Category Archives: Don’t Tread on Me

To be Grubered…

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Jonathan Gruber, professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), listens during a House Oversight Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

A new verb and noun has entered our political lexicon, “Gruber.” In the verb form, it means to frankly speak the truth in an extremely stupid manner. An example of this is when MIT Professor Jonathon Gruber admitted he thought Americans were stupid to believe the claims of the White House on Obamacare.

“He’s a gruber,” is another form of the word. In this case it describes someone who makes an utterly stupid statement that revealed a truth the speaker had intended to conceal.

Gruber had his time before Congress yesterday. He continued to dig himself deeper. Congressman Darryl Issa also had some pithy comments.

Gruber apologizes for ‘mean and insulting’ ObamaCare comments

Published December 09, 2014

MIT economist Jonathan Gruber tried to explain and even justify his controversial comments about ObamaCare during a profuse apology on Tuesday before a House committee — as Rep. Darrell Issa accused him of creating a false model as part of “a pattern of intentional misleading” to get ObamaCare passed. 

Gruber, himself a well-paid consultant during the drafting of the law, was hammered by Republicans on the House oversight committee at his first appearance on Capitol Hill since videos of his remarks surfaced.

Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, also came down hard on Marilyn Tavvener, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who he has accused in the past of allegedly inflating enrollment numbers and “cooking the books.”

Issa told Gruber: “You made a series of troubling statements that were not only an insult to the American people, but revealed a pattern of intentional misleading [of] the public about the true impact and nature of ObamaCare.” 

Gruber has come under fire for claiming ObamaCare’s authors took advantage of the “stupidity of the American voter.” 

He delivered a mea culpa of sorts in his opening remarks on Tuesday for what he called his “mean and insulting” comments, explaining some of his remarks while trying to take some of them back. After once saying a lack of transparency helped the law pass, Gruber said Tuesday he does not think it was passed in a “non-transparent fashion.” 

He also expressed regret for what he called “glib, thoughtless and sometimes downright insulting comments.” 

“I sincerely apologize for conjecturing with a tone of expertise and for doing so in such a disparaging fashion,” Gruber said. “I knew better. I know better. I’m embarrassed and I’m sorry.” 

He said he “behaved badly” but stressed that “my own inexcusable arrogance is not a flaw in the Affordable Care Act.” 

Gruber’s appearance before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Tuesday marked one of Issa’s last, high-profile shots at the health care law before he hands over his chairmanship next year. Issa, R-Calif. — who has led the committee through controversial probes of the Benghazi attacks, the IRS scandal and more — led the questioning of Gruber, an MIT economist. 

The videos of Gruber’s remarks have renewed Republican concerns over the health care law, and the way in which it was drafted and passed. Lawmakers also have obtained videos that show Gruber saying the act was written in a “very tortured way.” 

Issa and democrat Elijah Cummings questioned Gruber when he appeared before the Committee. Cummings was more concerned about the truth revealed, the democrat view of voters, than the fact that the entire concept of Obamacare was a fraud.

The column continues.

During questioning, Issa asked Gruber, “Are you stupid?” 

“I don’t think so, no,” he responded. 

Issa added: “So you’re a smart man who said some … really stupid things.” 

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., top Democrat on the committee, also criticized Gruber for giving opponents of the law a “PR gift.” 

“You wrapped it up with a bow,” Cummings said, while claiming the controversy “has nothing to do with the substance of this issue.” 

Business as usual in Obama’s Washington.

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For my Navy and Marines friends…

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/navy/sports/m-footbl/auto_player/10613312.jpeg

Navy’s new “Don’t Tread on Me” football uniform.

At the 115th meeting of the football teams from the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy on Saturday, the Midshipmen will be decked out in special uniforms featuring a stylized version of the First Navy Jack, the rattlesnake flag first flown at the bow of naval vessels during the Revolutionary War warning foes “DON’T TREAD ON ME.” Navy leads the series 58-49-7.

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Boehner is planning on selling out conservatives with his newly announced budget. The budget contains funding for Obamacare and Amnesty and provides funding through September, 2015. Boehner fears the MSM and is giving in to the democrats. He should fear us, those who voted for the new GOP-led Congress, instead.

BUDGET DEAL: WILL THE FAT LADY SING?
Though we have seen similar deals evaporate before, an agreement has reportedly been reached on a $1.1 trillion spending bill that, if passed, would avert a partial government shutdown while delaying a fight over President Obama’s immigration actions until early 2015. Fox News: “The GOP-led House Appropriations Committee released the plan, which would keep most of the government funded through September 2015, following days of backroom negotiations. The government technically runs out of money at midnight Thursday. The narrow window raises the likelihood that lawmakers will have to pass a stopgap spending bill to buy time…. Strong opposition to the House budget plan from the Republicans’ conservative caucus could force GOP chamber leaders to rely on Democratic votes to avert a government shutdown. House Speaker John Boehner can afford to lose only 17 caucus votes before he must turn to support from House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi, D-Calif., has said her party would be willing to help but has signaled she may make some demands.” — FOX Newsletter.

Boehner is not without opposition, however.

GOPers push amendment to defund temporary amnesty – DailyCaller: “[N]ew anti-amnesty language is being pushed by Arizona Rep. Matt Salmon, South Carolina’s Rep. Mick Mulvaney and Virginia Rep. Dave Brat…The draft amendment [to the budget bill] bars various agencies from spending any money to implement Obama’s amnesty, including any fees paid by legal immigrants to immigration agencies…The amendment will be examined on Wednesday by the powerful rules committee, which sets the rules for debates.” — FOX Newsletter and The Daily Caller.

Boehner and McConnell are working to tighten their control of the House and the Senate. Representative Darryl Issa is being shuffled off to an “Intellecutal Property” committee and Senator Jeff Session is being booted off his Budget Committee.

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Dinosaur Media Watch

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Over the last few years I’ve posted numerous times about the death of media dinosaurs—here, here, and here. The Boston Globe is one such. It was up for sale some years ago and there were no takers. It’s owned by the parent company of the New York Times who is also on shaky ground. The NYT is putting the Boston Globe up for sale, again.

New York Times puts Boston Globe up for sale again

By Jennifer Saba, NEW YORK | Wed Feb 20, 2013 6:06pm EST

(Reuters) – The New York Times Co is putting The Boston Globe on the auction block for a second time as it seeks to focuses solely on growing its flagship newspaper.

The company said in a statement that it had hired Evercore Partners to advise on the sale, which also includes the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

The sale is expected to come at a big loss. Ken Doctor, an analyst with Outsell Research, estimated that the Globe could fetch about $150 million. The New York Times paid $1.1 billion for the newspaper in 1993.

The New York Times is putting all its effort into being a global information source and “the Globe is a distraction,” Doctor said.

Morningstar analyst Joscelyn MacKay said in recent years revenue at the Boston Globe had declined much more than at the New York Times.

…

The New York Times first put the paper up for sale in 2009 as it struggled with losses. But it halted the sale process and decided to hang onto the paper after winning concessions from Globe’s unions and implementing cost cuts.

Most print media organizations in the US, and in Europe,  have umbilical cord ties to unions. The unions block modernization that would reduce production expense while demanding higher wages and benefits. The unions have been sucking the economic blood from their partners until, one by one, major metro newspapers are dying.

Given the fact that newspapers have devolved into liberal propaganda tools, their passing is a good thing. The internet—and bloggers, are replacing them. And that, too, is a good thing.

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Illinois tyrants are trying to kill free speech in the state. Illinois state Senator Ira Silverstein wants to prohibit the use of “anonymous” comments on websites. Now on one hand, I can sympathize. Ninety percent or more anonymous postings are spam of one form or another. Another six or seven percent are vitriol by opponents of the post or of the author and use “anonymous” to hide their identities. I’ve had a few of those on my website as well. The remaining percentages are those who don’t have an internet identity they wish to publicize.

It is the last two catagories above that involve free speech.  As much as I hate the rants spewed by liberals directed to my site by the Democrat Underground or the Daily Koz, they do have a right to say their message—just as I, as a website owner, have to right to remove their posts when they exceed the bounds of propriety.

Silverstein wants the state to enforce those prohibitions. Why? The site owner may approve of the statements and if/when those same statements offend Silverstein or his liberal buds, he has no recourse to force the removal of those statements.

His bill would grant him that authority regardless whether the website owners agree or disagree with Silverstein’s demands. It’s nothing more than another liberal attempt to stifle free speech.

Illinois state senator pushes anti-anonymity bill

3:42 AM 02/21/2013

A recently introduced bill in the Illinois state Senate would require anonymous website comment posters to reveal their identities if they want to keep their comments online.

The bill, called the Internet Posting Removal Act, is sponsored by Illinois state Sen. Ira Silverstein. It states that a “web site administrator upon request shall remove any comments posted on his or her web site by an anonymous poster unless the anonymous poster agrees to attach his or her name to the post and confirms that his or her IP address, legal name, and home address are accurate.”

The bill, which does not ask for or clarify requirements from entities requesting the comment removal, would take effect 90 days after becoming law.

Pseudonymous and anonymous comments have long been a critical part of U.S. public discourse, though, and the bill may be on shaky legal ground.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) noted on its website that the “right to anonymous speech is also protected well beyond the printed page.”

“Thus in 2002 the Supreme Court struck down a law requiring proselytizers to register their true names with the mayor’s office before going door-to-door,” wrote EFF, noting that the Supreme Court protects Internet commentary as it does pamphleteering.

The bill is part of a larger trend of lawmakers seeking to censor anonymous online speech.

Of course we must realize this is Illinois.  New York tried to pass a similar bill last year by establishment ‘Pubs. They failed.

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This last item needs no added comments. It speaks for itself. New Yorkers, the British are coming. Where is your militia?

Report: Prosecutors to pursue felony charges against ex-soldier for possessing high-capacity magazine

New York prosecutors will pursue felony criminal charges against retired special forces soldier Nathan Haddad, who was arrested in LeRay, New York in January for allegedly possessing five 30-round AR-15 magazines, according to conservative law blog Legal Insurrection.

Prosecutors had reportedly offered Haddad a plea bargain that would spare him jail time if he admitted to five misdemeanors, according to Legal Insurrection. But Haddad’s attorney told the blog that Haddad, who currently works at the Department of Defense, will not accept the deal.

It is unclear how Haddad was arrested or discovered with the magazines.

Haddad was deployed four times during his ten-year Army career, and was once injured during special forces training in South Korea. He was discharged in October 2010.

A website established to pay Haddad’s legal expenses has collected more than $35,000.

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Bu-Bye, Boehner

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It appears that the revolt in ‘Pub ranks in the House is growing.  This article appeared on Breitbart.com and confirms rumblings I’ve heard from other sources.

House Republicans Circulate Plan to Oust Boehner from Speakership

by Matthew Boyle 21 Dec 2012

Several conservative House Republican members are contemplating a plan to unseat Speaker John Boehner from his position on January 3, Breitbart News has exclusively learned. Staffers have compiled a detailed action plan that, if executed, could make this a reality.

The Republicans, both conservatives and more establishment members alike, are emboldened after the failure of Boehner’s fiscal cliff “Plan B” on Thursday evening. Dissatisfaction with Boehner is growing in the House Republican conference, but until now there hasn’t been a clear path forward.

Those members and staffers requested anonymity from Breitbart News at this time to prevent retaliation from Boehner similar to what happened to those four members who were purged from their powerful committee assignments a few weeks ago. Their expressed concern is that if Boehner knew who they were, his adverse reaction toward them would be much more brutal than losing committee assignments, such as a primary challenge in 2014 by a leadership-sponsored candidate.

The article continues on but it’s gratifying to read that those who can are taking action to remove that abomination from the Speakership. It’s long past time Boehner is removed from the Speaker’s office. He’s unfit to hold the office of Representative, too.

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Diane Feinstein is at it again. She wants another “assualt” weapons and high-capacity magazine ban as well as national registration of all firearms.

Stopping the spread of deadly assault weapons

In January, Senator Feinstein will introduce a bill to stop the sale, transfer, importation and manufacturing of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition feeding devises.

…

Following is a summary of the 2013 legislation:

  • Bans the sale, transfer, importation, or manufacturing of:

    • 120 specifically-named firearms
    • Certain other semiautomatic rifles, handguns, shotguns that can accept a detachable magazine and have one military characteristic
    • Semiautomatic rifles and handguns with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds

  • Strengthens the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban and various state bans by:Bans large-capacity ammunition feeding devices capable of accepting more than 10 rounds. 

    • Moving from a 2-characteristic test to a 1-characteristic test
    • Eliminating the easy-to-remove bayonet mounts and flash suppressors from the characteristics test
    • Banning firearms with “thumbhole stocks” and “bullet buttons” to address attempts to “work around” prior bans

  • Protects legitimate hunters and the rights of existing gun owners by:

    • Grandfathering weapons legally possessed on the date of enactment
    • Exempting over 900 specifically-named weapons used for hunting or sporting purposes and
    • Exempting antique, manually-operated, and permanently disabled weapons

  • Requires that grandfathered weapons be registered under the National Firearms Act, to include:

    • Background check of owner and any transferee;

    • Type and serial number of the firearm;

    • Positive identification, including photograph and fingerprint;

    • Certification from local law enforcement of identity and that possession would not violate State or local law; and

    • Dedicated funding for ATF to implement registration.

Fortunately, this bill will go nowhere in the House, unless John Boehner betrays us again.

 Gallup: Majority opposes ban on so-called ‘assault weapons’

Gallup poll, December 26, 2012, By:

A majority of Americans oppose a ban on so-called “assault weapons,” but do support stricter gun laws, according to the results of a new USA Today/Gallup poll reported Wednesday.

According to USA Today, 51 percent of the respondents are against such a ban while 44 percent say they favor a ban. Fifty-eight percent support stricter gun laws, the newspaper reported, but also noted that 46 percent support enforcement of existing gun laws…

…

Essentially, banning so-called “assault weapons” is a dead-heat issue that has not gained any traction.

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Feinstein’s attack on the 2nd Amendment has had some unintended consequences—a run on AR-style rifles, large capacity magazines and ammo. One nationally-known supplier, Brownells,  sold 3 1/2 years worth of magazines in 72 hours.

Top Ammo Supplier Sells 3 1/2 Years Worth Of Assault Rifle Magazines In 72 Hours

By Kim Bhasin | Business Insider – Wed, Dec 26, 2012 10:33 AM EST

Firearm accessories supplier Brownells says that it’s experiencing “unprecedented” sales of magazines.

Brownells has sold 3 1/2 years worth of PMAG magazines in just 72 hours, according to a statement posted from the company’s official account on gun owner forum AR-15.com.

It also says that it has sold “an even greater amount” of its own Brownells magazines.

PMAGs, manufactured by Magpul, are used with AR-15/M4/M16 compatible weapons.

“Its rugged design has made it as one of the top performers in the small-arms accessory arena,  according to combat veterans who credit the PMAG with drastically improving the reliability of the M4,” writes Matthew Cox at Military.com.

…

Here’s the full statement from Brownell, attributed to the president of the family-owned company Pete Brownell:

Hey Guys,

I wanted to take a minute to shed some insight on the magazine situation if i can. First of all I wanted to offer an apology for the situation that Pacs and anyone else encountered with magazines being “In-Stock” and Backordered moments later. Cedjunior had it correct, the demand for magazines actually exceeded the ability for the system to keep up with the volume that was being ordered. They way that our website works is that inventory is fed from our ERP system directly into the website in “real-time”. Unfortunately, “real-time” is the amount of time that it takes for the transactions to work both ways. During normal circumstances, it is nearly instant. However, we’ve been receiving orders at such a pace that these transactions have gotten slower. We absolutely apologize again, we definitely don’t want that ever to be your experience. 

To shed some more light on the magazine situation at present, it really has been unprecedented in the last 5 days. (Edit – Sorry guys, meant 72 hour period) we sold the “average demand” equivalent of about 3 1/2 years worth of PMAGS, and an even greater amount of our Brownells magazines. We’re working like crazy to get these orders to you as quickly as possible. 

We’re working directly with Magpul daily to forecast out the next couple of months deliveries. Magpul is focusing their efforts on the BLACK magazines, so we’re limiting backorders to only Black for now. 

On the Brownells 30 and 20 round magazines, we’re still flowing those into the system daily, and are producing those at 100% capacity as well. We ordered more material yesterday that will allow us to up production again in the coming weeks. 

Our apologies for the delays! We’ll keep working as hard as possible to get these going and will keep you updated always. Let us know if we can do anything at all. – Pete Brownell

Ironically, despite the headline, Brownell’s is known best for selling gun parts, components and supplies, much less so for ammunition.

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Hello, World!

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The world did not come to an end this morning. To quote Gomer Pyle, “Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!”

I should not be surprised some people were so gullible to swallow this end of the world prophecy. It just proves that idiots aren’t limited to and don’t work only in Washington, DC.

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Boehnor’s “Plan B” flopped. It was withdrawn unexpectantly last night when House ‘Pub leaders realized they didn’t have enough votes for passage. According to some sources, Boehner is in danger of losing his Speakership. To counter these reports, Boehner and his surrogates are touring the media outlets this morning denying the danger. It makes you wonder if there was no danger, why is Boehner, et. al., going to so much trouble denying it?

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Amid reports and rumors of the bad old days of the assault weapons ban, Wal-Mart sold out of their stock of AR type rifles and their magazines in a several mid-western states including Kansas. Another well-known supplier of firearm components exhausted their supply of magazines as well.

Brownells, the world’s largest supplier of firearms, has reportedly sold three-and-a-half years worth of magazines in just seventy-two hours. — CNS News.

It’s enough to make me consider getting a second AR. Perhaps a M4 style this time.

Irony of Gun ControlGovernor Cuomo of New York says the state is “considering” gun confiscation and more gun control. The libs may think they could do that in New York, although I think they’ll have strong resistance in the northern and western portions of the state. It wouldn’t fly anywhere else outside of the Rust Belt and the Left Coast. There’s a reason why Molon Labe is well known throughout the country.

The libs continue to forget that SCOTUS has declared the 2nd Amendment is a personal right. That ruling also blocks any confiscation scheme the libs may devise. You can’t have a right if the state removes the tools of that right from the people.

On the other hand, the dems and liberal groups don’t let a small thing like the Constitution stand in the way of their plans to seize more and more power at the expense of our liberty.

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Milestones in History

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A couple of political icons died this week. Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) died on Monday of this week. Judge Robert Bork died early yesterday, Wednesday.

Daniel Inouye has held elected office from Hawaii since the islands became a state in 1959.

As a teenager, Daniel Inouye saw the Japanese bombers over Pearl Harbor and was one of the Japanese-Americans who volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most decorated Army unit in history.

He lost an arm in combat in Italy in April 1945, less than a month before Germany surrendered, and in the army hospital met Bob Dole, whose arm was shattered the same month.

Inouye was elected Hawaii’s first congressman when it was admitted to the Union in 1959, becoming the first Japanese-American member of Congress. He won his Senate seat in 1962 and died 17 days short of serving 50 years. — Washington Examiner.

Judge Robert Bork gained notoriety during his political rape when he was nominated to the US Supreme Court by Ronald Reagan in 1987.

President Ronald Regan nominated Bork to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987. In a 58-to-42 vote, the Senate rejected his nomination — it was by one of the widest margins in U.S. history. 

Republicans have long said his defeat was a completely partisan move and have said Bork was one of the greatest conservative figures in history. — Fox News.

While Inouye and Bork came from opposite ends of the political spectrum, no one can deny their personal integrity—a quality not found in most politicians today…especially those who migrate to Washington, DC.

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The dems and other leftists are screaming for a return of the “Assault” weapons ban and to “large capacity clips” as well. In other words, a return to the bad old days of Clinton when insanity led the political mainstream and we almost lost our 2nd Amendment rights. There has been a lot of progress in the last decade affirming those rights but the Supreme Court left gaping holes in it by declaring “reasonable” regulations were acceptable…and never defined what “acceptable” meant.

It should be noted that Connecticut has an existing Assault weapons ban in force. One more stringent than the Clinton-era ban. The Bushmaster rifle found at the Newtown school was purchased legally and was a legal configuration under that Connecticut law.

The left wants us to emulate the UK and Australia. First by banning semi-automatic weapons. The definition includes the large majority of handguns as well as self-loading rifles and shotguns and later, perhaps banning almost all firearms as has happened in the UK.

One example of semi-automatic gun control is Australia. Their plan included a buy-back program as well as banning the ownership and possession of the offending weapons. While a buy-back program will remove some weapons from civilian hands, an outright banning on owning and the possessing existing semi-automatic weapons would NOT go well with the vast majority of Americans.  Molon Labe is a concept not foreign to the gun-owning segment of Americans.

More likely we’ll see a permanent return of a Clinton-era ban. One without an expiration date. The libs learned that lesson well. And with the ban will come more growth of militarized police and further entrenchment of the police state.

If you’ve ever thought of owning a weapon. Buy it now. Buy and stockpile ammo now. I have no confidence the ‘Pubs in Washington will fight this new gun ban law. The ‘Pub establishment has proven they are no better than the dems.

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Cass County Candidate Forum #3 and other items

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The third Cass County Candidate Forum was held last night. This time it was only the six Commission candidates and the two for Sheriff. There were some minor difficulties. First the sound system failed. That happened at the first forum held at the same location. Second the moderator used a timer app on his phone. The “Bell” was too faint for some to hear. Other than that it all went smoothly.

At first I tried to note my impression of each individual. I came up with some labels: The Conservative, The Pro, Slick, Legal Eagle, Snake-oil Man, Bureaucrat, The Politician. I couldn’t come up with a name for the 8th that could be printed.

There wasn’t anything new that I could determine.  Jeff Cox set the tone. His goals were fiscal responsibility, setting spending priorities, building the emergency fund, and forcing transparency in the Commission’s activities by creating a video archive/streaming video of all Commission meetings with using the internet to publish the working packets and documents for everyone to review. In essence, to duplicate public access methods used by Raymore and Belton.

Cox’s opponent and the other candidates essentially repeated those points. Terry Wilson spoke after Jeff Cox and said, “I agree with Jeff.” He didn’t add anything to Jeff’s comments. My thought was if all he was doing was copying Jeff Cox’s ideas, why bother with Terry Wilson—go with the originator of those ideas.

Terry Wilson has been in office as the appointed Presiding Commissioner since May of this year. The transparency initiatives brought up by Jeff Cox aren’t complicated nor all that expensive. If Terry Wilson is in favor of them, why hasn’t he already implemented some of them? The same applies to South Commissioner Luke Scavuzzo who was appointed in January after the resignation of Commissioner Bill Cook.

Talk is cheap. Actions show intentions. Neither Wilson nor Scavuzzo have acted and that shows they’re just giving lip-service to transparency.

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The UN has decided they are going to intrude in our Federal election. I’m surprised Obama hasn’t already invited them. He’s their bud.

The Texas Attorney-General, on the other hand, has a contrary view.

Attorney General Abbott Tells International Election Observers to Abide by Texas Election Laws

Texas AG says Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has no jurisdiction over Texas elections

AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today advised the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe — a United Nations partner — that groups and individuals from outside the United States do not have jurisdiction to interfere with Texas elections. The Attorney General’s letter comes after the international group — comprised of 56 members including EU nations and other countries—announced they would be sending election observers to sites throughout the United States, including Texas, on Election Day.

The UN and the EU are in Obama’s hip-pocket. The only election violations will come from the dems. Having the UN and EU rubber-stamp dem election fraud does no one any good.

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My, my! The White House was notified within hours of the Benghazi attack according to internal State Department e-mails. Yet, Obama and the White House continued to blame some obscure 10-minute video as the cause for over two weeks.

White House told of militant claim two hours after Libya attack: emails

WASHINGTON | Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:11pm EDT

(Reuters) – Officials at the White House and State Department were advised two hours after attackers assaulted the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11 that an Islamic militant group had claimed credit for the attack, official emails show.

The emails, obtained by Reuters from government sources not connected with U.S. spy agencies or the State Department and who requested anonymity, specifically mention that the Libyan group called Ansar al-Sharia had asserted responsibility for the attacks.

The brief emails also show how U.S. diplomats described the attack, even as it was still under way, to Washington.

You can find the complete story at the website.

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Reality bites

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We, the remaining conservatives in the nation, received a wake-up call last week.  It wasn’t one we wanted. It rang nonetheless.

We no longer have a Constitution-ruled government. We also no longer have a republic.  Our representatives to Congress have no power. The Government can pick and choose which law it will uphold and which criminal acts it will ignore.  The states are no longer sovereign and the government can tax anything it chooses. There are no longer any restraints on the government’s taxing authority.

Not a good picture is it? Before Obama we were a nation governed by law. Before Roberts, we had protection under the Constitution. We now have neither.

Reality Bites!

What do we have left? Political power. Total control of the government just like the libs have control now.  It is important to understand that we cannot go back to those ideals of the Founders. As Obama has proven, if the Congress enacts something the Executive does not like, he can ignore it and refuse to enforce it — like DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, or like blocking voter fraud as in the case of voter intimidation by the Black Panthers. The Panthers were found guilty. Obama, through Eric Holder dropped the case before sentencing.

The courts are no longer arbiters of law. As Roberts has proven, the Court can be influenced…manipulated by the media and the Executive. Obama’s warning to Roberts and the other Justices are examples.  From emerging reports, those threats, like those from Senator Leahy, were effective.

Not a pretty picture is it? No, that is now our reality. Political power.  There is an other option if push comes to shove. We really don’t want to go there but we must recognize the reality of the times. We once had ideals. We lost. Now we must be realists if we want to retain any of our remaining liberty.

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