Old Jarhead's Political SitRep for March 6, 2013
Robert A. Hall
March 5th was Crispus Attucks Day
Reminder: Obama on Sequestration
Excerpt: During the summer 2011 debt ceiling battle, President Obama's White House came up with the idea of sequestration. It is a mechanism designed to trigger automatic spending cuts in the event that a congressional "super committee" couldn't agree to at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction. Congress passed the White House proposal, and Obama signed it into law. And in November 2011, Obama vowed, "I will veto any effort to get rid of those automatic spending cuts to domestic and defense spending. There will be no easy off-ramps on this one."
The Obama Sequester: He Was For It, Before He Was Against It
Morning Bell
All allowed by those House republicans. You know—the guys who refuse to compromise with Obama! ~Bob.
Worth Reading
Excerpt: The ceremony was tradition - the 1st Marine Division Band; the MEF headquarters; the Division; the Wing; the Logistics Group - the major subordinate commands of the MEF - and their respective colors with battle streamers complementing our Stars & Stripes were on parade. It's something to behold!
Worth Reading
Excerpt: Imagine a government agency with only two tasks: (1) building statues of Benedict Arnold and (2) providing life-saving medications to children. If this agency's budget were cut, what would it do? The answer, of course, is that it would cut back on the medications for children. Why? Because that would be what was most likely to get the budget cuts restored. … President Obama has said that he would veto legislation to let him choose what to cut. That should tell us everything we need to know about the utter cynicism of this glib man.
Is Celibacy a Sin? The New York Times has a View. Walter Russell Mead
Excerpt: Caesar Augustus passed laws to penalize bachelors, and while Rome
Surreal: Get A Closer Look At China ’s ‘Largest Ghost City
Excerpt: Some analysts say they’ll soon be “thriving metropolises,” while others say these experiments in central planning will lead to a massive housing crash. But most everyone agrees on one thing: China
Politicians and Prostitutes
Excerpt: “Politicians, ugly buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough.” -- (Noah Cross, in the movie 'Chinatown .') Prostitution wasn’t always illegal in this country, although it was hardly acceptable behavior for those in U.S. America ’s entry into World War I, a wave of reform that prefigured Prohibition had succeeded in closing the infamous “red light” districts of America
Excerpt: Jay, re last week’s Canadian Supreme Court decision, there’s no doubt (after some partial victories by us northern free-speechers in recent years) that it’s a serious setback for freedom of expression. The defendant, Bill Whatcott, is not partial to those of a homosexual bent. If one feels otherwise on these matters, it’s reasonable to be offended by his observations. But it’s entirely unreasonable to criminalize them.
The Greatest Threat to Peace: Burning carbon is good for America
Excerpt: Well, since the PSA letter’s distinguished signatories are not exactly what one might call original thinkers, it is of some interest to track down where the inspiration (i.e., funding) for this bunk is coming from. According to PSA’s website, its climate-change campaign is funded by a group called the Energy Foundation, which, according to its own website, is a joint project of a gaggle of environmentalist groups.
Climate Change Runs Up Against 'Green Fatigue': We ARE back at early-1990s emissions NOW. Hank Campbell
Excerpt: When activists said America America
New Poll: Nation on Wrong Track … So Which Party Gets the Blame? By Bernard Goldberg
Excerpt: I read an interesting letter in the Wall Street Journal the other day. It came from George in Seattle
Apologetics, Politics, and our Moral Imagination. Peter Wehner
Excerpt: The greatest political figures of the 19th and 20th centuries, Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill, understood something about this reality. They possessed remarkably impressive analytical minds–but they understood, too, the role of imagination in politics; that great statesmen have the capacity to present a compelling vision of a better world and can place a particular moment in time in the arc of a larger story. (Both Lincoln and Churchill were powerfully shaped by the King James Bible and Shakespeare.)
College: Where free speech goes to die. By Bruce Thornton
Excerpt: The value of the university once lay in its providing a nurturing space for what English poet and essayist Matthew Arnold called “the free play of the mind upon all subjects,” which would foster the “instinct prompting [the mind] to try to know the best that is known and thought in the world, irrespective of practice, politics, and everything of the kind.” Critical to these enterprises is the notion of academic freedom––the ability to study, teach, and talk about subjects, no matter how controversial, without fear of retribution or censorship. For only by discussing openly a wide range of subjects can the liberally educated mind “make the best prevail,” as Arnold
Worth Reading
http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/03/barack_obama_the_man_behind_the_mask.html#ixzz2MfuIM0BY
Excerpt: Sixty-three months ago Barack Obama officially declared his candidacy for President. Only now are some among the so-called media and ruling elites inAmerica
http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/03/barack_obama_the_man_behind_the_mask.html#ixzz2MfuIM0BY
Excerpt: Sixty-three months ago Barack Obama officially declared his candidacy for President. Only now are some among the so-called media and ruling elites in
May need to scroll down. ~Bob. Excerpt: Vice President Joe Biden must be pretty upset with Colorado Colorado ’s most popular shotguns will fall under the umbrella of the ban, leaving many wondering what is Colorado Colorado Colorado
Excerpt: Jewish residents of Rio de Janeiro , one of the main centers of celebration in Brazil
‘Red coat girl’ from ‘Schindler’s List’: I was ‘horrified’
Excerpt: In 1993 she was just 3 years old. That's when Oliwia Dabrowska portrayed Red Genia in Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winning "Schindler's List." Fast-forward 20 years later, and now Dabrowska has revealed she was quite distressed the first time she saw her historic role in the Holocaust drama -- one in which she is depicted as having died at the hands of Nazis. (The Jewish war cry is, “Never again!” But European progressives—and many in the US —look at Israel
Interesting Books—I have not read, just saw them. ~Bob
The Financial Crisis and the Free Market Cure: Why Pure Capitalism is the World Economy’s Only Hope. By John A. Allison
Obama's Four Horsemen: The Disasters Unleashed by Obama's Reelection. By David Harsanyi
Escort says Menendez prostitution claims were made up
Excerpt: The woman said a local lawyer had approached her and a fellow escort and asked them to help frame Menendez and a top donor, Salomon Melgen, according to affidavits obtained by The Washington Post.
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/05/wapo-report-confuses-one-prostitute-for-another-in-bid-to-debunk-menendez-allegations/#ixzz2MgMHRgUo
Excerpt: While the Post said it had an affidavit from a woman in the Dominican Republic
Anger at £15m bill to take care of migrants
Excerpt: ROMANIAN and Bulgarian migrants are costing a local authority in Germany
Low Wind Power Output 2010
Excerpt: In today’s Times (02.02.11) it is reported that Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has published data confirming that its wind turbine fleet has reported a 20% reduction in energy generation in the last year. SSE is said to have released this data in response to requests from concerned shareholders.1 This is consistent with data examined by Renewable Energy Foundation at the request of the Sunday Telegraph, which resulted in a report by Andrew Gilligan to the effect that the UK wind fleet load factor in the year October 2009 to September 2010 was very low in comparison to previous years.2
Solar Subsidy Sinkhole: Re-Evaluating Germany
Excerpt: The costs of subsidizing solar electricity have exceeded the 100-billion-euro mark in Germany
Excerpt: Oakland
Excerpt: When someone says “minimum wage,” what comes to mind? Do you think of teenagers flipping burgers? Or a single parent trying to feed several kids? While President Obama and other proponents of a higher minimum wage want you to visualize that single parent, the truth is that a burger-flipping teenager or college student with a part-time job paints a much more accurate picture of the minimum wage in America
Worth Reading : Ten years on, the case for invading Iraq
Excerpt: It's 10 years since the overthrow of Saddam and 25 since he ordered the Kurdish genocide. I can guarantee that you will not hear much about Saddam's atrocities in the coming weeks. As Bayan Rahman, the Kurdish ambassador to London, said to me: "Everyone wants to remember Fallujah and no one wants to remember Halabja." Nor, I think, will you hear about the least explored legacy of the war, which continues to exert a malign influence on "liberal" foreign policy.
Excerpt: In fact, what Manning perpetrated was the purposeful, premeditated and arguably treasonous publication of stolen national-security secrets. This was not a leak or a spill. It pays to recall that this poster-child hero of the anti-war left gave U.S. military and diplomatic secrets to an anarchist group. (I would willing serve on a firing squad to shoot him. ~Bob.)
Excerpt: Now as near as I can tell, here's how a Continuing Resolution works in Washington. (And please allow me to put this as simply as possible). Imagine you're sitting at the kitchen table with all your monthly bills stacked in front of you. You take out the family checkbook and you begin writing checks to cover all of your expenses. However, there are two caveats; 1) you are never allowed to see the total of your expenses and 2) you are never allowed to see your checking account balance. Eventually, your bank is going to come calling and let you know you've dug yourself a huge fiscal hole and they'll no longer honor those "rubber checks".
A quick bit of enjoyable schadenfreude. ~Bob
Beijing ramps up propaganda war to bolster Diaoyus claim
This will get interesting. ~Bob. Excerpt: In remarks that are likely to heighten tensions, Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said on Thursday that Japan had the right to develop the ability to make a pre-emptive strike ahead of an imminent attack given a changing security environment - although it had no plan to do so now. … "When an intention to attack Japan is evident, the threat is imminent, and there are no other options, Japan is allowed under the law to carry out strikes against enemy targets," Onodera told Reuters in an interview, adding that Japan still observed peace-oriented diplomacy.
Obama job approval tumbles
Excerpt: President Obama's job approval rating took a hit over the weekend, falling to its lowest level in the Gallup three-day average since his reelection. His approval rating was 46 percent between Feb 29 and March 2, down from 53 percent a week earlier. (I’m always amazed that there are apparently folks who shift on this with the latest winds, rather than looking at the four-year results. ~Bob.)
Breaking: Dept of Homeland Security customizes drone fleet to include domestic surveillance capabilities.
Excerpt: Now this…DHS has customized its drone fleet to include domestic surveillance capabilities that would help government identify civilians carrying guns and track their cell phones.
Who at Harvard ISN'T Marxist?: We have Ted Cruz's List: Harvard Law really IS littered with communists. By Matthew Vadum
Excerpt: It turns out Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was correct when he claimed Harvard Law School had significant numbers of what might reasonably called "communists." Anyone who knows the Ivy League knows the question shouldn't be, Who at Harvard is Marxist? but Who at Harvard isn't Marxist?
The Closing of the Liberal Mind. By Daniel Greenfield
Excerpt: You mock [Bob Woodward] because he has become an obstacle in the forward march of progress and in the post-journalistic era, snark is the easiest and cheapest weapon in your social arsenal. The one that denotes superiority through contempt, rather than truth. Woodward might say that the facts matter, but that's old-school journalism thinking.
Worth Reading: Frédéric Bastiat’s classic essay, "The Law"
Excerpt: The law perverted! And the police powers of the state perverted along with it! The law, I say, not only turned from its proper purpose but made to follow an entirely contrary purpose! The law becomes the weapon of every kind of greed! Instead of checking crime, the law itself guilty of the evils it is supposed to punish!
How the Democrats Destroyed Detroit
Excerpt: Last Friday, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, announced that the state will proceed with a takeover of Detroit’s Democratic city government. (OK, the city has been a disaster of legendary proportions for many years now, and finally the state is going to move in to really take over and make the many tremendous changes that are called for to at least stop the digging of the deep hole they're in now. And maybe begin to do some good for the future of the city. But of course all the people who are in power there will resist this in any way they can, and make up every possible attack on the takeover- it'll be discriminatory, it'll be racist, it'll be the end of democracy, etc. All of which are almost funny if you just look at the history of the city and the terrible situation it's in and the lack of any sign of a reversal of the mess. It's kind of like the family of the dying man who have been dosing him with home remedies while he got sicker daily, now objecting to a surgeon taking over who can go in to cut out the cancer. This will be interesting, for sure. The challenge for the emergency manager is enormous, and he/she will not be getting much in the way of cooperation. Maybe it will be possible to force a whole slate of radical measures that will stop the economic hemorrhage, but it'll take a year or two to really see how well it's working. For the sake of the people, and the state, I hope it will in fact work out for the better. --Del)
Cardinal impostor caught sneaking into Vatican conclave
Excerpt: A bogus bishop nearly sneaked into the closed-door Vatican meeting of the world’s cardinals yesterday as they prepared to choose the next pope. “Bishop Ralph Napierski” got past a checkpoint of Swiss Guards and was photographed shaking hands with Sergio Cardinal Sebastiani in the cobblestone square to the left of St. Peter’s Basilica. (Maybe Obama will appoint him Catholic outreach Czar? Next month he’ll turn up as a SEAL from Vietnam with two Medals of Honor, and 40 other awards for valor. ~Bob.)
The immigration debate is over in California but continues at the federal level. By Steven Greenhut
Excerpt: The [GOP] needs to advocate policies that help all Californians improve their lives. These are right in the GOP wheelhouse—regulatory reform, pro-growth economics, improved education through competition, union reform, and private-sector jobs creation. This is the old Jack Kemp model of selling the benefits of the free market to Democratic constituencies.
We can't cut 2% of government spending, but the Muslim Brotherhood gets $250 million. By John Hayward
Excerpt: But… but… I thought we were totally tapped out. Cutting one single dollar from Obama’s non-budgeted federal spending would mean pay cuts for hard-working janitors, who would go insane sitting in 90-minute takeoff queues at airports while attempting to fly home in shame, only to be killed by bacteria from un-inspected meat, but on the bright side their bodies would be incinerated in house fires that we can no longer afford firemen to extinguish, so at least the infection wouldn’t spread.
White House Tried To Muzzle Dr. Ben Carson
http://joemiller.us/2013/03/white-house-tried-to-muzzle-dr-ben-carsons-health-care-reform-message/
http://joemiller.us/2013/03/white-house-tried-to-muzzle-dr-ben-carsons-health-care-reform-message/
Excerpt: Appearing as a guest on the Sean Hannity Show on the Fox News Channel last night, Dr. Ben Carson disclosed that a member of the White House staff, before his speech last month to the National Prayer Breakfast, had urged him “not (to) offend the president.” Additionally, Dr. Carson said the White House requested to see his speech before the event. When asked by Hannity, Dr. Carson said he believed it was wise that he did not disclose the White House member who made that request before the National Prayer Breakfast.
Interesting Comparisons: The Last Time The Dow Was Here... by Tyler Durden
Excerpt: "Mission Accomplished" - With CNBC now lost for countdown-able targets (though 20,000 is so close), we leave it to none other than Jim Cramer, quoting Stanley Druckenmiller, to sum up where we stand (oh and the following list of remarkable then-and-now macro, micro, and market variables), namely that "we all know it's going to end badly, but in the meantime we can make some money" - ZH translation: "just make sure to sell ahead of everyone else." (Breaking: “Dow hits record high, average guy still screwed.” ~bob.)
Judge Clears Path for Trial Against French Bank's Hamas Accounts. By Paul Alster
Excerpt: A leading European bank faces trial in New York later this year after a federal judge found there is sufficient evidence it knew the funds were being used to support a Palestinian terrorist group.
North Korea Threatens To End Ceasefire With South Over Military Drills, Sanctions
Excerpt: Without elaborating, the Korean People's Army Supreme Command warned of "surgical strikes" meant to unify the divided Korean Peninsula and of an indigenous, "precision nuclear striking tool." The statement came amid reports that Washington and North Korean ally Beijing have approved a draft of a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for sanctions in response to North Korea's Feb. 12 nuclear test. (...) Heated military rhetoric is common from North Korea when tensions rise on the Korean Peninsula and during U.S.-South Korean war games, but this latest statement is unusually specific. (Do you ever have the feeling that things are drawing to a point when no matter what is said or done, the brawl will happen? If we were sitting in a bar, I’d be looking for the exit right about now. But, there IS no exit. I think we will soon know just who the North Koreans are allied with. And, who is allied with THEM. And, who will stand aside watching with glee. --Ron P.)
Report: ‘Surprising’ amount of Islamist terrorism in the US has been homegrown
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/05/report-majority-of-islamist-terrorist-threat-to-us-homeland-has-come-from-us-nationals/#ixzz2MgXEtwkN
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/05/report-majority-of-islamist-terrorist-threat-to-us-homeland-has-come-from-us-nationals/#ixzz2MgXEtwkN
Excerpt: “One of the most surprising statistics was that 54% of terrorists were U.S. citizens,” Robin Simcox, a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society and the author of the report, told The Daily Caller in an email. … It is true that there is a common perception that terrorists are usually uneducated and jobless. However, while this was found to have been the case on some occasions, the majority of offenders (57%) included in the report were employed or full time students. In fact, 52% of all individuals had received a college educated or above. (So it isn’t poverty, but ideology? Show me your socked face. ~Bob.)
Too Funny: Saturday night Live spoof on Sequester
Kenyatta takes early lead as Kenya counts votes
Excerpt: Kenyan presidential hopeful Uhuru Kenyatta opened an early lead as ballots were counted on Tuesday in an election that brought out millions of voters despite pockets of violence that killed at least 15 people. (The name “Kenyatta” in Kenya is like “Kennedy” in Massachusetts. “Uhuru” means Freedom in Swahili. Blacks used to shout it at British colonialists. The Brits would shout back, “Uhuru na kazi.” [Freedom and Work.]
Instead of living in his district, lawmaker lives rent-free in a lobbyist’s house
Excerpt: Rep. Todd, in his defense, needed to crash at the lobbyist’s house because he got divorced and got arrested for DWI and possession of a firearm under the influence.
Gregory Kane: Rotten Onion a crying shame
Excerpt: Are we to believe that the American moral compass is now so out of whack that it's considered OK to call a 9-year-old girl the dreaded C-word? (When I was managing a pediatric healthcare association, The Onion published a “satire” fake study from a fictional national pediatric doctors association saying that crib death was the result of “bad parenting.” A lot of people don’t get satire and I heard from many grieving mothers, with e-mail addresses like “MyLostAngel” over the pain this caused. The Onion can be funny, but don’t care much who they hurt. ~Bob.)
Miami Imam Convicted in Aiding Pakistani Taliban: The imam of a mosque in Miami was found guilty on Monday of funneling thousands of dollars to the Pakistani Taliban.
Excerpt: "Despite being an imam, or spiritual leader, Hafiz Khan was by no means a man of peace," said US attorney for southern Florida Wifredo Ferrer in a justice department statement. The mosque has not been implicated in any wrongdoing….He also worked in the US to raise money and spread propaganda for the same cause and helped found a madrassa, or Islamic school, in Pakistan to provide shelter and other support to the Taliban, AFP reported. (Mosque not implicated. Pishtocky. Where have we heard that before—Minister preaching hate but no one hearing it? I have a piece of swamp with a sinkhole….Why should we clothe and feed him in jail and keep him comfortable? Deport him to Pakistan and let him take his chances with the drones…Barb.)
Biden: Obama Most Supportive President of Israel in 30 Years: The Obama administration has been better for Israel than the last 8 administrations, Vice-President Biden told the AIPAC conference
The Obama administration has been better for Israel than the last eight administrations, Vice-President Joe Biden told a large crowd at the AIPAC conference Monday. “We've stood shoulder to shoulder over the past 40 years defending the legitimate interests of Israel,” Biden told an enthusiastic audience, “but no administration, no President has done as much to physically secure the State of Israel as Barack Obama,” Biden said…. “My father used to say that were he a Jew, he would never entrust the security of his people to another nation, including the United States.” (Per article, “President Obama understood Israel, its needs, and its fears – and was 100% committed to the security, survival, and thriving of Israel, the Vice-President said.” Oh, gee, is that why he sent those F-16s and Kerry just proffered more $$ we don’t have to Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood? And he was so polite to the Israeli leader, too. Such a friend. –Barb.)
Expert: Hizbullah has Chemical Weapons, is Afraid to Use Them: Syria’s chemical weapons could become a world problem, INSS expert warns. Rebels, not Hizbullah, the biggest threat
Excerpt: Rebels would be unable to use the weapons because they lack airplanes or other means of delivery, he said. Instead, many rebels would seek to sell the weapons to terrorist groups, and would trade with whoever offered the highest price. In such a scenario the world would soon see chemical terrorism hitting various parts of the world. (Oh, but Kerry is sending the Syrian rebels more “support” as is UK. –Barb.)
Tweet from Jesse Colombo @TheBubbleBubble
We're fast approaching the Omega Point, when credit not only fails to grow, but collapses, resulting in massive deflation.
Tweet from Razor @hale_razor
Q: What do 42% of Americans call the apocalyptic, arbitrary, and painful sequestration? A: a good start.
Saudi seven face crucifixion and firing squad for armed robbery
Excerpt: One of seven Saudis due to be put to death on Tuesday by crucifixion and firing squad for armed robbery, speaking over a smuggled mobile phone from his prison cell, has appealed for help to stop the executions. … Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law under which people convicted of murder, rape or armed robbery can be executed, usually by sword. Several people were reported to have been crucified in Saudi Arabia last year. (I hope for their sake the shooting comes first. ~Bob.)
Secretary of State John Kerry released $250 million in financial aid to Egypt, with a pledge of more if President Morsi implements reforms.
He told Morsi that Washington was now offering $250 million in aid to Cairo. "Today I advised him the United States will now provide the first $190 million of our pledged $450 million in budget support funds," Kerry said, adding that Washington also pledged an additional $60 million for a new joint Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund….While Kerry will not travel to Israel during his trip, he will be meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmud Abbas in Riyadh on Monday, a state department official told reporters. (Real outreach to Israel. –Barb. Jizya. ~Bob.)
Syrian jets bomb rebel-seized Raqqa
Excerpt: At least 40 Syrian soldiers, together with several Iraqis, have been killed in Iraq's western Anbar province, in the most serious cross border spill over of the conflict to date. The group were ambushed by unidentified gunmen as the Iraqi military were escorting them back to Syria in a bus convoy, the New York Times reports. The spillover into Iraq is an alarming development, warns Middle East analyst Juan Cole.
From 'green dream team' to B team
Excerpt: Environmentalists had high hopes four years ago when President Barack Obama loaded his administration’s top ranks with Clinton-era energy experts, green-job gurus and even a Nobel laureate. But that “Green Dream Team” — which struggled to sculpt new policies on air and water pollution, clean energy and climate change — has turned over the keys to what is more of a B team in the second term. (After helping wreck the economy and create joblessness and hardship for the poor and working class. But they got to feel good, so nothing else matters. ~Bob.)
Arrogant CO Democrat Scolds Rape Survivor at Gun Ban Hearing: Statistics Weren’t On Your Side. By Bryan Patterson
Excerpt: The latest is state Sen. Evie Hudak who, at a hearing on banning concealed carry on college campuses, told rape survivor Amanda Collins that having a gun would not have done her any good. Collins had just shared her story of survival. Democrat Hudak berated her in response.
‘Freedom’ license plate banned in Washington D.C. by Charlie Spiering
Excerpt: The word “FREEDOM” is among the list of banned vanity license plate slogans for Washington D.C., according a government file obtained by a Freedom of Information Request filed by the transparency website GovernmentAttic.org. Other banned phrases include anti-tax messages such as "TAXKLLR" and "TAXRUS4" as well as any reference to the President of the United States such as “OBAMA,” “BARACK,” and “OBAMA44.″
This is America, Now: The Dow Hits a Record High With Household Income at a Decade Low
Excerpt: OK, but here's the thing. The stock market alone hasn't repaired the damage done to American household finances in recent years. In many ways Americans are still sucking wind after the gut punch they suffered in 2008. Here's a look.
Worth Reading: Welcome to the Armageddon. By Derek Hunter
Excerpt: Well, at least sequestration was supposed to bring about a post-apocalyptic world until President Obama realized Republicans weren’t going to capitulate to his will (again) and raise taxes (again) to replace the sequester he birthed in 2011. There was a distinct change in tone from the White House this week on what sequestration would mean.
Veteran’s Story About Michelle Obama Using War Amputees as Photo Props
Like they’re being shameless is breaking news? ~Bob
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner. By Bill Gertz
Excerpt: A Chinese general who once threatened to use nuclear weapons against hundreds of U.S. cities will visit the Pentagon this week as part of a U.S.-China military exchange program.
Tweet from Kathleen McKinley @KatMcKinley
The Dow at historic high. Unemployment still at historic highs. They said if I voted for Romney the rich would get richer & they were right!
Excerpt: The government should not be deploying this sort of hardware on the streets of the United States. At best it is a terrible waste of money, and at worst it is part of an unfortunate long-term process by which law enforcement has bought up weapons of war and deployed them in civilian situations — wholly inappropriate in a republic.
Tweet from Jonah Goldberg @JonahNRO
By closing WH to tours, I assume he's announcing that there will be no Air Force 1 golf trips either
Tweet from Sean Agnew @seanagnew
Sequestration. Day 5. White House cancels tours. Earmarks $50mil for new TSA uniforms.
Hilarious new NRA ad calls for “Biden control”
Excerpt: The ad closes by saying the President doesn’t need gun control, but actually needs “Biden control.”
Important: Email Tells Feds to Make Sequester as Painful as Promised
http://nation.foxnews.com/sequester/2013/03/05/email-tells-feds-make-sequester-painful-promised#ixzz2MhMIWf2D
http://nation.foxnews.com/sequester/2013/03/05/email-tells-feds-make-sequester-painful-promised#ixzz2MhMIWf2D
Excerpt: The Obama administration denied an appeal for flexibility in lessening the sequester’s effects, with an email this week appearing to show officials in Washington that because they already had promised the cuts would be devastating, they now have to follow through on that.
Better than a gold watch, Obama donors retire Hillary Clinton's '08 campaign debt. By Andrew Malcolm
http://news.investors.com/politics-andrew-malcolm/030513-646756-hillary-clinton-campaign-debt-erased-from-25-million-to-zero.htm?ven=rss
http://news.investors.com/politics-andrew-malcolm/030513-646756-hillary-clinton-campaign-debt-erased-from-25-million-to-zero.htm?ven=rss
Excerpt: Precisely five years ago today Hillary Clinton took a giant step toward almost winning the 2008 Democratic Party's presidential nomination, knocking off this Barack Obama kid in Rhode Island, Texas and decisively in the crucial state of Ohio. Her wins ended a long string of Obama victories and raised questions about the durability of his ability to knock off the one-time odds-on favorite to succeed her husband in the White House. (I read she got more votes and won more big states, but the Dem rules stacked the deck. Color me shocked. ~Bob.)
There Is No Asset Bubble?
Excerpt: As I was researching, and writing, this past weekend's weekly newsletter entitled "The Bernanke Factor" what really struck me was the universal belief by the majority of analysts, economists and commentators, that there is currently "no evidence" of an asset bubble.
Excerpt: On Saturday afternoon, Yale hosted a “sensitivity training” in which students were asked to consider topics such as bestiality, incest, and accepting money for sex. During the workshop, entitled, "Sex: Am I Normal," students anonymously asked and answered questions about sex using their cell phones, and viewed the responses in real time in the form of bar charts. (I asked my girlfriend if this bothered her. She said, “Naaaaa.” ~Bob.)
Multibillion-dollar Obamacare ‘tax’ moving forward
Excerpt: A controversial new fee on health insurance providers that was part of the Affordable Care Act was introduced into the Federal Register Monday. While the Internal revenue Service is expecting to raise tens of billions of dollars from the fee, industry groups have harshly criticized the move, warning the fee will be passed on to the consumer. (Businesses don’t pay tax. The customers, or the stock holders—often retirement funds—pay the tax. ~Bob.)
I love happy endings: Thief Shot And Killed With Ar-15 After Burglarizing Oregon Home — But You Won’t Believe How It Happened
Excerpt: Detective John Williams says investigators found a shotgun and the rifle Sunday morning, side by side on the passenger-side floorboard of a stolen farm truck, barrels pointed at the driver. Williams says it appears that a lever on the shotgun got into the trigger guard of the rifle. When the truck hit a bump in the road, the rifle fired once, striking and killing Mendoza in a freak accident.
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