Friday, April 03, 2015
"Diplomacy has brought war upon us"
The world powers assembled at Lausanne, Switzerland, with the representatives of the Islamic Republic may or may not reach a framework deal regarding Iran’s nuclear program. But succeed or fail, the disaster that their negotiations have unleashed is already unfolding. The damage they have caused is irreversible.
US President Barack Obama, his advisers and media cheerleaders have long presented his nuclear diplomacy with the Iran as the only way to avoid war. Obama and his supporters have castigated as warmongers those who oppose his policy of nuclear appeasement with the world’s most prolific state sponsor of terrorism.
But the opposite is the case. Had their view carried the day, war could have been averted.
Through their nuclear diplomacy, Obama and his comrades started the countdown to war.
In recent weeks we have watched the collapse of the allied powers’ negotiating positions.
They have conceded every position that might have placed a significant obstacle in Iran’s path to developing a nuclear arsenal.
Larwyn's Linx: Iran gains time, and splits the West, with another non-deal
Nation
Iran gains time, and splits the West, with another non-deal: J.E. DyerThe diplomatic track to war: Caroline Glick
Missing From the Iran Deal Announcement: Ballistic Missiles: CNS
This Culture War We're In: Sultan Knish
RFRA not like Jim Crow laws at all: Jonah Goldberg
Hidden Camera: Will Muslim Bakeries Make a Gay Wedding Cake?: Steven Crowder
Sen. Mike Lee rips SCOTUS, Congress for 'subversion' of Constitution: Paul Bedard
Memories Pizza Story Was Literally Fabricated Out of Nothing: Ace
Victim Shock Troops: Mona Charen
Obama lies about Iranian fatwa against nuclear weapons: RS
Hillary Clinton backs Obama's Iran deal: Politico
Iranians erupt with joy after nuclear deal: CNN
Economy
ISIS Panel at University of New Mexico: LL1885As Higher Minimum Wage Takes Effect In Seattle, Costs Rise: RWN
GE and America’s Corporate Bootleggers: Scott Rasmussen
Scandal Central
An Engineered Drought: Victor Davis HansonFederal Judge Hands Tea Party Huge Victory Against the IRS: Steven Ahle
No Criminal Charges For Lois Lerner Of IRS, Keeps Bonuses, Nice Retirement: Robert W. Wood
Media
Unexpectedly: Crime Rates Begin to Rise in Los Angeles: Jack DunphyPastor Cruz: ‘We Are on The Brink of The Destruction of This Country’: CNS
Ted Cruz Campaign Ad: “This is Our Fight” – Video 4/1/15: FreeLight
Meet America's ISIS pin up boy on The Americans With Charlie LeDuff: MyFoxDC
Obama's Nuclear Straw Man: Mark Steyn
Left Rejects Idea of Payback as the Motive for Menendez Indictment: Roger Aronoff
World
WaPo: Obama has Retreated From Previous Positions on Iranian Nukes: TowerBenjamin Netanyahu calls Iran nuclear deal a threat to Israel's survival: DailyMail
Iran Nuclear Deal: Cheering Crowds Greet Zarif in Tehran : NBC News
Northcom: Russian Cruise Missile Threat to U.S. Grows: Bill Gertz
Russia Ready to Sell S-300 Missiles to Iran if Sanctions Fall: Sputnik International
Russian ships in old Arctic NATO base set alarms bells ringing: Yahoo!
At least 147 students massacred at Christian college in Kenya: Rick Moran
British Home Secretary to Islamic Extremists: "The Game is Up": Soeren Kern
Rabbi Warns of Civil War in the United States: Eliyahu Berkowitz
Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)
Salesforce: loves doing business in gay-killing Saudi Arabia, hates doing it in Indiana: Moe LaneThe truth about Lyme disease: Anne Kingston (2014)
The Apple Watch as Bulls*** Filter? We Can Only Hope: Chris Maxcer
Cornucopia
Who Created This Mess Anyway?: MOTUSObama Resigns: AmDIgest
The Mystery of Barack Obama Continues | Obama Social Security Numbers: WJ
Image: Iranians erupt with joy after nuclear deal
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Isn't it time for a conservative candidate? Ted Cruz 2016: Official Site
QOTD: "What if you are an atheist who really objects to gay marriage? Must you still bake cakes for gay weddings, or will pro-shariah Muslim bakers be the only ones who can walk into court and ask to be excused from doing so..?
Do we respect a gay baker's right to choose not to bake a cake for the Westboro Baptist Church with icing that reads God Hates Fags?
Do we respect a fundamentalist Muslim baker's choice not to bake a cake for a bar mitzvah because she really is not crazy about the Star of David?" --Deroy Murdock
Thursday, April 02, 2015
UNEXPECTEDLY: Lois Lerner Skates
Scandal: The Justice Department says Lois Lerner, who used her IRS office to target the Tea Party, didn't waive her Fifth Amendment rights before Congress and won't be prosecuted for contempt over her missing emails.
Until former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is called to testify under oath before Congress about her multiple private email accounts on a personal server kept in her Chappaqua, N.Y., home, she won't get a chance to plead the Fifth Amendment as former IRS official Lois Lerner did in May 2013 before the House Oversight Committee regarding her division's targeting of Tea Party groups.Clinton, under this administration, will likely not fear or face any criminal prosecution for violating the Federal Records Act and doing her official business on that personal server now deliberately wiped clean of records she knew were under subpoena and the subject of Freedom of Information Act lawsuits.
But then, Lois Lerner, poster child for hard-drive crashes and missing emails, won't face charges for contempt of Congress either. After pleading her innocence at that 2013 hearing, Lerner went on to invoke her Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. This raised the question of whether the Constitution let her remain silent after she was not silent and pleaded her case.
OBAMA: If you like Iran without nuclear weapons, you can keep Iran without nuclear weapons
The new deal between Iran, the United States and its allies Thursday is a "historic understanding" that paves the way for a final agreement aimed at preventing Tehran from making nuclear weapons, President Obama said.
"If this framework leads to a final, comprehensive deal, it will make our country, our allies, and our world safer," Obama said at the White House.
Obama forcefully turned his 18-minute statement in the Rose Garden into a victory lap for his policies on Iran and the Middle East. He pledged to work with Congress and Israel, which are both skeptical of any deal with Iran, and with other nations to create a lasting agreement that negotiators have to reach by June 30.
Israel, the existence of which hangs in the balance, ain't convinced.
“Tomorrow night, Jews everywhere will sit down at Passover Seder and debate whether Israel and the Jewish people have been sold out by Europe, President Obama and those that agreed to make this deal with Iran,” said Nathan Diament, Executive Director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center. “President Obama said ‘If Iran cheats, the world will know it.’ People will be wondering – is that akin to ‘if you like your health insurance, you can keep it?’”
Short answer? Yes.
Hat tip: BadBlue News
Larwyn's Linx: Senator Robert Menendez Indicted, Lois Lerner Will Not Face Charges
Nation
Senator Robert Menendez Indicted, Lois Lerner Will Not Face Charges: Victory GirlsAbolish the IRS? Defiant Agency Chief Tells Congress to Shove It: Michael Walsh
Indiana Gets Support From an Unlikely Source: MagFarm
It’s The Christian Right’s Turn In The Closet: W. James Antle III
Indiana and the culture wars: Cal Thomas
Memories Pizza Place May Never Re-Open, Due to Death Threats: Ace
Granny Clinton’s Approval Ratings Have Fallen and Can’t Get Up: JWF
Hillary Clinton Makes It Hard to Follow the Money: Conor Friedersdorf
The Progressive Left Destroys People’s Lives: Glob
Fifty Shades of Iran Negotiations: Roger L. Simon
Tuesday feel good stories: This Ain't Hell
Immigration Advocates Rush to Menendez’s Defense: Emma Dumain
Economy
"This case is garbage. It’s a garbage case. It’s a RICO case that means nothing.": AlthouseWow. A Change.org petition worth signing.: Moe Lane
GOP Budget to Slash Spending And Repeal Dozens Of Costly Mandates!1!!1!: Ace
Scandal Central
Obama Adviser on Iran Worked for Pro-Regime Lobby: Jordah SchachtelBorder Patrol ignores illegals and begins harassing citizens: RS
23 arrested in massive Medicare-Medicaid fraud scheme: Rick Moran
Lifting the covers on ‘Obamoogle’: Tammy Bruce
IRS Says Abortions Are Eligible For A Tax Deduction: WZ
DOJ lets Lois Lerner off the contempt hook: LI
Media
Indiana Pizza Shop Gets Set Up By Local Reporter – Instantaneous National Moonbattery Ensues: TreehouseLiberal High School Coach Tweets That Christian Business Should be Burned Down: RWN
TV Reporter’s Cheap ‘Gotcha’ Story Incites Hate Mob Against Indiana Pizza Shop: R.S. McCain
Plagiarism is Not Cool: The XX Committee
Dear America: Stop Pretending To Be Offended By Everything: David Harsanyi
Indiana Gays and the Bakery of Doom: Mark Steyn
Trevor Noah Doesn’t Like Americans Either: Sara Noble
Why I am offended by Trevor Noah's intersex joke: Jude Knowles, women24
The New Yorker Calls GOP ‘Opportunistic’, ‘Fear-Mongering’ Over Iran Opposition: Steve Berman
World
President Obama Must Not Complete a Disastrous Deal With Iran: ObserverIran Refuses to Give Up Core Nuke Materials: Adam Kredo
Little late, dips****s: Jewish Democrats call on Obama to cool rhetoric against Netanyahu: JPost
Iranian forces advancing toward Israel's border in the Golan: James Lewis
Netanyahu: 'Unconscionable' that world talks with Iran as it calls for destruction of Israel: JPost
In future war, Hezbollah will fire 1,000 rockets a day, IDF predicts: Times of Israel
Egypt Bashes US Reluctance To Support War On Terrorism: Lid
Niger: Misunderstanderers of Islam torch 68 churches: Robert Spencer
As Bloody Wars Rage Islamic World, U.N. Chief Slams Israel For “Causing Enormous Suffering”: WZ
Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)
OnePlus tiny April Fools' drone is real and for sale: Aloysius LowHow broadband providers seem to avoid competition: Chris Zubak-Skees
Is this ET? Mystery of strange radio bursts from space: Sarah Scoles, NewScientist
Cornucopia
Must have bumper sticker: LL101Woman, 38, Flashes Google Street View Camera, Crosses Off Item On Her Bucket List (NSFW): TSG
Serious Scraping Needed: LI
67-Year-Old Vet Hands It Back to a Punk: MB
I Feel Safe, Do You?: iOTWreport
The Secret Weapon Behind Super Troopers 2: Wired
Image: In future war, Hezbollah will fire 1,000 rockets a day, IDF predicts
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Isn't it time for a conservative candidate? Ted Cruz 2016: Official Site
QOTD: "It is unrealistic to hope that Mr. Obama could emerge as a modern Churchill in this chaotic and dangerous chapter in human history. But even [Neville] Chamberlain would not have made the disastrous agreement that Mr. Obama seems so eager to conclude.
Mr. Obama is an amateur who is enthralled with the sound of his own voice and is incapable of coming to grips with the consequences of his actions. He is surrounded by sycophants, second-rate intellectuals, and a media that remains compliant and uncritical in the face of repeated foreign policy disasters. As country after country in the world’s most dangerous region fall into chaos—Libya and Yemen are essentially anarchic states, even as Syria and Iraq continue to devolve—Mr. Obama puzzlingly focuses much of his attention and rhetoric on Israel, childishly refusing to accept the mandate its people have given their prime minister in an election that, by the way, added three additional seats to the country’s Arab minority....
...The Iran deal is a march toward the nuclear abyss hand-in-hand with the world’s largest exporter of terrorism– the patron of Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthi militias in Yemen, Shiite militias in Iraq, and operatives killing Jews in Argentina. Regrettably, a naïve, petulant President Obama sees this as a crowning part of his legacy and nothing will stand in his way." --The Observer
Wednesday, April 01, 2015
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY MLB FAN MAP: Courtesy of your overseers at Facebook
As we approach opening day, the Facebook data team is releasing several maps detailing Major League Baseball fandom across the US... [The] map displays Facebook fans of all MLB teams by county. Each county is color-coded based on which official Facebook team page has the most likes from people who live in that area...
...It should come as no surprise that the New York Yankees have a strong following throughout the country. The Yankees have a plurality of fans in at least one county in 24 states.
Although most MLB teams were able to "win" at least one county, there were a few teams that were shut out. The New York Mets, the Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays all failed to nab even a single county in the United States. Of course, the Blue Jays were able to dominate Canada...
And I'm sure all of the fans "opted-in" to allow Facebook to mine their personal information.
Hat tip: BadBlue Real-Time Sports News.
I GOT 21 PROBLEMS AND A GAY WEDDING CAKE AIN'T ONE
21 Problems with the National Outcry About Indiana’s ‘Religious Freedom’ Law on One Map
Indiana’s controversial new bill signed into law is called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The bill guarantees individuals the right to conduct business without ‘substantially burdening their ability to exercise their religion.’
It has been roundly condemned around the nation. Seattle’s mayor went so far as to issue a travel ban to Indiana for city workers, while San Francisco’s mayor is considering a ban on city funds being sent to the Hoosier state.
Nevertheless, the ‘extremely controversial’ RFRA is based on a 1993 Federal Law, which is also dubbed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. It was signed into law by ‘right-wing extremist’ president Bill Clinton.
Above is a map of the states that have signed onto versions of the 1993 RFRA signed into law by former President Bill Clinton (as of 2014). The ACLU map shows 19 states that adopted such legislation; Utah and Indiana more recently passed laws.
I think you'll enjoy hearing what a President Ted Cruz would do in his very first act as President
In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, Cruz said that he’d undo all of Obama’s unconstitutional Executive Orders. This is one of Obama’s most outrageous abuses of power, one even liberals have said isn’t right.
Here is what Cruz said about the EOs.
The next 20 months are going to be very dangerous because President Obama, unfortunately, seems to have decided to disregard the United States Congress and disregard the American people and instead is trying to force through as much of his extreme agenda as possible via unilateral executive action—and I think we’re going to see that only accelerate through the end of 2016 with more and more unconstitutional executive orders, more regulatory abuse and more and more efforts to go to the United Nations and foreign war tribunals in an effort to end run Congress. In January 2017, we will have a new president and if I am elected president, the very first thing I intend to do on the first day is rescind every single unconstitutional or illegal executive action from President Obama.
Note that this includes repealing Obama’s illegal amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants. Obama did all that by his order, by changing how his departments operate, not by law.
Let’s hope if Cruz wins he follows through with this. Obama is the most lawless president in American history and his use of EO’s is a perfect example of that. He has illicitly used them to try and change acts of Congress, and that is illegal.
Read more Warner Todd Huston at PubliusForum.com.
GREAT NEWS: Obama pledges to cripple the U.S. economy to appease the United Nations' climate scam
Climate Change: President Obama's proposal to cut U.S. emissions by 28% over 10 years as America's contribution to a global climate treaty will devastate our economy while doing nothing to reduce temperatures.
The "Clean Power Plan" that the Obama administration submitted Tuesday to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change met an end-of-March deadline for contributions to a treaty in the final stages of negotiations.But the proposal, known to climate negotiators as an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution, isn't new. Obama announced the goal of reducing emissions by 28% below 2005 levels by 2025 as part of a joint climate pledge that he made in Beijing last November with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
It remains, however, a dangerous sacrifice of U.S. progress and economic freedom on the altar of the climate change religion.
Larwyn's Linx: ISIS 'Aggressively' Recruiting in This U.S. State
Nation
ISIS 'Aggressively' Recruiting in This U.S. State: ClarionAny Lingering Doubt?: Willam Pollack
Iran militia chief: Destroying Israel is ‘nonnegotiable’: Lazar Berman
Downsize the Federal Government: David Coughlin
Obama set to betray Israel again; when will American Jews wake up?: Allen West
Hillary is Stuck: Dick Morris
The New Intolerance: Ace
Pence: Bill Clinton, Obama Also Supported Religious Freedom Bills: Peter Malcolm
Two Years Later, You’ll Still Be Made to Care: Erick Erickson
Harry Reid Unapologetic over Lying about Romney, Because Obama Won: RS
What On Earth Is Jindal Doing?: HayRide
Jeb Bush Can’t Be Nominated. Or Can He?: Rothenblog
Economy
Americans Must Work Jan. 1 Through April 24 Just to Pay Taxes: Ali MeyerIRS chief to GOP: You can't abolish us: Hill
Sessions Hits Intel over Anti-American Worker H-1B Increase Push: Matthew Boyle
Scandal Central
Benghazi panel summons Clinton: Susan FerrechioHillary’s accidental drone email about decorating reveals BIG new problems: BPR
Hillary’s private intel chief Sidney Blumenthal also an illegal lobbyist?: Ed Morrissey
The Green-Card Racket for Beltway Cronies: Michelle Malkin
Hotel cost for Michelle Obama’s 2-day Cambodia visit included 85 rooms, 5 suites for 14 nights: BPR
Mike Lee wants to investigate Google’s frequent meetings at the White House: RedAlert
Climate & Energy
Scientists Say New Study Is A ‘Death Blow’ To Global Warming Hysteria: Michael BastschClimategate & Investigations of IPCC and CRU: Was There a Pattern of Cover Up?: Dr. Tim Ball
World Bank President: We Totally Need To Tackle “Climate Change”… For The Kids: RWN
Media
Mr. Noah and the Flood: Kevin D. WilliamsonComedy Central Defends Trevor Noah's Sexist, Racist, Anti-Semitic Jokes: Breitbart
Hillary Clinton Is Turning Into Richard Nixon and Bill Belichick: Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone
Mark Levin is BACK and he SHREDS the Left’s mischaracterization of Indiana law: Scoop
Apple CEO Who Hates Indiana Christians Happily Does Business With Countries That Execute Gays: Publius
2015 Talkers Heavy Hundred: Talkers
How do ‘religious freedom’ acts encourage discrimination?: Jonah Goldberg
There's Noah Business Like Shoah Business: Mark Steyn
Trevor Noah Taking Over The Daily Show is Great News For Conservatives: Glob
World
The French fear Obama’s destabilizing shift toward Iran over Saudis, Israelis: Noah RothmanIran Nuclear Talks: Farce followed by tragedy: RS
Flashback: Obama: Iran Only Wants ‘Defensive’ Nukes: Joel Gehrke
Russian analyst urges nuclear attack on Yellowstone National Park, San Andreas fault line: Su-Lin Tan
The Next-Generation Weapons That Russia Will Use Against The U.S. In World War III: Michael Snyder
Russia Joins Rush to Enroll in China-Led AIIB Investment Bank: Moscow Times
Iran Refuses to Give Up Core Nuke Materials: Adam Kredo
Anti-Suicide Bomber Device Invented…And Muslims Are Outraged: Hideout
Mixed messages from Iran talks as high-level meeting adjourned: Times of Israel
Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)
Google Unveils a Stick That Turns Any Display Into a PC: Cade Metz, WiredReport: Seattle one of the worst U.S. cities for traffic congestion, tied with NYC: GeekWire
MRSA superbug could be killed by a 1100-year-old home remedy, researchers say: Justin Moyer
Cornucopia
Bad News, Good News: Springer's BlogThe League of Non-Superheroes: MOTUS
Passing the Convention of the States Resolution: Steven Holt
Image: The League of Non-Superheroes
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Isn't it time for a conservative candidate? Ted Cruz 2016: Official Site
QOTD: "What we do know for a fact is that Hillary Clinton has not produced all the emails requested by the Benghazi committee and she has not turned over all of her work related emails to the State Department. How do we know that? Because the email account of Hillary Clinton confidant and general douchebag, Sid Blumenthal, was hacked by Guccifer and those emails were not released by Hillary to either the Benghazi committee or to the State Department...
...Clinton has also denied having “classified documents” on her server but the Guccifer emails clearly indicate that Blumenthal routinely sent her emails containing information that would be considered classified ... The emails also indicate that Hillary ran her own intelligence operation outside the normal US intelligence channels...
...Read in the best possible light, Clinton has lied about what was on her server. She has lied about what was erased. She played fast and loose with classified information. Her lawyer has similarly lied to Trey Gowdy at Clinton’s behest. Read in the worst light, her actions are felonies worthy of a long prison term." --streiff
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
HILLARY: I am not a crook!
Scandal: RNC Chairman Reince Priebus reminds us of the similarity between the 18-1/2-minute gap that doomed a presidency and an email server wiped clean by a lawyer who served on a Watergate committee staff.
Hillary Clinton should know better, know that the cover-up is often worse than any crime, for she once worked as a member of the impeachment inquiry staff for the House Judiciary Committee investigating the "third-rate burglary" at the Watergate Hotel that doomed Richard Nixon's presidency.The end came when tapes of presidential conversations were found and became public knowledge with one tape containing that famous 18-1/2-minute gap of erased silence that spoke volumes about the cover-up of the break-in at DNC headquarters.
As RNC Chair Reince Preibus notes, as Richard Nixon's claim that "I am not a crook" unraveled, it was due to the fact that he did not destroy those tapes when he could have. Maybe it was vanity, stubbornness or just garden variety stupidity and arrogance, but he didn't burn them or wipe them clean, even if it might have saved his presidency.
Hillary Clinton has, in different words, said that she is not a crook and that she did nothing wrong in having a private email account on a personal server through which she conducted all her government business in violation of both the letter and spirit of federal statutes.
SURPRISE: Israel catches Obama in major Iran nuke flip-flop
So, I ask you drones, leftists and other miscreants: why would you believe anything this man says, ever?
“The biggest threat to our security and our future was and remains Iran's attempts to arm with nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu said at the ceremonial opening of the 20th Knesset just hours before the self-imposed deadline for reaching a framework deal between the world powers and Iran.
“The agreement being put together in Lausanne paves the way for that result. Apparently it will leave in Iran's hands underground facilities, the [hard-water] reactor at Arak, advanced centrifuges...
...All those things that only a few months ago we were told, rightfully so, that they were not vital to a peaceful nuclear program.”
Underground facilities? A reactor at Arak? Technically advanced centrifuges? But... but... but... I thought...
It was US President Barack Obama who said that each of those elements was not needed for a peaceful program.
Obama, during a question-and answer session at the Saban Forum at the Brookings Institution in Washington in December 2012, said the following:
“In terms of specifics, we know that they don’t need to have an underground, fortified facility like Fordow in order to have a peaceful nuclear program.
“They certainly don’t need a heavy-water reactor at Arak in order to have a peaceful nuclear program. They don’t need some of the advanced centrifuges that they currently possess in order to have a limited, peaceful nuclear program,” Obama said at the time.
Thought experiment: if Obama really was doing his damnedest to surreptitiously deliver nuclear weapons into the hands of the Iranians, what exactly would he be doing differently?
And I also put it to you: isn't there some way to blame this on Bush?
Hat tip: BadBlue News.
The Invasion Continues Apace
More than 2,000 illegal alien juveniles have been apprehended and taken into federal custody in each of the last several months, according to DHS statistics. While Obama administration officials emphasize that these numbers are lower than last year, they are still the second highest level ever for arrests of illegal alien minors, about midway between 2013 and 2014 levels. Most of those apprehended are male teenagers, with the largest number from Guatemala. The statistics confirm that Central Americans still see a strong incentive to head to the United States now, and that the drop in apprehensions reported last August and September was temporary.
While taking custody of roughly 2,000 illegal alien juveniles per month since the start of the 2015 fiscal year last October, ICE reports removing well under 200 juveniles per month. The largest number of these (41 percent) were sent home to Mexico.
The majority of illegal alien juveniles taken into ICE custody are ultimately released to family members in the United States, and only a small number are ever repatriated. About 90 percent of the recent Central American arrivals who had hearings scheduled last summer and fall failed to appear at their immigration hearings and have melted into the larger illegal alien population.
FOR THE LITTLE PEOPLE: SEIU stands to make a mere $34 million a month unionizing fast food workers
To the SEIU, the millions spent on unionizing fast-food workers may make the SEIU billions in union dues.
In the Spring of 2010, the Service Employees International Union’s ambitious plan to unionize fast-food workers was exposed.Although the SEIU’s plan changed slightly from the orginal draft, the basic premise of tying the union’s campaign to unionize fast-food workers to a “living wage campaign” has not changed all that much.
However, it wasn’t until November 2012, that the SEIU launched the first of several fast-food “strikes” (most of the so-called strikers are not actual employees but paid-SEIU protesters) and its “Fight for $15 (and a union)” campaign commenced.
Since then, the SEIU has spent tens of millions—an astounding $38 million was spent in 2013 alone, according to Worker Center Watch—on its campaign to unionize fast-food workers.
Larwyn's Linx: Obama Came in Like a Wrecking Ball for Israel
Nation
Obama Came in Like a Wrecking Ball for Israel: Ed LaskyEtiquette Versus Annihilation: Thomas Sowell
You Don’t Need a Rainbow Sticker to Let People Know You’re Black: Erick Erickson
Obama and the Democrats: Ron Radosh
Hillary: I’d like to offer a reset button on Israel, or something: Ed Morrissey
Teeing It Up To Serve Iranian Interests?: MOTUS
Madison Project Policy Memo: The Repeal Of Obamacare: Madison Project
Life Lessons from the German Air Disaster: Dennis Prager
Bracken Sends: WRSA
A *dirty* Democratic primary season may still happen!: Moe Lane
Jim Webb for President 2016?: Leslie Eastman
Martin O’Malley hints he may run for president: RS
Economy
The bankruptcy of socialism: National PostUnited States Doesn't Need More H-1B Visas: IEEE-USA
Intel exec calls for raising H-1B cap: Staffing Industry
Scandal Central
Did Clinton's Backdoor Adviser Illegally Lobby for Putin Ally?: Sam Biddle, GawkerThe long, complicated story of Hillary Clinton's Benghazi subpoena: Byron York
Obstruction of Justice - A Must For Hillary: Market Ticker
The Latest Bombshell from Mrs. Clinton’s Lawyer: Shannen Coffin
Supreme Court Rules Government GPS Trackers Can Break Fourth Amendment: Jamie Condliffe
Exclusive: Health Industry Paid Acting CMS Chief Millions When He Joined Gov’t: Richard Pollock
Climate & Energy
Will Global Warming Cause Prostitution?: John HinderakerEPA says Keystone approval wouldn't be climate 'disaster': John Siciliano
Illinois robs clean energy fund to balance its budget: Roger Schillerstrom
Media
Indiana Defends Religious Liberty; Keith Olbermann Goes Ballistic: MBHillary Supporter Threatens O’Malley: ‘He Better Watch It’: Alex Griswold
Access denied: Reporters say federal officials, data increasingly off limits: Paul Farhi
Mystery Solved: Why Hardly-Watched MSNBC and CNN Aren't Suffering Financially: Tom Blumer
MSNBC Panel: Hillary Clinton Proved ‘Consciousness Of Guilt’ By Wiping Server Clean: Surge
Top Obama Economist Calls Republicans ‘Nazis’ Over Religious Freedom Law: GWP
World
Iran deal could be toothless: Charles HoskinsonState Department: No consequences for missing Iran deal deadline: Susan Crabtree
Iran like a modern day Nazi Germany: Ex-CIA chief: CNBC
No Let-Up in Attacks On Europe's Jews: Abigail R. Esman
Obama allies back pro-Sharia populist in Nigeria: Christian Whiton
RAF mounts biggest defence exercise in 30 YEARS after Russian bomber flights: Express
Democrats Honor Governor Cuomo For His Upcoming Trip to Cuba: MenRec
Former US Soldier Hunts Poachers in Africa: Dan Zimmerman
Blogger Facing 1,000 Lashes By Saudis Puts Life At Further Risk By Publishing Book: Malaysian Digest
Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)
Apple’s Tim Cook is dangerous and a flaming hypocrite: RSWho Said Economics Couldn't Be Exciting?: George Will
Doctors kill golden staph using a 1,000-year-old remedy: Michelle Starr
Cornucopia
Jon Stewart replacement Trevor Noah is quite the anti-Semite: FAMWhatcha Gonna Do? Inner Circle Unhurt in Vermont Crash: Mike Pescaro
So, There Were Tunnels to Celebrity Homes Below the Playboy Mansion: Playboy
Image: A look at widely criticized Indiana law on religious freedom
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Isn't it time for a conservative candidate? Ted Cruz 2016: Official Site
QOTD: "The Obama administration used the IRS as a means to attack and stymie its political opposition. The very person in charge of the exemption policies, Sarah Hall Ingram, was given bonuses and then promoted to an even more powerful position as the new head of the IRS enforcement wing of Obamacare – yet another program with life and death power. But the IRS itself is an agency designated with the task of enforcing the legalized theft of income from every American citizen. It is assigned the task of pouring through the minutia of every person’s life, to “wait upon ladies at their toilett,” to exact tolls for the very act of earning a living. Is anyone shocked that such an agency would be used for “political” purposes?
The Benghazi cover-up was necessary to protect the president before the election in two ways. First, it was necessary to cover-up the incompetence of the administration in protecting our consulate or for even having one that area in the first place. Second, the presence of Al Qaeda contradicted Obama’s entire fantasy-land narrative surrounding Islamic terrorism. According to Obama, we are not at war with an ideology we are at war with a handful of “terrorists” who have hijacked an otherwise peaceful religion. The supposed killing of Bid Laden was equivalent to catching a bank robber – problem solved. The presence of a pre-meditated attack by a group motivated by Islam contradicts this premise, and so the idea of a spontaneous eruption of violence was crafted to fool the American public.
The broad usage of phone taps on the AP, all supposedly to find a national security “leak,” is part of a pattern of press intimidation under this administration from day one designed to chill any opposition to its political programs.
While these scandals are egregious examples of a federal government run amok, Americans must understand that the abuse of government power will continue as long as we give the government the power to abuse." --Doug Reich
Monday, March 30, 2015
WASHINGTON POST RIPS OBAMA-IRAN NUKE DEAL: Would Reward Terror State's Past Violations
The question of whether to trust Iran’s claims that its nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes can be answered by a single issue: “Iran’s failure to deliver on multiple pledges to answer questions about its suspected research on nuclear warheads,” a staff editorial in The Washington Post asserted on Saturday.
The editorial recounts how both in 2007 and 2013, Iran agreed to clear up any questions about possible military dimensions of its past nuclear research, but “it then stonewalled inspectors, refusing to answer questions or permit access to sites.” After Iran refused to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to access its Parchin military base, where nuclear weapons research is suspected to have taken place, “the IAEA published an extensive report detailing what it already knew about the illicit bomb work and listed 12 outstanding issues.” The government of President Hassan Rouhani agreed to address these outstanding issues.
However, the Post documents that the promised cooperation was again not forthcoming.
HOTEL SHOWERS, GRILLS AND WOOD-BURNING STOVES: EPA meddling in our lives reaches a zenith
Those in business who have to oblige the Environmental Protection Agency (or the state government agencies that carry out federal laws) on a daily basis know there’s an endless list of issues upon which the cabinet agency can (and does) interfere and obstruct. But a few recent examples reveal the extent to which the government regulators are willing to extinguish our individual freedoms.
Attention this week is trained on the Supreme Court, where a costly Obama regulation on mercury emissions from utilities’ coal-fired power plants is under a challenge. That’s a big issue that addresses whether EPA conducted a proper cost-benefit analysis for limiting those emissions, which has major implications related to the cost of electricity, but is otherwise complex for the layman.
But other areas of increased meddling are more plain – and obnoxious.
SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS: Apparently, DC Insiders Can Legally Avoid Paying Taxes
The Daily Caller's Richard Pollock reports:
When Andy Slavitt reported for work as deputy administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services last June 10, he pocketed at least $4.8 million in tax-free income from major health-care companies.
...CMS officials ... initially issued a categorical denial to TheDC that Slavitt had sought and received a special “certificate of divestiture,” a loophole which allowed him to indefinitely defer capital gains taxes on the sale of millions of dollars in equities.
But when TheDC produced two certificates of divestiture issued to Andrew and Lana Slavitt — both dated July 9 and signed by the Office of Government Ethics’ general counsel David J. Apol – the agency backtracked.
The special certificates permitted Slavitt to sell 23,711 shares of United Health Group stock and avoid capital gains taxes on the transaction [...on July 9th,] Slavitt pocketed $1.9 million in tax-free income.
That same day, OGE permitted him to sell 11,670 additional shares in the Swiss private equity firm of Partners Group Private Equity, which, according to an Office of Government Ethics official, included underlying health-care investments.
The Swiss per share market price for the stock on July 9 was $249. Slavitt was able to cash in the stock for $2.9 million in tax-free income.
And what exactly is a "certificate of divestiture" (PDF)?
If you are an executive branch employee of the Federal Government or plan to become one, at
some point you may have to sell certain assets to avoid a conflict of interest or the appearance of a
conflict. Under tax rules, the sale of an asset may cause you to have a taxable capital gain which must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service. However, to make it easier for you and your family to comply with ethics rules, the tax laws provide that before you sell your asset, the Director of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) may issue a Certificate of Divestiture (called a CD) which will allow you to defer the capital gains tax. The CD does not eliminate the capital gains tax; it simply defers payment of the tax to some future date.
In reading the applicable statute and regulatory guidance, I could find no timeline for repayment of capital gains taxes.
I guess some animals really are more equal than others.
Hat tip: BadBlue News.
Larwyn's Linx: Free Fall in the Middle East
Nation
Free Fall in the Middle East: Walter Russell MeadThe Campus Left Begins to Implode: Jonathan V. Last
Virginia State Bar boycotts Israel: The Volokh Conspiracy
Ted, Monica, and Mickey: Star Parker
Iran nuclear deal done: FAM
Advocates for infanticide astounded that people want them to die: Moe Lane
Double Standards Much?: GayPatriot
IN Gov.: This Is Same Religious Freedom Law Obama Voted for in IL: WS
Chicago Teachers Union, Karen Lewis, Chuy Garcia Unmasked: RebelPundit
Jeb Bush favored within GOP; stiff competition desired for Hillary: Ethan Barton
This is why the Democratic Establishment is desperate to run Hillary: Moe Lane
Upset by Warren, U.S. banks debate halting donations to Democrats: Emily Flitter
Economy
Pew: Rate of Illegal Males in Workforce 12% Higher Than US-Born Males: BreitbartOne in eight illegals in the U.S. now has a white-collar job: Rob Wile
How Google, Facebook And Others Pay Their H-1B Employees: Kiran Dhillon
Scandal Central
American Deserter: Bill WhittleSituation Normal: Hillary Clinton obstructs justice and operates outside the law: RS
The Real Reason Harry Reid is Retiring: Breitbart
Climate & Energy
China’s Never-Ending ‘War on Pollution’: Gordon G. ChangMedia
What they are not saying about Angie's List boycott: Don SurberPolice Called On Anti-White ‘Black Brunch’ Protest in Tacoma; Protesters Whine Like Babies: Sooper
The political kingmaker nobody knows: Ben Wieder
Reporters refuse Obama's dismissal from golf course, are sent to the 'shed': Paul Bedard
Staying: Press refuses to leave Obama, golfing for 223rd time: Paul Bedard
Josh Earnest On Obama Voting For Religious Freedom Bill: Hey, That Was Two Decades Ago!: DownTrend
Who’s pulling the media’s puppet strings?: Sharyl Attkisson
Cut a baby from a woman; kill it; it isn’t murder in Colorado: RS
GOP Failure Theater gave $1.5 billion to abortion industry: RS
World
WaPo Editorial: Nuke Deal Would Reward Iran for Past Violations: The TowerWhat I saw in Iran: Andrew Stiles
American-Israeli Rabbi compares Obama to Haman: JPost
Remember when Obama vowed “verification” would have to be part of any Iran nuclear deal?: PW
White House: Nuclear Deal Totally Doable If Country That Says “Death To America” Cooperates: RWN
Obama supporting ethnic cleansing in Iraq: RS
Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)
3D-Printed Bionic Ants Work as a Terrifying Team: PopMechReal Paleo Diet: early hominids ate just about everything: EarthSky
Zynga investors can sue FarmVille creator for alleged IPO fraud, judge says: Megan Geuss
Cornucopia
#BanHighCapacityAircraft: More “News” From the Rabbit Hole: MOTUSCruise v. Lauer and 4 other cringe-worthy celeb interviews: Jaclyn Hendricks
19 True Stories About Bill Murray That Prove He Is The Coolest Person Ever: Suggest
Image: Marine’s Sign About Obama’s Bergdahl Swap Is Epic
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Isn't it time for a conservative candidate? Ted Cruz 2016: Official Site
QOTD: "First he comes for the banks and health care, uses the IRS to go after critics, politicizes the Justice Department, spies on journalists, tries to curb religious freedom, slashes the military, throws open the borders, doubles the debt and nationalizes the Internet.
He lies to the public, ignores the Constitution, inflames race relations and urges Latinos to punish Republican “enemies.” He abandons our allies, appeases tyrants, coddles adversaries and uses the Crusades as an excuse for inaction as Islamist terrorists slaughter their way across the Mideast.
Now he’s coming for Israel.
Barack Obama’s promise to transform America was too modest. He is transforming the whole world before our eyes. Do you see it yet?" --Michael Goodwin
Sunday, March 29, 2015
"Under Obama, we have switched sides"
If you’re confused about the Saudi Arabia-led air attacks against Islamist rebels in Yemen and can’t tell one group of head-choppers in Iraq and Syria from another, don’t despair. All you need is imagination.
Close your eyes and imagine that those countries and terrorists have nuclear weapons. Imagine their barbarism going nuclear as they blow up cities, wipe out ethnic and religious groups and turn the region into cinders.
Now open your eyes and realize you’ve seen the future, thanks to President Obama’s policies. It is a future that will be defined by Obama’s Wars. Yes, plural.
I’ve written frequently about the likelihood of a dystopian “Mad Max” scenario if Iran gets nukes. My thinking is guided by a belief among American military and intelligence officials that a nuclear exchange would take place in the Mideast within five years of Iran getting the bomb. To judge from events, the future is arriving ahead of schedule.
I once called this scenario "The Atomic Mahdi", though I had no idea then that we would have a president actively conspiring with the Mullahs.
These are grim thoughts, expressed because it is impossible to imagine any other outcome of Iran’s rise. It remains the world’s largest sponsor of terrorism and supports Hezbollah and Hamas and now the Houthis in Yemen. As for Iranian influence in Iraq, one analyst is calling Suleimani, the Revolutionary Guard commander, Iraq’s new “viceroy.”
Remember, too, Iran muscle and munitions are keeping Bashar Assad still standing in Syria. The wholesale death and destruction there — an estimated 200,000 people killed and millions displaced within the country and out of it — could be a prototype of its new empire.
While there are many dark and complex forces in play and blame to spread around, the most important catalyst of the violent disorder has been the reversal of America’s policies. Under Obama, we have switched sides, an abomination that ensures a legacy of infamy.
Read the whole thing.
And pray for our country. And our world.
Hat tip: Ace. Backgrounder: The Atomic Mahdi.






















