Tuesday, September 30, 2014

"How much would it cost to lock the front door of the White House?" - One of many angry questions asked Secret Service Director Julia Pierson by a congressional committee probing a series of security breaches. Pierson said an intruder's ability to enter the executive mansion and penetrate five rings of security before being stopped was "unacceptable" and would not happen again.


President Obama seemed surprised to learn that his top intelligence official had underestimated the strength of the Islamic terrorist forces in Iraq and Syria. But there's a simple explanation: Obama has a record of skipping 60 percent of his daily security briefings, reports the Government Accountability Institute. He has spent more time playing golf than keeping up with critical world developments.

Departing Attorney General Eric Holder doesn't appear to care what people think about him and his radical ideas. But if he did, he could take comfort in knowing he's not the most hated current or former Barack Obama appointee. According to a YouGov poll, 26 percent of Americans have a favorable view of Holder; 37 percent have an unfavorable opinion. But 41 percent had a negative feeling toward former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sibelius and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki left office with a 40 percent unfavorable rating.




Monday, September 29, 2014

On second thought ... President Obama said on "60 Minutes" the U.S. underestimated the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS or ISIL) and overestimated the ability of the Iraqi military to resist the militant group. Well, he's finally come around to the position held by knowledgeable sources in his administration and Congress.


Forget Mideast peace talks or any other U.S. diplomatic maneuver. George Clooney to the rescue, according to his new Lebanese father-in-law, Ramzi Alamuddin. He said his daughter Amal's wedding to the popular American actor is "very good news" for the turmoil-ridden Middle East.


 What's in the stars for Chelsea Clinton's new baby? According to astrologers queried by politico.com, "she will follow the family's activism" and "will be geared towards service to others." That certainly points to a political career. What with baby Charlotte's middle name being Clinton, what can you expect?

Friday, September 26, 2014

That cheer going up from conservatives is because Attorney General Eric Holder announced he was resigning his post after a controversial tenure of 5 1/2 years. Their only regret is that he will stay on the job until his successor is appointed and confirmed by the Senate.

The ever-struggling U.S. Postal Service announced plans to improve its financial situation by making daily grocery deliveries to homes. Unfortunately that word came at the same time a Brooklyn mailman was arrested for hoarding some 40,000 pieces of undelivered mail in his home and car. Bad timing, indeed.


Only in Washington
Congress created more than 90 oversight committees and subcommittees with some jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland Security plus nearly 30 other bodies such as task forces and commissions. And that's not just an oversight. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., calls is a "petty fight for power."

Thursday, September 25, 2014

On the heels of news that White House aides are censoring reporters' press pool reports comes another disturbing development. Amy Chozick of The New York Times, covering the Clinton Global Initiative conference in New York, reports a "20-something" CGI press aide was "tasked with escorting me to the restroom." With Hillary Clinton being cagy about running for president in 2016, the theory is that Clinton operatives don't want reporters roaming freely and asking too many questions.

"To compare the two as though there is moral equivalence is outrageous." - Former Vice President Dick Cheney, saying he was "stunned" that President Obama injected a reference to the Ferguson, Mo., shooting incident into his UN speech about the world scene and ISIS.


How Your Taxes Are Spent
The National Institutes of Health has awarded $380,000 to the University of North Carolina to help prisoners sign up for Medicaid following their release. 

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Introducing the "latte salute." The commander-in-chief introduced it when he returned a formal military salute with a disposable coffee cup in his hand. He made the disrespectful gesture as he stepped off his Marine Corps helicopter in New York.

White House press pool reports, written by a rotating small group of reporters for other journalists, are intended to be independent accounts of a president's activities. But that's no longer true, according to Washington Post writer Paul Farhi. He writes that President Obama's press aides have demanded changes in reports as a condition of their being disseminated to the media. Citizens should be disturbed about this kind of censorship.

Hillary Clinton might have a bigger worry than Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., whom liberals are trying to draft to run for president. Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb acknowledged he is "seriously" considering being a candidate in 2016. Some pundits say Webb, a Vietnam veteran and former secretary of the Navy, would run as a "populist alternative" to Clinton. A former political adviser, Mudcat Saunders, calls Webb "redneck regal."

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

It's encouraging, but a bit surprising, that President Obama ordered air strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria, considering Secretary of State John Kerry's declaration in New York that climate change -- not terrorism -- is "the most serious challenge we face on this planet."

Former IRS bureaucrat Lois Lerner, the central figure in the IRS tea party targeting scandal, said in an interview, "I didn't do anything wrong." Try telling the IRS that if you're subjected to a tax audit.

White House guards said they didn't stop an intruder who scaled the fence, dashed to the unlocked front door and entered the executive mansion because he didn't appear to be armed. After subduing him they found he was carrying a knife and in his car were a machete, two hatchets and 800 rounds of ammunition. New policy: lock the door.

Monday, September 22, 2014

One of the big questions in American politics today is: Who called Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. "chubby"? She mentioned fellow lawmakers commenting on her weight and appearance in her new book. In one instance a senator told her while she was pregnant that he liked his women "chubby". She wouldn't name names, but the New York Times First Draft political newsletter fingered a suspect: the late Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii.

Political candidates are accustomed to shaking a lot of hands, but Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., -- a vulnerable incumbent -- went one better. Campaigning in Baton Rouge, she was seen helping a voter with a keg stand at an LSU tailgate 
party.


"This has been the most do-nothingest Congress." - Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., quoted in a CQ Roll Story which said the current session is on track to be one of the least productive, with only 163 pieces of legislation enacted.

Sunday, September 21, 2014



The fact that a man jumped the White House fence and got inside the presidential mansion before being arrested makes one wonder if the same security policy is in effect there as at the Mexican border.

While top U.S. military leaders are displeased about President Obama's mishandling of the Islamic terrorist threat in Iraq and Syria, retired four-star general Colin Powell says he has no buyer's remorse about endorsing Obama for president. Powell, a Republican, served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State.

How Your Taxes Are Spent
While many of America's highways are in serious need of repair, the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded more than $47 million to municipalities for bicycle and pedestrian path projects.

Saturday, September 20, 2014


Democrats would be wise not to allow Vice President Joe Biden to be their spokesman in their campaign to accuse Republicans of conducting a "war on women." In a speech to a women's group he heaped praise on former Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore., who resigned after 19 women accused him of sexual and official misconduct and the Senate Ethics Committee voted to expel him from the Senate.

Chicago won't be naming one of its high schools after Barack Obama after all. Obama once was viewed as a favorite son but that's changed with his drop to a 38 percent approval rating. Following citizen protests, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that plans to name a new selective enrollment high school after the president had been abandoned.

Only in Washington

A large federal agency planned to build a headquarters at a former insane asylum. The Department of Homeland Security chose St. Elizabeth's hospital as the location of a colossal new building. The plan is now 11 years behind schedule and more than $1.5 billion dollars over budget. Federal auditors suggested DHS give up the idea and consider alternatives.

Friday, September 19, 2014


The Scottish independence movement had the world on edge -- especially in Europe, where a number of separatist groups have emerged -- and even after a majority of Scots voted to stay in the United Kingdom conditions remain unsettled. U.S. citizens need to be aware of secessionist feelings in our own country, stirred by anger with President Obama's handling of issues and gridlock with Congress. A recent poll showed almost a quarter -- 23.9 percent -- of Americans are open to their states leaving the union.

President Obama's slump in approval ratings is having an adverse impact on the economy. Products on the pro-Obama Organizing for Action website are being offered at up to 40 percent off.

Hypocrisy at high levels occurs often in Washington. First Lady Michelle Obama's crusade against childhood obesity has reached extreme levels in schools. Her new orders are to remove from vending machines any sugary snacks over 200 calories. Yet in the White House, where she ought to be able to throw her weight around. a vending machine sells a Jumbo Honey Bun with 590 calories, 30 grams of sugar and 17 grams of saturated fat.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Any other public figure would be branded a racist, or at least accused of insensitivity, but Vice President Joe Biden continues to insult various ethnic groups and get by with it. Addressing an audience of lawyers he used the term "Shylocks" -- an expression offensive to Jews. After protests, he apologized for "a poor choice of words". Then, just hours later, he referred to Asia as "the Orient" -- an outdated phrase which is a no-no for Asians.


Visiting a classroom in Tampa, Fla., President Obama admitted to a first-grader who raised his hand but then couldn't remember what he was going to say, "That happens to me all the time." The teleprompter's just never there when you need it!


President Obama's former defense secretary, Robert Gates, has joined a host of high-ranking military advisers in disagreeing with the president's insistence on ruling out the use of U.S. ground forces to combat the Islamic State terrorists. Gates said Obama's policy is unrealistic. "So there will be boots on the ground if there's to be any hope of success in the strategy," he said.



Wednesday, September 17, 2014

What ever happened to Occupy Wall Street? To mark the third anniversary of the failed movement, an Occupy offshoot called Strike Debt! has purchased $3.8 million in private student loan debt. And CNN reports the buyers of the debt have forgiven 100 percent of it. They aren't saying where the money came from.

The Democrats' War on Poverty has cost taxpayers $22 trillion and yet 14 percent of Americans are still poor -- about the same rate as a few years after President Lyndon B. Johnson started the anti-poverty program. The Census Bureau reports there were 45.3 million people living in poverty in 2013 -- that's more than the entire population of California.
How does a liberal smell? Different from a conservative, according to a study reported in the American Journal of Political Science. Researchers found that people prefer the body odor of those who share their political beliefs. Does that mean when a politician shakes a hand they're also doing a sniff test?

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

More evidence has come to light in the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Libya that left four Americans dead. Investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson reports that State Department employees removed "damaging" documents before turning over records to the Accountability Review Board investigating security lapses related to the tragedy. Former Deputy Assistant Secretary Raymond Maxwell said a participant in the after hours operation told him, "we are to go through these stacks and pull out anything that might put anybody in the front office or the seventh floor (then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) in a bad light."


Here's another development in the Veterans Affairs department scandal. While serving as a VA supervisor, Venita Godfrey-Scott directed employees to use $20,000 worth of materials and supplies for a deck in her backyard, carpet installation and various home improvement projects. The government-owned property was intended for VA medical center upkeep. She pleaded guilty to theft and was sentenced to four years of probation and 120 hours of community service.

MSNBC host Chris Matthews, who has been critical of his hero President Obama of late, felt disposed to give him some advice, however. "Please do not listen to Dick Cheney," he said, raving that the former vice president "created al-
Qaeda" and "created ISIS."

Monday, September 15, 2014

While his former boss, President Obama, goes around the country raising money to use against Republicans in the mid-term elections, Jay Carney says 2014 is "not going to be a good year for Democrats." Obama's former press secretary made the prediction on CNN, where he now works.



How times change. When Bill Clinton was president and for some time after, he wolfed down burgers and fries with wild abandon. But since his heart attack, his habits have changed. At the big steak fry in Iowa which he and his wife Hillary attended, Clinton had a veggie burger. Joking about the red and white checked shirt he was wearing, Clinton said, "I feel like a tablecloth in a diner."

If you're still waiting for a wedding invitation from Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., and his mistress, Maria Belen Chapur, give up. Sanford, in a 2,347-word post on Facebook, announced he was breaking off the engagement. His affair with the Argentinian beauty was revealed when he was serving as South Carolina governor and it led to a bitter divorce from his wife, Jenny.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough made the rounds of the Sunday TV talk shows defending President Obama's handling of the Islamic State terrorist threat. Part of the strategy the president outlined in a primetime TV speech was a coalition of countries willing to provide ground troops in Syria. Pressed to name them, McDonough passed the buck to Secretary of State John Kerry. But then he said, "that's not what we're looking for right now." Oh?

It's easy to find fault with the federal government, but it does one thing very well: collect taxes. In August tax revenues hit $2,663,426,000,000 -- a record for the first 11 months of the fiscal year. But the Treasury reports the government still ran a deficit of $589,185,000,000 during that time.

Here's a statistic to make taxpayers shudder. This summer the number of recipients of the government food stamp program reached 46,496,145. CNS News states that's enough to fill the Yankee Stadium 925 times.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

America is at war with the Islamic State terrorists, after all. Secretary of State John Kerry and other Obama administration officials had gone to great pains to label the plan to retaliate against the bloodthirsty group a "counter-terrorism operation." But the pretense drew so much protest and ridicule White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest announced a turnaround: "The United States is at war with ISIL," he said at a next day press briefing.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., might find it difficult to put a slogan on a bumper sticker for her new warning about the mid-term elections. "Civilization as we know it today would be in jeopardy if the Republicans win the Senate," she told TV host Bill Maher. She followed that by declaring that Democrats are not "fear-mongers."


President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama made a stupid decision by commemorating the 13th anniversary of 9/11 by working with volunteers engaging in acts of service by assembling backpacks. The name of the group: KaBOOM!

Friday, September 12, 2014

President Obama greatly underestimated the threat posed by the Islamic State terrorist organization, which he dismissed as "junior varsity" a few months back. U.S. officials did likewise in estimating the group took over large portions of Iraq and got the world's attention with only 10,000 fighters. A new CIA assessment puts the number at between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria.

Pundits are puzzling over why the president didn't name any members of a coalition to support the U.S. in military action against ISIS. The answer is simple: he didn't have any to name. Even the United Kingdom, America's closest friend, has held back on committing to participate in airstrikes.

 America is not at war with the forces whose murderous mission is painfully clear. Get that? The president and Secretary of State John Kerry insist the country is merely engaged in another "counter-terrorism operation." Early in his administration President Obama banished the phrase "war on terror", substituting "overseas contingency operation." It's a good bet combat troops won't be concerned with the "politically correct" semantics the Democrats try to use to appease their base.