Monthly Archives: January 2015
January 29, 2015 — Paul Mirengoff
Richard Pollock of the Daily Caller reports that John Podesta, a key adviser to President Obama, may have violated ethical rules by helping to formulate a new White House policy that seeks to end any future drilling for oil on Alaska’s Artic National Wildlife Refuge. The ethical issue arises because just before he came to the White House, John Podesta was paid $87,000 by a foreign billionaire devoted to preventing
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January 29, 2015 — Steven Hayward
I’ve seen TV weather broadcasts go badly wrong, but this is one that might make even Michael Mann blush—Thermageddon after all! (About 1 minute long.)
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January 29, 2015 — Steven Hayward
The only real question is, what took Remy so long to mock our brilliant Hashtag diplomacy? (Actually, he’s been really busy lately—we’ve talked—but there are priorities man!)
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January 29, 2015 — Paul Mirengoff
ISIS apparently has been defeated in the town of Kobane, Syria to which it laid siege months ago. The Obama administration hopes that this defeat will discourage potential recruits from joining ISIS. According to a senior State Department spokesman, the lesson for those considering enlistment is: You’re not going to be a part of something great, you’re not going to have a house, you’re not going to have a female
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January 29, 2015 — John Hinderaker
We wrote here and here about the fact that the Obama administration is actively working to defeat Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu in that country’s upcoming election. Obama’s national field director, Jeremy Bird, has traveled to Israel to organize the opposition to Netanyahu. He is working in conjunction for the foreign-funded organization “One Voice,” which is leading the campaign to unseat Netanyahu and elect a leftist government. That One Voice collaborates with
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January 29, 2015 — John Hinderaker
Is Deflate-gate the dumbest story in the history of sports, or what? I suppose it is remotely possible that someone associated with the Patriots might have deflated some footballs, or perhaps it was sabotage by the Colts–after all, the Patriots played much better after halftime when the balls were re-inflated. But speculation about such skulduggery is hardly necessary. The NFL has been closemouthed about the facts its investigation has revealed
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January 29, 2015 — John Hinderaker
This morning the Senate Armed Services Committee conducted a hearing at which Henry Kissinger was a witness. When Kissinger entered the committee chamber, a ragtag group of ten or so CodePink members stood up, holding signs and chanting “Arrest Henry Kissinger for war crimes.” One of them dangled a pair of handcuffs. The demonstrators were virtually standing over Kissinger, as for some reason the Capitol Police were absent or were
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January 29, 2015 — Paul Mirengoff
As I watched Loretta Lynch’s testimony yesterday, I had the feeling I had seen this act before. Her approach to answering questions, her tone, and some of her word choices left me with a strong sense of deja vu. Only in the evening did I realize where I had seen Lynch’s act. It was during the confirmation hearing of Cornelia Pillard, now a judge on the D.C. Circuit. Like Pillard,
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January 29, 2015 — Scott Johnson
Apart from the interest of the Obama administration in preserving appearances, it’s hard to understand how Bowe Bergdahl might not be charged with desertion. President Obama staged a Rose Garden celebration to announce the swap of Bergdahl for hardened terrorist prisoners last year. Susan Rice stepped forward to praise Bergdahl’s service despite the circumstances of his capture and the disgust of his fellow soldiers, but the powerful comments of those
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January 29, 2015 — Steven Hayward
While the ruckus over Jon Chait’s critique of PC grinds on (he’s getting a lot more blowback form the Left than from me), I note with amusement another act of Leftist cannibalism taking place over in the UK. When I was coming of age back in the 1970s, one of the leading feminist intelletuals was Germaine Greer, author of The Female Eunuch. I recall her appearing on Buckley’s Firing Line,
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January 29, 2015 — Scott Johnson
In the January 21 Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on our ongoing negotiations with Iran, Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken appeared as the principal witness. Treasury Under Secretary David Cohen also appeared in his last time around before he assumes responsibilities as CIA deputy director. Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson questioned Blinken and Cohen over seven and a half minutes toward the end of the hearing. In the preface to
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January 29, 2015 — Scott Johnson
Live blogging yesterday’s Judiciary Committee hearing on the confirmation of Loretta Lynch as attorney general, Paul noted that Senator Hatch expressed his hopes that he would be able to vote to confirm Lynch. “I hope he won’t,” Paul added, “but after hearing his questioning, I fear he will.” Last night Senator Hatch’s press secretary sent us a message including a video (below) of Senator Hatch’s questioning of Lynch. The press
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January 28, 2015 — Paul Mirengoff
As Scott discusses in the post immediately below, the Obama administration today claimed that the Taliban is an “armed insurrection” — you know, kind of like George Washington’s Continental Army — not a terrorist group. It is therefore materially different, spokesperson Eric Schultz argued, from ISIS. Thus, it is okay for the U.S. to swap prisoners with the Taliban (see Bergdahl, Bowe), but not okay to make concessions to ISIS
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January 28, 2015 — Scott Johnson
The Obama administration degenerates rapidly into a clown show. It may be a clown show that falls into the killer clown horror genre, but still it’s some kind of a clown show. In the latest installment of the clown show, White House spokesman Eric Schultz distinguishes the Taliban — not a terrorist group, but rather an “armed insurgency” — from ISIS — not an “armed insurgency,” but rather a terrorist
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January 28, 2015 — John Hinderaker
The President’s duty under the Constitution is to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” The Attorney General is the President’s chief agent in that regard. With respect to immigration, the laws of the United States set forth the manner in which immigrants may lawfully enter and remain within the United States. Numerous persons are here in violation of those laws. The laws of the United States further provide
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January 28, 2015 — Steven Hayward
So we’re not hearing much about “peak oil” these days. Probably because IT WAS WRONG. But shouldn’t gloat. Instead, let me direct your attention to another snappy five-minute video just out from the Pacific Research Institute’s “History’s Hysteria” series that was taped well before the current oil glut got into full swing. You’ll recognize a familiar face.
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January 28, 2015 — Paul Mirengoff
Loretta Lynch did a superb job of testifying this morning. She artfully ducked the few tough questions directed to her, while somehow managing to sound like the most accommodating nominee ever. Only Sen. Sessions laid a glove on her, in my opinion. The afternoon session will begin soon. I think I’ll present my live-blogging of this one in chronological order rather than reverse chronological order, as I did this morning.
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