It would be difficult to find a hard-working American who would say Uncle Sam doesn't collect a sufficient amount of taxes. On the other hand, a congressman -- Rep. Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat -- said, "we don't have enough to do what the government - and do what the country needs the government to do."

George Stephanopoulos seems to have the same kind of memory problem as his former boss Bill Clinton did during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Faced with exposure, the ABC news personality admitted he contributed $50,000 to Bill and Hillary's foundation. Later he upped that to $75,000. He apologized for his forgetfulness and said he wouldn't be a debate moderator in 2016. If he remembers what he promised.

Memo to GOP presidential hopeful Jeb Bush, who has been pressed to say whether he would do what his brother George and Congress did in starting the Iraq War: Toby Keith sang, "I wish somehow I didn't know now what I didn't know then."

How many illegal immigrants are allowed to stay in the U.S.? Who knows? The government doesn't. The Department of Homeland Security does not maintain data on how many illegals may remain in this country through prosecutorial discretion, according to the agency inspector general.

Who will be Hillary Clinton's "first lady" if she eventually succeeds in getting elected as America's first woman president? Hubby Bill presumably would hold the title of First Gentleman, but he's not likely to spend his time managing the social functions of the White House. Speculation is that role would fall to the Clintons' daughter Chelsea.

Earmarks -- a corruption of the appropriations process which allows members of Congress to bring home the bacon for constituents -- cost $4.2 billion in fiscal year 2015. So says the Congressional Pig Book, published by Citizens Against Government Waste to highlight pork barrel spending by lawmakers.

There must be someone in the White House seeking a way to ease the racial tensions that have led to rioting and looting in various parts of the country. But it's not Michelle Obama. She only fanned the flames with her remarks to graduates at Tukegee University in Alabama. It was a "poor me" speech about the emotional toll of being America's first black first lady. She said derogatory comments such as showing "a little bit of uppity-ism" have kept her up at night.

They're being called Washington's new "odd couple." That's the term used by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to describe the relationship that he has developed with President Obama. The outspoken Republican said he had offered the president some praise on trade matters. "I'm even getting handwritten notes from the president," he added.

Two government programs being pushed by the Obama administration are food stamps and the first lady's anti-obesity. A new study from the Agriculture Department indicates the programs are working at cross purposes. The study showed that people receiving food stamps are more likely to be overweight and obese than those who do not receive assistance.

If you stop to admire a cactus in Paradise Valley, Ariz, smile -- you might be taking a "selfie." The city has been openly installing cameras in fake cactus but officials won't say why. Speculation is they'll be used for license plate checks.


Conservatives won in the British elections with the help of a former aide to President Obama. Tories secured a decisive victory for Prime Minister David Cameron, who used Jim Messina, Obama's 2012 campaign manager, as a political consultant. Another Obama heavyweight, David Axelrod, advised the losing Labour Party.


Former taxpayer watchdog Tom Coburn has left the Senate but the Oklahoma Republican's efforts are being continued by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. McCain released a report identifying more than $1.1 billion in questionable government spending.

Bubba returns. Former President Bill Clinton, asked why he's not defending the Clinton Foundation from increased scrutiny, said: "I just work here. I don't know."

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee doesn't have much loyalty among his former colleagues at Fox News. They greeted his announcement about running for president with strong skepticism. One "Special Report" panelist compared him to a segregationist and another said "he has no chance" in the current political environment.

How Your Taxes Are Spent
The U.S. Department of Agriculture spent more than $12 million on free and reduced price lunches for children who were not from low income families, thus making them ineligible, reports the Washington Free Beacon.

President Obama responds to the race-based rioting in Baltimore by calling on the Republican congress to make "massive investments in urban communities", ignoring the fact that the city received more than $1.8 billion from Obama's stimulus law. The funds included $467.1 million for education and $26.5 million for crime prevention.

It's bonus week for Republican candidates for president. The field has widened with the entry of Carly Fiorina, a former corporation executive, and Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon. Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., is expected to be hot on their heels with his announcement for another try at winning the GOP nomination in 2016.

"I gotta pay our bills." - Former President Bill Clinton, defending the $500,000- plus fees he receives for making speeches.

Billionaire George Soros funds liberal causes which advocate higher taxes for the wealthy. It turns out that Soros himself isn't paying enough to the government. Bloomberg News reports the 84-year-old investor has amassed $13.3 billion through use of a loophole called deferrals. Congress closed the loophole in 2008 and Soros owes an estimated $6.7 billion in back taxes.

After months of build-up for Hillary Clinton as a shoo-in choice as the Democratic nominee for president in 2016, now she has company. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a self-described Socialist, has announced his candidacy and gives signs of mounting an aggressive campaign.

In his news conferences, President Obama often follows a practice of giving longwinded responses, which has the effect of limiting the number of questions reporters can ask. But he couldn't get by with that while being interviewed by middle school student Osman Yahya. After rambling for more than three minutes about experiencing writer's block when he wrote his speeches, the kid interviewer politely said: "I think you've sort of covered everything about that question."