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November 2014

Posted by Mike LaChance on November 20, 2014 8 Comments
Shushannah Walshe of ABC News notes that Republican governors are being hostile to Obama's immigration power grab:
GOP Governors Mostly Hostile on Obama Immigration Executive Action Potential 2016 GOP presidential candidates at the Republican Governors Association annual conference gave very different responses to the president’s decision to announce major executive action on immigration reform Thursday. At the gathering at the posh Boca Raton Resort and Club, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dodged, Texas Gov. Rick Perry threatened, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal accused the president of throwing a “temper tantrum” and Ohio Gov. John Kasich sounded a more moderate tone. Christie, the RGA’s outgoing chairman, refused to weigh in saying, “We will have to wait and see what he says and what he does and what the legal implications are.”
Is that a story? You know who else used to be hostile to that power grab?

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 20, 2014 21 Comments
Mike Nichols has died at age 83. His accomplishments were many, and are reviewed in the ABC News video at the end of this post. But for me, his great accomplishment was directing The Graduate. There are few movies that had as much of an impact on me growing up as The Graduate. He was married to Diane Sawyer.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 20, 2014 7 Comments
Rasmieh (Rasmea) Odeh was found guilty earlier this month in federal court in Detroit of unlawfully obtaining citizenship by lying on her 1994 visa and 2004 naturalization applications. In those documents, Rasmea falsely answered "No" to questions, among others, as to whether she "ever" had been convicted of a crime or been imprisoned. In fact, Rasmea was convicted in Israeli in 1970 of participation in the bombing of the Jerusalem SuperSol supermarket in which two Hebrew University students were killed, an attempted bombing of the British consulate, and other security offenses. Rasmea was sentenced to life in prison, but was released in 1979 in a prisoner exchange. Needless to say, the jury only took two hours to convict Rasmea on the immigration fraud charge. For a lengthy account of the evidence demonstrating Rasmea's guilt both in Israel and Detroit, see our post yesterday, Rasmea Odeh rightly convicted of Israeli supermarket bombing and U.S. immigration fraud. After the conviction in Detroit, Rasmea's bond was revoked by the Judge, and she was taken into custody pending sentencing in March 2015. Rasmea moved for reconsideration, and the prosecution responded late yesterday afternoon. The prosecution's response (embedded in full at the bottom of this post) revealed information never before public about the underlying Israeli conviction and Rasmea's conduct since then. This information, while not relevant to or admissible in Rasmea's trial, was relevant and could be considered by the court in connection with post-conviction bond proceedings. Here is an excerpt, but by all means, read the whole thing.
The government thus offers the following discussion simply to demonstrate that Defendant has been serially untruthful for decades, and thus cannot demonstrate eligibility for release on bond. See 18 U.S.C. § 3142(g)(3) (in considering whether to grant bond, the court shall consider “the history and characteristics of the person.”).

Posted by Amy Miller on November 20, 2014 36 Comments
I may have been born and raised in America, but I have an immigration story, too. My grandma fled post-World War II Denmark with her family after the Nazis finally turned tail in May of 1945. After 3 tense years of uneasy collaboration and 2 of direct resistance against occupation, Denmark was exhausted, and so was my family. So, they came here; because my grandma was a minor at the time, her processing was pretty simple. She received papers, a social security number, and became a citizen of the United States just like thousands of others did during the post-war era. Fast forward 45 or so years, and there's a problem with my grandma's social security paperwork; not just a little problem, but a major problem that took two years, hours of travel time, and thousands of dollars to solve. Somewhere along the line, some bureaucrat in a cube in Chicago had dotted an "i" instead of crossing a "t," and now it was my grandma's responsibility to prove that her social security number was valid, and that she was indeed a citizen. The moral of the story is, our immigration system needs an overhaul. It does not, however, need the overhaul that Obama is planning. Tonight, President Obama will sit himself down in front of a camera and lay out a 10 point plan he insists will "fix our broken immigration system." It will do no such thing, but amnesty advocates around the country are preparing their flocks for what they believe will be a lifechanging announcement. From the Washington Times:
At Adalberto United Methodist Church in Chicago, which makes immigration a special ministry, Pastor Emma Lozano said she’ll he sitting alongside people who are currently facing deportation as they hear what the president lays out. “We’re going to be watching this very closely, people in my church. We’re going to have the TV on in both languages and really praying and hoping we get what we deserve,” she told The Washington Times. Casa, a major immigrant-rights group based in Maryland and Virginia, plans three screening parties, while the New York Immigration Coalition announced three parties around the Big Apple. “The president will detail his plans to take executive action to provide administrative relief to millions of immigrants,” the New York group said. “We expect such relief to be a program that offers a temporary solution for millions of families and workers around the country, offering protection from deportation and work authorization.”
Maybe Emma shouldn't pray too hard about what those facing deportation may or may not deserve, all things considered.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 19, 2014 49 Comments
As part of my continuing effort to gain exposure to new audiences, I have a post at Fox News regarding how Scott Walker's ability to survive the Democratic, union and prosecutorial (John Doe) onslaughts has turned Walker into an emerging star. Congratulations, Democrats you made Scott Walker a rising 2016 star:
Republican victories in the midterm elections widely are viewed as a rejection of President Obama’s failed policies. But are the elections a harbinger of things to come in 2016? For Scott Walker, the answer is yes.... In reelecting Walker, Wisconsin struck a blow against the politics of personal destruction. That is a message Walker now is uniquely capable of delivering to an electoral sick of politics as usual.... Instead, Democrats gave Walker a national electoral credibility they may regret in 2016.
For the rest of the story, go over to the link. Walker is parlaying his victory into greater notoriety, as this appearance from Sunday shows:

Posted by Amy Miller on November 19, 2014 31 Comments
The Republican Wave of newly-elected GOP freshmen have been put through their paces at new member orientation, and are preparing to get to work after January's swearing in. Newly elected from Utah's 4th Congressional District, Mia Love has wasted no time letting Democrats know that she doesn't intend on being polite about Obama's plan to fundamentally change immigration law in America via executive order. The Daily Caller has the video:
“This is not about the president. It’s about the American people, and what the American people want the President to do,” Love said Wednesday. “The American people want Congress to work with the President, want the president to work with Congress so that we can be compassionate, so that we can create a uniform rule of naturalization. “It is Congress’ job under Article 1, Section 8, to create a uniform rule of naturalization, a way in,” she continued. “It should be done line by line, section by section with the input of the public instead of being done by one person. It looks more like a dictatorship when a president is unilaterally making decisions for the American people.”
GOP freshmen aren't limiting their criticism to the President's plans. Texas freshman Will Hurd (TX-23) is one of several freshmen being courted by the oft-controversial Congressional Black Caucus, and he hasn't been shy about holding off on his decision to join (or not to join.)

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on November 19, 2014 17 Comments
International Men's Day is today. For all the rabid man-hating men are forced to endure, and largely without recourse, today seems as good a day as ever to celebrate the awesomeness of men. According to the official IMD website, the purpose of International Men's Day is quite lovely. Well, mostly:

Objectives of International Men's Day include a focus on men's and boy's health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive male role models. It is an occasion for men to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular their contributions to community, family, marriage, and child care while highlighting the discrimination against them.

The ability to sacrifice your needs on behalf of others is fundamental to manhood, as is honour. Manhood rites of passage the world over recognise the importance of sacrifice in the development of Manhood.

Men make sacrifices everyday in their place of work, in their role as husbands and fathers, for their families, for their friends, for their communities and for their nation. International Men's Day is an opportunity for people everywhere of goodwill to appreciate and celebrate the men in their lives and the contribution they make to society for the greater good of all.

Forgetting the whole "contributions and sacrifice" element, those not denouncing the day altogether have honed in on "improving gender relations and promoting gender equality bit." 

The Guardian's take is that, "it's clear why women have their day but men don't really need the same. Perhaps fathers and sons should bond over domestic skills instead." Right. I can just see my Dad bonding with my brother-in-law over a spirited discussion on the best eco-friendly cleaning product for cleaning the bathroom sink... 

The Washington Post praises IMD as another feminist day and a real opportunity for men to work on gender inequality because, "many of these men are surely blind to their own privilege and status in the world and within their own cultures." Ah yes, check your privilege, men. You have no idea just how good you have it. Just ask the comet scientist guy.

And the list goes on. 

But as a devout patriarchal loyalist, I've compiled a non-exhaustive list of just a few reasons men are wonderful human beings. 

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 19, 2014 62 Comments
Hey, remember the Reader Poll we did about whether it was okay to follow and try to interview Lois Lerner in her neighborhood? Do you approve of media confronting Lois Lerner in her neighborhood? (Reader Poll):
Jason Mattera of the Daily Surge recently filmed an unannounced confrontation with former IRS employee Lois Lerner in her own neighborhood. Lerner fled his camera and tried (unsuccessfully) to seek refuge in a neighbor’s home: ... This may seem invasive and inappropriate, but as Jason Mattera asks her in so many words, is it any more inappropriate than the way Lerner used her position at the IRS to target average Americans? So what do you think. After viewing the video, and considering how it must feel for any controversial public figure (do unto others?) to be confronted where s/he lives, was the questioning of Lerner a good thing?
The result of the Reader Poll was overwhelming:

Posted by Amy Miller on November 18, 2014 28 Comments
UPDATED 7:34 pm EST This really says it all. UPDATED 7:15 pm EST That wasn't a long-shot vote. That was an exercise in punishment. The Senate has voted, and a productive and bipartisan measure has failed. Reid gave Landrieu a chance to vote "yea" on an energy bill, and Durbin made moves to insulate Democrats should anyone try to hold a member of his caucus accountable for an "anti-environment" vote. Reid's "strategy" on Keystone XL was designed to fail, and everyone---including Mary Landrieu---knew it. This may be the end of Landrieu's tenure in the Senate, but it's not the end of the road for Keystone. “Tonight, Senate Democrats once again stood in the way of a shovel-ready jobs project that would help thousands of Americans find work — a remarkable stance after an election in which the American people sent a clear message to Congress to approve serious policies like the Keystone XL Pipeline and get the Senate working again," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in a statement following the vote. "Unfortunately, many Senate Democrats failed to hear that message. But once the 114th Congress convenes, the Senate will act again on this important legislation, and I look forward to the new Republican majority taking up and passing the Keystone jobs bill early in the New Year.” Anyone who watched the C-SPAN feed during the vote noticed something interesting---the rest of her caucus avoided Landrieu like she was surrounded by a forcefield. Many pundits have enjoyed the "Reid is giving her a chance to redeem her candidacy" narrative, but let's not pretend this was anything more than Democrats going through the motions and then pulling the rug out from under yet another lost cause.

Posted by Bryan Jacoutot on November 18, 2014 22 Comments
News recently broke that George Washington University constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley has been tapped as lead counsel by the U.S. House of Representatives in their lawsuit against President Obama. Turley has been on the national legal scene for a number of years, but has been gaining increasing notoriety of late as a result of his Congressional testimonies and media appearances regarding the consolidation of constitutional authority in the Executive Branch. Conservatives have been quick to praise Turley, as his criticisms of the Executive have been directed toward President Obama for the last six years. Turley, however, makes no representation that he is any way politically conservative. Indeed, in his blog post yesterday, he declared quite the opposite.
As many on this blog know, I support national health care and voted for President Obama in his first presidential campaign. However, as I have often stressed before Congress, in the Madisonian system it is as important how you do something as what you do. And, the Executive is barred from usurping the Legislative Branch’s Article I powers, no matter how politically attractive or expedient it is to do so. Unilateral, unchecked Executive action is precisely the danger that the Framers sought to avoid in our constitutional system.
For Turley, this is not an issue of one party against the other. Rather, this is matter of constitutional process. Despite the fact that the decision to sue the President passed along party lines, there are genuine non-partisan concerns about the dangerous evolution of the Legislative-Executive dynamic over the last few decades. Turley went on to add,
This case represents a long-overdue effort by Congress to resolve fundamental Separation of Powers issues. In that sense, it has more to do with constitutional law than health care law. Without judicial review of unconstitutional actions by the Executive, the trend toward a dominant presidential model of government will continue in this country in direct conflict with the original design and guarantees of our Constitution. Our constitutional system as a whole (as well as our political system) would benefit greatly by courts reinforcing the lines of separation between the respective branches.
Turley is, in my opinion, a great choice by House Republicans.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on November 18, 2014 42 Comments
Jonathan Gruber, Obamacare architect, has become a national news celebrity, but probably not for the reasons he hoped. No less than ten videos have surfaced wherein Gruber explains the only reason Obamacare passed was because Americans are "stupid" and also because the administration's, "lack of transparency was a huge political advantage." And there seems to be no end in sight. Noah Rothman at Hotair broke down the sixth unearthed video (if we're counting correctly). Gruber explained how Democrats intentionally mislead to sell Obamacare and disclosed that despite all the Democratic denials at the time, they were well aware of how economically devastating the ACA would be. Despite Democratic attempts to distance themselves from these damning revelations, Pelosi, Obama, and Reid have all been exposed for having working knowledge of who Gruber is. Not to mention Gruber's regular White House visits. For someone who's been so outspoken about the awfulness of Obamacare, Gruber had "no comment" when confronted by Sean Hannity's camera crew. Perhaps he received a cease and desist order from the imperial counsel.

Posted by Mike LaChance on November 18, 2014 14 Comments
Obama's recent claim that Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber was "some adviser who never worked on our staff" will now be subject to new scrutiny given a video that surfaced yesterday. Brendan Bordelon of National Review has the scoop:
Obama in 2006: ‘I Have Stolen Ideas Liberally’ From Jonathan Gruber This weekend, President Obama dismissed MIT professor Jonathan Gruber as “some adviser who never worked on our staff.” But back in 2006, the president struck a much more laudatory tone while addressing the future architect of Obamacare. At a Brookings Institution meeting in 2006, Obama praised the policy accomplishments of the man who would later imperil the Affordable Care Act through repeated comments belittling the intelligence of American voters. In the video provided by conservative group American Commitment, the president calls Gruber one of “the brightest minds from academia and policy circles,” claiming he’s one of a small group of experts from whom he’s “stolen ideas liberally.”
Watch it all here: Deroy Murdock of National Review notes that Obamacare made Gruber a very wealthy man:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 18, 2014 79 Comments
Two East Jerusalem Arabs attacked a synagogue in Jerusalem during morning prayers, using meat clevers, knives and a pistol to kill the Rabbi and three worshipers. The NY Times reports that all four were Rabbis. (added) The Washington Post reports:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Palestinian leaders of inciting violence and promised to “respond harshly.” In the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip, calls over loudspeakers praised the attackers. In East Jerusalem, crowds hurled stones at Israeli police fanning out around the neighborhood where the attackers lived. The Associated Press, citing Israeli police, said those killed included one Briton and three Americans — among them Rabbi Moshe Twersky, who taught at an English-speaking religious school in Jerusalem and was a member of one of the most respected families in Orthodox scholarship.... Twersky’s grandfather, Joseph Soloveitchik, was a renowned Boston rabbi, and his father, Rabbi Yitzhak (Isadore) Twersky, was longtime director of The Center for Jewish Studies at Harvard. Twersky’s brother, Mayer Twersky, one of the heads of Yeshiva University in New York, the flagship American school for Jewish Orthodox studies.
Here is raw video of the police shooting the perpetrators, and of the victims of the attack:
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