Yesterday President Stompy Feet posed for his latest national portrait.   Today the park service admits they were told to inflict the maximum public pain during the government shutdown.  Also today, the Border Patrol reveals they have been told to “Stand Down” and ignore border crossings.
All of this why?
Because the actual truth is people are awakening to the reality that most of the federal government is *non essential*; and, quite frankly, we can just do without them.  THAT is the real risk to sellers of BIG government.   It’s the same visible reality that stemmed from the ‘sequester cuts’ which, despite all the protestations to the contrary, really don’t have impact.   That’s the real issue. (more…)

Effective one second past midnight this morning anything that happens will be because the U.S. Federal Government shut down.

If you don’t believe me, just watch television.   It will be live 24/7….
A wounded water buffalo was spotted trying to give birth on the dangerous Serengeti Plain, CNN International will soon report the cause is the shutdown of the U.S. federal government.   A man in Wisconsin missed his bus because the battery in his alarm clock ran out; Damn that John Boehner. A drawbridge near Baton Rouge Louisiana got stuck this morning – MSNBC confirms the GOP caused that.
In New York, a once joyful fifth grade teacher’s chalk broke in half right when she was about to use it on the blackboard; Peter King erupts in fury – ABC has live coverage.    If the stock market climbs, or falls, it’ll be all Ted Cruz’s fault – And NBC will be there live to walk you through it.   When the planes arrive/depart typically late, now CBS will report it’s because of Paul Ryan’s entrenched ideology – last week notsomuch. (more…)

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Internal Revenue Service says an official at the center of the agency’s tea party scandal is retiring.
Lois Lerner headed the IRS division that handles applications for tax-exempt status when she was placed on paid leave in May. While she was in charge, the agency acknowledged that agents improperly targeted tea party groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status from 2010 to 2012.
Lerner first disclosed the targeting at a law conference in May, when she was asked a planted question about IRS treatment of political groups. Less than two weeks later, she refused to answer questions at a congressional hearing, citing her constitutional right not to incriminate herself.
Republicans in Congress have repeatedly called for her to be fired.  (read more)

McCOOK – Texas Department of Public Safety troopers briefly detained and then released about 20 people suspected of being in the country illegally Saturday morning on a farmer’s land 24 miles north of central Mission, the landowner said.
About 8 a.m. Saturday, Lee Adams said he noticed “a lot of activity” in the brush on his large rural property. He called a DPS trooper, who called for backup. A group of troopers – which included five cars and two helicopters – eventually rounded up a group of people who appeared to possibly be in the country illegally, Adams said.
But in less than an hour, the cars and helicopters scattered, allowing the people they detained to do the same. (more…)

Taking lessons from Benghazi Cover-Up International, the local Washington DC Law Enforcement Leadership give the local SWAT Team Leader the Africom Commander, General Carter Ham, treatment…..
(Via GateWayPundit) On Wednesday, BBC News reported the indefensible discovery that the D.C. Capitol Police’s SWAT team was ready to neutralize the Navy Yard mass shooting.
But, the highly trained and heavily armed, elite tactical group was, instead, ordered to stand down and leave the scene.  The Capitol Police promised a full investigation.
Today, BBC News reported more disturbing information.  No one has talked to the SWAT team members.  Not even for the protocol debriefing.  But, not only have members of the SWAT team not been contacted, the department “has installed a new leader”.  Without explanation.
BBC News reports: (more…)

It’s another version of the “depends on what your definition of ‘is’, is”….

I’m still betting the decisions ultimately came from Denis McDonough and Tom Donilon during those critical hours….   both Obama and Biden were indisposed.

Washington DC – On Thursday, while denying that a “stand-down order” was given to Special Forces members ready to help Americans who were under siege at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi last September, one of the heads of the Benghazi Accountability Review Board (ARB) admitted that a “hold in place” order was in fact given.
Testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Admiral Mike Mullen said that the direction given to Special Operations Command Africa commander Lt. Col Gibson was to “hold in place” on the night of the attacks.
Gibson is the boss of Gregory Hicks, the former deputy chief of mission in Libya who had testified that a “stand down” order was given to Special Forces who wanted to help Americans who were under assault in Libya.  (continue reading)

Today, during a House Hearing, as the family members of the Benghazi victims began to speak about their concerns, the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee walked out!

After ARB testifies, only 2 @OversightDems decide to stay & hear testimony from family members on 2nd panel PHOTO: pic.twitter.com/zfOjjppU0V
— Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) September 19, 2013

The following House Committee Members walked out: (more…)

Under Secretary of State Patrick Kennedy said the government of Libya is not allowing U.S. law enforcement into the country to arrest individuals connected with the Benghazi attack because the Libyan government “is not in control to that degree” Wednesday in a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.
Kennedy explained ever since the events of September 11, 2012 the country has taken a “serious turn for the worse.”

I keep wondering when Edward Snowden’s risk to U.S. intelligence will surface in the discussions surrounding Russia, the U.S. and Syria.   {{crickets}}

Russia must be getting some value from harboring Snowden.   Snowden holds many understandings of the U.S. approaches to intelligence gathering, and I’ve yet to see any discussion about what advantage Putin may have from such knowledge.
It just seems odd.

The level the U.S. media will go to protect their chosen one is laughable.   Time magazine hides the “Strong Putin Weak Obama” cover story in America;  Puts out alternate cover story to protect Obama.
(Via Daily Caller)  Time magazine’s cover for its Sept. 16 issue features a  picture of contented-looking Russian president Vladimir Putin, complete with a  black background and a damning caption that declares “America’s weak and  waffling, Russia’s rich and resurgent.”
But Time’s editors are shielding Americans from the demoralizing picture,  putting a cheerful, sky-blue photo on the covers of magazines distributed in the  United States. “It’s time to pay college athletes,” says the chirpy, non-political U.S. cover, which shows a ball-carrying football  player with arm outstretched.  (continue reading)