June 7, 2013 — John Hinderaker
This is how Brian Ward described tonight’s podcast on Ricochet: The Hinderaker-Ward Experience (HWX) returns for another special Friday night broadcast. John Hinderaker of Power Line and Brian Ward of Fraters Libertas discussing all the news that’s fit to discuss, including: * the newest freshly minted Obama scandals of the day, revelations of massive government Internet and post office surveillance * the meaning of a ‘right to privacy’ in modern
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June 7, 2013 — John Hinderaker
The initial revelations about NSA’s collection of metadata on telephone calls has triggered an avalanche of stories about previously unknown, or only suspected, surveillance projects. First the Washington Post reported (maybe inaccurately) on the PRISM project; then the Wall Street Journal reported that the NSA also collects “purchase information from credit-card providers;” today it came out that the post office photographs the front and back of every piece of mail,
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June 7, 2013 — John Hinderaker
Debate began this morning in the Senate on the Gang of Eight’s immigration bill. Jeff Sessions kicked off opposition to the bill with a speech that focused, among other things, on the bill’s genesis. As everyone knows, the bill began with a “deal” that was reached by the Gang of Eight. But who had input into that deal, and who didn’t? What interests were represented, and what interests were not?
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June 6, 2013 — John Hinderaker
Barack Obama is the bystander president; nothing that happens in his administration has anything to do with him. Michael Ramirez illustrates the point: Eric Holder is the perfect attorney general for the Obama administration. As his Department of Justice sinks deeper and deeper into scandal, he retains a remarkable objectivity. Nothing that happens in the department that he ostensibly runs is, apparently, his doing. His NBC interview with Pete Williams
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June 6, 2013 — John Hinderaker
Since the Guardian revealed a court order under which the National Security Agency is collecting telephone call data from Verizon, there have been howls of protest from some observers–Al Gore, Rand Paul and the New York Times editorial board, to name a few. But is there anything scandalous about the NSA data collection, or is it just business as usual? Two preliminary observations: First, as John Nolte notes, the major
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June 5, 2013 — John Hinderaker
Erika Harold, Miss America 2003, announced today that she is entering the Republican primary in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District. Only one problem: the seat is already held by a Republican, freshman Rodney Davis, whom Harold describes as “a good person.” So her quest might, on first impression, seem quixotic. But don’t sell Miss Harold, who is 33 and single, short. Not because she used her Miss America money to attend
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June 5, 2013 — John Hinderaker
A friend who is deeply connected in Washington and involved in the immigration battle writes: Regarding reports that Rubio is working with Sen. Cornyn on this border security amendment, a usually good source tells me: It’s a trap. They are going to Toomey-Manchin this thing: Announce a big compromise right before the vote, give no one any time to read it, and scare GOP moderates into voting for it. Same
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June 4, 2013 — John Hinderaker
Last week, the Democratic Party sent out a fundraising email that accused House Republicans of voting to double the interest rates on student loans. The scare tactic apparently succeeded, as earlier today the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out this email to its followers: Subject: seriously, thanks! John – Last week, we asked you to help us do something big, something truly record breaking. Well, thanks to your generous support,
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June 4, 2013 — John Hinderaker
Today’s IRS hearing before the House Ways and Means committee was expected to be explosive, as representatives of six non-profits that were improperly targeted by the agency were slated to testify. You could see that from the spin the establishment put on the hearing. The Washington Post headlined: “Five and counting: Yet another IRS hearing.” Can’t we just put this scandal behind us? Scott and Steve have already written about
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June 4, 2013 — John Hinderaker
The Tawana Brawley case dominated the news for a time in 1987. Brawley was a black teenager who claimed to have been raped and abused by six white men. Her handlers, led by the “Reverend” Al Sharpton, falsely accused a policeman (who couldn’t defend himself because he had committed suicide, presumably the reason they chose him) and an Assistant District Attorney of being involved in the attack. Brawley’s accusations turned
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June 3, 2013 — John Hinderaker
Democrats have made much of the fact that ex-IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman, who presided over the agency as it obstructed and harassed conservative non-profits, was appointed by President Bush. It turns out, however, that in one of many such unholy Washington alliances, Shulman is married to Susan L. Anderson, who is an Occupy Wall Street activist and a senior program adviser for the Washington-based group Public Campaign. Public Campaign is
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June 3, 2013 — John Hinderaker
“Homophobia” is a misnomer. There are people who are repelled by homosexuals, but I don’t know anyone who is afraid of them. “Islamophobia,” however, is not a misnomer. A great many people are afraid of Muslims, and understandably so. The words “Allahu Akbar!” have become associated, through repetition, with acts of carnage and murder. This explains why so many people around the world cave in to demands that Islam be
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June 3, 2013 — John Hinderaker
From Bloomberg: Manufacturing in the U.S. unexpectedly shrank in May at the fastest pace in four years, showing slowdowns in business and government spending are holding back the world’s largest economy. The Institute for Supply Management’s factory index fell to 49, the lowest reading since June 2009, from the prior month’s 50.7, the Tempe, Arizona-based group’s report showed today. Fifty is the dividing line between growth and contraction. The median
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June 2, 2013 — John Hinderaker
Earlier today, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released partial transcripts of its interviews with several IRS agents. These interviews formed at least part of the basis for Chairman Darrell Issa’s characterization of White House spokesman Jay Carney, who claimed that the IRS scandal was the work of a couple of rogue agents, as a “paid liar” on CNN this morning. You can read the partial transcripts here.
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June 2, 2013 — John Hinderaker
After two Muslims stabbed an off-duty soldier to death and attempted to behead him, in broad daylight on a busy London street, it was widely reported that a dangerous, anti-Muslim backlash was in progress. British authorities arrested several individuals for making anti-Muslim comments on Facebook or Twitter, hoping, apparently, to stem the tide of anti-Muslim violence. But did the widely-anticipated, and even widely-reported, epidemic of anti-Muslim violence materialize? No, it
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June 2, 2013 — John Hinderaker
As you may have noticed, I haven’t written anything for several days. This is because my daughter Laura, whose engagement I noted here, got married yesterday. It was a very fun event which included, for us, a houseful of relatives. On Saturday my son and I took a group to the shooting range that included two of my brothers, several nephews and one girlfriend. The wedding went smoothly; Laura looked
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May 30, 2013 — John Hinderaker
It wasn’t just the Tea Party: it has been widely reported that the IRS also has harassed and discriminated against pro-Israel charities, in particular those that support settlements in Judea and Samaria. In the Free Beacon, Alana Goodman pursues the story: A Washington Free Beacon investigation has identified at least five pro-Israel organizations that have been audited by the IRS in the wake of a coordinated campaign by White House-allied
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