wins, right?
Maybe.
If you thought hanging chads were bad, just look who's going to be "managing" the voting machines during the 2014 midterm elections.
Choosing which is worse between the Benghazi and IRS scandals is probably as much a Rorschach test of the chooser as it is anything else. Both scandals are hugely serious and likely to be with us for a long time. For me, however, Benghazi is worse, in part because it is easier for some to dismiss and rationalize.
Shortly before the second-term inauguration of Barack Obama this January, I wrote a warning: "And so a reckoning is on the near horizon. Let us pray it does not take us all down with his administration." Four months later, it almost has.
The chances of preserving the endangered Federal Helium Reserve appear to be rising as quickly as, well, a helium-filled balloon. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee this month began consideration of bipartisan legislation bent on extending reserve operations beyond its scheduled termination date of early October.
On May 10, Scott Pelley of CBS News received the 20th annual Fred Friendly First Amendment Award, presented by the Quinnipiac University School of Communications at a New York city luncheon. Pelley's pervasively biased career alone should have been enough to disqualify him from consideration for any award related to the First Amendment he has so liberally abused.
Over in the New York Daily News this morning: "How the white hat got stained: Like every administration, the Obamites let ends justify means." You're familiar with the author.
Brace Yourselves: Obama's Guys Will Try to Shame You for Asking About Scandals This Week
When asked on ABC's This Week whether President Obama believes the IRS broke laws when it harassed conservative groups and released confidential donor information to Pro Publica, [White House senior adviser Dan] Pfeiffer dismissed the idea:
"I can't speak to the law here. The law is irrelevant. The activity was outrageous and inexcusable, and it was stopped and it needs to be fixed so we ensure it never happens again."
There is a fundamental disconnect between the White House's actions and the White House's words on the IRS scandal. The White House has repeatedly claimed that the President is "outraged" over the targeting -- but there are surprisingly few actual consequences for outraging the leader of the free world. One of the folks involved in harassing conservatives got a promotion. Another got several thousands of dollars in bonuses. Even the thought of legal consequences is tossed aside as "irrelevant."
There seems to be a concerted effort to suggest that nothing illegal occurred at the IRS. For example, the Washington Post's Aaron Blake suggests that nobody is going to jail over the IRS thing because he cannot put their finger on just what crime occurred. Astonishingly, he misses the most obvious of crimes related to the IRS scandal -- the public release of confidential information, something punishable by up to a year's jail time.
Far from being irrelevant, the legality of IRS behavior is a key issue. We know that neither the IRS, nor the Obama Administration, is going to hold anyone seriously accountable for IRS malfeasance. The so-called resignation of acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller, who was set to resign anyway, demonstrated that clearly. This gives us little choice but to turn to the law in the hopes that IRS officials can be scared into proper behavior and other federal bureaucrats can be deterred from similar misadventures in anti-conservative discrimination.
Not illegal? How about unconstitutional? I'm no constitutional scholar, but if the federal government is treating groups differently based upon their political beliefs, you have A) an equal protection clause violation and B) a violation of the First Amendment, as you're impeding the right of one particular group of Americans to peaceably assemble, express their views, and communicate their grievances to the government.
An observation: One of the reasons that this went on, as long as it did (starting in March 2010), and as pervasively as it did, is that apparently no one within the Internal Revenue Service who heard about it thought it was wrong, and that no one thought their superiors -- i.e., the secretary of the Treasury and the president -- would object.
Throughout his presidency, Obama has set a very clear tone.
He's made it clear that people who disagree with him are fevered, illegitimate, weird, creepy, dangerous, stupid, confused, ignorant, or some other adjective you might assign to a revamped version of the Seven Dwarfs. He's explained that he doesn't mind "cleaning up after" Republicans but he doesn't want to hear "a lot of talking" from them. The time for democratic debate is always behind us with an administration that began with the mission not to let a crisis go to waste, for as Obama said in his second inaugural address, "Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time, but it does require us to act in our time."
But with all of these things, when these things happen, you seem to send out officials many times who don't even seem to know what has happened. And I use as an example of that Susan Rice who had no connection whatsoever to the events that took place in Benghazi, and yet she was sent out, appeared on this broadcast, and other Sunday broadcasts, five days after it happens, and I'm not here to get in an argument with you about who changed which word in the talking points and all that. The bottom line is what she told the American people that day bore no resemblance to what had happened on the ground in an incident where four Americans were killed. . . .
Why did you do that? Why didn't the Secretary of State come and tell us what they knew and if he knew nothing say, "We don't know yet?" Why didn't the White House Chief of Staff come out? I mean I would, and I mean this as no disrespect to you, why are you here today? Why isn't the White House Chief of Staff here to tell us what happened?
No, Virginia, This Isn't the Best Way to Pick a Party Nominee
How should state parties select their nominees for high office? Let me offer a simple criteria: Get as many members of the party involved as possible -- but limit the decision to registered members of that party. Sorry, independents and unaffiliated voters. If you want some say in who the Republicans nominate, then join the party, and the same goes for the Democrats and their nominations.
My home state of Virginia doesn't meet this criteria; the state doesn't register voters by party, and this weekend the state GOP selected their lieutenant gubernatorial candidate by convention.
Brian Schoeneman, writing at Bearing Drift, lays out the consequences of this approach:
I cannot, for the life of me, understand why anybody still thinks that nominating by convention is a good idea.
Let's look at the numbers.
8,094 -- The total number of registered delegates who showed up, out of over 12,000 who registered. 255,826 -- The number of Republicans casting a ballot in the 2012 U.S. Senate primary.
Just from those numbers you can see that the majority of well-motivated Republicans interested in participating in our nominating processes were disenfranchised by the State Convention.
Here's another number: $25. As my colleague Melissa Kenney noted the other day, that's the cost for children to attend the convention. For a family as large as hers, or as large as Ken Cuccinelli's, it would cost almost $200 for them to attend the convention. That doesn't include meals, transportation and hotel costs for those who didn't come from Richmond or the surrounding suburbs and don't want to risk a 5+ hour drive home after a grueling hurry-up-and-wait style convention. Not everybody can afford the poll tax conventions effectively levy.
And despite the miracles of modern communication, cell phones, Bearing Drift and our livestream, John Frederick's live broadcast, email, Facebook and Twitter, the convention floor was still rife with rumors and nonsense, including the fake/rescinded endorsement controversy between Corey Stewart and Pete Snyder on the final ballot. Conventioneers were treated like fungi -- kept in the dark and fed crap -- and that inevitably had an impact on the final selection of E.W. Jackson as our Lt. Governor nominee. Information trickled out of the counting area, and it was left to bloggers and social media to keep convention goers in the know. And given the length of the convention, cell phones were dying or dead far before the convention was gaveled closed at 10:30 Saturday night.
We've all heard the arguments over the years about disenfranchisement of military members, parents with small children who can't afford the cost of childcare, small business owners who can't afford to give up a spring Saturday to the convention, the elderly who can't go for 16 hours at a time, and the rest. That was clearly in evidence yesterday, given that by the time the fourth ballot rolled around, over a third of the conventioneers who had showed up had left. The final ballot saw fewer that 5,000 votes cast.
Is that what we really want?
Meet E. W. Jackson, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor:
E.W. Jackson served three years and was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps. He then graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree(BA), Summa Cum Laude with a Phi Beta Kappa Key from the University of Massachusetts at Boston. Three years later he graduated from Harvard Law School with a Juris Doctor (JD). While in law school, he was accepted into the Baptist ministry and studied theology at Harvard Divinity School.
Jackson practiced small business law for 15 years in Boston, and taught Regulatory Law as an Adjunct Professor at the Graduate level at Northeastern University in Boston. Since returning to his ancestral home of Virginia, he has also taught graduate courses in Business and Commercial Law at Strayer University in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.
In 1997, he retired from his private law practice in order to devote full time to ministry. However, he still taught law and maintained both his avid interest in -- and commitment to -- civic and political responsibility. His first book, "Ten Commandments to an Extraordinary Life" was published in 2008. His second book, "America the Beautiful -- Reflections of a Patriot Descended from Slaves" is scheduled for release in 2012.
Jackson's family history in Virginia dates back to the time of the Revolutionary War. According to the 1880 census, his great grandparents (Gabriel and Eliza) were a sharecropper family in Orange County, Virginia. His grandfather, Frank Jackson, moved to Richmond and then to Pennsylvania where Jackson was born.
Expect every Republican running for office in the next two years to run on the theme that government, particularly the federal government, has abused the trust of the American people:
Vance Wilkins Jr., the first-ever Republican speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates and now active in the tea party movement, was asked to handicap the Cuccinelli-McAuliffe contest.
Wilkins flashed his knowing jack-o'-lantern grin: "That depends on what happens with those congressional hearings" -- a reference to House and Senate inquiries of the controversies roiling the Obama administration -- "They will flavor it."
Baucus Goes Bulworth: 'Buck Stops with the Man at the Top' on IRS Scandal
Last week we enjoyed some chuckles -- and a stray thought about Obama's current mood -- at the news that the president has lamented to others that he wishes he could "go Bulworth" -- presumably meaning to say what he really thinks, in the manner of Warren Beatty's suicidal-having-a-nervous-breakdown senator in the film. (Then, again, maybe he just meant he wishes he could sleep with Halle Berry.)
Amy Holmes of Real News and elsewhere points out that Washington already has a lawmaker who's really "going Bulworth" and letting out his political id: Montana Democrat senator Max Baucus.
Asked about who is ultimately responsible for the IRS scandal, Baucus told a Montana television state this weekend, "The buck stops with the man at the top."
ADDENDUM: Here's a big hiccup for the Gang of Eight: "A union representing 12,000 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers will publicly oppose the Senate Gang of Eight immigration plan Monday, giving critics of the overhaul effort additional political ammunition as they work to defeat legislation working its way through the Senate Judiciary Committee."
I think some conservatives just found a public-sector union they can work with!
NRO Digest - May 20, 2013
Today on National Review Online . . .
JILLIAN KAY MELCHIOR: A tea-party group targeted by Democrats gets attention from the IRS-and the FBI, OSHA, and the ATF. True Scandal
ROBERT COSTA: Representative Jason Chaffetz says President Obama may face impeachment over Benghazi. The Impeachment Option
Rush Limbaugh is taking a "whistling past the graveyard" approach to Barack Obama's scandals. He is being very cautious about allowing himself to feel that some damage will be done to Obama when the dust from these scandals clears.
Rush even quotes James Carville's liberal wishful thinking about this lasting "only 30 days" to help convince himself he's right; nevertheless, Rush is wrong.
While there is no doubt that Obama won't be impeached, as Rush allows that isn't important. Saying there won't be any damage to Obama his Party and their dangerous agenda is simply wrong.
These scandals will do the following.
When Rush is proved "right" and nothing "seems" to change the fuse of a renewed TEA party revolution will be lit.
People will be reminded America isn't supposed to be this way.
Urge Congress to punish those responsible for IRS harassment
May 20, 2013
Dear ##FirstName[AFA Supporter]##,
As most Americans are aware by now, under the Obama administration up to 500 Tea Party, educational, Christian and pro-life groups have been targeted by the IRS since 2009. Their requests for tax exempt status have been delayed, blocked, frustrated and denied.
Additionally, tax audits were launched against donors to the campaign of President Obama's presidential opponent. In other cases confidential IRS information about Obama's opponents may have been leaked to the press and to others. Such violations are punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
This obstruction has hindered the ability of conservative groups to inform and educate the American people on matters of paramount importance, and may have had a material effect on the 2012 presidential election.
In contrast, IRS officials have been unable to name even a single "progressive" group that received such withering scrutiny. This viewpoint discrimination blatantly violates First Amendment protections of freedom of religion and speech and may well be criminal.
Some specific and egregious examples of government harassment and intimidation:
Dr. James Dobson was told the application for Family Talk Action would not be approved because he had "criticized President Obama," and the organization was deemed to be a "partisan right-wing group."
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association was harassed shortly after running ads supporting natural marriage. The organization had to spend an exorbitant amount of time and funds "servicing IRS agents in our offices" over the issue.
The Coalition for Life in Iowa was ordered to divulge to the IRS the content of their prayers, according to Rep. Aaron Schock, and to detail "the activities at...prayer meetings" as well as to "provide the percentage of time your organizations spends on prayer groups." The acting IRS commissioner refused to say such questions were inappropriate.
Hearings into this egregious and inexcusable IRS misconduct will be held this week in both the Senate and the House.
TAKE ACTION
Urge your congressmen today to thoroughly investigate IRS misconduct, identify those responsible, and press to see that they are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
We have a prepared letter ready for you. Send it now!
It is very important that you forward this alert to your friends and family members.
Sincerely,
Tim Wildmon, President American Family Association
The report on Cardinal Dolan's shockingly weak response to New York Governor Cuomo's abortion law proposal and his many other serious violations of Catholic moral principles generated many comments. One has to wonder how far a Catholic politician has to go in doing evil before the good bishop finally does something appropriate to the gravity of these scandals. For now, all we can do is shake our heads in bewilderment and dismay and pray that God sends us great religious leaders that we so desperately need at this time.
The board upbraided Dr. Nicola Riley for failing to call for emergency help for at least 90 minutes after she pulled out a patient's bowel during a difficult abortion and for transporting her critically injured patient to a nearby hospital in the back seat of a rental car.
Luis Gonzalez-Jose was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison, and deportation upon release, after striking a plea bargain with Whatcom County Superior Court Judge Charles Snyder.
The province's Parti québécois government has promised to table a bill legalizing the deadly practise before the province's parliament adjourns for the summer.
Should it be granted Royal Assent "in its present form," the 17 Christian ministers said, the bill will "isolate hundreds of thousands of young students and workers across the country who hold a fuller view of marriage based on religion or a traditional view."
Please help us get the word out to your local news stations, newspapers, bloggers, reporters, etc. We are trying to get as much press as we can to cover these events!
Also, please spread the word to your Senators. Many of whom will have events going on outside of their local offices.
Remember all the talk about how the amnesty bill would bring 11 million illegal aliens "out of the shadows" and make us safer by running them through thorough background checks?
Not going to happen, according to today's bombshell from the head of the union that represents the officers and staff at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) which is responsible for processing immigrants.
Here's what Kenneth Palinkas, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 119, told Congress and the public today:
"The culture at USCIS encourages all applications to be approved, discouraging proper investigation into red flags and discouraging the denial of any applications . . .USCIS has been turned into an 'approval machine.' "
The USCIS union today joined the union for ICE agents (Immigration and Custom Enforcement) in opposing the S. 744 amnesty, noting that it fails to provide for necessary in-person interviews and for those who have committed serious immigration and criminal offenses.
"The legislation was written with special interests -- producing a bill that makes the current system worse, not better. . . (The bill would) damage public safety and national security and should be opposed by lawmakers."
The union said it can't protect American security at today's rate of applications and in no way could do so with millions of additional ones coming in.
Help Spread the Warning
You can't count on your Senators having heard the unions' dire warnings.
You will want to immediately send faxes to your three M embers of Congress to make sure they know about this very special and alarming opposition to the Gang of Eight's amnesty.
These are extremely serious warnings from our federal employees who are charged with protecting us. Perhaps you will want to share this warning with others. (You can get to the complete statements of the union officials when you go to the fax page.
Take our interests survey. Let us know what you're interested in so we can customize actions and other information to meet your needs.
USCIS Union to Join Opposition to Gang of Eight Amnesty Bill
The AFL-CIO affiliated union of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers plans to release a statement today in opposition to the Senate Gang of Eight amnesty bill, reports the Daily Caller.
Rubio Backs Stronger Border Security Provisions as Approval Rating Drops
Following another Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to amend the nearly 900-page "comprehensive" immigration reform bill Tuesday, Senator Marco Rubio's (R-FL) spokesman told reporters the Senator was "disappointed" over the Committee's refusal to improve the bill by requiring its mandated entry-exit system be biometric.
House Gang of Eight to Unveil Amnesty Bill in June
After lengthy negotiations, the bipartisan Gang of Eight in the House of Representatives announced the group has agreed to a "comprehensive" immigration reform plan. "We have an agreement in principle," declared Rep. John Carter while announcing the Gang will introduce the bill "at the very latest" in the first week in June.
Seven immigration related bills that would have provided illegal aliens benefits in some form died with the adjournment of the Florida Legislature on May 2, 2013. The seven bills covered a broad range of issues, such as protection against ICE detainers, in-state tuition, welfare benefits, and driver's licenses.
Council on Foreign Relations Criticizes Obama Administration for Withholding Enforcement Data
Last Monday, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) released a 76-page report that raises significant questions as to whether border security efforts undertaken by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are effective.
It's Not the Crime, It's the Cover-up By Rich Galen When presidents face trouble in Washington, they get out of town. This week, Obama will be in Atlanta, Georgia and Annapolis, Maryland; but look for additional out-of-town trips to be added to the schedule.
Where's Barack? WH spokesperson can't answer where Obama was night of Benghazi attack
It's a relatively simple question: where was President Obama on the night of the Benghazi attacks? No one seems to know. Yesterday White House spokesman Dan Pfieffer was grilled about the location of the President that night and his pathetic response indicates the President was probably not where he should have been. WATCH
HUGE victory: CSCOPE is out of Texas
Proof that your voice does matter - CSCOPE will no longer be part of the Texas school curriculum. A letter signed by all 20 members of the board of education for the state of Texas will notify 875 school districts that all lessons and lesson plans will now be removed from those websites on August 31st. The era of CSCOPE is over. MORE
Nothing to see here! Carney tells Piers Morgan Benghazi scandal "contrived" by Republicans
So...apparently all of the White House scandals that the media has spent the last 3 weeks covering don't exist. At least that's what What House Press Secretary Jay Carney told Piers Morgan last week. This White House has changed their story so many times, perhaps Carney gave up on storytelling and has decided to go the 'deny, deny, deny' route? WATCH
Glenn announces Independence Through History Museum
Glenn has partnered with David Barton and several other 'generous people' to put some amazing, priceless American artifacts on display over the July 4th weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah. From the Bible pilgrims brought to America to what Marcus Luttrell was wearing during his hellish journey described in Lone Survivor, Independence Through History will be a once in a lifetime experience. Find out how to attend HERE.
Be a part of Mercury One's Welcome Center this summer at Man In The Moon
Mercury One would like to invite entrepreneurs, companies, and non-profit organizations to be a part of Mercury One's Welcome Center at Man In The Moon this summer in Salt Lake City, Utah. This is a chance to share your message, sell your products join the fun thousands of people from across the country. Don't miss out. To learn more, please email Questions@MercuryOne.org.
Glenn's daughter graduates college
Glenn was honored to attend his daughter's graduation from college but warned that what you think is a safe place isn't one anymore. From one generation to the next, our kids are becoming more and more lost. Here is a supposedly religious university and there was hardly any mention of God. Glenn has more on radio today.
You asked, we listened! Read & share news from TheBlaze.com directly in TheBlaze App!
TheBlaze iOS App is your direct portal into "the network that YOU are building". Get access to live and on demand video from TheBlaze TV, listen to TheBlaze Radio Network, and much more! Plus, with the new TheBlaze newsreader, access to breaking news from TheBlaze.com is easier than ever! Download TheBlaze iOS App HERE.
Join TheBlaze for the award winning documentary Veteran Nation
Veteran Nation honors the courage and heroism of our veterans from Bunker Hill to Bagdad. See how they have been treated throughout history, the challenges they face returning home, and what we can do to serve them. Veteran Nation - Watch live or on demand this Saturday at 12pm ET, on TheBlaze.
James Dobson tells Glenn: IRS targeted me
Prominent evangelical Christian leader James Dobson joined the radio program today and revealed that the IRS targeted one of his organizations as well. After being stonewalled by the IRS for months, Dobson finally called to get an update. What he was told was shocking. See what the IRS told him HERE.
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The Department of Justice in its ongoing efforts to plug national security leaks closely monitored James Rosen, Fox News' chief Washington correspondent, the 
that the Nation's primary law enforcement agency has been tracking a Fox News reporter's coming and goings from the State Department and has obtained a search warrant for the reporter's personal emails.
Additionally, tax audits were launched against donors to the campaign of President Obama's presidential opponent. In other cases confidential IRS information about Obama's opponents may have been leaked to the press and to others. Such violations are punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
Where's Barack? WH spokesperson can't answer where Obama was night of Benghazi attack
