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Author: Mike LaChance

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Mike LaChance

Mike LaChance has been covering higher education and politics for Legal Insurrection since 2012. He has also written for American Lookout, Townhall, and Twitchy.

Since 2008 he has contributed work to the Daily Caller, Breitbart, Gateway Pundit, the Center for Security Policy, the Washington Free Beacon, and Ricochet.

Mike is a Generation X, New England lifer who describes his political views as conservative and libertarian.

You can find him on Twitter @MikeLaChance33

Posted by Mike LaChance on March 13, 2015 42 Comments
If you haven't been reading College Insurrection lately, you may not know that students at UC Irvine recently voted to ban the American flag in their campus center. Their plan was ultimately vetoed and the students who were responsible have since apologized. Considering all of that, this story is absolutely baffling. Allahpundit of Hot Air reports:
Time for a huge food fight over whether this photo is disrespectful to the flag When I saw the photo, I assumed the “controversy” was between conservatives who found it touching and anti-war liberals/libertarians who found it ominously nationalistic. (“It’s a metaphor for how we’re indoctrinated to equate patriotism with militarism!”) In other words, I thought it was a star-spangled version of The Dress. But those aren’t the sides here. The sides are people who find the photo touching and people who find it disrespectful to the flag insofar as it displays Old Glory in violation of the Flag Code (subsections 176(c) and (h), to be precise). If you believe the photographer, she’s gotten messages telling her she should kill herself over this. She’s a Navy veteran, by the way. Her husband is active-duty Navy, as is the baby’s father. The baby’s mother? An Army veteran.
Here's a video report from ABC News:

Posted by Mike LaChance on March 12, 2015 22 Comments
Al Sharpton's tax problems are well known. It's a good thing he isn't a member of the Tea Party, otherwise he might be in real trouble with the IRS. Luckily for the good reverend, he's a liberal progressive and therefore subject to a different set of rules. What you may not have heard, is that some of Al Sharpton's financial records have unfortunately been destroyed by not one but two completely unsuspicious fires. Jillian Kay Melchior of National Review has written a very interesting report on the subject. Hat tip to the great Jazz Shaw of Hot Air:
Suspicious Fires Twice Destroyed Key Sharpton Records As Al Sharpton ran for mayor of New York City in 1997 and for president in 2003, fires at his offices reportedly destroyed critical financial records, and he subsequently failed to comply with tax and campaign filing requirements. The first fire began in the early hours of April 10, 1997, in a hair-and-nail salon one floor below Sharpton’s campaign headquarters at 70 West 125th Street. From the start, investigators deemed the fire “suspicious” because of “a heavy volume of fire on arrival” and because many of the doors remained unlocked after hours, according to the New York Fire Department’s fire-and-incident report... Top city officials, including then-mayor Rudy Giuliani, said initial suspicions centered on the hair-and-nail salon, not on Sharpton’s campaign, Newsday reported. The fire department sent the case as an arson/explosion investigation to the New York Police Department. By the time of publication of this report, the NYPD had not provided the records requested by National Review Online on December 16, 2014, but it confirmed that the investigation had been closed without an arrest. FDNY’s report references a “flammable liquid,” and firefighters’ photos of the scene show traces of an incendiary puddle. Another photo captures what appears to be a singed rag that someone is holding next to a fuse box, perhaps because that is where it was found.
Read it all. I look forward to Reverend Sharpton's well articulated response to this controversy.

Posted by Mike LaChance on March 11, 2015 17 Comments
Hillary's email scandal is a flashback for anyone who remembers the Bill Clinton years. Democrats have put all their eggs in one basket for Hillary in 2016 but as Charles Krauthammer observed on Special Report last night, it's like America has stepped into a time machine. From National Review:
Krauthammer’s Take: ‘It’s the 90s All Over Again’ Charles Krauthammer said Hillary Clinton’s press conference about her exclusive use of a private e-mail account and server made it seem as if, “it’s the 1990s all over again.” He said he thinks Clinton chose to exercise total control over her communications because of President Clinton’s handling of the Whitewater scandal in the 1990s. “She is determined never to let things out of her control,” Krauthammer said on Special Report. “This is going to be stonewalling from here until Election Day.”
Watch the video: This entire episode is a reminder that the Clintons come with baggage, but don't take my word for it.

Posted by Mike LaChance on March 10, 2015 12 Comments
Back in December of 2013, Media Matters for America declared victory in its war on FOX News. Unfortunately for MMFA, American news consumers disagree. According to a new Quinnipiac poll, FOX News is doing just fine:
Fox News Has Most Trusted Coverage, Or Not, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Tina Fey, Dennis Miller Top Choices To Replace Stewart FOX News offers the most trusted network and cable news coverage, 29 percent of American voters say, when asked to compare the major TV news outlets in a Quinnipiac University National poll released today. But when network news is examined on a case-by-case basis, FOX drops in the ratings. In the comparison rankings, CNN gets 22 percent, with NBC News and CBS News at 10 percent each, 8 percent for ABC News and 7 percent for MSNBC, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll finds. When asked, "Do you trust the journalistic coverage provided by FOX News," 20 percent of U.S. voters say "a great deal" and 35 percent say "somewhat." Scores for other networks are:
NBC News - 14 percent "a great deal" and 46 percent "somewhat;" ABC News - 14 percent "a great deal" and 50 percent "somewhat;" CBS News - 14 percent "a great deal" and 50 percent "somewhat;" MSNBC - 11 percent "a great deal" and 41 percent "somewhat;" CNN - 18 percent "a great deal" and 43 percent "somewhat."
The big winner is local television news, trusted by 19 percent of voters "a great deal" and by 52 percent "somewhat." "FOX News may be the most trusted in the network and cable news race, but they all take a back seat to your local news," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.
Bill O'Reilly made this the focus of his opening monologue last night.

Posted by Mike LaChance on March 08, 2015 26 Comments
The Justice Department has confirmed that the entire notion of "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" was completely false. That hasn't stopped one CNN host from keeping the meme alive, if only in a "symbolic" way. Transcript and video via Real Clear Politics:
ANA CABRERA, CNN: You’re part of this Hands-Up-Don’t-Shoot coalition. Have you had a chance to read the Justice Department's findings on Michael Brown's death, as they pertain to Darren Wilson? MONTAGUE SIMMONS, DON'T SHOOT COALITION MEMBER: I’ve had a chance to take a glance, yes. ANA CABRERA: Has it changed your view of Darren Wilson at all, the fact he was cleared in this incident? MONTAGUE SIMMONS: Not at all. Unfortunately, the findings were expected -- meaning that usually in these cases we've seen law enforcement, and the voice of the officers involved, are given much heavier weight than [other] witnesses. Even though we've seen countless witnesses come forward and testify that his hands were up, they're still giving a greater weight to law enforcement's findings. Even if his hands weren't up in this case, he was not -- he should even have been executed in the way he was. ANA CABRERA: Obviously the whole catch phrase hands up don't shoot takes on a much more symbolic meaning moving forward.
Watch the video: CNN has taken a keen interest in the idea of "hands up, don't shoot" from the beginning.

Posted by Mike LaChance on March 08, 2015 32 Comments
Trey Gowdy appeared on Face the Nation today and explained that the emails Hillary has turned over paint an incomplete picture. Katherine Connell of National Review:
Gowdy: ‘There Are Huge Gaps’ in E-mails Clinton’s Turned Over to Benghazi Committee Representative Trey Gowdy (R., S.C.), chairman of the House committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi attack, said that there are “gaps of months and months and months” in the e-mails that former secretary of state Hillary Clinton has handed over to the committee so far. Gowdy, who has issued a subpoena to the State Department seeking Clinton’s remaining e-mails, told Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation Sunday that “there are huge gaps” in the e-mails she has made available. “If you think to that iconic picture of her on a C-17 flying to Libya, sunglasses on — she has her hand-held device in her hand — we have no e-mails from that day,” he said. “In fact we have no e-mails from that trip.”
Watch the exchange:

Posted by Mike LaChance on March 07, 2015 15 Comments
Many people in media have been critical of Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while serving at State, but Lawrence O'Donnell? When Hillary has lost MSNBC... Daniel Bassali of the Washington Free Beacon has the story:
Lawrence O’Donnell: Clinton Email System Obviously Set Up To Defy FOIA Questions have arisen following reports Hillary Clinton had used a personal email account to conduct official State Department business as Secretary of State, and that the server she used was registered to her home in New York. Prior to launching the “Right to Rise” PAC, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush released hundreds of his emails from his time in the state house. Clinton has been constantly compared to Bush’s decision. MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell said he does not even believe that Clinton’s intentions in using a private server were pure.
Watch the segment here:

Posted by Mike LaChance on March 07, 2015 7 Comments
Benjamin Netanyahu's recent address to congress was the inspiration for the latest edition of Firewall with Bill Whittle. While some prominent Democrats skipped the speech, Netanyahu warned of the dangers faced by Israel and the west in the face of Islamist terrorists and a nuclear Iran. Partial transcript and video via Truth Revolt:
He’s the Leader of the Free World, elected by a civilized nation: militarily powerful because of, and not in spite of, it’s cultural commitment to science and art and medicine. Although he spent much of his early life overseas, the Leader of the Free World grew up in the Northeast, and graduated from Harvard University. That he has a deep and abiding love for America is self-evident: he admires our energy, our inventiveness; our decency and kindness; our innate friendliness and charity. He loves our culture; he admires our private sector which generates so much innovation. And the Leader of the Free World admires and respects our vast military power, and the restraint which it is used – to him, it is indeed the Arsenal of Democracy. And even though he has grown up the victim of bigotry and hatred, the Leader of the Free World loves America, even though slurs are applied to him still today. In spite of all that, he loves everything she stands for.
Watch the whole thing.

Posted by Mike LaChance on March 06, 2015 14 Comments
Remember a few years ago when Democrats took to lecturing conservatives about a new tone? They don't. Brad Woodhouse, former DNC communications chief and current President of liberal super PAC American Bridge, recently made some rather unsavory comments about New Jersey governor Chris Christie. Alex Pappas of The Daily Caller reported:
Democratic Super PAC Goes After Chris Christie: ‘We Want To Kill Him Dead’ The president of a Democrat super PAC dedicated to digging up opposition research on Republicans said of New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie: “We want to kill him dead.” Brad Woodhouse, the president of the liberal super PAC American Bridge, made the provocative comments in a profile of the organization published by Bloomberg Politics. The story notes that American Bridge would not back off its attacks on Christie. “We’re not going to pull resources from Christie,” Woodhouse told the outlet. “We want to kill him dead.” Woodhouse, a longtime Democratic operative, has often accused Republicans of using offensive rhetoric against President Obama. But on Thursday, Woodhouse seemed proud of his quote, retweeting it several times in his Twitter feed.
If nothing else, you have to love the fact that Christie is being attacked by a liberal group called American Bridge.

Posted by Mike LaChance on March 05, 2015 44 Comments
The Hillary Clinton email scandal is growing worse by the day. We now know that she not only used a private email account in her time at the State Department but she even hosted it on a private server in her New York residence. In classic Clintonian doublespeak, Hillary tweeted just before midnight last night that she really, truly, wanted everyone to see her emails, so she told the State Department to release them. But the issue is not what she turned over to State, but what she didn't. Hillary's team selected what was turned over to the State Department, so her tweet is a complete distraction that doesn't address the problem: Hillary Tweet See Emails Other issues involve why she set up a home-based email server for official business, which gave her complete control over access in violation of public records laws.

Posted by Mike LaChance on March 03, 2015 23 Comments
Leaders in the Democratic Party have begun to figure out that if their far left base gets too excited about a candidate like Elizabeth Warren, it could create problems for the presumed nominee, Hillary Clinton. Weasel Zippers points to a column by Think Progress:
Sexist Warren Buffett Goes On The War Path Against Liz Warren (Socialist – MA) – She Is Too ‘Angry’ And ‘Violent’ With Rich People Liz sure as heck isn’t friendly with the middle class either.
Via Think Progress: In an interview Monday morning with CNBC, Berkshire Hathaway CEO and billionaire Warren Buffett was asked what he thinks of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and her views of Wall Street. “I think that she would do better if she was less angry and demonized less,” he responded. “I believe in hate the sin, love the sinner, and I also believe in praising by name and criticizing by category.” He continued that while there are “plenty of other candidates” whose political style he doesn’t agree with, “I do think it’s — I think it’s a mistake to get angry with your, with people that disagree with you,” he said of her. “In the end we do have to work together… And it does not help when you demonize or get too violent with the people you’re talking to.”[…] But Buffett’s use of the emotional word “angry” may be a sign of some subtle sexism.
The effort to squash the 'Warren wing' is on. Big time.

Posted by Mike LaChance on March 01, 2015 8 Comments
Ever since the Benghazi attack that killed an American ambassador and three other Americans, Hillary supporting liberals have been calling the incident a non-issue but facts are stubborn things. They'll undoubtedly give the same white wash to the fact that the Clinton Foundation has accepted donations from foreign governments. Yet even MSNBC's Chris Matthews has acknowledged that these issues are serious. Video via the Washington Free Beacon:

Posted by Mike LaChance on March 01, 2015 2 Comments
CPAC was a blast. Although I had a hard time getting there, it was worth it. I was amazed at some of the people I was able to get close to and photograph just by walking around the event. Have a look below. Here's Ed Morrissey of Hot Air and Erick Erickson of Red State. They were part of a panel on GOP prospects for 2016. Here are Katie Pavlich and Guy Benson of Townhall. Same panel as the one mentioned above.

Posted by Mike LaChance on February 27, 2015 2 Comments
Getting to CPAC this year was a real challenge. As I was loading my car this morning, I slipped and went down my back steps like a human sled. I barely escaped the snow of my hometown and faced the traffic of Boston. I arrived at Logan airport on time only to find out that my flight was delayed. Once I landed at Reagan, I made the mistake of waiting for a hotel shuttle that never arrived. When I finally gave in and bought a ticket on a generic shuttle, the driver circled the airport half a dozen times looking for passengers to fill the other seats in his van. In spite of all that, I'm glad I'm here. I had a nice dinner with Team Insurrection and then went to Blog Bash where I got to meet some great people. Here are a few photos I took at the party. Mark Hemingway of The Weekly Standard and his wife Mollie Hemingway of The Federalist. See more below.

Posted by Mike LaChance on February 25, 2015 25 Comments
Tax season approaches and the Obamacare bill is finally coming due. Sarah Ferris of The Hill has some bad news for people who have been receiving Obamacare subsidies:
H&R Block: Majority of ObamaCare customers paying back subsidy A majority of ObamaCare customers, 52 percent, are being forced to pay back some of their subsidies during this year’s tax season, according to new data from H&R Block. Customers are paying back an average of $530, which has caused a 17 percent drop in the average return so far this spring, according to the analysis by the tax services giant. The Obama administration had warned that people could end up paying back some of their subsidies because many were relying on previous years’ income when applying for the tax breaks. H&R Block has predicted that “most filers” would owe some of their subsidies back to the federal government because they were relying on 2012 income. The new data, which was released Tuesday, only represents about six weeks of tax filings. Still, it could pose a significant challenge for the administration as it faces an already tough tax season.
Remember when Obamacare supporters insisted it wasn't a tax? Good times. Remember when Obama repeatedly claimed Obamacare would save families $2,500 per year?

Posted by Mike LaChance on February 24, 2015 11 Comments
When it comes to talk of banks and money in America, Elizabeth Warren says the game is rigged. In the case of the Clinton Family Foundation, she may have a point. A new ad from American Crossroads uses Elizabeth Warren's own words to skewer the Clintons and the funds they freely take from foreign governments. The Washington Free Beacon reports:
Ad Featuring Elizabeth Warren Hits Clinton Foundation on Money from Foreign Governments American Crossroads has found the unlikeliest of partners: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.). In an ad released Monday, the Super PAC headed by Karl Rove attacked Clinton for reports that the Clinton Foundation has accepted millions of dollars from countries barred from making political contributions.
Watch the video. It's short but it makes a powerful point.
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