Gretawire

What do you think about the death tax? keep? get rid of it? something in between?

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:43:07 +0000

***Media Alert***

Bicameral, Bipartisan Press Conference on Death Tax Repeal Bill – TOMORROW

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) and Representative Kevin Brady (R-Texas) will hold a press conference tomorrow, Wednesday, June 19, on the introduction of their Death Tax Repeal Act of 2013. Thune and Brady will be joined by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and Representatives Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) and Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) in the Senate Visitors Center Room 201 at 3:00 p.m. ET.

WHO: Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.)

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)

Representative Kevin Brady (R-Texas)

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)

Representative Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.)

Representative Kristi Noem (R-S.D.)

Karen Madonia, Chief Financial Officer ILLCO, Inc.

Jim Martin, 60 Plus

Steve Foglesong, Owner of Black Gold Ranch

Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform

WHAT: Death Tax Repeal Press Conference

WHEN: Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 19, at 3:00 p.m. ET

WHERE: Senate Visitors Center, Room 201

GET READY TO SEE THE IRS INVESTIGATIVE TRANSCRIPT! (And Chairman Issa is not happy about it!)

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:36:13 +0000

Issa Statement on Cummings’ Decision to Post IRS Investigative Interview Transcript on the Internet

WASHINGTON – House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) issued the following statement on Ranking Member Elijah Cummings’ announced intention to post the full investigative interview of IRS employee John Shafer on the Internet in the middle of an ongoing investigation into the facts and origins of IRS efforts to target Tea Party groups:

“I am deeply disappointed that Ranking Member Cummings has decided to broadly disseminate and post online a 205 page transcript that will serve as a roadmap for IRS officials to navigate investigative interviews with Congress. After unsuccessfully trying to convince the American people that IRS officials in Washington did not play a role in inappropriate scrutiny of Tea Party groups and declaring on national television that the case of IRS targeting was ‘solved’ and Congress should ‘move on,’ this looks like flailing. Americans who think Congress should investigate IRS misconduct should be outraged by Mr. Cummings’ efforts to obstruct needed oversight.

“In the course of this fact based inquiry, Ranking Member Cummings has wrongly argued that questions about IRS conduct are somehow not legitimate. His own previous release of excerpts from this very same transcript undermines his claims that the Committee is somehow trying to keep some specific revelation from public view.”

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The NSA and Government says “trust us” – we already did and it didn’t work!

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:47:00 +0000

Well….ok…we would accept NSA and the government’s new ‘trust us’ but we already did trust the them…and well….it didn’t work! We trusted NSA/Govt to hire loyal people, and have checks and balances so that the people could not go rogue and spread secret stuff (including info about us law abiding citizens)….and the NSA/Govt failed us. So why should we not think it will happen again, and this time with our personal data?

What do YOU think? Am I wrong?

Senator Claire McCaskill does the switcheroo – from Pres Obama to Hillary Clinton

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:25:08 +0000

I am curious what Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is thinking about Senator Claire McCaskill. McCaskill’s endorsement of Obama in 2008 was very painful to the Hillary Clinton campaign and very helpful to Obama winning the nomination over CLinton. I wonder how deep the wounds….but this IS politics and politics can be weird…

“In 2008, I was an early supporter of then-Senator Obama’s campaign,” Ms. McCaskill said in a statement on the Ready for Hillary Web site. “I worked my heart out to elect him president. Now as I look at 2016 and think about who is best to lead this country forward, I’m proud to announce that I am Ready for Hillary.” [from NYT, CLICK HERE]

Taliban opens office for peace talks with USA — will it work? (watch and post your comment)

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:16:03 +0000

Headed to the hotel …

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:12:31 +0000

Subject: Pool #8 (drive/lid)

Quick drive in with the traffic-free streets lines downtown with people snapping photos and waving at the motorcade, including a thick knot of people (maybe 250) at the Brandenburg Gate, where POTUS will speak tomorrow.

It 9:03 pm and we have a travel photo lid…

Scott Wilson

White House Bureau Chief

The Washington Post

President and First Family land in Berlin — red carpet rolled out!

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:10:13 +0000

Subject: Pool #7 (Tarmac welcome)

They rolled out the red carpet for POTUS, and two rows of soldiers lined the way as he and the First Family exited AF1 into a breezy, beautiful evening in Berlin.

A waving POTUS, holding Sasha’s hand, came down the stairs first, followed by FLOTUS and Malia.

From expert wrangler Marie Aberger:

Greeted at base of stairs by:
Ambassador Jurgen Mertens, German Chief of ProtocolGreeted at end of honor guard by:
Dr. Guido Westerwelle, Foreign Minister
Ambassador Dr. Peter Ammon, German Ambassador to the US
Oberstleutnant Wolfgang Hagedorn, German Ministry of Defense
Philippe Maupai, German Protocol
Myriam Kuhn, German Protocol
Ambassador Philip Murphy, US Ambassador to Germany

We’re rolling now to POTUS hotel…

Scott Wilson

White House Bureau Chief

The Washington Post

AF1 wheels down — Tegel Airport

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:07:52 +0000

Subject: Pool #6 (Berlin arrival/Gaggle)

AF1 wheels down at Tegel Airport, Berlin, at 8:20pm…

Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, gaggled early on the flight, so you should have the transcript very soon. Here are the highlights:

Syria:

“We’re very pleased with the language that was agreed to on Syria, which represented a good convergence of views at the G8.”

-he said much of Monday night’s dinner was spent on Syria, and negotiators worked in it until 2:30 a.m. this morning. It was finalized at Tuesday morning’s plenary sessions.

-he highlighted the consensus support for a Geneva process, and pledges of humanitarian aid he said would reach $1.5 billion (including new $300 million from the U.S. announced last night.) He said the endorsement of a U.N. investigation to affirm chemical evidence use was also welcome

“Again there are huge challenges in Syria and this in no way this minimizes the difficulties ahead but in the many ways the G8 could have gone this…it’s very helpful to have this signal being sent by the eight countries.”

“The next step in this process is going to be determining how you establish and meeting and who participates on both sides…What we want to bring out of this, frankly, is that we want the Russians to work with the regime to make sure they come to the table in a serious fashion.”

-He said U.S., Russian, and UN officials would meet June 25 in Geneva to begin discussing who from the two sides of Syria’s civil war would be represented at a future peace conference.

“This process will have to lead to a new governing authority in Syria…this is not simply a negotiation about having a dialogue. This is a negotiation about a transition to a new government.”

On the Brandenburg gate speech on Wednesday:

-Rhodes characterized it as a call to action, delivered from a place of historic importance to U.S. presidents, for the West to engage the major issues of the day. He said it is easy to think that “history is behind us, essentially,” meaning the end of the Soviet bloc and the fading threat of nuclear war. “The overarching point he is going to make is that the same level of citizen and national activism” that was in the Kennedy speech must be applied to today’s challenges: Nuclear arms control and non-proliferation, counter-terrorism and the resolution of conflicts, climate change, and the need “to promote democratic values beyond the United States and the Western world.

“Any time a US president speaks in Berlin it’s a powerful backdrop to our post-war history…This is a place US presidents have gone to talk about the role of the free world, essentially, whether its President Reagan or President Kennedy.”

-Obama will also talk about his five years in office and the foreign policy changes that have been made – and a “new, broader agenda of issues” (again naming non-proliferation and climate change)

-Noted that this will be “a different kind of speech” than Obama delivered as a candidate in 2008. He said the German government had invited Obama to deliver this speech and suggested the location.

-Audience will be a mix of German officials, university students, other citizens

-Notes also that Obama “will be facing east”

-Speech will be “directed to the United States, to Germany, and to the West, frankly…” He said it would be a call to shake of complacency and rejecting an inward turn after more than a decade of war and at a time of economic difficulties

“It’s a call on citizens and government to do what is necessary so that we succeed in the next 50 years as we have in the last 50…”

On Afghanistan – a date for the Afghan government-Taliban talks to begin:

-No date yet

“The United States will be supporting a process that is fundamentally Afghan-led…We can play a role in talking to the Taliban as well in supporting that peace process and because we have issues of our own to bring up with them.”

-says could be a “matter of days” when U.S. talks to Taliban regarding the release of a U.S. soldier

Scott Wilson

White House Bureau Chief

The Washington Post

Chrysler says it will comply with government request and recall 2.7 million Jeep Grand Cherokees – click to read which models!

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:04:16 +0000

Chrysler says it will comply with government request and recall 2.7 million Jeep Grand Cherokees from model years 1993 through 2004 and Jeep Liberty SUVs from 2002 through 2007 over risk of fires.

BLOG

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:33:51 +0000

Edward Snowden — will he return to the United States?

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:32:07 +0000

Question: do you know anyone in USA who is NOT a citizen? answer this poll

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:24:07 +0000

ICE CHIEF JOHN MORTON getting the squeeze! That usually means in Washington, DC that you are doing something right!

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:18:06 +0000

News yesterday that John Morton, the head of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is retiring at the end of July.

Republicans have been unhappy with him…but, in reading an article about his resignation, I read that the other side of the political spectrum – immigration rights advocates – are likewise not happy with him, even calling him ‘the bogeyman:’

“John Morton is the bogeyman in the immigrant community,” said Kica Matos, director of immigration rights with the Center for Community Change. ”Immigrant rights advocates are expressing a collective sigh of relief over his resignation.” [Washington Post / Josh Hicks]

And the Republicans? Here is what the Washington Post quotes Congressman Michael McCaul as saying: “Director Morton’s departure marks an opportunity for the president to commit to the full enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws…”

I always think if both sides of the political debate are unhappy with you, chances are that you are doing your job. Yes, I know…you can’t keep everyone happy all the time and that pleasing everyone is not the job.

By the way, I have had several conversations over the years with Morton and always, whether I agreed with him or not, found him a straight shooter.

Benghazi Latest – click to read

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:53:10 +0000

From FNC’s Chad Pergram:

—-

Urgent: Fox First: Adm. Mullen to give closed-door interview to House Oversight Cmte Wednesday morning on Benghazi

Per Pergram-Capitol Hill

Fox has learned that Admiral Mike Mullen, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and co-chair of the Accountability Review Board (ARB) which studied Benghazi, will grant a closed door interview before the House Oversight Committee Wednesday morning.

Don’t have the exact time. It should be in 2157 Rayburn.

The panel heard from Mullen’s co-chair on the ARB, Ambassador Thomas Pickering a few weeks ago.

Both are expected to appear in an open committee hearing on Benghazi sometime later this summer.

Chad Pergram

FOX News

Senior Producer for Capitol Hill

BLOG

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:47:41 +0000

New York Post wins today’s best caption on pic contest ( and lighten up if you don’t think a bit funny – I bet the 2 Presidents could laugh at this)

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:37:09 +0000

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BLOG – your turn to pick a topic to discuss

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:21:39 +0000

How to tell if a journalist is a patsy (used!)

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:19:53 +0000

Every time a journalist reports what an anonymous source says and it turns out to be WRONG (and that determination can be months later), it is plain the journalist was a patsy…just used by that anonymous source. It reflects poorly on that journalist – shows just selling gossip (and worse, under the good name of some news organization.) It can be about matters of national security or corporate intrigue or business or politics…anything.

You know how much I hate the overuse of anonymous sources. The overuse hurts journalism and reflects poorly on many who overuse. There is good legitimate use of anonymous sources but we are so beyond people holding the line to the legitimate use.

The beauty of google and other search engines is that you can go back and check what a reporter reported from an anonymous source and whether it turned out to be true. Sooner or later some industrious journalism student is going to do that.

“THE OTHER GUY DID IT SO THAT MAKES IT OK” — when will this stop?

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:59:44 +0000

Have you noticed how politicians (both parties) don’t have the nobility or simple decency to just stop doing something that is just wrong? Just because President Bush took expensive trips that were not necessary to Presidential business, and he did, and other Presidents did it before him, does not mean President Obama needs take a $60-$100 million family trip to Africa now. Imagine if that huge amount of money were spent traveling the USA — Yellowstone, Disney World, Wisconsin Dells, etc. — what it could do to celebrate our nation and even to ‘stimulate’ the economy at those vacation spots.

Of course other Presidents traveled worldwide…and President Obama has the privilege and right to travel to Africa and if he does, I want him to have the BEST protection…but our nation is cash strapped and it would be inspirational if for once a politician — here President Obama — thought more about the nation and the message sent by his expenditures than himself.

PROTEST DISRUPTS — WHO ARE THEY? click to read

Greta Van Susteren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:47:27 +0000

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