The Internal Revenue Service has identified two “rogue” employees in the agency’s Cincinnati office as being principally responsible for “overly aggressive” handling of requests by conservative groups for tax-exempt status, a congressional source told CNN. In a meeting on Capitol Hill, acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller described the employees as being “off the reservation,” according [...]
Eric Holder Rips Darrell Issa [Video]
“The way you conduct yourself as a member of Congress is unacceptable and shameful.” – Attorney General Eric Holder to Rep. Darrell Issa [Video via TPM] THE Republican-led House Judiciary Committee is grilling Attorney General Eric Holder. When Rep. Issa had his turn he used the Sean Hannity model of questioning. Interrupt. Filibuster. Over talk. [...]
Conservatives Grab IRS to Weaken Obama
As applications from conservative groups sat in limbo, groups with liberal-sounding names had their applications approved in as little as nine months. With names including words like “Progress” or “Progressive,” the liberal groups applied for the same tax status and were engaged in the same kinds of activities as the conservative groups. – IRS approved [...]
Queer Talk: “Selling Homosexuality to Kids”
Linda Harvey of Mission America recently claimed that various entities are selling homosexuality to kids, or as Right Wing Watch put it, identifying one of the “sellers” of homosexuality, “Gay news sites trick kids into becoming gay.” I thought I should warn you about that in particular, since Harvey includes other websites “sympathetic to the [...]
Queer Talk: UN Anti-Homophobia Video
From the Human Rights Office of the UN, a new anti-homophobia message, by way of a video. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) represents the world’s commitment to universal ideals of human dignity. We have a unique mandate from the international community to promote and protect all human rights. [...]
AP Not Buying DOJ Letter [Video]
“People are pretty mad — mad that government has not taken what we do seriously,” one reporter said on Tuesday. “When the news broke yesterday … people were outraged and disgusted. No one was yelling and screaming, but it was like, ‘Are you kidding me!?’” “People are ticked,” said another. “Everyone supports the reporters involved.” [...]
CNN: Benghazi Leak to ABC Wrong
So whoever leaked the inaccurate information earlier this month did so in a way that made it appear that the White House – specifically Rhodes – was more interested in the State Department’s concerns, and more focused on the talking points, than the e-mail actually stated. – Jake Tapper WHOEVER leaked the summary of the [...]
Sexual Assault Leader at Fort Hood Arrested
The Army announced Tuesday that a sergeant first class assigned to an assault prevention program at Fort Hood, Texas, is under investigation for sexual assault. [CNN] THE contagion of news about sexual assault in the U.S. military, with the latest news out of Fort Hood, should wake everyone up to a cancer on our Armed [...]
A Brit’s View: Women Squeezed Out as Beeb ‘Moves On’
As the BBC continues its attempt to right the ship following the (Sir) Jimmy Saville fallout a further victim has emerged from the child abuse scandal wreckage, that of women in the boardroom. It’s an unusual thing for the Beeb to get ‘wrong’ in the modern era, especially considering the organization’s reputation for being full of “Communist [...]
Unprecedented Justice Dragnet on the Associated Press
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy The government would not say why it sought the records. Officials have previously said in public testimony that the U.S. attorney in Washington is conducting a criminal investigation into who may have provided information contained in a May 7, 2012, AP story about [...]
CIA Agent Intercepted in Moscow [Video]
JUST when you thought President Obama’s situation couldn’t get any worse, from Moscow comes news of FSB, Federal Security Service, detaining an alleged American spy trying to recruit a Russian intelligence officer. The scandal erupts just before the upcoming international conference on Syria. “It clearly will have an effect on the talks. I don’t think [...]
IRS: “We should have done a better job”
Internal Revenue Service officials in Washington and at least two other offices were involved with investigating conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status, making clear that the effort reached well beyond the branch in Cincinnati that was initially blamed, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post. [Washington Post] WELL, ya think? The IRS admission is nothing [...]
Angelina Jolie’s Preventive Double Mastectomy
THIS is a sobering op-ed written by Angelina Jolie, a thoughtful actor and activist, with an incredibly supportive and loving partner, Brad Pitt. It was written to inform and share personally a choice that is difficult, radical and done in the hopes of ducking a fate of family genealogy. From the New York Times, Ms. [...]
Nawaz Sharif is Back in Pakistan
“The US will watch what Sharif does about extremists who threatened the election” – PJ Crowley A WHO will blink first situation over India and Kashmir caused Nawaz Sharif to be ousted from power through a military coup by Pervez Musharraf. Sharif is back, having won the Pakistan election, but what it will mean is [...]
Voters Trust Clinton on Benghazi Over Republicans
PPP’s newest national poll finds that Republicans aren’t getting much traction with their focus on Benghazi over the last week. Voters trust Hillary Clinton over Congressional Republicans on the issue of Benghazi by a 49/39 margin and Clinton’s +8 net favorability rating at 52/44 is identical to what it was on our last national poll [...]
Queer Talk: Minnesota Senate Approves Marriage Equality, Governor to Sign
As expected, and via the live feed at The Uptake, this afternoon the Minnesota Senate (37-30) joined the House (75 to 59) in approving marriage equality. Governor Mark Dayton has said he’ll sign tomorrow. Minnesota thus becomes the 12th state, plus the District of Columbia, to provide marriage equality. Same-sex couples can begin marrying in [...]
IRS Focus on Tea Party Patriots Un-American
**UPDATED** “The I.R.S. has demonstrated the most disturbing, illegal and outrageous abuse of government power,” Jenny Beth Martin, national coordinator for Tea Party Patriots, said in a statement. “This deliberate targeting and harassment of Tea Party groups reaches a new low in illegal government activity and overreach.” [New York Times] IS THERE anything more un-American [...]
Kermit Gosnell Found Guilty of First Degree Murder
IT was impossible to think of any other verdict for Kermit Gosnell, though as of this morning there was a hung jury on two counts. After being sent back to deliberate further, the jury reached a verdict. ABC News: Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell was found guilty today of first degree murder in three of [...]
Guns Don’t Kill Kids, Kids Kill Kids? [Video]
Reading “A Rifle Designed for Kids” at The Daily Banter made me wonder: Can the often used, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people” line be reworded to reflect one subheading of such killing – “Guns don’t kill kids, kids kill kids”? That feels as if I may be going “too far,” that maybe it’s [...]
“24″ and Jack Bauer to Return
IT’S what many “24″ and Jack Bauer fans, including myself, were hoping. Keifer Sutherland has signed on to play Jack Bauer again! First reported by Deadline: Jack Bauer is back! I’ve learned that, after marathon negotiations, Kiefer Sutherland has closed a deal for a new installment of 24 on Fox. With him on board, I [...]
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