WASHINGTON DC –   With a new poll showing falling support for the Gang of Eight comprehensive immigration reform bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has announced an accelerated schedule in which the Senate would take a final, up-or-down vote on passing the bill by the end of next week. […]

Reid warned his fellow lawmakers that if they want to consider amendments to the Gang of Eight bill, they need to be prepared to work virtually nonstop between now and then. “This may not be one of our normal weekends,” Reid said. “We’ve got to move forward on this legislation.” (more…)

Questions about:  Iranian election outcome, weapons in Syria – change in policy, NSA Leaks, State Department Scandals, IRS Targeting of Conservatives

The Supreme Court threw out the Arizona law that requires people to prove they are US citizens before registering to vote.

The AP reported: The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states cannot require would-be voters to prove they are U.S. citizens before using a federal registration system designed to make signing up easier.

The justices voted 7-2 to throw out Arizona’s voter-approved requirement that prospective voters document their U.S. citizenship in order to use a registration form produced under the federal “Motor Voter” voter registration law. (more…)

Last Friday CBS News confirmed that Sharyl Attkisson’s computer was hacked by “an unauthorized, external, unknown party on multiple occasions.”  Today she reveals they have identified who did it:

“I think I know. But I’m just not prepared to go into that. We’re continuing our investigations. There are multifaceted looks at what to do next… Let me just say, whoever did it, to come into a private citizen’s home, whether I’m a journalist or not, and look in my family’s computer and look into my work computer… Well, it’s outrageous.”

WASHINGTON DC – The National Security Agency has acknowledged in a new classified briefing that it does not need court authorization to listen to domestic phone calls.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, disclosed this week that during a secret briefing to members of Congress, he was told that the contents of a phone call could be accessed “simply based on an analyst deciding that.”

If the NSA wants “to listen to the phone,” an analyst’s decision is sufficient, without any other legal authorization required, Nadler said he learned. “I was rather startled,” said Nadler, an attorney and congressman who serves on the House Judiciary committee. (more…)

In response to the NSA leaks, and the bazillions of questions from concerned Americans about their privacy being snooped on by the government, the administration coordinated a Senate Classified Briefing to explain the details of the program.   The intent was to inform the elected Senators so they could answer questions from their state citizenry.

Less than half of them attended.

WASHINGTON DC – Less than half (47) of US Senators attended a classified briefing on Thursday afternoon, instead choosing to head home for the weekend.  The briefing was with “with James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, Keith Alexander, the head of the National Security Agency (NSA), and other officials.”

Wow. (more…)

(Via Gateway Pundit) NSA leaker Edward Snowden released documents to The South China Morning Post this week that detailed classified NSA data on targeted Chinese IP addresses. Bretibart reported:

NSA leaker Edward Snowden showed a Hong Kong newspaper classified documents that revealed the specific IP addresses in Hong Kong and China the National Security Agency may have hacked.

Snowden gave the information to the South China Morning Post, which reported on Saturday that though the “detailed records” cannot be independently verified, they “show specific dates and the IP addresses of computers in Hong Kong and on the mainland hacked by the National Security Agency over a four-year period” and “also include information indicating whether an attack on a computer was ongoing or had been completed.” (more…)

Sometimes you’ve got to call the baby ugly.  

If things were not rapidly approaching a critical mass – this would not be needed.   Alas they are, and it is, and emotional obfuscations and insufferable detachments from reality need to be confronted:

Nettles:    In reading Robert Zimmerman’s book yesterday, I opined the characterization of Mr. O’Mara as a control freak was going to set off Diwataman and Sundance. Not sure if that is why the post today but it’s highly likely.

*yes, Correct.  THAT, and desperate plea(s) for immediate help – were the reasons for sharing the reality that is the O’Mara nightmare…./SD

Sundance is close-minded on the subject. He shut down my voice on it and many others. So with each posting those who disagree will shut-up or get banned. He’s entitled to his opinion as each of us are as well.  (link)

Pinecone (minpin) You guessed correctly Nettles. Yes, sundance has taken the O’mara said he was a control freak statement all the way in his latest trash piece. (more…)

… such is the bizarre reality of George  Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O’Mara.

Before getting into the substance of this consideration – multiple disclaimers are needed.

It is a sad reality the previous sentence even needs to be advanced, but it has become a necessary consideration.   Because discussion of Mark O’Mara is so toxic and divisive, if we don’t quantify the substance of presentation with disclaimers we’ll spend a ridiculous amount of time having to moderate, explain and explain again.

We have approached both opinion and research on Mark O’Mara using the exact same methodology applied to all other parties in this case.  People like Benjamin Crump, Natalie Jackson, Daryl Parks, Ryan Julison, Francis Oliver, et al, and even the media people like Daralene Jones, Matt Gutman, Frances Robles, Joy-Ann Reid etc.   The exact same critical research approach has been applied.

Some people cannot accept using a critical lens to look at the O’Mara aspect.  Many of those people are no longer here because of their inherent constitution not to be open-minded in the same regard.

What sets the Treehouse apart from most all others, is analysis based on research to apply the most logical explanations, Occam’s Razor, to some of the most difficult to understand aspects of any issue.   The State of Florida V Zimmerman is one of the most challenging to understand from a perspective of intent and motivation. (more…)

Image Via All The Right Snark