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Today:
The President has no public events scheduled
12:30: Press Briefing by Jay Carney
1:0: Attorney General Eric Holder briefs the press
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Steve Benen: …. based on preliminary accounts, the Justice Department didn’t eavesdrop on journalists’ phone calls, but rather, obtained logs showing incoming and outgoing calls, as well as the duration of those phone calls.
And why was the Justice Department doing this? In part because congressional Republicans demanded a full-scale leak investigation and DOJ officials took the request very seriously….
A year ago last week, the AP reported on a foiled terrorist plot that the Obama administration had successfully prevented. White House critics were outraged, accusing the administration of boasting about its counter-terrorism victory for campaign purposes, including leaking classified information…..
…. As of last night, as the story drew serious questions from the left and right, the GOP was left in the awkward position of arguing that it wanted the Justice Department to do everything possible to root out national security leaks, except what the Justice Department ended up doing to root out national security leaks…..
More here
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By the end of the day, Obama will have been in a surveillance van outside @ap headquarters with headphones on, munching on a box of donuts.
— Imani ABL (@AngryBlackLady) May 13, 2013
@quadcitypat @angryblacklady @ap in a hoodie watching it all go down via drone
— Arrogant Demon (@ArrogantDemon) May 13, 2013
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ThinkProgress: ….. Last year, the Associated Press reported that an Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula plot had been foiled, thanks to a timely intervention on the part of the United States…. Why that drew the attention of the Justice Department, however, is that the CIA was the one who foiled the plot, which the AP report made clear….
…. by reporting the CIA’s involvement in foiling the plot, they put AQAP on notice that the CIA had a window into their activities. The AP’s reporting also led to other stories involving an operative in place within AQAP, and details of the operations he was involved in. That operative, it was feared, would be exposed and targeted by AQAP as retribution for siding with the United States…..
More here
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So do y’all understand? AP is trying to cover their ass because they leaked CLASSIFIED info re: Al Qaeda. But somehow they’re the “victim.”
— April(@ReignOfApril) May 13, 2013
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You know the way everyone chuckled yesterday at Darrell Issa saying on Fox that “an act of terror is different to a terrorist attack”? Well – and I’m not making this up – Glenn Kessler at the Washington Post has given President Obama four Pinocchios for saying he described what happened in Benghazi as an act of terrorism, because Kessler agrees with Issa – calling something an act of terror is completely different to calling it a terrorist attack.
The best line in Kessler’s gobsmacking piece is this:
“During the campaign, the president could just get away with claiming he said “act of terror,” since he did use those words…”.
If you’re repeating something that is true, you’re getting away with it?
Oh boy.
PS As Media Matters reminds us (and see video on top):
On September 13, 2001, former President George W. Bush described the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as an “act of terror”.
But, you know, that was different.
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Every time I see Darrell Issa, I think of his background as a suspected criminal & alleged car thief on.msnbc.com/10Efck9
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen) May 13, 2013
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‘As for Cheney seeing Benghazi as “one of the worst incidences” he “can recall”.. I’m curious if Cheney recalls 9/11’ maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/05/…
— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) May 14, 2013
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Jonathan Bernstein: You want a scandal? Here’s a scandal.
Want a real Washington scandal — one worse than the (phony) Benghazi scandal and the (apparently real, but apparently limited) IRS scandals combined? Try the continuing, and possibly accelerating, obstruction of executive branch nominees by Senate Republicans.
Don’t think it’s a scandal? It’s pretty basic: Republicans, by abusing their Constitutional powers, are — deliberately, in several cases — preventing the government from carrying out duly passed laws.
More here
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Every conservative outraged over the #IRS has my full support in impeaching the POTUS who appointed Douglas Shulman.
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) May 14, 2013
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Steve Benen: Here’s a sentence from today’s Politico that’s worth keeping in mind: “Top GOP sources acknowledge that it’s highly unlikely the White House was directly involved in the IRS mess, but the probe is sure to add to the Republican-spun narrative of Democratic, Big Government overreach.”
I see. Republicans realize that the IRS controversy really doesn’t have anything to do with President Obama — who has publicly condemned the IRS’s actions as “outrageous” — and to characterize this as some kind of White House scandal is absurd. But that’s secondary to the “narrative.”
Some of us, however, care less about narratives and more about facts….
More here
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Max Baucus and his not-entirely-consistent views on the IRS investigating conservative groups:
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The Hill: Senate Democrats frustrated with the GOP’s blocking of a string of President Obama’s nominees are seriously weighing a controversial tactic known as the “nuclear option”.
The option — which would involve Democrats changing Senate rules through a majority vote to prevent the GOP from using the 60-vote filibuster to block nominations — was raised during a private meeting Wednesday involving about 25 Democratic senators and a group of labor leaders.
The labor officials demanded that Democrats break the logjam by stripping Republicans of the ability to filibuster.
More here
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NY Mag: A recent study from the Heritage foundation criticizing the cost of the congressional immigration reform bill did not get a rousing reception from Republicans from the start, and now it has cost the party a key operative. Pablo Pantoja, the RNC’s head of Latino outreach in Florida, wrote in a letter Monday that, because of the study and its author’s past racist writing, he felt the GOP was too steeped in intolerance for him to remain a member of it….
…. The implications here are big: The Republican Party, knowing it needs to win over Latinos and other minorities in order to become competitive again, launched a big push to do so in six states. And, within a month, the guy they asked to head up a major part of that job quit not just the post but the whole party because of its intolerance. Adding insult to injury, he switched over to the Democratic Party and made a contribution to the ACLU, “for the efforts in helping protect the rights of immigrants and civil liberties in general.”
More here
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Love this:
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MoooOOOooorning!
The Obama Diary 
Boom!
Ooooo! Holding hands with two all-stars! 😆 😆 What a way to start my TOD day!
We all walked in together. I would say, couldn’t be a better trio, but someone would get jealous.
Morning guys!! 🙂 Awesome trio!
Yeah! Someone would if YOU said it, so I will ‘Couldn’t be a better trio!’ 😀
Holy smoley, a three-way tie!
Mooooorning everyone!
One of my fave pictures. They stand tall always, despite all the disgusting smears directed at them. We’re so freaking lucky!
The body language is remarkable! They are all touching and agreeing in one form or another.
Nice picture.
GM, TODobots!
Hey, Japa, what’s your prediction for the 19mill marker for the village? Seems like we are rushing towards it and you always predict more accurately that ChuckieT.
My dog predicts more accurately than UpChuckie. My best guestimate is Friday at 11:02 AM CDT. Which means I may be maddeningly loggin out and back in several times at 11:00 AM.
😆 😆 Way to help your cause along, J. 😛 Just to pretend I have a clue, I’m going to say it will happen by Thursday (without tying myself to a specific time) then cross my toes and fingers and close my eye tight and wish.
THIS IS LIKE PEELING AN ONION…….
The problem is that all this info is out there. AP, however, is not including it in its reporting. Quelle surprise!
The Wall Street Journal revealed this week a little-known watchdog group was responsible for getting the IRS to audit the environmental organization Greenpeace. Two years ago, Public Interest Watch challenged Greenpeace’s tax-exempt status and accused the group of money laundering and other crimes. According to the Journal, tax records show more than 95 percent of the funding of Public Interest Watch was provided by the oil giant ExxonMobil.
On its website, Public Interest Watch says it was founded “in response to the growing misuse of charitable funds by nonprofit organizations and the lack of effort by government agencies to deal with the problem.” The group describes its mission as: “Keeping an Eye on the Self-Appointed Guardians of the Public Interest.”
http://www.democracynow.org/2006/3/24/irs_audited_greenpeace_at_request_of
IOKIYAR!!!
And only because ExxonMobil doesn’t want anyone else taking up on it’s potential and tax deductible loopholes and profits? Hypocrisy, thy name is Corporate America.
A Conflict of Interest?
By Josh Marshall
———————————-
TPM Reader SS thinks there’s some game-playing from the AP on this phone call record story …
.
.
I think there’s still a very live question of whether this was a prudent action on the part of the DOJ, as maximal restraint should always be used when subpoenaing journalistic records. But I do think he’s at least on to something that such an article would definitely have included more and different context if AP weren’t the party at issue and the ‘secretly’ phrasing does perhaps knowingly mislead.
———————————————
http://editors.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/05/a_conflict_of_interest.php
Fantastic news round-up Chiparoo. Especially the LOD video and Steve Benen’s article about AP’s hyperbolic crap.
Ah, thank you UT – but there was so much great stuff out there, I didn’t know where to start. Which kind of explains why I was, oh, about an hour late!
Morning UT, moooooorning everyone!
Congratz DF,
Boom! Is right….
Good morning Ms. Chips. What a part last night!
Beautiful day.
PBO is our President. Repugs are going to be made his footstool again.
Life is so sweet!
Good morning all.
REPORT: How Network And Cable News Covered Economic Issues In 7 Charts
Evening news coverage throughout April touched upon several economic issues, including income inequality, deficit reduction, and entitlement cuts. A Media Matters analysis of this coverage reveals that many of these segments lacked proper context or necessary input from economists, while some networks ignored certain issues entirely.
http://mediamatters.org/research/2013/05/14/report-how-evening-news-covered-economic-issues/194031
“What a party”…….. “party”
Still feeling the effects.
Up and at ’em all you O’s!!!!! Another great getting up day ’round the old TOD hangout!! I’m just back from my run on a very sunshiny day with temps expected in the 80’s here in the Chi-town ‘burbs. My prairie path critters friends were all a’chirping and a’twirping at what might be the beginning of spring/summer at last. Yea!!!
I’m on the last week of my 90 day insane warrior workout program, (woot! woot!) and what a journey for these old bones! I must say that I can certainly see a magnificent physical improvement. It’s just too bad that I when finally get the body, I’m too old for the bikini (wouldn’t want to scare small children), but Yowza to me anyway. More importantly is that I feel healthier, and doing much better mentally, and emotionally. It must be releasing all those endorphins and seratonins to my few remaining brain cells that’s doing it for me.
PS: Tip of the Day – Stock up on tin foil for your Memorial Day celebrations now. Something tells me that there’s going to be a run on it for all those foil hats the Teapublicans are planning on wearing. The overreach will do them in everytime. They just can’t let stuff take its course. They feed off the MSM, the MSM feeds off of them and they do this circle jerk like the gang who couldn’t shoot straight.
‘a very sunshiny day with temps expected in the 80′s here’
Braggart! I’ve had to turn on my heat again the last three nights, plus un-hang my indoor sweater that I had washed and put away. OTH, massive congrats on sticking to your workout programme! I’ve been trying to get in shape this PAST week-and-a-half since I have a banquet/dance this coming Sunday evening (Monday is a holiday) with the possibility of seeing friends and acquaintances I haven’t seen in years/decades. Maybe we could arrange a body switch and you can work on getting mine in shape over the weekend while I show off yours?
And BTW, ran into a major problem (counters weren’t level, they said) so the countertop didn’t get installed. I think I’m beginning to see the rationale behind buying a new house when your old one gets too familiar. 😉
{{{{VC}}}}
yikes!!! I don’t think I need to hear this (fingers in ears, going na, na, na, na, na)
Remember they’ll see your great mind, wonderful sense of humor, and lovely personality, before they even think to look at or care about your physical appearance. They’ll just be so thrilled to see you in any shape or form. Enjoy it! Start the workout after the pressure is off.
Shorter CM = no body switch? I tried. Sigh! [ If you think these gals (my former netball team/league players) will care about any of the things you listed you are in another world.] ‘Start the workout after the pressure is off’ – Why? 😆 😆
‘Start the workout after the pressure is off’ – Why?
Well, just in case you and your netball mates decide to do this again in another few decades. That sounds like plenty of time to get the body just the way you’d like it. Of course, by then, just knowing who each other are and why you decided to reunion in the first place will be the major accomplishment. 🙂 🙂
Anyone told you lately you are sweet? 😉 You are.
Cookemom, good for you on feeling might fine today!
Am I confused, wasn’t it just 30 ish the day before in Chi-town?
And now, you say 80?
yep, frost Monday morning, upper 80’s today. Nooooo, there’s no such thing as climate change.
perfect.
Great job, Nerdy Wonka….. 😉
Wow, you mean Fran Townsend hasn’t made skid marks to the CNN studio to opine about the latest national security news?
Getting the old, failed gang back together
By Steve Benen
—————————-
As for Cheney seeing Benghazi as “one of the worst incidences” that he “can recall,” I’m not going to play a game of ranking the seriousness of terrorist attacks, but I’m curious if Cheney recalls 9/11. If he doesn’t think that counts — and there’s some evidence to suggest he doesn’t — and he only wants to focus on attacks on American outposts abroad, I wonder if Cheney might also recall the 1983 bombing of a Marine barracks in Beirut that left 241 American servicemen dead, right before Reagan cut and ran.
Any of this ring a bell, Dick?
—————————————–
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/05/14/18250632-getting-the-old-failed-gang-back-together?lite
Oh, yes.
Ha! Good on him.. looking forward to this 🙂
GM TODville Villagers. Wow, that party last night was unbelievable. Thanks Dudette for getting more Female Guitar goddesses some deserved LOVE.
Chips….. 😉 what can I say ❓ Great Job.
This AG Holder Presser is going to be 😎 to watch. I can’t wait.
So fact checkers at WashPo……are twistedly and fatuously confused about the meaning of Act of Terror and A Terrorist Attack? Hmm? How bad is this illness, named Obama Derangement Syndrome? Wow?
Nena, you sure know how to party!
Every time I tried to leave, you pulled me back in for more.
TY
LDS it was a collaborative effort…… Music addicts looking for musical fix 😉
I sure got my fill…
Still can’t sleep. Woke up with a lot of love and a song in my heart.
Something good is about to happen.
There is a shift that is coming….there is a change about to come.
We will be fine. We are in good hands.
As Mr. Bobfr would say, #TrustObama. He deserves it.
AG, Kick their asses all over the place.
Make them your footstools…..every last one of them!
Bush administration did whatever they want, whenever they wanted to whomever they want.
And now, you want to say something?
Pleassssse, just kick their asses, please!
meta, I have a feeling we will get the truth about AP and it’s B.S. I want to make sure I catch this briefing.
Mornin’ y’all!
Morning Mighty P,
You missed a slamming party!
Started with guitar pickings….ended with an “after hours” birthday party for Stevie Wonder.
Going to take a nap and be rested when AG kick some asses at 1:00 p.m.
Enough is enough!
I’m hearing this, LDS! I was on The Other Side, partying without the weight of the Physical body! Light and Laughter! Music of the Spheres! And I fully agree with you that something wonderful is about to happen: I’ve been feeling it for at least two weeks now…. Keep breathing! There will be Joy and Rejoicing!
I have just called Max Baucus ‘ office in DC
202-224-251 and left a message. The man is and idiot. In 2010 he was demanding that the DoJ investigate. In 2013, he is 180?
This needs to be a wake up call for all Dem voters. We have the “liberal media” joining the gop in saying that Susan Rice and POTUS lied about Benghazi. We also have the “liberal media” including those who most of us respect, talking impeachment. The only reason everyone is throwing around the idea of impeachment, is because the gop and media don’t like the results of the last election, and want to make our votes irrellevent. If this isn’t enough to get Dems out to vote in 2014, in levels only seen in Presidential elections, nothing will.
I fully expect impeachment to take place. It won’t go anywhere because Senate will not find guilty, but House will impeach. Also expect it to be same as with Clinton, will backfire on GOP big time.
Impeachment of who japa21? If you are talking about President Obama, I don’t think so. In that I am sure.
It will be of President Obama. The House is itching to do it. They just need a majority vote in the House and no GOPer will vote against it. As I said, however, the Senate will never vote to convict.
The difference is, Clinton had support from the left, President Obama does not. Also, when Clinton was President we still had actual journalists who treated the Clintons fairly, and didn’t jump on the gop crazy train over nothing.
I still don’t believe President Obama will be impeachment.
The only decent reporting I’ve seen on the misleading Justice Dept./AP phone records story was by Pete Williams—-of course—on the Today Show. He provided some context—-imagine!—-about AP leaking classified info etc.—–and didn’t just repeat hysterical pundit accusations. Williams is the only current reporter with any integrity, imho. But then they brought on foaming at the mouth Chuck Todd —-to wipe away any truth that had been told—–and then—-horrors—-Rumsfeld!—–to get his deep thoughts on all the current manufactured crises—–great decision TODAY—-such an honest, objective broker! So high to really really low there on Today—but kudos to Williams, at least.
The only consolation is that Pete Williams is very respected within the journalist community after his stellar job on the Boston bombings. I pray he will influence others.
One thing that should be done: LOTS of telephones and e-mails to NBC, MSNBC to ask to promote Pete Williams and demote Chuck Todd.
Yet the GOP and media were silent. 🙄
Uneven I.R.S. Scrutiny Seen in Political Spending by Big Tax-Exempt Groups
By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE
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But the ambiguity of existing rules has left a loophole, critics argue, and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of thinly disguised election spending have passed through. In 2011, the Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21, another watchdog group, filed a petition with the I.R.S. asking it to issue clearer regulations on political activity by tax-exempt groups and to sharply restrict their election spending.
Others echoed those calls on Monday, saying clearer standards would stem violations — while limiting the danger of capricious investigations. “I think if there were clear standards that limited the political activities that (c)(4)s could engage in, it would really make it easier for the I.R.S. to enforce the law without having to resort to things like the name that an organization chooses,” said Lisa Rosenberg, a lobbyist for the Sunlight Foundation, which advocates government transparency.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/us/politics/irs-ignored-complaints-on-political-spending-by-big-tax-exempt-groups-watchdog-groups-say.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&ref=politics
Ditto!
AG Holder personally I hope, slap the eggs on their racists faces and wipe the floor with their asses.
That is just my opinion, of course……
Hahahahahahaha. Hot damn! Steve Benen has no fucks to give.
He’s on fire today UT, one outstanding post after another!
I’m not sure I should ask this but it is troubling me so here I go, I apologize in advance if I offend anyone and have misunderstood what I read………Does BWD not support PBO?…..some of the tweets I have been reading have really confused and troubled me….
She absolutely does support PBO, always has – but she’s frustrated by a number of issues at the moment and is just being honest about how she feels.
Ok…I always thought so and that’s what troubled me…..hated to think a PBO supporter would turn against him now when he needs us the most to fight the negatives been thrown his way.
Just to second that. She supports PBO, although, like many of us, disagrees with him on occasion. What she is really disheartened by know is the overall lassitude on the part of the Dems in general, almost acting as if they had lost the election, rather than winning.
Oh, boy, do I second that…….Jeeze….
The summer is coming and the pathetic press need their circus clowns and their full-blown carnival.
omigod—Barbara Walters just asked Judy Smith—-whom I take is the character Kerry Washington plays on Scandal—–if she has ever had an affair with the president. Omigod—-I can’t take all the idiocy any more. And this stellar moment followed a really dumb and misleading chat on the IRS “scandal”. Oh the stupididty! The level of discourse in this country has fallen completely off the cliff.
Are you serious Dotster?? She asked her that??
Sadly yes, and now she just asked Kerry Washington if she has had an affair with the president. Kerry said, “I think we’ve already cleared that up.” —–I don’t think she could believe she was being asked that. But —-just unbelievable—-talk about fishing for a scandal—or using any excuse to try to promote one. Everyone’s gone nuts.
This is my first time hearing anything about this. Do you mean Barbara Walters ask Ms. Washington that? Oh how they are searching for a scandal aren’t they?
I can’t believe Barbara did something like that. Wait a minute now, dotster3 did she ask Kerry Washington if she ever had a affair with President Obama.
I can’t believe what is going on here. Seem like the world is going crazy all at once.
I think I’m going to be ill….
This really happened? Maybe I just haven’t had enough coffee. Or maybe there’s something in the coffee that I wasn’t aware of, because every morning we’re hit with something else surreal.
Just retire already, Barbara Walters! We don’t need a year’s notice; just pack your snacks back up, call the limo driver, and head home. She’s become a bit too much like Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Please dotster3, say that Barbara Walters asked that question as a JOKE ?
FOX: THE COMMUNICATIONS ARM OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
Benghazi: “Thank God For Fox”
——————————-
Yesterday on Fox News, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) offered thanks to Fox News President Roger Ailes and his colleague Lindsay Graham (R-SC), giving them credit if heightened scrutiny of the terrorist attack in Benghazi results in “a full investigation.”
Host Neil Cavuto agreed with the praise for his boss’ handiwork, offering confirmation for McCain’s suggestion by replying “yeah… head of this network for not letting go of this.”
.
.
McCain and Graham should be thankful that Fox from the start has viewed the tragedy in Benghazi as a political weapon to use against the White House. No claim too paranoid, no attack too unseemly. They are right; without Roger Ailes’ ability to generate a scandal, the media might be discussing how to ensure our diplomatic outposts are properly protected so a tragedy like what occurred on September 11, 2012, never happens again. Instead we are now in step four of the Fox Cycle — mainstream media outlets eventually cover the story, echoing the right-wing distortions.
—————————————————–
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/05/14/benghazi-thank-god-for-fox/194058
Another disgusting RW cartoon – is that meant to be PBO on the right??
http://www.cagle.com/2013/05/gitmo-hunger-hype/
I see a twofer: East Africa….Ethiopia and the POTUS….Kenyan Muslim….I guess? Hate truly becomes them.
No, I don’t think that is meant to be PBO. And I don’t think it is aRW cartoon. Instead, it is more about how much of a deal the media is making of the Gitmo hunger strike when so many people are starving in Africa and that goes unreported.
He’s about the most RW toonist out there Japa, this was another example of his work:
So, because it’s him, I half guessed that was meant to be PBO.
One of the differences between liberals and conservatives, among the twenty-gazillion-million, is that liberals don’t mind an investigation to dig into the truth. We actually want truth, justice, and the American way.
Conservatives? Not so much. In fact, not at all. Proceed to Line Your Pockets, Republicans!
The Real Scandal Behind the IRS Controversy
BY ALEC MACGILLIS
————————–
It wasn’t the agency’s targeting of conservative groups, but which of those groups it targeted
You are in your cubicle in Cincinnati, and your office is suddenly swamped with a surge in applications—rising from 1,500 to 3,400 the past few years. This surge is driven by two factors. One is the series of court rulings, such as the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, that encourage political operatives to use 501(c)(4)’s as a way to funnel huge undisclosed donations into television ads, regardless of the IRS rules for the groups. The other is the swell in grassroots activism that is coming almost entirely from the right thanks to post-2008 tea party ferment.
This was the Cincinnati crew’s situation the past couple years. And the real problem isn’t that it decided to deal with this deluge in applications by giving undue scrutiny to the second source of the stream. It’s that in doing so, it has given so little scrutiny to the first source.
———————————–
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/113201/irs-scandal-targeting-tea-party-groups-overblown#
😆
Genius!!!! 😆
LOL.
So full of WIN!
Majestic!!!
Issa better schedule hearings !
Bob, is it just me or is Rep King very quiet about this…
Oooooooooooh, what a thought Gazelle! And you’re right, he’s been remarkably quiet so far!
He was the first person that came to mind. He’s constantly breaching security.
Roger that, Gazelle – total radio silence from the dude ….
Oh how I wish that would be where this ends up. The GOP doesn’t care about this country, only political points…at any cost.
Someone explain why this is a #Scandal?? Since when is the Tea Party a “Social Welfare” organization??
how is the IRS nonsense a “scandal” at all. they check up on groups all the time, and is in fact their job to police that stuff. teabaggers are trying to claim they are about “social welfare” to get certain loopholes. that is a lie, and they MUST BE investigated. where is the “scandal” there?
Her timeline has been so a-f**king awesome. Truth, truth, and more truth.
Even Juan Williams of Fox News gets disgusted now and then.
Afternoon/morning Chips, TOD…
Afternoon/morning LP!!!
So much crazy going on…….my head is spinning, even though I have been consciously trying to avoid it!
i saw he used the phrase “fact-checking industry.” THAT’S WHAT JOURNALISM AND “THE NEWS” IS SUPPOSED TO BE, YOU MORAN!!! this is whole “fact-checker” thing as separate from the regular “news” that has risen the last few years has annoyed me greatly.
The MSM’s coverage of Mitt Romney’s truth free campaign set the stage for what we are seeing today. The MSM/GOP are throwing the kitchen sink at PBO and most of the so called “liberals” in the MSM are happily adding fuel to the fire. I wonder about the timing of this all out concerted attack on PBO. Have his approval numbers gone up to an unacceptable level? Did the MSM get its feelings hurt at the WHCD? THey are working overtime to create an “atmosphere of scandal” by promoting and reporting GOP spin as fact. Why does the left, right and center feel the burning need to take PBO down (i.e., “put PBO in his place”)? THe fix is in.
Was it Kessler who opined sometime last year that ‘truth’ was not the purview of journalism – that the he said/she said was the job of reporters and actual truth was unnecessary. Something like that.
Which is the OPPOSITE of what I was taught in my high school journalism class – that TRUTH was the objective.
Eric holder news conference at 1:30.
Glad to see that LL’s “Last Play in the Playbook” is featured on The People’s View!! It deserves wide dissemination.
Also glad AG Holder is holding a press briefing today. I had an internal feeling he would, then opened up TOD and saw the announcement.
‘DISCLOSE ACT’ and ‘FOLLOW THE MONEY ACT’
How Real Disclosure Laws Could Help Fix The IRS Problem
—————————————————
Congressional Republicans have thus far blocked efforts to require disclosure of political ad spending by (c)(4) groups. The proposed DISCLOSE Act and the Follow the Money Act would help bring parity to the disclosure rules goverrning independent campaign ads, without impeding on the legitimate activity of (c)(4)s. But if groups like Crossroads GPS were required to disclose the major donors behind their $70 million-plus campaign ad spending, there would be little incentive for them to masquerade as social welfare groups.
If Congress simply treated all spending on independent campaign advertisements uniformly — allowing voters to know who was really speaking and to evaluate the speech accordingly — the IRS would not have to use these clearly imperfect tests to decide what is and isn’t a legitimate 501(c)(4).
————————
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/05/14/2006851/how-real-disclosure-laws-could-help-fix-the-irs-problem/
Gun legislation sure has been shoved off the map, hasn’t it? Conveniently.
Alex Wagner telling truth to power on all the poutfauxrage coming from the lunatics in the looney bin. Good opening to her show as she labels this the monsoon season. Hopefully, her panel won’t add to the feeding frenzy at the zoo, but keep it in the spirit of her introduction.
Finneman, ‘I wonder what the other 2/3rd of the House is doing, since 1/3 of them are investigating something or other.’ ‘Mitch McConnel gets to keep this going to 2014 to boost his re-election chances.’
Jonathan Chat, ‘They couldn’t get him from the right, so they’re trying to attack him from the left’
Karen Finney, ‘Perfect narrative to agitate the Teabuts.’
Franklin Foer (sp) ‘er, um, hmmm, hurumph’
Surprise! breaking news, this just in, Reeses Pieces of the RNC has just called for Holder’s resignation.
New post:
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/05/14/coming-up-60/
So, the fact checker on Wa post said the President said and act of terror 3x in 3 days after Benghazi but gutless him 4 pinnichios for not saying an act of terrorism and waiting for more facts?
These fact checkers are lobbied as well!
It’s important to note, that the democratic grass roots does not support the firing of Eric Holder. That’s just a few loud mouths Liberal elites, which I can’t stand. I don’t even think these liberal elites are democrats, I think they are naderites and Libertarians like G. Greenwald.
That is all.
None of them are liberal in real life. They just play liberals on TV.
I agree with you!