Old Jarhead's Political SitRep for May 23, 2013

Old Jarhead's Political SitRep for May 23, 2013

Robert A. Hall

The Philosophy of the Old Jarhead Blog

www.tartanmarine.blogspot.com

The Old Jarhead SitRep is a blog of political news and conservative opinion, that has had over 900,000 page views since founded in 2008, is read in many counties (Iran? Indonesia? Russia? Go figure.) and was up to 37,000 page views a month recently. Plus I throw in some humor and human interest pieces that catch my attention for seasoning. I try to include foreign sources and info you won’t get in the MSM, but I often use links to pieces in the Washington Post, New York Times, Politico, Reuters and other liberal leaning sources. No one is required to read it, or any of the links. A majority of the pieces are sent to me by readers, for which I’m grateful, others come from newsfeeds I subscribe to. I get some from Twitter, but often don’t have time to look at my feeds there. I stop sending the link to people who become nasty or too angry. I used to forward political items, but was sending too many e-mails to my list, so a few years ago, I started collecting them on the blog to access in one place. I use maybe 50% of the conservative pieces sent me, probably less than 5% of the liberal opinion sent, usually to illustrate their views. Readers who don’t like that are welcome to start their own blogs. Blogs are free and so is speech in America right now, despite leftist efforts to outlaw “hate speech” they disagree with and Islamist efforts to outlaw criticism of Islam, while retaining the right to describe other religions in vile terms. I try to avoid items that will turn off thoughtful centrists and leftists or low-information independents, including “red meat” pieces with intemperate language or wild speculation, conspiracy theories with no supporting facts and silly distractions like the so-called “birther” issue (but I don’t always succeed). I predicted correctly four years ago the “birther” thing was going nowhere, was a huge waste of time and resources, and played into the hands of the left, much as the impeachment of Bill Clinton did in the 1990s. (I said so at the time.) I do sometimes include things I don’t agree with that I think readers might find of interest. Readers are requested to read all items critically and with skepticism—just like a newspaper! Readers who send formatted pieces (title, link, and a fair use excerpt of three sentences unless the piece is very short, than fewer) to tartanmarine(at)gmail.com have a higher chance of my using them than people who just send a link. I often include thoughtful comments from contributors. (Tell me if you want you full name used.) A piece without a link has a much lower chance of being used—it depends on how interesting it is and how much time I have right then to search for it. I understand if you don’t have the time to format or even to find a link—please understand my time is pretty limited too. There are no ads on my blog, no fees and I receive no income from it. When I retire, that might need to change, but for now, that’s how it is. I do promote my books, with the royalties going to charity. Thanks for reading and contributing. ~Bob.

Worth Reading: The White House Comm Plan. By Andy Weddington

http://acoloneloftruth.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-white-house-comm-plan.html

Excerpt: The analysis of what is going on and coming out of The White House is not complicated, at all. It's a simple 'Comm Plan' - communications plan - rendered in one simple slide (an impossible task if working for any outfit, especially DoD, inside the Washington, D.C. Beltway).

Worth Reading: The Fourth Scandal. By Greg Scandlen

http://healthblog.ncpa.org/the-fourth-scandal/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=HA#more-30421

Excerpt: While most of the media are fixated on Benghazi, the IRS abuses, and the DOJ’s interest in reporters’ phone calls, the biggest scandal of all may be Kathleen Sebelius’ shakedown of health care companies to pay for activities Congress has refused to fund. It is illegal for government officials to solicit money from companies they regulate, according to Sarah Kliff from The Washington Post. She writes – Federal regulations do not allow department officials to fundraise in their professional capacity.

Advice for Boys

I’m working on refocusing my book, Advice for my Granddaughter into a book entitled Advice from Boys. Here’s what a blog reader said about the effort: “Considering two-thirds of our nation's women will have had a child out of wedlock, giving helpful advise to boys as well as granddaughters is critical. We are a nation of overcrowded prisons with a workforce devoid, work ethic and the most basic self reliant skills. The generational loss of the "3 F's" has MUCH to do with it. Faith, Fathers and Family Regardless of our energy, environment or economic concerns (I can fix those)...all is lost if the three F's continue to degrade. As always, thanks for being a part of the solution Bob. You and the work you continue to do is appreciated. -Chris

The president, always the last to know. By Al Kamen

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-president-always-the-last-to-know/2013/05/21/2544bf3c-c221-11e2-914f-a7aba60512a7_story.html?wpisrc=nl_politics

Excerpt: “I first learned about it,” President Obama said of the IRS story on May 13, “from the same news reports that I think most people learned about this. I think it was on Friday.” That would be May 10. Which means, except for the acting deputy assistant gardener, he was maybe the last person in the White House to hear about it.

President Obama -- the CEO who knows nothing. By Wayne Allyn Root

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/05/21/president-obama-ceo-who-knows-nothing/?intcmp=obinsite#ixzz2U29F6mMt

Excerpt: Either he knew about the IRS scandal and he should be impeached…or he knew nothing about it, and he should resign for incompetence. Take your pick. The reason I believe he is lying is because I’ve never heard of a CEO who knows nothing going on under his own command. (Bush was, according to Democrats, solely responsible for FEMA at Katarina and the Fanny Mae housing melt down. Obama has noting to do with the IRS, DOJ or other agencies involved in scandals. ~Bob.)

Two Obamacare Mandates That Dramatically Expand The Internal Revenue Service's Power. By Avik Roy

http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/05/17/two-obamacare-mandates-that-dramatically-expand-the-internal-revenue-services-power/

Excerpt: Much of the talk in the news this week regards the appalling scandal involving IRS targeting of conservative non-profit groups. So it’s worth noting that Obamacare dramatically expands the authority and the scope of the Internal Revenue Service. Two provisions in particular will require thousands of new IRS agents, and billions in funding, to enforce: the law’s individual mandate, forcing most Americans to buy government-approved health insurance; and its employer mandate, forcing most employers to take money out of workers’ paychecks to purchase costly health insurance on their behalf. Here’s why these two provisions are so intrusive, and why the only solution to the problems they create is to repeal them.

Owner of SUV that hit and killed officer previously deported

http://www.kpho.com/story/22304615/owner

Excerpt: Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officials say the man who owns the SUV that struck and killed a Phoenix police officer is not in the country legally. Phoenix police arrested 24-year-old Jesus Cabrera Molina. He is the registered owner of a green Ford SUV that was tied to the scene where Officer Daryl Raetz was struck and killed early Sunday morning. (Just looking for a better life. His “path to citizenship” was over the body of a cop. ~Bob.)

The Resurrection of English Murder. By Barry Wood.
http://takimag.com/article/the_resurrection_of_english_murder_barry_wood/print#ixzz2TxSHvwue
Excerpt: Well, if he were alive today Orwell would look around him and conclude that whatever else you can say about modern Britain, the art of murder is in vigorous good health. And we have our diverse new immigrant population to thank for its modern-day flowering. Whether it’s the polonium poisoning of a Russian dissident, the honor killings of errant Muslim daughters, or the voodoo dismemberment of “possessed” African children at the urging of unhinged witch doctors, murder has never been so varied.

Bees, pesticides, more green lies. By James Delingpolehttp://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100217687/bees-pesticides-more-green-lies/
Excerpt: Have we been here before? You bet we have, from at least Silent Spring (1962) onwards. We've seen it involve everything from DDT to the snail darter, the spotted owl to the polar bear and fracking.

Not All Muslims still draw gov’t salary after killing 14 people at Ft. Hood
http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/21/not-all-muslims-still-draw-govt-salary-after-killing-14-people-at-ft-hood/#ixzz2TxbWTIu9

Excerpt: The Department of Defense confirms to NBC 5 Investigates that accused Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Hasan has now been paid more than $278,000 since the Nov. 5, 2009 shooting that left 13 dead 32 injured. The Army said under the Military Code of Justice, Hasan’s salary cannot be suspended unless he is proven guilty…. Meanwhile, more than three years later soldiers wounded in the mass shooting are fighting to receive the same pay and medical benefits given to those wounded in combat… The Army has not classified the wounds of the Ft. Hood victims as “combat related” and declines to label the shooting a “terrorist attack.”

IRS Official Lois Lerner to Take the Fifth

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/05/irs-official-lois-lerner-to-take-the-fifth/

Excerpt: Lois Lerner, the top IRS official who is at the center of the controversy for the targeting of tea party and other conservative groups, will refuse to answer questions at a congressional hearing Wednesday and invoke her Fifth Amendment rights, ABC News has learned….Congressional aides said today that they received a notice from Lerner’s lawyers that she would not answer their questions because it is now part of a criminal investigation. “She has not committed any crime or made any misrepresentation, but under the circumstances she has no choice but to take this course,” according to a letter that her lawyer, William Taylor, sent to Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the committee, which was first reported by the Los Angeles Times. (Being investigated by Holder’s DOI, himself in contempt of Congress and could care less? Right. Some consequences. Just provides more stonewalling opportunity. Should give her $42K (3-yr) bonuses back to the people and not be laterally promoted to Head ObamaCare vetting and then go on trial. Oh, but O is “outraged.” Right. That they got caught. –Barb)

Tweets

John Harwood: "Lerner taking 5th is worst hearing outcome for WH: hint of potential criminality to screw-ups IG didn't find partisan, much less criminal." Hugh Hewitt: "Lois Lerner taking 5th is a huge deal. She should be obliged to invoke it repeatedly on all relevant subjects, including her tenure at FEC."

White House Response To IRS Scandal Making The Situation Worse. By Howard Fineman , Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/20/white-house-irs-scandal_n_3308541.html

Excerpt: So far, voters don't seem to be abandoning President Barack Obama over controversies gripping the Beltway world. But White House aides are tempting fate with their reluctant, piecemeal and contradictory disclosures of what they knew and when they knew it, especially about a report on the Internal Revenue Service's 18-month effort to target tea party and other conservative groups for special scrutiny.

Report: U.S. Talks Peace, But Aids Incitement. NGO Monitor tells U.S. Congress that while leaders talk peace, American money is being used to fund hate.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/168170#.UZvgeqI3v0c

Excerpt: American leaders speak of the importance of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but American money is being used by terrorist groups that undermine the chance for peace, according to a report by NGO Monitor that was presented Monday to the United States Congress. The problem is with the funding dispersed by U.S.-funded NGOs, explained NGO Monitor head Professor Gerald Steinberg. He named USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) as two organizations funded by the U.S. government that in turn fund local Arabs groups, some of which work against the U.S. government’s stated goals. (So, the sequester didn’t stop this? ~Bob)

Dueling Headlines: ‘Michelle Obama advises grads to avoid celebrity worship’ edition

http://michellemalkin.com/2013/05/18/dueling-headlines-celebs/

The first of today’s Dueling Headlines comes to us by way of The Hill and is about the advice Michelle Obama gave to graduates at Bowie State University yesterday: “Michelle Obama criticizes the worship of celebrities, sports stars.” Dueling with that is this headline from the Daily Caller: “Amid scandals, White House announces star-studded concert in East Room.” (Having their chocolate cake and eating it, too. But you can’t have any. –Barb No, but you get to pay your fair share for it. ~Bob.)

Senate Committee Votes to Authorize Arms for Syrian Rebels

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324787004578497431182221210.html

Excerpt: A key Senate committee overwhelmingly approved legislation Tuesday that calls for the U.S. to provide small arms to moderate Syrian opposition groups fighting strongman Bashar al-Assad, underscoring growing sentiment among lawmakers for a change in the U.S. approach to the conflict. The 15-3 vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee showed broad support from both Democrats and Republicans for arming the rebels, though some lawmakers from each party voiced concern over the difficulty of ensuring the weapons aren't misused and won't slip into the hands of radical Islamists aligned with al Qaeda. (Sorry, dumb and dumber. –Barb. There are no good guys in Syria, no real “moderates.” They would all destroy America and kill you if they could. ~Bob.)

End U.S. support for Syrian rebels now

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/22/end-us-support-for-syrian-rebels-now/print/

Excerpt: America should end its intervention in Syria or shift its support to President Bashir Assad. Iraq-based al Qaeda militants now control the rebellion. A shadowy terrorist named Baghdadi has moved from Iraq to northern Syria to control al Qaeda's operations there. He is a grotesque savage, determined to compel acceptance of radical Islam through religious courts and executions.

White House, Treasury discussed how to handle disclosure of IRS story
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/301041-carney-white-house-irs-strategized-how-to-tell-public-about-story#ixzz2TyN5TM5R

Excerpt: The White House said Tuesday that senior officials took part in discussions over how the IRS would disclose its targeting of conservative groups, marking the latest shift in the White House’s official line on the matter. Press secretary Jay Carney told reporters that Mark Childress, deputy chief of staff, spoke twice with Treasury Department officials about the IRS’s public relations strategy. “This was just part of trying to find out when and under what circumstances this information would be released, made public and what those findings would be,” the press secretary said.

Unions break ranks on ObamaCare

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/300881-labor-unions-break-ranks-on-health-law#ixzz2TyOFFxFO

Excerpt: Labor unions are breaking with President Obama on ObamaCare. Months after the president’s reelection, a variety of unions are publicly balking at how the administration plans to implement the landmark law. They warn that unless there are changes, the results could be catastrophic. (A bit of Schadenfreude watching the people who helped create what the lead sponsor, Sen. Max Baucus called a “train wreck” trying to jumop from the train. ~Bob.)

Oklahoma Senators Jim Inhofe, Tom Coburn, Face Difficult Options On Disaster Relief

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/20/oklahoma-senators-disaster-relief_n_3309234.html?utm_hp_ref=email_share

Excerpt: Sens. Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn, both Republicans, are fiscal hawks who have repeatedly voted against funding disaster aid for other parts of the country. They also have opposed increased funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which administers federal disaster relief. (President Calvin Coolidge thought disaster relief should be up to the states. He vetoed relief for devastating floods in his native Vermont. Heartless? He reduced the size of the federal government and budget, reduced the national debt by a third, reduced unemployment sharply, and led the country to economic prosperity. Unfortunately, Hoover was a big spender, reversed his policies. ~Bob.)

DOJ seized phone records of numbers tied to Fox News lines, documents show
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/21/correspondents-association-concerned-government-too-aggressive-in-tracking/#ixzz2TzOT8bs0

Excerpt: Newly uncovered court documents show the Justice Department seized phone records associated with several Fox News lines as part of a leak investigation -- a revelation that comes as the White House Correspondents' Association spoke out against the administration's monitoring of reporters. Documents from October 2011 appear to show exchanges that match the specific locations of Fox News' White House, Pentagon, State Department and other operations.

Democratic senator apologizes for citing Okla. tornadoes in climate change speech
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/21/democratic-sen-whitehouse-apologizes-for-climate-republican/#ixzz2TzP5MGdH

Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse has apologized for remarks Monday in which he linked Oklahoma "cyclones" to climate change while berating Republicans for their stance on the issue -- around the time a massive tornado killed dozens in that state. … “Tragically and unbeknownst to the senator at the time, a series of tornadoes were hitting Oklahoma at the same moment he gave his remarks,” the spokesman said. (Apologize via a surrogate? Why doesn’t he go help clean up or serve soup? –Barb. Funny how “Global warming” is still to blame for everything from tornados to the IRS scandal, when we have the stories below. ~Bob

Forget global warming - it's Cycle 25 we need to worry about (and if NASA scientists are right the Thames will be freezing over again): Met Office releases new figures which show no warming in 15 years

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2093264/Forget-global-warming--Cycle-25-need-worry-NASA-scientists-right-Thames-freezing-again.html

(Warmist) Climate scientist Phil Jones: No global warming since 1995

http://wizbangblog.com/content/2010/02/14/climate-scientist-phil-jones-no-global-warming-since-1995.php

Kevin Trenberth struggles mightily to explain the lack of global warming

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/05/22/kevin-trenberth-struggles-mightily-to-explain-the-lack-of-global-warming/

Excerpt: Tom Nelson captures this delicious irony, apparently it isn’t a travesty any more, it’s the sun.

Westboro Baptist Church Member Blames Oklahoma Tornado On Jason Collins' Coming Out

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/21/westboro-oklahoma-tornado-_n_3312712.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Equally stupid. The WBC is loathsome. ~Bob. Excerpt: A prominent member of the Westboro Baptist Church is drawing a link between the Oklahoma tornado's devastation and a local team's support for openly gay NBA star Jason Collins.

Pentagon requests $450 million to maintain and upgrade Guantanamo Bay
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/21/pentagon-requests-450-million-to-upgrade-guantanamo-bay/?test=latestnews#ixzz2TzQ4bn9m

Excerpt: The Pentagon wants more than $450 million for maintaining and upgrading the Guantanamo  Bay prison that President Barack Obama wants to close. New details on the administration's budget request for next year and other expenses emerged on Tuesday. The cost of the facility that houses 166 prisoners indefinitely includes $200 million for military construction work that could stretch over a decade. The request also includes $40 million for a fiber optic cable and millions more for military commissions at the facility in Cuba. ($2,710,843.37349/prisoner. Don’t even have to play Lotto. ~Barb. Here's a place to save money. They only have to fly me down. I’ll bring my own M1 and ammo. End of problem. ~Bob.)

Obama decries oppression of Christians in Egypt -- no, wait...

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2013/05/obama-decries-oppression-of-christians-in-egypt----no-wait-1.html

Excerpt: Actually, he sent teargas to the Muslim Brotherhood oppressors of Christians. 

Iraq: Sunni jihadis bomb Shi'ite mosques, murdering nine

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2013/05/iraq-sunni-jihadis-bomb-shiite-mosques-murdering-nine.html

Excerpt: No one particularly cares about the bloody ideology that incites all this murder. To investigate that would lead to uncomfortable questions about the texts and teachings of Islam. Better to focus on the latest "Islamophobia" report instead.

Note also that there will be no international outcry over the "desecration" of these mosques. That is because the bombers were Muslims; that kind of moral opprobrium is reserved solely for the kuffar.

Christian student killed by firing of Muslims in native village of Shahbaz Bhatti

http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=4319

Didn’t get the memo. ~Bob. Excerpt: A Christian village named Khushpur in sub-district Samundari of Faisalabad district came under attack of Muslims on May 19, 2013, killing one Christian student of 10th Grade and injuring many Christian by firing.

Somali Journalist: PC-Media makes Sweden "more dangerous than Mogadishu"

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2013/05/somali-journalist-pc-media-makes-sweden-more-dangerous-than-mogadishu.html

Amina Tyler, Tunisia’s ‘topless jihad’ activist, caught and under arrest

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/05/21/Amina-Tyler-Tunisia-s-topless-jihad-activist-under-arrest.html

Brave girl. Will Obama go to her aid? ~Bob. Excerpt: After months of reportedly going into hiding, the outspoken Tunisian feminist who sparked a trend of “topless jihad” has been found and arrested by Tunisian authorities earlier this week and may be charged for conducting “provocative acts.” Amina Tyler, 19, was found in the midst of police scuffles with hardline Salafist group Ansar al-Shariah in the central Tunisian city of Kairouan on Sunday.

More Christians Killed in Northern Nigeria Last Year Than in the Rest of the World Combined

http://www.aina.org/news/20130520121457.htm

Excerpt: I asked, "What good is this right in principle when in practice there is a societal actor, namely the Boko Haram, which strikes fear with bomb blasting of churches during worship services?" I called for an end to impunity because the predictable and certain result of impunity is more violence. I explained what it means within U.S. law that the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a U.S. government funded agency, had just submitted its recommendation that Nigeria receive US Department of State designation as a "country of particular concern" under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act which would trigger a menu of remedies for engagement. (No one cares about this. Tell us more about "Islamophobia." –Robert Spencer. www.JihadWatch.org.)

A Gender-Neutral Army. By Daniel Greenfield 

http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/a-gender-neutral-army/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=b501de7d8b-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-b501de7d8b-156414477

Excerpt: Taxes are opportunities. Spending is stimulus. Amnesty is reform. The left is as good at language as it is bad at governing. It can’t change reality, but it excels at changing the description of reality. Common sense is the enemy of the left and the left defeats common sense by corrupting language so that nothing makes sense and common sense can never come into play. (You should be proud to give your child’s life so liberals can feel PC. After all, someone has to die and their kids won’t serve. ~Bob.)

Socialist Chicago Teachers Parade Their Indoctrinated Students. By Michael Volpe 

http://frontpagemag.com/2013/volpe/socialist-chicago-teachers-parade-their-indoctrinated-students/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=b501de7d8b-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-b501de7d8b-156414477

Excerpt: A grade schooler took the stage and addressed a crowd of more than one thousand Chicago teachers, local politicians, and an assortment of communist, socialists, and other radicals protesting the upcoming closure of more than 50 Chicago schools. The child, a student at one of the schools scheduled to be closed, blasted Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in a speech that lasted several minutes and largely parroted the positions held by the Chicago Teachers Union. (It has come to this. The Democrats who run the cities will break the unions, or the unions will break the cities, making them all Detroit. ~Bob.)

Gangs of ‘Youths’ Overrun Stockholm. By Bruce Bawer 

http://frontpagemag.com/2013/bruce-bawer/gangs-of-youths-overrun-stockholm/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=b501de7d8b-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-b501de7d8b-156414477

Excerpt: The story begins on May 14, when Stockholm police were forced to shoot a man who was wielding a machete at them. He died. The cops were immediately accused of police brutality. A “community group” called Megafonen urged locals to demonstrate “for social justice and against police violence.” Last Sunday evening, apparently acting upon this suggestion, Husby erupted in the kind of wide-scale “youth” violence that has plagued suburbs in France and elsewhere for years. A school, a garage, and almost 100 cars were set on fire. And a gang attacked a cop. (“Youths” is Euro-speak for un-assimilated young Muslim thugs. ~Bob.)

Sweden stunned by third night of rioting

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/22/18416696-sweden-stunned-by-third-night-of-rioting?lite

Excerpt: A police station in the Jakobsberg area in the northwest of the city was attacked, two schools were damaged and an arts and crafts center was set ablaze, despite a call for calm from Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. It was the third night of unrest, mainly in suburbs where many immigrants live.

The Pentagon's Bad Math on Sexual Assault. By Lindsay L. Rodman

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323582904578484941173658754.html

Excerpt: The 2012 estimate was also significantly higher than the last estimate, causing some to proclaim a growing "epidemic" of sexual assault in the military. The truth is that the 26,000 figure is such bad math—derived from an unscientific sample set and extrapolated military-wide—that no conclusions can be drawn from it. … It is disheartening to me, as a female officer in the Marine Corps and a judge advocate devoted to the professional practice of law in the military, to see Defense Department leaders and members of Congress deal with this emotionally charged issue without the benefit of solid, verifiable data.

Letter from, blog reader to senator on Sexual Assaults in the Military

Sen. Hagan: As junior Senator for North Carolina, the voters expect that you are able to stay informed about a wide variety of issues. We expect you to set priorities and advocate for your constituents on the basis of those priorities. While the issue of sexual assault in the military needs to be confronted, it is also no surprise that these things occur. I am not convinced that this is a bigger problem than it is in the private sector. More to the point, why am I hearing from you now about this issue, since this is the first such communication I have received from your office? Could it be that you want to distract from larger issues that you have NOT confronted: Fast and Furious. “Green” crony capitalism (Solyndra). Benghazi IRS abuses Trampling on the First Amendment – AP and Fox secret subpoenas Trampling on the Second Amendment (your vote for so-called expanded background checks) Horrendous record in Afghanistan. Abortion on demand- see Kermit Gosnell for referrals. Supporting Muslim extremist takeovers in Algeria, Libya, Egypt, and now Syria. These events are having the effect of persecuting women, Christians, and children. These are all constituencies that the Democrat Party give lip service to daily. All of these issues are part of policy positions your party has been advancing for decades. I am not even speaking about the cover-up attempts, but the actual events and their root causes in policy. Until you show some courage in confronting the real issues that a Senator should be concerned about, you can expect to be a one-term wonder. Best regards, Steve Arnett

DOJ Targeted Conservative Fox News Staffers

http://politicaloutcast.com/2013/05/doj-targeted-conservative-fox-news-staffers/#ixzz2U2HsOeSb

Excerpt: First the IRS targeted conservatives and then the EPA is accused of doing the same thing. Now we learn that the Department of Justice (under AG Eric Holder should be named the Department of Injustice) not only went after the phone records of AP reporters, but they have also targeted three members of Fox News and did so without their knowledge.

FBI ID'S Benghazi Suspects – But No Arrests Yet By Kimberly Dozier

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/fbi-ids-benghazi-suspects-no-arrests-yet

Excerpt: The U.S. has identified five men who might be responsible for the attack on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, last year, and has enough evidence to justify seizing them by military force as suspected terrorists, officials say. But there isn't enough proof to try them in a U.S. civilian court as the Obama administration prefers. (Sorry, families of Benghazi victims. We know who killed your loved ones, but we just don't have enough to prosecute yet: -- Jim Geraghty, Morning Jolt. Can we just kill them? ~Bob.)

Tweet from Ari ShapiroVerified account‏@arishapiro

Spotted: @joshtpm @CapehartJ @ezraklein & other lefty columnists headed into the West Wing as a group. POTUS coffee? Carney meeting? Anyone? (Just getting their talking points on the scandals. ~Bob.)

Oversight from Washington, All Along: IRS specialists in Washington were closely involved in the Cincinnati office’s scandalous behavior. By Eliana Johnson

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/348983/oversight-washington-all-along-eliana-johnson

So much for the “low level rogue employees” excuse. ~Bob. Excerpt: From the outset, Internal Revenue Service lawyers based in Washington, D.C., provided important guidance on the handling of tea-party groups’ applications for tax-exempt status, according to both IRS sources and the inspector general’s report released in mid May.

The EPA’s Conservative Problem. Surprise: The EPA, too, treats conservatives unfairly. By Jillian Kay Melchior

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/349009/epa%E2%80%99s-conservative-problem-jillian-kay-melchior

No surprise. It’s The Chicago way. ~Bob. Excerpt: The EPA has an IRS problem. The agency has rubber-stamped fee-waiver requests from environmentalist groups seeking information, but it denied similar requests from conservative groups, an extensive examination of EPA correspondence suggests. It’s the latest instance in which federal agencies have used their executive authority against perceived political opponents.

Quotes from The Patriot Post

www.patriotpost.us/subscribe/ 

"Mr. Obama didn't need to pick up the phone. All he needed to do was exactly what he did do, in full view, for three years: Publicly suggest that conservative political groups were engaged in nefarious deeds; publicly call out by name political opponents whom he'd like to see harassed; and publicly have his party pressure the IRS to take action." --columnist Kim Strassel

"The White House issued new embassy personnel guidelines. They guarantee rescue. From now on, every U.S. embassy must include a gay basketball player, an illegal alien and a woman in need of free contraception, and the Marines will be there in minutes." --comedian Argus Hamilton

"You know, if Republicans really want to do away with ObamaCare, they should endorse it as a conservative non-profit -- let the IRS take it down. ... President Obama announced the appointment of a man named Daniel Werfel as the new acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue. The other guy was fired. See, they're called 'acting' commissioner because he has to act like the scandal doesn't involve the White House." --comedian Jay Leno

"The business of the journalists is to destroy the truth; to lie outright; to pervert; to vilify; to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread." --former head of the New York Times' editorial staff, John Swinton (1829-1901)

"Some people regard private enterprise as a predatory tiger to be shot. Others look on it as a cow they can milk. Not enough people see it as a healthy horse, pulling a sturdy wagon." --British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

For Parents: Undoing the Brainwashing. By Thomas Sowell
http://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2013/05/22/undoing-the-brainwashing-n1601499?utm_source=thdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl

Excerpt: This time of year, as college students return home for the summer, many parents may notice how many politically correct ideas they have acquired on campus. Some of those parents may wonder how they can undo some of the brainwashing that has become so common in what are supposed to be institutions of higher learning.

We Are the Idiots. By Walter E. Williams

http://townhall.com/columnists/walterewilliams/2013/05/22/we-are-the-idiots-n1601340?utm_source=thdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl

Excerpt: The DDT ban was responsible for the loss of "tens of millions of human lives -- mostly children in poor, tropical countries -- have been traded for the possibility of slightly improved fertility in raptors (birds). This remains one of the monumental human tragedies of the last century." DDT presents no harm to humans and, when used properly, poses no environmental threat. (Liberals don’t care about millions of dead third world kids as long as they can feel good about saving birds. Though saving birds is now old hat. Liberals now support eagle-chopper wind farms so they can feel good about being for green energy. ~Bob.)

They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman. By John Thorne

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0513/tunisia_rethinking.php3#.UZzsnaK-o0E

Excerpt: Unemployment is up, investment is down, and fear of violence by Islamic extremists is growing. Many Tunisians say surer hands are needed at the tiller. They are delighted to be rid of Bourguiba's successor, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was toppled in 2011. But according to a February poll by the International Republican Institute, only 52 percent prefer a democracy, even if unstable, while 42 percent want a stable dictatorship. (My old Marine CO told me, “Mesopotamia has been ruled by despots for thousands of years. Trying to establish Democracy there is Mission Impossible. ~Bob.)

House passes bill on lying about military medals

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2013/05/20/house-passes-bill-ly...

Excerpt: People who falsely claim they have received a military medal in order to obtain money or government benefits could face up to a year in jail under legislation that easily passed the House Monday. (Where hopefully they will be assigned an experienced lifer named Bubba as a cell mate to “show them the ropes.” ~Bob.)

Important: WH Scapegoats Counsel Ruemmler for Benghazi, IRS

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/05/22/Obama-WH-Counsel-Ruemmler

Excerpt: On Wednesday, the White House’s favorite media outlet, BuzzFeed, reported from anonymous White House sources that the administration counsel, Kathryn Ruemmler, was largely responsible for both the IRS and Benghazi scandals. (But then, there’s this: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2013/01/15/dont-forget-the-women-already-in-obamas-binder/ Excerpt: Folks seem to have forgotten that when White House Counsel Bob Bauer left the administration in 2011, Obama elevated Kathryn Ruemmler to the job as the president’s chief lawyer. You name the thorny legal issue (read: every issue) facing the White House and Ruemmler is in the middle of it providing counsel to the president and his administration.)

Tweet from Greg M ‏@Pqlyur13h

Journalism is now treated as criminal activity if you are "uncooperative" with this administration. Think about that.

V.A. Warns Aging Veterans Against ‘Pension Poachers’

http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/v-a-warns-aging-veterans-against-pension-poachers/?smid=tw-nytimeshealth&seid=auto

Excerpt: “The system is being clogged by pension poachers who are preying on veterans, who are submitting thousands of applications for people for whom this benefit was not intended,” Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, said in an e-mail. 

Is Obamacare’s Fatal Flaw Taking Effect? The healthy must subsidize the sick, and the healthy are opting out. By Paul Hsieh

http://pjmedia.com/blog/is-obamacares-fatal-flaw-taking-effect/

Excerpt: So why the big push to get patients signed up for Obamacare?

One clue comes from this recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel (former White House health policy advisor and brother to former Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel). He stated that Obamacare wouldn’t work unless enough young healthy people signed up. In effect, the young people who incur relatively fewer medical expenses must pay enough in premiums into the system to subsidize the expenses of older, sicker patients. (Gee, who could have predicted this? Okay, other than anyone who ever took a course or read a book on basic economics. ~Bob.)

Tweet from DepressiveBlogger69 ‏@AceofSpadesHQ19s

Scandal Math: How many people does Obama have to pretend-fire until the media is willing to pretend that we've gotten to the bottom it all?

More Workplace Violence: 'Soldier beheaded' in Woolwich machete attack: latest

Follow live coverage as police deal with what is believed to be two shootings and a machete attack in Woolwich, south east London.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10074029/Shootings-and-machete-attack-in-south-east-London-live.html

Nothing to do with Islam, of course. Good thing the UK has gun control. If they had concealed carry, this might have gotten ugly. ~Bob. Excerpt: “Two men, who we believe from early reports to have been carrying weapons, were shot by police. They were taken to separate London hospitals. They are receiving treatment for their injuries.” … The attackers shouted "Allahu Akbar" (the Arabic expression meaning "God is Great"), according to Whitehall sources - BBC News. (The tragedy is the surviving soldiers might become Islamophobic, which ranks with Global Warming as a threat. ~Bob.)

Tweet from David Burge ‏@iowahawkblog2h

Apparently the UK needs commonsense machete control.

Pedophile Rapist Forces Victim To Get Abortion At Planned Parenthood To Hide Crime

http://zionica.com/2013/05/22/pedophile-rapist-forces-victim-to-get-abortion-at-planned-parenthood-to-hide-crime/

Excerpt: Abortion proponents should be lauding the advice a 31-year-old rapist gave his 12-year-old victim. He took her to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Washington state and told her to get an abortion and to lie to the doctors by telling them that it was her 14-year-old boyfriend who impregnated her.

Chart: Syria—what are the options?

http://www.el-baghdadi.com/images/stories/syria%20crisis%20infographic%20-%20hi%20res.jpg

MSNBC Host: If GOP So Concerned About IRS Scandal, Why Didn’t Mitt Romney Bring It Up In 2012?

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/msnbc-host-if-gop-so-concerned-about-irs-scandal-why-didnt-mitt-romney-bring-it-up-in-2012/

Excerpt: She asked, if the GOP was genuinely concerned about the Obama administration’s scandals including the IRS’s targeting of right-leaning groups, why did Mitt Romney not bring the issue up during the campaign. (Maybe because the cover up held until now? ~Bob.)

Newly Released E-Mails Suggest Report On IRS Misdeeds Was Repeatedly Delayed

http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/newly-released-e-mails-suggest-report-on-irs-misdeeds-was-re

Excerpt: E-mails released Wednesday by the House of Representatives Oversight Committee suggest the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) did not provide the committee with promised interim reports and status updates.

Tweet from Prudence Paine ‏@PruPaine1h

How powerful are govt unions? Obama can drone-kill citizens w/out charges or trial but may not be able to fire Lois Lerner

Agency created to protect against terror attacks now policing free speech. By Paul Joseph Watson

http://www.infowars.com/armed-dhs-guards-protect-irs-from-tea-party-protesters/

Excerpt: The DHS appears to have finally found a use for all those bullets it’s been buying. At a Tea Party protest outside an IRS building in St. Louis yesterday there were no regular police – only armed Homeland Security guards.

Fighting 'The Narrative': The jihadist fable claims 13 lives at Fort Hood. By Thomas L. Friedman

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/perspectives/thomas-l-friedman-fighting-the-narrative-369321/#ixzz2U39GPcVo

Excerpt: Here's my take: Mr. Hasan may have been mentally unbalanced -- I assume anyone who shoots up innocent people is. But the more you read about his support for Muslim suicide bombers, about how he showed up at a public-health seminar with a PowerPoint presentation titled "Why the War on Terror Is a War on Islam," and about his contacts with Anwar al-Awlaki, a Yemeni cleric famous for using the Web to support jihadist violence against America -- the more it seems that Mr. Hasan was just another angry jihadist spurred to action by "The Narrative."

IRS Protest St. Louis County May 21, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DrcZs-ABN-c#!

Tweet from John Nolte ‏@NolteNC54m

Media Monday: Obama's approval ratings show scandals not hurting!! Media today: Silent about FOUR new polls showing O under 50.

Despite Visiting White House 118 Times, Former IRS Commissioner Claims He Never Mentioned IRS Scandal…

http://weaselzippers.us/2013/05/22/despite-visiting-white-house-118-visits-former-irs-commissioner-claims-he-never-mentioned-irs-scandal/

Tweet from (Black Tweeter) Pam Besteder ‏@pambesteder1h

Friend, you are a SPECIAL kind of stupid if you think Obama + his admin. will EVER be honest & forthcoming about IRS+AP+Benghazi

Joe Machin Owned by Marine at Town Hall; “I am fed up with all of you….”

http://newsninja2012.com/joe-machin-owned-by-marine-at-town-hall-i-am-fed-up-with-all-of-you-2013-05-06/#axzz2SSQKHyRS

Excerpt: Marine Veteran Shaun Adkins had some tough questions for West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) regarding the future of the country. Adkins expressed his concern with outrageous spending in Washington, the Obama administration’s policy on coal, unsecured borders and the climate change “hoax” in the four minute video posted to YouTube.

Retailers Tracking Your Every Move

http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/willis-report/blog/2013/05/22/retailers-tracking-your-every-move

But do they share with the IRS and DOJ? ~Bob