Click on either image to enlarge.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Issa: Fast & Furious Wiretap Applications Reveal Senior DOJ Involvement
by Mary Chastain
Today, Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell
Issa sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder detailing how wiretap applications
reveal how close senior officials at the Department of Justice were
to Operation Fast & Furious.
According to Chairman Issa, the applications were approved from March to
July of 2010. Each one contained a memo from Assistant Attorney General Lanny
Breuer authorizing it on behalf of Mr. Holder. These memos were also marked for
Emory Hurley, the lead prosecutor for Operation Fast & Furious.
The DOJ leadership has repeated many times that this was a local issue and
senior officials in Washington, DC were not involved. Chairman Issa notes Mr.
Holder said during his February 2, 2012 testimony that wiretap applications
contained no information on Fast & Furious.
Since senior officials signed off on these applications, the DOJ can no
longer claim that if they knew about Fast & Furious they would have shut it
down. These wiretap applications contained information on the tactics that were
being used. The documents also showed that top ATF officials, not DOJ
officials, were concerned about the number of weapons involved. Chairman Issa
said it was ATF Deputy Director William Hoover who became concerned about the
volume and demanded an exit strategy to end Fast & Furious as soon as
possible. But when DOJ officials were confronted with the exact same information,
they just let it go.
Chairman Issa said the committee now knows why the DOJ was reluctant
handing over these documents. It destroys the DOJ’s excuse that F&F was
just a local issue.
Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry lost his life on December 14, 2010. Guns
found at the scene were connected to Fast & Furious. Hundreds of Mexicans
have been murdered. Guns from Fast & Furious have been found at 12 crime
scenes in America.
Representative Paul Gosar’s state of Arizona has been greatly affected by
Fast & Furious. On Thursday, he will host a Special Order on Fast &
Furious at the end of the day immediately following votes. He released this
following statement about these developments:
Every detail of Fast and Furious has been alarming. Today’s developments of
misinformation and lies, showing that top DOJ political appointees were in fact
intimately aware of Operation Fast and Furious from the beginning, demonstrate
what we already know—Eric Holder must go now. The American people and Congress
deserve truthful answers in a timely manner. AG Holder and his senior staff
have shown contempt for the Constitution by preventing us from getting those
answers. I reiterate my call for Eric Holder’s resignation, and I am calling
upon leadership to take up my Resolution of ‘No Confidence’ in Attorney General
Holder, which has 114 cosponsors, for a vote as soon as possible.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Trayvon / Zimmerman More FACTS trickle out....
MORE FACTS TRICKLE OUT.....
ABC News reports that Trayvon Martin, the black teenager who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman on Feb. 26, had drugs in his body on the night of his death:
The autopsy report shows traces of the drug THC, which is found in marijuana, in Martin's blood and urine.On the infamous 911 call that Zimmerman made to police, Zimmerman told the dispatcher that Martin looked like he was "on drugs or something."
That suspicion--which was twisted by the left and the mainstream media as part of an attempt to accuse Zimmerman of acting on racist motives--has been confirmed.
ABC News also reports injuries to Martin that supports Zimmerman's contention that there was a physical struggle between the two young men:
The autopsy also shows that Zimmerman shot Martin from a distance of between 1 inch and 18 inches away, bolstering Zimmerman's claim that he shot Martin during a struggle that landed Zimmerman on his back, Martin straddling him and banging Zimmerman's head on the ground.Martin's autopsy report also revealed that there was a quarter-inch by half-inch abrasion on the left fourth finger of Martin, another indication of a possible struggle.
In contrast to early media reports that described Zimmerman as "white," he is now described by ABC as "a multi-racial Hispanic man."
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/05/17/Breaking-Autopsy-Reveals-Trayvon-Martin-Had-Drugs-in-System
More recent revelations
George Zimmerman had a broken nose
George Zimmerman had a broken nose, black eyes, cuts on the back of his head and a minor back injury the day after he shot and killed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, according to medical records compiled by his doctor, ABC News reports.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/05/16/152813315/medical-report-details-george-zimmermans-injuries-abc-news-says
Trayvon's father acknowledged it was not Trayvon screaming for help on the 911 tape.
Among the evidence was an audio interview of Zimmerman's father, Robert, in the Seminole state attorney's office March 19. The father, under oath, says the person crying for help on the 911 tape is "absolutely, positively George Zimmerman."
"That was George and he was not just yelling, he sounded like he was screaming for his life," the elder Zimmerman said.
Serino said that on Feb. 28, he played the 911 tapes for Tracy Martin, Trayvon's father.
"I asked Mr. Martin if the voice calling for help was that of his son. Mr. Martin, clearly emotionally impacted by the recording, quietly responded 'no.' "
The information list above is found at the END of the following story....
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-05-17/zimmerman-trayvon-shooting-report/55046944/1
This post is NOT meant to dimish the shooting, tragic loss of life, or prematurely judge the actions of either party, BEFORE the evidence is collected and analyzed by law enforcement & the court system.
Rather it is meant to highlight the duplicitous nature of the numerous "activists", commentators, "experts", our nation's leaders top leaders, government officials, nationally televised networks, print, and social media outlets selection of if, when, or how and/or how "accurately" to cover such events.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Democrats join Fast and Furious accountability efforts
Congressional Democrats are
abandoning their party line en masse to support efforts to hold the
administration accountable for Operation Fast and Furious.
In another sign of bipartisanship on
Fast and Furious accountability, 142 House Democrats backed an amendment from
Utah Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz Wednesday, which prevents the Department of
Justice from using taxpayer funds to lie to Congress. Though 41 Democrats
voted against it, the bipartisan support could be a sign that frustration over
the administration stonewalling on Fast and Furious transcends party lines.
Chaffetz pitched House Democrats in a feisty House floor
speech before the vote to join him in demanding accountability. He argued that
Attorney General Eric Holder’s failure to comply with the Fast and Furious
congressional subpoena is anything but a partisan political fight. He said it’s
an issue of separation of powers between the legislative and executive
branches, and that all Americans “should be embarrassed by what’s happening in
Fast and Furious.”
“If we get stonewalling on the other
side of the aisle, without your support, we will do a disservice to this
country, we will do a disservice to this body and we will not get to the
truth,” Chaffetz said on the House floor on Wednesday. “I promise you, when
that becomes a Republican president, I will stand with you and demand the
openness and transparency that this body deserves. I’ve done it; I’ve challenged
my own party, I have the guts, I have the fortitude to do the right thing.”
Chaffetz challenged the House
Democrats to come forward and help him, House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep.
Darrell Issa and others: “This is the test of principle, this is the test of
integrity, and when you can’t stand up and take on your own party, that’s a
lack of guts,” Chaffetz said. “This Congress has got to stand up for itself and
demand that these documents be released.”
In the end, when the House voted,
Chaffetz got his bipartisan support.
That support comes on the heels of
Indiana Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly’s outspoken public support for Issa’s move to
enforce the subpoena Holder has thus far failed to comply with.
Issa served Holder a subpoena on
Oct. 12, 2011. Holder has thus far failed to comply with all 22 categories of
the subpoena that requires him to provide Congress with documents relating to
Fast and Furious. With 13 of the categories, Holder has provided no documents. When it comes to the
other nine subpoena categories, Holder is still far from compliant, as TheDC reported late last
week.
Other Democrats have refused to defend Holder amid the scandal, and even more have criticized how their own party’s
administration has handled it.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Illinois Democrats Face Budget Crisis They Created
(AP) Budget dilemma looms for Illinois Democrats
By CHRISTOPHER WILLS
Associated Press
Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD,
Ill.
Facing one of the nation's worst budget crises, the Democrats who run Illinois insist they're serious about overhauling the state's expensive health programs and employee pensions. Gov. Pat Quinn underscored his determination by declaring he was "put on earth" to solve the multi-billion-dollar pension problem.
But can the Democrats actually do it?
The effort will test whether a state infamous for emphasizing politics over policy and for finding budget shortcuts rather than long-term solutions can change its ways. It will require Democrats, in the middle of an election year, to deflect longtime union allies and to cut state money flowing to many of the urban wards that put them in office.
"I don't think my constituents realized the truly horrible choices we're going to have to make," said Rep. Greg Harris, a Democrat from Chicago.
State Medicaid and pension problems exploded nationwide when recession hit in 2008. The number of people eligible for government health care assistance jumped by 5.6 million and state retirement systems lost more than one-quarter of their total value, by some estimates.
Many states, particularly those led by Republicans, have taken drastic steps to fix their budgets, including cutting spending and requiring public employees to contribute more to their benefits. In some cases, the cutbacks triggered huge protests last year at state capitols by public employees and advocates for the poor.
But Illinois, where Democrats control the governor's office and both houses of the Legislature, flinched, taking only limited steps. Now, with the state staggering under a backlog of $9 billion in unpaid bills, leaders again face the awkward task of inflicting pain on their friends.
Quinn proposes cutting $2 billion from a Medicaid program that totals about $14 billion, throwing more than 100,000 people off the rolls. He wants public employees to give up roughly 3 percent of their pay to beef up retirement funds and work years longer before they could collect full pensions. And House Speaker Michael Madigan is talking about ending free health insurance for government retirees.
There is little precedent for that approach in President Barack Obama's home state.
Union leaders reacted angrily. Michael Carrigan, head of the Illinois AFL-CIO, called Quinn's proposals "insensitive and irresponsible." He said it would hurt hundreds of thousands of state residents and violate the Illinois Constitution's ban on reducing pension benefits.
"It is a clearly illegal attempt to solve the problem caused by past governors and the legislature solely on the backs of teachers, caregivers and other public worker," Carrigan said on behalf of a coalition of unions.
Illinois labor organizations like the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and teachers' unions have donated more than $10.7 million to Democratic candidates over the past three election cycles. That's three times more than they gave to Republicans, according the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.
Despite similar sensitivities, other states with Democratic governors have been making cuts to address pension and revenue problems. Both New York and California cut Medicaid last year. New York approved significant pension restrictions last month.
Illinois' Republicans, outnumbered 99-78 in the General Assembly, have been demanding action for years. Even after the Legislature raised income taxes last year and trimmed some costs, expenses were still rising faster than revenue. By some estimates Illinois faces a deficit of more than $3 billion on top of $9 billion in old bills owed to vendors and social service providers.
"We're glad the (Quinn) administration and the Democrats have finally gotten religion," said Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno.
Quinn publicly acknowledged that over the years, Democrats and Republicans alike failed to set aside enough money to keep up with obligations. And they sometimes sweetened benefits without worrying about how to pay for them.
"If we don't deal with this problem right now, it will just get worse," Quinn said.
Quinn insisted he won't let legislators end this spring's session, meaning they can't go home and campaign, if they haven't resolved both the pension and Medicaid issues.
But the fate of his initiatives depends on his fellow Democrats. Madigan, from southwest Chicago, has run the Illinois House for virtually all of the past three decades. He has made an art of finessing sensitive issues to protect Democratic candidates and, as usual, is staying vague on what should be done.
Some Democrats and their allies question whether targeting pensions and health care would deal a serious blow to the state's shaky economy.
Sen. Kwame Raoul of Chicago said Democrats over the past few years should have been honest with their constituents about Illinois' financial realities.
"Yes, certainly we should have done that," Raoul said. "Simultaneously, we should have made the tough decision of saying, `This is what the services cost and we need a tax increase.'"
Facing one of the nation's worst budget crises, the Democrats who run Illinois insist they're serious about overhauling the state's expensive health programs and employee pensions. Gov. Pat Quinn underscored his determination by declaring he was "put on earth" to solve the multi-billion-dollar pension problem.
But can the Democrats actually do it?
The effort will test whether a state infamous for emphasizing politics over policy and for finding budget shortcuts rather than long-term solutions can change its ways. It will require Democrats, in the middle of an election year, to deflect longtime union allies and to cut state money flowing to many of the urban wards that put them in office.
"I don't think my constituents realized the truly horrible choices we're going to have to make," said Rep. Greg Harris, a Democrat from Chicago.
State Medicaid and pension problems exploded nationwide when recession hit in 2008. The number of people eligible for government health care assistance jumped by 5.6 million and state retirement systems lost more than one-quarter of their total value, by some estimates.
Many states, particularly those led by Republicans, have taken drastic steps to fix their budgets, including cutting spending and requiring public employees to contribute more to their benefits. In some cases, the cutbacks triggered huge protests last year at state capitols by public employees and advocates for the poor.
But Illinois, where Democrats control the governor's office and both houses of the Legislature, flinched, taking only limited steps. Now, with the state staggering under a backlog of $9 billion in unpaid bills, leaders again face the awkward task of inflicting pain on their friends.
Quinn proposes cutting $2 billion from a Medicaid program that totals about $14 billion, throwing more than 100,000 people off the rolls. He wants public employees to give up roughly 3 percent of their pay to beef up retirement funds and work years longer before they could collect full pensions. And House Speaker Michael Madigan is talking about ending free health insurance for government retirees.
There is little precedent for that approach in President Barack Obama's home state.
Union leaders reacted angrily. Michael Carrigan, head of the Illinois AFL-CIO, called Quinn's proposals "insensitive and irresponsible." He said it would hurt hundreds of thousands of state residents and violate the Illinois Constitution's ban on reducing pension benefits.
"It is a clearly illegal attempt to solve the problem caused by past governors and the legislature solely on the backs of teachers, caregivers and other public worker," Carrigan said on behalf of a coalition of unions.
Illinois labor organizations like the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and teachers' unions have donated more than $10.7 million to Democratic candidates over the past three election cycles. That's three times more than they gave to Republicans, according the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.
Despite similar sensitivities, other states with Democratic governors have been making cuts to address pension and revenue problems. Both New York and California cut Medicaid last year. New York approved significant pension restrictions last month.
Illinois' Republicans, outnumbered 99-78 in the General Assembly, have been demanding action for years. Even after the Legislature raised income taxes last year and trimmed some costs, expenses were still rising faster than revenue. By some estimates Illinois faces a deficit of more than $3 billion on top of $9 billion in old bills owed to vendors and social service providers.
"We're glad the (Quinn) administration and the Democrats have finally gotten religion," said Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno.
Quinn publicly acknowledged that over the years, Democrats and Republicans alike failed to set aside enough money to keep up with obligations. And they sometimes sweetened benefits without worrying about how to pay for them.
"If we don't deal with this problem right now, it will just get worse," Quinn said.
Quinn insisted he won't let legislators end this spring's session, meaning they can't go home and campaign, if they haven't resolved both the pension and Medicaid issues.
But the fate of his initiatives depends on his fellow Democrats. Madigan, from southwest Chicago, has run the Illinois House for virtually all of the past three decades. He has made an art of finessing sensitive issues to protect Democratic candidates and, as usual, is staying vague on what should be done.
Some Democrats and their allies question whether targeting pensions and health care would deal a serious blow to the state's shaky economy.
Sen. Kwame Raoul of Chicago said Democrats over the past few years should have been honest with their constituents about Illinois' financial realities.
"Yes, certainly we should have done that," Raoul said. "Simultaneously, we should have made the tough decision of saying, `This is what the services cost and we need a tax increase.'"
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Selective memory from the LEFT
Janet Napolitano Signed "Stand your Ground" law for Arizona in 2006.
Now it’s been discovered that an even more prominent Democrat, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, signed Arizona’s Stand Your Ground bill into law while governor of that state in 2006. And it’s important to note that Napolitano didn’t sign the bill half-halfheartedly, rather, she even countered anti-gunners’ opposition in the signing. According to the Arizona Daily Star:
The NRA heaped praise upon Napolitano for signing the bill as well. And they issued a special press release to explain that the bill Napolitano had signed was actually a combination of Castle Doctrine and Stand Your Ground legislation (making it especially deplorable to gun grabbers):
[The] bill has two components: One is Castle Doctrine, which presumes you are justified in the use of force if you believe you are in danger of serious bodily harm or death within your home or occupied vehicle. The second and most significant component is the return of the burden of proof in self-defense cases to the state, so law-abiding citizens who are forced to actually use their firearms or other means of protection for self-defense will not be wrongfully imprisoned or financially devastated by costs associated with their legal defense. They will once again be presumed innocent – consistent with the American system of justice.
The bottom line: It would behoove current Democrats to do a quick records search before continuing their denigration of Stand Your Ground laws as a solely Republican initiative. For it is pretty evident that some prominent Democrat governors are among those who’ve recognized the value of honoring Americans’ right to keep and bear arms as well.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
AZ - Taco Bell Shooting Victim was Holding Leash, Not Weapon
Victim's sister calling for shooter's arrest
Updated: Wednesday, 04 Apr 2012, 5:12 PM MST
Published : Wednesday, 04 Apr 2012, 3:38 PM MST
Published : Wednesday, 04 Apr 2012, 3:38 PM MST
They're also identifying the victim as 29-year-old Daniel Adkins.
About 7:30 p.m., a 22-year-old man and his girlfriend ordered food at the Taco Bell drive-thru and were told to pull up while their order was prepared.
At the same time, Adkins stepped around a corner into the path of the vehicle and angry words were exchanged between he and the driver.
They got into an altercation and Adkins was shot once by the driver. He died at the scene.
The driver, a 22-year-old black male, called police but has not been arrested.
At first, the couple claimed that Adkins had a metal pipe that he swung at them -- but it turns out he was holding a dog leash with his yellow lab on the other end.
Family members want that driver arrested, but he's claiming self-defense.
"He needs to be behind bars. I'll never see my brother again," says sister Marina Reyes. "If he felt that my brother was threatening him, he could have easily just rolled up the window and called the cops."
A metal pipe or bat was never located. An independent witness did say Adkins swung his fists in the driver's direction.
“He swung his fist towards the driver window, and at some point the driver shot him,” says Phoenix Police Sgt. Tommy Thompson. “Just because we don’t book a person immediately does not mean we don’t charge a person at a later date.”
The dog, Lady, stayed by Adkins' side until the Humane Society came. Adkins lived with his mom and dad. He's 29, but his family says he's mentally disabled and has the mental capacity of a 12-year-old. He didn't drive, and walked wherever he went.
"This person is still on the loose and I don't agree with that. So he's saying self defense, then where's the weapon? Where's the pipe? They didn't find anything on my brother," says Reyes. "He was just too aggressive, you don't need to go that far."
The shooter's name has not been released. The investigation is still ongoing.
Commentary:
Crank up the national media, doctor the 911 tapes, use dated pictures of the victim, use arrest pictures of the perpetrator. Ask -- Where does the President weigh in on this? Al, Jesse, (insert others), book the next flight to AZ. Tee up Spike Lee to tweet perpetrator's last known address, (insert race here) New Panther Party put a bounty on the perpetrator's head, organize national protest marches, appoint a special prosecutor, involve the Federal U.S. Attorney General's office, contact the United Nations "High Commissioner for Human Rights"...
Where's the moral outrage? Where's the national media coverage? Who weeps for THIS families son?
This post is NOT meant to diminish the shooting, tragic loss of life, or prematurely judge the actions of both parties, BEFORE the evidence is collected and analyzed by law enforcement & the court system.
Rather it is meant to highlight the duplicitous nature the numerous "activists", commentators, "experts", our nation's leaders, government officials, nationally televised networks, print, and social media outlets selection of if, when, or how to cover such events.
Click HERE for Link to Original Article
Follow this story: One Dead in Shooting Outside Taco Bell
Monday, April 9, 2012
Zimmerman family challenges Holder - Why no arrests of members of the New Black Panther Party ?
By Matthew
Boyle - The Daily Caller 7:02 PM 04/09/2012
In a letter to Attorney
General Eric Holder on Monday, obtained exclusively by
The Daily Caller, a family member of George Zimmerman asked the nation’s top
law enforcement officer why he has chosen to not arrest members of the New
Black Panther Party for their rhetoric — some of which may fit the
federal government’s definition of a hate crime — throughout the Trayvon Martin case.
The family member
believes the reason Holder hasn’t made those arrests is because he, like the
members of the New Black Panther Party, is black.
“I am writing you to ask
you why, when the law of the land is crystal clear, is your office not
arresting the New Black Panthers for hate crimes?” the family member wrote to
Holder.
“The Zimmerman family is
in hiding because of the threats that have been made against us, yet the DOJ
has maintained an eerie silence on this matter. These threats are very public.
If you haven’t been paying attention just do a Google search and you will find
plenty. Since when can a group of people in the United States put a bounty on
someone’s head, circulate Wanted posters publicly, and still be walking the
streets?”
The New Black Panthers
have issued ultimatums to the Sanford authorities, saying they want Zimmerman
arrested “dead or alive.” They have placed a bounty on Zimmerman’s head, and
have called for the building of an army of vigilantes to track him down and
effect a citizen’s arrest.
Most recently, the New
Black Panther Party has called for violence.
In a conference call
recorded over the weekend, the militant group said it planned to “suit up and
boot up” and prepare for the next stages of the “race war.”
So far, however, no
members of the New Black Panther Party have faced legal consequences.
After citing the U.S.
Department of Justice’s published definition of a “hate crime,” the Zimmerman
family member wrote that there is “no other explanation” for Holder’s failure
to authorize arrests of New Black Panther Party members, other than the fact
that Holder himself is black.
“I would surmise that,
based on your own definition of a hate crime, you have chosen not to arrest
these individuals based solely on your race,” the family member wrote to
Holder, insisting too that the was “NO racial component” to the “tragedy” that
occurred on the late February night when Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin.
The Daily Caller has
confirmed the identity of the Zimmerman family member but is withholding that
person’s identity out of concern for the family’s safety.
The family member also
criticized members of Congress who have forcefully criticized police for
failing to arrest Georgfe Zimmerman, as well as “the Congressional Black
Caucus, the NAACP, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Spike Lee, [and] President
Barack Obama,” adding that “many” who have commented on the case without having
a complete understanding of the facts “no doubt understand the laws of our
great nation.”
Noting President Obama’s
White House event last week celebrating the 1960 novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,”
Zimmerman’s family member drew a novel comparison to the American literary
classic.
“Strangely enough this
case has a lot of parallels to those of Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’”
the letter to Attorney General Holder read. “George Zimmerman has been treated
much like Tom Robinson was, chastised for not being the right (or wrong) color
and found guilty based on race factors.
“You have the
opportunity to act as Atticus [Finch] and do the right thing. Your boss would
refer to this as a ‘teachable moment.’”
DOJ spokeswoman Tracy
Schmaler has not responded to The Daily Caller’s request for comment on why
Holder hasn’t authorized the arrest of any New Black Panther Party members, nor
has she answered whether that decision is related to Holder’s race.
Zimmerman Family Letter to Eric Holder -- Email Redacted
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/09/zimmerman-family-challenges-holder-on-new-black-panthers-says-no-arrests-based-solely-on-your-race/#ixzz1rb89N4p9
Obama administration diverts $500M to IRS to implement healthcare reform law
The Obama administration is quietly diverting roughly $500 million to the IRS to help implement the president’s healthcare law.
The money is only part of the IRS’s total implementation spending, and it is being provided outside the normal appropriations process. The tax agency is responsible for several key provisions of the new law, including the unpopular individual mandate.
Republican lawmakers have tried to cut off funding to implement the healthcare law, at least until after the Supreme Court decides whether to strike it down. That ruling is expected by June, and oral arguments last week indicated the justices might well overturn at least the individual mandate, if not the whole law.
“While President Obama and his Senate allies continue to spend more tax dollars implementing an unpopular and unworkable law that may very well be struck down as unconstitutional in a matter of months, I’ll continue to stand with the American people who want to repeal this law and replace it with something that will actually address the cost of healthcare,” said Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), who chairs the House Appropriations subcommittee for healthcare and is in a closely contested Senate race this year.
The Obama administration has plowed ahead despite the legal and political challenges.
It has moved aggressively to get important policies in place. And, according to a review of budget documents and figures provided by congressional staff, the administration is also burning through implementation funding provided in the healthcare law.
The law contains dozens of targeted appropriations to implement specific provisions. It also gave the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a $1 billion implementation fund, to use as it sees fit. Republicans have called it a “slush fund.”
HHS plans to drain the entire fund by September — before the presidential election, and more than a year before most of the healthcare law takes effect. Roughly half of that money will ultimately go to the IRS.
HHS has transferred almost $200 million to the IRS over the past two years and plans to transfer more than $300 million this year, according to figures provided by a congressional aide.
The Government Accountability Office has said the transfers are perfectly legal and consistent with how agencies have used general implementation funds in the past. The $1 billion fund was set aside for “federal” implementation activities, the GAO said, and can therefore be used by any agency — not just HHS, where the money is housed.
Still, significant transfers to the IRS and other agencies leave less money for HHS, and the department needs to draw on the $1 billion fund for some of its biggest tasks.
The healthcare law directs HHS to set up a federal insurance exchange — a new marketplace for individuals and small businesses to buy coverage — in any state that doesn’t establish its own. But it didn’t provide any money for the federal exchange, forcing HHS to cobble together funding by using some of the $1 billion fund and steering money away from other accounts.
The transfers also allow the IRS to make the healthcare law a smaller part of its public budget figures. For example, the tax agency requested $8 million next year to implement the individual mandate, and said the money would not pay for any new employees.
An IRS spokeswoman would not say how much money has been spent so far implementing the individual mandate.
Republicans charged during the legislative debate over healthcare that the IRS would be hiring hundreds of new agents to enforce the mandate and throwing people in jail because they don’t have insurance.
However, the mandate is just one part of the IRS’s responsibilities.
The healthcare law includes a slew of new taxes and fees, some of which are already in effect. The tax agency wants to hire more than 300 new employees next year to cover those tax changes, such as the new fees on drug companies and insurance policies.
The IRS will also administer the most expensive piece of the new law — subsidies to help low-income people pay for insurance, which are structured as tax credits. The agency asked Congress to fund another 537 new employees dedicated to administering the new subsidies.
The Republican-led House last year passed an amendment, 246-182, sponsored by Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) that would have prevented the IRS from hiring new personnel or initiating any other measures to mandate that people purchase health insurance. The measure, strongly opposed by the Obama administration, was subsequently dropped from a larger bill that averted a government shutdown.
See original article here:
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/220475-white-house-has-diverted-500m-to-irs-to-implement-health-law
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
ABC Unmasked: Enhanced Video Shows Zimmerman Head Gash
Yesterday, ABC has made an astounding about-face on a story related to the Trayvon Martin shooting. Less than a week after proclaiming that new video showed no signs of injury on Zimmerman the night of the shooting, ABC has now released an enhanced version of the same video. The new video clearly shows a bloody gash on the back of Zimmerman's head. Here's the lead of the story ABC published Wednesday March 28th:
A police surveillance video taken the night that Trayvon Martin was shot dead shows no blood or bruises on George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain who says he shot Martin after he was punched in the nose, knocked down and had his head slammed into the ground.
[...]
In the video an officer is seen pausing to look at the back of Zimmerman's head, but no abrasions or blood can be seen in the video and he did not check into the emergency room following the police questioning.Obviously, the bombshell ABC is touting here is that the video appears to contradict claims that Zimmerman was injured and acted in self-defense. They present the video as evidence to the contrary. By that evening, the Daily Caller and others began to question what was visible in the video. By Friday March 30, just two days after ABC published its scoop, MSNBC ran a story contradicting ABC and showing evidence of an injury on Zimmerman's head.
Now, five days after their big scoop, ABC has posted new video under the headline "George Zimmerman: Enhanced Video Shows Injury." As you'll see, ABC makes no mention of the fact that their previous story was wrong. And thus far, ABC does not appear to have published a print version of the story. Keep in mind that the claim Zimmerman was injured was widely known before ABC posted the video. In other words, they knew what they should be looking for in the clip. And yet it seems they were unable to find it for five days, even though other media outlets pointed it out within 48 hours.
At this point, ABC needs to explain why it took them until today to correct the record. Enhancing 4-5 minutes of video is not a five day job. This is one of several missteps by major media in this case. Earlier, NBC deliberately miscut George Zimmerman's 911 call in a way that insinuated George Zimmerman was profiling Trayvon Martin because he was black.
NBC has now launched an internal investigation to find out how the botched audio wound up on "The Today Show." Notice that in both instances the initial media error works against Zimmerman. Suspicion of Zimmerman's story is certainly appropriate, but what ABC and NBC have done goes well beyond that. They have carelessly -- or deliberately -- put out false and misleading information in a way that pours fuel on the firestorm surrounding this case. That may be good for ratings. But it's unprofessional, and worse, deeply unethical.
COMMENTARY:
While the formal criminal investigation continues, here is another tangible example of the national media's selective "omission" or outright fabrication of "evidence"; then passing it along to an unsuspecting public as "fact". While the actions, guilt and/or innocence of both men have yet to be determined by a court of law; it would seem the media has already passed it's own judgement.
Original article found here:
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/04/02/hd-zimmerman-head-gash-abc
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Fair Unbiased Reporting - NBC Nightly News
NBC News is said to have launched an internal investigation into why it posted an edited version of George Zimmerman's call to a 911 dispatcher made prior to a shooting incident resulting in the death of 17 year-old Trayvon Martin. The altered version made it appear as though Martin's race was an important factor that night for Zimmerman, when, in fact, he was only answering a question posed by a 911 dispatcher.
NBC told the Washington Post's Erik Wemple Saturday that it would investigate an incident in which the "Today" show used an abridged recording of George Zimmerman's 911 call before he killed Trayvon Martin. The version used by NBC emphasized race as a factor in the incident.
Big Journalism first reported on the online version of the MSNBC controversy 3 days ago and followed up with another report yesterday, March 30th on NBC's aired segment. As the Hollywood Reporter states, Fox News, led by host Sean Hannity, along with Brent Bozell of the Media Research Center, have also been challenging NBC on what appears to be an outrageous use of an editing technique to make the 911 call seem damning of Zimmerman, as well as divisive and inflammatory along racial lines.
After playing both versions, Hannity said: “They forgot the dispatcher’s question! How could NBC, in good conscience, do that?”
“This isn’t bias, this isn’t distortion, this is an all-out falsehood by NBC News,” answers Bozell, who runs a conservative watchdog group called the Media Research Center.
“When you hear him say, ‘he looks black,’ anyone watching that believes that there are racial overtones to what this man did,” Bozell says. “How could you not believe that? It goes with the narrative of the profiling. The only problem is, they edited out the dispatcher asking him, ‘what does he look like?’”
“This is NBC News, Brent, and this is what they did at a time when emotions are running very high in this country,” Hannity said during his Thursday night TV show.
“Tom Brokaw, Matt Lauer, I wonder if they’re proud tonight?” Hannity asked.
NBC News declined to comment.
As the 911 call editing controversy continues to grow, MSNBC contributor Touré was recently called out on air by CNN's Piers Morgan for his seemingly racially biased handling of the Florida story. When MSNBC branded itself as the "Leans Forward" network, few likely suspected it meant to stir up racial divide in America. Now, NBC looks to be taking a page out of MSNBC's playbook, as well.
MSNBC contributor Toure suffered an epic meltdown on CNN last night. Piers Morgan challenged Touré to come on his show to debate the Trayvon killing after their Twitter war earlier in the week. Morgan blasted Toure for his race-baiting and lecturing.
With the NAACP and MSNBC's Al Sharpton divided over the incident, Barack Obama weighing in early, only to say nothing in recent days, and now rival Cable News networks questioning MSNBC's and even NBC's judgment, it's hard to see the post-racial healing in America Barack Obama promised while running for office in 2008.
Original Hannity Episode found here:
Original article found here:
Vice President Joe Biden announced that the shooting of Trayvon Martin should spark a national debate about gun control
Today on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Vice President Joe Biden announced that the shooting of Trayvon Martin should spark a national debate about gun control:
It's important that people be put in a
position where their Second Amendment rights are protected, but that
they also don't, as a consequence of the laws, unintendedly put
themselves in harm's way … The idea that there's this overwhelming
additional security in the ownership and carrying concealed and deadly
weapons... I think it's the premise, not the constitutional right, but
the premise that it makes people safer is one that I'm not so sure of.
The problem, of course, was not the gun laws in Florida. If Zimmerman shot in self-defense and is not prosecuted, the gun laws saved his life; if Zimmerman shot without proper provocation, he violated the relevant Florida gun laws. The law itself isn’t to blame, any more than insider trading laws are to blame when somebody violates them.
Beyond that, Biden’s bizarre notion that concealing and carrying guns doesn’t provide additional security is plainly nonsensical. Misuse of guns is always an issue – but as a general rule, of course carrying a gun makes you more safe than not carrying one. John Lott has pointed out clearly in More Guns, Less Crime: “Concealed handgun laws reduce violent crime for two reasons. First, they reduce the number of attempted crimes because criminals are uncertain which potential victims can defend themselves. Second, victims who have guns are in a much better position to defend themselves.” This is called common sense, and the data backs it up.
But that’s been the two-barreled liberal agenda throughout this debate: first, raise the specter of race; second, crack down on guns. The left isn’t all that interested in what happens with George Zimmerman – if they cared, they’d stop tainting the jury pool – but they are interested in making political hay out of the killing. And Joe Biden is just following in his boss’ footsteps
Original article found here:
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/04/01/Biden-Gun-Control-Trayvon
Friday, March 30, 2012
Local NAACP chapter condemns Al Sharpton's call for escalated civil disobedience
Rally Saturday in Sanford hosted by NAACP
Author: Erik von Ancken, Anchor/Reporter, evonancken@clickorlando.com
Published On: Mar 30 2012 06:47:35 PM EDT Updated On: Mar 30 2012 08:02:56 PM EDT
The Rev. Al Sharpton said Friday his National Action Network will "move to the next level" if George Zimmerman is not arrested in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
Sharpton called for an escalation in peaceful civil disobedience and economic sanctions, although he did not say what those sanctions might be.
Turner Clayton, the Seminole County chapter president of the NAACP, reacted immediately to Sharpton's warning, saying, "We hope that the citizens of Sanford will govern themselves accordingly. We are not calling for any sanctions, against any business or anyone else. And, of course, what Rev. Sharpton does, that's strictly the [National] Action Network. We can't condone that part of the conversation, if that's what he said."
Clayton said he believes that the expected 3,000 people who will attend Saturday's march and rally in Sanford will realize the difference between Sharpton's message and the NAACP's mission.
"I don't think they can confuse that," Clayton said. "It's just that they will have to make a judgment as to whether they want to follow the mission of the NAACP or follow what the Rev. Sharpton said."
Clayton said that the rallies are going to show support from the community and show the special prosecutor that "we are interested in what happened, and we're not going to stand by and let them do something that the people of Sanford will not accept."
Saturday's rally will begin with a march from the Crooms Academy to the Sanford Police Department on 13th Street. The march begins at 11 a.m. and is hosted by the NAACP.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson is expected to attend, along with Sharpton, who is expected to deliver specifics on his warning.
Sanford city workers spent the day discussing security and preparing for the rally, including setting up barricades, signs, cones and a stage.
Zimmerman, a 28-year-old neighborhood watch leader, shot and killed Martin, 17, last month, in a gated community in Sanford. Zimmerman claims the shooting was in self-defense.
original posting found here -
http://www.clickorlando.com/news/Civil-rights-leaders-condemn-Sharpton-s-call-for-escalated-civil-disobedience/-/1637132/9863196/-/owq31pz/-/index.html
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