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Politics : How Quickly Can Obama Totally Destroy the US? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	12/22/2013 5:26:18 PM
From: joseffy	Respond to of 16547

Britain Grovels Further for Sharia ......................................................................................................... M&S tells Muslim staff they CAN refuse to serve customers buying alcohol or pork Marks & Spencer's policy applies to Muslim staff in more than 700 stores Shoppers are being asked to wait to pay for certain items at different till Highlights divide among mainstream food retailers over religious workers By Sophie Jane Evans 22 December 2013 dailymail.co.uk Marks & Spencer has told Muslim staff they can refuse to serve shoppers buying alcohol or pork, it has been revealed. The chain has granted checkout workers in more than 700 stores permission to politely decline to serve customers for religious reasons. Instead, shoppers are being asked to wait to pay for certain items at a different till. Policy: Marks & Spencer has told Muslim staff they can refuse to serve shoppers buying alcohol or pork Wait: Instead, shoppers are being asked to wait to pay for goods like alcohol at a different till (file picture) The policy highlights a divide among the mainstream food retailers over whether religious staff should be excused from certain tasks. In contrast to M&S, Sainsbury's has told Muslim staff that there is no reason why they cannot handle goods such as alcohol and pork - even if they are not allowed to eat or drink the products. A spokesman said the retailer's official guidelines - which see everyone treated 'fairly' - were written following consultations with religious groups, according to The Sunday Telegraph. However, Morrisons - which is based in Bradford, where there is a large Muslim population - said it had a long-standing commitment to 'respecting and working around' workers' wishes not to handle certain products for religious or cultural reasons. Decision: The chain said the policy of tolerance acknowledges the beliefs of other religious workers Meanwhile, Asda bosses have chosen not to allow Muslims who object to handling alcohol to serve customers on checkouts. And Tesco agreed it 'would make no sense' to employ staff on a till who refused to touch specific items - but said it treats each case individually, with no specific policy in place. Last week, shoppers buying alcoholic drinks for Christmas at a M&S store in central London were asked by a Muslim checkout worker to wait to be served by another member of staff. One customer - who wishes to remain unnamed - told the newspaper she was 'taken aback' by the worker's request. Contrast: However, Sainsbury's has issued guidelines stating that all staff members must be treated 'fairly' 'I had one bottle of champagne, and the lady - who was wearing a headscarf - was very apologetic but said she could not serve me,' said the customer. 'She told me to wait until another member of staff was available.' A M&S spokesman said the policy of tolerance acknowledges the beliefs of other religious workers, including Christians and Jews. He added that the major retailer strives to promote 'an environment free from discrimination'. In October this year, two Muslim workers won a discrimination case against Tesco after their bosses kept their prayer room locked. 'No sense': Meanwhile, Tesco said it 'would make no sense' to employ staff who refused to touch specific items Abdirisak Aden and Mahamed Hasan, both aged 27, were among a number of devout Muslim employees at the supermarket who had lobbied for a prayer room since 2006. In 2008, managers agreed to set aside a security office at the distribution depot in Crick, Northamptonshire, as a prayer room for Muslims. But four years later, bosses set new restrictions on the use of the room which included keeping it locked when it was not in use. Following an employment tribunal, Tesco was guilty of indirect discrimination - with the men awarded an undisclosed sum for ‘injury to their feelings’. Read more: dailymail.co.uk

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	12/23/2013 10:36:42 PM
From: joseffy	Respond to of 16547

Susan Rice defends Benghazi interviews ............................................................................... By ANDREA DRUSCH \| 12/22/13 politico.com National Security Adviser Susan Rice says she has no regrets about taking the Sunday show interviews that brought her career under fire in September 2012. Pressed Sunday on CBS’s “60 Minutes” as to why Hillary Clinton didn’t appear for interviews following the lethal attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Rice said she had filled in willingly because of the then-secretary of state’s particularly “painful” and “stressful” week. “I don’t have time to think about the false controversy,” Rice said. “In the midst of all of swirl about things like talking points, the administration has been working very, very hard across the globe to review our security of our embassies and our facilities. That’s what we ought to be focused on.” Speaking in 2012 on multiple TV shows four days after the Benghazi attacks killed four, Rice hewed to the initial White House line that the attacks were a spontaneous response to protest an anti-Muslim video. “This is not an expression of hostility in the broadest sense toward the United States or to U.S. policy,” Rice said at the time. Accusations that Rice made deliberately misleading statements about the attacks being “spontaneous” in the interviews later led her, Stahl said, to miss a chance to be nominated as secretary of state. CBS host Lesley Stahl pressed on whether Rice ever wished she hadn’t taken the interviews. “If you hadn’t taken those interviews, I’d be calling you madam secretary,” Stahl said. “You can call me Susan,” Rice shot back, ending questions on the incident for which the former U.N. ambassador has become most known. Rice also discussed balancing her roles: She is the first U.S. national security adviser who is also a mom. Rice said she worked 14 to 16 hours per day, often pulling herself away from soccer games to take calls on her BlackBerry. politico.com

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	12/23/2013 10:44:32 PM
From: joseffy	Respond to of 16547

Susan Rice Defends James Clapper And The Indefensible ....................................................................................................... news.investors.com NSA Spying: The diplomat who blamed four American deaths in Benghazi on a video claims the denials by the director of national intelligence of blanket surveillance of Americans were inadvertent false representations. It might have been slightly more credible had Pajama Boy appeared on CBS' "60 Minutes" broadcast on Sunday instead of Susan Rice. The current national security adviser and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations participated in a puff piece that might have been an episode of, "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" For viewers, it was deja vu all over again. Rice went on five Sunday talk shows on Sept. 16, 2012, five days after an al-Qaida-linked terrorist attack killed four Americans — including the first U.S. ambassador to die on duty in three decades — to parrot the administration lie that it was a spontaneous demonstration provoked by a video. This time, she claimed she had no time to revisit a "false controversy" about talking points, or, as President Obama has described Benghazi, just one of many "phony scandals." Rice did have time, though, to repeat the line that she subbed for Secretary Hillary Clinton that Sunday because Clinton "had just gone through an incredibly painful and stressful week" and "had to reach out to the families, had to greet the bodies upon their arrival at Andrews Air Force Base." Part of that stressful week in September 2012 included Clinton repeating the video lie to Charles Woods, father of Tyrone Woods, one of the four killed in Benghazi, in front of his son's casket. "Her countenance was not good, and she made this statement to me . .. she said we will make sure that the person who made that film is arrested and prosecuted," he told radio host Glenn Beck. On a more recent controversy, the National Security Agency's blanket surveillance program, which U.S. District Judge Richard Leon recently said was in violation of the Fourth Amendment guarantee against unreasonable search and seizure, Rice defended Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and his defense of the program. Seven GOP members of the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday called for a perjury investigation of Clapper for his false testimony to Congress in March about the NSA. Clapper was asked by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, if the NSA collected "any type of data at all on millions of Americans." Clapper responded with a "No, sir." "There are cases," Clapper added, "where they could inadvertently perhaps collect (intelligence on Americans), but not wittingly." When that was exposed as a lie, Clapper denied lying, telling NBC news afterward: "I responded in what I thought was the most truthful, or least untruthful, manner by saying 'no.'" Asked about this by CBS correspondent Lesley Stahl on "60 Minutes," Rice said this and other statements about the NSA program were merely "inadvertently made false representations." Still, Rice insisted, NSA surveillance has been worth the shredding of the Constitution. She also argued "the fact that we have not had a successful attack on our homeland since 9/11 should not be diminished." She apparently forgot the Boston marathon bombing. In that case, the NSA's blanket surveillance did not detect Tamerlan Tsarnaev's reported interest in building the pressure-cooker bombs that would be used to devastating effect. Nor did it catch his visit to the al-Qaida online magazine Inspire for its "Build a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom" recipe. Neither did the massive databases uncover the online communications that Tsarnaev had with a known Muslim extremist in Dagestan. This is the most opaque administration in history, and trotting out Rice to whitewash hers and other people's lies doesn't help, even if her statements might have been the least untruthful she's capable of making. As Clinton et al might put it, what difference does it make now anyway?

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	12/24/2013 11:15:30 AM
From: joseffy	Respond to of 16547

*COMPLICATED: White House Admits Obama Couldn't Use Website To Sign Up...*

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	12/24/2013 11:15:54 AM
From: joseffy	Respond to of 16547

Healthcare.gov still crashing on last day...

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	12/27/2013 3:03:57 PM
From: joseffy	1 Recommendation Recommended By Honey_Bee Respond to of 16547

Eric Holder believes in using the government as an instrument of racial revenge.

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	1/2/2014 1:24:03 AM
From: joseffy	Respond to of 16547

‘Hillary killed my son’ (Sean Smith's Mother Responds to NYT Article on Benghazi) .......................................................................................................... World ^ \| Dec. 31, 2013 \| J.C. Derrick

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	1/2/2014 1:30:20 AM
From: joseffy	Respond to of 16547

The Times story contradicted the sworn testimony of Gregory Hicks, then the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Libya, who in May told the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that the YouTube video was a non-event for Libyans. Hicks—who spoke by phone with Stevens during the attack, the last known conversation the ambassador had—said he talked with Clinton at 2 a.m. local time, and the video was never discussed as even a possible reason for the attack. Hicks said he was stunned when he heard the administration blaming the film: “My jaw dropped. And I was embarrassed.” According to Victoria Toensing, Hicks’ legal counsel, Kirkpatrick made no attempt to talk to Hicks for his article or the book. “It’s obvious he didn’t want to talk to my client,” she told me.

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	1/4/2014 10:08:16 AM
From: joseffy	1 Recommendation Recommended By Honey_Bee Respond to of 16547

The Iraq Blunder is clearly shaping up to be another Obama disaster---His precipitous, incompetent withdrawal from Iraq without providing for continued security. He inherited a stable, manageable situation and has managed to turn it into a new home for al Qaeda. You cannot elect an idiot like Obama to run the greatest country in the world without doing real damage.

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	1/8/2014 12:51:08 PM
From: joseffy	1 Recommendation Recommended By Honey_Bee Respond to of 16547

Emails Tie Top Christie Aides to Lane Closings, Despite Denials ............................................................................... By KATE ZERNIKE JAN. 8, 2014 nytimes.com A series of newly obtained emails and text messages shows that Gov. Chris Christie’s office was closely involved with lane closings on the New Jersey side of the George Washington Bridge in September, and that officials closed the lanes in what appeared to be retribution against the mayor whose town was gridlocked as a result. Mr. Christie has insisted that his staff and his campaign office had nothing to do with the local lane closings, and said that they were done as part of a traffic study. But the emails show that Bridget Anne Kelly, a deputy chief of staff in Mr. Christie’s office, gave a signal to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to close the lanes about two weeks before the closings occurred. “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” she emailed David Wildstein, Mr. Christie’s close friend from high school, and one of his appointees at the Port Authority, which controls the bridge. Christie Views Lane Closings on George Washington Bridge as OverblownDEC. 13, 2013 After the emails were released on Wednesday, Mr. Christie canceled his one public event for the day, which had been billed as an announcement of progress in the recovery from Hurricane Sandy. Mr. Christie’s handpicked chairman of the Port Authority, David Samson, was also involved in the closings, according to the emails, which describe his efforts to “retaliate” against New York officials who had not been told of the changes and sought to ease the gridlock. The emails indicate that Mr. Christie’s staff and his associates at the Port Authority were closely aware of the political context. Mr. Christie, a Republican, was leaning on local Democratic officials to endorse his re-election bid so that he could then seek his party’s presidential nomination by arguing that he was the candidate who could attract bipartisan support in a blue state. The mayor of Fort Lee, Mark Sokolich, is a Democrat and did not endorse Mr. Christie. In the emails and texts released Wednesday, Mr. Christie’s staff and appointees were gleeful when the abrupt lane closings gridlocked the town for four days, beginning with the first day of school and including the anniversary of Sept. 11. Mr. Sokolich, who had not been informed of the closings, texted the governor’s top appointee at the Port Authority asking for “help” because the lane closings were making children on buses late to school. “Is it wrong that I am smiling?” Mr. Wildstein texted Ms. Kelly. “No,” she texted back. “I feel badly about the kids,” he texted. “They are the children of Buono voters,” she said, referring to Mr. Christie’s Democratic opponent, Barbara Buono, who was trailing consistently in the polls and lost by a wide margin. Ms. Kelly is one of three deputy chiefs of staff in Mr. Christie’s office, and a close member of his team. Her Twitter timeline includes pictures of her celebrating her 40th birthday last year with the governor and other members of his staff. After the lane closings were reversed by New York officials at the Port Authority, New Jersey officials expressed panic that their plan was not causing enough trouble. “The New York side gave Fort Lee back all three lanes this morning. We are appropriately going nuts,” Mr. Wildstein wrote to Ms. Kelly. “Samson helping us to retaliate.” “What??” she emailed back. “Yes, unreal. Fixed now,” he emailed. Mr. Sokolich texted Bill Baroni, Mr. Christie’s chief appointee at the Port Authority, later that month seeking to understand why the lanes were closed, and said that people were saying it was “punishment.” “Try as I may to dispel these rumors I am having a tough time,” he wrote. Mr. Baroni, Ms. Kelly and Mr. Wildstein showed some alarm, swearing and discussing how they could avoid him while also quieting the growing controversy. The documents were obtained by The New York Times and other news outlets Wednesday. They are heavily redacted by Port Authority officials, who turned them over under a subpoena from Democratic legislators investigating the lane closings, making it hard to determine in some cases who is speaking. But they indicate that Mr. Christie’s staff, appointees at the Port Authority and his campaign office were all intimately involved in discussing the growing scandal and how to react to it as early as October. One series of text messages between Ms. Kelly and Mr. Wildstein indicates that in early August, at the same time they were discussing the plan for the lane closings, they were trying to set up a meeting between Mr. Christie and Mr. Samson. It is not clear, however, that the meeting was regarding the lane closings, although later emails make clear that Mr. Samson was involved in those plans. Mr. Baroni and Mr. Wildstein resigned their positions in December as the scandal threatened Mr. Christie’s political fortunes.

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	1/8/2014 12:55:50 PM
From: joseffy	1 Recommendation Recommended By Honey_Bee Respond to of 16547

Christie Aide: 'Time for Some Traffic Problems ................................................................................ 'Top Christie Aide Told Port Authority Executive That It Was 'Time for Some Traffic Problems in Fort Lee' Before Lane Closures online.wsj.com By Ted Mann and Heather Haddon Jan. 8, 2014 A top aide to Gov. Chris Christie told an executive at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey it was "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" before the authority closed lanes onto the George Washington Bridge in September, triggering a week of massive traffic jams, documents show. The aide, Bridget Anne Kelly, sent the email, dated Aug. 13, to David Wildstein, a political ally of the governor who was the authority's director of interstate capital projects. Mr. Wildstein, replied: "Got it." New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during an event on Jan. 7. AP The email exchange is the clearest sign that a series of lane closures on the bridge in September were carried out at the behest of high-ranking members of Mr. Christie's administration. It is in contrast with the original explanation for the closures — that they were part of a mishandled traffic study by Mr. Wildstein, a career political operative and friend of Mr. Christie's for years. Democrats have suggested the lane closures were a political gesture from allies of the governor, aimed at Fort Lee's Democratic mayor, who had declined to endorse Mr. Christie for reelection. The email exchange is contained in a trove of documents subpoenaed from the authority, Mr. Wildstein, and others as part of a Democrat-led investigation of the incident by the New Jersey Assembly Transportation Committee. The documents were reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. In the past, Mr. Christie has dismissed the inquiry and the traffic incident, once joking that he himself had moved the traffic cones to close off the lanes usually dedicated for local traffic coming onto the bridge. But the controversy has deepened since then. Mr. Wildstein and Bill Baroni, the deputy executive director and Mr. Christie's top managerial appointee at the authority, both resigned, though Mr. Christie suggested their resignations weren't directly linked to the bridge flap. David Wildstein at a Port Authority meeting on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012. Kevin R. Wexler/The Record Mr. Wildstein and Ms. Kelly, a deputy chief staff for Mr. Christie, couldn't immediately be reached for comment. A spokesman for Mr. Christie didn't immediately respond to a request for comment and a public appearance scheduled for Wednesday was cancelled. The emails and text exchanges are among records supplied to the committee by Mr. Wildstein, in compliance with a subpoena for records related to the bridge flap. The committee chairman, Assemblyman John Wisniewski, has said the committee received thousands of pages of documents from those it has subpoenaed, including executives at the Port Authority and Messrs. Wildstein and Baroni. The documents also show Mr. Wildstein discussing the controversy with Bill Stepien, Mr. Christie's campaign manager and one of his most trusted advisers, after the flap was reported in The Wall Street Journal. Bill Baroni testifying at a hearing with lawmakers about the bridge lane closures. Peter J. Smith for The Wall Street Journal "It's fine. The mayor is an idiot, though," Mr. Stepien wrote to Mr. Wildstein after a Journal story on the controversy in September. "[Win] some, lose some." "I had empty boxes ready to take to work today, just in case," Mr. Wildstein wrote. He added, in an apparent reference to Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich: "It will be a tough November for this little Serbian." Mr. Sokolich said in an interview Wednesday, "I didn't sign up for this petty political insanity." Mr. Sokolich said he was now convinced he'd been the target of retribution for not endorsing Mr. Christie. "I've been punished not for something I've done, but for something I didn't do," Mr. Sokolich said. "This is the behavior of a bully in a schoolyard. It is the greatest example of political payback." Also, Mr. Sokolich said he is Croatian. In the documents, Mr. Wildstein assures Ms. Kelly in an email that he will keep her informed of "how Fort Lee goes." The documents also show Mr. Wildstein and Mr. Baroni declining to return calls from Mr. Sokolich on the first morning of the closures, in which he complains about "an urgent matter of public safety in Fort Lee." "Did he call him back?" Ms. Kelly writes to Mr. Wildstein in an email, after Mr. Wildstein forwarded Mr. Sokolich's message left with Mr. Baroni. "Radio silence," Mr. Wildstein replied, adding a reference to the mayor of Jersey City, with whom the Christie administration has tussled. "His name comes right after mayor Fulop." Ms. Kelly replied one minute later: "Ty," a shorthand for thank you. The documents include a series of text exchanges sent during the lane closures, which were provided to the committee by Mr. Wildstein's attorney and contained large blocks blacked out text. The text exchanges show Mr. Wildstein conversing with various individuals, whose identities aren't always clear. "I feel badly about the kids," one text reads, sent at 8:05 a.m. on the second morning of the closures. Fort Lee officials have said that school buses were severely delayed by the traffic jams. "They are the children of Buono voters," someone replies. Barbara Buono was Mr. Christie's Democratic opponent in the race for governor. When reached for comment Wednesday, Ms. Buono said, "It's a clear abuse of power. This is what is being inflicted on the people of New Jersey."

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	1/8/2014 4:38:20 PM
From: joseffy	Respond to of 16547

Same pattern---Air Force general to retire after criticism for handling of sexual-assault case ............................................................................................................. Washington Post ^ \| 1/8/2014 \| Craig Whitlock Obama (Valerie Jarrett) removing entire top US military commanders

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	1/9/2014 10:00:03 AM
From: joseffy	Respond to of 16547

Christie Bridge Flap Worsens: EMS Responders Delayed ..................................................................................... Thursday, 09 Jan 2014 By Todd Beamon iowntheworld.com New Jersey emergency personnel faced huge delays in responding to four medical emergencies — including one involving an unconscious 91-year-old woman — because of major gridlock when lanes were closed on the George Washington Bridge in September. The woman later died at a hospital in Fort Lee, N.J., the local news website NorthJersey.com reports. As the scandal worsened Thursday, Gov. Chris Christie announced that he would be holding a press conference at 11 a.m. Paul Favia, the EMS coordinator for Fort Lee, told Mayor Mark Sokolich in a Sept. 10 letter that response times doubled for responders in two of the four incidents, NorthJersey.com reports. The delays occurred Sept. 9-13, when the George Washington Bridge experienced massive gridlock because the access lanes had been closed for a traffic study. Thousands of commuters found themselves stuck in traffic for hours when lanes had been shut down without prior notice. The spiraling controversy surrounding the closures grew on Wednesday when emails and text messages were published showing that a top aide to Christie had a critical role in the controversial closing of the bridge's lanes. Critics have charged that the lanes were closed in retaliation because Sokolich, a Democrat, did not support Christie's re-election bid last year. Though Christie has denied that he or any of his staff had any role in the closings, he said in a statement on Wednesday that he was outraged at the revelations in the emails and text messages and vowed that "people would be held responsible" for the closings. "What I’ve seen today for the first time is unacceptable," Christie, considered a 2016 presidential candidate, said in a statement. "I am outraged and deeply saddened to learn that not only was I misled by a member of my staff, but this completely inappropriate and unsanctioned conduct was made without my knowledge." The Newark Star-Ledger, which published the emails and the texts, said in an editorial that Christie was not fit for office — on the state or national level — regardless of his role in the Bridgegate scandal. The George Washington Bridge, which connects New Jersey with New York, is among the world's busiest — carrying more than 300,000 vehicles on a typical day. Normally, three of the 12 eastbound toll booths heading into New York from New Jersey on the bridge are set aside for morning rush-hour traffic. But during the September traffic study, the three lanes were cut to one, and the other two lanes were dedicated to regular traffic. In his letter to Sokolich, Favia told the mayor that EMS crews took seven to nine minutes to arrive at the scene of a car accident in which four people were injured on Sept. 9, the first day of the traffic snarls. Response times regularly should have been within four minutes, Favia said in the letter, NorthJersey.com reports. Further, EMS responders took seven minutes to reach the unconscious 91-year-old woman, the website reports. She later died of cardiac arrest. Favia did not say in his letter that the woman's death was directly caused by the traffic delays, but he noted that "paramedics were delayed due to heavy traffic . . . and had to meet the ambulance en route to the hospital instead of on the scene." In a third medical emergency that morning, Favia's crew took nearly an hour to get to where someone was experiencing chest pains "due to standstill traffic on Route 46 East." "The Mutual Aid ambulance . . . and paramedics . . . were also delayed due to the excessive traffic," Favia wrote. The next morning, a call that should have taken at most four minutes to respond to took seven, NorthJersey.com reports. In that case, a man also was having chest pains, Favia wrote. Related Stories: Christie: I Was Misled By Staff on Bridge Closings Emails Link Christie's Top Aides to Bridgegate Scandal newsmax.com

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	1/9/2014 2:56:24 PM
From: joseffy	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 16547

Chris Christie Fires 'Stupid' and 'Deceitful' Staffer, Apologizes to New Jersey .......................................................................................................................... Bridge-gate leaves New Jersey governor 'embarrassed and humiliated' By Rebekah Metzler January 9, 2013 usnews.com New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said during a news conference Thursday that he fired the aide who engineered the traffic jams and that he is "embarrassed and humiliated." New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was unequivocal in his condemnation of the actions taken by some of his staffers last fall to exact political retribution by closing George Washington Bridge traffic lanes and causing major backups, but he continued to deny any prior knowledge of the plot in a press conference Thursday. Christie began by apologizing to the people of Fort Lee and New Jersey, and said he would be traveling to Fort Lee later Thursday to repeat his sentiment directly to the most affected community. "I am embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of some of the people on my team," Christie said. [ READ: Chris Christie Denies Traffic-Gate Involvement, Says He's 'Outraged'] The potential Republican 2016 presidential candidate deftly tried to mitigate any negative press from the incident, which boiled over Wednesday when damning emails were revealed in New Jersey's The Record, showing the role that Christie's deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, played in plotting the traffic jam. Christie, who at times had mocked reporters for asking questions about the possibility that the closures were politically motivated, acknowledged he should have done a better job "to understand the true nature of the problem sooner than I did." "I am heartbroken that someone who I permitted to be in that circle of trust for the last five years betrayed my trust," he said. "I would never have come out here and made a joke about these lane closures if I had ever had an inkling that anyone on my staff would have been so stupid but to be involved and then so deceitful to not disclose the information of their involvement when directly asked by their superior." [ ALSO: Chris Christie to Hold Press Conference Over Bridge Email] Christie said he fired Kelly Thursday morning for lying to him and has asked Bill Stepien, his former campaign manager, to withdraw from taking over as New Jersey Republican Party chairman. Christie also said he advised against the Republican Governors Association – of which Christie serves as chairman – using Stepien as a political consultant. The New Jersey governor, who has cultivated a reputation as a brash, straight-talking pol, said he is continuing to hold one-on-one discussions with his staff about what happened and why, and that he may yet take more disciplinary action. Meanwhile, the New Jersey U.S. attorney has said he is opening an investigation into the matter. "Ultimately I am responsible for what happens under my watch, the good and the bad, and when mistakes are made then I have to own up to them," Christie said during his lengthy press conference. While using a fairly contrite tone throughout, Christie repeatedly denied any role in the controversy. [ OPINION: Bridge Over a Troubling Personality] "I had no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or its execution, and I am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here," he said. "This was handled in a callous and indifferent way and it is not the way this administration has conducted itself over the last four years." The scandal threatens to mar Christie's greatest political asset: the trust voters have that he's being straight with them. But his deft handling of the fallout – and its coming well ahead of any actual presidential politicking – likely means he will be able to survive any permanent reputational setback the scandal has temporarily caused. Unless, of course, there's still more to the story. Rebekah Metzler, a disgusting stooge, is a political writer for U.S. News & World Report. You can follow her on Twitter or reach her at rmetzler@usnews.com.

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	1/9/2014 3:25:35 PM
From: joseffy	1 Recommendation Recommended By Shoot1st Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 16547

Obama Has Committed a Crime .......................................................................................... US Code ^ \| 1/09/2014 \| U.S. Code › Title 18 › Part I › Chapter 47 › § 1035 18 U.S. Code § 1035 - False statements relating to health care matters (a) Whoever, in any matter involving a health care benefit program, knowingly and willfully— falsifies, conceals, or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact; or makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or representations, or makes or uses any materially false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry, in connection with the delivery of or payment for health care benefits, items, or services, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both. (b) As used in this section, the term “health care benefit program” has the meaning given such term in section 24 (b) of this title.

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	1/9/2014 4:22:42 PM
From: joseffy	Respond to of 16547

Lake Michigan Waves Birth Giant Ice Balls...

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	1/9/2014 6:20:35 PM
From: joseffy	1 Recommendation Recommended By Honey_Bee Respond to of 16547

Hitler and President Obama similarities: 1--Hated Jews. 2--Hated the US. 3--Pushed gun confiscation. 4--Cultivated the muslims 5--Enemy of Britain. 6--Betrayed Poland 7--Pushed 'environmental' crap 8--Took over private industries 9--Effective speaker to retarded masses 10--Caused turmoil, death

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	1/14/2014 8:36:13 PM
From: joseffy	1 Recommendation Recommended By Honey_Bee Respond to of 16547

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	1/15/2014 1:42:25 AM
From: joseffy	1 Recommendation Recommended By Honey_Bee Respond to of 16547

Liberal Film Reviewer Just Insulted Our Military… ................................................................................................ The Western Center for Journalism ^ \| January 14, 2014 \| B. Christopher Agee The radical left in America has long rooted against the U.S. military. Beginning in earnest with a mismanaged effort in Vietnam, soldiers have been pilloried by elitists who view any military action as a show of aggression against a helpless foe. As the War on Terror continues to rage, these sources have embraced increasingly derogatory rhetoric in describing the Middle East effort. When a Hollywood blockbuster film, “Lone Survivor,” dared to present the story of Navy SEAL bravery, the anti-military crowd naturally rushed to criticize the project and the real-life soldiers portrayed therein. *In a recent review written for The Atlantic, Calum Marsh* complained about the film’s supposed pro-war stance and bemoaned the fact that Taliban murderers were portrayed as the enemy. He said the SEALs appeared to be “ordinary guys” in the movie’s “exaggeratedly casual introduction,” complaining about the “way the film brings in its Taliban villains.” Though the movie is based on the experiences of Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell and company, Marsh treats the film as a work of military propaganda. Regardless of the countless Hollywood attempts to undermine the American military, leftist ideologues will always attack the rare pro-military sentiment as a terrifying portent. He said the movie “plays out like an advertisement for the Marine Corps,” despite acknowledging that “as the title suggests,” the mission “does not end particularly well.” According to Marsh’s jaded viewpoint, “Lone Survivor” is “the sort of film you expect to seem at least a little propagandistic.” Instead, he alleges, the Peter Berg project portrays Taliban terrorists as “a faceless mass, a manifestation of evil.” He might be surprised to learn that a large swath of America actually believes the Taliban should be considered America’s enemy. In fact, a quick survey of the terrorists involved would likely reveal that is exactly how they see themselves. Marsh bemoans the movie’s ostensible ability to “legitimize feelings of xenophobia and American execptionalism,” once again trashing the views of those who dare celebrate the greatness of this nation. He goes on to suggest that all Hollywood war movies are inherently pro-war. Of course, such a conclusion is likely much easier to reach among those who themselves are intrinsically anti-military. Considering the rarity of such films actually being released by today’s Hollywood, it is natural that the far left would react with outrage and confusion. Meanwhile, the millions of Americans who actually root for and support the U.S. military are ensuring this movie will become one of 2014’s most successful releases.

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)

1/15/2014 12:43:16 PM

From: joseffy

Respond to of 16547

NPR's Slimebag 'Objective' Reporter Nina Totenberg Ends Opinionated Pundit Run

By John Williams | January 15, 2014 | 06:53

Milestones in one's life should serve as an impetus for a person to reflect on the past and on the future. Totenberg turned 70 yesterday. Another such milestone occurred at the end of 2013 in the life of NPR's high-profile Legal Affairs/Supreme Court correspondent Nina Totenberg. Totenberg concluded her 19-year run as a weekly no-holds-barred pundit, pontificating on about every topic under the sun -- not just on her journalistic beat.

Most notoriously, she said in 1995 that a fitting punishment for a quite controversial remark by Republican US Senator Jesse Helms made about AIDS funding would be that he or his grandchildren contract AIDS: "I think he ought to be worried about the -- about what's going on in the good Lord's mind because if there's retributive justice, he'll get AIDS from a transfusion or one of his grandchildren will get it."

Although on the very rare occasion that she was asked about the comment in 2010, she said she regrets the remark and regarded it as "dumb," "stupid," "harsh," and "overly personalized," she has yet to publicly apologize -- let alone apologize to Helms himself prior to his death, to his wife, or to his grandchildren. Instead, it's about her: "I'll pay for it for the rest of my life."

NPR's very own ombudsman made it clear in 2003 that Totenberg and other NPR journalists need to choose whether to do punditry or to do journalism. While neither Totenberg nor NPR ever heeded the ombudsman's call for her, a reporter, to choose one or the other, in 2010, NPR infamously fired Juan Williams, a news analyst--whose job it is to give opinion--for controversial remarks made away from NPR. Despite much public attention being drawn to the obvious Williams/Totenberg double standard, she continued doing her outside punditry. Finally, in early 2012, NPR released a new ethics code containing unequivocal language forbidding such punditry:

Would you say it on an NPR program?

This is the key test for helping us sort through what’s acceptable to say in public settings: In appearing on TV or other media including electronic Web-based forums, we should not express views we would not air in our roles as NPR journalists. We avoid participating in shows, forums, or other venues that encourage punditry and speculation rather than fact-based analysis.

Unsurprisingly, Totenberg kept chugging along, giving her opinions on all sorts of matters.

Far worse than reporter Totenberg's long stint as a pundit is reporter Totenberg's long stint as a political activist -- inserting herself into stories she was supposed to be covering objectively.

Of the instances that the public actually knows about, Totenberg sought out negative personal information, whether verifiable facts or weak rumors, on three Republicans--and only Republicans. In 1987, she successfully scuttled the Reagan Supreme Court nominee Douglas Ginsburg by publicizing Ginsburg's adult marijuana use.

Fresh off that GOP kill, in 1988, NPR's Supreme Court correspondent bizarrely waged a frenetic campaign to publicize before Election Day allegations of marijuana use by Republican vice presidential nominee Dan Quayle. The fact that the accuser, Brett Kimberlin, was at that time serving a term in prison for domestic terrorism did not dissuade her from taking his charges seriously. Instead, she called him multiple times a day leading up to Election Day.

Most notoriously, in 1991, Totenberg became indignant after the liberal Democrat-dominated U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee declined to investigate rumors of sexual harassment by George H.W. Bush's Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. She took it upon herself to force out into the public those rumors. After her efforts to defeat Thomas failed, Totenberg was a sore loser. To this day, she takes cheap shots at the man she ostensibly covers impartially. In stark contrast, another Justice she ostensibly covers impartially, liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a long-time personal friend--so much so that Justice Ginsburg officiated reporter Totenberg's marriage ceremony.

A good outcome to Totenberg's reflections around recent milestones would be for her to leave reporting and work in an area she appears to be most passionate about: punditry or activism. Possible avenues: MSNBC opinion host, activist at the Alliance for Justice or NARAL, or opposition researcher at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Nina Totenberg is just one reason (actually 2: see #3 and #9) of 20 to defund public broadcasting.

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/john-williams/2014/01/14/totenberg-milestones#ixzz2qThvU2Ua

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	1/15/2014 2:55:45 PM
From: joseffy	1 Recommendation Recommended By Honey_Bee Respond to of 16547

CA Teacher Forces Student to Stop Talking About Bible ........................................................................ War on Christmas: The Aftermath 1.14.2014 .... by Paul Bois truthrevolt.org On December 19, a school teacher in Temecula, California told her first grade student, Brynn Williams, that she could not present her family's Christmas tradition of a star of Bethlehem at her school, according to local reports. Brynn's class was assigned to do a 1-minute presentation about an object that best represents their family's Christmas tradition. When Brynn stood up to give her presentation, she began reciting a Bible verse just before the teacher interrupted and told her to ”go take your seat". She was the only student not allowed to finish her presentation. "When this took place she was hurt," said Brynn's father Shane, "she felt that she had done something wrong and she was going to be punished." Brynn's family has since sought legal counsel with Advocates for Faith & Freedom. "The disapproval and hostility that Christian students have come to experience in our nation's public schools has become epidemic,” said Robert Tyler, general counsel for Advocates for Faith & Freedom, "I hope that (the school district ) will take the lead role in adopting a model policy to prohibit this abuse that has become all too common place for religious-minded students." The Temecula Valley School District released only the following statement: The Temecula Valley Unified School District respects all students' rights under the Constitution and takes very seriously any allegation of discrimination. Due to the fact that District officials are currently investigating the allegations, it would be inappropriate to provide further comment at this time. This story broke shortly after advocates for religious freedom picked up on another controversial incident in a West Covina school district where another teacher prevented her student from bringing on campus "candy canes with a religious message".

To: Honey_Bee who wrote (6944)	1/16/2014 11:20:08 AM
From: joseffy	1 Recommendation Recommended By Honey_Bee Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 16547

Benghazi: US Hero Waited 20 Hours on Rooftop With Shredded Leg While Obama Went Campaigning .............................................................................................................. by Jim Hoft on Thursday, January 16, 2014 http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/01/looking-back-on-benghazi-us-hero-waited-20-hours-on-rooftop-with-shredded-leg-while-obama-went-campaigning/ US Hero David Ubben Suffered 20 Hours in Benghazi Before Help Arrived – While Obama Campaigned in Las Vegas The Senate Intelligence Committee released a stinging report on the Benghazi consulate attack on Wednesday. The report confirmed there were no protests outside the consulate on the night of the attack. The report also noted that several al-Qaeda affiliated groups participated in the attack. But the report left out details of security agent David Ubben’s ordeal in Benghazi. Diplomatic security agent David Ubben, like former Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, ran into the Special Mission Compound (SMC) to help save US officials under siege in Benghazi. Ubben was struck by a mortar round that killed Woods and Doherty. His leg was shredded. Ubben was forced to wait twenty hours before a plane was sent to pick him up. While Ubben was waiting for help with a shredded leg Barack Obama was campaigning in Las Vegas. After a good night sleep Obama flew to Las Vegas to campaign on September 12, 2012. ( Zimbio) Martha MacCullan at FOX News reported on this horrific story back in July: “David Ubben waited for twenty hours after he was hit on that rooftop with Tyrone Woods and Glenn Doherty. His leg was shredded. We know that he has been recovering for ten months at Walter Reed as Catherine has just reported. He was defending the US consulate and then no medical aircraft was apparently sent to this scene to get him out of there. How could this be?” Despite Wednesday’s damning report we still have several questions that have not been answered by this dishonest administration.