The White House is having such a bad week they are looking for anything to sound good. We love the touting of this from the Congressional Budget Office. The WH could not wait to roll out that President Barack Obama’s budget would trim projected federal deficits by $1.1 trillion over the coming decade. Can you do the math 10 divided by $1.1T? After four straight years of annual shortfalls exceeding $1 trillion we are not saying this is not the right direction, but could this not have been more pretty easy. Let us dig into the numbers. Because it is over ten years, 2014 deficit will be $115 billion higher than the $560 billion shortfall that the budget office estimated. The money comes from $974 billion in higher revenue and $172 billion in spending cuts. The revenue-raising proposals include limiting some deductions and exclusions for some higher-earning taxpayers, raising $493 billion over the decade. Boosting tobacco taxes by $83 billion and raising estate and gift taxes by $77 billion. Get ready for the spending cuts a 10-year savings of $601 billion. We cannot credit the WH here as it is from ending the war in Afghanistan. They also count $364 billion from cutting some Medicare payments to providers and raising costs for some beneficiaries. Here is the one that is really curious saving another $233 billion by having the government use a less generous method of calculating inflation, which would result in people getting smaller increases in Social Security benefits and moving more quickly into higher tax brackets. In business we call that cooking the books. Did you figure the math question that is right this cut averages $110B a year for ten years? Surely your government can cut more than that?
This is going to blood sport on capitol hill as the IRS scandal is going to drag in and out of headlines. This has been great theater as it is awesome to hear comparisons of President Barack Obama to President Nixon. This is by no stretch going away and this is going to reach the White House someday, it is not if it is when. Today we saw Internal Revenue Service fall guy Steven Miller apologize to the House Ways and Means Committee for the tougher treatment of tea party and other conservative groups. The claim was there was a flood of applications, not political bias. This makes no sense because the democrat groups did get status. Then next claim was to call it not a personnel problem, it is the IRS being too large, and too powerful. It is not a hard leap to from tougher examinations that conservative groups encountered and the culture of cover-ups and intimidation in this administration. Make no mistake this is hardball Miller was sworn in as a witness, not normal for the Ways and Means. President Obama has rejected naming a special prosecutor which is another thing that does not add up. We understand this was about winning election as in 2008-12 these groups were hindered in getting donations and effecting change. Everyone wants a tax free donation and this was not the case with the edict from President Obama
The damage control has forced President Barack Obama to react. Even the lame stream media had to swallow hard and be critical of their hero. If you checked your local media rags they struggled to make sure they did not flavor too much criticism. The Boston Globe called it a controversy the NYT called it mismanagement but our highlight was the three minutes when President Obama speaking from the White House very formal East Room tried to distance himself. He announced the ouster of acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller the top official at the Internal Revenue Service following disclosures that the agency targeted conservative political groups. We think that President Obama out of the gate was passive in his response to the matter. He did the now famous gritting of teeth as he snarled I am angry about it and letting us know the American people had a right to be angry as well. We want to thank him for letting us be angry. The thing Washington never understands is saying you are going to put laws into place, code word safeguards, to make sure it does not happen again is not a response. There were laws in place already and that stopped nothing. The next time he appears there will be questions from the media.
This has been fun watching the lame stream media late to the party over the fails of their hero. We are enjoying the Benghazi latest twist but the IRS story is a huge wow. They tried to sweep it away on Friday afternoon as they always do. The Justice Department is investigating the Internal Revenue Service for targeting tea party groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for tax exempt status. The other tough job in Washington today was Attorney General Eric Holder who jumped in to widen the probe that already includes investigations by three committees in Congress. They are getting ready for excuses of ineffective management at the IRS was the reason agents were able to improperly target tea party groups for over 18 months. President Barack Obama said this was intolerable and inexcusable. We have to wonder where these marching orders came from. We do not think this was just an arbitrary decision and that there is a puppet master pulling the strings somewhere. The other bombshell was IRS Commissioner Steven Miller was first informed on May, 3, 2012, that applications for tax-exempt status by tea party groups were incongruously singled out for additional analysis. The problem is twice Miller wrote letters to members of Congress to explain the process of reviewing applications for tax-exempt status without disclosing that tea party groups had been targeted. These are the things that bring administrations down and turn trust cold from America.
We wanted to make you aware of "The Living End, A Memoir of Forgiving and Forgetting” the great new book from Robert Leleux Read More About the Author. When it comes to Alzheimer’s there are not many people that could write a story that is funny, inspiring, and true. The heart of the story is about Alzheimer's and the way it impacts an entire family. One of the reviews said the book about Leleux beloved grandmother and his heroic caring for as she slipped into the grip of Alzheimer’s. The book is at times hilarious, tender, and heartbreaking–further proof that Mr. Leleux is ripening into one of the best prose stylists in America. This high praise came from Pat Conroy, Author of The Prince of Tides & South of Broad. This started in 2008, when the New York Times published “A Memory Magically Interrupted” Leleux discovered how rare a hopeful Alzheimer’s story could be. Have an Alzheimer's Story to Share? January of 2012, in response to an overwhelming reaction to his article, Leleux’s The Living End: a Memoir of Forgetting and Forgiving was published by St. Martin’s Press. Within a week of its publication, The Living End became a regional best seller. Today, it continues to gain momentum as Leleux tours the country and meets audiences touched by the story of his grandmother JoAnn and the unexpected blessings his family experienced as they accompanied JoAnn on her journey through Alzheimer’s. Buy it Now
We are glad Benghazi is back front and center. We are glad it was not turned into old news. We are glad no matter how hard the lame streamers tried to hide it, they failed. We fully expect more witnesses’ whistle blowers to step forward about the attack and how President Barack Obama’s administration responded to the unfolding events. Greg Hicks did a great a job and was clear that more could have been done to stop the assault by suspected Islamist militants. He showed his frustration that military jets or Special Forces were not sent to help. We know now that for months before, there were warnings about weak security. There still are many questions including where was President Obama? There were no pictures from the Situation Room. Why did we not authorize a quick-response team plunge in, instead told to Stand down? There are dozens of witnesses to the attack that night and each of these events. There is one whistle blower we think ready to go and might have some keys General David H. Petraeus, the former director forced to resign might still hold that over his bosses head. If this can turn ugly he might be on the front line to bring it all together.
This week we choose a first timer for a week and never been on the list. The woman is Isla Lang Fisher who was born on February 3, 1976 in Muscat, Oman Austrialia as our choice. We picked her this week as she is part of the long awaited The Great Gatsby. The movie did not top the box office thanks to Iron Man 3. It did do $51M, we do not know the budget. Isla has been around a while at 37 she has a great track record and has been in some great movies including, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Definitely, Maybe, The Lookout, Wedding Crashers, and was Mary Jane in the 2002 Scooby Doo movie. We have always thought she was sexy and she pulls it off on screen when she needs to or can play it down when asked. The photo we used has been one of our favorites and have wanted to get here a week since we first seen it. As you can see with legs like that and the curves to match, once you throw in her sexy style of fashion she is a slam dunk. You will see her in Now you See Me this year and she is currently working on a project with Elmore Leonard.
Today is 512 and it is Mothers Day. Happy Mothers Day to all the conservative gun toting GOP mama’s out there and thanks for everything you do. The thing about Mothers is everyone has one and they shape your early ideals and have a hand in framing you as person. When you think you of this you see that if you grow up in a liberal household and watch as they are for every save the world, spending politicians, and free programs, it seems right. Then you get out first job and you lose 30% of your pay to taxes. You go home to your mother and ask why? She proudly tells you that money goes to save the world, spending politicians, and free programs. You become a member of the GOP. The other side you grow up in a conservative household and watch as they are for every tax cut, rich politicians, and cutting programs, it seems wrong to your view of the world. These are the rules that make you into the voter you become. Today we have the day of celebration for 512 as we are Tea512 and today is our day. Which for today we must share this day with the moms.
Another stellar outstanding citizen get a job from President Obama. You can pretty much do anything wrong and never get to pay a penalty. President Barack Obama is getting ready to nominate former US Ambassador Ryan Crocker to the Broadcasting Board of Governors. This is an odd choice as Crocker pleaded guilty last November to a reduced charge of reckless driving after an accident in Washington state’s Spokane Valley. He originally faced a drunken driving charge after colliding with a semitrailer at an intersection, then driving away as a witness followed him. Crocker has been around the block as he was in charge of embassies in Iraq, Pakistan, Kuwait, Lebanon and Syria. The new job on the Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent agency that oversees the US supported civilian international broadcasts such as the Voice of America. Crocker came out of retirement in 2011 to oversee the embassy in Afghanistan at Obama’s request and cited health issues when he retired last year after serving three decades. The Arabic speaker came out of retirement in 2011 to oversee the embassy in Afghanistan at Obama’s request. We would love to see the campaign contributions or favors owed between Crocker and President Obama as there seems to be more to this story then we are getting.
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This week we highlighted the amazing Emilia Clarke as the women of the week. The photo we used was from the red carpet at the Met Gala on Monday May sixth. The Costume Institute Gala, known as the Met Met Gala, is an annual ball that celebrates the annual opening of the Metropolitan Museum’s fashion exhibit. The red carpet evening is hosted by Vogue magazine. It is regarded as an important social event in New York City. Emilia walked the red carpet in a striking red strapless Ralph Lauren silk radzimir evening gown, with a sweetheart neckline; she completed the look with Ralph Lauren Collection black satin shoes. A great accent washer brown hair draping her shoulders, highlighting a pair of Fred Leighton cross earrings. If you did now know of Fred Leighton, the name is renowned for extraordinary vintage style and rare, collectible jewels. The great designs are timeless as they are ranging from the Georgian and Victorian periods through the Edwardian and Art Deco eras to the design of the mid-20th Century, the Fred Leighton collection features beautiful works and signed pieces by the great makers in jewelry history. In the mid 1970’s, Fred Leighton opened his first boutique in New York’s Greenwich Village. They moved to Madison Ave in 1984 and opened a second salon in Las Vegas in 1998.
We know everyone thinks that we harp on the media for no reason. They do not see the media bias from the lame streamers. We think it is on full display over the last three days. The White House spent last week trying to tell us Benghazi was old news. The made it old news by ignoring the questions when they were relevant and front and center. Heading to congress are three whistle blowers who have information that is damming to the State Department and the White House. The persons who are being ignored are Gregory Hicks, Jennifer Rubin, Erik Wemple. You may not have heard anything of this but they testified before congress. The reason you did not watch it was because the hearing was televised on CSPAN-3. We live and breathe this stuff and did even know there was a CSPAN-3. This is not enough to make you think something is wrong open your browser and check out the lame stream editorials today. They are calling it a waste of time, no smoking gun, and no proof of anything we did not know. What it does provide is the president never should have said it was a flash mob, caused by a video or that it was only an act of terror. No matter how much they want to try to say this did not happen it did and the truth is not going away, no matter how many lies and columnists try to say otherwise.
Just like the gun bill the media told you it was a slam dunk her comes immigration down the same path. They say it is a no brainer, we think it is DOA. The immigration legislation is doomed to fail in Congress unless border-security provisions are greatly strengthened is the word from the GOP. The last time they said this they said gun control will fail and they were right on. The next thin to look for is Reid saying he does not have the votes and we can call it a day. The Democratic and Republican senators are still scurrying around filling the bill up with amendments ahead of the first votes. They also need to take into account all these additional measures that will be required and address potential costs to taxpayers. The bill put out by the gang of eight is too weak t oget through the house and we are not sure there are enough votes in the senate no matter who wrote it. The bill as it stands has no teeth and rests on setting goals and requiring studies about border security. This is not the motion needed as it should insist on actual accomplishments. The bill uses $5.5 billion for border measures aimed at achieving 100 percent surveillance and blocking 90 percent of illegal border crossers and would-be crossers in high-entrance areas. This is not planned as it dropped in the lap of Homeland Security Department would have six months to create a new border-security plan to achieve the 90 percent effectiveness rate and identify where new fencing is needed.
This week we have chosen a lady who got a week last year but did not make the top 51. Emilia Clarke was born in London, England and grew up in Berkshire. We picked her this week because how amazing she looked on the red carpet at the Met Gala a function of pomp and circumstance if there ever was one. If you do not know her she plays the role of Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO medieval-fantasy series, Game of Thrones. Emilia is the queen of the dragons and has turned a corner as a character and as a queen since being exiled from the realm. She is so sexy and voluptuous on screen and as you can see when she dresses up she really pulls it all together. If you not have caught Emilia Clarke in the Game of Thrones you will be in for a treat. Her success has led to two other projects including Evelyn in Dom Hemingway set to release this year and currently working on The Garden of Last Days. We are big fans of her character and watching her grow into a woman, queen and general of an Army over the last two seasons has been sexy and captivating.
More bad news for the gang of eight. The Heritage Foundation has found that the bipartisan Senate immigration bill would cost the government a net $6.3 trillion over the next 50 years to provide benefits for millions of people now living in the US illegally. This is the stuff your president does want you to know and lame stream media will never tell. There is no denying that immigrants granted new legal status under the bill would eat up more than $9 trillion in health, education, retirement and other benefits over their lifetime we feel this is on the low side because the number of illegal undocumented immigrants people is much higher. The problem is they will only contribute around $3 trillion in taxes. The blind rush to immigration reform has led a number of people in Congress to want to consider the costs. The bill is getting ready as the first tests are set for the Senate Judiciary Committee to begin voting on amendments. We feel after gun control the White House needs this one and the Republicans feel that they lost the election over minorities that did not vote for the GOP. The conventional thinking is that if the democrats are perceived as the only ones who care it could be decades before the GOP breaks the cycle.
We are turning a corner and a new day for the NRA. They have taken some lumps over the last year. There are hopes better days are ahead. There is a new incoming leader of the National Rifle Association. We think it going to be good as he has a long history with the powerful gun rights lobby. There has never been a microphone that he has not given a bold statement and will be a good leader to stand for the second amendment during the national debate over gun control. Welcome James Porter, an Alabama attorney and first vice president of the NRA, James will assume the presidency after the conclusion of the NRA national convention wraps up in Houston. We think Porter is going to great as he already has told the members they are the front line of a culture war that goes beyond gun rights. He called the grass roots member they are the true fighters for freedom and the protectors. Porter who is 64 is no stranger as his father was NRA president from 1959-1961. Porter has already called President Barack Obama a fake president and Attorney General Eric Holder rabidly un-American and called for training every US citizen in the use of standard military firearms, to allow them to defend themselves against tyranny.
Since the lame streamers are going to keep the Senator Robert Menendez story on the back page we need to make sure it has a home here. We can start by saying the New Jersey Democrat leads the Foreign Affairs Committee. So right now he is in the middle of discussions on Syria, Iran and North Korea. He also happens to be Cuban-American and closely watching the immigration gang of eight bill heading through congress. This would be just an elected liberal doing his job to promote socialism over American story. The problem for Menendez is walks with a cloud from the Senate Ethics Committee and their investigation into his conduct. There is a Dr. Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist who is being investigated by the FBI and has plenty of help from the senator and of course Menendez insists he has done nothing wrong. The problem here is why he needs to resign at best this shows he is vulnerable. Lobbyists and even other Senators can hold this investigation over his head, there is information out there and someone will dig it up. When they do it could change a vote and that is why he needs to go. He at a bear minimum needs to step down from the Foreign Affairs Committee immediately. We understand due process but this are issues of national security and defense and cannot have any member of panel compromised while we get to the bottom of the issue.
The gang of eight have four GOP senators that are getting in deeper than they probably should over immigration. The same can be said for President Barack Obama. Let us face it that he wants healthcare and immigration to be a central part of his legacy. But when he get too close to the congress the GOP will run not wanting to hand the president a win. He stayed out of the way on gun control and paid the price and we are sure he will be criticized for not using his presidential powers to fight for votes. The president plans to ramp up his immigration travel in the coming weeks including trips to Mexico and Costa Rica up next. He has stated that he does not agree with the bill from the gang of eight but knows he has left it up to them for better or worse. In true President Barack Obama he will take credit for it saying that the bill they are making does meet the basic criteria that he laid out from the start. The bill would strengthen border security, allow tens of thousands of new workers into the country, require all employers to check the legal status of current employees and provide an eventual path to citizenship for some 11 million immigrants now here illegally. This number is wrong as it closer to 30 million.
To the victor go the spoils and President Barack Obama filled two regulatory posts by paying back favors. The loyalty awards went to Representative Melvin Watt, a Democrat from NC. Drew the short straw and will be the oversight for the government-controlled mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Watt is 67 and has has spent 20 years in the House. He has been a member for life on the Financial Services Committee. You know it is a bad selection as it was praised by housing advocates and liberal groups. The other tanks for helping Obama job was given to Tom Wheeler, the 67 year old former head of the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, and the National Cable Television Association, is your new telecommunications regulator. He has been a venture capitalist since 2005 and he raised more than a half million dollars for President Obama re-election campaign. We think it will be hard to regulate an industry you have served in against regulation your whole life and must have many friends inside still. This position is for another President Obama buddy is on the way out Genachowski who went to Harvard Law School with the president resigned. The Senate will need to confirmation is required for both posts.
When you are put out to pasture to keep your legacy intact the first rule is no regrets. This memo must never have made to the top of the judicial branch. We watched this week as retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor is suggesting for the first time that the court should have stayed out of the 2000 presidential election dispute between George W. Bush and Al Gore. There is no way she would have thought this at the time because it was the wrong thing to do. We find it so hard to believe the 83-year-old O’Connor would tell the Chicago Tribune editorial board that perhaps she and her colleagues should have turned down the Bush campaign’s appeal of a Florida Supreme Court decision to allow a recount requested by the Gore campaign. We have no trouble believing the lame stream media would jump all over hearing this and cannot wait to get this on the wire. O’Connor waffled on this before and has said the court had no choice but to take on the case. We only hope that when you say a choice you made you can no longer stand behind for no reason we have to think it is not conscience but craving the spotlight.
