News of the Week
Chaos in the Middle East *************** Miscues Before Libya Assault Limited Security in Benghazi, Secrecy Over Safe House, Contributed to Tragedy *************** Death toll rises in Pakistan video protests At least 17 reported killed as demonstrators clash with police, while nation holds "Love the Prophet Day" marches. *************** Latest developments in protest of anti-Islam film *************** Violent Protests Continue, Whether the U.S. Press Corps Notices or Not Despite the fact that Romney’s “47 percent” remark dominated the headlines for much of the week, the preeminent news of the previous week — violent attacks and protests against U.S. embassies and consulates across the Muslim world — did not go away. *************** Michigan Secretary of State: 4K noncitizens on voter rolls Lansing — One day after being sued over a controversial ballot box citizenship question, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said Tuesday there are an estimated 4,000 noncitizens on Michigan's voter rolls. *************** Obama’s Foreign Policy Approval Rating Drops After Mideast Turmoil The first opinion poll to be conducted after last week’s deadly attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya and a spate of anti-American protests across the Muslim world has recorded a five-point drop in approval for President Obama’s handling of foreign policy. *************** Iran will pursue makers of anti-Islam film: vice-president Iran's government will "track down" those responsible for making an amateurish film clip mocking the Prophet Mohammad, a senior official said, Iranian media reported on Monday. *************** Nakoula Family Leaves Cerritos Home Amid Darkness With Plans Never to Return The Cerritos residence, which has been the scene of a media frenzy since last week, is now empty -- devoid of a family that says they will relocate elsewhere in search of a sense of normalcy. *************** Obama to Condemn Christian Filmmaker Before United Nations Not only are we seeing the White House and State Department call more attention to the Mohammed-mocking "Innocence of Muslims" than any terrorist network ever could've hoped for, but the President's indefensible scapegoating of the film and filmmaker to draw attention and blame away from U.S. security failures apparently knows no bounds. *************** Leader Of Libya Attack Linked To Obama Donor As the administration’s false narrative about the events leading up to the sacking of our consulate in Benghazi and the killing of our ambassador continues to unravel, a sordid detail has come to light. *************** Bloody hand prints, stolen documents and shocking security failings: Harrowing pictures inside crumbling U.S. consulate in Benghazi after attacks that left ambassador and three others dead Dramatic images of bloody hand prints and crumbling buildings capture horror of Tuesday's attack on U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, which fell on 11th anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attacks Sensitive documents have gone missing from compound, including names of Libyans working with Americans Libyan officials say four men now in custody in relation to attack Landlord of building says there were 400 rioters and attack could not be prevented *************** Egypt to try US citizen, seven others over anti-Islam video Egypt's general prosecutor on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for Florida Pastor Terry Jones and seven Coptic Christian Egyptians linked to an anti-Islam video on YouTube that sparked riots across the Middle East, The Associated Press is reporting. *************** US embassy in Lebanon destroying classified material As a precaution amid rising anti-American protests, diplomats in the US Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, have started destroying classified material. Election 2012 *************** Univision Debacle: Obama Misleads, Condescends To Latino Community While everyone is talking about Obama's revealing comments yesterday admitting defeat when it comes to changing Washington DC from the inside, what struck me most after watching his entire Univision interview was Obama's condescending and deceitful answer when pressed on the issue of immigration reform. *************** NV04: Tarkanian Leads Horsford Republican Danny Tarkanian holds a 45 percent to 42 percent edge over Democrat Steven Horsford among likely voters in Nevada's newly drawn 4th Congressional District despite the fact the district leans Democratic, according to an 8NewsNow/Las Vegas Review-Journal poll released early Friday morning. *************** When 'Mother Jones' Opposed 'Selectively Edited' Video 'Reported Uncritically By the Media' *************** Romney Tape Gap NOT Recording Error I think that I can prove that the Romney tape “1-2 minute gap” was not the result of a technical failure, but instead was done in post-production. It is possible that was a technical error but we’re getting deep in Rosemary Woods territory there. *************** When President Obama "pretends to go to work"... *************** New Obama Flag Looks Eerily Like Blood-Stained Walls at Benghazi Consulate *************** Bill Would Make Voting by a Non-Citizen a Deportable Offense Louisiana’s Republican senator today introduced a bill that would make voting by illegal immigrants and non-citizens a deportable offense. *************** Original Version of the New ‘Obama Flag’ Design Be afraid...be very afraid. *************** A short visual history of the creepy Obama cult *************** Mi Familia Vota Scrubs Colorado Site Of State Director’s Posts Mi Familia Vota scrubbed the Colorado website of posts by its state director, Grace Lopez Ramirez. In a campaign season revamp of its website, Mi Familia Vota, a non-partisan Latino outreach organization, has taken down posts from its Colorado staff and re-directed all links, such as those for its election center, to the organization’s national website. *************** The myth of the 'rock-star professor' Time magazine gushed in 2008 about Barack Obama's 12-year tenure as a law lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, saying, "Within a few years, he had become a rock-star professor with hordes of devoted students." *************** The Obama you don't know Few if any of his predecessors took the oath of office with higher public hopes for his success than President Obama on Jan. 20, 2009. *************** Vladimir Putin says of Mitt Romney: At least he’s direct Soviet leaders used to prefer Republicans to Democrats, in the belief that Republicans were tough but more sincere and, once they made a promise, were more likely to deliver on it. *************** Obama 2012 campaign erases all previous civil liberties campaign guarantees Marilyn sez, "The Democrats criticized Bush for suspension of civil liberties and guaranteed them in their 2008 platform. In their 2012 platform, those guarantees have all been erased." *************** Obama In 1998: "I Actually Believe In Redistribution" *************** Obama team tries to lower expectations for debates *************** Robopoll records silence as support for Obama *************** N.C. elections board working on list of dead 'voters' The N.C. Board of Elections was already reviewing most of the 27,500 names of people that an anti-election fraud group says remain registered to vote after they died. *************** Biden quotes China’s news agency to attack Romney on outsourcing Vice President Joe Biden offered a full-throated defense of President Obama's trade policies during a campaign stop Monday in Iowa, arguing nothing Mitt Romney has “proposed or has ever done” would end unfair practices by China. *************** College Prof on Leave After Forcing Students to Sign ‘Pledge’ to Vote for Obama Obamacare *************** CBO raises estimate of those hit by Obama health care tax ***************Six million Americans will pay the health care tax rather than obtain coverage under President Obama’s health care law, according to a new Congressional Budget Office estimate Wednesday — a 50 percent increase over CBO’s estimate of just two years ago. War & Terror *************** All-out Middle East war as good as it gets TEL AVIV - It is hard to remember a moment when the United States' foreign policy establishment showed as much unanimity as in its horror at the prospect of a unilateral Israeli strike on Iran. *************** D.C. schools set new achievement targets for students by race and income Every public school in the United States has aimed for the same goal over the past decade: that all students be proficient in math and reading by 2014. *************** Syria Tested Chemical Weapons Last Month In Syria this week, witnesses reported that the Syrian army tested chemical weapons as recently as last month. *************** Syrian general: We planned to send chemical weapons to Hezbollah President Bashar Assad's regime made plans for a chemical weapons assault on rebels and planned to transfer missiles with chemical warheads to Hezbollah to be used against Israel, Major-General Adnan Sillu, who defected three months ago, was quoted by The Times as saying. *************** 'Syrians tested chemical weapons firing systems' 'Der Spiegel' quotes witnesses as saying tanks, helicopters fired shells capable of chemical weapons under observation of IRGC. *************** Chinese General: Prepare for Combat Top Chinese general in unusual move tells troops to ready for combat with Japan *************** U.S. military suspends joint patrols with Afghans *************** Insurgents Posed as U.S. Troops to Strike at Afghan Air Base Insurgent fighters wearing U.S. Army uniforms breached the defenses of the main British-run air base in southern Afghanistan on Friday. Firing guns and rockets and apparently triggering suicide vests, the attackers killed two U.S. Marines and damaged or destroyed several hangars and fueling facilities. Before they were all killed or captured, the insurgents also managed to destroy six U.S. Marine Corps jet fighters and “significantly” damage two others, landing a shocking blow against NATO air power in the region. National *************** How the Teachers’ Union Robbed Chicago, Again During the Democratic National Convention I wrote about a clear contrast between the policies of Illinois natives Barack Obama and Pat Quinn, and their Wisconsin counterparts, Paul Ryan and Scott Walker. We now have another anti-reformer to add to the Illinois column: Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel. *************** The U.S. Conducted Atomic Weapons Tests On Beer *************** Beijing demonstrators damage US ambassador's car A car carrying the U.S. ambassador to China was mildly damaged after becoming the target of boisterous anti-Japan demonstrators who were expressing outrage over a territorial dispute and marking the 81st anniversary of Japan's invasion of China. *************** High Ranking DOJ Official Refuses to Affirm 1st Amendment Rights *************** Science professor: Kill sperm, save the planet *************** Grill a Burger, Go to Jail? I recall clearly back in my graduate school days in southern California in the late 1980s/early 1990s when the South Coast Air Quality Management District—the smog police—was kicking its regulatory program into warp speed and proposing regulations for just about everything imaginable. *************** Reward: $100,000 for Khalidi Tape *************** White House Blocked DOJ’s Inspector General from Pursuing a Lead on Fast and Furious By now, you’ve probably heard about the report released by Michael Horowitz, the Inspector General of the Department of Justice, that supposedly absolved Eric Holder from blame on the case. Our own Moe Lane has put up a post with his thoughts on the report. However, it has just come out that the White House blocked the Inspector General of the DOJ from pursuing a lead in their investigation. According to Horowitz, it was a lead they wanted to follow, too. *************** GOP bill would repeal Agriculture Dept. calorie caps on school lunches Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) has introduced legislation that would repeal a U.S. Department of Agriculture rule that puts a cap on the number of calories in school lunches served to children. *************** Importing a Dependent Class I’m sure Ramesh is right that there isn’t a simplistic connection between receipt of government benefits and voting Democratic, partly because of the blue-collar white voters James Bennett identifies who are net beneficiaries, but whose goal is to become net payers — people who have an experience of not being dependent and who want to return to it. *************** Emails reveal Justice Dept. regularly enlists Media Matters to spin press *************** Mom sues police over arrest Says she was wrongly accused of child endangerment Economy
& Taxes *************** China Launching Gold Backed Global Currency According to the article, China is recasting all of their gold reserves into small one kilo bars in order to issue a new “gold-backed” currency. Many say this will disrupt global trade and will eventually cause a collapse of the US dollar. *************** ANOTHER DEMOCRAT SUCCESS STORY: Estimate of California's real debt upped from $28 billion to... $335 billion *************** Fake gold hits NYC Federal agents are investigating the peddling of bogus gold bars in Midtown. *************** 100 Days Until Taxmageddon Sunday will mark the start of the 100-day countdown to “Taxmageddon” – the date the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take effect. *************** Russian asteroid crater revealed to be filled with over $1 quadrillion of diamonds *************** Your Taxes At Work: All You Need To Know About Who Pays What Taxes In The US Presented with little comment - since the charts speak for themselves. From Buffett to a Burger-flipper, everyone has a view - driven in large part by their anchoring bias of who they choose to listen to. The graphics below will help, we hope, to clarify that thinking - whether you are the 1%, 47%, or 99%... *************** General Motors pushing U.S. to sell stake: report The Treasury Department is resisting General Motors' push for the government to sell off its stake in the auto maker, The Wall Street Journal reports. Following a $50 billion bailout in 2009, the U.S. taxpayers now own almost 27% of the company. But the newspaper said GM executives are now chafing at that, saying it hurts the company's reputation and its ability to attract top talent due to pay restrictions. *************** Great: Obama regulations cost 20x admin’s estimate, annually This is getting old. Painfully, egregiously old. Despite President Obama’s assiduous promises that he would scrupulously avoid raising taxes whatsoever on the middle class, the CBO released yet another of its revised reports yesterday, informing us that the ObamaCare mandate tax is going to overwhelmingly impose itself upon members of the middle class, with an average penalty to the tune of $1,200. Lovely. *************** The Eurozone Is Disintegrating At the beginning of the euro crisis, many predicted Europe would be pushed into a closer union. Instead, the opposite seems to be happening: Europe is slowly fragmenting into a two-tiered structure with a safe, reliable core and a dangerous, floundering periphery. *************** What Mitt Romney Also Said: A Glimpse Of The Endgame? By now everyone has heard the infamous Mitt Romney speech discussing the "47%" if primarily in the context of how this impacts his political chances, and how it is possible that a president "of the people" can really be a president "of the 53%." Alas, there has been very little discussion of the actual underlying facts behind this statement, which ironically underestimates the sad reality of America's transition to a welfare state. Recall Art Cashin's math from a month ago that when one adds the 107 million Americans already receiving some form of means-tested government welfare, to the 46 million seniors collecting Medicare and 22 million government employees at the federal, state and local level, and "suddenly, over 165 million people, a clear majority of the 308 million Americans counted by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2010, are at least partially dependents of the state." *************** Regulatory Tsunami To Hit Business If Obama Wins Second Term Last fall, President Obama decided to cancel a hugely expensive new EPA rule designed to cut smog levels across the country. Obama said he did so out of concern about the rule's impact on jobs. *************** The dark side of Gov. Jerry Brown's tax plan Jerry Brown fancies himself a futurist, exhorting us to act now to ensure a better tomorrow – with a bullet train and a more dependable water system his prime examples. *************** International *************** Václav Klaus warns that the destruction of Europe's democracy may be in its final phase 'Two-faced' politicians have opened the door to an EU superstate by giving up on democracy, Václav Klaus, the veteran Czech statesman, tells Bruno Waterfield. *************** South African police clash with miners Tear gas fired at striking workers at Anglo American Platinum, following pay rise deal agreed with Lonmin miners. *************** Chavez Reelection in Jeopardy Because of Spending and Crime in Venezuela After 14 years in power, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez faces his toughest election yet, as he deals with a strong opposition candidate and national doubts about his health. Chávez’s biggest obstacle in his re-election campaign, however, may be his own record in office. *************** The Falklands of Asia *************** Beijing hints at bond attack on Japan A senior advisor to the Chinese government has called for an attack on the Japanese bond market to precipitate a funding crisis and bring the country to its knees, unless Tokyo reverses its decision to nationalise the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea. *************** Big deal. I'm a Rode Scholar! *************** Gunned down in cold blood: Two policewomen aged 32 and 23 lured to estate by false burglary report and shot dead before one-eyed fugitive hands himself in *************** Communist China: Spasmodic *************** Opinion *************** Obama Versus Economic Freedom The Cato/Fraser Institute annual report on economic freedom in the world is just out, and it contains the unsurprising but still infuriating news that the United States has slipped from the ranks of the top ten freest economies in the world. *************** Barone: Obama's first term is like FDR's dismal second People, not least himself, have often compared Barack Obama to Franklin D. Roosevelt. *************** It's Later Than Any Dare Think When republics fall, it's not always slow. *************** Egypt: Death Penalty for Americans Who Blaspheme Mohammad! (And why the time for disengagement is now) *************** Re-branding Guevara: Che the Butcher Violent hatred is not something to emulate — or wear on a T-shirt. *************** Empowering people who start fires to define freedom of speech is how freedom of speech dies The inability to distinguish between those who set fires and those who criticize those who set fires *************** |
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