Which politicians own these houses?

Campus Reform   "Hillary Clinton has vowed to be a champion for “everyday Americans.”

"The former Secretary of State—who once described herself and husband Bill Clinton as “dead broke”—kicked off her campaign on June 13 and in her 45-minute speech on New York City’s Roosevelt Island, Clinton delivered a message similar to her initial presidential announcement.

“ 'Americans have fought their way back from tough economic times,” Clinton said in the video announcement on April 12. “But the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top.”

"So what do Millennials think of a candidate who criticizes the “1 percent,” but simultaneously owns multi-million dollar properties in Washington, D.C. and New York and spends her summers in the Hamptons? Campus Correspondent Cabot Phillips took to the streets of our nation’s capitol to find out in Campus Reform’s debut of “Candidate’s Cribs.' ”

Hat tip to Rush Limbaugh who discussed this at length . . . "So here's Campus Reform, a poster board on an easel, four or five mansions, anywhere from five to $15 million, asking random Millennial passersby, who owns them?  They all think either Marco Rubio or Ben Carson.  One person said George Bush.  None of them guessed Hillary Clinton. And when they were told that Hillary owned all of them, they could not believe it.  And then learned that in February 2014 Hillary demanded 275 grand for a 10-minute speech at the University of Missouri Kansas City. " . . .

. . . "But, by the same token, Mrs. Clinton and her husband, Bill, it was shocking. You could have dropped a bomb on these people.  They could not believe it, even after they were told.  Some of them didn't want to believe it.  It didn't compute.  Here's a companion story from the Washington Post: "When the University of Missouri at Kansas City was looking for a celebrity speaker to headline its gala luncheon marking the opening of a women’s hall of fame, one of the names that came to mind was Hillary Rodham Clinton.' " . . .

At ONLY $65,000 for a 10 minute speech, Chelsea the ‘Discount Clinton’ is the choice of fiscally responsible colleges

 

Twitchy   " For colleges that want the star power of a Clinton, but don’t want to pay full price, the solution is easy … hire Chelsea instead! She’s a bargain at only $65,000 for an hour’s worth of work (10 minute talk, 20 minute Q and A, 30 minutes posing for photos):"

 

EPA Gets Another Much-Needed Smackdown From The Courts

 

Investor's Business Daily  . . . "The latest case involves an EPA rule requiring coal plants to cut back mercury emissions. With annual compliance costs of more than $9 billion, it was one of the agency's most expensive rules.

"Even though the rule would provide only about $9 million in health benefits, the EPA still ignored the cost side of the equation. Only this agency would spend $9 billion for just $9 million in benefits." . . .

"It's up to a federal appeals court to decide the final fate of the rule. Too bad many coal plants have already spent billions or closed in anticipation of the rule.

"This case is just the latest sign of how out of control the EPA is. Back in 2012, an appeals court chucked rules limiting sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, saying the agency had overstepped its bounds." . . .

EPA Loses at SCOTUS—but is Damage Already Done?. . . "Despite the victory, it may have come at a cost that is too late to recover. The rule went into place several years ago and the impact has taken its toll:

Since 2012, when the EPA finished its mercury rule, at least 58 coal-burning power plants have partially or entirely shut down, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That has taken more than 16,000 megawatts of capacity offline, enough to power roughly 16 million homes.

"The decision also looks like it will cause further rifts between the Obama administration and Congress . . ."

11 Native American Tribes, Including The Two Largest, Prohibit Gay Marriage

CNS News   Tribal laws of the two largest Native American tribes in the United States prohibit gay marriage, as do the laws of nine other smaller tribes.
The Navajo and Cherokee Nations, the first and second largest tribes respectively, together have about 600,000 members. The nine smaller tribes that ban gay marriage have another 350,000 members. These tribes all either define marriage as between a man and a woman or explicitly prohibit same-sex marriage, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Since 2011, six of the eleven tribes revisited and upheld their preexisting legal definitions of marriage as between a man and a woman, AP researchers found.
Due to their status as sovereign nations, these 11 tribes will not need to change their marriage laws, which govern nearly one million tribal members. . . 
Right:  "Navajo Wedding," by Mike Larsen, circa 1980. (National Museum of the American Indian).

Hillary Gump

Victor Davis Hanson

Forrest Gump usually had a positive role to play at the hinges of fate; the equally ubiquitous Hillary Gump’s cameos have made history far worse.

 

. . . "Take the issue of government abuse, ethics, and public transparency. The modern locus classicus of government overreach was the Watergate scandal. Over forty years ago Hillary was there as a young legal intern purportedly advising the House Judiciary Committee during the congressional investigations. She was also reportedly let go by her superiors for unethical conduct — quis custodiet ipsos custodes?  From Watergate to Travelgate to Filegate to Whitewater to the current quid pro quos of the Clinton Foundation to her recent destruction of private emails and her private server while serving as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has been at or near lots of government scandals of the last half-century. Twenty years ago Hillary Clinton was brazenly evading federal law by hiding her legal records from a court-ordered subpoena for documents — in the same fashion that in 2015 she destroyed all traces of her email correspondence on her private server, in violation of State Department protocol and most likely federal law." . . .
Read the full article here.

 

Liberal Silliness 6/29/15

Pretty much what the Tunnel Dweller does now.

The Phrase “trigger warning” is now in itself also a trigger.  "Yes — now even trigger warnings need trigger warnings. According to the Feminist Internet, the phrase“trigger warning” is now in itself also a trigger.
. . .  "And the thing that makes even less sense here (yes, that is possible) is that Everyday Feminism’s “content warning” uses the word “trigger” — not just once, but twice!

 Content Warning: This article discusses triggering in detail and mentions common topics of triggering (sexual assault, anxiety, health anxiety, depression, death, non-specific fears and phobias).

 

Farm couple sued for discrimination say they were 'set up' . . . " How can there be "pain and suffering" if the plaintiffs knew full well the outcome of their request?"

 Obama on gay marriage then and now.   . . .  "As Ace points out, most people feel a certain amount of shame in a situation like this but Obama isn’t most people. He’s a lying political opportunist of the highest order. Watch and compare…"
That was then...  and  this is now.

 

A Mosque Raised Thousands To Help A Catholic Church That Was Vandalized

 "What better time than Ramadan for a story about helping out a neighbour in need."

Buzzfeed   "In May, the statue of Jesus in front of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Mississauga, Ont. was desecrated — its sacred heart and face blackened with paint, its fingers mangled."

 

"But it was only the latest act of vandalism at the Catholic church.

"Earlier this year, according to the Catholic Register, someone had previously broken in and ripped pages out of the Sacramentary book. In previous incidents, someone had defaced both the church and a nearby Catholic school with spray paint.

"That didn’t sit well with Hamid Slimi, imam of the nearby Sayeda Khadija Centre.
. . .
"Lando mentioned they needed funds to repair the damage and Slimi took that news back to the mosque.

"The mosque managed to raise $5,000 in a single day after Slimi mentioned the church’s plight at a Friday sermon.". . .

 

More at the link.

Barrying The Dead

 "Frankly, we don't think that it was God's plan to take advantage of these horrendous murders. We think that's more Mr. Obama's style."

 HopeNChangeCartoons

 

. . . "The president warmed up the crowd by reminding them "over the course of centuries, black churches served as hush harbors, where slaves could worship in safety. Praise houses, where their free descendants could gather and shout “Hallelujah.” Rest stops for the weary along the Underground Railroad. Bunkers for the foot soldiers of the civil-rights movement."

"All well and good - but it was only preamble. Knowing that there's no political hay to be made from a single racist lunatic acting alone, it was then necessary for the president to make this punk killer into something larger and more universal...

" "We do not know whether the killer of Reverend Pinckney and eight others knew all of this history, but he surely sensed the meaning of his violent act. It was an act that drew on a long history of bombs and arson and shots fired at churches, not random but as a means of control, a way to terrorize and oppress." . . . 

Family proud of son who captured Sweat

Press Republican  "Judy and Arlend Cook are beaming with pride. Their son, Sgt. Jay Cook, alone on patrol in a community he knew well, captured fugitive cop killer David Sweat."
“It’s been a very emotional day for our family," Judy said. "I still can’t believe it's over and nobody got hurt. We’re very proud of our son, and we’re very happy." Jay, who turned 47 on June 19, is a Burke native who has been with State Police for 21 years. “He’s not used to being shoved into the spotlight like this," said his mother, who was still feeling very emotional Sunday night. “He was a rover today, and he just happened to be in the right place at the right time. He’s very sharp," she said proudly. “He knows the area very well; he’s been patrolling the area for years. He saw a guy, and when he got a better look, he knew who it was," Judy said." . . .

Full article here.

UPDATED: Thanks to SCOTUS and Obama, what lies in store for us?

http://terrellaftermath.com/

The Volokh Conspiracy:  Of marriage and liberty – some thoughts on Justice Thomas’ Obergefell dissent  " Of the four dissenting opinions in today’s Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, Justice Clarence Thomas’ is by far the most interesting and compelling. Thomas effectively argues that state recognition of marriage cannot be a form of “liberty” protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because liberty only includes protection of individual rights against government interference, not the conferral of government benefits. His analysis has an important kernel of truth. But it ultimately fails to prove that laws banning same-sex marriage are constitutional." . . .Much more on this subject here: The Volokh Conspiracy

The Unlikely Turning Point in the Same Sex Marriage Battle . . . "So immune are our friends to history, they likely do not know who it is they have to thank for the accelerated transmutation of this highly unlikely idea into law. As I note in my forthcoming book, Scarlet Letters, if there were a Che Guevara in this movement, it was his hysterical homeboy, Perez Hilton." . . .

Post-SCOTUS Gay Marriage: Religious institution tax exemptions at risk. . . "Interestingly, Oppenheimer doesn’t argue for abolishment of tax exemptions as punishment for holding sacred the belief in traditional marriage. So why strip churches of their tax-exempt status? To redistribute the wealth, of course; use one social issue as a guise to push another, completely unrelated issue." . . .

Update: First published in the comments section, we post here now, this response by Robert Deffinbaugh of Richardson, TX, to the tax issue mentioned previously:

1. Without a doubt, there are some (too many) “churches” or “religious organizations” that are really just a tax dodge.  In other words, abuses of the non-profit exemption do occur, and this may tempt some to punish all, rather than to weed out the abusers.

2. There is a kind of “logic” to the argument put forward regarding taxing churches.  Churches and religious organizations get an advantage not granted others.  Others do pay for benefits we receive (but then, that is what welfare does as well – with few objections).  The apparent logic here may seem compelling, but. . .

3. The founding fathers (as I recall) believed that the power to tax was the power to control, and to destroy.  The church cannot truly be free from the state when and where the state has the power to tax it.  Our government can hardly be ignorant of this fact.  Note the ever-growing power of the IRS, and their efforts to hinder conservative organizations.  (And now, the IRS runs the health care system.)  The “good” of the people (health care) may become the tail that wags the dog, and thus in the name of “good” churches will be crippled, at best, or destroyed, at worst.  All of this turns “the separation of church and state” on its head.  The power to tax the church will be a key piece in any plan to abolish it.  The more the church is perceived as unloving and bigoted, the more the public will support taxing it.

4. Jesus taught that we should render to Caesar (government) that which belongs to Caesar, and to God that which belongs to Him (Matthew 22:21).  The apostle Paul instructed Christians to “pay their taxes” (Romans 13:7), so we need to be careful in all such matters, that we are not failing to submit to government by refusing to pay our taxes.  The real question before us is, “What taxes are legitimate in God’s sight?”  What does belong to Caesar?

5.  It is my personal opinion that we can expect the taxation of the church (and the removal of claiming contributions to the church as a tax exemption) to come soon, as a thinly veiled attack on the church of our Lord.

6. Other indirect forms of opposition and persecution should be anticipated.  Legal action based upon gender beliefs and practices, fire codes, etc.  All these, in my opinion, will be leveled at the church.

7. We should bear in mind that while such “less than direct” opposition may come about soon in our country, saints throughout church history (and around the world today) are not merely being taxed, they are being imprisoned and killed for naming our Lord as Savior.

8. The way we respond to such opposition is crucial, and a matter of obedience to Christ and the adornment of the gospel – see 1 Peter 2.

UPDATE 2: Obergefell v. Hodges and Tax Exemption for Churches . . . "Polycarp was martyred about 155 A.D.  He was first burned at the stake, and then stabbed to speed up his dying.
"According to the traditional account of his death, before his final ordeal the Roman official asked him, “What harm is there to say ‘Lord Caesar,’ and to offer incense, and all that sort of thing, to save yourself?' ”. . .

 His Church, no stranger to strife, was born in adversity. It grew from its courage to resist. It matured by failing to conform.  

Alan Caruba: a voice of calmness and wisdom silenced

"After spending most of his life in Maplewood, New Jersey, Caruba died in South Orange, New Jersey on June 15, 2015 days after returning from the Tenth International Conference on Climate Change, a climate change skeptics conference in Washington, D.C. On June 10 he published his last article in Heartlander Magazine, which said: "An entire generation has grown up and graduated from college since the first lies about global warming were unleashed. That’s how long Heartland and others have labored to present the truth. If the media fails to take notice of this week’s conference, you will know that the battle will continue for a long time to come."

Warning Signs   Excerpts from one of Caruba's last articles:  "Skeptics" Gather in D.C. 
"In March, the Gallup Poll revealed that “Although climate scientists have been in the news describing this winter as a strong signal that global warming is producing more extreme weather, Americans are no more likely today (55%) than in the past two years to believe the effects of global warming are occurring.”

 

 . . . "Without your knowing it, the nine conferences that preceded the current one have had a dramatic impact on your life and wallet. For one thing, you’re not being robbed by a “carbon tax” aimed at “reducing greenhouse gases.” On the other hand, you may be at risk of losing a coal-fired plant that provides your electricity if the Environmental Protection Agency is allowed to continue its vile attack on our energy resources." . . .

. . . "The Conference will honor some of the world’s leading “skeptics”—the alarmists call them “denier.” They include Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) as the winner of the Political Leadership on Climate Change Award, sponsored by the Heritage Foundation. My friend, Robert M. Carter, Ph.D. will receive Heartland’s Lifetime Achievement in Climate Science award. Others whom you may not have heard of include William Happer, Ph.D., David Legates, Ph.D., and Anthony Watts, all of whom have been on the front lines of the battle for the truth about the planet’s climate.

"An entire generation has grown up and graduated from college since the first lies about global warming were unleashed. That’s how long Heartland and others have labored to present the truth. If the media fails to take notice of this week’s conference, you will know that the battle will continue for a long time to come."

 His wisdom and friendship will be sorely missed . TD

Politico Writer Proclaims: It’s Time to Legalize Polygamy

Sweetness & Light   "At first glance we thought this (originally 2,219 word, 51 paragraph) article was a reductio ad absurdum argument against ‘same sex marriage.’ But it isn’t. It’s written by a long time proponent of polygamy, who welcomes the ‘slippery slope.’ In fact, he says it’s long overdue.

"From the Politico:

It’s Time to Legalize Polygamy

Why group marriage is the next horizon of social liberalism.
By FREDRIK DEBOER | June 26, 2015
Welcome to the exciting new world of the slippery slope… The question presents itself: Where does the next advance come? The answer is going to make nearly everyone uncomfortable: Now that we’ve defined that love and devotion and family isn’t driven by gender alone, why should it be limited to just two individuals?
The most natural advance next for marriage lies in legalized polygamy—yet many of the same people who pressed for marriage equality for gay couples oppose it…

"Remember how the media mocked conservatives who said this was next?" . . .

jessicalikescake.blogspot.com

Don't laugh; some people are discussing this seriously  . . . "And I wouldn't use the term "gay marriage," because no one will check whether the 2 women want to have sex with each other. 2 women could marry to obtain the economic benefits of the government's legal status of marriage. Why shouldn't 2 women marry to create a household within which they could manage childcare, file a joint tax return, and get better health insurance for the blended group?" . . .Althouse