http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/byronyork/ en-us Mon, 4 Jan 2010 05:01:58 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2420378/posts As Susan notes below, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is urging the Obama White House not to go forward with plans to send a number of Yemeni terrorists now being held in the Guantanamo Bay detention facility back to their home country. But the Obama White House insists it will continue to send those Gitmo inmates to Yemen -- a country now recognized as a hotbed of terrorism so dangerous that the U.S. has decided to close its embassy there. On Fox News Sunday, top White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan said the administration "absolutely" intends to keep sending Guantanamo... washingtonexaminer.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2420378/posts#comment Mon, 4 Jan 2010 05:01:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2420210/posts On the Sunday talk shows, top officials and former officials from both parties expressed strong confidence in Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in the aftermath of Napolitano's statement that "the system worked" in the Detroit terrorist incident. Napolitano quickly backed down from her assertion, but the controversy over her remarks fueled questions about whether she is up to the task of running the Department of Homeland Security. Appearing on ABC's "This Week," Sen. Joseph Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee, was asked if Napolitano is the right person for the job. "Yes, she is," Lieberman... washingtonexaminer.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2420210/posts#comment Sun, 3 Jan 2010 21:59:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419138/posts Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, who has been the target of much Democratic criticism for his efforts to slow down Senate confirmation of Erroll Southers, the Obama White House's nominee to head the Transportation Security Administration, now says Southers should not be confirmed. Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419138/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jan 2010 20:56:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415645/posts The Obama White House has been aggressive in its press outreach regarding the Northwest Airlines terrorist incident. Some of the earliest stories on accused terrorist Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab's attempt to set off an explosive device on board Northwest Flight 253 were sourced to the White House, and White House officials were quick to label the incident an "attempted act of terrorism." The White House wants the public to know that President Obama, on vacation at a luxurious oceanfront home in Hawaii, has received conference call updates and is keeping close tabs on the situation. Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415645/posts#comment Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:32:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415310/posts The Democratic leadership in the Senate put off dealing with the growing threat of the Iranian nuclear program so lawmakers could devote their energy to the rush toward passage of a national health care bill. Now, with that work done, Senate leaders say they will take action on Iran -- but only, in the words of Majority Leader Harry Reid, "sometime after we return in January." Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415310/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 15:33:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414418/posts In the final minutes of the Senate health care debate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said lawmakers would hear "an earful" about the national health care bill from constituents who are solidly opposed to the legislation. In response, Majority Leader Harry Reid cited the case of a young disabled boy in Nevada who Reid said will now have health coverage and said that Democrats will indeed hear an earful -- "an earful of joy and happiness." "Yes, we'll hear an earful," Reid added, "but it will be an earful of wonderment and happiness." Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414418/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:55:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412680/posts Who's Responsible for the Senate's Middle-Of-The-Night Vote? BYRON YORK Chief Political Correspondent 12/21/09 Why did the Senate gather at 1 a.m. Monday for a vote to move ahead on the Reid Amendment to the Democrats' national health care bill? Democrats blame Republicans. "Everyone knows we're here at one in the morning because of my friends on the other side of the aisle," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said moments before the vote. On CBS Sunday, Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu said, "We don't have to vote in the middle of the night, but [Republican Sen. Tom Coburn] is the one making... Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412680/posts#comment Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:14:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407986/posts To some observers, the Democrats' race to pass national health care seems irrational -- even suicidal. Don't party leaders understand how much the public opposes the bills currently on the table? Don't they know that voters are likely to take their revenge at the polls next year? Given that, why do they keep rushing ahead? Just look at the RealClearPolitics average of polls, which shows that Americans oppose the national health care bills currently on the table by a margin of 53 percent to 38 percent. That's not just one poll that might tilt right or left, it's an average... The Washington DC Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407986/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:27:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406817/posts A new study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reveals some startling differences between Republicans and Democrats on issues of spirituality and supernatural phenomenon. The study, "Many Americans Mix Multiple Faiths," reports that a significant number of Americans practice a mixture of religious beliefs, and "many also blend Christianity with Eastern or New Age beliefs such as reincarnation, astrology and the presence of spiritual energy in physical objects." The report is not specifically about partisan differences, but the results of the study are broken down by party affiliation, among many other categories. And the news on... Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406817/posts#comment Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:39:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405109/posts According to the conventional wisdom after last year's presidential election, Barack Obama's victory proved that a number of once-reliably red states -- Virginia, North Carolina, and Colorado among them -- were turning blue, perhaps permanently. Even here in Arizona, Obama gave Republican favorite son John McCain a run for his money, and the 2008 election handed a majority of the state's congressional districts to Democrats. The home of Barry Goldwater might not have been truly blue, but it was shading purple. That was then. Now, with Democrats pushing an agenda of stimulus, cap and trade, and health care reform --... The Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405109/posts#comment Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:06:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403339/posts Phoenix - According to the conventional wisdom after last year's presidential election, Barack Obama's victory proved that a number of once-reliably red states -- Virginia, North Carolina, and Colorado among them -- were turning blue, perhaps permanently. Even here in Arizona, Obama gave Republican favorite son John McCain a run for his money, and the 2008 election handed a majority of the state's congressional districts to Democrats. The home of Barry Goldwater might not have been truly blue, but it was shading purple. That was then. Now, with Democrats pushing an agenda of stimulus, cap and trade, and health care... The Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403339/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 01:25:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2402529/posts Climategate scandal will have no effectWhite House spokesman Robert Gibbs is denying suggestions that the timing of the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to regulate carbon dioxide as a dangerous pollutant had anything to do with President Obama's upcoming appearance at the Copenhagen global warming summit. After all, Obama can now tell the summit that his administration will crack down on carbon dioxide emissions even if Congress fails pass a cap-and-trade bill.At today's briefing, one reporter said the timing of the EPA decision "looks politically convenient." Gibbs responded that the EPA decision was set in motion by a 2007 Supreme Court... WashingtonExaminer.Com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2402529/posts#comment Tue, 8 Dec 2009 02:16:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2393926/posts Oversight: After an unjust firing and campaign of character assassination, the former AmeriCorps inspector general has been cleared of acting improperly. Now where does he go to get his job and reputation back? On June 10, Gerald Walpin was fired with one hour's notice as the watchdog of AmeriCorps in violation of a federal law requiring Congress to be given a heads-up 30 days in advance. He then fell victim to a campaign of character assassination. When pressed for a reason for the sudden and improper dismissal of a federal watchdog, the White House responded with a letter to Sens.... Investors.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2393926/posts#comment Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:54:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392448/posts On Friday, The Washington Examiner's chief political correspondent, Byron York, had another stunning report on the scandal involving the firing of Americorps Inspector General Gerald Walpin. Earlier this year, Walpin was fired in what appears to be a politically motivated attempt by Democrats to silence his investigation into allegations of misuse of $800,000 in federal funds by Sacramento mayor and former NBA star Kevin Johnson. The funds were provided by the federal Americorps program to St. Hope, a nonprofit school that Johnson then headed. York's latest blockbuster is his reporting of a congressional report prepared by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa,... Wash Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392448/posts#comment Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:15:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392310/posts A GOP congressional report accuses the White House of doing favors for Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA star and prominent ally of President Barack Obama. The report was spearheaded by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. 
 The investigation also found evidence that D.C. schools chief Michelle Rhee handled “damage control” after allegations surfaced of sexual misconduct against Johnson, her now-fiancé. The probe was launched after an AmeriCorps inspector general, Gerald Walpin, was abruptly fired... The Hill http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392310/posts#comment Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:38:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391245/posts The investigation began after the AmeriCorps inspector general, Gerald Walpin, received reports that Johnson had misused some of the $800,000 in federal AmeriCorps money provided to St. Hope, a non-profit school that Johnson headed for several years. Walpin was looking into charges that AmeriCorps-paid volunteers ran personal errands for him, washed his car, and took part in political activities. In the course of investigating those allegations, the congressional report says, Walpin's investigators were told that Johnson had made inappropriate advances toward three young women involved in the St. Hope program -- and that Johnson offered at least one of those... Washington Examainer http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391245/posts#comment Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:53:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391749/posts Why was it so hard for Dems even to start health care debate? By: Byron York Chief Political Correspondent 11/21/09 6:43 PM EST The extraordinary thing about the dramatic events surrounding the health care bill in the Senate is that there is any drama in it at all. Lawmakers are simply voting to begin debate on their version of health care reform. Just begin debate -- not end it, and not move on to a final vote. If Democrats, with a 60-vote majority in the Senate, were not able to begin debate on the top Democratic policy priority in a... Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391749/posts#comment Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:24:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2390867/posts Byron York, Washington Examiner:A congressional investigation of the volunteer organization AmeriCorps contains charges that D.C. schools chief Michelle Rhee handled "damage control" after allegations of sexual misconduct against her now fiance, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA star and a prominent ally of President Obama, The Washington Examiner has learned. The charges are contained in a report prepared by Sen. Charles Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, and Rep. Darrell Issa, ranking Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.The investigation began after the AmeriCorps inspector general, Gerald Walpin, received reports that Johnson had... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2390867/posts#comment Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:53:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388070/posts Last January, several Republican legal stars wrote a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee supporting Eric Holder's nomination to be attorney general. Now, in light of Holder's decision to grant 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed full American constitutional rights and try him in federal court in New York, some of those veteran lawyers are having second thoughts. The January letter called Holder an "extraordinary lawyer" of "unfailing integrity" who is "superbly qualified" to lead the Justice Department and whose appointment as the first African-American attorney general "should be hailed as a milestone." "From his experience Eric fully understands and appreciates... Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388070/posts#comment Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:35:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2381601/posts The words of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a few hours before authorities say he opened fire on fellow soldiers at Ft. Hood, Texas, killing 13 and wounding 29. The Washington Post reports Hasan made the statement to a neighbor in his apartment building on the morning of the killings. Hasan reportedly told the woman he was leaving for Afghanistan soon, when in fact he was headed, heavily armed, to Ft. Hood. As a parting gift, he gave her a copy of the Koran. Hasan reportedly shouted "Allahu Akbar!" before he began shooting, wrote Internet postings justifying Muslim suicide bombings, considered... Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2381601/posts#comment Sun, 8 Nov 2009 18:28:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2380804/posts President Obama says "we cannot fully know" what led Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan to kill 13 people and wound 38 others at Fort Hood, Texas Thursday. Hasan reportedly shouted "Allahu Akbar!" before the killings, wrote Internet postings justifying Muslim suicide bombings, considered U.S. forces the enemy, and opposed American involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as wars on Islam. His rampage at Ft. Hood has the markings of an act of Islamic terrorism. But in his weekly address, Obama says, "We cannot fully know what leads a man to do such a thing." Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2380804/posts#comment Sat, 7 Nov 2009 13:27:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2371725/posts Vice President Joe Biden's favorable rating has fallen to 42 percent in a new Gallup poll, down from a high of 59 percent just after last year's election. Biden's unfavorable rating in the new poll is 40 percent, up from 29 percent last November. (Eighteen percent of those surveyed say they have no opinion of Biden.) Biden's average favorable rating during his time in office so far is 45 percent -- well below the average 65 percent favorable rating for Vice President Dick Cheney during Cheney's first year in office. Vice President Al Gore's favorable rating during his first year,... Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2371725/posts#comment Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:19:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370033/posts It's pretty unremarkable to describe the Obama White House's growing enemies list -- the insurance companies, Chamber of Commerce, Fox News -- as "Nixonian." But there's one place where, if you venture such an opinion, you'd better be prepared to apologize -- quickly and profusely. On National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation" Wednesday, NPR political editor Ken Rudin said the White House campaign against Fox News is a bad idea. "It's not only aggressive, it's almost Nixonesque," Rudin said. "I mean, you think of what Nixon and Agnew did with their enemies list and their attacks on the media;... Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370033/posts#comment Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:00:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2362994/posts The Center for American Progress, the liberal think tank close to the Obama administration, has posted a blog entry headlined "Obama Stands By His LGBT Nominees Under Attack From the Right." The Center says that President Obama, in his speech to the Human Rights Campaign Saturday night, "strongly reiterated his support" for Kevin Jennings, head of the Education Department's Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, as well as for Chai Feldblum, a lesbian law professor nominated to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission -- although Obama did not mention either Jennings or Feldblum by name. Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2362994/posts#comment Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:21:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2363682/posts Lefty anger splits Dems -- and may sink them By: Byron York Chief Political CorrespondentOctober 16, 2009 (AP) "Harry Reid abdicates his leadership role," reads the headline at the lefty Daily Kos Web site. "Why Joe Biden should resign," reads the headline at the Huffington Post. "Whiner in Chief," reads the headline at The Nation, referring to President Obama.Self-styled progressives across the country are angry, not just at Obama, but at the rest of the Democratic power structure, as well. That anger is causing an ugly split inside the Washington Democratic world."Can I speak freely about the liberal whiners?"... Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2363682/posts#comment Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:18:56 GMT