Newsy - Politics

Can Weiner Escape Scandal, Win NYC Mayor Race?

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:55:00 -0500

(Image source: YouTube / Anthony Weiner)

BY JASMINE BAILEY

It’s official, Anthony Weiner seems to believe the public might overlook his 2011 "Weinergate" sexting scandal — he’s running for New York City mayor.

“Look, I made some big mistakes, and I know I let a lot of people down. But I’ve also learned some tough lessons. I am running for mayor because I have been fighting for the middle class ...and I hope I get a second chance to work for you.” (Via YouTube / Anthony Weiner)

Announcing he would run Monday through that YouTube video. Weiner’s campaign platform, which he calls “Keys to the City,” highlights 64 points in a main set of topics including education, hunger, transportation, environment, health care and crime prevention among others. (Via Anthony Weiner)

If you’ll remember, Weiner resigned from Congress in 2011 after he accidentally tweeted some lewd, below the waist pictures of himself, intended for a 21-year-old woman. (Via The Daily Caller)

Now initially he lied saying his account was hacked all in an effort to hide the scandal from his then pregnant wife. But after more and more allegations began to surface he had no choice but to fess up. (Via CBS)

So fast-forward two years and the question is — can he overcome the lost trust and tainted record to get back in the political sphere? Well, analysts for MSNBC don’t seem to think so.

“I’d be surprised from what little bit I know if he wins the race but he’ll definitely change the dynamic…”

“I don’t think most people will think there’s going to be enough room in there for him.”

“I just think it's the father for late night comedians...” (Via MSNBC)

And as far as the women demographic — could be some tough convincing there too.

“Women are really repulsed by him and can’t get over...”

“Not his wife.”

“Aside from his wife and I have no explanation for that. But I think a lot of the women I’ve spoken to are still repulsed by that.” (Via Current TV)

But contrary to that, a poll done by Weiner’s committee projects he would come in second place with 15 percent of the votes if the primary elections were held today... (Via Wikimedia Commons / Thomas Good)

Only behind City Council Speaker Christine Quinn would would win with 26 percent of the votes. (Via Wikimedia Commons / David Shankbone)

IRS Official Pleads Fifth, Refuses To Testify

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:57:20 -0500

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(Image Source: Blooomberg / Andrew Harrer)

BY CHRISTIAN BRYANT

An IRS official has notified Congress she’ll plead the Fifth and not testify ahead of Wednesday’s House Oversight committee hearing, which involves the agency’s improper targeting of conservative groups.

Lois Lerner will not answer questions about the IRS singling out right-wing organizations, though she’s at the center of the controversy. (Via Politico)

“...Lerner found out in June 2011 that some staff in the nonprofits division in Cincinnati had used terms such as ‘Tea Party’ and ‘Patriots’ to select some applications for additional screening of their political activities.” (Via Los Angeles Times)

USA Today reports Lerner was in charge of that Cincinnati office and attempted to correct the target keywords by broadening the language and including criteria, like groups that are “critical of how the country is being run.”

Lerner was also expected to disclose why she didn’t tell Congress when she first learned of the targeting, but Lerner’s lawyer wrote to the committee saying she didn’t do anything wrong and saw pleading the Fifth as her only option. (Via NBC)

A spokesman for the committee said Lerner is still under subpoena and the committee chair — Representative Darrell Issa — hopes she will change her mind about testifying at the hearing.

Outgoing IRS Commissioner Steve Miller took the stand Tuesday for the second time in two weeks, claiming responsibility for staging the question that led to Lerner’s revelation earlier this month. (Via The Daily Caller)

According to Fox News, the IRS acknowledged they targeted conservative groups at their Cincinnati office, making it more difficult for those groups to get tax-exempt status.

Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Immigration Reform

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:43:47 -0500

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(Image source: Twitter / @cspanJeremy)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill, to cheers of approval from the crowd.

“Mr. Chairman, 13 yay, 5 no.”

“It passes.” ...

“Yes we can! Yes we can!” (Via C-SPAN)

The vote sets up a full Senate debate on the bill in early June. Minority leader Mitch McConnell has said he would not block debate on the bill, despite calls from many in his own party to do so.

President Obama released a statement praising the Committee, saying the proposed bill is, quote: “...largely consistent with the principles of commonsense reform I have proposed.” (Via NBC)

There was one big change to the bill before the vote. A measure that would have allowed gay Americans to sponsor their same-sex spouses for green cards was shot down.

Politico notes: “The measure was a top priority of several Democrats and the gay-rights community, but including it threatened to derail the entire legislation, as top Republican negotiators such as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said they couldn’t support the Gang of Eight compromise if the amendment were included.”

Senator Rubio has been one of the most prominent advocates of immigration reform within the Republican party. It hasn’t been easy to get conservatives to support a bill that includes a path to citizenship, but earlier Tuesday he told CNBC a reasonable compromise could be reached.

“We are prepared to deal with the 11 million that are here now, because we know that they’re never going to go back. … But only if we take measures that ensure that we don’t have a future wave of illegal immigration.”

Also included in the bill: a measure to make it easier for employers to hire highly-skilled foreign workers and raise restrictions on companies with outsourced workers.

Senators Grill Apple CEO Over Tax Evasion Charges

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:52:03 -0500

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(Image source: C-SPAN)

BY MATT MORENO

Apple executives went before a U.S. Senate panel Tuesday, facing accusations of tax evasion. Though the California-based company’s CEO says they’ve done nothing wrong.

Senators John McCain and Carl Levin announced at a news conference they believe Apple Inc. is using offshore entities, mainly in Ireland, to skip out on billions of dollars in taxes. (Via euronews)

MCCAIN: “Apple is one of the largest tax avoiders. It’s unacceptable, and they’re not the only ones, but they’re the most egregious offender." (Via Bloomberg)

In a report, the Senate committee says Apple is withholding $102 billion of its $142 billion in earnings overseas. It goes on to say one of Apple’s two Irish subsidiaries paid only $10 million in taxes, despite earning $22 billion in 2010. (Via Al Jazeera)

Apple isn’t the only company accused of doing this, but the senate committee says it’s investigating the company because of the “gimmicks” it uses. However, CEO Tim Cook says the Apple’s tax record is squeaky clean.

“Apple has real operations, in real places, with Apple employees selling real products.”

“We pay all the taxes we owe -- every single dollar.”

Another question here: are Apple’s tactics technically legal but morally wrong? It’s a bit of gray area. New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg explains.

“The tax code was written for industrial companies yet, in today’s digital age, companies that sell digital downloads, intellectual property or programs -- things you can't touch, they can move those around the world and, as a result, slip through the cracks.”

But, a writer for CNN sees it differently and says Apple exploited loopholes to escape paying its fair share.

Apple reportedly has two subsidiaries in Ireland, but the country’s government says its tax system is not to blame.

Obama Promises Oklahoma Aid; Death Count Lowered

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:59:14 -0500

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(Image source: The White House)

BY ELIZABETH HAGEDORN

In the wake of the tragic tornado that ripped through parts of Oklahoma, President Obama addressed the nation Tuesday, offering prayers and pledging federal aid.

“Oklahoma needs to get everything it needs right away.”

"Americans from every corner of this country will be right there with them, opening our homes and hearts to those in need.” (Via The White House)

The president issued a disaster declaration Monday night after a massive twister tore through Moore, Oklahoma. (Via CBS)

While initial reports had 91 people dead, as of Tuesday morning the state’s medical examiner has lowered the latest death toll. At least 24 people, including 7 children, are reportedly dead. (Via MSNBC)

More than one hundred are being treated at local hospitals. (Via KOKH)

FEMA has announced it will provide grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans and other programs to help with the relief efforts. (Via KFOR)

While the full extent of the damage isn’t known, it’s expected to come close to what a May 1999 tornado did in the same region. (Via ABC)

A year ago today, President Obama addressed students at a graduation ceremony in Joplin, Missouri — one year after a deadly tornado ravaged that city, killing more than 160 people.

DOJ's Investigation of Fox Reporter Outrages Journalists

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:55:08 -0500

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(Image source: Fox News)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

Throw another scandal on the pile for the Obama administration. A report from The Washington Post reveals the Department of Justice aggressively investigated James Rosen, the chief Washington correspondent for Fox News.

The Post’s report says the DOJ began investigating Rosen after this 2009 article on North Korea, which the Department claims revealed classified information. (Via Fox News)

The FBI later indicted Stephen Jin-Woo Kim, a State Department security advisor, of leaking that information.

Jin-Woo Kim was allegedly Rosen’s contact for the North Korea piece, which appeared hours after one of their meetings.

According to the affidavit released by The Post, the government also considered prosecuting Rosen, and investigated him as Jin-Woo Kim’s co-conspirator.

“They used security badge access records to track the reporter’s comings and goings from the State Department ... They traced the timing of his calls ... They obtained a search warrant for the reporter’s personal e-mails.”

Like last week’s story about the DOJ seizing the AP’s phone records, the news that the government investigated a reporter for passing on leaked info is being almost universally condemned by journalists. (Via USA Today, Deseret News, The Huffington Post)

“It’s one thing to go after officials who leak classified information to the press. The Obama administration has gone after more of them than all previous administrations combined. … However, it’s something else entirely to go after a reporter who receives the leak.” (Via Slate)

Many journalists are going so far as to accuse the Obama administration of waging a war against press freedom. National security correspondents fear a chilling effect on their ability to cultivate sources.

The Guardian’s Glenn Greenwald says that’s precisely what the Obama administration wants: “to ensure that the only information the public can get is information that the Obama administration wants it to have.”

But no network responded quite like Fox News, who by all accounts was caught completely off guard by the report. The company’s vice president of news said they are outraged, with host Brit Hume outlining some of the everyday reporting work that apparently got Rosen in trouble.

“They’re citing things said at one point. … ‘What I’m interested in, as you might expect, is breaking news ahead of my competitors.’ ... If that’s a crime, I don’t know what’s left of the protections afforded by the first amendment.”

If Rosen is tried, it reportedly would be the first time a reporter will be tried as a co-conspirator for accepting classified information.

IRS Audit Findings: Who Knew What and When?

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:03:29 -0500

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(Image Source: NPR)

BY JOHN O’CONNOR

ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS

The latest question in the smoldering IRS audit controversy is who knew what and when? It got a tantalizing twist when a senior administration official revealed the White House counsel knew about it weeks before it went public.

Senior White House advisor Dan Pfeiffer hit all five major Sunday talk shows to defend the administration and make clear some foggy details about what it actually knew. (Via MSNBC)

Pfeiffer: “It is important to know what we actually knew, which is just that there was an investigation that was coming to a conclusion, not that we knew the results. We didn’t see the results until it was released last Wednesday.” (Via ABC)

President Barack Obama says he wasn’t made aware of the IRS report until it made headlines. But according to Fox News, one specific person within the administration got a heads up weeks in advance.

“ … the President’s lawyer, Chief White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler was briefed on the reports weeks ago.”

The job of the White House counsel is to advise the president — so for critics — the latest begs the question: Why didn’t Ruemmler notify the president?

Inspector General J. Russell George says he informed the Treasury Department and Congressman Darrell Issa last summer of possible IRS targeting. (Via Businessweek)

While Republicans claim many questions surrounding the report remain unanswered, Congressman Paul Ryan on CNN leveled a hefty charge: that the IRS deliberately withheld information from Congress.

“We were receiving all of these reports of this kind of harassment. We questioned the IRS in hearings, in letter, and the IRS withheld all of this information that they were in possession of... as to whether this targeting was occurring or not.”

Despite confirmation that the White House Counsel office knew about the report in late April, there is no evidence the information was shared with anyone else in the administration.

Obama Delivers Morehouse Commencement Speech

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:53:40 -0500

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(Image source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

BY CHARESSE JAMES

President Obama gave a commencement speech at Morehouse College Sunday, encouraging graduates at the historically black school to be good role models and be responsible for members of their communities through jokes and personal reflections.

“Some of you are graduating magna cum laude; I know that some of you are just graduating thank-you-laude.” (Via USA Today)

“Plenty of men in our community continue to make bad choices, and I have to say growing up I made quite a few myself … One of the things all of you have learned the last four years is there's no longer room for excuses.” (Via CNN)

Mr. Obama is the first sitting president to give the commencement address at Morehouse College. Founded in 1867, the Atlanta school offers an all-male undergraduate education and lists civil rights leaders, like Dr. Martin Luther King, among its alumni.

Obama urged graduates to think of more than their careers. He told them to be examples to their families and to inspire others, particularly members of the African-American community who need a helping hand.

It’s the president’s second time speaking to a graduating class this year. He addressed the graduating class of Ohio State University a week before. (Via Columbus Dispatch)

But this speech was different. A writer for the Pittsburgh Courier says it was one of the president’s most significant speeches of his presidency, making up for a strategic neglect to black people in his presidency by reinforcing his relations.

And an analyst agrees, telling MSNBC the speech gave him “chills”:

“The president went there … and said to a group of 500 young African-American men, here's the deal, you have to pony up and you have to go out there and kick it out of the park … listen, it was better than the commencement speech I had, I can tell you that for sure.”

The president will deliver his last commencement speech of the year Friday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland.

Sunday Soundbite: White House Plays Down Scandals

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:01:35 -0500

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BY ZACH TOOMBS

For National Journal, I’m Zach Toombs. And here’s what you missed on the Sunday political talk circuit.

An all-out blitz on the major Sunday shows as the White House tamps down a string of controversies.

And the GOP paints a broad picture of an administration plagued by scandals.

MITCH MCCONNELL: “Actually there is a culture of intimidation within the administration. The IRS is just the most recent example.”

It was a busy day for senior White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer. Making the rounds on the Sunday circuit, he fielded questions on the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of conservative groups and on Benghazi.

Administration emails regarding the consulate attack have been the subject of speculation for weeks. And pointing to the release of those emails, Pfeiffer tells “Fox News Sunday” it’s clear there was no cover up. (Via Al Jazeera)

DAN PFEIFFER: “The assertions from Republicans here that the president allowed this to happen or didn’t take action is offensive … He was kept up to date by his national security team, he spoke to the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs earlier and the Secretary of State later.”

While on ABC’s “This Week,” he addressed the IRS scandal.

PFEIFFER: “The law’s irrelevant. The activity was outrageous and inexcusable and it was stopped and it needs to be fixed so we can ensure it never happens again … The Department of Justice has said they’re looking into the legality of this. The president’s not going to wait for that.”

The president has replaced the former IRS commissioner, and his new choice is conducting a review of the agency, though Republicans, including Senate leader Mitch McConnell, say that’s not enough. (Via HLN)

MCCONNELL: “What we’re talking about here is an attitude that the government knows best, that the nanny state is here to tell us all what to do. And if you start criticizing, you get targeted.” (Via NBC)

And the Justice Department’s acquisition of Associated Press phone records has journalists and White House critics speaking out. DOJ pulled two months of phone records after an AP report on a foiled terror attack. (Via RT)

On CBS’ “Face the Nation,” AP President Gary Pruitt voiced his concerns.

PRUITT: “They are required to narrow this request as narrowly as possible so as not to tread upon the First Amendment. And yet they had a broad sweeping collection.”

Pruitt also says the Justice Department didn’t ask the AP for the records — as its required to do by law — before pulling them through a secret subpoena.

Pakistani Political Leader Gunned Down in Karachi

Sat, 18 May 2013 20:36:09 -0500

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(Image source: BBC)

BY COLLIN RUANE

The senior vice president of a major political party in Pakistan, led by Imran Khan, was shot dead Saturday outside her home in Karachi. The BBC points out the death comes at a time when political tensions are rising.

“The killing of Zahra Shahid Hussain … comes just before a partial rerun in the city of last Saturday’s general election — following complaints by Mr. Khan’s party of widespread rigging and intimidation.”

The Guardian notes Hussain was “a senior female member of Imran Khan's Movement for Justice party … An eyewitness said that she handed the attackers her belongings, but was then shot.”

But a motive for the killing is still unknown. Al Jazeera reports three gunmen attacked the political leader in what colleagues call a “security failure.”

The Frontier Post reports Hussain was hit by two bullets and died of her injuries while being transported to the hospital.

Hussain was 60 years old. The suspected attackers remain on the loose as this story continues to develop.

Judge Blocks Arkansas' 12-Week Abortion Ban

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:31:58 -0500

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Image Source: ThinkProgress

BY CHARESSE JAMES

A federal judge has ordered a temporary injunction blocking an Arkansas law that would ban abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy as of Friday.

“A judge issued a preliminary injunction that would temporarily ban arkansas from enforcing the law that bans most abortions ... arkansas' legislature passed the measure back in march, governor beebe vetoed it.. only to have lawmakers override the veto.” (Via WREG)

The anti-abortion legislation, known as the Human Heartbeat Protection Act, essentially bans most abortions if a fetal heartbeat can be detected, with exceptions in cases of pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, medical emergencies and to save the life of the mother.

The law is one of the most stringent abortion laws in the United States, and perhaps the sharpest challenge yet to the standards set by the Supreme Court.

The Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 and later decisions determined that a woman has a right to an abortion up the the point when the fetus is able to survive outside of the womb — usually during the 24th to 28th week of pregnancy. (Via KETV)

The dramatically-reduced legal window of time to have the procedure was almost immediately followed by a legal challenge from abortion rights groups, calling the measure intrusive, inhumane and dangerous.

“This law is an extreme and dangerous intrusion of politicians into what is the most intimate decision a woman and her family and her doctor can make...” (Via KTHV)

The injunction essentially prevents the law from taking place on its scheduled date of August 16 until the judge, Susan Webber Wright, hears final arguments and rules on the law’s constitutionality. NBC reports the judge said the 12-week standard potentially criminalizes some abortions before the generally accepted medical standard for fetus viability, saying...

“The Supreme Court has consistently used viability as a standard with respect to any law that regulates abortion. This act defines viability as something viability is not.”

Arkansas’ 12-week abortion ban is just one of several anti-abortion legislations other states are proposing and passing, throughout the region — including an Oklahoma “fetal pain” ban at 20 weeks passed in 2011, and North Dakota’s ban at six weeks of pregnancy passed in March.

“A federal judge struck down Idaho's pain-capable law the day after the Arkansas legislature overturned Governor Mike Beebe's veto enacting the 20-week ban. Now two years on the books, Oklahoma hasn't seen a challenge.” (Via KARK)

But the “Human Heartbeat” law has its supporters, who according to The New York Times, are “obviously disappointed” by the injunction who “hoped the court would allow new arguments and evidence from a coalition of conservative legal groups” before making a final decision on the injunction.

However, even without the law, Arkansas already has one of the country’s strictest abortion limits. It is one of the 10 states that ban abortion at 20 weeks. That law has not been legally challenged.

Lawmakers Grill IRS Officials on Capitol Hill

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:26:01 -0500

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(Image Credit: The New York Times)

BY ALEX MALLIN

Capitol Hill played host to a roasting of IRS officials, who came under fire after the revelation that the agency had targeted conservative groups seeking tax exemptions in recent years.

Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc. “How can we not conclude that you misled this committee?”

Steven Miller “That’s a lot of questions.”

Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc. “It’s one. How can we not conclude that you misled this committee?” (Via CNN)

That’s Steven Miller, soon-to-be former commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service answering questions from Republican Congressman Paul Ryan. (Via NPR)

It comes at the height of tensions for the Obama Administration which has had to answer why agents within the federal tax collecting agency targeted groups that used the terms “Patriot” and “Tea Party” in its review of groups seeking tax-exempt status.

Ryan wanted Miller to acknowledge whether he had broken the law by lying to Republicans back in March of 2012, in a letter where he denied knowledge of the targeting. (Via USA Today)

"President Barack Obama “It’s inexcusable, Americans have a right to be angry about it, and I’m angry about it.” (FLASH) “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure nothing like this happens again, by holding the responsible parties accountable.” (Via ABC)

Miller defended the agency at the hearing, denying the targeting was intentional, while acknowledging foolish mistakes within the agency.

“Partisanship or even the perception of partisanship has no place at the IRS. It cannot even appear to be a consideration in determining the tax exemption of an organization.” (Via The New York Times)

The scandal has put Republicans on the offensive as Treasury Inspector General J. Russell George testified to the House Means and Ways Committee he’s been investigating the issue since June of 2012. (Via Politico)

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kent. “Who knows who they’ll target next?”

Rush Limbaugh “This is how Obama operates. His fingers are all over it.”

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kent. “Someone needs to be held be responsible. Someone needs to be imprisoned. Someone needs to be prosecuted.” (Via Fox News)

The president has denied any knowledge, let alone involvement, placing the blame on two rogue Cincinnati IRS officials. (Via The Washington Post)

Attempting to douse the flames, the president has appointed Daniel Werfel to replace Miller. Werfel has experience on both sides of the aisle, and is a senior official at the Office of Management and Budget. (Via Heavy)

Top IRS officials will likely be spending a great deal of time in coming weeks on Capitol Hill, they are expected to testify in front of the Senate Finance Committee next Tuesday.

After Rainy Press Conference, a Look at Obama and Umbrellas

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:10:03 -0500

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(Image source: Twitter / @DavidNakamura)

BY ELIZABETH HAGEDORN

It’s been a rough week for President Obama, so during a Rose Garden press conference with the Turkish prime minister, he wasn’t about to let a little rain get in his way.

“The skies opened up, and the rain really came down. He was shielded by an umbrella while he was facing the media.” (Via CNN)

“I am going to go ahead and ask folks, we’re going to go ahead and get a couple of Marines. They’re going to look good next to us ... You guys, I’m sorry.” (Via ABC)

Aside from prompting endless Caption This contests… (Via The Daily Caller)

… news of Umbrella-gate flooded Twitter, with media critic Howard Kurtz pointing out:

“OK, Obama standing under an umbrella held by a military aide opens the metaphor floodgates for an administration in a downpour”

And in light of recent events, CNN’s Ari Fleischer tweeted, “Good think (sic) the Marines don't work for the IRS. Otherwise, they'd just cover Obama.”

This isn’t the first time Obama has raised eyebrows as he’s raised his umbrella. Back in 2009, on his first visit to China, he was praised by the country’s media for carrying his own umbrella ... (Via The Republic of China)

... leading The Wall Street Journal to write: “In a country where officials often have flunkeys to hold their umbrellas, the image of a U.S. president keeping his own head dry was poignant.”

Then there was this awkward scene that ensued as he tried to squeeze through a narrow gate with a fully extended umbrella. Here’s our favorite caption provided by the Los Angeles Times: “Julie Andrews made this look so easy.”

And New York Magazine feaured this picture of an Air Force One staffer struggling to keep up with the president while holding an umbrella for him and suggested the president take a page from P. Diddy’s playbook and hire Fonzworth Bentley. (Via Pure People)

As BuzzFeed points out, it’s not like Obama was the first president to have a staffer hold an umbrella for him, and perhaps it’s for the best.

North Carolina Fights to Make Tesla Motor Sales Illegal

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:41:01 -0500

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(Image source: Tesla)

BY JEREMY TRUITT

Tesla Motors recently posted its first-ever profitable quarter, and its stock is up 170 percent this year. But with growth often comes opposition, and right now that’s in the form of a new North Carolina bill that could ban Tesla from the state.

Tesla uses a direct-to-consumer sales approach, meaning customers buy cars directly from the company instead of through a dealer. The proposed North Carolina bill would ban that model, forcing Tesla to either open dealers or not sell in that state. (Via ABC)

The legislation is being pushed by the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association, which says it wants to protect consumers. Tesla, on the other hand, says consumers would be much better served by a direct-sales model.

NCADA PRESIDENT: “We believe in the franchise retail system; it’s been in place for 100 years. It works to protect consumers.”

TESLA VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: “What’s happening in North Carolina is … they’re fundamentally disenfranchising North Carolina consumers.” (Via CNBC)

Slate reports opposition might be deeper than protecting consumers. Tesla’s Model S outsold the Mercedes S-Class, Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series last quarter, and if its direct-to-consumer model catches on nationwide, it could deal a serious blow to the franchise auto dealer system.

So why does the auto industry have a middleman dealer? Apple sells directly to consumers, as do Ikea and many others. The answer goes back to when the auto industry was just budding.

According to a report by the Economic Analysis Group, the franchise auto dealer system started nearly a century ago when manufacturers didn’t have the means to reach consumers everywhere, so they turned to franchising.

But Tesla founder Elon Musk said this system is antiquated and won’t work with the new electric vehicles. “Electric vehicles simply cannot be sold side by side with gas vehicles because they will always be a minority item … It is impossible for them to explain the advantages of going electric without simultaneously undermining their traditional business.” (Via The Wall Street Journal)

Tesla is fighting a similar battle against Texas auto dealers, and it recently won a major battle against auto dealers in New York when a judge ruled in favor of Tesla’s direct-sales model.

Is Pelosi Right About Political Double Standard for Women?

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:35:00 -0500

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(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

Things got pretty personal earlier this week when former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said this on MSNBC:

“I'll say this about John Boehner. If he were a woman, they'd be calling him the weakest speaker in history.”

Whoa. That’s essentially Pelosi alleging a double standard for her Republican successor: Current House Speaker John Boehner.

“We get criticized for accomplishing things, they don't get criticized for not accomplishing things.” (Via MSNBC)

“We” being women — “they” being men of course. So you could either take that as a pot shot from a figurehead of one major party to another — OR the beginning of a discussion about women in politics today.

Earlier this year former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — who in 2008 was in the running to be the first female U.S. president — told a crowd in India: “...there is still a double standard ... from the trivial, like what you wear, to the incredibly serious...”

And she would know.

HECKLER: “Iron my shirt! Iron my shirt!”

On the campaign trail in 2008 a heckler chanted “Iron my shirt!” at her at a rally in New Hampshire.

The new 113th Congress — sworn in in January — includes more women than ever before — just over 100 when you count three nonvoting members. (Via CNN)

But critics also point out — President Obama’s second-term cabinet nomination has fewer women than his first: at seven.

According to the Center for American Women and Politics, there are still around 15 states with legislatures that are less than 20% female.

And three states with no female representation in the U.S. Congress — despite women making up more than half the U.S. population.

But admittedly these are things that can’t be measured by numbers alone. In fact —

Nancy Pelosi’s claim that John Boehner would be considered the worst speaker in history were he a woman — (Via MSNBC)

— is nearly impossible to substantiate — and could very well be chalked up to pure politics.

Pelosi is, by the way according to Gallup, the best known, yet least liked leader in Congress.

Benghazi Document Release Doesn't Satisfy GOP

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:46:00 -0500

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(Image source: The White House)

BY NICHOLE CARTMELL

The White House’s release of hundreds of emails and notes about the deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, last year might have satisfied some...

WILLIE GEIST: “I think Republicans want all roads to lead back to the White House and so far they don't." (Via MSNBC)

Little to no new information was learned about the attacks from the documents, nor do they pinpoint who is at fault. And the president’s critics say — that’s because the White House didn’t reveal enough.

“I know for total certainty, this is a small smidgen of what they have. There are 25,000 documents. The White House has hand-selected these.” (Via Fox News)

The GOP believes the Obama administration is to blame for the attacks that left three dead. (Via WINK)

For the last eight months, they’ve been arguing the White House is withholding information for political reasons.

Obama has dismissed this criticism saying: “The fact that this keeps on getting churned out, frankly, has a lot to do with political motivations.” (Via C-SPAN)

Former UN Ambassador Susan Rice became the flashpoint in the debate, shortly after the attacks when she hit the Sunday talk show circuit with faulty talking points. (Via CBS)

But the documents showed Rice had nothing to do with the White House response, aside from being the messenger.

The documents reveal the talking points were edited to omit a mention of al Qaeda and previous warnings about terrorist threats in Benghazi. CIA deputy Michael J. Morell is said to have made both revisions. (Via The White House)

Which for some, this makes it seem like the Republican claims are unsubstantiated.

WILLIE GEIST: “If you read these emails it doesn't look from what we saw in just those 100 pages of emails at least that the White House was tinkering in this. It was state department versus CIA.”

Politico writes releasing the documents was definitely a step forward in the public relations disaster that is currently plaguing President Obama’s second term. And Democrats believe “the White House has found its footing.”

But again — Republicans argue that’s because the White House got to pick what it released. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed when militants attacked the U.S. Consulate on Sept. 11, 2012.

Obama Announces Acting IRS Commissioner's Resignation

Wed, 15 May 2013 21:41:32 -0500

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(Image Source: Bloomberg)

BY JEREMY TRUITT

In a deepening scandal that’s rocked the IRS and led to an FBI criminal investigation, President Obama said in a press conference Wednesday the acting commissioner of the IRS has resigned.

“It’s inexcusable and American’s have a right to be angry about it. I am angry about it. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in any agency, but especially in the IRS.” (Via Al Jazeera)

The resignation comes amid the Inspector General’s report last week that unveiled a months-long investigation of the IRS’s targeting of conservative non-profits applying for tax exempt status. In some cases, it took conservative groups up to three years to get approval. (Via Los Angeles Times)

Further exacerbating the situation is a USA Today analysis that found as Tea Party groups were struggling to get non-profit status, liberal groups got through just fine.

“While the IRS was putting a hold on all Tea Party applications, a similar number of liberal groups were granted non-profit status.” (Via CBS)

Some Republicans are saying civil rights could have even been violated, meaning criminal charges could potentially follow. House Speaker John Boehner upped the rhetoric, saying...

“My question isn’t about who is going to resign, my question is ‘who is going to jail over this scandal.’” (Via Fox News)

The IRS issued a statement Wednesday saying it identified two employees principally responsible for the targeting, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested it goes further, saying it was “an effort to bring the power of the federal government to bear on those the administration disagreed with in the middle of a heated national election." (Via CNN)

Obama also said in the press conference that in addition to a full FBI probe, he will be directing the IRS to put safeguards in place to ensure this never happens again.

White House Releases Benghazi Emails

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:18:45 -0500

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(Image source: ABC)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

The Obama White House released a wealth of information on a heavily partisan topic Wednesday — making public 100 emails between members of the administration about last fall’s Benghazi consulate attack.

CNN and others posted the emails publicly. They show the CIA drafted the early talking points for administration officials to use when discussing Benghazi. The earliest draft says:

“We believe based on currently available information that the attacks in Benghazi were spontaneously inspired by the protests at the U.S. embassy in Cairo...” (Via CNN / The White House)

The emails show a back and forth exchange between the CIA and State Department over how to word the talking points and how much should be revealed about an incident they knew little about. The attack killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. (Via Al Jazeera, Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Department of State)

These were the same talking points used by U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice when she visited the Sunday shows after the consulate attack — and said the U.S. had no reason to believe it was anything other than a spontaneous riot. (Via ABC)

For months, Republicans have criticized the administration for hiding facts about the attack for political purposes. Though the emails appear to show information was removed by the CIA, and the State Department’s changes were largely regarding style.

The attack has seen renewed attention since last week’s testimony from State Department employees on the issue. Republicans, including House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa have also criticized the administration’s own investigation. (Via C-SPAN)

Issa even got into it a bit with that investigation’s pointman, Thomas Pickering, on Sunday.

Issa: “The American people were effectively lied to … this was a terrorist attack from the get-go.”

Pickering: “Let me say that I hope the chairman has read our report.” (Via NBC)

White House officials, including the president, have repeatedly accused Republicans of politicizing a tragedy by turning it into a partisan critique.

Is America Ready for Wall Street-Funded Highways?

Wed, 15 May 2013 19:15:02 -0500

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*This video was produced in conjunction with National Journal and runs alongside its cover story for the week of May 18.

BY ZACH TOOMBS

Roads and infrastructure are expensive, and in many states taxpayer dollars are only going so far.

This week’s National Journal Magazine cover story looks at how private companies are stepping in to fill the gaps in public projects, like highways, ports — even space-flight facilities.

It marks a shift away from the days of Eisenhower’s national highway network — when the public as a whole owned roads built and maintained solely with tax revenue. But federal... (Via YouTube / "Highway Challenge")

...coffers haven’t kept up with the nation’s growing infrastructure. In 2012, the president signed a $105 billion highway bill that failed to cover funding for even half of its five-year target. (Via The White House)

Of course, taking money from Wall Street, or even from foreign companies to fund public projects also means handing over partial control of these projects. Fawn Johnson, who... (Via Fortune)

...wrote this week’s cover story, explains.

“Over the course of researching the project, what I learned is that members of the public really aren’t prepared to cede total control of the roads and highways to private partners.”

“So, the real problem becomes is the public going to accept whether the private sector’s going to be involved in infrastructure? Or are we going to have to come up with another way … to keep it a fully public, fully accessible, essentially free utility?” (Via Vimeo / Foss Media)

As a result, drivers could see more tolls on public-private roads — because while private companies can get them built and maintained cheaper, they’re also looking for a profit. In Indiana, former Gov. Mitch Daniels...

...pushed through a public-private deal to finance the Indiana Toll Road. It put $3.8 billion into a state project, but critics note truck tolls could increase by more than 3,000 percent over the course of the 75-year deal. (Via WANE)

Virginia has embraced the idea of public and private joint funding more than any other state. Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell even set up an Office of Transportation Public-Private Projects to seek out such deals. (Via YouTube / WeAreChange)

As many as 18 projects with private funding are in the works in Virginia, including a plan to use a NASA space flight facility for commercial endeavors — one day offering recreational space rides for those who can pay their way, much like Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic. (Via Virgin Galactic)

But in parts of the state, there’s resistance to public-private deals. It might have been why the Virginia Port Authority refused such funding for ports in Norfolk. Many Americans might not be prepared to hand control of public projects over to private companies. (Via WAVY)

CNN Accuses ABC of False Benghazi Reporting

Tue, 14 May 2013 23:27:39 -0500

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(Image source: The Washington Times)

BY ELIZABETH HAGEDORN

You may have seen last week’s ABC News “exclusive” report that supposedly offered proof of a Watergate-esque Benghazi cover-up Republicans had been hoping for. Well, CNN now says ABC’s scoop was misleading, if not entirely fabricated.

Last fall, then-UN ambassador Susan Rice came under attack following her explanations of the Benghazi attacks that killed four Americans. She claimed the attacks were spontaneous and not the work of a terrorist plot. (Via CBS)

For months, many Republicans claimed the White House intentionally downplayed the role of terrorism in the attack while President Obama was running for reelection. (Via Al Jazeera)

Last week, ABC’s Jonathan Karl broke the story that officials within Obama Administration had apparently manipulated Rice’s talking points to specifically remove any references to terrorism.

“I have obtained 12 different versions of those talking points that shows they were dramatically edited by the administration.”

The ABC emails, for instance, had senior White House aide Ben Rhodes writing: “We must make sure that the talking points reflect all agency equities, including those of the State Department, and we don’t want to undermine the FBI investigation. (Via The White House)

...this, apparently after the State Department’s Victoria Nuland objected to the mention of previous CIA warnings of terrorist threats in Benghazi, writing that, quote “could be abused by members [of Congress] to beat up the State Department for not paying attention to warnings, so why would we want to feed that either?” (Via Wikimedia Commons)

The edits listed in the ABC News story — and in a similar report from the Weekly Standard — seem to contradict what White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said last November when he claimed no administration officials were involved in drafting the talking points. (Via The White House)

Seems like the smoking gun congressional Republicans have been after...well, not so fast. In the full version of the emails obtained by CNN’s Jake Tapper, the Rhodes email doesn’t mention the State Department or the talking points at all.

“The Rhodes email had been discussed as evidence that the White House was using, playing politics and siding with the State Department’s concerns which seems political over other concerns.”

Tapper adds: “Whoever provided those quotes seemingly invented the notion that Rhodes wanted the concerns of the State Department specifically addressed.”

Some pundits, including Salon’s Joan Walsh, have speculated the source — and we still don’t know who that is — must have tweaked the email before handing it over to ABC.

The Daily Kos says: “Karl got burned, plain and simple. He was the stenographer for a someone pushing a political attack against the Obama administration and Hillary Clinton.”

But ABC’s Karl pointed out in the initial report that the emails he received were actually just summaries, and he later clarified and that he was “quoting verbatim a source who reviewed the original documents and shared notes.".

“In a statement to The Washington Post, an ABC spokesperson says , “Assuming the email cited by Jake Tapper is accurate, it is consistent with the summary quoted by Jon Karl.”

This still leaves the question of who fabricated the information to begin with. Was it a GOP source , as the White House has suggested? Was it an Obama administration official with an ax to grind? But if there’s one thing both networks can agree on, it’s that the White House should release the full email exchanges.

Justice Department Juggles Internal Probe, IRS Investigation

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 -0500

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(Image source: The New York Times / Luke Sharrett)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

Just as the Department of Justice launches a probe into the IRS’s activities, it’s facing an investigation into its own actions. And it has Republicans again calling for the Attorney General’s resignation.

Two months of Associated Press phone records were obtained by the Justice department without a subpoena — fueling criticism that the DOJ overstepped its bounds. (Via Al Jazeera)

The level of Attorney General Eric Holder’s involvement in the phone records grab is up for debate. (Via The New York Times)

But Holder did seem to justify the action in a news conference Tuesday, when he said the Justice Department had a duty to investigate reports of a foiled terror attack that were leaked to the AP. (Via PBS)

"That’s not hyperbole. It put the American people at risk. And trying to determine who’s responsible for that required very aggressive action.” (Via WRC)

Holder himself was questioned by the FBI in the AP leaks last summer, and he says he’s recusing himself — staying out of the probe into phone records — as a result. That hasn’t kept Republican leaders from pointing the finger at him.

In a brief statement Tuesday, Party Chairman Reince Priebus wrote: (Via GOP.com)

“Attorney General Eric Holder ... has trampled on the First Amendment and failed in his sworn duty to uphold the Constitution. Because Attorney General Holder has so egregiously violated the public trust, the president should ask for his immediate resignation.” (Photo via Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore)

And just as the Justice Department sees pressure on that front, it announced its own probe into the Internal Revenue Service. Last week, the IRS admitted to unfairly targeting conservative groups in audits. Though in an especially uncomfortable White House press briefing Tuesday... (Via CBS)

…spokesman Jay Carney said the president still isn’t even sure there was any wrongdoing.

“Be certain the president, if this turns out to be true, he would be outraged … It’s not the way the IRS should ever operate, if it turns out to be true.” (Via C-SPAN)

At the Justice Department, Holder said his agency’s investigation, in conjunction with the FBI, would determine whether the IRS actions broke only the service’s own policies or actually violated federal laws.

Obama Calls Focus on Benghazi 'Political Circus'

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:21:54 -0500

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(Image source: The New York Times / Doug Mills)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

What was meant as a chance for U.S. and British leaders to publicly discuss the crisis in Syria instead produced some strong words from President Obama about the Benghazi consulate attack — and what his critics have been saying.

OBAMA: “The whole issue of talking points, frankly, throughout this process has been a sideshow … Nobody understood exactly what was taking place during the course of those first few days.” (Via NBC)

The Benghazi consulate attack last September claimed the lives of four Americans. Critics accuse the Obama administration of disguising the planned attack as a spontaneous protest to limit political consequences. (Via Al Jazeera)

A series of State Department talking points about the consulate attack were made public Friday.

The White House says those talking points were given to Congressional committees months ago, and that changes made to them in the days after the attacks were purely stylistic. (Via TPM)

Many Republicans disagree.

JOHN MCCAIN: “I would call it a cover up in the extent there was willful removal of information, which was obvious.” (Via ABC)

The news conference where the president made his remarks came just after a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron about the deteriorating situation in Syria. Speaking to press, Cameron urged action in the region. (Via The New York Times)

CAMERON: “80,000 dead. Five million people forced from their homes. Syria’s history is being written in the blood of her people, and it is happening on our watch.” (Via BBC)

Cameron traveled to Russia to meet with leader Vladimir Putin a few days earlier. Russia is one of the Syrian government’s last major allies, but Cameron says he was “heartened” by his talks with Putin. (Via Euronews)

Specifically, Western leaders have asked Russia to help transition Bashar al Assad’s regime out of Syria. The nation’s civil war has been waged since March 2011, when rebels took up arms against Syria’s government. (Via CBS)

IRS Under Fire for Targeting Tea Party, Other Groups

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:44:00 -0500

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(Image source: USA Today)

BY BRIAN BONDUS

The Internal Revenue Service is facing widespread criticism after admitting it unfairly targeted conservative groups with the words “Tea Party” and “Patriot” in their names with audits and examinations of their tax exempt statuses.

Politico reports the IRS also targeted groups that focused on issues such as... “government spending,” “government debt,” and all groups that “criticize[d] how the country is being run.”

“They asked for things like our donor list. ... Every email, everything the Tea Party had ever sent.”

(Via Fox News)

Maine Republican Susan Collins criticizes the IRS, but also targets President Obama’s administration.

“It’s very disappointing that the president hasn’t personally condemned this and spoken out…”

(Via CNN)

White House spokesman Jay Carney denounced the IRS’ actions in a press briefing Friday, noting the IRS does not take its marching orders from the president, and just two of the agency’s administrators are political appointees. Still, the president hasn’t addressed the issue directly, which has only added to the firestorm.

In 2011, then-IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman told Congress the IRS was not targeting groups based on political views.

Now, conservative groups are rejecting the IRS apology noting that the targeting went much higher up than the low-level employees the IRS previously blamed. The New York Times quotes a national coordinator for Tea Party Patriots who is outraged.

“The I.R.S. has demonstrated the most disturbing, illegal and outrageous abuse of government power. This deliberate targeting and harassment of Tea Party groups reaches a new low in illegal government activity and overreach.”

And NPR quotes a tax exempt expert who says you have to go back to the Nixon administration to find a time when the president’s political foes have a real reason to be concerned about the IRS.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor confirmed Friday that the Republican-led House will investigate the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups to determine what, if any, laws were broken.

(Via The Washington Post)

Sunday Sound Bite: GOP Pushes Hard on Benghazi

Sun, 12 May 2013 15:56:13 -0500

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BY ZACH TOOMBS

For National Journal, I’m Zach Toombs. Critics of the Obama administration had plenty to work with on the Sunday shows this week.

DARRELL ISSA: “ ... this was a terrorist attack from the get-go.”

SUSAN COLLINS: “It is absolutely chilling that the IRS was singling out conservative groups.”

And Mark Sanford looks ahead.

SANFORD: “You know, I think, always in life past is past.”

New developments in last fall’s Benghazi consulate attack has the Obama administration on its heels this Sunday. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans died in that attack, which was initially labeled a spontaneous protest. On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa called a State Department investigation of the attack inadequate and said the Obama administration lied. (Via Al Jazeera)

ISSA: “The American people were effectively lied to … this was a terrorist attack from the get-go.”

Thomas Pickering, who led the State investigation, took issue with Issa’s claims.

PICKERING: “Let me say that I hope the chairman has read our report … and I can’t believe that in face he sits here and makes those charges.”

And the Internal Revenue Service is facing widespread criticism after admitting it unfairly targeted Tea Party groups with audits and examinations of their tax exempt status. (Via CBS)

Republican Sen. Susan Collins said this on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

COLLINS: “It’s very disappointing that the president hasn’t personally condemned this and spoken out … The president needs to make crystal clear that this is totally unacceptable in America.”

To be fair, White House spokesman Jay Carney did denounce the IRS actions in a press briefing Friday, though the president hasn’t yet spoken out directly.

On Fox News Sunday, Mark Sanford said he’s ready to work with Republicans even though his party largely abandoned his campaign. Having stepped down as governor in 2011 after an extramarital affair, Sanford’s election to the U.S. House marks quite the comeback. (Via The Post and Courier)

SANFORD: “I’m a Republican who’s always had an Independent streak. I guess that would be the best way to define it … I think always in life, past is past. I look forward to working with the entire Republican team.”

Sanford topped Democrat Elizabeth Colbert-Busch by 9 percentage points Tuesday to win a seat in the House representing South Carolina. The former governor will have to run for his seat again in November 2014.

Zuckerberg's Advocacy Group FWD.us Loses Big Supporters

Sat, 11 May 2013 20:23:32 -0500

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(Image source: FWD.us)

BY JEREMY TRUITT

In a notable turn of events, Mark Zuckerberg’s political advocacy group FWD.us is losing supporters over bipartisan political support a mere month after it was founded.

The biggest name to leave is PayPal and Tesla Motors founder Elon Musk. He cited conflicts with his deep beliefs in a green environment. And the other is David Sacks, CEO of the social network Yammer. (Via CNN and Fast Company)

So what are those conflicts? Well, FWD.us is reportedly being, shall we say, creative with its political agenda.

The main objective of FWD.us is to push for a vast overhaul of the U.S. immigration policies to permit more H-1B visas for highly skilled workers. In order to do that, however, it needs Republican support. (Via The Register)

And therein lies the problem. To garner Republican support, FWD.us is backing commercials for Republican politicians in support of the controversial Keystone Pipeline. The thought process is simple: Support them, and they’ll support FWD.us.

The Atlantic reports this duality is at the heart of Musk’s departure. Although he supports immigration overhaul, he feels he can’t do so at the expense of the environment. “I agreed to support Fwd.us because there is a genuine need to reform immigration. However, this should not be done at the expense of other important causes.”

But with the highly publicized departure, a spokeswoman for FWD.us said in a statement the advocacy group “remains totally committed to supporting a bipartisan policy agenda that will boost the knowledge economy, including comprehensive immigration reform.”

And The Next Web reports FWD.us isn’t exactly hurting for notable supporters. Those still affiliated with the group include Google’s Eric Schmidt, Netflix’s Reed Hastings and Twitter’s Jack Dorsey, among many others.

Although there’s clearly been a shift in the organization’s focus, Zuckerberg says his objective is still immigration reform.

Record Voter Turnout at Violence-Stricken Pakistan Elections

Sat, 11 May 2013 12:41:49 -0500

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Image Source: The New York Times

BY CHARESSE JAMES

Violence at polling stations haven’t stopped record voting turnout in Pakistan’s general elections Saturday.

“People are determined themselves to stand up to the Taliban and have their voices heard and come out and vote. … Every polling station has a queue outside it.” (Via CNN)

This isn’t just any election. Despite being the country’s 11th general election, the outgoing government is the first to have completed its five-year term. So this is Pakistan's first democratic transition in the country’s 66-year history.

“...a crucial moment in Pakistani history … Whoever forms the next government with face the urgent task of restoring economic growth, combating terrorist attacks from the Pakistan Taliban” (Via Financial Times)

In Pakistan’s short existence, the nation has undergone three military coups and has been ruled primarily by generals amid political turmoil. And the lack of military interference in this election has made it, as The New York Times calls it, a vibrant race.

“...this time the military has largely steered clear of getting involved in the election. There have been few allegations of manipulation by the military’s Inter Services-Intelligence Directorate, which in previous elections had bribed or intimidated candidates to obtain a result favorable to the military leadership.”

The country has been in the throes of election fever for the past several weeks. As the people elect members of the national parliament and four provincial assemblies, they will also choose between re-electing former president Asif Ali Zardari or two frontrunners for Prime Minister:

Nawaz Sharif: head of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. He hopes to become prime minister for the third time after being ousted and exiled by the military in 1999, and losing the 2008 election after his return to Pakistan in 2007. (Via Telegraph)

And Imran Khan, a popular Pakistani cricket player and founder of the Movement for Justice Party, has appealed to a largely young, urban demographic disenchanted with politicians and corruption within the system. (Via NPR)

“In all, 85 million registered voters will cast their ballots. Approximately 40 million of them are expected to be first time voters. They will elect close to 1000 members of the National and Provincial assemblies.” (Via IBN Live)

Long lines were reported at some stations, with waits of at least three hours. Pakistanis hope their vote will usher in reform in a country battling corruption, a struggling economy, security threats and a failing infrastructure. But, in some cities, the election was marred by Taliban violence. (Via IndiaTV)

“Within hours of opening, violence was reported in several areas. In Karachi, at least 10 people have been killed and dozens injured … There were also attacks in the cities of Peshawar and Quetta. Fatalities have been reported.” (Via euronews)

The Taliban has waged a war in Pakistan for years, attempting to enforce Islamic Sharia law. Over the past month, members of the organization have reportedly killed more than 100 people in attacks meant to stop moderate and left-leaning politicians from campaigning. (Via RT)

Polls closed Saturday at 6 p.m. local time. According to The New York Times, aside from more traditional politicians, the long list of candidates included astrologers, transgendered people, former models and the first female candidates in the tribal belt along the Afghan border. More than half of the roughly 70,000 polling stations around the country were classified as ‘at risk of an attack’ by the Taliban.

IRS Apologizes for Flagging Conservative Groups in 2012

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:27:00 -0500

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(Image source: Wikimedia Commons / Kevin Smith)

BY KERRY LEARY

After being under some speculation, the Internal Revenue Service is now apologizing for flagging conservative political groups for additional reviews during the 2012 election. This was allegedly done to see if any violations were taking place.

The claim was originally reported by Fox News, who noted some Tea Party chapters were claiming the IRS was attempting to sabotage their nonprofit status.

And other media organizations backed these claims up Friday, reporting some conservative groups complained during the 2012 election about the IRS and their requests for answers.

In March, The Blaze reported the American Center for Law and Justice was representing nearly 20 Tea Party groups in a suit against what they believe to be a coordinated partisan attack to intimidate certain organizations.

The IRS acknowledged asking for the groups’ lists of donors in certain cases. That’s actually a violation of IRS policy. The organizations targeted had “tea party” or “patriot” in their names.

The Atlantic notes, “During a conference [on Friday], Lois Lerner, the IRS staffer in charge of non-profit designations, apologized for the unusual request … Lerner said that ‘low-level workers’ in Cincinnati began additional reviews of organizations ... ”

The apology made the front page of the conservative Drudge Report. But Lerner also said the practice wasn’t politically motivated.

Heritage Foundation on Defense After Immigration Report

Fri, 10 May 2013 00:26:42 -0500

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(Image source: Politico)

BY ELIZABETH HAGEDORN

The Heritage Foundation is under fire for its recent report on immigration reform after one of the authors was revealed to be openly biased against Hispanics. And that’s after the study had already been attacked for its supposedly fuzzy math.

The report estimated legalizing 11 million undocumented immigrants would cost the U.S. $6.3 trillion over the next five decades. (Via The Heritage Foundation)

That number drew skepticism from liberals and conservatives alike, who dismissed the report for allegedly failing to take into account the economic benefits of immigration reform.

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio called the findings “deeply flawed” ... (Via The Washington Times)

… while the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rubén Hinojosa, called it “ugly racism and xenophobia dressed up in economic hyperbole.” (Via The Hill)

The Heritage Foundation maintains its study adhered to the National Academy of Sciences’ recommended methodology. But miscalculation or not, the foundation is now trying to distance itself from the study because of one author’s checkered background.

The Washington Post first reported Jason Richwine claimed in his 2009 dissertation that the IQs of Hispanic Americans were substantially lower than those of white Americans. (Via CNBC)

Richwine wrote, “No one knows whether Hispanics will ever reach IQ parity with whites, but the prediction that new Hispanic immigrants will have low-IQ children and grandchildren is difficult to argue against.”

But the PR nightmare doesn’t end there for the think tank. It turns out Richwine has also written two articles for Alternative Right, a nationalist website whose founder also leads an organization that calls itself a foundation for white Americans.

Per The Atlantic, Richwine also penned a book review in the American Conservative, explaining that in terms of intelligence, “biological differences cannot be wished away.”

The Heritage Foundation Vice President Michael Gonzalez was quick to distance his organization from the writings. He said in a blog post they “ ... do not reflect the positions of The Heritage Foundation or the conclusions of our study on the cost of amnesty to U.S. taxpayers, as race and ethnicity are not part of Heritage immigration policy recommendations.”

Politico also reports the think tank might hire a “high-profile” consulting group to deal with the backlash.

The report in question is a revision of a similar paper the group released in 2007, which also claimed legalizing undocumented immigrants would come at a heavy cost. Some pundits say that effectively killed the immigration debate that year, despite the criticism the study received for its supposedly faulty methodology. (Via Fox News)

This all comes as the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares to take up the Gang of Eight’s 844-page overhaul of U.S. immigration laws.

New York City Considers Allowing Noncitizens to Vote

Thu, 09 May 2013 21:57:33 -0500

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(Image source: Gothamist)

BY ELIZABETH HAGEDORN

If a New York City Council proposal passes, hundreds of thousands of noncitizens could get the right to vote in the city’s local elections.

According to the bill, any resident could vote as long as he or she were lawfully present in the U.S. and had lived in New York for six months or longer. They’d have a say in elections for mayor, the city council and borough presidents. (Via Voice of America)

Bill co-sponsor Daniel Dromm, who introduced a similar measure in 2010, told Talking Points Memo this year he’s optimistic about the bill’s chances. (Via Talking Points Memo)

“This is extremely important, because it’s based on the founding principle of this country and that was, ‘No Taxation Without Representation.’”

But some legal experts question whether this is even constitutional under state law. New York Daily News points out the state’s legislature has historically handled voting legislation.

With 34 of the Council’s 51 members supporting the measure, backers of the bill reportedly have the exact number of votes needed to overcome a likely veto from Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who’s come out against the bill. (Via WNBC)

Still another roadblock for advocates could come from City Council Speaker and mayoral candidate Christine Quinn, who’s reportedly opposed to the bill and as speaker wields the power to keep the measure from coming up for debate. (Via WPIX)

As a writer for the legal blog Above the Law says, given that the majority race in New York City is, in fact, New Yorkers:

“It makes perfect sense to me there is a move to allow New York City residents to vote together, regardless of what country they come from or whether they are U.S. citizens. We don’t care about U.S. citizenship, we care about New York citizenship.”

New York City isn’t the only place weighing expanding the rights of its immigrant population. The California legislature has OK’d legislation making noncitizens eligible for jury duty.

Whistleblowers Testify in Ongoing Benghazi Probe

Wed, 08 May 2013 19:18:02 -0500

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(Image Source: USA Today / H. Darr Beiser)

BY CHARESSE JAMES

The House Oversight Committee held a congressional hearing Wednesday on the circumstances surrounding the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya nearly 8 months ago.

“An expert in security an expert in counter-terrorism and a top diplomat will in essence be contradicting parts of the Obama Administration's accounts on Benghazi.” (Via CBS)

Those three State Department whistleblowers are:

-Mark Thompson, deputy coordinator for operations in the State Department’s counterterrorism bureau...

-The former lead security official for the State Department in Libya, Eric Nordstrom and...

-The former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Libya, Gregory Hicks, whom some pundits are calling the hearing’s star witness in implicating a government coverup... (Via C-SPAN)

...of the September 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi that took the lives of late Libyan Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others. (Via The Daily Beast)

The three testimonies largely contradicted the timeline given by the White House in September and in the previous congressional hearings this past October and January, primarily in terms of the help the embassy received when the attack began and the role former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton played when the attack occurred.

“I told the same regional director in a telephone call in Bengazi after he contacted me when I asked for 12 agents. His response to that was ‘You’re asking for the sun, moon and the stars.’” (Via Fox News)

“They indicated meetings had already taken place that evening that had taken FEST out of the menu of options." (Via WXII)

Video of Clinton’s testimony went viral Wednesday, and her remark about the initial reported cause of the attack – “What difference does it make?” – surfaced as a Twitter hashtag and Internet meme, particularly by critics of the administration’s version of events. (Via Twitter)

But the White House maintains that accusations of a government-orchestrated cover up conspiracy simply aren’t true.

“Nothing that we expect to hear today, in this hearing, contradicts anything that has already been discussed and revealed, assessed by the accountability review board.” (Via WPBF)

The hearing concluded after nearly 6 hours.

Mark Sanford's Comeback: How Did He Do It?

Wed, 08 May 2013 08:14:00 -0500

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(Image source: The Post and Courier)

BY JASMINE BAILEY

It’s a surprise to say the least — he’s made headlines for spending tax dollars to visit a mistress, for alleged trespassing, and now, Mark Sanford has won South Carolina’s congressional special election — and by a comfortable margin.

“I has deficiencies that are well chronicled as a candidate but at the end of the day I was carried across the threshold if you will by an incredible team of volunteers in this room and not in this room.” (Via C-SPAN)

Sanford beat Elizabeth Colbert Busch, the sister of Stephen Colbert — 54 to 45 percent.

And he did it with significantly less financial backing — especially after the National Republican Congressional Committee pulled its support. Colbert had the advantage of outside spending by 5-1 compared to Sanford. But in the end money was little help for her. (Via The Washington Post)

Colbert: “Wow, we gave it a heck of a fight didn’t we?” Applause (Via WIS)

Getting to this point was not an easy feat for the former the South Carolina governor whose career was considered dead by many Republicans and Democrats alike.

“It's the same Mark Sanford who used tax dollars to visit his mistress in Argentina. Disappeared for a week leaving no one in charge. Betrayed all who trusted him then lied to cover it up.” (Via YouTube / DailyKosElections)

Not to mention the trespassing allegations from his ex-wife — a violation of their divorce settlement.

“Jenny Sanford now says she found her ex-husband leaving through her back door using a cell phone as a flashlight in February... Sanford says he was only there watching the Super Bowl with his son.” (Via ABC)

But despite the spotlight on Sanford’s personal life — Politico notes his political experience and ability to woo audiences is what really won it for him. Claiming there was a turning point in the race in Sanford’s favor.

“[It] came two weeks ago, when Sanford held a mock debate with a cardboard cutout of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, implying that the California Democrat … was a stand-in for his Democratic opponent.” (Via CBS)

“The former governor endured days of derision from the press for the move … But behind the scenes, Sanford’s aides grinned: Every time a reporter put ‘Pelosi’ and ‘Colbert Busch’ in the same sentence, the Republican was winning.”

“He effectively moved past his own past and the voters did it with him… he reminded people in that district why they elected him in the first place, because of government spending.” (Via MSNBC)

Sanford: “I think this is a degree of political redemption and we’ll see where things go from here. But its less about that and more about this second chance to make an impact in Washington D.C. where I think an impact is desperately needed.” (Via CNN)

Sanford replaces former Representative Tim Scott.

Chris Christie Undergoes Weight Loss Surgery

Tue, 07 May 2013 09:56:12 -0500

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(Image source: ABC)

BY COLLIN RUANE

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie revealed Monday night he underwent Lap-Band surgery to reduce his weight almost three months ago.

He broke the news in an exclusive interview with the New York Post.

Christie is a favorite for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 — which led to speculation as to why he got the surgery: primarily for health, or just cosmetic reasons? But CNN reports the decision was anything but political.

ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN: “CNN sources confirmed that he was thinking it was time to start improving his health. He said losing weight had nothing to do with a possible presidential bid, and reportedly checked into a surgery center in February — February 16th.”

Christie’s early stages of weight loss are a reminder of another Republican governor’s weight loss.

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee weighed nearly 300 pounds in 2003. He started his weight loss journey after a doctor said he had less than 10 years to live. That surgery came just a few years before his 2008 bid for president. (Via Opposing Views)

ABC notes, not only did Christie keep the surgery a secret from media and constituents — he kept it a secret from staff members he sees on a daily basis.

JONATHAN KARL: “He told nobody about it besides his family and only his Chief of Staff. The rest of his senior staff didn’t find out he had done this until yesterday.”

So how much weight has he lost? Fox News has the total so far and says Christie looked to a local NFL coach for advice on the surgery.

STEVE DOOCY: “Sources say the Governor has already shed 40 pounds.”

BRIAN KILMEADE: “He says he talked to Rex Ryan about before doing it — used the same surgeon.”

Christie has often admitted he was the butt of jokes for years because of his 20-year struggle with weight. Some harsh critics have even said that his weight keeps him from doing his job effectively. According to The Hill, Christie has fought back ferociously.

“Christie … has rebuffed charges that his health would interfere with his work as governor or if he sought higher office. In February, Christie called a former White House doctor a ‘hack’ and told her to ‘shut up’ after she went on CNN and said he was at risk of dying in office.”

The Lap-Band procedure Christie received is one of the safer options in the field of weight loss surgery when compared to gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy. In extreme cases, patients can lose 50 percent of their weight within the first year or two after the surgery. (Via Lap-Band)

Lap band surgery typically takes less than an hour to complete, and patients are generally able to return home the same day.

Former Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti Dies

Mon, 06 May 2013 21:36:21 -0500

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(Image Source: euronews)

BY SOLE MALDONADO AYUSO

Seven-time Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti died in Rome Monday at the age of 94.

The Christian Democrat politician entered Italian Parliament in 1947 and was elected Prime Minister seven times between 1972 and 1992, becoming Italy’s most powerful post-war leader. (Via BBC)

According to The New York Times, Andreotti held important positions in the Italian government while the country “overcame wartime destruction and the threat of Stalinist totalitarianism, coped with staggering social problems and labor discontent, faced down terrorists, and struggled against organized crime.”

But for many, Andreotti will be remembered as the prime minister most often tied to the Mafia.

During the mid-1990s, Andreotti was accused of being a protector of the mafia in Rome. He was also accused of being involved with 1979 murder of journalist Mino Pecorelli who was investigating his relationship with the mafia. (Via YouTube)

The Guardian reports the judges involved in the investigation acquitted Andreotti but affirmed the former prime minister’s “concrete collaboration” with the mafia before 1980 that gave the crime bosses “a feeling of being protected at the highest level.”

The 1990s investigations ended the Christian Democratic Party and Andreotti’s own career, though Andreotti always maintained his innocence. The Italian Parliament held a moment of silence Monday to honor the influential politician. (Via euronews)

Andreotti will be buried in Rome on Tuesday.

Controversial Handgun Made With 3D Printer

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:43:40 -0500

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(Image Source: Forbes)

BY DAN KENNEDY

You might soon be able to print off a handgun in your own home. An Austin, Texas man has officially constructed and successfully tested an almost all-plastic 3D-printed pistol.

25-year-old Cody Wilson spent eight months creating this one-of-a-kind device called the “The Liberator.”

In December, Wired Magazine named him the 14th most dangerous person in the world. Wilson is still a student. In fact, he’s studying law at the University of Texas.

Here’s what the gun looks like. It’s a total of 16 parts, 15 of which were made inside an $8,000 3D printer. But Forbes reports it’s not entirely 3D printed. One of those sixteen parts is a nail used as the weapon’s firing pin.

Its lack of metal, aside from the pin, means one could theoretically sneak this gun through metal detectors in airports, courthouses, and elsewhere. And MSNBC’s Brian Sullivan says that could be a problem.

“If you can print out a gun in your house, it is untraceable, it is undetectable, there is no serial number on it, slag it down, destroy it. Good point.”

New York Senator Chuck Schumer says he is pushing legislation to ban 3D-printable guns, calling the invention “stomach-churning.”

“A terrorist, someone who is mentally ill, a spousal abuser, a felon can essentially open a factory in their garage.

But the gun’s creator counters that claim — saying the goal is to highlight how technology can render law and governments almost entirely irrelevant.

“I recognize that this tool might be used to harm people. That’s what it is: it’s a gun. But I don’t think that’s a reason to not do it or a reason to not put it out there.”

The gun is currently legal under U.S. law because the metal nail firing pin can be picked up by metal detectors.

And the BBC quotes a representative from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, who says anyone can manufacture a firearm for their own use. Wilson received a manufacturing and seller’s license from the ATF.

Wilson plans to upload the weapon’s blueprints to the Internet for anyone to view and download. Those could be available as early as Monday.

Sunday Sound Bite: Will Obama Take Action in Syria?

Sun, 05 May 2013 14:15:26 -0500

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BY ZACH TOOMBS

For National Journal, I’m Zach Toombs. In Sunday political talk this week, Israeli airstrikes mean U.S. action in Syria might not be far behind.

JIM DEMINT: “I think we’ve probably taken too much of a passive or at least an unclear stance on this for too long.”

BILL RICHARDSON: “The Syrian area is getting very, very tense.”

And immigration reform heads to the Senate.

PAT LEAHY: “The fact is, there are a lot of people who will want to kill an immigration bill no matter what.”

The president first said last August that the use of chemical weapons would cross a red line in Syria that could mean U.S. intervention. (Via Al Jazeera)

And with evidence of such an attack piling up and after two Israeli airstrikes on Syrian soil just in the past week, some sort of American action in Syria seems increasingly likely, former U.N. ambassador Bill Richardson said this on ABC’s “This Week.”

“We can’t have boots on the ground, but I think potentially some kind of option like air strikes against some of those weapons sites to protect the rebels are in the cards, in my view.”

And after the bipartisan Gang of Eight came to agreement on immigration reform, the plan is set to be introduced to the Senate’s judiciary committee this week. (Via C-SPAN)

The Democratic chairman of that committee, Patrick Leahy, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” he likes the bill’s chances.

DAVID GREGORY: “Is immigration going to pass? Is reform going to pass?”

PAT LEAHY: “I think it can. I think the so-called Gang of Eight deserve an enormous amount of credit for the work they’ve done.”

And after a bit of a rough week for longtime media critic Howard Kurtz, he faced questions on his own program on CNN Sunday.

Kurtz has drawn criticism for a string of reporting errors, including in a column he wrote last week that erroneously alleged gay NBA player Jason Collins hid a former relationship with a woman. (Via The Huffington Post)

He also recently lost his post at Newsweek this week, and his show at CNN is under review. On Kurtz’s “Reliable Sources” program, he was asked about the mistake in his piece about Collins. (Via Politico)

KURTZ: “This is not a ritual for me, where you just come on camera and say you're sorry and you hope to move on. I am truly sorry about what happened … and I am determined to learn from this episode and minimize the chances of anything like this happening again.” (Via CNN)

Kurtz dedicated about 15 minutes of his hour-long show to allowing media critics with Politico and NPR question him.

NRA Picks Controversial Lawyer Jim Porter as Next President

Sat, 04 May 2013 20:42:41 -0500

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(Image source: NRA)

BY DALTON BARKER

The National Rifle Association will soon have a new president. No, he’s not Executive Vice President and NRA frontman Wayne LaPierre, but instead a controversial Alabama lawyer.

“Jim Porter is set to take over the presidency of the NRA in just a couple days. Porter is currently the group’s first vice president. The Alabama lawyer is known for his racy comments.” (Via Bay News 9)

Comments that include the supposed reason for the birth of the NRA:

“The NRA was started in 1871 right here in New York state. It was started by some Yankee generals who didn’t like the way my Southern boys had the ability to shoot.” (Via YouTube / ThinkProgress TP)

Porter goes on to call the Civil War the “War of Northern Aggression.” Outgoing NRA President David Keene tells The Washington Times Porter will be a key asset in the gun control debates raging in the capital.

“At this stage in the NRA’s history, Jim Porter will be the perfect match for president ... As we are likely to win most of the legislative battles in Congress, we will have to move to courts to undo the restrictions placed on gun owners’ rights in New York, Connecticut, Maryland and Colorado.”

But don’t expect Porter to do any grandstanding as he assumes his new position. Keene says Porter will most likely remain in the background, as LaPierre is the NRA’s most visible spokesman. (Via NRA)

Porter has been a board member for more than 20 years and is expected to meet with the media after he becomes president on Monday. Keene will stay on as an active member of the board and provide counsel to the new leadership.

House Bill Would Add Political Oversight to Science Funding

Fri, 03 May 2013 22:19:44 -0500

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(Image Source: House Committee on Science, Space and Technology)

BY ALEX MALLIN

The scientific community is riled up after the introduction of a new bill in Washington that would place the peer review funding process, which determines what research ideas gets grants, in the hands of politicians rather than scientists.

The bill was introduced by Texas Republican Rep. Lamar Smith, the same Rep who introduced last year’s Stop Online Piracy Act, otherwise known as SOPA. (Via Nature World News)

SOPA was shot down following harsh criticism and online protests, and now many are calling for the same fate for Lamar’s new bill, which he calls the “High Quality Research Act.” (Via Politico)

The bill would tighten requirements for the National Science Foundation in determining what research is worth its salt and deserves federal grants.

The bill says grants would be given only in the case that the proposed research would “advance the national health, prosperity or welfare” or “secure the national defense.” (Via Raw Story)

The current requirements the foundation must consider when allocating money is how much “intellectual merit” the research has and what “broader impacts” it could have on the scientific community and society. (Via Ars Technica)

The bill stems from Lamar’s belief that the foundation has been giving taxpayer dollars to research that has questionable merit.

Particularly research like that done by Patricia Brennan, who was attacked for receiving more than $375,000 to research duck genetalia. (Via Atlantic Wire)

In a Fox News online poll that questioned whether the study had any merit, 86% of visitors to the site said “No - what a quack! A government looking to cut back shouldn’t be wasting money on anything like this.”

But Brennan took to Slate to defend herself and other basic science researchers, saying: “Basic Science is an integral part of scientific progress...Basic science often ends up solving problems anyway, but it is not just designed for this purpose. Applied science builds upon basic science, so they are inextricably linked.”

The argument from those who oppose the bill is that it’s tough to know the value of basic research until it’s actually done. For instance, studies on fruit flies laid the foundation for research into genetics.

But “fruit fly research” was still mocked by Sarah Palin on the 2008 campaign trail as being frivolous. (Via MSNBC)

A blog post for the advocacy group Union of Concerned Scientists put it this way: “The truth is that many basic scientific research projects with no apparent application to the real world have proven to directly benefit society, but it might take an expert to recognize this.”

As for Smith’s bill, President Obama seemed to come out against it in a speech to the 150th anniversary of the National Academy of Sciences. (Via Nature)

“In order for us to maintain our edge we’ve got to protect our rigorous peer review system... I will keep working to make sure that our scientific research does not fall victim to political maneuvers.” (Via YouTube / Helmut Zermin)

Smith’s critics say the bill further taints the Republican image — showing the party to be out of touch with science.

But Smith said he’s disappointed with the reaction, saying in a statement that his bill “maintains the current peer review process and improves on it by adding a layer of accountability... It is disappointing that instead of accepting the invitation to work together to prioritize the spending of taxpayer dollars, some have chosen to play politics and misrepresent the nature of the draft bill.” (Via Los Angeles Times)

Smith is the chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

Annual NRA Convention Kicks Off, Debates Continue

Fri, 03 May 2013 15:43:04 -0500

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(Image source: NRA)

BY KERRY LEARY

More than 70,000 people are expected to attend the National Rifle Association’s annual convention scheduled for this weekend in Houston, Texas. So what’s on tap?

The NRA’s chief executive, Wayne LaPierre, is expected to appear at the convention center Friday afternoon with political leaders known for advocating for gun rights. (Via Los Angeles Times)

This list includes former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Texas Gov. Rick Perry. But the convention would not be complete without a protest.

KHOU: “It will feature daily protests across the street with moms like Michelle Green.”

Michelle Green: “We’re not going away until something is fixed and until democracy is working on this issue.” (Via KHOU)

The annual event comes at a point of high tension in the United States — the group has spent much of the past year fighting against stricter gun laws. Gun rights advocates just won a major victory over President Barack Obama with the defeat of the most recent gun control bill introduced in the U.S. Senate.

“One of the things we don't do is we don't mistake battles for wars. It was a victory in a battle, but the war continues. This is in essence a family gathering for believers in the second amendment.” (Via MSNBC)

It’s a battle that, for now, continues in the court of public opinion. Former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords’ husband Mark Kelly wrote an editorial about the up-and-coming convention.

“The NRA's two best fundraising months of the past year came immediately following [mass] shootings … Guns fly off the shelves after tragedies because LaPierre and the gun manufacturers he represents exploit people's fears. In return, gun manufacturers gave LaPierre and the NRA tens of millions of dollars last year alone ... ” (Via Houston Chronicle)

But while the popularity of gun shows is rising, it may not be all it seems.

A writer for The Washington Post notes, “Gun shows have been attracting record crowds — the result of background checks and other gun-control measures being considered by Congress. But even before the debate in Washington, business at many big gun shows was already strong, helped along by the efforts to cater to those less interested in weapons and more interested in camouflage onesies … [and] beef jerky.”

Other apparel from the convention has become the focus of one media outlet.

ThinkProgress tweeted a picture of some of the apparel already available at the convention center hosting the event: a shirt that reads, “Buy a gun ... annoy a liberal.”

The three-day event is expected to be the biggest ever for the NRA. A “Stand and Fight” rally is planned for Saturday for all those in attendance.

Justice Dept. Appealing Morning-After Pill Change

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:58:00 -0500

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(Image source: Flickr / gruntzooki)

BY NICHOLE CARTMELL

A lot’s happened in the legal fight over access to the morning-after pill, and Obama administration officials are now making their positions clear.

The Justice Department is appealing a judge’s decision to allow women of all ages to buy the emergency contraceptive.

Last month a U.S. District Court Judge Edward Korman ordered the FDA to make the contraceptive widely available for girls across the U.S., meaning there would be no age restrictions on the drug.

(Via WJLA)

And it’s Judge Korman’s order the Justice Department is appealing, arguing Korman overstepped his authority.

It comes almost immediately following the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to lower the age for buying Plan-B One-Step emergency contraception without a perscription. The age limit is now 15 instead of 17.

(Via WTNH)

So there are a few players here: The judge who wanted to lift all age limits — the FDA which wanted to slightly lower the age limit — and the Obama administration — which is basically taking the position that there should be at least some kind of limit to access for young girls.

The latter of which isn’t a huge surprise — Right before the start of the 2012 campaign year, the president was quoted saying, “...as the father of two daughters: I think it is important for us to make sure that we apply some common sense to various rules when it comes to over-the-counter medicine.”

(Via The New York Times)

Now, we should add though that White House officials say the president had nothing to do with the Justice Department or FDA’s decisions.

Then again, he supported Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’s 2011 veto of a recommendation to offer Plan B over the counter.

(Via PBS)

And either way — with reproductive rights groups calling for unrestricted access and opponents calling for even tighter rules — this in-between position, writes The Christian Science Monitor’s Linda Feldmann, leaves nobody happy.

Obama Takes Immigration Debate to Mexico's President

Thu, 02 May 2013 10:00:00 -0500

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(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY DAN KENNEDY

President Obama begins a three-day trip to Latin America today. Mexico is his first stop, where he’s expected to discuss several issues with President Enrique Peña Nieto, including security, the economy and immigration reform.

(Via NBC)

“The two really big ones are economics and security. So, how can we deepen ties with Mexico which are important for our workers, our companies, our economy. But how can we continue to work with them on the security side to make Mexico safer and by extension the United States.”

Drug-trade-related violence will also be a big part of the talks, especially considering the changing of the guard.

“His old partner, Felipe Calderon, who launched a major crackdown — has been replaced by new president Enrique Pena Nieto — who appears to be limiting the U.S. role in his country.”

CBS’s White House correspondent expects immigration won’t dominate discussions — saying it might disrupt the bipartisan talks going on right now.

“The new Mexican president shares those same goals on immigration: creating guest-worker programs for migrants and legitimizing millions of Mexicans living illegally now in the U.S.

On Friday, Mr. Obama will speak at the Anthropology Museum in Mexico City. Then he will meet with Mexico entrepreneurs to discuss the economy before heading to Costa Rica to hold a meeting and news conference with the country’s president. The president is due back at the White House Saturday night.

(Via ABC)

This is President Obama’s fourth trip to Mexico and sixth to Costa Rica since he became president.

Obama Renews Call to Close Guantanamo Detention Center

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 22:37:43 -0500

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(Image source: The New York Times)

BY ELIZABETH HAGEDORN

During a press conference Tuesday, President Obama pledged to close the terrorist detention center at Guantanamo Bay — again.

“Guantanamo is not necessary to keep America safe.”

“It is a recruitment tool for extremists. It needs to be closed.” (Via ABC News)

You’ll recall during his 2008 campaign, Obama made closing the detention center in Cuba a priority, and on the first day of his presidency signed an executive order calling for just that. (Via CNN)

But more than four years later, the prison remains open. No detainee has been transferred since September 2012 and most recently, Obama reassigned the special envoy tasked with closing the prison. His failure to make good on his campaign pledge to undo Bush-era detention practices has drawn criticism from both the left and right. (Via CBS)

“That is a big broken promise. Today, he blamed it, when he was asked in a press conference, on Republicans blocking it on Capitol Hill. Some Republican leaders fired back, the president never really offered a bipartisan plan to begin with.” (Via Fox News)

As for his new plan, the president was short on specifics — leaving some to question whether the president will follow through on round two.

As a writer at the New Yorker noted, Obama’s comments, which came after a line of questioning from reporters, seemed a bit off the cuff. “He spoke as if he had happened upon the place, like a bystander.”

Writing for the The Daily Beast, a lawyer for the Center for Constitutional Rights, the group that represents several detainees, says Obama appears to be in no rush to close the prison. “Obama may be making a simple political calculation: that it is expedient to ignore the men’s plight as well as his own promise to close a shameful chapter in our history.”

The president’s renewed call for closure comes as a nearly three-month long hunger strike by Guantanamo detainees continues. What began over allegations the guards mistreated some of the inmates’ Qurans led to nearly two-thirds of the 166 inmates protesting their incarceration without trial. MSNBC’s Michael Isikoff says the president has taken notice. (Via Al Jazeera)

“The frustration we’ve heard from detainees is that the president didn’t even mention it in his State of the Union this year. He didn’t mention it in his inaugural speech. It was such a signature issue for the president. Clearly, it’s got his attention now.”

Human rights groups have long protested the plight of Guantanamo’s detainees, alleging torture and abuse. But their pleas fell on deaf ears this January when Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act — a Pentagon spending bill, which among its provisions, allows the military to hold suspected terrorists without trial, indefinitely. (Via Democracy Now!)

Since it opened 11 years ago, to detain Al Qaeda and Taliban suspects, nearly 800 prisoners have gone through Guantanamo Bay. Most of those remaining have never had a trial. The facility costs the U.S. around $114 million a year.

Mayor Bloomberg Accuses New York Times of Racial Bias

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:57:32 -0500

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(Image source: The New York Times / Jennifer Altman)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg took The New York Times to task Tuesday for ignoring the murder of a black 17-year-old student.

It came as the mayor spoke out to defend New York police from recent criticism and promote his own policies to beef up protection for minorities in the city. (Via The Huffington Post)

“There was not even a mention of his murder in our papers, our paper of record, The New York Times … Do you think that if a white, 17-year-old prep student from Manhattan had been murdered, the Times would have ignored it?” (Via The City of New York)

For Bloomberg, that example spoke to a larger concern about minority deaths going unnoticed in New York — where 90 percent of murder victims are either black or Latino. He has defended a strict “stop and frisk” policy The New York Times opposes. (Via ABC)

The Times responded to Bloomberg’s comment in a statement to Politico on Tuesday, calling it “absurd” and writing:

“The Times aggressively covers violence in the city’s neighborhoods, and to select one murder as evidence to the contrary is disingenuous.”

When that 17 year old, Alphonza Bryant, was shot and killed, his mother blamed guns, saying she could get a gun quicker than she could get a job. And of course, Bloomberg (Via New York Daily News) ...

… has been an aggressive advocate for gun control. Paying for ads like this one to promote background checks and other measures. (Via YouTube / maigcoalition)

This is Bloomberg’s third, and final, term as New York mayor. A successor will be elected in November.

How Obama Addressed Syria, Boston, Gitmo in Rare Presser

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:55:27 -0500

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(Image source: The New York Times / Doug Mills)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

The president held his first news conference in 60 days Tuesday — and it’s obvious reporters had been looking forward to this opportunity for a while.

ED HENRY: “Do you risk U.S. credibility if you don’t take military action?” (Via Fox News)

BILL PLANTE: “There’s a growing hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay among prisoners there.” (Via NBC)

JESSICA YELLIN: “Is he right? And did our intelligence miss something?” (Via ABC)

JON KARL: “Do you still have the juice to get the rest of your agenda through this Congress?”

OBAMA: “Well, when you put it that way, Jonathan. Maybe I should just pack up and go home.” (Via CBS)

Despite the wide range covered in Tuesday’s presser, the president’s comments on Syria drew perhaps the most attention. He said last August that the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime would (Via Sky News) ...

… cross a “red line,” possibly prompting U.S. intervention. Now, with evidence mounting that chemical weapons have indeed been used, Obama’s in a tough spot — though he says he won’t act until he knows all there is to know. (Via Al Jazeera)

OBAMA: “What we now have is evidence that chemical weapons have been used inside of Syria, but we don’t know how they were used, when they used, who used them … I’ve gotta’ make sure I’ve got the facts.” (Via Fox News)

The president was also pressed on the FBI’s handling of a 2011 investigation into Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the Boston bombing suspect who died in a police firefight. Some lawmakers have criticized the bureau for what they see as a missed opportunity to stop the attack. (Via RT)

But Tuesday, the president stood by the FBI’s actions.

OBAMA: “The FBI performed its duties … the Department of Homeland Security did what it was supposed to be doing. ... This is hard stuff.” (Via NBC)

From a media perspective, Obama’s rare talk with the press was also something of a snub for newspaper reporters. The president selected questions only from TV reporters and a Spanish-language paper.

It’s become a trend for the administration — and papers including The Washington Post have taken note, wondering if the White House thinks newspapers ask the wrong questions or just aren’t relevant enough.

The president and Vice President Joe Biden are scheduled to meet with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel this afternoon. Among other topics, they’re expected to discuss the crisis in Syria.

Treasury to Buy Down Debt for First Time in 6 Years

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:48:00 -0500

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(Image source: Florian Hirzinger / Wikimedia Commons)

BY KATIE BRENNAN

The U.S. Treasury says it will pay off a portion of the country’s debt this quarter. Bloomberg reports it’s been six years since the government last cut the deficit, making this the first time since President Obama took office.

“This is amid cuts to spending and higher than expected tax revenue. The Treasury now expects to pay off about $35 billion of its debt.”

The Hill reports earlier this year, the treasury had actually expected to rack up more than $103 billion in additional debt this quarter. But CNBC reports the usual shortfalls will most likely return.

“While it's a sign that potentially Washington’s finances are improving, the debt reduction is only temporary. The treasury expects to buy more than 200 billion in the third quarter. The budget deficit will likely hit $845 billion this year.”

$35 billion may seem like a lot to pay off, but its actually just a small chunk of what the U.S. owes. The country’s national debt hit $16.7 trillion last Friday. Fox News’ Neil Cavuto calls it a spit in the ocean, but a spit nonetheless.

“The first time Uncle Sam has earmarked funds for debt relief. It would be like you with your Visa card trying to pay a little more than minimum payment to bring that overall debt down.”

According to The Wall Street Journal, the partial payoff gives the Obama administration a little more time before running up against the federal debt ceiling.

Congress passed a measure in January that “suspended the debt cap until May 18, when it will re-emerge at the level of debt on that day.” If lawmakers haven’t reached an agreement by that date, “the Treasury would deploy so-called extraordinary measures, juggling accounts to keep debt below that level while continuing to pay its bills.”

Earlier this year the treasury warned even with those measures, it could only sustain spending for two and a half months.

Obama's White House Dinner Speech Brings Funny Jabs

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 17:15:05 -0500

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(Image source: The Washington Post)

BY CANDICE AVILES

At Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, President Obama had a speech locked and loaded with funny jabs at the press, Republicans and even himself. But first the press:

“The fact is, I really do respect the press. We have different jobs to do. My job is to be president; my job is to keep me humble. Frankly, I think I’m doing my job better.” (Via C-SPAN)

The president poked fun of NBC’s ratings, CNN’s coverage of the Boston attacks, the History Channel’s “Obama looks like Satan” thing and Fox News for just being Fox News. But he did give shout-outs to The Boston Globe and NBC reporter Pete Williams for their Boston coverage. (Via Business Insider)

Unsurprisingly, Obama commented on Republicans in Congress, the sequester and even commented on his dinner with Republicans saying, “I proposed a toast; it died in committee.” But perhaps the biggest laugh of the night came from this:

“Why don’t you get a drink with Mitch McConnell, they ask ... really? Why don’t you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?” (Via The Washington Post)

And per presidential tradition, the speech was also filled with jabs at himself. He commented about calling California’s attorney general good-looking, his birthplace and a fictional Steven Spielberg film about the president supposedly starring Daniel Day-Lewis. (Via the Guardian)

“Was it hard playing Obama? I’ll be honest, yeah, it was. His accent took a while. ‘Hello, Ohio. Hello, Ohio; I love you back. Look, look, let me be clear about this.’” (Via TIME)

Host Conan O’Brien didn’t disappoint, either.

O’Brien was not shy about using the unique guest list as material for his monologue. He also made fun of Obama and North Korea. But E! Online says his speech can be summed up by this one line:

“Fox is the jocks ... bloggers are the goths ... NPR is the table for kids with peanut allergies. Al Jazeera is the weird foreign exchange student nobody talks to.”

The dinner had its critics as well, including Buzzfeed, the pop culture website. According to The Hill, the Buzzfeed staff decided to throw its own watch party at the Jack Rose Dining Saloon because it didn’t get a table at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

And, going further than most, Sarah Palin tweeted some harsh words, saying: “That #WHCD was pathetic. The rest of America is out there working our a**** off while these DC a**clowns throw themselves a #nerdprom” (Via Twitter / @SarahPalinUSA)

Ouch. All laughs aside, Obama wrapped up his speech on a more serious note, congratulating the nation’s journalists on a year well done.

Sunday Sound Bite: Lawmakers Talk Syria, Red Lines

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:09:18 -0500

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BY ZACH TOOMBS

On the Sunday political talk circuit this week, lawmakers debate whether to take action in Syria.

REP. MIKE ROGERS: “The president has laid down the line. It can’t be a dotted line. It can’t be anything other than a red line.” (Via ABC)

And more focus on the FBI’s 2011 investigation into Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM: “It’s a failure to share information and missing obvious warning signs.” (Via CBS)

Sunday morning’s political talk could not have been in more stark contrast with the laughs at Saturday evening’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner. National security discussions dominated the shows — especially on the subject of Syria.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN: “The president drew a red line about chemical weapons, thereby giving a green light to Bashar Assad to do anything short of that, including Scud missiles and helicopter gunships.” (Via NBC)

The president has said since last August that the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons would cross a red line, possibly prompting intervention from the U.S. (Via BBC)

But as evidence of chemical attacks piles up, Obama’s weighing whether to enter yet another Middle East conflict. On ABC’s "This Week," House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers said there are moves the U.S. can make to help rebels other than sending in troops. (Via Al Jazeera)

ROGERS: “Nobody’s calling for boots on the ground. That needs to be very, very clear ... But what they do need is specialized equipment that can take planes and helicopters out of the air.”

And the intelligence committee’s ranking Democrat, Dutch Ruppersberger, spoke about the ongoing investigation into April 15’s Boston bombings. He says officials are looking especially carefully at Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s time in Russia. (Via RT)

On CBS' “Face the Nation,” Sen. Lindsey Graham says the U.S. could have done more.

GRAHAM: “I think information sharing failed. The FBI investigated the older brother but never shared the information with the fusion cell in Boston, so people in Boston could be on the lookout.”

And after a package of gun control reforms failed on the Senate floor this month, Democrat Joe Manchin says he’s determined to put his bill expanding background checks back to a vote. (Via C-SPAN)

“I truly believe that if we have time to sell the bill and if people will read the bill — and I’m willing to go anywhere in this country and debate anybody on this issue. You tell me what you don’t like.” (Via Fox News)

Manchin might first have to enlist the help of the other half of his “Manchin-Toomey” proposal. After originally supporting expanded background checks, Republican Pat Toomey has said it’s time to move on.

Two Officers Shot as Italy Swears In New Leaders

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 08:05:57 -0500

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(Image source: WABC)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

Two police officers were shot outside Italy’s prime minister’s office, less than a mile away from where the leaders of the nation’s new government were being sworn in on Sunday.

It was a chaotic scene in Rome, as details remain scarce in the shooting that wounded two officers — one shot in the neck, the other in the leg, but both still alive. A man not yet identified by police, dressed in a suit and tie, has been detained in the shooting. (Via Sky News)

Authorities haven’t released any details on the shooting. The violence played out as Italy was swearing in new leaders. After two months of political stalemate, 46-year-old Enrico Letta, set to become prime minister, will lead the government. (Via BBC)

That new government was formed through a partnership between the center-left Democratic Party leader and Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right party. Left wing President Giorgio Napolitano welcomed the new leadership Sunday. (Via The Telegraph)

Despite his opponents’ best efforts, the deal means a political resurgence for Berlusconi, the controversial former prime minister. One of his main allies, Angelino Alfano, will become deputy prime minister and interior minister in the new government.

Due in part to a huge protest vote, nationwide elections left Italy without a majority party and in political limbo since February. All the while, the nation has been trying to bounce back from its worst economic recession in decades. (Via Al Jazeera)

The new coalition was made possible when the former head of Letta’s party, Pier Luigi Bersani stepped aside — after weeks of refusing to strike a deal with Berlusconi and his center-right party. Letta says he’s hopeful but believes Italy’s political class has lost all credibility. (Via The Malta Independent)

Sequester-Related FAA Furloughs Soon Grounded

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:34:00 -0500

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(Image source: Flickr / bmhkim)

BY NICHOLE CARTMELL

Good news for travelers. A federal band-aid measure to help the FAA with sequester cuts passed through the House on Friday.

The bill easily passed with a 361-41 vote. This comes one day after Congress agreed to the measure.

(Via WSVN)

The Senate voted late Thursday evening to allow the Department of Transportation to adjust funding to "prevent reduced operations and staffing." This would allow the department to transfer $253 million from other accounts to programs like the FAA.

(Via WAGA)

This comes as more than 863 flight delays were attributable to furlough-related staffing shortages on Wednesday at airports across the country.

Due to widespread sequester cuts, the FAA was required to furlough 47,000 workers for up to 11 unpaid days between now and September 30. This means each furloughed employee would be required to skip one day of work for every two-week period. (Via MSNBC)

Which means there’s now a shortage in air traffic controllers, causing them to space planes farther apart at numerous places in order to manage traffic with current staffing. This eventually leads to airport delays. (Via NPR)

CNN’s Zoraida Sambolin explains pilots aren’t taking the fault for these delays.

“I've got a family member who is traveling and they went on the overhead and said, we're delayed and it's because of the sequester. So if you want to blame somebody, blame them.”

And CNBC explains the only reason Congress is even addressing the issue is because people across the country aren’t happy, otherwise it might get overlooked.

“I think the best way to get action at this point in time is to have something in place that consumers really get up in arms about... People got to angry about it that they said, ‘Okay, okay, we're not going to do this.’”

A Bloomberg government analyst explains this isn’t any sort of elite legislation that’s only going to serve the rich. But instead will address middle-class concerns as well.

“Not just the rich fly. There are a lot of average business people that fly and there are people taking vacations with their kids and so forth. This is something that strikes at the heart of america.”

This measure would only last until October 1st when the next FAA budget takes effect. But no matter if it passes or not, Congress will take a recess starting next week.

George W. Bush Library: A Chance to Rebuild His Legacy?

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:14:51 -0500

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(Image source: The New York Times)

BY ELIZABETH HAGEDORN

He’s kept out of the public eye since he left office five years ago, but Thursday former President George W. Bush was thrust back into the spotlight at the opening of his presidential library.

His library dedication in Dallas featured all five living presidents, setting aside their politics and instead offering their praise for the 43rd. (Via C-SPAN)

“To know the man is to like the man because he’s comfortable in his own skin, he’s knows who he is, doesn’t put on any pretenses, takes his job seriously, but he doesn’t take himself too seriously.” (Via BBC)

“I like president Bush. We do a lot of speeches together. He is disarmingly direct." (Via NBC)

Perhaps not at all surprising, there was no mention of Iraq, Hurricane Katrina or the financial crash at end of Bush’s presidency. And while Obama and the other presidents largely avoided mentioning any controversies, it was Bush himself who came the closest.

“When our freedom came under attack, we made the tough decisions required to keep people safe." (Via MSNBC)

Bush has said the library is not meant to defend his eight years in office, calling it a quote, “place to lay out the facts.” (Via USA Today)

“I have no desire to spend my post-presidency trying to enhance my standing.” (Via CBS)

But as is the case with all presidential libraries, political analysts expect Bush’s will put his legacy in the best possible light.

POLITICO notes the library’s own version of history glosses over some things. “Politics is downplayed; the 2004 reelection campaign goes unmentioned. And essentially invisible are Karl Rove, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney, who the president became somewhat estranged from in his second term.”

A writer at The Christian Science Monitor says that’s the work of a talented PR team.

“We’ve got to hand it to Dubya – and what must be one of the most practiced PR teams in history – on this one. From what we’ve seen and heard, the library comes across as a thoughtful tribute to a nation.”

So how will history remember Bush? If a recent CNN poll is any indication, his legacy is on the mend.

Thirteen-percent fewer Americans see the Bush presidency as a failure, compared to when he left office in 2009. The reason behind the rebound?

There are several theories floating around. Salon says: “Americans don’t like disliking their presidents, so his recovery was predictable...”

Former Reagan speechwriter and Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan says maybe Bush looks good by comparison.

“Mr. Obama was elected because he wasn’t Bush. Mr. Bush is popular now because he’s not Obama. The wheel turns, doesn’t it.”

And a history professor at the University of Texas told The Washington Post, “The worse a president’s reputation when he leaves office, the better chance there is for revision.”

The George W. Bush Library houses over 4 million photographs, 43,000 artifacts and 200 million emails.

Anthony Weiner Back on Twitter

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:53:00 -0500

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(Image source: Craig Warga / New York Daily News)

BY NICHOLE CARTMELL

He’s back and this time with his pants on. The former congressman Anthony Weiner has indeed rejoined Twitter —

the same social network that led to his resignation from Congress just two years ago. (Via WNYW)

As you might remember, Weiner publicly tweeted a crotch shot from his old Twitter account that was actually intended for a woman he was flirting with online.

And despite first denying the claims, Weiner eventually admitted that he exchanged risque messages with several women online, ultimately derailing his political career. (Via NECN)

Nonetheless, Weiner’s new account has already garnered more than 7,000 followers and that number continues to grow.

His first tweet was a link to his 64-point plan to keep New York the capital of the middle class.

And this is widely seen as another sign the ex-congressman is making a move toward the political scene once again.

He recently told The New York Times he’s eyeing the New York mayor’s race. And to his advantage, he still has $4.5 million left over in his campaign war chest, which would qualify for an additional $1.5 million in public matching funds.

And Weiner returning to Twitter marks a new beginning. In an email to Politicker he wrote, “It seemed like a fresh start was in order especially in light of all the new ideas around which I am hoping to drive conversation and debate.”

But is the public ready for his comeback? According to New York Daily News it might be a little too soon.

Recent polls show Weiner would most likely come in second behind City Council Speaker Christine Quinn in the democratic primary with a polling gap of more than 10 percent.

But Peter Ogburn for Current TV points out if Weiner does want to make a run for mayor he would have to return to Twitter eventually.

“If this is what he's doing and he's running for mayor which it seems that he is, he's making all of the right steps. At some point he has to get back on twitter... and I hope that he's smarter with this one than he was with the last one.”

If Weiner is in fact running for mayor he’ll have to enter the race by June 10 to receive matching campaign funds.

Flight Delays Expected From FAA Furloughs

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:31:00 -0500

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(Image source: H. Darr Beiser / USA Today)

BY KATIE BRENNAN

You could be doing a lot more waiting at the airport this week, and you’d have the sequester to blame. MSNBC reports furloughs brought on by government budget cuts officially began Sunday.

“The FAA is furloughing all 47,000 agency employees including nearly 15,000 air traffic controllers. Each employee will lose one day of work every other week.”

Fox Business reports FAA workers were notified of the furloughs last month.

“Most flights on time yesterday after the government budget cuts known as sequester kick in but the real test today is when the traffic increases. The airline industry is warning of long delays and cancellations.”

USA Today reports many big airlines have warned passengers to brace for delays. Alaska Airlines went so far as to waive booking fees at LAX, citing the threat of FAA furloughs as the cause.

Depending on daily traffic, the FAA expects the worst delays at 13 hubs:

JFK, LaGuardia and Newark in the New York area; Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco in California; O'Hare and Midway in Chicago; Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; Atlanta; Philadelphia and Charlotte.

Critics claim the Obama administration is deliberately making cuts in areas that will upset the public, in order to pressure Congress to back away from the spending cuts. CNBC heard from one critic who said the secretary of transportation is making sure the cuts hit the public hardest so he can make a point.

“This is all political...This whole cutback thing is bogus. After sequestration, the FAA will have 5 percent more money than they did five years ago and will handle about 8 percent fewer flights.”

The Wall Street Journal reports major U.S. airlines “on Friday sought a federal-court stay to halt the furloughs” but the court “denied the emergency motion.” The FAA refused to comment on the lawsuit and “reiterated in congressional testimony Thursday that the furloughs were unavoidable.”

Tsarnaev an 'Enemy Combatant,' GOP Lawmakers Say

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 21:40:21 -0500

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(Image Source: FBI)

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN AND CHRISTIAN BRYANT

Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is about to face a lot of questions from investigators.

Tsarnaev, along with his now-deceased brother, is accused of orchestrating the twin bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon Monday that killed three people. (Via YouTube / TheBostonGlobe)

And in the background are calls like this from some lawmakers:

KING: “I think he should be treated as enemy combatant.” (Via Fox News)

Declaring Tsarnaev, a naturalized American citizen, an enemy combatant would deny him a few protections under the criminal justice system. (Via FBI.gov)

One of those protections involves being questioned with a lawyer present. And New York Republican Rep. Peter King — from whom you just heard — isn’t the only one calling for President Obama to do it.

He was part of a joint statement with three Republican senators, which read: “The suspect ... clearly is a good candidate for enemy combatant status.”

There’s quite a bit to explain, though. We already know investigators are going to question him before reading him his Miranda rights. They can do that under a public safety exception. But the window on that is 48 hours, and the senators looking to designate Tsarnaev an enemy combatant want to expand that window.

GRAHAM: “Most Americans want to find out what he knew, who he associated with, does he know about terrorist organizations within or without the country that are trying to hurt us? Does he know about a future attack?” (Via CNN)

Here’s part of the thinking: Under the law of war, a person who takes up arms against the U.S. or collaborates with U.S. enemies could be an enemy combatant.

And a Supreme Court case — Hamdi v. Rumsfeld — upheld the government’s authority to hold even a U.S. citizen as an enemy combatant. (Via Wikipedia / U.S. Navy)

On the flip side, though, members of Al Qaeda, the Taliban and their affiliates can be subject to the laws of war. But there’s not yet any indication Tsarnaev is affiliated with any organized group at all.

Which is exactly what Michigan Democrat Sen. Carl Levin is countering with in a statement he released Saturday.

And it’s a point The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Jay Bookman agrees with: “Taking the alternative course ... elevates a sadsack such as Tsarnaev to a status that he simply does not deserve and that may make him a hero to other wannabes.”

Investigators are sure to get at least some of their questions answered soon. Late Sunday, NBC’s Pete Williams reported Tsarnaev — who is seriously injured — began answering law enforcement’s questions in writing.

Miranda Rights Not Read For Boston Bombing Suspect

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 14:55:39 -0500

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Image Source: ABC

BY CHARESSE JAMES

Federal authorities took Boston bombing suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev into custody Friday evening — but not through the same legal process that applies to common criminals.

“He has not been mirandized yet,... and they’ll use the public safety exception for as long as necessary. ...

That’s white noise because ... judicial case and the chain of evidence is going to be incredibly solid.” (Via MSNBC)

“It’s usually used in true emergencies where you’ve got guns blazing, bullets being fired, fires burning, concerns about someone who’s been kidnapped. It’s not usually used in a situation like this that’s more controlled, at least not generally.” (Via CNN)

Interrogating suspects in custody without first being read their rights typically carries a hefty punishment for the prosecution. But a 2011 FBI policy change determined agents could delay reading Miranda rights to a suspect in “exceptional cases,” like terrorism.

This guidance exists because “the threat posed by terrorist organizations and the nature of their attack — which can include multiple accomplices and interconnected plots — creates fundamentally different public safety concerns.” (Via The Wall Street Journal)

“They know that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his brother had amassed an arsenal of home-made bombs. They have to eliminate the possibility there are any more unexploded bombs elsewhere, that they were involved in any terror organizations.” (Via Sky News)

The Supreme Court ruled in 1966 that failure by authorities to inform a criminal suspect of their right to remain silent, to consult an attorney and that their statements are admissible in a court of law are a violation of the suspect’s Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights. The Fifth Amendment protects a suspect’s rights against self-incrimination and the Sixth Amendment guarantees right to legal counsel and a speedy trial. (Via PBS)

However, the public safety exemption does not allow broad ranging questions for the purpose of building a criminal case, and eventually, the suspect must be read his rights. Although the amount of time that passes before that happens can vary, and any question answered that doesn’t address public safety would be inadmissible in civil court. (Via FBI)

The use of a public safety exception has been upheld by the Supreme Court in the past and has been narrowly practiced since the mid 1980s — starting with New York v. Quarles in 1984:

In that case, a woman told police a man with a gun raped her, and then ran into a nearby grocery store. Police quickly found the suspect within the store, arrested him after a brief chase, handcuffed him, and discovered that he was wearing an empty shoulder holster. Before reading him his rights, an officer asked him where the gun was, and the suspect told the cop where to find it. After retrieving the gun, police then read the suspect his Miranda rights. (Via Cornell University Law School)

But a writer for Think Progress notes: “Eventually, it may become clear that no such threats exist (or at least any that Tsarnaev is capable of providing information about). At that point, he must be read his Miranda rights even under the most lax plausible understanding of the exemption.”

Many, like Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain, are hailing the exemption as another Boston bombing victory. (Via Talking Points Memo)

However, they don’t want him to be read his rights at all — instead they want Tsarneav to be interrogated, charged and tried as an enemy combatant and tried in military court. A suggestion that a Forbes writer suggests would potentially cloud the waters of the American judicial system. (Via FBI)

“Keep in mind that the horrible crimes that Mr. Tsarneav is accused of committing occurred on US soil and that ... he remains an American citizen with all the rights that come with the status. Also ... in this country, we are all innocent until proven guilty.”

And while only some of Tsarneav’s family is coming to his defense, a writer for Slate argues that the handling of his case could have serious and long lasting effects on how cases are tried in the States.

“The next time you read about an abusive interrogation, or a wrongful conviction that resulted from a false confession, think about why we have Miranda in the first place. It’s to stop law enforcement authorities from committing abuses. Because when they can make their own rules, sometime, somewhere, they inevitably will.”

According to ABC, investigators are currently waiting for a chance to talk to Tsarneav, who is reportedly paralyzed in a Boston hospital.

U.S. House Passes CISPA Cybersecurity Measure

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:30:00 -0500

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(Image source: Dame Magazine)

BY ELIZABETH HAGEDORN

The U.S. House of Representatives gave its approval Thursday to a cybersecurity bill giving private companies legal immunity to share their customer data with the federal government.

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, or CISPA, would allow U.S. intelligence agencies to access information without a warrant from private companies in the event of a cyber threat. (Via ABC)

Gizmodo breaks it down. “CISPA would permit any private company (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Google, you name it) to give away any and all data it’s collected on you when asked by a government agency. Literally any government agency.”

The bill has found widespread support among Industry groups which argue the legislation would help the country defends itself against hackers. (Via C-SPAN)

But critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have slammed the measure for its ambiguity. While the bill prohibits the sharing of personal information like medical records and tax returns, they say it leaves the door wide open for just about anything else.

As a writer at The Guardian put it, “Worthy ideas in the abstract, but horrible in the details: cyber-security is a genuine concern, as we've seen repeatedly. But this bill is easily the worst attack on the open internet since the infamous [SOPA]...”

But a writer for The Washington Post says, let’s not rush to conclusions.

“[T]he Internet has a tendency to do a credible impression of Chicken Little and shriek that the sky is falling any time anything relating to Internet regulation is proposed in Congress. This is an understandable response — much of what has been proposed thus far has been gosh-awful.”

Some have dubbed CISPA the next SOPA after the last year’s highly controversial legislation designed to curb copyright infringement. That and other similar bills generated widespread opposition among internet activists who successfully pressured lawmakers to back off. (Via CBS)

But this time around, no such movement has picked up and a growing list of companies like Verizon, IBM, and AT&T have thrown their support behind the measure. (Via U.S. House Intelligence Committee)

The bill faces a looming veto threat from President Obama, and a probable defeat in the Senate, which rejected a similar measure last year.

Senate Rejects Bill for Background Checks on Guns

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 23:05:01 -0500

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(Image source: The White House)

BY JAMAL ANDRESS

Arguably the most polarizing bill of the year — extended background checks for gun sales — came to a vote Wednesday in the U.S. Senate.

“People who have been pushing for new gun laws to curb gun violence just suffered a big blow. The bipartisan compromise to expand background checks on guns just failed to break a Republican filibuster. The vote was 54 to 46.” (Via CNN)

The bill needed an extra six votes to move on to the House, but considering the vote fell largely along party lines, analysts didn’t expect it to pass.

Chuck Todd tweeted, “Even if all Dems had voted for Manchin-Toomey, it still would have fallen short of 60”

Which means the problem is once again bipartisan support. But, as to be expected, Republicans have come out to defend their decision and the NRA is drinking to another victory.

USA Today published an op-ed by Mike Lee entitled, Mike Lee: Why I voted against background checks.

“The background-check amendment ... was too vague for law-abiding citizens to understand with certainty, and too easy for criminals to avoid.” He went on to say, “But the government has no business monitoring constitutionally protected activity, like gun ownership, any more than it has any business tracking what books Americans read or how often they attend church.”

NRA top lobbyist Chris Cox said in a statement after the decision, “As we have noted previously, expanding background checks, at gun shows or elsewhere, will not reduce violent crime or keep our kids safe in their schools.” (Via Talking Points Memo)

But the negative reaction to the decision was more passionate than many have ever seen. It started early with a hero of the shooting in Arizona, shouting her disapproval before the Senate was even dismissed.

“Patricia Maisch stood up and broke the rules of the Senate. ‘Shame on you!’ yelled Maisch. Two years ago, she was one of the people who effectively shut down Jared Loughner's killing spree... Maisch snatched away his extra magazine.” (Via Slate)

Next up was former Senator Gabby Giffords who was shot in that very incident. She said in a statement:

"Over two years ago, when I was shot point-blank in the head, the U.S. Senate chose to do nothing. Four months ago, 20 first-graders lost their lives in a brutal attack on their school, and the U.S. Senate chose to do nothing," (Via CBS)

But no one spoke louder or showed more disappointment for the Senate’s actions than President Obama. Obama wasted no time in grabbing the countries eyes and ears to voice his disapproval, holding a press conference not even an hour after the bill was struck down.

The President left no doubt where he stood on the issue, calling the vote “shameful”

“The gun lobby and it’s allies wilfully lied about the bill.”

“There were no coherent arguments as to why we wouldn't do this.”

“Are they serious?" (Via The White House)

After the vote, it seems the push for gun control legislation may have come to a halt. All eight of the other potential gun control laws have been tabled until a later date.

Mark Sanford Due in Court for Trespassing

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:20:00 -0500

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(Image Source: Daily Kos)

BY JASMINE BAILEY

Former governor of South Carolina Mark Sanford has been preparing for a special election, but now he has something else to worry about — a court date for allegedly violating the terms of his divorce settlement.

“In Court documents Jenny Sanford says back in February she caught him leaving her home out the back door using his cell phone as a light.” (Via HLN)

If you’ll remember, Sanford is not only running for a seat in the Senate but for redemption with his constituents as well. He was caught having an extramarital affair in 2009 and lying about it. (Via The Atlantic)

As part of the divorce settlement, Sanford and his ex-wife are not allowed to enter the other’s home without permission. However, they have four sons together, and in a statement Sanford said he was spending time with them.

"I did indeed watch the second half of the Super Bowl at the beach house with our 14-year-old son because as a father I didn't think he should watch it alone… Given [Jenny Sanford] was out of town, I tried to reach her beforehand. … ” (Via ABC)

But no matter what Sanford's excuse is, an analyst for CBS points out this just isn’t a good time for Sanford to be getting bad press.

“Now that court date is May 9. That is just two days after a special election seat … I think that we can all agree this is not the kind of attention he needs, and it's just three weeks before election day.” (Via CBS)

The timing of the court date is coincidentally bad, leading some to speculate on Jenny Sanford’s motives. But she says that’s all it is — a coincidence. (Via The Wall Street Journal)

“Now Jenny Sanford says she doesn’t care how the trespassing complaint could affect his chances of winning the race; however, she did say she didn’t leak the documents.” (Via MSNBC)

Mark Sanford will face Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch on May 7.

New York Post's Boston Marathon Bombing Coverage: Epic Fail

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 22:51:57 -0500

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(Image source: New York Post)

BY ELIZABETH HAGEDORN

In the hours following the Boston Marathon bombings, initial reports out of the New York Post included some pretty hefty claims that ended up being flat out wrong. Now, the media is questioning was the Post’s fact checker off duty?

The paper originally put the death toll at 12 — with every other news outlet reporting 2, possibly 3 dead. The Post then reported a Saudi national had been taken into custody. A spokesperson for the Boston Police Department told reporters later in the day no suspects had been identified.

And to everyone’s surprise, the Post was still standing by it’s story nearly 24 hours later.

This had columnist Michael Wolff tweeting, quote: “...terrifically weird how adamant the NY Post was about sticking to 12 dead figure and suspect in custody.”

And Deadspin’s Managing Editor chimed in:

“Well, if the New York Post keeps sticking to its ‘12 dead’ claim long enough, it will eventually stop being false, when they die of old age.”

But the folks at Vanity Fair say, cut the Post some slack. It didn’t get everything wrong. Consider, for a moment, what it got right.

It correctly reported the location of the Boston Marathon — the location being Boston. Also, it spelled Boston correctly, and it deduced the participants in the marathon were in fact “runners.”

The Washington Post also was willing to give The New York Post the benefit of the doubt, assuming, quote:

“It has a stupendous law-enforcement source, one that knows far more than the FBI, the Massachusetts governor, the Boston mayor and everyone else who has gone on record about the tragic events of yesterday afternoon.”

And satirical news outlet, The Onion, also congratulated the Post for all it’s scoops. In its account written from the point of view of the Post’s editor, The Onion writes,

“All I cared about in the moment was giving our readers a vague, erroneous conception of what was happening on the ground while also beating our competitors to the punch with a more sensationalistic story featuring a drastically higher body count.”

A writer at the progressive blog, The Daily Kos, say’s the Post’s reporting confirms but one thing:

“The New York Post has expanded its lead in the race to be known as the least credible major daily newspaper in America.”

For the record, the New York Post wasn’t the only news outlet to release inaccurate information about the bombings. The New York Times initially reported there were 10-12 fatalities and the Wall Street Journal claimed authorities found five additional explosive devices.

Ricin Poison Mailed to Senator Roger Wicker

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:51:39 -0500

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(Image source: News Channel 8)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

An unnerving story Tuesday afternoon as Washington, D.C., investigators announce they discovered a deadly poison in an envelope addressed to a U.S. Senator.

“The FBI is analyzing an envelope sent to a U.S. Senator but intercepted at an off-site mail site. A field test indicated it was positive for the poison called ‘ricin.’” (Via NBC)

“Extremely poisonous, deadly substance sent to Senator Roger Wicker, Republican from Mississippi.” (Via Fox News)

Details are still scarce, but the story is similar to a 2003 ricin mailing incident when contaminated letters were sent to the U.S. Department of Transportation and Senate majority leader Bill Frist, a Republican from Tennessee. (Via The New York Times)

It also brings to mind 2001’s anthrax scare, a case involving at least four letters sent to journalists and democratic Senators. CNN’s Dana Bash reports that attack sparked the safety procedures that are in place now. (Via Council on Foreign Relations)

“This was caught at a screening facility, meaning the letter ... did not come to the U.S. capitol, and the reason for that is because the process changed dramatically after anthrax was sent back in 2001.”

Officials say there is no evidence linking the envelop to the bombing in Boston. Senator Wicker has been assigned a security detail.

'Gang of 8' to Unveil Immigration Reform Bill

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:24:00 -0500

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(Image source: The New York Times)

BY NICHOLE CARTMELL

A Senate immigration reform proposal is thought to be the most far-reaching in three decades.

A bipartisan group of eight senators, known as the “Gang of Eight,” will unveil legislation Tuesday that targets...

The path to citizenship. The 11 million people who are in the country illegally can apply for “Registered Provisional Immigrant Status.” After 10 years these immigrants could apply for a green card and eventually full citizenship.
Border Control is another provision. Under this, $3 billion would go to improve border security through surveillance and another $1.5 million for more fencing. (Via The Department of Homeland Security)

But don’t expect easy passage. The path to citizenship is likely to stir up some controversy.

According to The New York Times, “The biggest test will come for those Republicans who support the bill and will have to convince their skeptical Senate colleagues ... that the legislation is not a reward for people who broke the law by entering the country illegally.”

Exhibit A: Despite Republican Senator Marco Rubio’s full-throated endorsement of the deal — (Via NBC)

— pushback from colleagues like Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions:

“...they have produced legislation…that will give amnesty now... Even if you pass laws today that appear to be effective, it doesn't mean they're going to be enforced...” (Via ABC)

And that’s criticism echoing across critical conservative circles — essentially, that there are EXISTING laws that aren’t being enforced. (Via The Washington Times)

But before anyone can apply for provisional immigrant status, The Department of Homeland Security must present a plan within six months to begin securing the border and identify where more border fencing might be required.

What’s more is that those seeking citizenship must pay a $1,000 fine, pay back taxes, and demonstrate knowledge of English and civics, remain employed and pass a criminal background check. (WGHP)

Nonetheless, CNN’s Ruben Navarrette characterizes what reactions will look like come Wednesday, “...just about everyone will be angry. Conservatives will declare the provisions of the bill too lenient, while Hispanics will condemn them as too punitive. Welcome to the immigration debate.”

Senators Predict Close Vote on Gun Control Deal

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:30:00 -0500

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(Image source: The National Review)

BY ELIZABETH HAGEDORN

Days before the U.S. Senate is set to begin its debate on gun control legislation, the Senators spearheading the bipartisan agreement made on background checks concede they may not have the votes.

Last week, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania unveiled their plan to expand background checks on gun sales to include sales online and at gun shows. (Via Politico)

Manchin and Toomey have said they’ll attach their provision as an amendment to the gun legislation the Senate voted last week to send to the floor. (Via C-SPAN)

But when making the rounds on the Sunday talk shows, the duo, both of whom have A ratings from the NRA, indicated they’re uncertain their plan has the enough votes for passage. (Via CNN)

“We’ll need more, I can tell you that.” (Via MSNBC)

"It's very hard to say what amendments may succeed and which may fail. conceded... "ours, I think, just strikes the right balance.” (Via CBS)

The amendment has earned the support of at least two Republicans. Senator Susan Collins told NBC News she will join Illinois Senator Mark Kirk as the second Republican to publicly throw her support behind the Manchin-Toomey proposal.

But the pair may have a tougher time winning over the rest of their colleagues. Republican Senator John Cornyn dismissed the proposal, though not answering if his party had the votes to block it.

"If Manchin Toomey were the law of the land today, none of the four of the most recent gun tragedies would have been prevented.” (Via Fox News)

Also on Sunday, another key endorsement for Manchin and Toomey. Gun rights group Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms announced its support for the compromise.

NOLA Asks Judge to Strip Sheriff of Jail After Viral Video

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 18:51:11 -0500

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(Image Source: NOLA.com)

BY JAMAL ANDRESS

Heroin, cocaine, crack, beer, illegal pills and a loaded handgun were all found inside a jail in New Orleans along with a video recorder that captured it all. (via NOLA.com)

The video was released Tuesday in court as part of a federal hearing to determine the fate of the troubled Orleans Parish Prison, known as the House of Detention. (via CNN)

The jail was closed in 2012 because as Orleans Sheriff Gusman stated, “it was in a state of disrepair.” Along with the video, some very disturbing stats were given to drive home the grim conditions.

Thirty-two stabbings were reported in the prison last year, and nearly 700 assaults. The lawsuit also cites mental health patients being denied care, prisoners being beaten by staff and mold all over the walls and prison cells. (via Google Earth)

Mandatory reforms have already been agreed to by the city’s jailer, Sheriff Gusman, the Justice Dept. and the Southern Poverty Law Centre.

But how did the inmates even get the drugs and gun? According to WDSU, a prison consultant testifying for the Justice Department said the jail staff may have helped the prisoners get their hands on the drugs and weapon. (via WDSU)

After seeing the disturbing video, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu was so appalled he asked a judge to place the jail under federal oversight to take control away from the Sheriff. (via WVUE)

He told CNN “I cannot, in good conscience, cut vital services or raise taxes to put even more money into an office where waste, fraud, and abuse run rampant."

Mayor Landrieu has already committed $55 million of the city’s dollars to reform the troubled New Orleans Police Department and says the city cannot afford to pay the current estimate of $22 million annually for five years to reform the jails.

The economist writes, “Mr Landrieu is not arguing that all is well at the jail, but he says the city should not have to give Mr Gusman a blank cheque to fix it. He believes the real problem is mismanagement, not lack of money.”

So, how does Sheriff Gusman defend himself?

According to one Slate writer, “Gusman denied the most extreme allegations and ‘testified that he can't recall even reading the reports of experts who found egregious conditions at the jail in recent years.’”

He added that “Gusman comes across as a bit of an absentee landlord...”

The city attorney who is fighting to remove Sheriff Gusman from his perch issued a filing which said...

“After testifying that he did not recall ever seeing the tapes, Sheriff Gusman then testified that he saw them in 2009.” The filing also stated “the sheriff publicly said he could not detect contraband in the videos because he was using a small screen to watch them." (via LA Times)

Although a ruling might not come for months, sources report U.S. District Judge Lance Africk will rule on whether the jail system will undergo federal reforms.

Critics Attack NRA-Sponsored NASCAR Race

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 20:43:15 -0500

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(Image source: USA Today / Jerome Miron)

BY DALTON BARKER

Polarized patrons, an angry Senator, and center stage for major policy issues. No, this isn’t Washington. The national gun debate is expected to rev up at the Texas Motor Speedway Saturday night.

The National Rifle Association is the official sponsor for a Sprint Cup race, dubbed the “NRA 500.” The race sponsorship is a first for the gun rights group. (Via WFAA)

In early March, the National Rifle Association paid the speedway a reported $2 million for race sponsorship rights. But following the December Newtown shooting, supporters of new gun legislation see the race as a political ploy during a tumultuous congressional debate. (Via CBS)

Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy doesn’t see the timing of the NRA’s first sponsored race as coincidence. He wrote a letter Thursday to News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch calling for Fox Sports to cancel their airing of the race amid the controversy. (Via WTNH)

Murphy wrote: “This race, which is being sponsored by the National Rifle Association (NRA), is going to take place during the Senate's consideration of legislation to reduce gun violence. The race not only brings national attention to an organization that has been the face of one side of this heated debate, it also features the live shooting of guns at the end of the race." (Via The Huffington Post)

Senator Murphy has been outspoken since the partnership was announced saying:

“Nascar and most major American have stayed out of politics and to make a decision, in the middle of a major legislative debate over guns ... I just think is out of bounds.” (Via MSNBC)

The issue has even extended to the drivers, with two-time Daytona 500 Winner Michael Waltrip saying in a text message, “These are the things that make people’s politics insignificant to me.”

Jeff Burton defended NASCAR and evoked the 1st Amendment on the issue saying: “We do live in a country where you’re allowed to express your freedoms, you’re allowed to express your opinion. And by the way, not everyone is offended by the N.R.A.” (Via The New York Times)

The controversy has led NASCAR to consider shifting gears on their sponsorship approval process.

One NASCAR spokesman told reporters the NRA’s sponsorship fits within the boundaries of the racing association, but moving forward, present circumstances will have to be considered in future decision making. (Via Jalopnik)

The New York Times reports even “as Congress debates new gun control legislation, the race will still go on as planned, and the winner will be awarded two-six shooters filled with blanks to fire.

Lawmaker: 'If Babies Had Guns, They Wouldn't Be Aborted'

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 09:59:41 -0500

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(Image source: NoMoreRockTails.com)

BY LOGAN TITTLE

In one swift, social media move, a Texas congressman hit two hot button topics with his campaign bumper sticker.

Republican Rep. Steve Stockman debuted this bumper sticker Friday on Twitter that reads “If babies had guns they wouldn’t be aborted. Vote Pro-Life!”

Stockman represents the 36th Congressional District in the Houston area. Anybody who donates $10 to his re-election campaign will receive a sticker.

The picture provoked some extreme reactions online — both positive and negative. Stockman responded to critics by citing an abortion practitioner who allegedly killed seven infants after they were born.

And on the issue of guns, Stockman has vowed to block any legislation expanding background checks passed by the Senate.

In a statement Wednesday he said, “Constitutional rights don’t require permission slips. If you infringe upon the Second Amendment’s absolute protections, you will be removed from office.”

And The Huffington Post reports just a day after Connecticut Gov. Dannell Malloy signed a state gun control package into law, Stockman reportedly invited gun owners and manufacturers who felt “unwanted” and “persecuted” by their states’ gun control policies to move on over to the Lone Star State.

The conservative has shocked Twitter followers before. Think Progress notes that Stockman threatened President Obama with impeachment earlier this year claiming the administration’s gun safety proposals were “an existential threat to this nation.”

He also previously claimed Obama’s support for gun safety demonstrated a lack of sympathy “for unarmed women raped by criminals.”

(via New York Magazine)

A correspondent for The Washington Post told MSNBC Stockman was kicked out of Congress after he was elected in 1994 by voters, but says today the Republican party actually supports this attitude.

“The Republican party is increasingly becoming defined by this core of conservatism ... not allowing the more tolerant elements into the party...”

But another writer at the Post says, even though these are common for the congressman, they shouldn’t go overlooked.

“...Stockman’s twisted tweet reeks of ignorance that shouldn’t be ignored or written off as the frothing of a madman from a safe district. It also cheapens the very serious debates on both abortion and guns. Not that Stockman cares what anyone else thinks of his musings.”

On the other hand, Stockman has seen significant support through his Stockman 2014 website, the new Twitter handle which has more than 2,700 followers and the corresponding Facebook page with more than 3,6000 ‘likes.’

Obama's Weekly Address to be Delivered by Newtown Mother

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 22:09:11 -0500

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(Image Source: CNN)

BY JEREMY TRUITT

For the first time in the Obama administration, neither the President nor VP Biden will deliver the weekly radio address. Instead, Obama is handing over the reins to a grieving mother.

“The mother of a Newtown shooting victim will deliver the weekly Presidential radio and internet address. President Obama typically gives the talk focusing on a topic that’s in the news or a policy the White House is pushing.” (Via WDRB)

“Francine and David Wheeler’s son Ben was one of 26 people killed in the shooting in December.” (Via WSYM)

Press Secretary Jay Carney said the President has been in contact with the bereaved parents, hoping they can help shape federal gun policy.

“And he believes their voices and resolve have been critical to the continued progress we’ve seen in the Senate.” (Via WSYM)

CNN reports other victims’ families from the Newtown tragedy have also been on Capitol Hill this week lobbying for gun control legislation. This is another step in Obama’s “full court press” to get new legislation enacted.

While the renewed push is apparent, The Huffington Post reports working with the mother of a Newtown victim shouldn’t be taken as a sign of exploiting the situation.

“This person was thrust into this issue. She’s not a gun control advocate for years, I mean she lost her kid. She has more credibility in this issue than just about anybody who’s been campaigning on it.”

Assuming a gun control bill clears the Senate, MarketWatch says it would still have to pass the Republican controlled House where it could likely get scaled back significantly, or even squashed.

Thursday however, Republican House Speaker John Boehner said he does expect the House to act on a gun bill in, quote, “some way, shape or form.”

Obamas, Bidens Release 2012 Federal and State Tax Returns

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:01:01 -0500

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(Image Source: Fox Business)

BY JEREMY TRUITT

In the midst of the ongoing budget and tax reform debates in Washington, the Obamas and Bidens released their 2012 tax returns Friday. CNN and MSNBC have the specifics.

“The President and First Lady made more than $608 thousand dollars last year and they gave almost a quarter of that to charity. They paid $112,214 in federal income tax, an effective tax rate of 18.4 percent.”

“The Bidens however made $300 combined, $385 thousand dollars and paid $87,851 dollars in taxes and donated $7,195 to charity.”

While the Obamas donated more than $150 thousand to 33 different charities, their largest donation was for $103,871 to the Fisher House Foundation, an organization that helps wounded veterans and military families. (via Whitehouse.gov)

2012 represents the worst year financially for the Obamas since taking office. In 2011, the First Family reported income of almost $790 thousand and the year Obama was elected they reported an income of over $2.6 million. The trend is reportedly due to Obama’s slowing book sales.

A pundit with Fox Business accuses the President of using a double standard. She claims his tax rate doesn’t reflect the broad changes he’s asking the general public to make in his proposed tax reforms.

“Therein lies what’s wrong with the tax code. 18.4 percent is his effective tax rate, he got a $45,000 mortgage deduction. I mean he’s benefiting from all the loopholes he’s complaining about.”

However if the President’s new tax proposals go into effect, Press Secretary Jay Carney says the commander in chief would have paid a higher share. “The President believes we must reform our tax system. Under the President’s own tax proposals...he would pay more in taxes while ensuring we cut taxes for the middle class.” (via Whitehouse.gov)

The release comes just two days after the President’s 2014 federal budget proposal, where he again called for the enactment of the so-called Buffett Rule and many other revenue changes.

Liberal Kentucky SuperPAC Linked to McConnell Recordings

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 23:59:33 -0500

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(Image source: The New York Times)

BY ELIZABETH HAGEDORN

A development in the Mitch McConnell secret-recording scandal — a Democratic operative now claiming members of the liberal Super PAC Progress Kentucky are to blame.

Earlier this week, left-leaning magazine Mother Jones released the audio, provided by a source allegedly asking to remain anonymous. The tape featured McConnell and his advisors planning ways to attack his potential political rivals in 2014, including Ashley Judd. She has since declined to run. (Via

“She's clearly, this sounds extreme, but she is emotionally unbalanced. I mean it's been documented. Jesse can go in chapter and verse from her autobiography about, you know, she's suffered some suicidal tendencies.” (Via Mother Jones)

At McConnell’s request, the FBI launched an investigation into whether his reelection headquarters had been bugged. (Via ABC)

Louisville’s WFPL first reported Jacob Conway, a local Democratic operative, said Progress Kentucky’s Shawn Reilly and Curtis Morrison boasted back in February they secretly recorded the meeting while standing in the hallway outside the McConnell’s campaign office. Conway told CNN,

“I didn’t pay any mind to it until the Mother Jones story broke out and when I heard the Mother Jones story tape, it was the exact same things that they told me was discussed, I put two and two together.”

As for David Corn, the Mother Jones reporter who published the audio — he’s staying mum, according to Politico.

An attorney for Reilly told the The Washington Post that his client is, quote, “...at most a witness to potential criminal activity.”

Progress Kentucky raised eyebrows a month ago for a string of offensive tweets targeting McConnell’s wife, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.

“Last month they were attacking my wife’s ethnicity, and then apparently also unbeknownst to us at the time, they were bugging our headquarters. It was quite a Nixonian move.” (Via Fox News)

So, just who is Progress Kentucky? A writer at Salon quotes a progressive activist from the Bluegrass state, saying:

“[T]hey are a long running joke in Louisville... Everyone in KY (liberals included & especially) can’t believe how much attention they’ve gotten in the national media.”

Indeed, the group raised just over $1,000 and spent just $18 of it in the last election cycle. (Via OpenSecrets.org)

... and its website seems to be entirely dedicated to waging a war on McConnell.

As for the Kentucky Senator, TIME magazine points out the plan to embarrass him may have backfired as the attention has now shifted away from McConnell attacking Judd’s mental health.

“This is the second time in two months that Progress Kentucky, a group whose entire existence seems geared toward taking down McConnell, has instead propped him up. With enemies like these, who needs friends?”

Senate Votes 68-31 to Allow Debate on Gun Legislation

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:00:00 -0500

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(Image Source: CNN)

BY CANDICE AVILES

After all the threats of a GOP filibuster, the Senate has voted to move forward with debate on a gun safety bill with a final vote of 68 to 31.

They only need 60 votes. CBS reported 16 Republicans joined with 52 Democrats to make this happen, while 29 Republicans and two Democrats, Senator Mark Begich of Alaska and Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas, voted against the motion.

The Washington Post reports the legislation contains largely Democratic proposals to expand background checks, provide more federal money for school security programs, and make gun trafficking a federal crime. It would also let gun dealers to sell firearms across state lines.

Many expect the debate to span weeks. The bill will again need 60 votes to end the debate including any amendments added to it.

The Obama administration supports the bill. Vice President Biden pointed to a public opinion poll showing Americans being “ahead” of Congress in that they want stronger background checks for gun buyers. (Via Whitehouse.gov, CNN)

But that’s not to say there wasn’t debate Thursday.

SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D-VT): “Americans across this great country are looking to us for solutions and for action not for filibustering.”

SEN. MIKE LEE (R-UT): “Protecting our rights, the few the government has left us, is of the utmost importance to us...” (Via C-SPAN)

CNN reports the National Rifle Association also spoke out against the legislation suggesting it would direct its campaign funding against lawmakers who support it.

This action comes four months after 26 children and adults died at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Any official changes will be the first national action on firearm regulations in two decades.

Obama Dines With A Dozen Senate Republicans

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:20:00 -0500

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(Image Source: (DVIDSHUB/Flickr)

BY KATIE BRENNAN

President Obama hosted a dozen Senate Republicans for dinner at the White House Wednesday evening in an attempt to gather support for the budget he delivered to Congress earlier that day. Fox News calls it following up with a tool from his charm offensive.

“This as they tried to swallow the proposed budget plan which calls for nearly $300 billion in new spending. At the same time it does outline $580 billion in new revenue over the next decade.”

This is the second time in two months that the president has looked to breaking bread as a way to find middle ground with Senate Republicans.

A White House official told Politico “The president ‘enjoyed a constructive, wide-ranging discussion’” during the two-and-a-half hour dinner, and the group “discussed ‘reducing the deficit in a balanced way, reforming our broken immigration system and adopting common-sense measures to reduce gun violence.’”

Senator Johnny Isakson, a Republican from Georgia, organized the white house dinner. He told CNN it was a very free-flowing conversation, but the republican guests did most of the talking.

“He responded specifically to items we brought up. We talked about common interests and common ground, we talked about differences. We did what you have to do to build a foundation to solving problems.”

Sounds like a good start to the grand bargain Mr. Obama hopes to strike, but Senator Ron Johnson’s comments to CNBC don’t mirror that feeling.

“Even the Senate budget, which is not adequate, never balances. His never balances, that’s actually lower spending than the president’s. I guess I have to agree with The Wall Street Journal. I don’t see his budget going anywhere.”

MSNBC reports the so-called “chat and chew” was missing one important tool to getting that deal done.

“In case you were wondering what was on the menu? Green salad, steak, sautéed vegetables. No dessert? Doesn’t dessert close every deal?”

Who knows? Maybe next time the president will throw in some cheesecake, too.

Anthony Weiner Eyeing New York City Mayoral Run

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:45:00 -0500

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Image Source: New York Daily News

BY BRIAN BONDUS

Former U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner says he is contemplating getting back into politics. This comes after staying mostly quiet following the so-called “Weinergate” scandal, nearly two years ago.

In a lengthy New York Times Magazine article, Weiner talks about his sexting scandal, relationship with his wife... and a possible return to political life. He says,

“I do recognize, to some degree, it’s now or maybe never for me, in terms of running for something.”

You’ll remember, Weiner resigned from Congress in 2011 after he accidentally sent his 45,000 twitter followers a revealing picture of himself in nothing but his boxers. He meant to send the picture in a direct message to a woman he met online.

(Via USA Today)
(Via CNN)

(Via Fox News)

Before the scandal, Weiner was a frontrunner in the 2013 New York City mayoral race. Besides being two years removed from the scandal, his financial situation may be pushing Weiner back into politics. He’s already got some fundraising money.

He has $4.3 million left over in campaign funds from his 2009 mayoral campaign. He’s also eligible for $1.5 million more in public matching funds. If he does not use this money this year, he will lose those matching funds.

(Via New York Times)

Weiner is already starting to use some of that money. At the start of March, Weiner reportedly spent $52,000 on research and $54,000 on polling for the Mayoral election. (Via New York Daily News)

A CBS contributor notes this money spent, means something.

“The $100,000 in polling and research is not something that most people engage in unless they are at least looking at the possibility running for mayor.”

One New York radio personality really wants Weiner to run again because he says the media cared more about the sexts than voters. He says Weiner served his constituents well and never committed a crime.

“Run already! Please! Show these media-monkey types that they don’t control votes. Voters control votes.”

Weiner will most likely decide whether to run by June 10th, because that is the last day to get public matching funds for the campaign.

Lawmakers Strike Deal on Gun Control

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:25:25 -0500

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(Image Source: M Glasgow/Flickr)

BY KATIE BRENNAN

Lawmakers in the Senate have reached a bipartisan compromise on gun control. CNN broke the news Wednesday morning and reports the deal could make it to the floor of the senate as soon as Thursday.

“Background checks right now are only required at licensed firearms dealers, and so what this would do, would expand the requirement to include two new areas, gun shows and internet sales.

The Washington Post points out the proposal would be stricter than current law... “but less than originally sought by President Obama and congressional Democrats, who were seeking to expand background checks to nearly every kind of sale.”

Two senators are behind the deal: Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia and Patrick Toomey, a Republican from Pennsylvania. Both have strong ties to the NRA, but the chance the proposition will be blocked still remains.

“As many as 14 Republican senators, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have vowed to filibuster the legislation. However, a mounting number of senators within the GOP now appear ready to break with their leadership and allow debate to move forward.” (Via MSNBC)

On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made what Politico called a “very personal plea” for a vote on gun control legislation when he mentioned his father’s 1972 suicide.

ABC News Blog cites a recent poll from Quinnipiac University that shows “91 percent of respondents in favor of ‘requiring background checks for all gun buyers’”

HLN has opinion from the other 9 percent.

“Critics claim that background checks would put a burden on the gun owner but that it would not stop criminals from getting guns.”

The Senate will vote to start debate on this gun control compromise tomorrow. Sixty votes would be needed to avoid a filibuster and begin the discussion.

Obama Proposes $3.8 Trillion Budget

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:39:32 -0500

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(Image Source: MCT/Star-Telegram)

BY KATIE BRENNAN

President Obama released his annual budget to lawmakers Wednesday morning. HLN reports the 10-year spending plan amounts to $3.77 trillion.

“It would be up, up 6 percent for the year. He's trying to make the tough case we still need some spending to get the job market going.”

But Fox Business and MSNBC report the 65-day-late budget is taking criticism from every side of aisle.

“Republicans say they won't accept new taxes under the plan and that many of the president’s proposals have been floated and ignored for several years. Democrats take issue with cuts to Social Security and Medicare.”

“The president's plan continues to draw outrage from several progressive groups.... at least 13 groups to oppose the president's cut to entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare benefits.”

The president’s base is particularly upset with one part of the budget. It sounds a bit wonky but it’s a change in what’s called “chained consumer price index” or “chained CPI” to cut spending on Social Security.

The Washington Post explains it like this: “‘Chaining CPI’ saves money by switching the government to a slower measure of inflation.” That way “Social Security slows down the cost-of-living increases built into its benefits” and increases taxes by “moving people into higher brackets more quickly.”

It’s a Social Security cut that has been a top priority for Republicans. CNBC’s Joe Kernen has a particularly cynical outlook on why President Obama included it in his budget.

Kernen: “He's got everything else in there, puts a stocking horse of chain CPI, ‘Oh yeah, i'm ready, this is big for me to do this,’ but it's all posturing, isn't it?”

Nussle: “Well, you can put it that way, you can also say it's a good first start if you're trying to be objective.”

A start to the likely long and drawn out process of negotiations as Washington heads toward another potential federal debt limit showdown later this summer. But it’s curious how much Congress can get done when this is what Bloomberg’s chief White House correspondent candidly reports:

Keene: “Does anyone in Washington actually read the damn thing?

Nichols: “No, I mean some congressional staffer might be flipping though. What you do is you read the charts. You go to the back.”

Keene: “Haha, thank you”

Then again, do you blame them? Last year’s budget was 2,403 pages, almost twice as long as War and Peace.

McConnell Involves FBI After Ashley Judd Tape Leaks

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:13:00 -0500

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(Image source: Bloomberg)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

From the people who brought you Mitt Romney’s 47 percent comment — another secret recording has captured some unflattering remarks from a Republican leader.

Mother Jones’ David Corn published this tape Tuesday. It captures a campaign strategy session for Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell that focused on how to tackle potential opponent Ashley Judd.

“Clearly, I mean this sounds extreme, but she is emotionally unbalanced. I mean, it’s been documented. Jesse can go in chapter and verse from her autobiography about, you know, she suffered some suicidal tendencies. She was hospitalized for 42 days, and she had a mental breakdown in the 90s.”

That was part of a long list of potential attacks on Judd spanning the 12-minute recording. In context, it’s not clear if hitting Judd on her mental health was seriously considered — but, evidently, it was at least tossed out, with McConnell in the room to hear it. Judd has since said she won’t run. (Via ABC, CBS)

And the Republican senator certainly took it seriously. Just a couple hours after the tape was posted, McConnell announced he had involved the FBI in what he called a possible wiretapping of his campaign headquarters. (Via The Washington Post)

Talking to WFPL in McConnell’s home state of Kentucky, his campaign manager Jesse Benton said: "It is Watergate-style bugging ... We always knew the far left would stop at nothing to attack Sen. McConnell, but even I am shocked by these Nixonian tactics."

This is apparently becoming Mother Jones’ thing — David Corn was the man who, back in last September, published the secret recording of Mitt Romney’s infamous 47 percent remarks.

Corn has said nothing yet of how he obtained the tape of McConnell’s strategy session. And although there’s a precedent for the secret recording, McConnell could have the law on his side. (Via CNN)

In Kentucky, state law defines eavesdropping as an act to “overhear, record, amplify or transmit any part of a wire or oral communication of others without the consent of at least one (1) party thereto by means of any electronic, mechanical or other device ...”

Which means the question is whether a “party” to the conference call was the one who handed over the recording to Mother Jones. McConnell’s campaign staff will meet with FBI investigators on the matter Tuesday.

Coverage of Women's Looks Hurts Her Candidacy, Study Says

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 21:30:00 -0500

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(Image source: The New York Times)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

Newly-released research claims any press coverage of a woman candidate’s physical appearance — even positive — could hurt her chances at the polls.

The research was commissioned by three groups, including the Women’s Media Center — and asked 1,500 people to read up on two fictional candidates, a man and a woman, and then vote.

Splitting the sample size in fourths, one quarter was given no physical description of the woman candidate. One was given a neutral description, one a positive and one a negative. The Jane Doe slipped by several points for the groups who were given her physical description.

The group commissioning the survey, Name It. Change It., combats sexism in media coverage of women. So, it’s fair to say it has an interest in promoting these types of findings.

But the survey echoes long standing concerns about women in politics — and the disproportionate attention given to their fashion and looks. Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign for president is perhaps the most prominent modern example in American politics — when the candidate saw expanded coverage of clothes, and of her spouse. (Via CNN, The Guardian)

CHRIS MATTHEWS: “The reason she’s a U.S. senator, the reason she’s a candidate for president, the reason she may be a frontrunner is her husband messed around.” (Via MSNBC / TPM)

And with more talk of a potential 2016 run, that conversation is resurfacing. Pundits now ponder the question what’s fair game? And what’s not? (Via The Washington Post)

An especially timely topic when you tack on the recent flap over last week’s comment from President Obama about California Attorney General Kamala Harris. (Via The Christian Science Monitor)

“It happened at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser, which was closed to camera ... the president called her, quote, ‘by far, the best-looking attorney general in the country.’” (Via CBS)

Hillary Clinton’s supporters staged a boycott of several major media outlets over claims of sexist coverage last election cycle. If she runs for office again, no doubt some of those old wounds will be a factor.

As Hillary Toys With Run, Chelsea Opens Door for Speculation

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:40:00 -0500

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Image Source: Barbara Kinney Photography

BY KERRY LEARY

Hillary 2016? What about Chelsea 2032? The media is chattering about former President Clinton’s daughter Chelsea and wife Hillary Monday — and the possibility of presidency for both. For now, Chelsea’s predictably backing Mom either way — and sounding pretty political in the process.

“As a daughter, I very much want her to make the right choice for herself. I know that will be the right choice for our country and i'll support her in whatever she chooses to do.”

Arianna Huffington didn’t do much dancing around the topic on the Sunday shows, saying Hillary is “obviously running.” In an op-ed, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd says it’s a “silly question.”

“Of course Hillary is running. I’ve never met a man who was told he could be president who didn’t want to be president. So naturally, a woman who’s told she can be the first commandress in chief wants to be.”

Ready or not, the money appears to be in motion. A writer for Mother Jones asks if the super PAC, Ready for Hillary,” is “a legit group or a love letter from adoring fans.” With backing from both Harold Ickes and James Carville, it “ ... appears to be the real thing.”

The Hill conducted a poll over the weekend that found a majority of voters — 51 percent to be exact — believe Hillary is running for president in 2016. And 41 percent think she’ll win the Democratic nomination.

The Washington Post’s Ed Rogers says it’s way too early to talk about 2016 — but even he couldn’t resist. His column calls Hillary’s presentation skills, “just okay ... Not good and not even close to great.”

“One problem Hillary won’t have — although Republicans wish otherwise — is the legacy of Bill Clinton ... the words ‘President Clinton’ are associated with good times.”

And those times could continue to roll right on into another generation — as daughter Chelsea describes a situation that might vault her into the family business.

Chelsea said she strongly supports her elected officials right now — but “if at some point that weren’t true and I thought I could make a meaningful and measurably greater impact, you know, I’d have to ask and answer that question.”

A writer for the Inquisitr notes, “She’s already off to a good start, what with all that not giving a definitive answer stuff.”

But it’s not the first time Chelsea allegedly dropped a hint about getting into politics. She also mentioned it in an interview with Vogue in August. Sound familiar?

" ... if there were to be a point where it was something I felt called to do and I didn't think there was someone who was sufficiently committed to building a healthier, more just, more equitable, more productive world? Then that would be a question I'd have to ask and answer."

Hillary Clinton has not announced if she is considering a 2016 run.

Senators Try to Bring New Life to Gun Control Efforts

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:30:00 -0500

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(Image source: ABC)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

President Obama is back in Connecticut Monday — almost four months after his response to the shootings at Sandy Hook. But this time the national conversation on guns sounds quite a bit different.

His speech Monday is a chance to revive gun control efforts that have been steadily dismantled over Second Amendment concerns and through active lobbying from the NRA. (Via ITN)

Senate Democrats are preparing a package of proposals for a vote.

In the bill:

- expanded background checks

- increased funding for school safety

Not in the bill

- Ban on assault-style weapons

- Ban on extended magazines

And even the prospect of expanded background checks could fall through — with a handful of senators promising to filibuster the proposal. That’s despite widespread public support for background checks. (Via ABC)

More than 90 percent, according to the latest Quinnipiac poll. And the failure to translate that public support into legislative action has frustrated Democrats.

“Why are they against universal background checks when 92 percent of the American public is in favor of them? ... What this is about is the ability of the gun industry to sell as many guns to as many people as possible.” (Via CNN)

But some newfound Republican support could help the gun bill’s chances. Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey has reportedly lent his hand to gun control efforts — despite his reputation as a hardcore conservative lawmaker. (Via The Jewish Exponent)

In fact — based on his voting record — National Journal ranked Toomey as the fourth-most conservative senator in the nation in 2012.

But he also represents a left-leaning state in Pennsylvania and will rely on suburban voters for re-election. As Chris Cillizza and Sean Sullivan of The Washington Post write:

“Being involved in what will almost certainly be cast as a ‘common sense’ deal — if a deal is struck — is great politics for Toomey.”

Aides say the senator is working with Democrat Joe Manchin, a moderate who was given an “A” rating from the NRA but has promised action on gun control since the Newtown shootings last December. (Via CBS)

Manchin was part of the group of senators who originally set out to craft a bipartisan gun bill. Though that effort was derailed when Oklahoma’s Tom Coburn rejected Democrat Chuck Schumer’s call for a national gun registry. (Via The Boston Globe, Politico)

Toomey and Manchin’s proposals reportedly include expanded background checks for private sales — but not for selling between close family members or hunters. Congress’ Easter recess ends Tuesday. That means legislation could be put to a vote this week.

Kansas Lawmakers Pass Sweeping Anti-Abortion Legislation

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 12:12:27 -0500

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(Image Source: KCTV)

BY CHARESSE JAMES

Kansas legislators have approved a bill defining human life as beginning at fertilization. That bill is one step closer to being signed into law.

“A sweeping anti-abortion bill is a step closer to being passed in Kansas. The House approved the measure yesterday that blocked tax breaks for abortion providers ... This bill is headed to the Kansas governor for his signature.” (Via WOFL)

The final 70-page bill - HB 2253 - passed through the House 90-30 and the Senate 28-10 Friday evening. Republicans have a large majority in both houses. The measure now goes to the desk of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, who opposes abortion and is expected to sign it. (Via KCTV)

The bill, if passed, would also:

- prohibit abortion providers from being involved in public school sex education classes

- outlaw funding to abortion providers

- require any woman using her health saving account funds for an abortion to notify her employer

- and, have no exceptions in cases of rape or incest

http://kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2253_00_0000.pdf

A similar sweeping anti-abortion bill was killed in the Kansas senate last session, but that was with a more moderate state legislature. Because anti-abortion state lawmakers won big victories in 2012’s election, Kansas’ abortion opponents are seizing the opportunity to push it through this year. (Via The Huffington Post)

And opponents to the bill are calling the measure “Taliban-like,” and that if this law passes it would be easier to legally obtain a switchblade than it would be to legally obtain an abortion.

This is the latest in a string of omnibus anti-abortion measures being passed by states in the past two years. Thirteen States, including Missouri, Arizona, Utah, Tennessee and Alabama, already have laws with language similar to the Kansas bill.

“North Dakota’s Republican Governor signed a ban on abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, the narrowest window of any U.S. state ... In Arkansas, a near-ban on abortions from the 12th week of pregnancy onward was approved by legislators who overrode a veto by Governor Mike Beebe” (Via BusinessWeek)

This passage of the bill coincides with the reopening of a Kansas abortion clinic that closed in 2009 after one of its doctors was murdered by an anti-abortion activist.

“In 2009, an anti-abortion activist succeeded in what his colleagues had tried before and Dr. George Tiller was shot dead inside his church during Sunday services. Because of that, Dr. Tiller's clinic, the only one in that part of the state closed.” (Via MSNBC)

And it also comes on the heels of a landmark decision concerning the availability of emergency contraceptives.

“Emergency contraception known as Plan B will now have to be made available over the counter to women of any age, even teenagers. this overturns a controversial decision made by health secretary Kathleen Sebelius in 2011, barring anyone under the age of 17 from buying Plan B without a prescription.” (Via NBC)

Though the Kansas bill defines life as beginning at fertilization and puts various restrictions on abortion providers, it does not completely ban abortions in the state. According to NBC, abortion rights groups have said they will challenge the new laws in court.

Obama to Offer Republicans Cuts to Social Security, Medicare

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:09:32 -0500

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(Image Source: whitehouse.gov)

BY CANDICE AVILES

Senior administration officials are shedding some light on what changes we can expect from President Obama’s upcoming budget plan — including cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

“President Obama’s proposed budget is also going to call for reductions in the growth of social security and other benefit programs. It’s a demand that’s been made by Republicans in order for there to be a deficit cutting deal.” (Via WTEN)

The New York Times reports this budget shows the President’s willingness to compromise with Republicans and revive potential for a long-term deficit-reduction deal. It also resembles the final compromise offer he made Speaker Boehner last year.

The budget includes adopting the chained Consumer Price Index for Social Security and slashing about $400 billion from Medicare over the next decade. According to Politico, it also includes an expansion of Pre-K education, which would be paid for by raising the cigarette tax.

But CBS reports Republicans will have to accept higher tax revenue. Around $600 billion worth over the next 10 years which will come from...

“Capping available deductions to those wealthy Americans at 28% total and also limiting to $3 million the amount that wealthy americans can put in tax preferred retirement accounts like IRA’s and other vehicles like that.”

The plan would also close a loophole currently allowing people to collect both disability and unemployment benefits.

CNN reports this alleged “compromise” budget is drawing harsh criticism from some democratic groups including Democracy for America who called the cuts “profoundly disturbing.” The progressive group MoveOn.org also said,

“Millions of MoveOn members did not work night and day to put President Obama into office so that he could propose policies that would hurt some of our most vulnerable people.”

The Huffington Post reports Speaker John Boehner has already rejected Obama’s offer, saying: “We need to solve our spending problem, and what the president has offered would leave us with a budget that never balances.”

The president will present his budget on Wednesday.

Obama Taking 5 Percent Sequester Pay Cut

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:00:00 -0500

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(Image source: Flickr/Intel)

BY NICHOLE CARTMELL

President Obama — taking an axe to his own personal budget?

The New York Times is reporting, the president will take a 5 percent pay cut, retroactive to March 1. New England Cable News says, that amounts to a decent amount of cash — to you and me.

“...this -- in a show of solidarity with federal workers feeling the impact of the sequestration budget cuts. The president will write a check to the U.S. Treasury each month -- translating to a $20,000 pay cut for the year.”

This 5 percent cut matches the reduction most non-defense and discretionary programs began facing under the sequester starting March 1. But when it comes to the numbers, 5 percent might not make all that much of an impact on the president.

Mr. and Mrs. Obama reported an adjusted income of more than $789,000 in 2011. Of this, the Obama’s donated $172,130, or nearly 22 percent, to charity... compare that to the $20,000 dollar reduction he’s pledging now.

New Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is among other cabinet level members expected to take cuts, in Hagel’s case, in line with cuts to other members of the defense department. Not everyone is impressed, like Fox Nation which says the move...

“... is almost as admirable and sensible as a mansion-owner shutting off his marble fountains during a drought ... for a worker earning minimum wage, Obama's pay cut is $1,500 more than they'll earn this year.”

The Times calls the move a symbolic “gesture.” But it’s this idea of symbolism that has caused some of the president’s actions to garner negative attention in the past.

“... symbolism has become a political headache for Mr. Obama in times of austerity. Critics have focused on his vacations and golf outings to suggest he remains insulated from the greater budget constraints squeezing much of the rest of government.”

Last month, the Senate approved an amendment to establish a reserve to lessen the sequester’s impact. Members of Congress would be able to donate 20 percent of their salaries to it. But USA Today points out, “... it was a non-binding vote to the budget resolution and does not have the force of law.” (Via C-SPAN)

Nonetheless, CNN’s Christine Romans puts President Obama’s contribution simply, saying...

“It doesn't hurt him, doesn't help the treasury. It's just an interesting story."

Obama Pushing Gun Control in Colo.

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:21:00 -0500

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(Image source: CBS News)

BY ELISA LOPEZ AGUADO

President Barack Obama’s in Denver on Wednesday to speak with local law enforcement. The topic? Federal gun control measures, specifically Colorado’s gun control regulations signed into law a couple weeks ago.

That new law in the Centennial State:

Limits ammunition magazines to 15 rounds
Requires gun customers to pay for the costs of their own background checks
[and] Requires universal background checks - expanded to private sales

Those regulations are similar to what the president is pushing federally, especially universal background checks.

The president added more pressure on Congress last week to pass tighter gun restrictions, saying focus on gun control seems to be waning as time grows after the December 14 Newtown shooting. (Article from the Washington Post)

“Let me tell you. The people here they don’t forget. The entire country was shocked. I haven’t forgotten those kids, shame on us if we’ve forgotten.” (video via The White House)

Denver affiliate KDVR writes, “The White House has been lowering expectations about a package of gun control legislation, admitting that even getting a universal background checks measure passed would be a real victory.”

Public support for stricter gun laws has been trending downward in the last few weeks, but almost 90 percent of Americans do still support expanding background checks. (statistics via PollingReport)

An assault weapons ban has seen less support. With a gun control debate scheduled next week in the Senate, The Wall Street Journal says “that amendment isn’t expected to pass.” It adds the president is attempting “...to ban certain types of semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines.”

President Obama is scheduled to visit Connecticut on Monday — that’s where last December’s shooting in Newtown prompted a new focus on gun laws. The president will speak about new state-level gun reforms there.

New Conn. Gun Law Hailed as 'Tough'

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:45:00 -0500

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(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY NICHOLE CARTMELL

Roughly four months and 26 funerals lead to this — the strictest gun laws nationwide. Or at least that’s what Connecticut lawmakers are calling their latest deal.

This comes in the wake of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary that left 20 children and six educators dead. For legislators, this is a compromise bill.

“The bipartisan deal would require background checks for all sales and ban the manufacture of new, high capacity magazines...”

Additionally, the proposal would

· expand the existing assault weapons ban, adding 100 more models to the list

· create a statewide registry for dangerous weapon offenders, the first of its kind in the nation

· buyers would also need a statewide eligibility certificate to purchase any rifle, shotgun or ammunition.

And while these mandates represent a bipartisan deal for legislators...

“There is something in here that people on both sides may not like. At the end of the day, I think it’s a package that a majority of people in Connecticut will be proud when we vote on Wednesday.”

It’s the more lenient rules on magazines that are receiving the most backlash from Newtown victims’ families.

Instead of outlawing large-capacity magazines altogether, the bill lets owners keep them if they declare how many they own and abide by the new restrictions. With these, magazines could only be loaded with 10 or fewer rounds, unless in their own home or at a shooting range. They can be fully loaded there. But for some, this still doesn’t address what happened in Newtown.

One parent whose son was killed said, "We have learned that in the time it took him to reload in one of the classrooms, 11 children were able to escape. We ask ourselves every day — every minute — if those magazines had held 10 rounds, forcing the shooter to reload at least six more times, would our children be alive today?"

Meanwhile — the NRA is set to announce on Tuesday its ideas to arm school guards across the country.

The Connecticut legislature is set to vote on the broad reaching gun control package Wednesday. Many believe it will easily pass through the House and Senate.

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie Signs Tanning Legislation

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:35:00 -0500

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(Image source: eHow)

BY LOGAN TITTLE

New Jersey teens can forget about using a tanning bed. Gov. Chris Christie signed new legislation Monday expanding the state’s already strict laws on tanning.

The new bill bans anyone under the age of 17 from using a tanning bed and anyone under 14 from getting a spray tan.

(via WHEC)

This comes just a year after a New Jersey woman made tabloid headlines. Patricia Krentcil, a.k.a the ‘Tanning Mom,’ was accused of taking her five-year-old daughter into a tanning booth.

(via WHSV)

Christie said he does not advocate government regulation of small business, but cited health risks as a reason for the bill — including an increased risk of skin cancer. He also noted tanning before the age of 35 has been shown to increase that risk by 75 percent.

(via NorthJersey.com)

A scientist from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration backs up Christie’s claims — explaining the skin acts in self-defense when exposed to UV rays from the sun, or from a tanning bed, and produces more melanin — a pigment that darkens the skin.

“Although some people think that a tan gives them a ‘healthy’ glow, any tan is a sign of skin damage. ... Over time, this damage will lead to prematurely aged skin and, in some cases, skin cancer.”

As for spray tans — there are no harmful UV rays, so why the ban? ABC News reports a panel of medical experts found an active chemical known as dihydroxyacetone — or DHA — can potentially cause genetic alterations and damage DNA.

It was approved back in the 70’s for external use, meaning rubbed onto the skin and not inhaled. That is virtually impossible when getting a spray tan. However, ABC News says many tanning experts do not believe this to pose a threat.

New Jersey joins a number of states, including California and Vermont, that have placed a restrictions on tanning. And while the bill bans teens 17 and under from artificial tanning services, they are allowed to tan if accompanied by a guardian.

Why Congress Still Has Long Way to Go on Immigration

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:00:00 -0500

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(Image source: The New York Times / Doug Mills)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

You’d think it was a done deal. After all, that was the premise of comments about immigration made Sunday by two of the Senators working on a plan for reform.

First by Republican Lindsey Graham on CNN:

“I think we’ve got a deal. We’ve got to write the legislation … “I believe it will pass the House because it secures our borders. It controls who gets a job.”

Then from Democrat Chuck Schumer on NBC:

“Every major policy issue has been resolved on the gang of eight … we go to the floor, God willing, in May. I think we’re on track.”

The big breakthrough reportedly came Friday, when labor and commerce found enough common ground to agree on a visa program. That’s part of what held up reform under President Bush in 2007. (Via Los Angeles Times, Wikimedia Commons / The White House)

But here’s the thing: the Senate hasn’t actually written out its legislation yet. House Republicans have some ideas of their own about what that should look like. And there are a number of details lawmakers haven’t agreed on that could derail the whole effort.

On top of all that, the man best suited to bring Tea Party conservatives on board is throwing on the brakes. A statement from Florida Senator Marco Rubio on Sunday said:

“...reports that the bipartisan group of eight senators have agreed on a legislative proposal are premature … We will need a healthy public debate that includes committee hearings...” (Via Al Jazeera, Senate.gov)

Throughout Congress, there’s been widespread agreement on offering a path to citizenship for the 11 million people who have crossed the U.S. border illegally. But as for how difficult that path should be? That has less consensus. (Via France 24)

Politico reports a group in the House is even mulling over forcing illegal immigrants to come before a court and plead guilty to breaking immigration laws before becoming citizens.

And although lawmakers agree illegal immigrants should have to pay a fine, there’s debate over how much they should pay. That’s just one example of the myriad details still unaddressed in reform talks. Another possible flashpoint? (Via C-SPAN, YouTube / chuckboombuck)

The Senate’s bipartisan group agrees the border must be deemed “secure” before further action. But there’s no agreement as to what that means. When they visited the Mexican border last week, they actually witnessed a woman trying to hop the fence just a few hundred feet away. (Via ABC)

Democrats in the Senate’s bipartisan group hope to put a bill forward this month. Congress will pick the legislation back up when lawmakers return from a 10-day recess for Easter on April 9.

Senate Negotiators, Business Leaders Reach Immigration Deal

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 21:31:09 -0500

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(Image Source: ABC News)

BY JEREMY TRUITT

In a strong bipartisan showing, Senate negotiators finalized a major agreement on immigration reform gaining the support of the AFL-CIO president and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“Brokering a deal between the nation’s top business and labor groups on a visa program for low skilled immigrants. The guest worker program improves the odds of Congress passing a broader immigration bill.” (Via Fox News)

“...resolving a major sticking point between the AFL-CIO and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Senator Chuck Schumer talked to the White House Chief of Staff Dennis McDonough to tell him about that agreement.” (Via MSNBC)

The sticking point was on pay for guest workers and how many visas would be issued per year. Some business leaders wanted up to 400,000 annually. Both the labor unions and the U.S. Chamber have been at an impasse up until Saturday.

The Atlantic Wire says the compromise removes the impasse because “The program would be capped at 200,000 a year, but the number of visas would fluctuate” and “The labor unions are happy because they think the system won't have a net drag on the salaries of American workers, and the Chamber doesn't feel as as though they will be overpaying for entry level jobs.”

With a deal reached, the major roadblock slowing broader immigration reform seems to have been lifted.

The larger bill is expected to include a 10-year path to citizenship, billions of dollars in new border security measures and major reforms to legal immigration programs. Politico points out it’s unusual to have so much support on both sides of the political aisle.

Conservatives Dick Morris and Eileen McGann make a strong argument that there is good reason for the GOP to ensure they’re behind this bill with the sobering losses handed to them by the Latino vote in recent elections.

“Republicans need to get out in front on the issue. Immigration reform needs to be a Republican bill. Only then can we hope to heal the scars left from the party's role in scuttling reform in 2005-2006...It qualifies as one of the major blunders in Republican history.” (Via RealClearPolitics)

A White House spokesman said President Obama is encouraged by the progress and is confident a bill will be brought forward as soon as possible.

Italy's President Forges on Amid Gridlock

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 15:08:31 -0500

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(Image source: Wikimedia Commons / Roberto Ferrari)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

Italy’s president promised to stay on as head of state despite political gridlock keeping the country from forming a government.

87-year-old President Giorgio Napolitano told reporters Saturday he would not step down. Doing so would have opened the door to new parliamentary elections in hopes of reshuffling a political system now totally stagnant. (Via BBC)

Leaders of various political factions, several of whom took part in an ultimately fruitless election last month, have failed to form alliances necessary to build a majority coalition. But one of those men, Silvio Berlusconi has offered a deal to Democrats. (Via The New York Times)

“Our position has not changed. We have expressed it with absolute clarity to the president. We were and still are available to support a coalition government with the Democratic Party.” (Via Al Jazeera)

But Berlusconi’s cooperation would come at a price for the left. The scandalized former prime minister wants a position of power in the new government and a hand in picking President Napolitano’s successor. (Via The Guardian)

Financial Times says that’s a deal Democratic leader Pier Luigi Bersani is unwilling to make. One senior official says, really, “It is up to who blinks first.”

Italy’s suffering its worst recession since World War II. Unemployment lines form with jobless rates at record highs and public debt at 150 percent of GDP. Add onto that a crisis in neighboring Cyprus that has markets in a panic. (Via euronews)

Current president Napolitano’s term extends through May 1. He’s formed two teams of mediators to help find a deal between parties.

Tucson Program to Give Free Shotguns to Residents

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:16:03 -0500

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(Image Source: KSAZ)

BY CANDICE AVILES

A former mayoral candidate in Tucson is looking to make neighborhoods safer by handing out shotguns. Yes, you heard right.

Local news affiliate KVOA reports Shaun McClusky is working on a program to arm those in high-crime neighborhoods to help fight crime. So far, he’s raised about $12,000 from donations to fund the program.

When asked why he was doing it, McClusky told KMSB...

“This program wouldn’t be necessary if our city council fully funded public safety. This is a result of their inability to do their job.”

KSAZ points out Tuscon is also “faced with a short-staffed police department that admittedly has issues with slow response times on certain calls.”

McClasky is launching the program in the same area where former Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot and critically wounded.

The attack, back in 2011, put Tucson in the gun violence spotlight. Since then, Giffords has pushed for stronger gun restriction. (Via The New York Times)

McClusky told KGUN he’ll start with three neighborhoods — Midvale Park, Pueblo Gardens and Midtown. He’ll also provide free training, ammunition, gun locks and background checks. But local and state legislators are wary.

“Lawmakers definitely hating this idea calling it a quote ‘twisted social experiment’ and telling McClusky he’s quote ‘on his own’ and quote ‘out of touch.’”

Some Arizona officials are not budging. Rep. Victoria Steele writes, “Plain lunacy... Handing out shotguns is not a solution.” And House Minority Leader Chad Campbell says it’s “a political gimmick that could have dangerous consequences.” (Via Fox News)

McClusky says he actually got the idea from The Armed Citizen Project.

It’s a nonprofit program created by a master’s student at the University of Houston. The program handed out shotguns for free in certain neighborhoods and studied the effect on crime rates. It’s too early to tell what impact the program has had yet.

McClusky says as of now he can arm and train 36 people and hopes to do so within the next two months.

Alaska Lawmaker Apologizes for 'Wetback' Slur

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:39:00 -0500

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(Image source: Alaska Native News)

BY CANDICE AVILES

A Republican congressman from Alaska is under fire after using a racial slur during a radio interview on Thursday.

CNN reports 79-year-old Representative Don Young was doing an interview about how technology affects the economy when he used the word “wetbacks” to describe Latinos. Here’s the clip:

“My father had a ranch. We used to hire 50 to 60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes. You know, it takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. It’s all done by machine.”

The slur, “wetback,” describes Mexicans who swam across water to get to America. The comment quickly drew criticism prompting Young to acknowledge his actions. NBC and KTUU have his response.

“I used a term that was commonly used during my days growing up on a farm in Central California. I know that this term is not used in the same way nowadays and I meant no disrespect.”

“Migrant workers play an important role in America’s workforce … I discussed the compassion and understanding I have for these workers and the hurdles they face in obtaining citizenship.”

This comment couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Republican Party — which is trying to reach out to more diverse groups. (Via GOP.com)

According to ABC, the Republican National Committee released a report after the election stating, “If Hispanic Americans perceive that a GOP nominee or candidate does not want them in the United States (i.e. self-deportation), they will not pay attention to our next sentence.”

And Business Insider reports it’s no secret the GOP is attempting to change its image. The report goes on to use the words “scary” and “out of touch” to describe the GOP.

The Atlantic Wire echoes the “out of touch” description by saying:

“Young has some years on him, and he is using as his defense a time when even the government was using the slur. In 1954, when Young would have been around 21 years old, the U.S. created Operation Wetback, an Immigration and Nationalization Service project aimed at curbing illegal immigrants, which targeted Mexicans in particular. "The agents used a wide brush in their criteria for interrogating potential aliens.”

Don Young has served as a Republican congressman for Alaska since 1973.

Supreme Court Says DOMA Might Violate States' Rights

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:00:00 -0500

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(Image source: The New York Times)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

The Supreme Court heard arguments in the second of two landmark gay rights cases Wednesday — with early media speculation pointing to the likelihood the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, being struck down.

With thousands of advocates and opponents of same-sex marriage gathered outside, court justices heard hours of debate over DOMA — which withholds federal benefits from gay couples and bans interstate recognition of those marriages. (Via BBC)

Cameras weren’t allowed in the courtroom, but among the reporters who were, conventional wisdom said the justices could call DOMA an unconstitutional breach of states’ rights. (Via The New York Times)

“The court’s liberals were very strongly attacking DOMA, saying that it diminishes the nature of marriage for same-sex couples in the states that have decided independently to permit same-sex marriage.” (Via NBC)

Justice Anthony Kennedy is seen as the swing vote on gay rights issues, and Bloomberg quoted him Wednesday saying, “You are at real risk of running in conflict with the essence of state powers [with DOMA].”

The well-respected SCOTUS Blog pegged chances it would be struck down at 80 percent. Though there wasn’t a lot of statistical backing for such a specific number.

But the end of DOMA on the basis of states’ rights could be a double-edged sword for gay rights advocates. Right now, 41 states have laws specifically against gay marriage. So, leaving it up to the states might not be the best outcome for proponents of same-sex marriage.

The justices, including Kennedy, did say it would be fitting for the federal government to have its own concrete definition of marriage to deal with issues like tax benefits. That could leave the door open for federal recognition of gay marriage, even as many states ban the concept. (Via CNN)

This all comes a day after justices seemed hesitant to issue a broad ruling on gay marriage after hearing arguments over California’s Proposition 8. That law banned same-sex marriage in California. Decisions in both these cases are scheduled for June.

Supreme Court Treads Lightly on Same-Sex Marriage

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 21:54:00 -0500

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(Image source: Washington Times)

BY ELIZABETH HAGEDORN

As thousands of supporters and opponents of one of the country’s most divisive issues gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court, the justices inside appeared poised to avoid issuing a broad ruling.

The case before the Supreme Court involves whether Proposition 8, California’s voter-approved ban on gay marriage, is constitutional. (Via ABC)

The early reaction on Twitter from many of the reporters present during Tuesday’s oral arguments was that the justices, both liberal and conservative, were reluctant to issue a sweeping decision that would have any national consequences.

CBS’s chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford tweeted,

“In 80 minutes of arguments, justices on both sides seemed to be looking for a way to avoid deciding the merits of CA same-sex marriage case.”

With CNN’s Supreme Court expert Jeffrey Toobin saying,

“Totally baffled after hearing today’s same sex marriage arguments. No clear winner.”

And the Daily Beast’s Kirsten Powers told Fox News,

“I think it’s going to be a major disappointment to everyone on both sides. I think people are really hoping for some sort of clarity on this issue.”

At one point, Justice Anthony Kennedy, believed by many to be the critical vote in the case, wondered whether the court was headed into what he called “uncharted waters.” (Via CNN)

And Justice Sonia Sotomayor wondered if it was too soon to rule on gay marriage. (Via Wikimedia Commons)

“Why is taking a case now the answer?...We let issues perk, and so we let racial segregation perk for 50 years from 1898 to 1954.”

There are several possible scenarios when it comes time for the court to rule. In the most sweeping outcome, the court could decide that limits on same sex marriage violate the 14th Amendment — effectively legalizing gay marriage across the U.S.

But the court also could dismiss the case altogether, citing a lack of standing from supporters of Prop 8 and thus leaving intact the decision by a lower court that struck down the ban. Finally, the court could issue a narrow ruling, applying the right to gay marriage only in California. (Via CBS)

SCOTUSBlog’s Tom Goldstein comments what he says is the most likely outcome, writing:

“The bottom line, in my opinion, is that the Court probably will not have the five votes necessary to get to any result at all, and almost certainly will not have five votes to decide the merits of whether Proposition 8 is constitutional.”

But as some pundits have pointed out, history has proven that reading too much into the early court arguments can be dangerous. Look no further than the surprise ruling on the president’s health care law, which seemed at first to have a majority of the court lined up against it. (Via NBC)

Wednesday’s arguments will focus on the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which says gay couples are not entitled to the same federal benefits as same-sex couples. A ruling is slated for June.

Singer, Fashion Icon: China's First Lady Breaks the Mold

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:50:00 -0500

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(Image source: BBC)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

You might call her China’s Jackie Kennedy — plus, she can sing. The eastern superpower’s new first lady, Peng Liyuan, is taking a much more prominent role than her predecessors.

One sign of that — Peng has accompanied her husband, President Xi Jinping, on his first round of state trips. It’s a highly unusual move for a political structure in China that often keeps women in the background. (Via CCTV)

In Russia, Xi’s meeting with Vladimir Putin marked the first stop on the first couple’s world tour. But the Russian president’s warm reception for Peng also drew international attention. (Via BBC)

Politics aside, Peng became a well-known folk singer in China in the 1980s and 90s. Her performances have been a staple on state-run TV for decades. (Via Vimeo / HPeaks, CCTV)

Fashion experts in China have called her a true cultural ambassador. The Telegraph quotes Zhang Yu, the editor of China’s Vogue magazine, saying...

"It's the first time that China's first lady appears like a modern woman … After so many years, we finally have a first lady who can represent us so appropriately.”

Peng’s coming to international prominence just as the Chinese fashion industry is beginning to bloom. And, as ITV reports, her choices for clothes and accessories could spur an economic windfall for Chinese brands.

“Now, what brand is that bag? You may not care. But 8 million Chinese did … Chinese fashion websites were full of it. The share price rose, and a Chinese brand started to go global.” (Via Channel 4)

Stopping in Tanzania on Tuesday, Peng and Xi will both venture to Congo later this week to close out their international trip. (Via ITV)

Gun Store Rescinds Rifle Sale to Mark Kelly

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:30:00 -0500

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(Image source: Americans for Responsible Solutions)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

Gun control advocate and former astronaut Mark Kelly won’t be getting his AR-15 rifle after all. The gun store where Kelly tried to buy a rifle has decided to rescind the deal.

“Earlier this month, Kelly said he bought the assault rifle just to make a point about how easy the process can be — even posting a photo of himself on Facebook filling out the paperwork for a background check.” (Via KVOA)

Kelly and his wife former Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head in January 2011 by a mass shooter recently started Americans for Responsible Solutions, a non-profit and Super PAC dedicated to push for more gun control, especially background checks.

“I just bought a gun in October and I went through a very simple five-minute background check. … Now, shouldn’t criminals and the mentally ill be subject to a background check? I mean, shouldn’t they?” (Via NBC)

Kelly’s rifle purchase earlier this month was meant to show how easy it is to get such a powerful weapon. He said he intended to donate the weapon to the police department. But the store owner says Kelly can get it somewhere else. (Via KGUN)

In a post on Facebook, the owner of Diamondback Police Supply said he supports Kelly’s right to buy a gun, but: “...his recent statements to the media made it clear that his intent in purchasing the … rifle from us was for reasons other than for his personal use.”

Kelly never actually got the gun, since there’s a 20-day waiting period. The store says it refunded Kelly’s money last week.

Not only that, the store said they will be the ones to donate the rifle to the police, as well as give the gun’s sale price to a program to educate children on gun safety. (Via NRA)

Kelly hasn’t responded yet to the gun store’s statement.

Julia Pierson Named Director of the Secret Service

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:10:00 -0500

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(Image Source: United States Secret Service)

BY CHARESSE JAMES

President Obama has named Julia Pierson, a veteran Secret Service agent, as the agency’s first female director Tuesday.

“She's Julia Pierson, the first woman to hold the job. She has been with the agency for 30 years. She recently served as its chief of staff. The Secret Service is responsible for protecting the president.” (Via CBC)

“President Barack Obama will appoint Orlando native and University of Central Florida graduate Julia Pierson as the first female director of the Secret Service. She served three years as a police officer here in Orlando, Florida.” (Via Central Florida News 13)

A writer for USA Today points out, Pierson’s appointment is on the heels of a less than perfect year for the Secret Service, suggesting a possible cultural shift within the agency:

“Pierson’s appointment comes nearly a year after the agency ... was rocked by a prostitution scandal. Several agents, who traveled to Cartagena, Colombia, to do advance work for Obama’s visit last April, brought prostitutes back to their hotel rooms.”

Her historic appointment sparked a lot of excitement, which was the assumed cause of a major oops from The Washington Post, who broke the story Tuesday — saying she had been appointed director of the CIA by mistake.

Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan announced his retirement last month after a nearly 3 decade career, including 7 years as head of the agency. (Via CNN)

In a statement about her appointment, he said:

“I have known and worked with Julie for close to thirty years. She was an excellent Assistant Director and Chief of Staff, demonstrating sound judgment, leadership, character, and commitment to our Country, the men and women of the U.S. Secret Service and those we serve and protect. This is a historic and exciting time for the Secret Service and I know Julie will do an outstanding job.”

The Director of the Secret Service does not require Senate confirmation. She previously served as the service’s chief of staff.

Former Presidents Cost U.S. $3.7M in 2012

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:35:00 -0500

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(Image source: The White House)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

The costs of being commander-in-chief don’t stop when you leave office. Between security, travel and their pensions, former U.S. presidents cost the government $3.7 million in 2012.

That’s according to the Congressional Research Service. The pension totals up to $200,000 a year for each former president. There’s also the financial toll of maintaining an office with full staffing. So, of the four living former leaders, who’s the costliest? (Via C-SPAN)

That honor goes to George W. Bush, who left office in 2009 and cost taxpayers $1.3 million last year. The 43rd president made $86,000 worth of phone calls, spent $60,000 on travel and $395,000 to maintain his office. (Via ABC)

President Clinton, overall cost a bit less — about $980,000. But he did spend more on office costs: $442,000 in all. Of course, Clinton pulls in a good amount of money on his own. (Via CBS)

Politico reports from the time he left the White House up to 2011, he made $75 million from speaking engagements.

George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter cost the third and fourth most, respectively. Bush 41 racked up $842,000 in costs — Jimmy Carter, $518,000.

Though the former presidents themselves aren’t the only ones benefitting. NPR notes the Former Presidents Act also provides the widow of a former leader with a $20,000 a year allowance.

For Nancy Reagan, that includes $14,000 of postage — and nothing else.

But this $3.7 million price tag is actually less than what former presidents have cost the U.S. in several previous years. In 2003, it totalled up to $4.1 million. And, altogether, since 1998 — $52.3 million.

Supreme Court Hesitant to Rule on Gay Marriage Ban

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:01:00 -0500

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(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY ZACH TOOMBS AND CHRISTINA HARTMAN

In the first of two historic hearings over same-sex marriage laws this week, the Supreme Court hinted it might entirely avoid the sweeping ruling on gay rights many had hoped for.

Tuesday, the justices heard arguments over California’s Proposition 8 — which banned same-sex marriage in the state. The ban’s opponents are seeking a ruling that would overturn that ban and possibly open up the rest of the nation for gay marriage. (Via CNN)

But NBC’s Pete Williams — like many others — suggests that’s looking less and less likely.

“It’s quite obvious the U.S. Supreme Court is not prepared to issue any sweeping ruling about gay rights. No member of the court seemed to be very interested in that.”

Justice Anthony Kennedy looks to be the vote that will hold up any result at all on Proposition 8 — whether in favor or against. (Via Wikimedia Commons)

SCOTUS Blog writes…

“He was deeply concerned with the wisdom of acting now when in his view the social science of the effects of same-sex marriage is uncertain because it is so new ... his suggestion was that the case should be dismissed.”

If there is any official decision on Prop 8, it could come days or even weeks later. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments over the federal Defense of Marriage Act on Wednesday.

Virginia Governor Signs Voter ID Bill Into Law

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:39:00 -0500

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(Image source: Flickr / Vox Efx)

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

To call voter ID laws highly controversial in the last election cycle would be an understatement.

It sent protesters to rallies in states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Nevada. (Via YouTube / rbranch234)

And Tuesday, Virginia Republican Governor Bob McDonnell signed a bill into law that would require voters to present photo IDs at the polls. (Via Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore)

Now — what made the issue so controversial during the 2012 campaign was that it was largely Republican governors pushing the legislation. (Via South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s YouTube channels)

They said it was to protect against voter fraud, but Democrats called it a cynical attempt to keep minorities and left-leaning voters from casting a vote, and they pointed to statistics suggesting lower-income people and minorities were least likely to already have an acceptable form of photo ID.

VIA MSNBC’S ED SCHULTZ: “This all about stealing the election. This is all about making sure that President Obama’s base doesn’t get out to vote.”

Under the law Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell signed Tuesday, those without proper identification could get one for free.

It’s expected to cost the state $200,000 a year — which supporters say would also go toward an education campaign to make sure voters understand the changes. (Via WAVY)

Though the move is sure to be controversial — a Quinnipiac poll released in February found ¾ of Virginia voters back the idea of a photo ID law.

Now, before all that could go into effect, the Justice Department will have to approve it. If approved, Virginia would join Georgia, Indiana, Kansas and Tennessee as states with photo identification laws.

Other states like Texas, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have laws that are pending.

Obama Sets Deadline for Immigration Plan (Kind of)

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:45:00 -0500

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(Image source: Flickr / The White House)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

President Obama says immigration reform can’t come soon enough. Even as lawmakers say they’re making progress on legislation, Obama is setting a soft deadline for when he’d like a bill on his desk.

“We’ve just got at this point to work up the political courage to do what’s got to be done. So, I expect a bill to be put forward. I expect the debate to begin next month. I want to sign that bill into law as soon as possible.” (Via C-SPAN)

The comments came Monday at a naturalization ceremony for 28 new citizens — with the president insisting an immigration plan include a pathway to citizenship. (Via The Guardian)

A bipartisan group of senators have reported they’re close to putting legislation to a vote but were unable to work out details before breaking for Easter. (Via Al Jazeera, YouTube / chuckboombuck)

They have signaled consensus on a few key planks, including:

- increased border security

- required payment of back taxes and a clean criminal record

- pathway to full citizenship, rather than just residency

But other big aspects are still proving divisive — like whether citizenship should be an option for people who crossed into the U.S. illegally, or if it should just be available to their children.

And just how to bulk up border security is another sticking point. Republicans have pressured for more fencing and agents on the border — though, since 2007, the U.S. has already almost doubled the amount of Mexican border territory deemed secure. (Via France 24)

Still, Republicans have largely thrown off their traditional misgivings about citizenship for illegal immigrants — no doubt partly due to Obama’s lopsided win with Latino’s in last November’s election. (Via The New York Times)

"Well, I'll give you a little straight talk. Look at the last election. Look at the last election. We are losing, dramatically, the Hispanic vote, which we think should be ours, for a variety of reasons." (Via ABC)

An immigration plan is expected from the Senate two weeks after they return from Easter break April 8.

How Might Supreme Court Rule on Gay Marriage?

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:05:53 -0500

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(Image source: Wikimedia Commons / Matt H. Wade)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

The nation’s highest court will hear arguments on two prominent gay marriage laws this week. And it could lead to a landmark decision shaping the future of gay rights in America.

People began lining up outside the Supreme Court building last Friday morning in hopes of hearing oral arguments that begin Tuesday. (Via Fox News)

That’s when the court will hear both sides of a suit challenging California’s controversial Proposition 8 law that banned gay marriage after a statewide vote in 2008. Justices will then hear arguments on the federal Defense of Marriage Act on Wednesday. (Via CNN)

Both cases present a wide array of options for the Supreme Court — but conventional wisdom says the justices will neither legalize gay marriage nationwide, nor will they totally hold up laws against it. (Via Al Jazeera)

Instead, the court is expected to fall somewhere in the middle. And looking at it justice-by-justice, advocates of gay marriage have reason to be optimistic that gay marriage could at least be coming to California.

Their previous statements and rulings would suggest at least three court members each will err on the progressive and traditionalist sides of any ruling. It’s the other three who could shape a final decision. (Via Wikimedia Commons)

Justice Anthony Kennedy is often identified as the most moderate member of the court, but on the issue of gay rights, he’s been notably progressive. (Via Yahoo!)

He wrote the opinions in each of the court’s two most prominent rulings on gay rights — in 1996 and in 2003. He along with the four liberal judges, could build a majority. (Via Talking Points Memo)

But Ruth Bader Ginsburg makes the nose count a bit trickier. She’s left-leaning, yes, but she’s also said the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in Roe v. Wade moved far too fast — and should have applied only to Texas, where the case originated. (Via The New York Times)

That’s why former Bush adviser Karl Rove said this Sunday.

"What we may see is a decision here that in essence is not a 5-4 decision, but a 6-3, 7-2 that says 'leave it up to the states.’” (Via ABC)

Chief Justice John Roberts could be another wild card. Though viewed as a conservative he shocked the right when he cast the deciding vote to uphold the vast majority of President Obama’s health care reform. (Via CBS)

NBC reports Roberts also has a personal connection to the case. His gay cousin and her partner will be attending the hearings this week. And she’s confident Roberts will ensure gays receive “dignity, respect, and equality under the law.”

But, ultimately, just as we saw in last year’s health care ruling, anything can happen once oral arguments are made. The court has allotted one hour for those arguments from each side in Tuesday’s hearings.

Kerry Makes Unannounced Visit to Afghanistan

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:19:00 -0500

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(Image source: U.S. Department of State)

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

A surprise visit to Afghanistan by Secretary of State John Kerry.

It’s his first trip there as chief diplomat, though he’s been to Afghanistan five other times as a senator. (Via NBC)

He’ll be meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

And here’s why you should care:

- NATO’s combat mission ends next year

- And there are concerns Pres. Karzai could be jeopardizing progress

Concerns in part because — you might remember this from earlier this month:

(Via BBC) “He claimed bombs served America’s interests and were designed to keeping foreign troops in the country longer.”

A speech by the Afghan president was interpreted as suggesting the United States was somehow colluding with the Taliban to keep Afghanistan weak. (Via ABC)

So Kerry’s unannounced trip Monday has the potential to either smooth relations — or — make them worse.

State Department officials told travelling reporters the relationship “was not always going to be easy.”

Which is an understatement given recent events. Then again, the timing is pretty good, considering the U.S. just handed control of the Bagram Prison to the Afghan government. (Via The New York Times)

That had been a key point of contention between the U.S. and Karzai. Karzai leaves office in 2014, the same year U.S. combat forces are set to pull out.

NYC's Bloomberg Launches Gun Control Ad Blitz

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 09:22:13 -0500

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(Image source: YouTube / maigcoalition)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled a media offensive Saturday to counter the influence of the gun lobby.

The multi-billionaire plans to leverage his personal wealth against the fundraising power of the NRA and similar groups. The main component of Bloomberg’s push is a $12 million advertising blitz to promote new gun control measures in 13 states. (Via ABC)

The ads are meant to appeal to voters who might be on the fence about the issue.

“Background checks have nothing to do with taking guns away with anyone. Closing loopholes will stop criminals and the dangerously mentally ill from buying guns. That protects my rights and my family.”

The gun control effort in Congress reached a low point last week, as Senate Democrats tossed out a proposed assault weapons ban that looked unlikely to pass. Instead, expanded background checks are now the focus.

And on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday, Bloomberg says public pressure will help his cause.

“I don’t think there’s ever been an issue where the public has spoken so clearly, where Congress hasn’t eventually understood and done the right thing.”

The difference for Bloomberg might be the cash advantage. Forbes pegged his estimated wealth at a whopping $27 billion as of this month.

And the 71-year-old New York mayor has said he plans to spend every penny of that on political initiatives and philanthropy in his lifetime. Just in the past year, he’s spent more than $10 million to support moderate political candidates as part of his center-aisle political action committee.

And last fall, he sunk $500,000 into campaigns for gay marriage in three separate states. Though Bloomberg has come out of the gates stronger on gun control than he has on many previous hot button issues. (Via The New York Post).

Unsurprisingly, the NRA doesn’t have too many nice things to say about the mayor’s effort. A spokesman told CBS:

“What Michael Bloomberg is trying to do is ... intimidate senators into not listening to constituents and instead pledge their allegiance to him and his money."

The ads are set to air Monday in Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and 10 other states.

North Dakota Legislature Sends Personhood Bill to Governor

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 20:47:48 -0500

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(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY PAULA HUNT AND STEVEN SPARKMAN

On Friday, the North Dakota legislature approved a resolution declaring life begins at conception. It’s among five measures recently taken by state lawmakers awaiting the signature of Gov. Jack Dalrymple — a Republican who is an abortion opponent.

“Other bills waiting for the governor’s signature would ban abortion sought because of genetic defect, like Down's syndrome and also when a fetal heartbeat is detected.” (Via Fox News)

The so-called personhood bill would essentially outlaw abortion, but still has to go through both the governor and voters to become law.

Last week The New York Times reported the legislature already passed the nation’s most restrictive abortion law, which would ban abortions past six weeks, when a heartbeat can be detected.

MSNBC reports that bill sounds a lot like last year’s failed measure in Virginia, which:

“. . . bans abortions once a heartbeat is detectable using ‘standard medical procedure’ . . . at six weeks of pregnancy, the only way to detect a heartbeat is with a transvaginal ultrasound.”

North Dakota’s personhood bill is being praised by anti-abortion groups such as Live Action, which in an article described it as: “a historic stride in protecting all North Dakotan women and their babies from abortion.”

And of course the bill has also sparked outrage among pro-choice advocates. An editorial in The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead called it “a creation of self-serving ecclesiastical bullies...”

But not all of the bill’s detractors come from the pro-choice side. A group of Republican lawmakers in the state say the bill is too extreme, and that they plan to join pro-choice rallies against it on Monday. [Note: this story ran before the events on Friday]

A state representative told The Huffington Post: “We have stepped over the line … One of the key tenets of the Republican Party is personal responsibility. I'm personally pro-life, but I vote pro-choice, because you can't make that decision for anyone else. You just can't.”

Doctors and pharmacists critical of the bill also say a personhood amendment would complicate the legality of certain contraceptives and in-vitro fertilization procedures.

Supporters say that’s just a red herring, but LifeNews.com, an anti-abortion newsletter, reports the bill could still cause legal trouble for their cause.

“Some pro-life groups oppose the amendment because they say it will head to the Supreme Court, which will strike it down and add to the pro-Roe v. Wade case law upholding unlimited abortions.”

None of the measures have been sent to Gov. Dalrymple yet, but Bloomberg reports both sides expect him to sign.

Similar constitutional measures have failed after being put to voters in Mississippi and Colorado. A Gallup poll from January says the majority of Americans do not support overturning Roe vs Wade.

Senate Democrats Pass First Budget in 4 Years

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 08:27:40 -0500

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(Image source: C-SPAN)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

Senate Democrats passed a budget plan for the first time in four years early Saturday — but not without a major legislative struggle.

MURRAY: “The Senate has passed a budget.”

That announcement from the Democrats’ Budget Chairwoman Patty Murray came just before 5 a.m. eastern time — after more than 20 hours of debate over the budget plan. And the final tally couldn’t have been closer: 50-49. (Via C-SPAN)

The passed plan focuses on job creation — with $100 billion in stimulus spending upfront. And, despite modest spending cuts, it would tack $5.2 trillion more onto the national debt over the next decade.

That’s likely why four Democrats from right-leaning states joined every Senate Republican in voting against the plan. All four of those senators are up for re-election in 2014. (Via Wikimedia Commons / Senate.gov)

The passage came less than 24 hours after the Republican-controlled House approved Paul Ryan’s budget — which plots a vastly different roadmap for the U.S. budget, with massive spending cuts and major changes to Medicare. (Via CNN)

Considering the ground left to cover between the two plans, the Democrats passage of their own budget could be largely symbolic. But Jonathan Weisman of The New York Times writes, it’s at least a start:

“(It) does advance a more orderly process after nearly three years of crises and brinkmanship. If House and Senate negotiators can agree on a framework for overhauling the tax code and entitlement programs like Medicare, their committees could go to work on detailed legislation...”

The next budget impasse comes this summer, as the government will again face the prospect of raising its debt ceiling. House Speaker John Boehner has demanded any increase in the debt be offset with spending cuts.