Sunday, December 27, 2015

Breitbart: Democrat Turmoil: Bernie Sanders Adviser Claims DNC Planted a Rogue Staffer to Steal Clinton Data

By Allum Bokhari, Dec. 27, 2015, Breitbart

An anonymous adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has alleged that the recent data breach of Clinton voter data was a false-flag attack staged by the DNC.

Controversy erupted last week after it emerged that the National Data Director for the Sanders campaign, Josh Uretsky, accessed compromised voter data belonging to Hillary Clinton’s campaign. NGP VAN, the company that works closely with the DNC to manage voter data for both the Clinton and Sanders campaigns suffered a software bug related to Clinton’s data, which was taken advantage of by Uretsky. He was promptly fired by the Sanders campaign once his alleged transgression had been revealed.

Now, in explosive claims, an unnamed Sanders adviser has alleged to Yahoo News that Uretsky was recommended to the Sanders campaign by the DNC themselves.

More: www.breitbart.com

Fox News Insider: Trump on Sexism Charges: 'We Have to Fight Fairly,' Hillary 'Playing the Woman's Card'

Monday, December 21, 2015

Fox News: Clinton claim on ISIS using Trump videos to recruit panned by fact-checkers

By Fox News, Dec. 21, 2015

Hillary Clinton’s claim that the Islamic State is using videos of Donald Trump to recruit more fighters is being panned by fact-checkers – and sharply challenged by Trump himself.

As might be expected, the Republican front-runner fired back Sunday at the former secretary of state’s claim from Saturday’s debate.

“It's nonsense. It's just another Hillary lie. She lies like crazy about everything,” Trump said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Clinton alleged during the debate in New Hampshire that Trump is becoming “ISIS’ best recruiter.”

“They are going to people showing videos of Donald Trump insulting Islam and Muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists,” she said.


CBS: Obama: ISIS "not an organization that can destroy" America

By Rena Flores, Dec. 21, 2015, CBS News

Just weeks after the shooting in San Bernardino, President Obama is seeking to downplay the reach and impact of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), saying America's strength is "not threatened" by the extremist group.

"This is not an organization that can destroy the United States," Mr. Obama told NPR in an interview released Monday. "This is not a huge industrial power that can pose great risks to us institutionally or in a systematic way."

The president was quick to add: "They can hurt us, and they can hurt our people and our families. And so I understand why people are worried."

"They've shown in Paris what they can do in an organized fashion, and in San Bernardino what we've seen is their ability to proselytize for their perverted brand of Islam and spur small-scale terrorist attacks," Mr. Obama said. "And those are very difficult to detect, so it is going to be important for us to be vigilant."


Sunday, December 20, 2015

SNL Republican Debate Mocks Blitzer, Has Trump Calling Jeb "Little Girl Loser"

Saturday, December 19, 2015

CBS: How to watch Tonight's Democratic debate

Alex Wong/ Getty
By CBS News, Dec. 18, 2015

On Saturday night, the Democratic presidential candidates will gather at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, for their third primary debate.

Watch CBSN for coverage of the third Democratic debate

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley will take the stage at 8pm ET for the ABC News-hosted debate, the final one of 2015. The network is also partnering with the New Hampshire Union Leader, one of the state's largest and most influential papers, for coverage of the debate.

Heading into the debate, Hillary Clinton is leading the pack by wide margins, with Sanders trailing the former secretary of state by 31 points in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll.

Going into the debate the Sanders campaign was dealing with a data breach controversy that involved a Sanders staffer accessing confidential Clinton voter data.

More: www.cbsnews.com

NBC: Military: Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to Be Arraigned Tuesday at Fort Bragg

By Halimah Abdullah, Dec. 17, 2015, NBC News

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will be arraigned Tuesday at Fort Bragg, N.C., U.S. military officials said Thursday.

Bergdahl, who is facing a court-martial, was captured by the Taliban after he left his post in Afghanistan in June 2009. He was released in May in a prisoner swap for five Taliban commanders held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Army began its investigation after Bergdahl was returned to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, where he's been working a desk job. 


Fox News: Obama digs in on plan to close Guantanamo prison camp

By Fox News, Dec. 18, 2015

President Obama doubled down Friday on his push to shutter the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, calling it a magnet for “jihadi recruitment” and vowing to present his closure plan to Congress -- while keeping his cards close to the vest on whether he’d try to use executive action to finish the job.

The president addressed his plans at a year-end press conference at the White House, before heading to Hawaii for his annual family vacation. With the Guantanamo push standing as a major piece of unfinished business going into his final year in office, Obama was asked about his strategy.

Obama said he’ll present Congress with his plan, and argued that the camp remains one of the “key magnets for jihadi recruitment.”

“For us to close it is part of our counterterrorism strategy,” Obama said.


CBS News: Data dispute rips open Democrats' race before debate

By CBS News, Dec. 19, 2015

There's a civil war inside the Democratic Party.

Hillary Clinton is accusing Bernie Sanders' campaign of theft, saying the Vermont senator's aides stole millions of dollars' worth of voter data held by the Democratic National Committee.

The breach of information led to a suspension for the Sanders campaign, which then sued the DNC, but late Friday night, a deal was reached to clear up the messahead of Saturday night's Democratic debate.

CBS News' Julianna Goldman reports this dispute has laid bare tensions between the DNC and the Sanders campaign that had been simmering for months.

The Sanders campaign is accusing party officials of trying to undermine his campaign and to help Clinton.

Sanders' campaign cried foul on Friday, calling the suspension of its access to voter data "a death sentence" that would cost it $600,000 a day in lost donations.


Thursday, December 17, 2015

Calvina Fay, Executive Director, Drug Free America Foundation Appears on The Seth Leibsohn Show to discuss new Monitoring The Future Report on Marijuana Use and Abuse



Drug Free America Foundation, Inc. is a national and international drug policy organization promoting sound drug policies, education and prevention. www.dfaf.org.

Monday, December 14, 2015

CNN: Cruz surges in GOP race, challenging Trump ahead of debate

By Fox News, Dec. 14, 2015

Firebrand Sen. Ted Cruz is surging in the Republican primary race and effectively replacing Ben Carson as Donald Trump’s biggest threat as several polls show him claiming the front-runner mantle in Iowa.

The field shake-up comes ahead of the last GOP primary debate of the year, set for Tuesday, and appears to be stoking tensions between the Texas senator and billionaire businessman.

A Fox News Poll released Sunday showed Cruz edging Trump in Iowa, 28-26 percent among likely caucus-goers. The poll was taken Dec. 7-10, and had a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.

Cruz registered an even larger lead in a Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics poll, opening up a 10-point advantage over Trump in the same state. This would mark a 21-point surge since the last poll by the same outfit.

Cruz’ momentum is not isolated to Iowa, either. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll showed Cruz rising to 22 percent – up from 10 percent in October – and pulling just behind Trump’s 27 percent nationally.

The surveys mark a big shift from just a few weeks ago, when Carson, the soft-spoken retired neurosurgeon, was emerging as Trump’s biggest threat. But Carson faced questions about his experience and policy knowledge, and senators like Cruz and Florida’s Marco Rubio have since climbed.


Saturday, December 12, 2015

Sacramento Bee: Secretary of state hits California’s ‘Frankenstein monster’ campaign finance database

Secretary of State Alex Padilla
Source: SacBee
By Jeremy B. White, Dec. 11, 2015, Sacramento Bee

California’s online database for tracking campaign donations and lobbying dollars is in dire need of a “complete rebuild,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla told lawmakers on Friday.

“The guts of Cal Access and how it’s built and how it has evolved leaves much to be desired,” Padilla said during a Senate hearing on campaign finance. “From a technical, a coding standpoint it’s often referred to as a Frankenstein monster of code.”

Journalists and transparency advocates have for years faulted the clunky database, saying it impedes efforts to track influence. Padilla embraced those criticisms and said the state needs to overhaul the database and move from an outdated, paper-based system to a digital-first version.

“We’re doing our best with duct tape and rubber bands,” Padilla said. “We need a new Cal Access. No more band-aids, no more glossy polish. We need a complete rebuild of the system.”


More: www.sacbee.com

The Detroit News: Carson threatens to leave Republican Party

By Steve Peoples, Dec. 11, 2015, The Detroit News

Washington — In what would be a nightmare scenario for the GOP, presidential candidate Ben Carson threatened Friday to leave the Republican Party amid reports of deepening concerns from GOP officials about the splintered 2016 electorate.

The retired neurosurgeon lashed out at Republican leaders who discussed the possibility of a “brokered convention” during a recent private dinner in Washington. The Washington Post first reported Thursday that the group, including Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, addressed the sustained strength of billionaire business Donald Trump and the possibility that a consensus nominee might not emerge before the party’s mid-July national convention in Cleveland.

“If this was the beginning of a plan to subvert the will of the voters and replace it with the will of the political elite, I assure you Donald Trump will not be the only one leaving the party,” said Carson, a Detroit native, in a statement that referenced Trump’s repeated threats to leave the GOP if treated “unfairly.”


Wednesday, December 9, 2015

President Obama Remarks on 150th Anniversary of the End of Slavery

Monday, December 7, 2015

Breitbart: While Obama Says No Guns For Those On No-Fly List, CNN Reports San Bernardino Attackers Not On ‘Any List’

AP
By Awr Hawkins, Dec. 6, 2015, Breitbart

During his December 6 terrorism address, President Obama urged Congress to act to be sure “no one on a no-fly list is able to buy a gun.”


He was speaking in light of the San Bernardino attack and the threat that Americans face going forward. His words came in light of reports that all the guns used in the attack were acquired “legally.”

Obama’s not-so-subtle suggestion was that those guns might not have been acquired if the no-fly list was part of the background check process.

Obama’s said:

Here at home we have to work together to address the challenge. There are several steps that Congress should take right away. To begin with, Congress should act to make sure no one on a no-fly list is able to buy a gun. What could possibly be the argument for allowing a terrorist suspect to buy a semiautomatic weapon? This is a matter of national security.

The problem with Obama’s push for the inclusion of the no-fly list into background checks is that the San Bernardino attackers—Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik—were not on the no-fly list, according to CNN. In fact, they were not on “any list” tied to potential terrorists in the U.S.

President Obama Addresses The Nation on Terrorism 12/6/2015 - 3rd Oval Office Remarks - [FULL SPEECH]

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Chicago Tribune: Emanuel backpedals on Justice Department probe of police

Bill Ruthhart, Dec. 3, 2015, Chicago Tribune

Mayor Rahm Emanuel backpedaled on his opposition to a possible U.S. Justice Department review of the city’s police tactics on Thursday, issuing a statement saying he is now open to such an investigation.

Emanuel’s reversal comes after Hillary Clinton’s campaign indicated Wednesday night that the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination would call for a federal investigation of the Chicago Police Department. A Clinton campaign spokesman said the candidate was “deeply troubled” by the Laquan McDonald shooting that has left a Chicago police officer charged with murder in the shooting, which was caught on police video.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan first called for a Justice Department civil rights investigation, writing a letter Tuesday to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to launch a federal review, because “trust in the Chicago Police Department is broken.”

On Wednesday morning, Emanuel said such an investigation would be “misguided” and said the focus should remain on the federal investigation into the McDonald shooting.

But on Thursday morning, Emanuel issued a statement, changing his position.


Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Fox News: Top military officer contradicts Obama, says ISIS not 'contained'

Gen. Joseph Dunford
By Fox News, Dec. 1, 2015

America’s top-ranking military officer found himself at odds Tuesday with the nation’s commander-in-chief over his claim that the Islamic State was “contained” – an assertion President Obama had made before the Paris terror attacks.

Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gave a dim assessment when asked during a House Armed Services Committee hearing whether that's the case.

“We have not contained ISIL currently,” Dunford told Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va.

The answer runs counter to the claim made by Obama last month in an ABC News interview when asked about the status of the anti-ISIS campaign.

“I don't think they're gaining strength. What is true is that from the start our goal has been first to contain, and we have contained them. They have not gained ground in Iraq. And in Syria, they'll come in, they'll leave, but you don't see this systematic march by ISIL across the terrain,” Obama said.


Saturday, November 28, 2015

AP via CSM: Could a political corruption museum become Albany's biggest tourist attraction?

By Michael Virtanen, Nov. 28, 2015, Associated Press via Christian Science Monitor

ALBANY, N.Y. — A resident of New York's capital city has an unusual economic development plan to harness what he says is one of Albany's most abundant renewable resources: political corruption.

For a $12.50 or so "bribe," visitors to the planned Museum of Political Corruption will get a tour of the state's long history of crooked politicians, shady deals and backroom power brokers, as well as a chance to learn about individuals who have fought corruption and suggested solutions to the state's chronic problem.

The museum is the idea of Bruce Roter, a professor at Albany's College of Saint Rose, who is now raising money for the museum, which he envisions as both an educational institution and a tourist destination that focuses on the state Capitol's reputation for corruption.


Baltimore Sun: Donors gave a super PAC $6 million. Candidates actually got about $140,000.

Joseph Tanfani and Maloy Moore, Nov. 25, 2015, Baltimore Sun

Before he entered the race for the White House, Ben Carson signed on to a campaign to raise money to fight Obamacare. When Juanita McMillon saw his name, she was eager to get out her checkbook.

“I think he is sincere, and I think he is honest, and I think he is exactly what we need,” said McMillon, 80, from the small town of De Kalb in northeast Texas. She gave $350.

Her money went to the American Legacy PAC, an organization with ties to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. With Carson as the face of its Save Our Healthcare campaign, American Legacy raised close to $6 million in 2014 — and spent nearly all of it paying the consultants and firms that raised the money. Just 2% was donated to Republican candidates and committees, financial reports show.

“I’m really careful who I give money to, but I guess I did not read it close enough,” McMillon said, adding that she had never heard of American Legacy. “I prefer to give money to individuals, and I assumed, I guess, that Dr. Carson was getting my money.”

More: www.baltimoresun.com

CNN: White House fence jumper sent for psychiatric examination

Source:  ABC News
By Tal Kopan, Nov. 27, 2015, CNN

Washington (CNN)The man arrested for jumping the White House fence Thanksgiving Day made his first court appearance Friday, after which he was sent for psychiatric evaluation.

Joseph Caputo, 23, of Stamford, Connecticut, was charged with illegal entry of restricted grounds for jumping the fence protecting the White House. He was stopped by Secret Service on the lawn almost immediately and arrested.

After Friday's court appearance, Caputo was released into Secret Service custody to be transported for evaluation at the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program at St. Elizabeth Hospital ahead of a scheduled hearing Monday in the D.C. District Court.


More: www.cnn.com

Mother Jones: The New, Ugly Surge in Violence and Threats Against Abortion Providers

By Nina Liss Schultz, Nov. 28, 2015

Three people were shot dead and nine others were injured Friday at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic, the first time since 2009 that anyone has been killed in an incident linked to activity at an abortion clinic. The attack comes amid an exponential increase in threats and violence against abortion providers since the release of a series of viral—and widely debunked—videos.

While police have not discussed the alleged motives of the suspect, who has been arrested, the attack began at the clinic. According to authorities, the gunman entered the facility Friday afternoon and began shooting. During an hours-long standoff, he exchanged fire with police, killing one officer.

Since the release of the Center for Medical Progress' videos that purport to show Planned Parenthood selling fetal issue, harassment, threats, and attacks against abortion providers, their staff, and facilities have surged dramatically across the country, according to new numbers from the National Abortion Federation.


USA Today: Suspect's motive unclear in Planned Parenthood shooting



Related: Colorado Planned Parenthood Shooter Not Republican, Registered as a Woman

Monday, November 23, 2015

CBS: Donald Trump: Bring back water boarding (To fight ISIS)

By Rebecca Kaplan, Nov. 23, 2015, CBS

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Sunday that he would bring back waterboarding to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Asked about the possibility of reviving back the interrogation technique, Trump told ABC's "This Week" host George Stephanopoulos, "I would bring it back."

"I think waterboarding is peanuts compared to what they'd do to us, what they're doing to us, what they did to James Foley when they chopped off his head. That's a whole different level and I would absolutely bring back interrogation and strong interrogation," he said, referring to the first American journalist who was behead by the group in 2014.


Friday, November 20, 2015

Daily Caller: Obama: US Taxpayers Must Pay For Illegals’ Children

By Neil Munro, Nov. 20, 2015, Daily Caller

Illegal immigrants will receive huge payments from American taxpayers under rules now being imposed by President Barack Obama’s unilateral amnesty.

The illegals will get work-permits and Social Security cards, and will be required to pay taxes, according to Cecilia Munoz, the former immigration lobbyist who is now a top Obama aide.

That means they’re part of the tax system, she said, when she was asked if the illegals would get annual payments under the Earned Income Tax Credit program.

“They are subject to our tax law,” she said, carefully.

More: www.dailycaller.com

CNN Republican presidential debate criteria announced

By Eric Bradner, Nov. 20, 2015, CNN

(CNN)Republicans have three ways to make the cut for the main stage of their fifth presidential primary debate, sponsor CNN announced Thursday.

Candidates must meet one of three criteria in polls conducted between October 29 and December 13 and recognized by CNN: An average of at least 3.5% nationally; at least 4% in Iowa; or at least 4% in New Hampshire.

The debate is Tuesday, December 15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Right now, nine candidates would make cut for the Republican National Committee sanctioned debate at The Venetian in Las Vegas: Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Carly Fiorina and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.


More: www.cnn.com

Alexandra Datig Appears On Geraldo Rivera Live To Discuss Charlie Sheen, Nov. 17, 2015

Alexandra Datig Appears on Dr. Drew KABC 790 To Discuss Charlie Sheen Coming Out HIV Positive, Nov. 17, 2015

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

AP/Yahoo: Louisiana Gov. Jindal ends bid for GOP nomination in 2016

By Melinda Deslatte, Nov. 17, 2015, AP/Yahoo

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal dropped out of the 2016 race for president Tuesday, ending a campaign that failed to gain much support among Republicans sifting through a long list of contenders for the GOP nomination.

"I've come to the realization that this is not my time," Jindal said on Fox News Channel as he announced the decision to suspend his campaign.

The 44-year-old governor said he wasn't ready to endorse another candidate, but intended to support the eventual Republican presidential nominee.

Term-limited and out of office in January, Jindal said he will work with a think tank he started a few years ago, called America Next, to devise what he called "a blueprint for making this the American century."


Friday, November 13, 2015

Politico: With Just Three On Stage, Democratic Debate Moderator Plans To Dive Deep

AP/Politico
By Hadas Gold and Annie Karni, Nov. 13, 2015, Politico

This Saturday’s second Democratic debate will be a much smaller affair than the first. With only three candidates on stage, CBS News plans to delve deep into the issues with each candidate and have taken advantage of the smaller pool by doing some intense research.

Moderator John Dickerson and his team met with each of the campaigns for more than an hour to discuss the major issues at play in the race, sources on the campaigns said, describing the pre-interview as "informational in nature."

Prior to the CNN debate, the campaigns said moderator Anderson Cooper did not reach out directly to them before the candidates took the stage.

More: www.politico.com

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Fox News: FBI expands probe of Clinton emails, launches independent classification review

By Catherine Herridge, Pamela Browne, Nov. 12, 2015, Fox News

"The agents involved are under a lot of pressure and are busting a--," an intelligence source, who was not authorized to speak on the record, told Fox News.

The section of the criminal code being explored is known as "statements or entries generally," and can be applied when an individual makes misleading or false statements causing federal agents to expend additional resources and time. In this case, legal experts as well as a former FBI agent said, Section 1001 could apply if Clinton, her aides or attorney were not forthcoming with FBI agents about her emails, classification and whether only non-government records were destroyed.

Fox News judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano said the same section got Martha Stewart in trouble with the FBI. To be a violation, the statements do not need to be given under oath.

"This is a broad, brush statute that punishes individuals who are not direct and fulsome in their answers," former FBI agent Timothy Gill told Fox News. Gill is not connected to the email investigation, but spent 16 years as part of the bureau's national security branch, and worked the post 9/11 anthrax case where considerable time was spent resolving discrepancies in Bruce Ivins' statements and his unusual work activities at Fort Detrick, Md.


Wednesday, November 11, 2015

CNN: Human trafficking survivor: I was raped 43,200 times

By Rafael Romo, Nov. 10, 2015, CNN

Mexico City (CNN)Karla Jacinto is sitting in a serene garden. She looks at the ordinary sights of flowers and can hear people beyond the garden walls, walking and talking in Mexico City.

She looks straight into my eyes, her voice cracking slightly, as she tells me the number she wants me to remember -- 43,200.

By her own estimate, 43,200 is the number of times she was raped after falling into the hands of human traffickers.

She says up to 30 men a day, seven days a week, for the best part of four years -- 43,200.


#FlyToFreedom: You can help end modern slavery

Her story highlights the brutal realities of human trafficking in Mexico and the United States, an underworld that has destroyed the lives of tens of thousands of Mexican girls like Karla.

Human trafficking has become a trade so lucrative and prevalent, that it knows no borders and links towns in central Mexico with cities like Atlanta and New York.

More: www.cnn.com

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Live Stream: The Fox Business-WSJ Debates 7pm ET

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Trump Knocks It Out Of The Park On SNL

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Huffington Post: Chris Christie Makes Emotional Plea To Rethink Drug Addiction Treatment

By Sam Wilkers and Scott Conroy, Nov. 1

UPDATE: Christie's talk on addiction, part of the HuffPost original series '16 and President, has been viewed more than three million times on Facebook and has been shown repeatedly on cable news.

BELMONT, N.H. -- While campaigning recently during happy hour at Shooter's Tavern here in this small New Hampshire community, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) related a pair of personal anecdotes to elucidate why he thinks the United States should change the way it handles drug addicts.

After speaking in highly personal terms about his late mother's smoking addiction, Christie recounted an emotional story about a law school friend who became addicted to prescription painkillers.


Seth Leibsohn Appears On Bill Bennett's Morning In America To Discuss Stinging Defeat Of Ohio Marijuana Initiative

Right Sightings: Dr. Drew Pinksy and Bob Beckel in a compelling discussion about the rise of deadly drug addiction in American Middle Class



More: www.rightsightings.com

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Huffington Post: Ohio Votes Against Legalizing Marijuana

By Mollie Reilly, Nov. 3, 2015, Huffington Post

Ohio voted Tuesday against legalizing recreational and medical marijuana via an amendment to the state's constitution, shooting down a proposal to grant a small number of wealthy investors sole permission to operate commercial marijuana farms.

"The people of Ohio have understandably rejected a deeply flawed, monopolistic approach to marijuana reform that failed to garner broad support from advocates or industry leaders," National Cannabis Industry Association executive director Aaron Smith said in a statement after Tuesday's vote. "This debate has shown that there is a strong base of support for legalizing, taxing, and regulating marijuana. Now the foundation has been laid for a potential 2016 effort that would put forward a more common-sense initiative and have a major impact on the presidential conversation in the process."

The amendment sought to allow licensed individuals to possess, grow, share and cultivate up to eight ounces of marijuana and four marijuana plants in the state. Additionally, the law would have allowed anyone over the age of 21 without a license to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, and would have allowed individuals with a physician-certified medical condition to use medical cannabis.


Right Sightings: Bob Beckel (Author of “I Should Be Dead”) Opens up about Personal Struggles



Source: www.rightsightings.com

The Los Angeles Times: Ex-Facebook President Sean Parker backs California pot initiative

By Patrick McGreevy, Nov. 2, 2015, Latimes.com

A coalition that includes former Facebook President Sean Parker on Monday proposed an initiative that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in California and place a 15% tax on retail sales of the drug.

Parker, a billionaire who also co-founded the file-sharing service Napster, plans to put millions of dollars behind the proposal, intended for the November 2016 ballot, according to those in the coalition.

“It's very encouraging to see a vibrant community of activists … coming together around a sensible reform-based measure that protects children, gives law enforcement additional resources and establishes a strong regulatory framework for responsible adult use of marijuana — one that will yield economic benefits for all Californians,” Parker said in a statement.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed the proposal, calling it a “thoughtful measure” that aligns with the recommendations of a blue-ribbon commission he created to study the legalization issue.


Sunday, November 1, 2015

Washington Times: $20 trillion man: National debt nearly doubles during Obama presidency

By Dave Boyer - The Washington Times - Sunday, November 1, 2015

When President Obama signs into law the new two-year budget deal Monday, his action will bring into sharper focus a part of his legacy that he doesn’t like to talk about: He is the $20 trillion man.

Mr. Obama’s spending agreement with Congress will suspend the nation’s debt limit and allow the Treasury to borrow another $1.5 trillion or so by the end of his presidency in 2017. Added to the current total national debt of more than $18.15 trillion, the red ink will likely be crowding the $20 trillion mark right around the time Mr. Obama leaves the White House.


Wednesday, October 28, 2015

FULL GOP Republican Presidential Debate CNBC, Oct. 28, 2015

Chicago Tribune: House Republicans nominate Rep. Paul Ryan to be next speaker

By Tribune Wire Reports, Oct. 28, 2015, Chicago Tribune

The House was poised Wednesday to approve a bipartisan pact charting a two-year budget truce and Republicans were set to nominate Rep. Paul Ryan as the new speaker, milestones GOP leaders hope will transform their party's recent chaos into calm in time for next year's presidential and congressional campaigns.

Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate were urging lawmakers to back the agreement, which would resolve fights over defense and domestic spending and federal borrowing until early 2017. Expectations were for House passage Wednesday and final Senate approval by next week, even as hard-right conservatives and farm-state lawmakers arrayed against the deal.

Hours before the vote, Ryan, R-Wis., said he will support the bill because it makes "meaningful reforms" that strengthen safety net programs like Social Security and provides sufficient resources for the military.


Monday, October 26, 2015

The Los Angeles Times: Presidential debates have become must-watch television - Next Debate Oct. 28

By Mark Z. Barabak, Oct. 26, 2015, The Los Angeles Times

The surprise breakout hit of this television season isn't some Kardashian spinoff or another cheesy competition among aspiring songsters.

It's the prime-time presidential debates, which have attracted huge national audiences and shaped and reshaped the 2016 race long before the calendar turns, or any real votes have been cast.

Much of that can be credited to Republican Donald Trump, a singular personality when it comes to getting noticed, and to Bernie Sanders, the charismatically cantankerous Vermont senator, who is Hillary Rodham Clinton's chief Democratic rival and the year's other political phenomenon.

In a sense, the two are cast members, along with the rest of the presidential candidates, in a wonky form of reality TV. "We can't wait to see who's going to do what onstage, and how they respond to one another," said Marty Kaplan, a former Democratic campaign strategist who teaches in the communications school at USC.


Friday, October 23, 2015

The Hill: Boehner appoints woman to lead Planned Parenthood investigation

By Cristina Marcos, Oct. 23, 2015, The Hill

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) will chair the new select committee investigating Planned Parenthood, Speaker John Boehner announced Friday.

Blackburn will be the second House GOP committee chairwoman, apart from House Administration Committee Chairwoman Candice Miller (R-Mich.), in this Congress.

The committee’s setup is similar to that of the select panel investigating the 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya.

Three other House committees — Energy and Commerce, Oversight and Judiciary — have also been conducting an investigation into Planned Parenthood following controversial videos purporting to show the organization’s practice of donating aborted fetal tissue for medical research.


CNN: Lincoln Chafee drops out of Democratic primary race

By Dan Merica and Tom LoBianco, OCT. 23, 2015, CNN

(CNN)Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee ended his long-shot bid for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, he announced Friday.

"As you know, I have been campaigning on a platform of Prosperity Through Peace," Chafee said at the DNC's annual Women's Leadership Forum in Washington. "But after much thought I have decided to end my campaign for president today. I would like to take this opportunity one last time to advocate for a chance be given to peace."

The Democrat declared his presidential campaign in June, shortly after announcing that he had formed an exploratory committee.


More: www.cnn.com

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Daily Caller: Hillary Admits Chris Stevens Did Not Have Her Email Address

By Chuck Ross, Oct. 22, 2015, Daily Caller

In a tense line of exchange during Thursday’s House Select Committee on Benghazi hearing, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted that while her longtime friend Sidney Blumenthal had her personal email address and frequently used it, Ambassador Chris Stevens did not have that level of access.

“You got that from Sidney Blumenthal and you say Mr. Blumenthal was a friend of yours and he had your personal email address. You say Chris Stevens was a friend of yours,” Georgia Rep. Lynn Westermoreland said to Clinton.

Blumenthal emailed Clinton more than 180 times while she was in office. Many of those exchanges included intelligence reports and analysis provided by Blumenthal, often advancing his business interests in Libya and other nations.

More: www.dailycaller.com

Live Stream: Benghazi Select Committee Hearing

ICYMI: June 25, 2015, Select Committee on Benghazi: State Confirms Clinton Failed to Turn Over ALL Benghazi and Libya Documents

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Reuters: Vice President Joe Biden will not run for president

Reuters
By Jeff Mason, Oct. 21, 2015, Reuters

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he would not run for president in 2016, ending months of suspense and easing Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's path to the party's nomination.

Biden, who had been pondering a run since August, appeared in the White House Rose Garden with his wife Jill and President Barack Obama to say the window for mounting a successful campaign had closed.

"While I will not be a candidate, I will not be silent," Biden told reporters. "I intend to speak out clearly and forcefully to influence as much as I can where we stand as a party and where we need to go as a nation," Biden said.

Biden, 72, had been wrestling with his own doubts about whether he and his family were ready for a grueling campaign while still mourning his son Beau, who died of brain cancer in May. His son had urged him to run.