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DAMASCUS, May 24 (Xinhua) -- A total of 12 fighters from Chechnya were killed Friday in Syria's central Hama province, activists said. The fighters were killed when two rockets landed in the al- Hamra village in the eastern countryside of Hama, the Britain- based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. ...

Why the hysteria about Russia? From the tone of what passes for policy discourse in Washington, one would think that Russian troops were massing on the country’s western border and that opposition activists were being executed by the hundreds. Some realities in Russia are indeed disturbing, but a sense of perspective is needed. If Moscow were really the capital of a brutally authoritarian anti-American state, things could be far worse — and profoundly damaging to U.S. national interests. But demonizing Russia doesn’t change conditions there and only undermines our ability to get what we want and need. Domestically, Russia is...

The Internal Revenue Service, charged with implementing the biggest change in tax laws in 20 years due to Obamacare, has created eight offices and special "teams" to handle the chore, way more than initially revealed. Besides the top office headed by the woman in the middle of the IRS-Tea Party scandal, there are seven others and a special enforcement team that make up an organization chart that mirrors the organization of the IRS itself, according to a Treasury Inspector General's report. The June report focused on concerns that the IRS, which is filling the Obamacare offices with 2,137 agents and...

She is being questioned because of her reported actions of soliciting donations from non-profit organizations that are “directly implementing” Obamacare. Twenty-six members of Congress, including Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and John Culberson sent a letter on May 16 questioning the actions of Sebelius. “We are deeply concerned with the recent reports that you have made numerous phone calls soliciting financial donations for non-profits that are working to enroll individuals in the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act exchanges (or ‘marketplaces’ as you now call them),” the letter began. The letter also reminds Sebelius that if such calls were made, that...

One bonus for Republicans in the trifecta of pseudo-scandals ensnaring the Obama White House this month is that it distracted the party from its looming civil war. It’s even possible that the Senate immigration reform got as far as it did partly because wingnut radio talkers and Tea Party xenophobes were consumed by their hatred of Obama, and paying less attention to GOP immigration sellouts. But with the easing of scandal fever on the Potomac, Republicans are back to fighting one another, and the week-long Senate clash between freshman Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. John McCain over the budget is...

Americans must repudiate the political classAmericans are beginning to recognize the disturbing similarities between President Obama and the fallen Richard Nixon, but the comparison that may matter more is between Mr. Obama and King George III. “He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance,” in the words of the Declaration of Independence. King George’s assault on the Americans’ natural freedoms was oppressive, intolerable and deserving of a revolution. The truth is, the intrusion, restriction and outright harassment that our government subjects us to today is...

In 2008 the American Issues Project released an ad tying Barack Obama to domestic terrorist Bill Ayers. “Barack Obama launched his political career with the direct assistance of Bill Ayers.” (VIDEO-AT-LINK) The Obama camp used the DOJ to demand an investigation and prosecute American Issues Project That’s not all… Obama goons threatened 10,000 GOP donors with legal trouble and public harassment if they continued to support Republican candidates. The Wall Street Journal reported, via Jammie Wearing Fool: On Aug. 21, 2008, the conservative American Issues Project ran an ad highlighting ties between candidate Obama and Bill Ayers, formerly of the...

As counterintuitive as it may sound for an organization with such a wholesome and all-American reputation, it seems that secrecy and heavy-handed tactics are the order of the day at the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) meeting that will decide whether the BSA will change its century-old policy to expand its membership to include open and avowed homosexuals.

It seems like only yesterday that IRS Director of Exempt Organizations Lois Lerner was claiming she knew nothing about the dastardly work of those shadowy "low-level employees in the Cincinnati office" - who somehow remain shadowy to this day, despite having been blamed for the worst abuse-of-power scandal in living memory. The Incompetence Defense beloved of this administration, and so effective with a media that would never accept it from a Republican official, was deployed with gusto. Lerner was shocked, shocked, to discover gambling against Tea Party groups going on at Rick's Tax Exempt Organizations Cafe American. But now National...

What is going to happen when the greatest economic bubble in the history of the world pops? The mainstream media never talks about that. They are much too busy covering the latest dogfights in Washington and what Justin Bieber has been up to. And most Americans seem to think that if the Dow keeps setting new all-time highs that everything must be okay. Sadly, that is not the case at all. Right now, the U.S. economy is exhibiting all of the classic symptoms of a bubble economy. You can see this when you step back and take a longer-term view...

Despite failing in courts across the country, Plaintiffs have continued to file lawsuits alleging that President Obama is ineligible to serve as the American President because he is not a natural born U.S. citizen. However, as set forth above, federal courts cannot grant Plaintiffs the relief sought because the issues which Plaintiffs raise in their pleadings are constitutionally committed to the jurisdiction of another branch of the federal government. If Plaintiffs believe that President Obama has violated the law, their remedy is to alert Congress to the alleged wrongdoing. Congress could then initiate impeachment proceedings with the aid of an...

Explosive book reveals former President’s praise for the Nazis as he travelled through Germany before Second World War A new book out in Germany reveals how President Kennedy was a secret admirer of the Nazis. The news comes embarrassingly close to a visit being paid to Berlin next month by President Obama - one week before 50th anniversary commemorations of JFK's memorable 'Ich bin ein Berliner' speech pledging US solidarity with Europe during the Cold War. President Kennedy's travelogues and letters chronicling his wanderings through Germany before WWII, when Adolf Hitler was in power, have been unearthed and show him...

This would be an A-list political story if it weren't buried beneath the avalanche of scandal that's consumed the nation's attention and undermined the president's approval ratings in recent weeks. We reported on Monday that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is maneuvering to execute the so-called "nuclear option" on filibusters of executive appointments, perhaps as soon as July. Since the game plan was initially sketched out by a liberal blogger in the Washington Post (who also confirmed that the White House has bestowed its blessing on the power grab), more circumstantial evidence has emerged that appears to confirm Reid's intentions:...

Every day brings new revelations about who knew what about the IRS targeting conservative groups during President Obama's re-election campaign, but the overall impression is of a vast federal bureaucracy run amok. While the White House continues to peddle the story of a driverless train wreck, taxpayers are being treated to a demonstration of the dangers of an unwieldy and unaccountable administrative state. Look, Ma, no hands! In his press events, Mr. Obama has said that while he learned about the Cincinnati rogues on the news, he plans to "hold accountable those who have taken these outrageous actions." But the...

Under President Obama, "justice" is anything but blind. Neither is it deaf. In fact, based on recent revelations, it appears to be watching your every move and listening to your every word. Still, if you happen to be a federal employee, now it´s even listening for your silence. The only thing this Obama White House seems to generate is scandal. Well, here´s yet another to add to the growing list. In addition to the Benghazi cover-up, IRS targeting of political dissenters and the illegal seizure of media phone records, whistleblowers within DOJ have contacted Liberty Counsel

Starting in the fall of 2010, ten leading Democrats - including Max Baucus, Chuck Schumer, and Al Franken - wrote the IRS demanding that the agency crack down on conservative groups. 500 conservative and Christian groups were illegally targeted by the Obama IRS starting in 2010. For twenty-seven months the Obama IRS refused to approve any Tea Party applications for tax-exempt status while at the same time the Obama IRS approved dozens of progressive applications. Now these same top Democrats are feigning outrage.

Gov. Cuomo says it would be shameful if Anthony Weiner is elected mayor. Cuomo, during an appearance before the Syracuse Post-Standard's editoral board Wednesday, stayed neutral when asked his thoughts on Weiner entering the race. "He runs? He runs," the paper quotes him as saying in a transcript But asked how he would feel if Weiner (self-pictured at right) were to be elected, Cuomo was blunt. "Shame on us," he replied. Cuomo, a Democrat, has said he has no plans to get involved in the mayor's race. He gave a less definitive answer hours before he spoke to the Syracuse...

George Washington University Professors: Obama on Mt. Rushmore – Eventually Posted By Katherine Rodriguez - George Washington University On May 23, 2013 @ 2:04 am In Fix Exclusives,Image Slider | No Comments A handful of George Washington University political and history professors largely support the idea of adding President Barack Obama’s face to Mount Rushmore – just not quite yet. According to a survey conducted by The College Fix, three out of the 10 George Washington University history and political science professors questioned via email replied it’s simply too soon for Obama’s likeness to be immortalized on Mount Rushmore National...

With apologies to Aristotle, there is one thing that abhors a vacuum even more than nature, and that is politics. As the Obama scandals continue to unfold, every Democrat is already thinking HARD about what might happen, and what it might mean for 2016. So let's speculate as well, shall we....

In the wake of a pair of terrorists slaying a British soldier in the streets of London, talk show host Michael Savage pointed out Wednesday one key difference between the United States and the United Kingdom: Second Amendment rights. “Now what stands between us and what happened in London?” Savage asked. “Guns, guns, guns — only guns, only guns. And this very same gang that wants to flood this country with 50 million, 30 million, 20 million, 11 million — you pick the number, pick it out of a hat — illegal aliens, it’s all amnesty for every one of...

Speaking about Democrat threats to break Senate rules to change longstanding minority protections, Sen. McConnell said, "What I fear is the Majority Leader is working his way toward breaking his word to the Senate and to the American people, and blowing up this institution and making it extremely difficult for us to operate on the collegial basis that we've operated on for over 200 years. He wants to have no debate. Do what I say, and do it now. This is the culture of intimidation that we've seen at the IRS, that we've seen at HHS, at the FEC, at...

In chapter 1 of the book "Public Opinion", Walter Lippmann writes the following: (page 40) The wireless constantly used the statistics of the intelligence bureau at Verdun, whose chief, Major Cointet, had invented a method of calculating German losses which obviously produced marvelous results. Every fortnight the figures increased a hundred thousand or so. These 300,000, 400,000, 500,000 casualties put out, divided into daily, weekly, monthly losses, repeated in all sorts of ways, produced a striking effect. Our formulae varied little: 'according to prisoners the German losses in the course of the attack have been considerable' ... 'it is proved...

It’s not a stretch to suggest that Americans are over medicated. In 2011 doctors across the nation wrote an astounding four billion medical prescriptions, amounting to an average of 13 prescriptions for every man, woman and child in the United States. In the next few weeks the American Psychiatric Associations is releasing their updated fifth version their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5); the so-called ‘bible’ of psychiatric diagnoses. The new manual promises to take mental illness and the use of prescription drugs to a whole new level. You may not be considered “crazy” or “mentally ill” today,...

The number of scandals and the speed at which they are both multiplying and growing in seriousness portends difficulties for Democrats in the near future. Nevertheless, they are a slippery bunch and never without a trick or two up their sleeve. All indications are that these scandals will end Democrat dreams of having useful idiots like Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan help them erase our borders thus giving them a fresh supply of voters. When that scheme ends, they will have to look elsewhere and that elsewhere is Statehood for Puerto Rico. A movement for statehood for Puerto Rico is...

When you get right down to it,the political targeting and stalling of tax-exempt applications by the IRS was an effort to defund the Tea Party. Rick Santelli,one of the Tea Party founders and my CNBC colleague,was the first to make this point. I’ve taken it a step further: The IRS was taking the Tea Party out of play for the 2012 election,as it looked to avoid a repeat of 2010 and another Tea Party landslide.… But there can be only one reason for the stalled-out approval process for conservative groups. The IRS was trying to put them out of business....

There is a fascinating piece of audio out there from Aldous Huxley titled "The Ultimate Revolution". This lecture is a lot like the book Philip Dru, in the sense that a lot of conspiracy theorist websites have had a bonanza with it, which is sad commentary. I will say that a large 70-90% of what he's saying you have to throw out the window because it's nonsense, but in the first few minutes of the lecture he says something that is incredibly profound: Well now in regard to this problem of the ultimate revolution, this has been very well summed...

Ok, the Fort Hood massacre was dubbed "workplace violence" and thus the families affected by said "violence" won't be fully compensated because the massacre wasn't called an act of terrorism? Check? We can't prosecute the Benghazi attackers because it has been said that we don't have enough evidence to try them in civilian court? Check? Lastly, these 4 Americans who were supposedly killed by drones (according to Holder) were killed without due process? Check? Seinfeld, meet Bizarro World?

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas the real “Maverick” spoke the hard core truth the other day by saying—‘I don’t trust Republicans.’ He is spot on and the old corrupt guard from both parties must be chucked now this coming 2014 election. There are only a few true blooded Republicans we should trust and they are Senators Ted Cruz and Trey Gowdy. America is in a War. A War bought on by banksters, corrupt politicians, and communists within our own government. Do not trust any “Progressives” regardless of party affiliation. All these corrupt individuals care about is getting elected and re-elected....

The president has a base of loyalists that won't quit and, at least for now, there's no evidence he was involved in any scandals. Another day, another poll showing that President Obama's job-approval rating is not collapsing under the weight of scandals and controversies. Why is he holding steady? Will it last? And will Republicans take any cues from his staying power? Given the noise level on Capitol Hill, cable TV, and social media, Obama's 50 percent-plus showings in recent polls from CNN, Pew, and ABC/Washington Post seem somewhat surprising. But two veteran political pollsters, one from each party, say...

The growing IRS-Tea Party scandal, which has robbed Democrats of the so-called "trust edge" they held over Republicans, is now jeopardizing the Democratic majority in the Senate and even hopes that Hillary Clinton will replace President Obama in 2016. "This hurts the Democratic Party and will hurt anybody who runs for president in 2016," said former Clinton White House counsel Lanny Davis, a major supporter of Hillary Clinton. Speaking on national radio's Andrea Tantaros Show, he added: "It will make it almost impossible to elect a [Democratic] president. ... I'm nervous." Meanwhile, several Democratic and GOP political advisers told Secrets...

Cold Case Posse Commander Mike Zullo of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office on submitted a devastating 57 page 207 paragraph affidavit to the Alabama Obama ballot challenge appeal case that is before the Alabama Supreme Court. He did this at the request of Attorney Larry Klayman representing the appellants. Now Alabama Democratic Party attorney's Barry Ragsdale and Thomas Woodall have fired back with a 'Opposition To Motion To Strike'. They slam Zullo and the Cold Case Posse's evidence confirming Obama's birth certificate and selective service registration card are forgeries. They state in their motion to strike that Mike Zullo's affidavit...

In this riveting interview Mike answers 9+ questions from listeners, viewers, and bloggers who desire more detail in this case.

"Let me tell you what I'm really concerned about in addition to all the other things that I've said," said Cummings. "I'm concerned that all of this may have a chilling effect on employees where they say you know, when normally we would look at certain criteria fairly, not targeting anyone but say uh-oh, I'm worried because I'd better let this go."

Marshall writes that he "was chatting with people yesterday" who said civil service rules may make it "extremely difficult or even impossible" to fire Lerner. Doing so because she exercised her rights under the Fifth Amendment would be unconstitutional. *snip* The White House seems to have an inkling it can't fire Lerner: Klein as well as Marshall emphasized the stringency of civil-service rules. But encouraging the public to draw adverse conclusions from her assertion of her rights under the Fifth Amendment would have a similar effect of turning her into a scapegoat. The American people have a right to know...

Anthony Weiner was lying low this morning after releasing a video announcing his last-minute entry into the race for mayor. A crush of reporters was camped outside his Park Avenue South apartment for so long that campaign aides treated them to three boxes of pizza and made plans for individual interviews later in the day. Some of Weiner's rivals, meanwhile, wasted no time poking fun at the sexually-charged Twitter messages that led their newly-minted opponent to resign from Congress in 2011. "If he can penetrate the field, I'll be ready for him in November," Independence Party candidate Adolfo Carrion declared...

Apple made business decisions that saved it billions in taxes. What was so illegal about doing such a thing? Nothing, absolutely nothing, but don't tell that to the Democrats...

When Lady M addressed the graduating class at Nashville’s Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Magnet High School last week she reminded them that failure was a part of life – no matter who you are: “And then there’s this guy Barack Obama ... he lost his first race for Congress, and now he gets to call himself my husband.” Lucky him “I could take up a whole afternoon talking about his failures.” Well, now it looks like Congress is considering calling her up to testify on the Hill, as they can’t seem to locate another soul who’s willing to talk about...

I received an insightful email from reader Karen Sacandy: Dear Professor Jacobson: I’m among your many grateful readers, but at this time, the Democrats are like Thomas Crown in the flick, “The Thomas Crown Affair,” who created a distraction over here, while over there, he was stealing a multimillion dollar painting. But in this case, it’s a total transformation of the American people, by immigration law changes to aid and abet the non-enforcement we’ve had for decades. All these abuses of power converging at this time are almost COMPLETELY distracting everyone who could bring pressure to bear to prevent the...

In a startling exchange Wednesday during the IRS hearings before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, America learned that the IRS knew in May of 2012 that its employees were targeting conservative organization with paralyzing harassment and Kafka-esque audits. Although the IRS knew this, they did not report this information to Congress. "While a tremendous amount of attention is centered about the Inspector General's report, or investigation, the committee has learned from Ms. Paz that she in fact participated in an IRS internal investigation that concluded in May of 2012 - May 3 of 2012 - and found essentially the...

IRS official Lois Lerner said at hearing today, "I have not done anything wrong." "I have not done anything wrong," she said. "I have not broken any laws. I have not violated any IRS rules or regulations. And I have not provided false information to this or any other congressional committee."Lerner adds that she invoke her 5th Amendment right and "will not answer any of the questions or testify today":

In the fallout from the recent revelations about the Internal Revenue Service systematically persecuting conservative political groups and other enemies of President Obama, the establishment is putting on a good show of being shocked by the behavior. The reality is that the IRS is and always has been a tool of oppression and is routinely used by those in power to destroy their opponents. Once the income tax expanded to include nearly every wage-earner and company in the country, it was immediately seized upon as a potent weapon by the worst tyrants in American history. Franklin Roosevelt loved the IRS...

President Obama "selective appreciation" of the First Amendment is on full display again. Check out your neighborhood music store because the dark side of "hope and change" has just been released. It's hard to believe that there is anybody out there still caught up in the "hope and change" farce. Yes, it was always a farce and the last two weeks confirm it. We learned that James Rosen of FOX News was the DOJ's latest target: "The Fox News Channel is outraged over new revelations that three of its reporting staffers were targeted by the U.S. Department of Justice in...

(CNSNews.com) – Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) was applauded at a congressional hearing Wednesday, after he objected to Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner pleading the Fifth Amendment and refusing to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. After invoking her right to avoid self-incrimination, Lerner, the head of the tax-exempt division of the IRS, was dismissed from the hearing, which is examining the agency’s inappropriate targeting of conservative groups. After giving a brief opening statement -- in which she said she did nothing wrong -- then refusing to answer any questions, Lerner was dismissed by Committee Chairman...

The persecution and prosecution of Gibson Guitar stands out as a prime example of government overreach, similar to IRS Tea Party targeting. This video explains the insanity of the raid and ultimate charges — very technical and disputed interpretations of Indian law as to the importation of wood used in the guitars. This had nothing to do with conservation or protection of forests, it had to do with India keeping jobs in India, and insane paperwork requirements in the U.S. The trees would have been cut and the wood used regardless of how Gibson....Civil liberties lawyer Harvey Silverglate wrote about...

The unfolding IRS scandal is a symptom, not the disease. For decades, campaign-finance reform zealots have sought to limit core political speech through spending limits and disclosure requirements. More recently, they have claimed that it is wrong and dangerous for tax-exempt entities to engage in political speech. The Obama administration shares these views, especially when conservative, small-government organizations are involved, and the IRS clearly got the message. While the agency must be investigated and reformed, the ultimate cure for these abuses is to unshackle political speech by all groups, including tax-exempt ones, from arbitrary and unconstitutional government regulation. Beginning in...

The full face of political evil and arrogance showed its ugly features when progressives went up against the folks. And what we saw were the cruel, prideful, insensitive machinations of an Obama administration whose mantra involves the ends justifying any of their means. Showing no interest in their oath to maintain the public trust, these progressives revealed in real time television their demonic minds at work. When the outgoing IRS chief smirked at one Congressman’s question, hid behind the bureaucrat’s trompe l’oeil of “I don’t know,” and then used the intellectual’s latest, snarky transitional word “So,” we saw how he...

Leno: Obama Holds Press Conferences to Find Out What’s Going on Not Explain It By Noel Sheppard Created 05/22/2013 - 11:10am Jay Leno on Tuesday continued his humorous attacks on the current White House resident. The NBC Tonight Show host concluded a series of opening monologue jokes targeting the administration saying, “That's why President Obama holds press conferences: not to explain what's going on, to find out what's going on” (video follows with transcript and absolutely no need for additional commentary): JAY LENO: Hey, President Obama gave a commencement address at Morehouse College over the weekend. Great speech, very inspiring....

A couple of weeks ago, President Obama warned college grads about crazy people (like John Adams, for example) who warn about the constant threat of tyranny in government... He might have to give that speech to a few more groups, because a new poll suggests that Americans are going with John Adams:

ARMED DHS GUARDS greeted St. Louis Tea Party protesters at the Town and Country IRS office on Tuesday. Around 300 protesters turned out anyway. DHS parked their vehicles right outside the IRS office just in case the Tea Party protesters got crazy and violent. But the DHS intimidation was not isolated to St. Louis. In Los Angeles DHS put a chopper in the air and told Tea Party protesters they could not be on federal property. They had to move away from the building. This report came from a Tea Party protester in California. Many of our 300 tea party...