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January 2016

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on January 09, 2016 28 Comments
As we discussed last weekend, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders' is wooing supporters of Republican presidential contender, Donald Trump. Not uncommon in a general election, reaching across party lines to glad-hand during primary season should be bizarre. But in this particular election cycle, both Trump and Sanders' strongest support comes from two strikingly similar groups of disenchanted Americans. Back to last weekend's post exploring this phenomenon:
Sound impossible? Data suggests otherwise. Though Trump has successfully syphoned off some traditional Republican supporters, the majority of his support base is comprised of a very particular kind of Democrat.

Posted by Mike LaChance on January 09, 2016 27 Comments
Now that Texas governor Greg Abbott has been in office for a while, it's easy to see why he beat Wendy Davis so handily. Abbott is pushing back against what he, and many others, see as an overreaching federal government. The Dallas Morning News reports:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott calls for Convention of States to take back states’ rights Gov. Greg Abbott, aiming to spark a national conversation about states’ rights, said Friday that he wants Texas to lead the call for a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution and wrest power from a federal government “run amok.”

Posted by Leslie Eastman on January 09, 2016 8 Comments
We recently noted that enforcement of the REAL ID Act was poised to begin shortly, and that airport travelers from several states were going to need passports or other forms of identification because the state driver's licenses do not meet the regulatory requirements. States on the "naughty" list were pushing for implementation delays, and California had already received approval for an October compliance start date. The Department of Homeland Security has now delayed implementation of travel identification requirements until 2018 for everyone:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on January 08, 2016 29 Comments
A rally is planned in Ithaca, NY, for January 9, 2016, against allegedly racist violence by police, specifically the non-indictments in the deaths of Sandra Bland and Tamir Rice, and the deaths of Betty Jones and Quintonio LeGrier. The event is taking place at the Ithaca Commons, a public space in the center of town. Here's part of the description from the public Facebook Event Page:
On December 23rd a grand jury decided not to indict the jailers involed in the death of Sandra Bland. On December 28th a grand jury decided not to indict officer Timothy Leohmman in the extra judical killing of 12-year old Tamir Rice. On December 26th 55 year-old Betty Jones was mistakingly shot and killed by police as she opened her door. Her neighbor 19-year old Quintonio LeGrier was also killed. This is a rally in response to these events and the increasing violence and general terror administered by police towards people of color. The purpose of this rally is as follows: Agitation Mobilization Information
Ithaca Protest Sandra Bland FB Page banner

Posted by Andrew Branca on January 08, 2016 41 Comments
UPDATED (1/8/16): We've embedded the state's response to the appellate court order at the bottom of this post. UPDATED (1/8/16): We've embedded Chief Judge Krauser's order at the bottom of this post. Well, that was (appropriately) quick. The Maryland Court of Special Appeals, the state's mid-level appellate court, today issued an order halting trial Judge Barry Williams' order that Baltimore Police Officer William Porter could be compelled to testify in the trial of fellow officer Caesar Goodson despite the fact that Porter is awaiting his own re-trial. The order from the Court of Special Appeals, written by Chief Judge Peter B. Krauser, does not seem to be publicly available yet (if anybody has a copy they can send me, let me know in the comments below), and news reports leave the order's full legal rationale and legal is unclear.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on January 08, 2016 2 Comments
Using Twitter, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto announced Friday that fugitive Drug Lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was captured and in federal custody again.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on January 08, 2016 18 Comments
Yesterday, a man whose name has not yet been released attempted to slaughter a Philadelphia police officer because the police, he believes, uphold laws that are not consistent with the Koran.  He also reportedly told Philadelphia police officers that he has pledged his allegiance to ISIS. ABCNews reports:
A 30-year-old man accused of firing at least 11 times at a Philadelphia police officer had pledged allegiance to ISIS, police said today. The gunman, now in custody, "confessed to committing this cowardly act in the name of Islam," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said during a news conference. "According to him, he believed that the police defend laws that are contrary to the teachings of the Quran." Philadelphia Police Captain James Clark said the suspect, who's name was not released at the news conference, "stated that he pledges his allegiance to Islamic State, he follows Allah and that is the reason he was called upon to do this."

Posted by William A. Jacobson on January 08, 2016 57 Comments
One of the mysteries of the Hillary email scandal has been how over 1000 emails containing various levels of classified material were sent to Hillary without being "marked" as classified. It is that lack of emails being "marked" classified "at the time" that is Hillary's central defense. On September 25, 2015, Kemberlee wrote that there must have been some signal to State Department employees to send the classified material without markings; there's just no way it could be coincidence and Hillary must have known. Some dare say conspiracy: Who will be first Hillary aide to flip on her?:
Was there a concerted conspiracy to violate the law, particularly given the fact that Clinton opted for a private email on her person server? Who else knew classified information was being transmitted outside of government purview? If any of these suspicions are confirmed throughout the course of the FBI’s investigation, will aides then be offered legal concessions if they cooperate? What were once Clinton’s closest lackeys may end up being her downfall.
We may not need to wait for an aide to flip on Hillary.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on January 08, 2016 7 Comments
We recently reported that Enrique Marquez was indicted by a federal grand jury of conspiring with San Bernardino terrorists Sayed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik. He just pleaded "Not guilty."
The man accused of supplying guns to the San Bernardino, Calif., terror attackers pleaded not guilty Wednesday to conspiracy and other charges. Enrique Marquez Jr., 24, is charged with two counts of lying on forms in the alleged "straw" purchases of two assault rifles used in the attack Dec. 2 at the Inland Regional Center. Marquez is also accused of conspiring with shooter Syed Rizwan Farook in 2011 and 2012 to provide material support to terrorists.

Posted by Mike LaChance on January 08, 2016 26 Comments
Obama's "Guns in America" town hall event on CNN last night was a quiet event with plenty of respectful questions from the invitation only audience but failed to present any new ideas for dealing with gun violence short of making it harder for people to buy guns. Within the first 15 minutes, Obama complained that every time he tries to do something on guns, his message is distorted by his critics. ABC News reported:
Obama Slams Charge That He's Taking Away Guns as 'Conspiracy' The president quickly emphasized that he has "respect" for people who want a gun for hunting and sportsmanship, but it "makes sense to keep guns out of hands of people who would do others harm." Obama and moderator Anderson Cooper pointed out that the National Rifle Association was invited to participate in the forum, but declined to attend. Still, the president said he was "happy" to meet with the NRA to discuss his proposals.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on January 08, 2016 4 Comments
Thursday night, news broke that federal authorities arrested two Iraqi immigrants. One in Sacramento, California, the other in Houston, Texas. Both individuals were arrested for allegedly lying to immigration officials about their connections with terrorist organizations. Early reports Thursday night provided conflicting information and left many questions unanswered. According to Houston local news, the Sacramento and Houston arrests were related. But CNN reported the arrests, "did not appear to to be directly related, but the cases had several similarities."

Posted by AACONS on January 08, 2016 0 Comments
Allen West is the CEO of the National Center for Policy Analysis. Previously, he served as an US Representative representing Florida's 22nd and 18th Districts. He is a 22 year veteran of the military where he earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel as well as a Bronze Star and a Meritorious Service Medal. He is a Fox News contributor, founder of AllenBWest.com, and the author of the bestseller Guardian of the Republic: An American Ronin’s Journey to Faith, Family and Freedom. Dr. David Altman is senior vice-president at the Netanya Academic College and vice-chair of the college's Strategic Dialogue Center. His new book is entitled, Six Years Later.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on January 07, 2016 2 Comments
Spain has a particularly virulent anti-Israel movement both in the form of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, and rogue judges who threaten to issue warrants for the arrest of Israeli officials. As to BDS, recall it was the Valencia BDS group that got American Jewish singer Matisyahu banned from a reggae festival after he refused to sign a declaration denouncing Israel. The decision was reversed after an outcry and statements by the Spanish government that the action was illegal discrimination. The Spanish court system just dealt another blow to BDS efforts, finding that excluding Ariel University, located beyond the 1949 armistice line in Samaria (West Bank), from academic programs in Spain constituted illegal discrimination. The Jerusalem Post reports, In setback for BDS, Spain awards West Bank school €70,000:

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on January 07, 2016 5 Comments
A year ago today, Muslim terrorists murdered twelve people. Eleven of those killed worked in the same building as France's satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. The twelfth was a Parisian cop. al-Qaeda took credit for the attack and claimed "offensive" images of Islamic Prophet Mohammad sparked the gruesome attack. After the terrorist assault on free speech, papers refused to re-publish those "offensive" cartoons. Pundits in our own free press blamed Charlie Hebdo for inciting violence. Fast forward one year. What has changed? Monday, Professor Jacobson blogged about Charlie Hebdo's anniversary cover. The Guardian reported:
French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo will mark a year since an attack on its offices with a cover featuring a bearded man representing God with a Kalashnikov slung over his shoulder, accompanied by the text: “One year on: the assassin is still out there.” One million copies of the special edition will be available on newsstands on Wednesday, with tens of thousands more to be sent overseas.
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