World News Korner

Courtesy of the Daily Beast:

If Alaska Democrat Mark Begich wins re-election to the U.S. Senate, he may have Republican state legislators to thank.

Because the Alaska Legislature failed to gavel out by its statutory deadline last week, the November ballot has morphed into an electoral blockbuster. Three initiatives that were supposed to appear in the August primary have been bumped to the general election. So now, on top of deciding whether they want reelect a Democrat in a year where Republicans could seize control of Congress, Alaskans will be voting on initiatives to increase the minimum wage, to allow the sale of marijuana, and to make it harder to build an unpopular open-pit mine near the world’s largest salmon run.

Any one of those initiatives could be seen as a gift to Democrats. Together, they could boost turnout by up to 5 percent, according to political scientist Caroline Tolbert.

“The conditions are ripe for these ballot measure to potentially shape the races in 2014,” says Tolbert, a professor at the University of Iowa.

While Alaska is uniquely difficult to survey, the polls that have been done on those initiatives show they’re popular in the state. They do especially well with younger and often more liberal voters.

I think the Republicans really crewed the pooch by allowing this marijuana vote to make it onto the ballot in November. Alaskans may be apathetic about a lot of things, but getting high is not one of them.

And with Colorado already seeing huge revenues and positive outcomes from their choice to legalize pot, Alaskans are definitely poised to join the party.

Add to that the votes on the minimum wage and the Pebble Mine, and this would appear to be a blowout for the progressives.

So with that in mind, IF this election goes another way for Begich, Alaskans MUST be ready to challenge the results and attempt to finally do away with the election fraud that has plagued this state for decades.

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Courtesy of the raging rabid wretch's Facebook page:

With gravel in his gut and pitbull tenacity THIS is what America needs. Thank you, Congressman Trey Gowdy and others who are determined to avenge the murders of our brave Americans in Benghazi, and will also prove the insulting, sinful Obama Administration Benghazi cover-up.

You lied again, Team Obama, but light shall shine on what's hidden in Washington's darkness with Republican lawmakers' laser like focus on the truth. America deserves nothing less.

"Gravel in his gut?" What is he a bird?

Yep, kind of looks like one.

Palin then links to a Newswmax article in which Gowdy, who is to be named head of the Special Benghazi Committee, claims that he has "proof" that "there was a systematic, intentional decision to withhold certain documents from Congress."

Of course his claims cannot be disclosed yet, because, you know, he has to invent them first. But his hint of such evidence is more than enough to agitate the always angry and ready to pounce Snowdrift Snooki, and get those poison glands activated.

I am sure that many of you are familiar with Congressman Gowdy's antics (He once called National Security Adviser Susan Rice "Stunningly ignorant."), and his dogged, and often completely unhinged focus on Benghazi virtually since it first happened. (He is also known for having the most confusing hair in Congress.)

You literally cannot go any place in Right Wing media without running into multiple stories on Benghazi right now.

This recently released memo, which is really much ado about nothing, has caused a response that borders on mass hysteria from the wingnuts.

It really seems as if they feel this is their last chance to make something big out of this terrible tragedy, and they are not going to let it slip through their fingers.

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That has got to be one of the best pieces of footage ever! I love the "disrespectful, thin-skinned liberals" part.

Here is more courtesy of the New York Daily News:

An U.S. Senate candidate in Oregon sounded off against a reporter who scribbled “blah, blah, blah” in his notebook during a candidate panel discussion.

Mark Callahan, the Tea Party pick in the Republican primary, blasted reporter Nigel Jaquiss for his notetaking when the five GOP contenders in the race spoke to the Willamette Week newspaper seeking an endorsement.

Jaquiss and other editors interviewed the candidates, but Callahan was miffed he wasn’t getting equal time to answer questions as the frontrunners in the race, Monica Wehby and Jason Conger.

Then Callahan blew a fuse observing Jaquiss’ dismissive doodle when another candidate, Jo-Rae Perkins, delivered a lengthy answer via conference call.

So WAS the reporter being disrespectful?

Jaquiss, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2005, confirmed his notebook scribble to the Daily News.

“When Ms. Perkins then insisted on answering a question about the Affordable Care Act, I found her answer nonresponsive — she veered off into advocating for the dissolution of the Bureaus of Land Management and the Interior and the Forest Service — and repetitive, and I did write ‘blah, blah, blah.'’’

"Our endorsement process is for the benefit of our readers and web audience, rather than the candidates, and we make no promise of equal time. He did not like that answer," the journalist added about Callahan.

Remember these were his personal notes, not something that he was planning to publish in his newspaper. I imagine there are plenty of times when reporters scribble something like "blah, blah, blah" when they hear one of these cut and paste responses about doing away with government agencies by conservative candidates.

So where did Callahan get his righteous indignation from? The Boy Scouts, of course.

"I developed my moral and ethical foundation from my involvement in Boy Scouts when I was younger, and being an Eagle Scout myself," he told the Daily News.

Anyhow the Williamette Week ended up endorsing another Republican candidate.

I know, go figure right?

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Here is more from the Wasilla Wendigo:

Dan Bongino is a unique candidate in politics today. His boots on the ground experience in Washington, D.C. has given him the wisdom and warrior spirit we need to stop the far left liberal agenda that is fundamentally transforming America. A bonus for all of us is Dan’s background and rigorous training as a U.S. Secret Service agent. He’ll put to good use the positive characteristics that have been instilled in him with tenacity and dedication to principles. (Apparently trust and respect for his President were not characteristics that Dan learned while serving in the Secret Service.) We need more like him!

I was proud to support Dan’s candidacy in 2010 for U.S. Senate against an entrenched liberal in a state that many in the GOP had long abandoned. (He actually ran in 2012, and lost to Senator Ben Cardin. Nice of Palin to not even get the date of that race right.) We’re not giving up! Maryland deserves the best, and Congress sure needs the help, so Dan is back, more prepared than ever! It’s an honor to support Dan in his bid to reclaim a very important Congressional seat. He’s running for the right reasons. He’s prepared for this opportunity to serve the people and to put government back on our side by getting it off our back. Watch some of Dan’s past videos and speeches and there will be no doubt he’s worthy of your support.

These elections are more than just liberal vs. conservative or Republican vs. Democrat – it’s come down to us vs. them – the people vs. the politicians. We need more of “We the People” – like Dan – to take on Washington and take our country back.

A staunch defender of our liberties and Constitution, Dan will be an important voice for our cause in Congress. As a Secret Service agent, Dan has seen first hand the ugly underbelly of Washington, D.C. behind the scenes – backroom deals and crony capitalism at its worst. He knows better than most what we are up against and how to combat it. Let’s cede no ground in the fight to restore America in 2014. Please get behind Dan Bongino and send him to Congress where he will help lead America toward exceptionalism again!

- Sarah Palin

Apparently Bongino used his experiences while in the Secret Service to write a book, a real no no among that elite group, and then use THAT as a springboard for his candidacy.

The book seemed to do fairly well and even made it onto the New York Times and Amazon Best Sellers list.

However it was not as well received by Republicans, one of who said the following:

Bongino has brought shame to the Secret Service and done a disservice to the president of the United States. It’s bad enough that future book writers are everywhere among us in Washington. Everyone has had to learn to tailor their remarks in order to anticipate how an author will characterize them in a book about “insider” Washington. White House staff and Cabinet members supply enough kiss-and-tells and self-serving accounts of what goes on inside the White House. But one of the president’s personal bodyguards writing a book that betrays the trust between the Secret Service and the commander in chief is beyond the pale. And as everybody in Washington knows, I have a pretty big pale.

Anyway, during my time in the White House, I worked in close proximity to the Secret Service, and based on what I know about those men and women, I bet they are sickened by the very idea that one of their own would write a book like this.

And that last assessment seems to be accurate, as this is what the agents said about his claims that he had " been in the room during some of the most important conversations."

Secret Service agents who served with Bongino but asked for anonymity confirmed his resume, but said the candidate "tends to exaggerate his importance on the presidential detail and exaggerate his proximity."

"We don't sit in on meetings at the White House. We don't sit in on high-level meetings," the agents said.

And their overall assessment:

"He's trying to draw attention to himself and he's hijacking the Secret Service brand," agents who had worked with Bongino told ABCNews.com. "That's all he's got going for him."

With that lack of integrity, of COURSE he received Palin's endorsement.

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For those of you who were asking I got a little info on the case.

From what I understand the hearing actually already happened, and I don't believe it involved having either of the parties showing up to the courtroom. In fact Tiemessen, the Palin lawyer, participated telephonically according to Court View.

I would assume that the first appearance before the judge will happen sometime in the mid to late summer, depending on the number of cases scheduled for the Palmer courthouse.

Until then I would expect Bristol to stay in town, and to be VERY cooperative with Levi in the hopes of demonstrating that she is not unreasonable, and that she was not taking Tripp out of state to be punitive.

Of course Levi has hours of reality show video, and undoubtedly other electronic interactions to prove exactly why she did what she did.

I really have a good feeling about this case, and think that this may very well be one that the Palins end up losing,

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Justice Roy Moore

Courtesy of Raw Story:

Speaking at the Pastor for Life Luncheon, which was sponsored by Pro-Life Mississippi, Chief Justice Roy Moore of the Alabama Supreme Court declared that the First Amendment only applies to Christians because “Buddha didn’t create us, Mohammed didn’t create us, it was the God of the Holy Scriptures” who created us.

“They didn’t bring the Koran over on the pilgrim ship,” he continued. “Let’s get real, let’s go back and learn our history. Let’s stop playing games.”

Moore also shared his views on abortion and the keys to happiness. (Here's a hint, it's all about God.)
“Now,” he continued, “if technology’s supposed to increase our knowledge, how did we become so stupid?” Discussing Thomas Jefferson’s use of “life” in the Declaration of Independence, he said that “when [Jefferson] put ‘life’ in there, it was in the womb — we know it begins at conception. Why aren’t we going the right way instead of the wrong way?”

He later said that “you can’t be happy unless you follow God’s law, and if you follow God’s law, you can’t help but be happy.”

Well I am no theologian but I have certainly met my fair share of disgruntled and unhappy Christians in my time.

This guy is supposed to defend the Constitution of the United States of America, NOT the Bible.

And there is NO way that Jefferson was talking about the life of a fetus, especially at a time when infant mortality rates were over 50%. It would be incredibly ignorant at the time to count life as beginning at conception, when the likelihood of seeing a life birth was so incredibly low.

This guy demonstrates a crippling lack of intelligence, and is clearly far more concerned with supporting Biblical principles, and protecting Christians, than he is in justice, or protecting the Constitution.

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Courtesy of Buzzfeed:

A Navy SEAL who served in the military for 14 years and worked on covert anti-drug operations has admitted to smuggling 10 kilos of cocaine into the United States, according to records from the federal district court in Miami and a source familiar with his service.

The SEAL, Angel Martinez-Ramos, left active duty in 2010 but continued to deploy on missions as a reservist, court papers say. He had drug paraphernalia, including a money-counting machine and drug-testing equipment, at home, the documents say. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import cocaine and is currently in custody in Miami awaiting sentencing.

His case comes in the wake of another embarrassment for the elite SEALs, the commandos famous for killing Osama bin Laden. Earlier this year, two former members of the group died after consuming heroin and alcohol on a commercial ship they had been hired to protect from pirates.

I want to make it clear that this post should in no way be perceived as anti-military in any way.

However I think it is important to remind people that the current deifying of our men and women in the armed services needs to stop.

Many of those in our fighting forces are exemplary and honest human beings, who courageously put their lives on the line to protect American interests overseas. Not our freedom, but our interests.

It must be remembered however that some of these guys are simply average men doing a very challenging job, who may or may not have the highest ethical or moral standards. As we have seen all too often.

Whenever we put any group of people on a pedestal, like the Right Wing so often does with our military, we risk not paying critical enough attention to who they are, and what they do.

Don't forget that these are individuals who travel to a foreign land and kill citizens of that land when ordered to do so, without ever knowing for sure if they are innocent, guilty, or simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sadly we need people like this in the world, but we should always remember that a job like that requires a certain ability to suspend their empathetic natures, a skill that some pick up over time, and which some never had holding them back in the first place.

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