Armed Forces Day, May 18

Benghazi—eye of the beholder

Bubba visits Karen in hospice

       

Karen Krahn of Cudahy, Wisconsin joined the Madison Police Department in 1995 after earning her bachelor's degree in Biology at UW-Whitewater, and in 2002 was promoted to Sgt. In Dec. 2011 she was diagnosed with sarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that attacked her lungs and bones, but fought back and returned to work in July. On May 9 she retired, and is now in hospice. I am sure this visit from Bubba was thoroughly enjoyed. (info from the Madison Police Blotter concerning an award she was given)

Bubba is an 18.1 hand high 2,000 lb Percheron/Clydesdale who works in the Madison Police Mounted Horse Patrol.  These horses have a small, but mighty volunteer group that posts about their activities on Facebook which is where I got the photo.

http://www.cityofmadison.com/police/blog/?Id=1018

Waiting for the fat lady to sing the last note of Benghazi

The Benghazi scandal still hasn't brought it all to daylight--like the reason Christopher Stevens and the CIA were there (to bring down Muammar Gaddafi) and what about the gun running for Syrian rebels, and how the U.S. has completely lost control to Libyan rebels worse than the dictator they replaced. Obama and Clinton are probably thrilled to have the IRS scandal take our eye off the fact they have miserably failed to protect the world from Muslim fundamentalist terrorists we're militarily supporting.

 http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/55191

Speaking of eyes, I see the Washington Post has a section called "Federal Eye; keeping tabs on the federal government." Someone poked their eyes out, because since 2009 they've hardly been able to find a thing amiss in the most corrupt administration in our brief history.  I don’t know the classification of the woman who cam up with the Bolo system to block conservatives at the IRS who is now doing Obamacare, but she got over $100,000 in bonuses for being such a loyal, outstanding government employee.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2013/05/17/watchdog-says-awards-for-gsa-executives-were-excessive-system-lacked-transparency/

For three years President Obama publicly suggested that conservative political groups were engaged in nefarious deeds; publicly called out by name political opponents whom he'd like to see harassed; and publicly had his party pressure the IRS to take action.[Kimberly Strassel, WSJ, May 17]. In my memory (don't remember FDR), I don't recall a President who so demeaned the office by ugly remarks about his opponents, not even Nixon, and then had the lapdog media follow behind licking up the garbage he left behind. The AP snooping and the IRS harassment are no surprise--but don't let them cover over the Benghazi cover up just because they are closer to home. It's seamless.

But Steve Miller wouldn’t call it targeting the IRS customers

“In May 2010, the Determinations Unit [of the IRS] began developing a spreadsheet that would become known as the “Be On the Look Out” listing (hereafter referred to as the BOLO listing), which included the emerging issue of Tea Party applications. In June 2010, the Determinations Unit began training its specialists on issues to be aware of, including Tea Party cases. By July 2010, Determinations Unit management stated that it had requested its specialists to be on the lookout for Tea Party applications.” (Treasury Inspector General report)

In 27 months, not a single Tea Party group got status.  During that time, many progressive/liberal/socialist type groups, including the “Barack H. Obama Foundation” were cleared with no problem.  Ironically, the hearings were held on the 40th anniversary of the Watergate hearings.  Another case of an over reaching president going after his enemies.

http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/14/irs-official-lerner-approved-exemption-for-obama-brothers-charity/

http://60plus.org/irs-target-60-plus-association-steve-miller-testimony-shameful/

 

All the scandals are linked to the First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

All the scandals—the HHS Mandate, Benghazi, IRS targeting conservatives, Department of Justice snooping on the press--swirling around the President right now involve the First Amendment. Even Benghazi--he tried to lie about it for weeks and blame it on one person's 1st amendment right to make a derogatory film--which wasn't even true, but he cast aspersions on that right, never the less. He has no respect for us or our founding documents.

It’s against the rules

When I saw this yesterday something looked very wrong—like toy soldiers holding umbrellas.  I’d never seen it before.  Apparently, it’s another mistake our President made with the military.  It’s just not done.  He has plenty of aides.  Couldn’t they have just step back a bit and been in shelter? Bush held his own umbrella.

Erdogan comes with a set of his own problems.

http://world.time.com/2013/05/16/turkeys-erdogan-visits-the-u-s-four-problems-that-wont-be-solved/

Roe v. Wade

IRS: 'Please Detail the Content of Your Members' Prayers.'

Yikes.  The Internal Revenue Service, the folks who will have charge of your medical care under Obama’s new invasive health care law, asked an Iowa group this who were applying for 501c3 status.  Pro-life groups were asked what they were doing to present the other side!  What? 

I watched the hearings today.  The acting IRS commissioner, Steven Miller, said that he believes the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups was “absolutely not illegal,” but he did acknowledge that it was inappropriate.  Inappropriate is the 5 syllable word for sin, wrong and bad.  It sounds like they are all talking to pre-schoolers who have just taken away a toy.  If there were ever a reason for conservative patriot groups to feel they are being targeted for vindictive treatment by the Obama administration, this Miller guy would be it. Arrogant, snotty, blind to what his agency has done, and oblivious to the laws that have been broken.  (He objected to the word “target.”)  And he’s resigning early, will get a golden parachute, and probably go to work for a Democrat think tank or law firm at a higher salary.

http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-miller-irs-testimony-scandal-conservatives-tea-party-2013-5

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/17/irs-scandal-steven-miller_n_3292408.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/irs-hearing-steven-miller-91552.html

http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/17/irs-official-on-targeting-tea-party-it-is-absolutely-not-illegal/

Friday family photo

Guess which one has a convertible?

Mother’s Day brunch, May 12, 2013

What is the thread connecting all the scandals?

Down memory lane

You can’t make these things up

ABC broke this story.

“The Internal Revenue Service official in charge of the tax-exempt organizations at the time when the unit targeted tea party groups now runs the IRS office responsible for the health care legislation.

Sarah Hall Ingram served as commissioner of the office responsible for tax-exempt organizations between 2009 and 2012 (the current scandal). But Ingram has since left that part of the IRS and is now the director of the IRS’ Affordable Care Act office, the IRS confirmed to ABC News today.

Her successor, Joseph Grant, is taking the fall for misdeeds at the scandal-plagued unit between 2010 and 2012. During at least part of that time, Grant served as deputy commissioner of the tax-exempt unit.”

Michele Bachmann asks

Who ordered the political witch hunt by the IRS against Tea Party groups, Pro-Israel, Conservative, and Christian organizations? Who ordered no military response in Benghazi? Who ordered journalist phone lines to be tapped? Who ordered the EPA to provide more waivers to green-leaning groups over conservative ones?

Comparing Nixon and Obama

No need to clone humans

There have been no medical break through using stem cells from human embryos, only from using adult stem cells. And those are considerable and expanding every day. So why are they cloning human embryos? Because they can and we've lost our moral compass.

Scientists at the Oregon Health and Science University accomplished in humans what has been done over the past 15 years in sheep, mice, cattle and several other species. The achievement is likely to, at least temporarily, reawaken worries about “reproductive cloning” — the production of one-parent duplicate humans.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/oregon-scientists-get-stem-cells-from-cloned-human-embryos/2013/05/15/dc011cbc-bdac-11e2-9b09-1638acc3942e_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/260584.php

Lloyd Marcus challenges Julian Bond

Julian Bond says it was unfair for IRS to target civil rights groups, but OK for IRS to harass tea party and patriot groups because they are "admittedly racist." Can he cite a source? Are the blacks who are members of the Tea Party groups then racists also? Lloyd Marcus, a black Tea Party member, challenges Bond for details.

http://www.lloydmarcus.com/?p=3516

“As a black tea party activist who has participated in over 400 tea party rallies, I am confident that your claim is bogus. Therefore Mr Bond, you sir are a despicable liar, severely compromising your image as a statesman. You and your ilk purposely inspire hate in low-info black voters against tea party patriots who simply said no to Obama’s socialist agenda and trashing of the Constitution. Shame on you Mr Bond.”

In 2005 when the IRS under Bush was investigating political activity of the NAACP and its tax status,  Julian Bond said “I thought the right to condemn a president of the United States came to every American, whether he or she heads a tax-exempt organization or not” now says “I don’t think there’s a double standard at all” when asked if he can understand what Tea Party leaders are going through.

Wisconsin schools save millions

Wisconsin schools are saving millions on health insurance after their governor stood up to the unions. Act 10 took health insurance off the collective bargaining table and allowed school boards to select insurance companies. Formerly they had to deal with an insurance company owned by the union.

http://eagnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/First-Years-of-Freedom-report.pdf

http://walker.wi.gov/Documents/Act_10_Success_Recap.pdf

http://watchdog.org/78127/wis-act-10-leads-to-lower-school-premiums-new-report-finds/

What exactly is a 501c4?

The Planned Parenthood Action Fund is a 501c4--and it plans to crash a GOP event this weekend in Virginia to fight its gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli II.  It is a branch of Planned Parenthood Federation of America which kills babies and is a 501c3--it's called a charity. Both are affilicated with the Democratic party, and neither are hasseled by the IRS.

“Just as 501(c)(3) organizations are often referred to as “charities,” those exempt under 501(c)(4) are called “social welfare organizations,” sometimes described as a step down from charity, or “charity-lite.” What’s the difference? Unlike charities, (c)(4)’s cannot offer their donors charitable contributions deductions on their income taxes, a serious disadvantage in fundraising; the trade-off is that (c)(4)’s can engage in unlimited lobbying in furtherance of social welfare (charities can do some), and in some candidate electoral activity (how much is debated; charities cannot do any). In addition to being more empowered politically, (c)(4)’s are permitted to confer somewhat more benefit on their members, their neighborhood or some other group that cannot qualify as a charitable class.” (Rosemary Fei)

Five viewpoints

How nasty was the IRS to conservative groups?

IRS asked pro-life group to pledge not to protest Planned Parenthood in exchange for tax exemption.

Planned Barrenhood, of course, is a big Obama supporter, and it gets a lot of federal money. He's the only president to appear at their gala, and 35% of abortions are for black women (57% in New York City). PP puts its clinics in minority neighborhoods.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/16/claim-the-irs-targeted-pro-life-groups-too/#ixzz2TTMNl2NT