Not to worry, it’s only a drill…
Nevermind, it is only a training exercise….

Um, what exactly are they drilling, or training, FOR?

Seriously, everyone is reporting on “what” they are doing.

Fine. I get that.

Is anyone asking “why” they are doing it?

That, according to the constitutional law professor, turned community activist, turned President….

WASHINGTON DC – President Obama reiterated his determination Monday to see Congress act to reduce gun violence.

“The only way that we’re going to be able to do everything that needs to be done is with cooperation of Congress,” he said at the start of a meeting with Vice President Joe Biden and law enforcement officials from the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the Major County Sheriffs Association.

“That means passing serious laws that restrict the access and availability of assault weapons and magazine clips that aren’t necessary for hunters and sportsmen, those responsible gun owners who are out there. It means that we are serious about universal background checks, it means that we take seriously issues of mental health and school safety,” he said.

Gun Laws and the Fools of Chelm – By David Mamet

Karl Marx summed up Communism as “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” This is a good, pithy saying, which, in practice, has succeeded in bringing, upon those under its sway, misery, poverty, rape, torture, slavery, and death.

For the saying implies but does not name the effective agency of its supposed utopia. The agency is called “The State,” and the motto, fleshed out, for the benefit of the easily confused must read “The State will take from each according to his ability: the State will give to each according to his needs.” “Needs and abilities” are, of course, subjective. So the operative statement may be reduced to “the State shall take, the State shall give.”

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The Algerian Hostage Slaughter was a direct response to the French counter-offensive in Mali against the Islamist Jihadists.   The Islamic terrorists responsible for the Algerian attack came from, and used weapons from, Libya.  Even Hillary Clinton recently admitted as such.

Simultaneous to, and as a direct consequence of, this French/U.S. Mali escalation, all foreign nationals were recently recommended to evacuate the areas of Eastern Libya (Benghazi).

The United States is now providing military assistance, logistics, support, transport and refueling for French troops in their fight for Mali.

Turkish President Erdogan took over the primary gatekeeper spot from Mouamar Kaddafi after his death.    Going back on the timeline on U.S. Benghazi support and weapons shipments for the “Rebels”, you might remember Turkey being opposed; Not opposed because Erdogan approved of Kaddafi, quite the contrary;  Opposed because they wanted to increase the certainty of an Islamist, not moderate, victory.   This is the same reason Turkey wanted to control the recipients of “any” weapons headed to Syria.

Also, think back to September 11th 2012, and the last official diplomatic envoy who met with Ambassador Stevens before the consulate attack began, Turkish Ambassador Ali Kemal Aydin;    When the envoy was leaving, somehow they navigated the al-Qaeda roadblocks that were formed moments earlier and surrounded the neighborhood.

Now today…… (more…)

We have watched the horizon for this over two years now.  HERE and HERE –  The best view is through the comparative prism between Illinois and neighboring Wisconsin and Indiana (more following article).   In July of 2011 Illinois Governor Quinn signed the largest tax increase in history, raising state income taxes by 60%.   Now the state bond rating is the worst in the nation….

ILLINOIS – Illinois’ credit rating has taken another hit.   Standard & Poor’s Ratings Service downgraded the state from an “A” rating to “A-minus”, making it the worst in the country.

The New York ratings firm’s ranking means taxpayers may have to pay tens of millions of dollars more in interest when the state borrows money for roads and other projects.

The downgrade is the latest fallout over the $96.8 billion debt to five state pension systems.   The downgrade now ties Illinois with California, but California has a positive outlook.

Illinois’ fragile overall financial status netted it a negative outlook, putting it behind California overall.   The ratings came out now because Illinois plans to issue $500 million in bonds within days.   (article link)

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The only good thing from these debates is the doubling down by the insufferable water-carrier Moron on the issue which further slides him toward the land of perpetual irrelevance.

The ridiculous points again are evidenced: “the first step“, which we all know is EXACTLY their point. This is only the first step, at least he admits it. Secondly, this entire Pierced Moron mantra of “I don’t want to stop the second amendment” is insufferably moot. Pierce is a TV personality, the real people who do matter on this issue do indeed proport to remove all guns: Mayor Bloomberg, Senator Feinstein, Mayor Corey Booker, Governor Cuomo, Senators Schumer and Blumenthal et al, along with Attorney General Eric Holder have all advocated for the forced removal of “ALL” guns from law abiding citizens.

Last week it was Jackson Tennessee and Tens of Thousands…..

This week it is Austin, and Alvin Texas:

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There is no more dangerous time in the professional life of a politician as that time between when he/she announces they will not seek re-election, and the time they actually leave.    They have nothing to lose by compromising the principle requests of the constituency.

WASHINGTON DC – Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin announced on Saturday that he will not seek a sixth term in the chamber. The news was first reported by the Associated Press.

“After 40 years, I just feel it’s somebody else’s turn,” Harkin said in a lengthy statement. “I don’t by any means plan to retire completely from public life at the end of this Congress. But I am going to make way for someone new in this Senate seat. I think that is right not just for me, but for Iowa, as well.” (more…)

It is well noted the industrial legacy media is not covering this story.  Imagine if one of George Bush’s Cabinet Members had created fictitious e-mail accounts to skirt transparency laws and hide their communication.    EPA Head Lisa Jackson, aka Richard Windsor, ain’t just quitting because she wants to pursue another career choice;  She’s quitting because her secret communication was found out and may indeed damage the Obama administration……   

WASHINGTON DC – Republican lawmakers on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee warned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Thursday they may take “formal action” to pry information from the department regarding outgoing EPA administrator Lisa Jackson’s use of secret email addresses.

Committee Republicans in a letter said the agency failed to properly respond to requests for records about the use of non-public email accounts by EPA officials, including Jackson.

The GOP-led committee implied a subpoena could be issued if the EPA does not meet its requests, warning “failure to respond may result in formal action requiring EPA’s compliance.” (more…)

UPDATE:   NLRB responds by telling the court they will ignore their decision.

Mark Gaston Pearce, chairman of the National Labor Relations Board, issued the following statement in reaction to today’s DC Appeals Court decision that President Obama use of recess appointments to install three people on the NLRB last year was unconstitutional. The action renders the board without a quorum to act and potentially invalidates a year’s worth of actions and rulings by it. […]

Pearce, in short, is indicating that the NLRB’s strategy is to act as if the court’s ruling that the appointments were unconstitutional somehow only applies only to the particular case that went before the Appeals Court and hope that the White House can get the Supreme Court to quickly review the case.  (link)

Finally, a court steps in to bring Dictator Obama back a notch or two.   President Obama is by far the most overreaching chief executive we have ever encountered.

AP NEWS ALERT: Federal appeals court in DC has ruled that Obama recess appointments to NLRB were unconstitutional

— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) January 25, 2013

WASHINGTON DC – In an embarrassing setback for President Barack Obama, a federal appeals court ruled Friday that he violated the Constitution in making recess appointments last year, a decision that would severely curtail the president’s ability to bypass the Senate to fill administration vacancies.

The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said Obama did not have the power to make three recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board because the Senate was officially in session – and not in recess – at the time. If the decision stands, it could invalidate hundreds of board decisions made over the past year. (more…)