(Via Politico) President Obama’s comments condemning military sexual assault and suggesting that those convicted be punished with, among other things, a dishonorable discharge may be backfiring on his efforts to root out the growing problem.

In pretrial hearings in two cases, a Navy judge in Hawaii ruled this week that Obama had exerted “unlawful command influence” as commander-in-chief in outlining the specific “consequences” he saw fit for members of the military convicted of sexual assault.

As a result of Navy Judge Cmdr. Marcus Fulton’s rulings, the defendants in United States v. Johnson and United States v. Fuentes can’t be punitively discharged, even if they’re convicted of sexual assault. Stars and Stripes first reported on the rulings. (more…)

What’s wrong with this MSNBC screen shot?

I’ve begun using the term usurpation to describe this administration, and the co-dependents/ willfully blind who support it.  

The NSA intelligence data mining is clearly unconstitutional under the 4th amendment.  The IRS targeting based on political ideology is also illegal and unconstitutional.   The Dept of Justice manipulating warrants (lying to judges) to gather phone records on AP reporters and Fox’s James Rosen is a clear usurpation of the 1st amendment.

Now the latest usurpation can be seen in the Obama administration using an Executive Order to create de-facto amnesty (XO-Dream Act);  And then to make matters worse – they stop the criminal background checks and ID requirements under such a program.  So anyone can enter the U.S. claim to be whoever they want, and no criminal background check will be done.

And the Congresscritters are worried about Terrorists benefitting from the NSA leaker?  How about they apply the same consideration (ie worry) about open borders without checks for those who cross them and then apply for Dream Act protections? (more…)

“Dubya would never have done this to us“…  Support/Approval for George W Bush now exceeds President Obama.

WASHINGTON DC – The FBI has dramatically increased its use of a controversial provision of the Patriot Act to secretly obtain a vast store of business records of U.S. citizens under President Barack Obama, according to recent Justice Department reports to Congress. The bureau filed 212 requests for such data to a national security court last year – a 1,000-percent increase from the number of such requests four years earlier, the reports show.

The FBI’s increased use of the Patriot Act’s “business records” provision — and the wide ranging scope of its requests — is getting new scrutiny in light of last week’s disclosure that that the provision was used to obtain a top-secret national security order requiring telecommunications companies to turn over records of millions of telephone calls.  (continue reading)

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Last week in response to the exploding controversy about the NSA leaks, and the revelations the NSA is tracking, monitoring, collecting and housing the personal communication of American citizens, President Obama said on Friday that “every member of congress is aware of the NSA intelligence gathering, and has been briefed”.

On its face that was an absurd statement. Patently false in construct. Which led to dozens of members of congress, both Democrats and Republicans, disputing such a claim by the administration. It was simply a blatantly false claim.

Today, when questioned about that specific false claim by President Obama, Jay Carney said this:

The long run. The lifelong commitment.  The big picture. The foundational truths. These are the elements that feed the reactors that are burning deep within the hearts and minds of those who make a difference, whether or not they are flamboyant as they do it.  Such  people are deliberately self-aware but not self-conscious, because their focus is on what desperately needs to be done in response to what others are doing.

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy is the title by Eric Metaxas that documents the short life and astounding work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer who lived all four of those identities to the full.

It is a mistake to think of Hitler having a meteorically sudden rise to power, and it is a great misreading of events to think that those who actively resisted him did so out of the anxiety of a moment, implementing plans only drawn up under the pressure of we must do something right now.  Bonhoeffer and and others who actively resisted both inside and outside of government and military service, were far more thoughtful than such a perception would suggest.

What follows is a two page excerpt from Metaxas’ 2010 biography and may provide some food for thought as we find our places in our own national mess, perhaps feeling as he did, that we have so little ground under our feet because of the entrenched betrayals and deceptions that are dissolving the world as we knew it. (more…)

The first 15 seconds is classic “Resist We Much”.

……. [Excerpt From CFP]  The present administration is going after leakers, media sources, anyone and everyone who is even suspected of ‘betrayal.’ That’s what they call it, ‘betrayal.’…This administration considers anyone telling the truth about Benghazi, the IRS, hell, you name the issue, ‘betrayal,’” he said.

“We know all this already,” I stated. He looked at me, giving me a look like I’ve never seen, and actually pushed his finger into my chest. “You don’t know jack,” he said, “this is bigger than you can imagine, bigger than anyone can imagine.  …. If you are a website owner with a brisk readership and a conservative bent, you’re on that list. It’s a political dissident list, not an enemy threat list,”…  (continue reading)

…he sees you when your sleeping, he knows when you’re awake;  He knows if you’ve been bad or good so be good for goodness sake.   You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why….

WASHINGTON DC – The National Security Agency and the FBI are tapping directly into the central servers of nine leading U.S. Internet companies, extracting audio, video, photographs, e-mails, documents and connection logs that enable analysts to track a person’s movements and contacts over time.

The highly classified program, code-named PRISM, has not been disclosed publicly before. Its establishment in 2007 and six years of exponential growth took place beneath the surface of a roiling debate over the boundaries of surveillance and privacy. Even late last year, when critics of the foreign intelligence statute argued for changes, the only members of Congress who know about PRISM were bound by oaths of office to hold their tongues.

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SOUTH CAROLINA A South Carolina valedictorian garnered wild applause after he ripped up his pre-approved speech and delivered the Lord’s prayer at his high school graduation on Saturday.

The act was apparently in protest of the Pickens County School District’s decision to no longer include prayer at graduation ceremonies, Christian News reported. Officials said the decision was made after the district was barraged with complaints by atheist groups.

But that didn’t stop Roy Costner IV of Liberty High School. He ripped up his graduation speech for all to see, before he started talking about his Christian upbringing, Christian News reported. (more…)