Saturday, June 7, 2014
I’m deeply offended by the attempt of those U. Chicago students to regulate speech to the extent that we can’t even mention the word we are analyzing and discussing. Because I know to a certainty it will not stop there.
◼ When everyone shuts up, we will have reached the “safe space” - Le-gal In-sur-rec-tion
The importance of the storyline was so absolute that his national-security adviser, Susan Rice, found it necessary to go on a Sunday chat show and say Bowe Bergdahl had “served with distinction and honor.”
◼ How Obama’s media strategy unraveled with recovered POW - NY Post
She knew that was not a true thing to say about Bergdahl’s service, but she had to say it because the pop-culture plotline called for it.
She also said reporters Bergdahl’s release had been urgent because he was near death — a detail that offered even greater emotional justification.
Alas, this proved not to be true either; at a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, the director of national intelligence, John Clapper, said the administration had no intelligence to suggest this.
The bottom line is that the president settled on a controversial, high- risk strategy here in a difficult and problematic manner — and then sought to use his mastery of pop culture to change the story to a more palatable one. But some stories just can’t be gussied up.
More important for the president’s future fortunes is this lesson: You can only spin for so long before you start spinning yourself. Spin and spin and spin and soon you have a whirlwind to reap.
She knew that was not a true thing to say about Bergdahl’s service, but she had to say it because the pop-culture plotline called for it.
She also said reporters Bergdahl’s release had been urgent because he was near death — a detail that offered even greater emotional justification.
Alas, this proved not to be true either; at a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, the director of national intelligence, John Clapper, said the administration had no intelligence to suggest this.
The bottom line is that the president settled on a controversial, high- risk strategy here in a difficult and problematic manner — and then sought to use his mastery of pop culture to change the story to a more palatable one. But some stories just can’t be gussied up.
More important for the president’s future fortunes is this lesson: You can only spin for so long before you start spinning yourself. Spin and spin and spin and soon you have a whirlwind to reap.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Progressive Left: “On Second Thought, We Actually Do Want Government in the Bedroom.”
◼ In California, natch - Gay Patriot
◼ REGULATE SEX: Cali Libs Now Want To Control Your Boinking - ClashDaily
◼ REGULATE SEX: Cali Libs Now Want To Control Your Boinking - ClashDaily
...a new bill in California would require students to give verbal or written consent before sex and also requires that there be ongoing consent throughout the encounter. What can possibly go wrong?◼ CA BILL DEMANDS VERBAL OR WRITTEN CONSENT FOR SEX ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES - Breitbart
SB 967, amended last week by state Sen. Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles), would mandate that college students obtain "an affirmative, unambiguous, and conscious decision by each participant to engage in mutually agreed-upon sexual activity."◼ link
You're in the heat of the moment, rounding third, but then you must stop and ask, Can I have your verbal or written consent to have sex with you?
Sounds quite unspontaneous. But a law co-authored by L.A. state Sen. Kevin de Leon would have state-run college campuses establish an "affirmative consent" standard for its students.
According to the language of the bill, SB 967, students who want to have sex must essentially establish that there has been "an affirmative, unambiguous, and conscious decision by each participant to engage in mutually agreed-upon sexual activity." In fact, the legislation says, ...
... It is the responsibility of the person who wants to engage in initiating the sexual activity to ensure that he or she has the consent of the other person to engage in the sexual activity. Lack of protest or resistance does not mean consent, nor does silence mean consent.No more making sexy faces and sounds for you. You've got to verbalize. Or get it on paper.
With every revelation about Bergdahl, it becomes clearer the White House has something very big to hide. Here are three clues:
◼ 3 clues the White House needs to cover up Bergdahl - Allen West
1. In predictable fashion, those who question the official story must be discredited. The Soldiers who are providing their own on-the-ground recollections must be “psychopaths,” as an Obama administration official at HUD referred to them....
2. The Soldiers who served alongside Bergdahl and were on the ground with him when he disappeared were forced to sign non-disclosure agreements. Why? Would that be anything like the muzzling of the Benghazi survivors?
3. The classified Pentagon report from 2010 on Sergeant Bergdahl should by now be de-classified, but it’s not. Why? What’s in it?
Oh, and then there’s the case of Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings who wrote about Bergdahl’s disappearance in 2012 and ended up dead in 2013. Maybe it’s just a terrible “coincidence” but why was he being investigated by the FBI?...
MEET OUR REPUBLICAN WOMEN CANDIDATES: MIA LOVE, Utah
After a competitive election in 2012, Mia Love is back again as the Republican nominee for the congressional seat in Utah’s 4th District. In the 2012 election, Love faced longtime Democrat incumbent Jim Matheson, losing by less than 1% of the vote. Now that Matheson is retiring, Love will face Democratic candidate Doug Owens. If elected, she will be the first African American female Republican elected to Congress, a major feat for the Republican Party.
Love and her husband, Jason, and three children reside in Sarasota Springs. Working her way through local government, she has served as a city councilwoman and mayor of Sarasota Springs.
As a mother, Love values the importance of education and advocates for the return of control of education back to the local level. Believing in a limited role of government, she opposes Obamacare on the grounds that it is not affordable, not sustainable, and greatly increases the scope and size of the federal government. Love believes that the federal government should reduce spending, and furthermore proposes the implementation of a simpler tax code and lowering of tax rates.
When asked why she is a conservative, Love says, “I believe conservative values are what lift people out of poverty. I believe conservative values lead to the greatest amount of prosperity for the greatest number of people.”
Labeled a “rising star” by Fox News, Mia Love is a qualified and driven candidate for the Republican Party, as well as for the 4th District of Utah. Read more about Love at http://love4utah.com/.
◼ http://love4utah.com/.
The “federal overreach tainted a Common Core program created with “well-intentioned goals,” Fallin said. “President Obama and Washington bureaucrats have usurped Common Core in an attempt to influence state education standards.”
◼ Gov. Mary Fallin signs bill repealing Common Core - Watchdog.org
“We are capable of developing our academic standards that will be better than Common Core,” Fallin said in a prepared statement after signing the bill .
The federal government might threaten to pull education funds because of Fallin’s repeal, as Common Core supporters warned, but the governor and her spokesman, Alex Weintz, stressed that if the state is deprived of any federal monies, it will be only a portion of the total.
The measure had passed overwhelmingly in both chambers of the Legislature –- 78-19 in the House and 31-10 in the Senate, on the last day of the session.
◼ A total of 17 states have pushed back against Common Core. - Daily Signal
Common Core is on the chopping block. Oklahoma today became the third state to exit the national education standards and reclaim its decision-making authority in education. The move comes on the heels of South Carolina, which days ago put an end to Common Core—setting precedent for other states to follow.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley quietly signed a bill withdrawing the state from Common Core, but Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, also a Republican, was not shy about stating her reasons for pulling her state from the national standards.
“We are capable of developing our own Oklahoma academic standards that will be better than Common Core,” Fallin said in a statement released by her office. “Unfortunately, federal overreach has tainted Common Core. President Obama and Washington bureaucrats have usurped Common Core in an attempt to influence state education standards."
“The results are predictable,” Fallin added. “What should have been a bipartisan policy is now widely regarded as the president’s plan to establish federal control of curricula, testing and teaching strategies.”
“We are capable of developing our academic standards that will be better than Common Core,” Fallin said in a prepared statement after signing the bill .
The federal government might threaten to pull education funds because of Fallin’s repeal, as Common Core supporters warned, but the governor and her spokesman, Alex Weintz, stressed that if the state is deprived of any federal monies, it will be only a portion of the total.
The measure had passed overwhelmingly in both chambers of the Legislature –- 78-19 in the House and 31-10 in the Senate, on the last day of the session.
◼ A total of 17 states have pushed back against Common Core. - Daily Signal
Common Core is on the chopping block. Oklahoma today became the third state to exit the national education standards and reclaim its decision-making authority in education. The move comes on the heels of South Carolina, which days ago put an end to Common Core—setting precedent for other states to follow.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley quietly signed a bill withdrawing the state from Common Core, but Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, also a Republican, was not shy about stating her reasons for pulling her state from the national standards.
“We are capable of developing our own Oklahoma academic standards that will be better than Common Core,” Fallin said in a statement released by her office. “Unfortunately, federal overreach has tainted Common Core. President Obama and Washington bureaucrats have usurped Common Core in an attempt to influence state education standards."
“The results are predictable,” Fallin added. “What should have been a bipartisan policy is now widely regarded as the president’s plan to establish federal control of curricula, testing and teaching strategies.”
D-Day Landing Sites Then And Now: 11 Striking Images That Bring The Past And Present Together
Click image to embiggen. More at the link.
◼ Few are left to tell the story of the D-Day landings, but today, as we remember the sacrifices and heroism of troops involved in the landings, these pictures of tourists soaking up the sun on Normandy's beaches stand in stark contrast to haunting images taken around the time of the crucial invasion. - Huffington Post UK
D-Day
◼ The eyes of the world were upon us on “the longest day” - Allen West
Here is General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s message to the troops. You cannot help but be inspired and awed by his words and the task our troops faced....
Is it OK to use your kids as props?
◼ This Guy Crashes An Anti-NRA Rally Where Kids Are Being Used As Props To Make A Political Point - IJ Review
MRCTV’s Dan Joseph was present at the rally. What surprised him the most was not the anti-gun rhetoric used by MomsRising, but rather how they were promoting their message. They dressed their children in scrubs in order to pressure senators to support Vivek’s nomination. When Joseph interviewed one of the dressed-up kids, the child had no idea what he was supporting.
He thinks Dr. Carson is going to back down...WRONG move!
◼ CNN's Lemon Spars with Ben Carson Over ObamaCare/Slavery Remarks; V.A. Scandal - Newsbusters
On Tuesday's CNN Tonight, Don Lemon hounded conservative author Dr. Ben Carson over his October 2013 likening of ObamaCare to slavery and his recent blunt remarks about the V.A. scandal. Lemon acted as an apologist for the President and wondered, "How can you compare a health care program to the brutal oppression and abuse of black people in this country?"
CARSON: Slavery is a horrible, horrible thing. I can tell you a lot of things about it. But the reason that this is the next worst thing is because it is taking the most important thing that you have and subjecting it to control by the government. That is the first step to government control of everything. And again, this is something that is easily verifiable by those who are historical – who indulge in reading history.
LEMON: Here's where – here's where most people would take issue, because they would say that Jim Crow is pretty bad; that World War II was pretty bad; that Vietnam was bad, that D-Day was pretty bad; that Iraq was pretty bad; that – you know, Japanese internment camps were pretty bad. All these things were terrible, and they have happened since slavery, and you say ObamaCare is worse than all of those things?
CARSON: I do say that – yes. All of those things are bad, but those do not fundamentally change the United States-
LEMON: Okay-
CARSON: This is the beginning of a fundamental change of moving away from a government that is for of and by the people, to a government that is for of and by the government. It flies in the face of what America is all about.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
President Admits He’ll Break the Law if Threatened
◼ White House officials are admitting the President can be bullied and threatened into breaking American law. - RedState
This is pretty staggering. The Taliban now say they want to take more high profile hostages to negotiate with the American President for the release of terrorists.
Now the White House admits that in these situations, if the Taliban make threats the President will break the law.
BREAKING: Officials: Congress not told of swap because Taliban threatened to kill Bergdahl if it leaked .
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 5, 2014
This is pretty staggering. The Taliban now say they want to take more high profile hostages to negotiate with the American President for the release of terrorists.
Now the White House admits that in these situations, if the Taliban make threats the President will break the law.
TALIBAN: WE'RE INSPIRED TO KIDNAP MORE!
◼ Behind the Scenes of Bowe Bergdahl’s Release - TIME
◼ USA sees 'substantial progress' in freeing more Gitmo detainees this year - Yahoo
◼ 'NO APOLOGIES' - Mail.uk
◼ Taliban Commanders Say Found Bergdahl Cursing Countrymen - NBC
◼ Declared jihad in '10, secret docs show - FOX
◼ HOMETOWN WELCOME CANCELED - Reuters
◼ Growing fury in Congress - LA Times
◼ Reid on Notification: 'What difference does it make?' - Daniel Halper/Weekly Standard
◼ WILL: When a president goes rogue
◼ Detainee Release Rattles Afghans - Wall St. Journal
Some members wanted a ransom payment for Bergdahl, in addition to the release of the Guantanamo detainees. But the leadership prevailed. “We told them that these five men are more important than millions of dollars to us,” he says. He was more tolerant of complaints from Taliban foot soldiers that pointed out that for all the celebrations surrounding the officials’ release, there was no reward or recognition for the Taliban fighters who captured Bergdahl in 2009. But that’s not likely to get in the way of future attempts to kidnap American soldiers, across all ranks.◼ Hagel faces House grilling on legality of Bergdahl-Taliban swap - Washington Times
Asked whether the Taliban would be inspired by the exchange to kidnap others, he laughed. “Definitely,” he says. “It’s better to kidnap one person like Bergdahl than kidnapping hundreds of useless people. It has encouraged our people. Now everybody will work hard to capture such an important bird.”
◼ USA sees 'substantial progress' in freeing more Gitmo detainees this year - Yahoo
◼ 'NO APOLOGIES' - Mail.uk
◼ Obama makes 'absolutely no apologies' for Bergdahl terror trade and claims POW would have been KILLED by Taliban if he had told Congress◼ 'IMPEACHMENT' IF HE DOES IT AGAIN - The Hill
◼ Obama appeared in Brussels alongside British Prime Minister David Cameron during a G7 meeting in Brussels
◼ He insisted that 'we had a prisoner of war whose health had deteriorated,' despite a fit-looking Bergdahl who appeared in a Taliban video during Saturday's hostage hand-over
◼ Administration officials reportedly told U.S. senators Wednesday that they weer kept in the dark because the Taliban threatened to kill Bergdahl if a prison-swap plan was leaked to the public
◼ But Congress was advised in 2011 and 2012 of two separate plans to make a similar deal, and nothing was leaked despite unanimous opposition
◼ Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday that giving Congress 30 days' notice, as federal law requires, 'would have seriously imperiled us ever getting him out'
◼ Taliban Commanders Say Found Bergdahl Cursing Countrymen - NBC
◼ Declared jihad in '10, secret docs show - FOX
◼ HOMETOWN WELCOME CANCELED - Reuters
◼ Growing fury in Congress - LA Times
◼ Reid on Notification: 'What difference does it make?' - Daniel Halper/Weekly Standard
◼ WILL: When a president goes rogue
Obama says his agents “consulted with Congress for quite some time” about prisoner exchanges with the Taliban. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), chairman of the House intelligence committee, says there have been no consultations since 2011. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) says “I don’t like it when the White House says the intelligence committees were briefed. Because we weren’t.” He says Obama is “referring to . . . 2011-2012, when I was still in grade school.”
◼ Detainee Release Rattles Afghans - Wall St. Journal
Some Recall Scorched-Earth Offensive Led by One of the Freed Prisoners...
The villages of Shomali were once the orchard of central Afghanistan, and the plain's carefully tended vineyards were famous for their grapes....When the Taliban seized control of this area from their Northern Alliance rivals in 1999, they systematically demolished entire villages, blowing up houses, burning fields and seeding the land with mines, according to two comprehensive studies of war crimes and atrocities during wars in Afghanistan and human rights reports. Mr. Fazl played a major role in the destruction.
"There was not a single undamaged house or garden," said Masjidi Fatehzada, a shopkeeper in Mir Bacha Kot, the district center. "My entire shop was burned to the ground. There was nothing left."
Unanimous Bipartisan Senate Tells Sudan: Immediately Release Meriam and Her Children
◼ In an act of unmitigated bipartisanship, all Republicans and all Democrats in the U.S. Senate joined together on Tuesday evening to unanimously approve a resolution demanding the “immediate and unconditional release” of Meriam Ibrahim and her two children from the Sudanese prison where they are being held because Meriam refuses to renounce her Christian faith. - CNS
Ibrahim, the wife of U.S. citizen Daniel Wani, has been incarcerated at the Omdurman Federal Women’s Prison along with the couple’s 20-month-old son, Martin, and 1-week old daughter, Maya. She currently faces a death sentence....
“Imprisoning a woman for simply refusing to recant her faith is a deplorable act that speaks to the kind of religious intolerance that, while blatantly and ignorantly continues to exist today, has no place in the world,” Rubio said.
“While the Senate made strides in its commitment to religious freedom, Ms. Ibrahim is still in the fight of her life,” Rubio said. “The world is watching as we await the decision of the Sudanese court, and today’s passage is a testament to our obligation to Ms. Ibrahim and her young family.”
“I applaud my Senate colleagues for coming together to call for the unconditional release of Ms. Ibrahim, the Sudanese woman currently imprisoned for peacefully practicing her faith,” said Inhofe. “I hope this resolution will continue to put pressure on the government of Sudan to recognize the importance of religious freedom and incorporate this foundational value into the country's new constitution.”
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Yee, who was arrested back in March on gun smuggling charges, finished astoundingly well, with nearly 300,000 people checking his name on the ballot Tuesday – despite not campaigning at all since his arrest, allegedly plotting to deal weapons with a radical Islamic group in the Philippines, and maintaining a close connection with a powerful Chinese gangster who was also arrested in the sting
◼ Nearly 300,000 Californians Vote For Terrorist Gun Smuggling Candidate - Scott Greer/Daily Caller
When Yee pulled out of the race shortly after being charged and arrested for his connection in a federal sting, he was polling only at eight percent. After all the results had been counted Wednesday morning, Lee had earned 11 percent of the vote and finished second among Democratic candidates....
The disgraced state senator’s strong Tuesday numbers fly in the face of a May poll that showed 84% of California voters were concerned with corruption in their state legislature.
When Yee pulled out of the race shortly after being charged and arrested for his connection in a federal sting, he was polling only at eight percent. After all the results had been counted Wednesday morning, Lee had earned 11 percent of the vote and finished second among Democratic candidates....
The disgraced state senator’s strong Tuesday numbers fly in the face of a May poll that showed 84% of California voters were concerned with corruption in their state legislature.
U.S. Marshals Seize Cops’ Spying Records to Keep Them From the ACLU
◼ A routine request in Florida for public records regarding the use of a surveillance tool known as stingray took an extraordinary turn recently when federal authorities seized the documents before police could release them. - WIRED
The surprise move by the U.S. Marshals Service stunned the American Civil Liberties Union, which earlier this year filed the public records request with the Sarasota, Florida, police department for information detailing its use of the controversial surveillance tool.
The ACLU had an appointment last Tuesday to review documents pertaining to a case investigated by a Sarasota police detective. But marshals swooped in at the last minute to grab the records, claiming they belong to the U.S. Marshals Service and barring the police from releasing them.
ACLU staff attorney Nathan Freed Wessler called the move “truly extraordinary and beyond the worst transparency violations” the group has seen regarding documents detailing police use of the technology.
The surprise move by the U.S. Marshals Service stunned the American Civil Liberties Union, which earlier this year filed the public records request with the Sarasota, Florida, police department for information detailing its use of the controversial surveillance tool.
The ACLU had an appointment last Tuesday to review documents pertaining to a case investigated by a Sarasota police detective. But marshals swooped in at the last minute to grab the records, claiming they belong to the U.S. Marshals Service and barring the police from releasing them.
ACLU staff attorney Nathan Freed Wessler called the move “truly extraordinary and beyond the worst transparency violations” the group has seen regarding documents detailing police use of the technology.
Obama Is The President Nixon Always Wanted To Be
◼ He may agree with him politically, but George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley expressed how troubling it is that our President is willing to act unilaterally and how Obama is forming what he calls “an imperial Presidency.” - IJ Review
Turley claims that we are at a constitutional tipping point because the President is not willing to comply with the rule of law, which is a threat to our individual liberty. The law professor says he’s seen this kind of power-grab before, and makes the dreaded comparison.
You know, I’ve said it before, Barack Obama is really the president Richard Nixon always wanted to be. You know, he’s been allowed to act unilaterally in a way that we’ve fought for decades.
According to the ever-trustworthy Susan Rice, we only negotiated with Qatar. Qatar did "something" and we got our captive soldier back. We didn't negotiate with terrorists at all! Our hands are clean!
◼ Susan Rice: we didn't negotiate with terrorists, Qatar did. - Cain TV
◼ Check Out How This ABC Anchor Spun Obama's Failure To Inform Congress Before Releasing Terrorists - MRC
◼ Check Out How This ABC Anchor Spun Obama's Failure To Inform Congress Before Releasing Terrorists - MRC
Appearing on Good Morning America to preview his This Week program, Stephanopoulos immediately peddled White House talking points:◼ 5 reasons why the Bergdahl controversy may last - Susan Crabtree/Washington Examiner
What the President says, what the president’s advisers say is that this was moving so fast, they couldn't talk to the Congress. But they also say the President when he signed this law, said he had the constitutional authority not to live by it, that he had the constitutional authority to go around Congress and simply do what he needed to do to get the detainees back to their home countries.
Former Army Specialist: We Were Told to Keep Quiet About Bergdahl
◼ Retired Army specialist Josh Fuller claims that he and other soldiers were told to “keep quiet” about Bergdahl’s desertion, and that suspiciously precise attacks on military bases occurred soon after Bergdahl disappeared. - Washington Free Beacon
Fuller alleged that attacks on the base after Bergdahl left “were very precise and very accurate”, appearing to exploit tactics that only someone from the base would know about. “You could tell it was from somebody on the inside that had that info.”
◼ Official Confirms That U.S. Intelligence Was Investigating Bergdahl Even Before He Disappeared - IJREVIEW.COM
Fox News’ James Rosen is reporting that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was under investigation by US intelligence agencies- not only during his final stretch of duty in Afghanistan, but also during his alleged captivity among the Taliban.
◼ Member of Bergdahl’s Platoon: He Deserted Us, Wouldn’t Have Made Deal for Him - FREEBEACON.COM
◼ MSNBC’s Chris Matthews Deeply Skeptical Of Taliban Prisoner Swap - Daily Caller
◼ Meet Army MSG Mark Allen, hero wounded in search for Bowe Bergdahl - Twitchy
This is what a real hero looks like.◼ Pro-Obama Harvard Professor: President ‘Clearly Broke The Law’ With Gitmo Prisoner Transfer - Daily Caller
“You’ve looked at the law, you’ve looked at the signing statement, you’ve gone through it,” Blitzer asked Toobin. “Did the president break the law?◼ 5 reasons why the Bergdahl controversy may last - WashingtonExaminer.com
“Oh, I think he clearly broke the law,” Toobin replied. “The law says 30 days’ notice. He didn’t give 30 days’ notice.”
“Now it’s true he issued a signing statement,” the law professor continued, “but signing statements are not law — it’s the president’s opinion about what the law should mean. Now, it may be that the law is unconstitutional, a violation of his power as commander-in-chief, but no court has held that. The law is on the books and he didn’t follow it.”
Blitzer was surprised. “You realize, of course, you’re accusing the president of the United States of breaking the law,” he said.
“It’s very disappointing that there was not a level of trust sufficient to justify alerting us.”
◼ Feinstein Latest To Question Growing Stink Around Bergdahl/Taliban Swap - PJM
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein took at shot at the Obama administration on Tuesday for failing to give lawmakers 30 days’ notice about a deal to release five Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only POW from America’s war in Afghanistan.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein took at shot at the Obama administration on Tuesday for failing to give lawmakers 30 days’ notice about a deal to release five Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only POW from America’s war in Afghanistan.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
THE BERGDAHL SWAP: A FULL-BLOWN OBAMA SCANDAL IN LESS THAN 48 HOURS
◼ Two days after President Obama broke the law to arrange an insanely reckless swap of five incredibly dangerous Taliban terrorists for captive American Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, virtually every aspect of the deal has blown up in Obama’s face, and the whole thing has soured into another five-star scandal for an Administration riddled with them. - John Hayward/Human Events @Doc_o
Maybe it’s the accumulated weight of Obama fatigue, or the sheer stupidity and arrogance the President displayed in this particular abuse of power, but even people who stood by him through Fast and Furious, Benghazi, and the IRS scandal are asking: What the hell was he thinking? What did the White House think was going to happen here?◼ Mainstream Media Not Happy With Bergdahl Deal - Washington Free Beacon
I think the Administration’s crucial error was expecting the military to shut up and let them write the story. That didn’t happen. Troops who served with Bergdahl have been speaking out, and they’re not mincing words....
◼ “White House Overrode Internal Objections To Taliban Prisoner Release” - Protein Wisdom
This was a deal made with identified terrorists for a deserter.
◼ Exclusive: The story you haven’t yet heard about Bowe Bergdahl’s desertion - Michelle Malkin
Michelle's latest explosive column reveals how traitorous Bowe Bergdahl's abandonment of post led to the deaths of 8 American soldiers, not 6 as the rest of the media is reporting....◼ FNC reports Bergdahl renounced US citizenship - Twitchy
VOTE!
Registrar of Voters: Carolyn Crnich Phone: (707) 445-7678
Voter Registration, Election Manager: Kelly Sanders Phone: 707-445-7678
◼ Elections Office WWW Site
◼ Election Results: Humboldt County
Elections Office Address: 3033 H Street, Room 20, Eureka, CA 95501
Voter Registration Address: 3033 H St., Room 20, Eureka, CA 95501
Where Do I Vote? Find your polling place at ◼ Smart Voter. Find general information about registering to vote and voting. See contents of current and past elections, contacts for election officials, and other resources (as available).
It's now TOO LATE TO MAIL IN YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT, but you can DROP IT OFF AT THE POLLING BOOTH OR TAKE IT IN TO THE ELECTIONS OFFICE TO BE SURE IT IS COUNTED.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Carney: We Didn’t Negotiate With Terrorists Because Bergdahl Wasn’t a Hostage or Something
◼ Critics of the administration’s deal to free Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl are accusing Barack Obama of everything from negotiating with terrorists to breaking the law requiring that he notify Congress before releasing detainees from Guantanamo Bay. - IJ Review
Monday, White House press secretary Jay Carney claimed that because Bergdahl was a “prisoner of war,” as opposed to a “hostage,” the White House didn’t — technically — negotiate with the Taliban. Nice spin, Jay.
◼ White House Can’t Agree: Susan Rice Calls Bergdahl ‘Hostage,’ Carney Says He’s Not - DAILY CALLER
The Obama administration is struggling to explain how their deal to release five top-ranking Taliban in exchange for captured Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl does not violate the U.S. prohibition on negotiating with terrorists, splitting hairs and contradicting one another in deliberations over whether Bergdahl was a “hostage” or a “prisoner of war.”◼ Did Obama Just Trade a Deserter for 5 Taliban Leaders to Distract from the Mass Mistreatment of Honorable Veterans? - Jim Treacher/Daily Caller
Obama clearly broke the law by releasing those prisoners from Gitmo without notifying Congress, but it’s easy to dismiss such pesky details by adding those two magic words: “Republicans say.”◼ Jonathan Turley: Let’s face it, this Bergdahl prisoner swap is illegal - HOTAIR
◼ Via RCP, you already know ◼ why it’s illegal but stay tuned anyway for two excellent points that have been overlooked. One: There’s no reason why the White House couldn’t have complied with the statute and notified Congress months or even years ago of its intent to do a deal for Bergdahl involving the Taliban Five if/when the opportunity ever presented itself. The reason they kept mum and did this on the sly, without notifying anyone first, isn’t because they had to “move quickly” or whatever, it’s because they knew that advance notice to Congress would give hawks on both sides of the aisle time to build political pressure against the swap. Obama wants to empty Gitmo and make nice with the Taliban before we abandon Afghanistan to its fate, and complying with the law was an impediment to that. So he broke it.
And, by the way, if you take the Taliban at their word, this little Hopenchange gambit to build goodwill as a preface to broader peace talks is doomed to fail.
DRUDGE:
Reintegration: Military hides Bergdahl from public view...
◼ FLASHBACK: 'Converted to Islam And Taught Captors Bomb Making Skills'... - Mail Online 8/22/10
◼ NYTIMES: Left note explaining desertion before going AWOL... - New York Times
Pentagon knew whereabouts but didn't risk rescue for 'deserter'...
Never Officially Listed as POW...
CHARGE: Soldiers died searching for him...
Former fed prosecutor: Release of Gitmo terrorists impeachable offense...
◼ PREZ: 'Absolutely' Possible They Will Return to Terror - Real Clear Politics
Freed Taliban leaders given hero's welcome...
◼ Toobin: Obama 'Clearly Broke Law' - Mediaite
FATHER: 'I am still working to free all Guantanamo prisoners'...
Anger explodes...
BOWE 'SHOULD FACE COURT-MARTIAL'
Sen. Harry Reid's antics are catching up with him
◼ Koch-Addled Democrats Slapped With Ethics Complaints
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) is obsessed with the Charles and David Koch, the libertarian philanthropy barons who are just trying to make a difference in the world. His obsession may have gotten him into trouble.
Reid, who has publicly attacked the Koch brothers hundreds of times on the Senate floor, is currently facing an ethics complaint from a pro-First Amendment group for “unlawfully and unethically targeting private citizens.”
In the complaint, Tea Party Patriots accuses Reid of misusing Senate resources “to engage in partisan campaign activity in violation of federal laws and Senate rules.”
“This is nothing more than a continuation of the thuggish intimidation campaign mounted by the Obama administration to target and silence people and organizations Democrats disagree with. It has to stop,” TPP co-founder Jenny Beth Martin said in a statement. “The Senate is obliged to investigate allegations of ethical misconduct and we trust the Senate Select Committee on Ethics will accept this obligation in an open and honest manner.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) is obsessed with the Charles and David Koch, the libertarian philanthropy barons who are just trying to make a difference in the world. His obsession may have gotten him into trouble.
Reid, who has publicly attacked the Koch brothers hundreds of times on the Senate floor, is currently facing an ethics complaint from a pro-First Amendment group for “unlawfully and unethically targeting private citizens.”
In the complaint, Tea Party Patriots accuses Reid of misusing Senate resources “to engage in partisan campaign activity in violation of federal laws and Senate rules.”
“This is nothing more than a continuation of the thuggish intimidation campaign mounted by the Obama administration to target and silence people and organizations Democrats disagree with. It has to stop,” TPP co-founder Jenny Beth Martin said in a statement. “The Senate is obliged to investigate allegations of ethical misconduct and we trust the Senate Select Committee on Ethics will accept this obligation in an open and honest manner.”
Wood to face Heath in state Assembly race
◼ The top two vote-getters in the race for State Assembly, District 2 will face off in the Nov. 4 general election and at press time on election night - Trinity Journal
Democrat Jim Wood, a family dentist and mayor of Healdsburg, was leading with 39.7 percent of votes counted and Republican candidate Matt Heath, a small business owner of Santa Rosa, was next with 33.4 percent.
Democrat Jim Wood, a family dentist and mayor of Healdsburg, was leading with 39.7 percent of votes counted and Republican candidate Matt Heath, a small business owner of Santa Rosa, was next with 33.4 percent.
Lawless
Jay Carney, 2013: No Decisions About Bergdahl-Detainee Deal 'Without Consulting With Congress' http://t.co/CIKSr29y7Q
— The Weekly Standard (@weeklystandard) June 2, 2014
Susan Rice Claims Bergdahl Served in the Military with ‘Honor and Distinction.’ Intel Community Disagrees. http://t.co/B6INTEkVnz #tcot
— PJ Media (@PJMedia_com) June 2, 2014
If we have been negotiating with the Taliban for several years over Bergdahl, why not give Congress notice? http://t.co/LdoPXfFZvz
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 2, 2014
Senator: U.S. is ‘less safe’ due to Obama release of top terrorists http://t.co/mfFznkbpHi
— Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) June 2, 2014
Fellow soldiers call Bowe Bergdahl a deserter, not a hero http://t.co/UBfQt3Sdsk via @cnn
— Red Alert Politics (@RedAlert) June 2, 2014
As part of its punishment, the shop must submit quarterly reports to the government documenting every customer denied business, for whatever reason.
◼ Bakery will no longer sell wedding cakes after adverse discrimination ruling - Washington Examiner
Wedding cakes are no longer on the menu at Lakewood, Colo.-based Masterpiece Cake Shop.
Owner Jack Phillips, will stop offering wedding cake services in the wake of a ruling that his shop must sell cakes for same-sex wedding ceremonies, despite his religious objections....
Phillips can appeal the commission's decision, but it seems likely his shop is out of the wedding cake business for good. As part of its punishment, the shop must submit quarterly reports to the government documenting every customer denied business, for whatever reason.
Wedding cakes are no longer on the menu at Lakewood, Colo.-based Masterpiece Cake Shop.
Owner Jack Phillips, will stop offering wedding cake services in the wake of a ruling that his shop must sell cakes for same-sex wedding ceremonies, despite his religious objections....
Phillips can appeal the commission's decision, but it seems likely his shop is out of the wedding cake business for good. As part of its punishment, the shop must submit quarterly reports to the government documenting every customer denied business, for whatever reason.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
RNC DEBATE COMMISSION: NO LEFTIE MODERATORS
◼ The Republican National Committee (RNC) has proposed major changes for the upcoming 2016 Presidential Primary Debates. The changes include reducing the number of debates and getting rid of the left-of-center moderators like George Stephanopoulos and Chris Matthews. - Breitbart
The proposal passed by a vote of 152-7 according to Republican Party of Texas (RPT) Chairman Steve Munisteri. In a newsletter sent out to Republican activists and delegates in the run-up to next week’s RPT state convention, which will be held in Fort Worth June 5-7, Munisteri reported that he and the two Texas Republican National Committee Members, Dr. Robin Armstrong and Toni Anne Dashiell, voted in support of the proposal.
“I did so,” Chairman Munisteri stated, “because I felt there were two major problems with debate process last cycle. The first problem I had was that there were too many debates which resulted in the airwaves being filled with our candidates blasting at each other on a regular basis.”
Munisteri said the 23 debates will be reduced to between eight and twelve. “I think is a reasonable number. It's large enough so that a grassroots candidate who performs well in debates has multiple opportunities to gain traction against well known and established candidates, yet it's a small enough number to be able to cut down on the over-saturation of negativity that occurred last cycle.”
Chairman Munisteri said the other problem was having left-of-center and, in particular, Democrat leaning moderators conducting the debates. “I personally don't believe George Stephanopoulos,” Munisteri explained, “is an appropriate questioner for Republican primary debates...
The proposal passed by a vote of 152-7 according to Republican Party of Texas (RPT) Chairman Steve Munisteri. In a newsletter sent out to Republican activists and delegates in the run-up to next week’s RPT state convention, which will be held in Fort Worth June 5-7, Munisteri reported that he and the two Texas Republican National Committee Members, Dr. Robin Armstrong and Toni Anne Dashiell, voted in support of the proposal.
“I did so,” Chairman Munisteri stated, “because I felt there were two major problems with debate process last cycle. The first problem I had was that there were too many debates which resulted in the airwaves being filled with our candidates blasting at each other on a regular basis.”
Munisteri said the 23 debates will be reduced to between eight and twelve. “I think is a reasonable number. It's large enough so that a grassroots candidate who performs well in debates has multiple opportunities to gain traction against well known and established candidates, yet it's a small enough number to be able to cut down on the over-saturation of negativity that occurred last cycle.”
Chairman Munisteri said the other problem was having left-of-center and, in particular, Democrat leaning moderators conducting the debates. “I personally don't believe George Stephanopoulos,” Munisteri explained, “is an appropriate questioner for Republican primary debates...
The President thinks his plan will “boost the economy by $43 billion to $74 billion” – he’s living in a fantasy world.
◼ Obama’s big EPA announcement tomorrow translates directly to higher electricity prices - Watts Up With That?
◼ Obama Said to Propose Deep Cuts to Power-Plant Emissions - Bloomberg
◼ Obama Said to Propose Deep Cuts to Power-Plant Emissions - Bloomberg
Bob Woodward Doesn’t Buy Hillary’s Benghazi Denial: ‘Serious, Unanswered Questions About This’
◼ While many assert that Clinton and the broader Obama administration were involved in a political cover-up of the attack’s details, the book declares that everything there is to know about Benghazi and the administration response has already been revealed, with Republicans merely playing politics by continuing to investigate. - Daily Caller
But the well-known scandal hound disagreed with that interpretation. “The issue is, is there new information out there?” Woodward explained. “And one of the questions I have — and I think there are serious, unanswered questions about this — did she keep a diary?”
“When I talked to President Obama, he confirmed that he keeps a diary,” he continued. “I asked for some of it for some of the work I was doing and he said, ‘No, it wouldn’t be relevant.’ But are there diaries?”
“Remember, go back to the 1980s and Iran-Contra,” Woodward noted. “Ronald Reagan kept a very detailed diary, and he finally turned it over.”
The veteran Post reporter also knocked Clinton and Obama’s continuing response to the Benghazi investigation, claiming it’s not all about partisan politics. “There are facts,” he asserted. “There is neutral inquiry. And there is a way to look at this and get that information and see if there is new information.”
◼ Trey Gowdy brings 'zeal for the truth' as head of House's Benghazi panel - Washington Examiner
Scientists Admit Polar Bear Numbers Were Made Up To ‘Satisfy Public Demand’
Arizona Ditches Common Core Testing Consortium
◼ Arizona was an early governing member of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, but Brewer’s office announced that effective June 8 the state would be disassociating itself. - Daily Caller
The decision to pull out does not affect Arizona’s current adherence to Common Core, whose implementation will continue as planned. In addition, the decision doesn’t necessarily mean Arizona will not ultimately use PARCC to supply its standardized test, as PARCC will be allowed to submit its tests for possible use.
The government’s statement says the state has no problems with PARCC, but rather must disassociate itself to avoid any conflict of interest as it evaluates different bids to provide standardized tests to more than 1 million Arizona students.
The decision to pull out does not affect Arizona’s current adherence to Common Core, whose implementation will continue as planned. In addition, the decision doesn’t necessarily mean Arizona will not ultimately use PARCC to supply its standardized test, as PARCC will be allowed to submit its tests for possible use.
The government’s statement says the state has no problems with PARCC, but rather must disassociate itself to avoid any conflict of interest as it evaluates different bids to provide standardized tests to more than 1 million Arizona students.
TERROR TRADE: Bergdah’s dad seems to have deleted a tweet in sympathy with the Taliban. So what’s the real story here?
◼ Taliban Releases Lone U.S. POW - AP via Daily Beast
◼ American Soldier Who Served With Freed POW Casts Doubt on Official Story; Fears Reprisal From Obama Administration - Soopermexican/IJ Review
Early Saturday it was announced by the administration that the only American prisoner of war in the Afghanistan was released in exchange for 5 Guantanamo Bay terrorists being set free to Qatar....◼ Freed American POW’s Father Deletes A Very Disturbing Tweet: Throws Prisoner Exchange in Question - Soopermexican/IJ Review
The circumstances of the capture of Bowe Bergdahl had been in question long before his release – supposedly he had wandered off and captured by the Taliban.
But a soldier on Twitter is claiming that the official story is untrue, and has posted his version of the events that led to Bowe’s capture as I originally posted on my blog.
Towards the end of his story, he says he fears reprisal from the Obama administration, and asks for legal help. It must be noted also that he has a avatar that bears a picture of Bowe with the word “traitor” posted over it.
◼ ‘How Many Other Prisoners Have Lasted 5 Years?’ Soldier Who Served With Bowe Bergdahl Concludes His Story and Allegations - Soopermexican
◼ Bergdahl release arrangement could threaten the safety of Americans, Republicans say - Washington Post
Amid jubilation Saturday over the release of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl from captivity by the Taliban, senior Republicans on Capitol Hill said they were troubled by the means by which it was accomplished, which was a deal to release five Afghan detainees from the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Top Republicans on the Senate and House armed services committees went so far as to accuse President Obama of having broken the law, which requires the administration to notify Congress before any transfers from Guantanamo are carried out.
“Trading five senior Taliban leaders from detention in Guantanamo Bay for Bergdahl’s release may have consequences for the rest of our forces and all Americans. Our terrorist adversaries now have a strong incentive to capture Americans. That incentive will put our forces in Afghanistan and around the world at even greater risk,” House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard P. McKeon (R-Calif.) and the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, James M. Inhofe (Okla.), said in a joint statement.
Lawmakers were not notified of the Guantanamo detainees’ transfer until after it occurred.
◼ Five of Most Dangerous Taliban Commanders in U.S. Custody Exchanged for American Captive - Thomas Joscelyn/Weekly Standard
◼ Terror suspects were labeled 'high risk' - Washington Times
All five terror suspects the Obama administration exchanged for the release of Sgt. Bowe Berghdahl on Saturday were deemed in a 2008 Pentagon dossier to be ‘high risk’ for launching attacks on American interests if released.◼ Who are they? - CNN
◼ Here are the Taliban Terrorists Obama Released to Free POW Bowe Bergdahl - Eli Lake/The Daily Beast
◼ Sets off debate - McClatchy
There were also questions about the wisdom _ and precedent _ of freeing five high-ranking Taliban, all of whom were on the Obama administrations list of detainees to be held indefinitely without charges, in exchange for one American service member.◼ Lawmakers Question Deal Behind Soldier's Release - SIOBHAN HUGHES and MICHAEL R CRITTENDEN/Wall St. Journal
“These particular individuals are hardened terrorists who have the blood of Americans and countless Afghans on their hands,” said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who himself was a POW in Vietnam. “I am eager to learn what precise steps are being taken to ensure that these vicious and violent Taliban extremists never return to the fight against the United States and our partners.”
And there were nagging questions about the circumstances of Bergdahl’s captivity. How Bergdahl came to leave his base in Afghanistan has never been clear, and some have suggested he should be treated as a deserter, not a captive.
◼ Taliban Statement Boasting ‘Victory’ Regarding Afghan War POW’s Release Raises Serious Questions - Independent Journal Review
Why and how was the CIA station chief in Kabul outed just a week prior to this big announcement? Was Bergdahl in fact a deserter, as some fellow soldiers have asserted? Hopefully, answers to these questions will be immediately forthcoming. What questions does this news raise in your mind?
◼ Why wasn't Congress notified before Gitmo exchange? - SOTU
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