The current administration’s cabinet personnel are all so similar it becomes, well, actually odd.

‘When this job came available, it was such an incredible opportunity to work so closely with the president. But everything’s a cost-benefit, right? And the benefits of this and the influence of this job are sufficiently great that there were more costs I was willing to take on the family side.’
– Samantha Power

No Samantha, actually it’s not a “cost-benefit analysis”, not even close.  It is actually just a matter of priorities.   We do that which is important to us, and we avoid or postpone, if avoidance impossible, that which is not seen as important.

New York – United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power has said that it is the thrill of a lifetime to be working at the international organization that she has idolized for years, but that doesn’t mean that she won’t be happy it’s over. (more…)

First Commentary by Bill Whittle at his new website, www.billwhittle.com.

FTA:

This is what government is, and this is what government does: it is a responsibility-avoiding, perpetual motion machine. That’s why even the most capable areas of Government – the military – swim in nicknames like SNAFU, FUBAR and BOHICA.
If I were shopping for health insurance, and I had tried, and failed, to log on to a web site twice – not forty times, but twice! – they would have lost my business and I would have taken my money to a competitor in the not unreasonable belief that if these people are so incompetent that they can’t even take my money then maybe I shouldn’t be trusting them with my daughter’s heart transplant.”

Read the rest of the commentary here:

The Kentucky, Tennessee and South Carolina Tea party Tests are discussed toward the end:

The Washington Post has an interesting review of the company, CGI, who built the Obamacare web platform and the current employees. It appears the people who work for CGI are typical representative images of federal bloat.
CGI apparently prides itself on it’s liberal work policies and now their poor staff is stressed from all the deadline work….  “Stressed” says they….
WaPo […]  The healthcare.gov debacle has taken its toll on the working environment at CGI Federal’s 10-story complex in Fairfax, Va., according to a staffer working on a related project who asked not to be named. “There’s been a lot of agitation and anger, because CGI really prides itself on having family flexibility,” he said, noting the firm’s liberal telework policy.
Instead, the Obamacare contract has sucked more and more staff off other projects, and people have been working around the clock to first get the site ready for Oct. 1, and then fix it when things started to go wrong. “There’s a lot of frustration,” the staffer said. “People are getting sick, fainting in conference calls.” (more…)

.@corybooker Today is another example of how people of different parties can work together and accomplish big things. pic.twitter.com/sd2iGRtKTM

— Chris Christie (@GovChristie) October 17, 2013

When New Jersey Democrat Senator Frank Lautenberg died on June 3rd 2013, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had a decision to make. Generally speaking, Governors appoint interim representatives as replacement Senators to finish the term (through 2014) of the deceased. But this potential appointment held some *other* considerations. (more…)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

Via iOTW
~ The quenching drink amid the aridity of Liberal “ism’s” ~

(more…)

Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Rand Paul and a few others, did a better job at exposing the *real* side, the hidden side of the establishment Republicans, than ever before.
That –regardless of the pain in recognition– is a big win.
Rule #1 in any conflict is KNOW YOUR ENEMY.   I have personally always explained it a little further, saying:  Know your enemy, not as they wish to be known, but rather as they know themselves.

I do not believe that Senator McConnell was responsible for the "anomaly" earmark for the Olmsted Dam project in last night's budget deal

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) October 17, 2013

When you know your enemy as he knows himself – you are able to see all of the associations and intents clearly. The distant horizon gets much closer and you do not to spend time trying to analyze the back-lit shadow.
When the enemy is known as they know themselves – you can make strategic decisions in your own best interests, and you don’t have to waste time identifying all those angles normally considered when you are in a relationship of tenable trust.
Secondly, failure to accept the intent of the enemy does not protect you from it.   Being blind to the intentions of your opposition is automatic entry into a room of weakness because you will always be evaluating yourself from a position of risk management.
Being fully aware of the intents of the opposition allows you to draw bold distinctions based on principle; and empowers your decisionmaking from a position of strength.  There is, quite simply, no longer anything to fear, and solutions become far easier to determine.
Sarah Palin pens an article for Breitbart which outlines the following conclusion: (more…)