Thursday, December 4, 2014

This Regulation Has Chuck Schumer Talking Like a Tea Partier

 
Daily Signal   "Sen. Chuck Schumer (D–N.Y.) has amassed the most liberal voting record in the U.S. Senate, according to National Journal. Yet, when it comes to Washington regulators, even he is willing to speak out against the Obama administration.

“ 'Sometimes Washington does things that make the rest of America scratch their heads in wonderment and say, ‘What the heck are they doing down there?’ ' ”...

Related:   How Obama Is Strangling the Economy in Red Tape  "Regulation: It’s a mostly hidden drain on the economy—and a favorite of the Obama administration.

"It affects all of our lives—and wallets—yet rarely makes headlines. Why? It’s complex; it’s constant; and the sheer volume of regulations is stunning.

"Heritage experts James Gattuso and Diane Katz have just updated their one-of-a-kind report on the Obama administration’s unrelenting use of regulation to push its policy agenda. Check out our new infographic to see how this presidency compares to the previous one, and what it’s costing us." ...

[Watch] NYPD cop in Eric Garner chokehold death not indicted. Commentaries



"I couldn’t agree more with the following statement from Charles Krauthammer said. “The timing is unfortunate,” he said. “This has no connection with what happened in Ferguson. From looking at the video, the grand jury’s decision here is totally incomprehensible. It looks as if at least they might have indicted him on something like involuntary manslaughter, at the very least. The guy actually said, ‘I can’t breathe,’ which ought to be a signal that the guy was unarmed, and the crime was as petty as they come … He was selling loose cigarettes, which is in and of itself almost absurd that someone has to die over that,' ”
 
From the NY Times

This from The Volokh Conspiracy: Will the Justice Department expeditiously investigate Eric Garner death? Mike Brown’s?

"I want to focus on the Attorney General’s promise that the Garner investigation will be “expeditious.”  Sadly, the Department’s track record in recent highly-publicized cases — i.e., the Michael Brown case and particularly the Trayvon Martin case — does not inspire confidence. We still have no decision from the department about whether it will file federal charges in these cases even after it appears that it has collected all significant evidence." ...

Andrew C. McCarthy: The grand jury may have gotten it wrong.
 
 

... "In any event, others counter that Garner could be heard repeatedly telling the police he could not breathe. While this actually undercuts the claim that a banned chokehold was used (since, if it had been, Garner would have had great difficulty speaking so audibly), Garner’s pleas suggest that the police used excessive force — a problem that makes the chokehold debate nearly irrelevant. In the absence of any apparent threat to the police, critics forcefully ask, shouldn’t Pantaleo have stopped whatever hold was being applied?" ...

..."But it’s not that simple. Carefully examined, the ME’s homicide finding may have hurt more than helped the argument for indictment." ... (Emphases in the original)

The Actual Facts of The Eric Garner Case  "Unlike the Michael Brown killing in Ferguson, Missouri, there is excellent cause for concern here. But that concern does not mean that facts of the case ought to become irrelevant."

 Why my Staten Island isn't Ferguson ... "Most of us feel compassion and sorrow for Eric Garner's family and I am just as perplexed by the outcome of the Grand Jury. I am encouraged by their statements that far from inciting violence like Michael Brown's relatives, they are simply expressing their sorrow, disappointment and shock. There will probably be legal recourses that they can pursue and I expect them to take them. There is definite evidence that the NYPD and EMT were negligent in responding to Mr. Garner's medical emergency. There are idiot cops on Staten Island but most of them do the best they can do in preserving the Island's reputation for safety and low crime." ...

Political Cartoons by Gary McCoy

Eric Holder And His Little Racially-Tinged Federal Civil Rights Investigations  "It is obvious that holder and the Obama administration are trying to make a white-on-black violence case, but where is the outrage, and where is the federal investigation into the  2012 shooting death of a white man, who was killed by a black police officer in Mobile, Alabama?"

Thomas Lifson: Grand jury does not indict NYPD cop in death of Eric Garner; Mayor de Blasio blames 'racism'   ... " Owing to availability of the internet video showing the choke hold, many commentators across the ideological spectrum, including Fox News’s Greta Van Susteren, Andrew Napolitano, and Charles Krauthammer, expressed shock, with many expecting an indictment for at least negligent homicide or involuntary manslaughter.  But the grand jury transcripts remain sealed, so we don’t know what medical evidence was heard relating to the cause of death (Garner was obese and suffered from asthma), nor do we know what else was presented to them." 

Elsa, Kate Middleton, and Us; Wendy Shalit talks about modesty today, 15 years after A Return to Modesty.

NRO
"In Disney’s animated feature Frozen, princess Elsa’s magical snow-making powers are unfurled as her dress melts into a tight evening gown — flashing her thigh and emphasizing her breasts — as she sashays into her new ice castle and belts out her ballad of empowerment, ‘Let It Go.’”
 
"This is but one example Wendy Shalit points to of how “the expectation to look sexy” is “foisted on children” before anyone ever has the chance to explain sex “as a powerful force and something to look forward to.' ”
"...The executive director of the California NOW chapter defended the Girls Gone Wild videos because, she said, “Flashing your breasts on Daytona Beach says, ‘I’m not a good girl.’” Since these videos exploit young women to such a degree, this statement was a bit surprising, but the thinking was, “At least these girls weren’t covering up and being modest!” In their minds, that would have been the bigger crime. We now have a whole generation of parents who are literally scared to tell their pre-teen daughters not to wear something that’s inappropriate to a family gathering..." 
bikini-burka

These 31 Builders Made Mistakes That Will Leave You BAFFLED. Ridiculously Hilarious.

Viral Nova  " No, these aren't pictures from inside of a funhouse. These are real-life building disasters that somehow made it from architect to contractor without anyone noticing. (That is, until someone tried to use a set of stairs that led literally nowhere.) Check out all 31 - how did anyone let this happen?!"

#8: Someone didn't think the aerial view through first:

 
 
 

Ugly Christmas Sweater Suits Are Here and They Must Be Stopped

"Taking "hideous" to a whole new level."

Esquire  via Ann Althouse

"Now that Christmas is upon us, stylish people everywhere are forced to endure the eye-burning sensation known as the "Ugly Christmas Sweater." But for some, the "Ugly Christmas Sweater" is just not ugly enough. They want to take clothing choices to unprecedented levels of ugliness, a stage of ugliness so high that it can no longer even be considered ironic. And for those people, Shinesty.com is now offering a solution: the Ugly Christmas Suit."
.

Country Superstar Garth Brooks Pledges Undying Love And Support For Obama

Now The End Begins   "Grammy award-winning singer Garth Brooks told CNSNews.com that he “fully” supports President Barack Obama and that it must be “hell” serving as President of the United States.

"Before his performance at the Points of Light Institute’s ceremony honoring former President George H. W.  Bush at the Kennedy Center on Monday, Brooks was asked if President Obama has lived up to his expectations."
 
 

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

17 States Sue Obama for Executive Amnesty

Legal Insurrection

abbott fox news
 
"Texas Governor-Elect Greg Abbott is leading a 17-state coalition in a lawsuit challenging the legality of President Obama’s plan to grant executive amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants currently residing within our borders.

"There are three main parts to the lawsuit: first, that Obama’s Executive Action violates the power-limiting “Take Care” Clause of the Constitution; second, that the Administration ignored required rulemaking procedures; and third, that if allowed to go into effect, the order will “exacerbate the humanitarian crisis along the southern border, which will affect increased state investment in law enforcement, health care and education.”

"Both Texas Governor Rick Perry and Governor Elect Abbott have experience dealing with both the problems illegal immigration presents to the country, and suing the Executive over federal overreach.

"Via the Associated Press:" ...

The cost of Ferguson; false witnesses, thugs, and fear

The Real Racist Conspiracy In Ferguson   ... "Obama did not specify what problems he wanted to discuss. Nor did he explain why Ferguson's issues were America's. But the largest lie was the notion that "communities of color" don't make problems up.

"Because in Ferguson, that's precisely what a community of color did." ...

..."Some 16 witnesses testified that Brown's hands were up when he was shot, which was factually false according to the autopsy. Another 12 witnesses said that Wilson shot Brown from behind -- again, false according to the autopsy. One witness testified that Wilson used both a Taser and a gun -- false. Another said that Brown had kneeled before Wilson shot him. When confronted with the fact that the physical evidence made such an account impossible, the witness acknowledged he hadn't seen the event... "

Political Cartoons by Glenn McCoy

Owner of Dellwood Market in Ferguson: I Won’t Rebuild – I Don’t Feel Safe (Video)
"Don Surber had some unsolicited advice for business owners in Ferguson, Missouri, this week: “Do not bother rebuilding.”
Your customers do not want you. They tore up your stores — twice. And after one of them robbed a store. These are not protests. They are pogroms aimed at the middle class. Take the insurance money and run.
Police officers, too, should leave. Why risk a criminal trial or worse for doing your job?
Homeowners, too. Black, white, Asian, Hispanic — it does not matter. You are middle class. They do not want you. Leave.
"Via Gateway Pundit,   at least one shop owner has decided to do just that. Mumtaz Lalani told Sean Hannity Tuesday night that he will not be rebuilding his store after being looted three times in three months.
Sean Hannity shared new video of the dozens of looters, young black men, pouring into the Dellwood Market after the grand jury released its decision last week.
Mr. Lalani said that it cost him between $50,000 and $100,000 to rebuild and restock after each time the store was looted.
"Lalani said he was leaving Ferguson because he no longer feels safe in his own neighborhood." ...
Political Cartoons by Glenn McCoy
 
Jaleel Tariq Abdul-Jabbaar Actually Arrested For Threatening To Kill Darren Wilson And His Family  "I’m actually quite shocked that this happened considering Obama and Eric Holder’s decidedly anti-cop/pro-Ferguson protestors stance, but the feds have actually charged a piece of human garbage for threatening to kill Darren Wilson and his family. A Washington State thug was arrested today for making repeated threats on the former officer’s life."

Coulter on BLACK PEOPLE THE MEDIA HATE (AND RAND PAUL ISN'T WILD ABOUT)

Michael Ramirez Cartoon

Ann Coulter  "Now that the Ferguson grand jury documents have been made public, even MSNBC has had to quietly drop its fantasy of Michael Brown being gunned down like a dog in the street by Officer Darren Wilson. Instead, MSNBC is defending the looters.

"On Monday night, MSNBC's Chris Hayes objected to anyone referring to the people who "set fires or looted as 'thugs.'"

"His guest, former Seattle chief of police Norm Stamper, said, "I could not agree more." (Stamper did such a bang-up job dealing with the World Trade Organization riots in 1999 that he was forced to resign -- which may explain why he is the left's favorite police chief.)

"Hardworking black people in Ferguson poured their lives into their stores, depended on them to support their families and shopped at them to improve their quality of life. I wonder if they appreciated Hayes' principled opposition to calling the arsonists "thugs."

"Instead of exquisite sensitivity to the feelings of black thugs, how about considering the feelings of black citizens who want to live in safe neighborhoods? .....  Full article

Coulter refers above to her book from 2012: Mugged: Racial Demagoguery from the Seventies to Obama  Excerpt from this book: 
... "It took the O. J. Simpson verdict—the race-based acquittal of a spectacularly guilty black celebrity as blacks across America erupted in cheers—to shut down the white guilt bank.
 
"But now, fewer than two decades later, our “pos­tracial” president has returned us to the pre-OJ era of nonstop racial posturing. A half-black, half-white Democrat, not descended from American slaves, has brought racial unrest back with a whoop.
 
"The Obama candidacy allowed liberals to engage in self-righteousness about race and get a hard-core Leftie in the White House at the same time. In 2008, we were told the only way for the nation to move past race was to elect him as president. And 53 percent of voters fell for it."

Snap Judgement

Hope n' Change  " Hope n' Change is so honked off (or is it honkied off?) about the totally artificial and unnecessary race war being drummed up by the Obama administration, the media, the race hustlers and liberal anarchists that we've got three cartoons today..." 
obama, obama jokes, political, humor, cartoon, conservative, hope n' change, hope and change, stilton jarlsberg, ferguson, michael brown, police, hands up, stained glass
 
..."Meanwhile, we're sick of the narrative about Michael Brown being a "gentle giant" who was brutally murdered before he was able to find a cure for cancer, write the Great American Novel, or sign a multi-million dollar contract with the Rams.

"The security video on which the above cartoon is based makes it entirely clear that Brown was a huge, thieving bully. The Grand Jury found that he was the aggressor in his final confrontation with the law. He was no saint...and frankly, no great loss to society." ...

Subject: Thanks Eric Holder

"Ever wonder where all of these "activist groups" showing up in places like Ferguson get ... money to carry out their protests - well wonder no more."

The entire article is printed here:

"
AP headline: "DOJ To Give Money From Bank Of America Settlement To Liberal Activist
Groups
.  
 The Obama administration's Department of Justice, headed by Eric Holder..... is giving liberal activist groups money from a $16.6 billion settlement with Bank of America.
The groups benefitting from the lawsuit, according to Investor’s Business Daily, are the National Council of La Raza*, Operation Hope, National Community Reinvestment Coalition, and Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America . The money also went to “delinquent borrowers”
in Chicago , Oakland , Detroit , Philadelphia , and other major “Democrat strongholds.”
“This is a wealth redistribution scheme disguised as a lawsuit,” Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, told The Daily Caller. “And who benefits from the distribution? Interest groups the administration relies on, outside interest groups, allies and politicians in communities trying to
benefit as well.”
This is part of an ongoing scheme in which the DOJ puts the money it has gotten from bank settlements in a slush fund and then funneled the money to liberal groups. Judicial Watch points out that liberal groups — many of which are the same ones benefiting from this lawsuit — also received
money from multi-billion settlements from JP Morgan Chase and Citibank, as well as a $335 million settlement from Countrywide Financial Corporation.
“What we need is an honest Justice Department run by people who make a commitment to the rule of law rather using their power to extort and benefit more government and their political allies.” Fitton said. “This is no better than Tammany Hall.”

*“You have La Raza that’s getting money, their former head is at the White House in a top position whose funding from the feds has gone up immensely under the Obama administration,” Fitton said.
View image on Twitter
Hat tip to Robert Hope, Sacramento, CA

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Incompetent...or insidious?

flood
 
First off, in 2013 Salon Magazine called stories of this President's incompetence "a myth".  "Excuse me if I sit out this round of hyperventilating over President Obama’s alleged “incompetence” on matters ranging from the Affordable Care Act roll out to the NSA spying scandal. Because we just played this game last spring." ...
 

Kafkaesque Governance ; "Increasingly, the federal government relies on arbitrary decisions rather than actual laws."
 "Take the Affordable Care Act. When then–House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters that “we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it,” it was not a one-off comment. Then came the exemptions, and then more exemptions. Along the way, the Obama administration dealt in back rooms, fumbled on religious liberty, and “suspended indefinitely” the long-term-care program that was projected to bring in $86 billion over its first decade — helping supporters claim the ACA would be a budget-saver — before losing money indefinitely."

‘Does Obama Have an Adult Relationship with the Truth?’  "He was allowed to get away with that gigantic load of BS. I rather enjoyed watching him squirm while being (at least) questioned about an obvious lie – but watching the media allow him to get away with it – instead of raising the firestorm of disapproval his countless campaign lies deserved – was decidedly less enjoyable.]"

No room at White House meeting for Ferguson PD, but guy named 'T-Dubb-O' advises POTUS on police-'community' relations   "Priorities, priorities.  The president who promised to “bring us together” has thrown in his lot with racial agitator Al Sharpton (with blood on his hands from Freddy’s Fashion Mart) and rap artists like “T-Dubb-O,” who offered this policy insight:" ...   Read on...

"Pressed to explain Bell's qualifications for the diplomatic position, the president's spokesman was unable to speak in specifics this afternoon, eventually citing her experience in the private sector as the reason she was selected." ...
Administration Exploits Ferguson to Undermine Race Relations and Rule of Law  ... "Isn't President Obama, by depicting Brown as a victim, undermining the grand jury in this case specifically and law enforcement and the justice system in general? Isn't he fomenting further distrust between the black community and law enforcement when it isn't warranted in this case? By taking this position, isn't he exacerbating racial tensions rather than helping to heal them?"
 
 Michael Ramirez Cartoon