CNN Reports Massive, 'Unprecedented' CIA Intimidation Campaign and Cover-Up

Flopping Aces has it, "CNN: CIA “intimidating” operatives to ensure they keep quiet," and Hot Air, "CNN bombshell: Dozens of CIA operatives were on the ground during the Benghazi attack, agency in panic over revelations."

And at Big Peace, "REPORT ON CIA PERSONNEL TAKES BENGHAZI FROM 'PHONY' SCANDAL TO IMMENSE COVERUP."

There has always been something unsettling about the September 11th attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, and a Thursday report on local CIA activity the night of the attack only adds to the unease. CNN is reporting the CIA may have had upwards of 35 personnel in Benghazi on the night of the attack, and that "as many as seven [of these] were wounded." An unnamed source claims these individuals are subjected to polygraph tests as frequently as once a month to monitor them for possible leaks to news outlets.

Since the assault's immediate aftermath, the Obama administration was worked diligently to ensure the details of that night remain secret—even as the family members of four murdered Americans killed search for answers. The White House initially refused to label the onslaught as a terror attack, despite the assassination of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stephens. Caught in the final months of the President's reelection campaign, his subordinates instead promoted the idea of spontaneous protests caused by a YouTube video.

More recently, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) alleges that Benghazi survivors have been bound by non-disclosure agreements from the federal government so their knowledge of the night's events cannot be made public. Americans have learned U.S. Diplomatic Security personnel like David Ubben and others were in Benghazi during the attacks, as well. They survived but have been kept from Congress and the public since the attacks took place.

Consequent with this news is the revelation that President Obama was missing from the situation room while the attack took place. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta was in the situation room and said after seeing Obama for a 5 PM meeting, he did not see or hear from the President again that night—though the attack lasted for hours.

More, "Exclusive: Dozens of CIA operatives on the ground during Benghazi attack."

'I'm not a monster' — Ariel Castro Sentenced to Life in Prison Plus 1000 Years

At the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Judge sends Ariel Castro to prison for abduction, rape of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight (slideshow)."



More video, "Judge paints lonely future for Castro," and "Victim confronts Ariel Castro: 'Your hell is just beginning'."

Simon Cowell's 'The Ex-Factor'

I posted on this yesterday, "Simon Cowell Reportedly Expecting Baby With Hot New York Socialite Lauren Silverman, Who's Still Married to One of Cowell's Close Friends Andrew."

And here's today's New York Post, "Simon Cowell knocked up his pal's wife, and now he's getting trashed in their divorce --- First pics of Cowell's 'baby mama' after it was revealed reality TV mogul got friend's wife pregnant; gal pal called a 'gold digger'."

'Asian Girlz'

Folks say it's quite possibly the most racist song ever written.

Here's LA Weekly with the clip, "Offensive 'Asian Girlz' Video Sparks Talk of Protest."

Lyrics at Angry Asian Man, "OKAY, SO THIS IS PRETTY MUCH THE WORST THING EVER MADE."

Via WeSmirch.

Penelope Cruz Super-Sexy for Agent Provocateur Lingerie

I'm late getting up to speed on the big news for the day.

So, to get things rolling, here's the lowdown on Penelope Cruz, at US Magazine, "Video: Penelope Cruz Directs Super Sexy Lingerie Ad For Agent Provocateur Line."

Oh My! Michelle Malkin Slams Omni-Hating Race Hustler Al Sharpton!

Well, he's Jew-hating, white-hating, and everybody else in between-hating.

Michelle unloads with righteous indignation at skeezy race hustler and MSNBC shakedown shark Al Sharpton.

"This guy is a shakedown artist who hates cops, who hates whites, who hates Jews, who has stoked his rent-a-mob to murder Yankel Rosenbaum..."

And take notice at that Morton Downey clip with Sharpton going off on that vile racist, homophobic "punk faggot" rant. Gawd, that man is awful --- but perfect for MSNBC.

Zimbabwe Opposition Grows Bolder

From this morning's New York Times, "Mugabe Keeps Grip Before Vote, but the Opposition Grows Bolder."

And, "Zimbabwe Vote Tests Long Rule of Mugabe":

DOMBOSHAWA, Zimbabwe — For Nyaradzai Majuru, the choice of how to cast her ballot was simple. Before she and her husband received a two-acre plot of land that had been seized from a white farmer several years ago, they were penniless subsistence farmers on a scrap of communal land. Now, they grow green beans, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and cabbages that they sell in the market.

“Our life is better now because of President Mugabe,” said Ms. Majuru, 27, her youngest child tied to her back with a blanket, referring to Robert Mugabe, 89, who has led this country since it shook off white rule in 1980. “I support him all the way.”

But for 40-year-old Elizabeth, a janitor at an agricultural college in this small farming town 20 miles north of the capital, life has only gotten worse under Mr. Mugabe’s rule. Hyperinflation wiped out her savings. Hunger gnawed at her family. A lucky few got land, but the country’s economy was destroyed, she said, declining to give her last name out of fear of reprisals by the government.

“We need change in this country,” Elizabeth said. “We are tired of this old man.”

They were among the millions of Zimbabweans who went to the polls on Wednesday in what many here are calling the most pivotal election since the nation voted out white rule. Despite frigid predawn temperatures, people lined up before the polling stations opened, eager to decide whether to end or extend the three-decade tenure of Mr. Mugabe, a liberation war hero who still holds a tight grip on the country.

In Harare, the capital, there was none of the violence and intimidation that characterized the disastrous 2008 presidential election season, when 200 people died in a state-sponsored crackdown on the opposition and others seen as supporting it.

“This is a huge change, the fact that people can stand around and talk openly about their views,” said Namo Mariga, an agribusiness entrepreneur, after casting his ballot in the upscale suburb of Borrowdale. “The atmosphere is much freer.”

The election pits Mr. Mugabe against the former union organizer Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change. Mr. Tsvangirai won the most votes in the first round of the election in 2008 but refused to participate in a runoff because of the attacks on his supporters. A deal brokered by regional powers put the two rivals into an uneasy power-sharing agreement, and both are now seeking an outright victory to govern alone.

“It is quite an emotional moment sometimes when you see all these people after all the conflict, the stalemate, the suspicion, the hostility,” Mr. Tsvangirai said after casting his ballot. “I think there is a sense of calmness that finally Zimbabwe will be able to move on again.”

Sporadic problems were reported in a number of regions. Lines were long in urban areas, raising concerns that not everyone would be able to vote Wednesday. The challengers said the Zimbabwe Election Commission had deliberately reduced the number of polling stations in their strongholds to discourage voters, but the commission denied it. Some voters who registered recently found that their names were not on the rolls, but they were able to cast ballots using the registration receipt.

“We’ve already made clear this election is illegal, illegitimate, unfree and unfair,” said Tendai Biti, the secretary general of the Movement for Democratic Change, at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon. “We are participating with a heavy heart.”

The planning for the election has been chaotic and rushed because Mr. Mugabe unilaterally set a much earlier election date than other political parties had anticipated.

But early reports from election officials and some monitors said that the voting had gone well. Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president of Nigeria who is leading the African Union observer delegation, said that based on initial reports the voting had been peaceful and orderly, and appeared to be free and fair.

Continue reading.

And at CNN, "Focus turns to vote-counting in Zimbabwe's hotly contested election."

Partial results should be available Thursday. I'm not holding my breath.

Bill O'Reilly Eviscerates the Far-Left's Grievance Industry

Shoot, O'Reilly's like must-see TV these days.

Who knew?



O'Reilly's going to sue the New Haven Register, which so far has not apologized. See, "MATT DeRIENZO: Editorial on Nugent, Fox News opens conversation about race."

DeRienzo admits the newspaper erred but doesn't come out with a forthright apology for the screw up. I'll bet we'll see one by the end of the week. That editorial just softens up the ground.

Controversial Reza Aslan Interview on Fox News

I don't know much about Reza Aslan and I don't much care.

I have no plans to read his book, and I probably still wouldn't read it if the publisher sent me a desk copy.

I don't much care about him, and I certainly don't care about his revisionist history of Jesus.

Pamela Geller had this the other day, so folks have a substantive critique here, "REZA ASLAN IS ACADEMIA'S ANWAR AWLAKI."

More at First Things, "Reza Aslan Misrepresents His Scholarly Credentials."

And from Andrew Kaczynski, "Author Attacked by Fox News Is Actually Kind of a Jerk on Twitter."

Below is the first part of the interview, with Lauren Green.

And at the Los Angeles Times, "Reza Aslan's Jesus book a No. 1 bestseller, thanks to Fox News":

Near the end of Reza Aslan's strange, 10-minute television exchange with Fox News, the author of "Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth," gives voice to a thought that’s entered the mind of many an author while being interviewed: “I’m afraid it seems like you haven’t read my book.”

The interview, now circulating widely on social media sites, has helped propel the book to No. 1 on the Amazon bestseller list Monday.

Aslan is a Muslim scholar of religion and a one-time Christian convert who’s just published a popular book about the life of Jesus. This earned him the wrath of those who wage a daily crusade against the “liberal media”— Fox News. Fox News religion correspondent Lauren Green tried to give Aslan the proverbial third degree Friday on the show "Spirited Debate," only to see Aslan patiently and deftly parry her attempts to corner him as an angry Muslim.

“Is This The Most Embarrassing Interview Fox News Has Ever Done?” BuzzFeed asks in the headline above its posted video of said interview.

In the interview, Green says, “You are a Muslim. Why did you write about Jesus?”

Aslan answers this, and many other of Green’s questions, in a deliberately slow tone, as if he were being interviewed by the not-very-well-informed editor of a high school newspaper. “I am a professor of religions,” he says. “It’s what I do for a living.”

I thought he was petulant and overly defensive.

More here, FWIW, "Reza Aslan talks 'Zealot,' the book behind the viral Fox News video."

Watch the rest of the interview here.

Simon Cowell Reportedly Expecting Baby With Hot New York Socialite Lauren Silverman, Who's Still Married to One of Cowell's Close Friends Andrew

Well, that would be awkward.

At London's Daily Mail, "PICTURED: Simon Cowell cuddles up to the mother of his child Lauren Silverman on a VERY cosy Caribbean holiday... as her husband looks on":

It came totally out of the blue when it was revealed on Wednesday that Simon Cowell had fathered a baby with a New York socialite.

But pictures show the 53-year-old music mogul putting on a tactile display with Lauren Silverman, 36, as they enjoyed a cosy Caribbean holiday in January 2012 alongside her husband.

Whilst real estate mogul Andrew Silverman was just a mere matter of feet away, the striking brunette was seen tenderly running her hands through the hair of the X Factor boss.

Enjoying a new year break in St Barths, the trio seemed to be in high spirits as they sat on-board Cowell's luxury yacht soaking up the sun as the sipped on glasses of orange juice.

And while the group appeared to be chatting away amiably, the pictures show the pop mogul certainly only had eyes for one of the Silvermans, with him seeming utterly unable to distract himself from the alluring Lauren.

With Andrew looking on, Cowell leaned in closely to the stunning socialite, with a smirk spreading across his face as he indulged in a close conversation with the beauty.

But it wasn't long until the property entrepreneur got some quality time with his wife, as he tenderly cupped Lauren's bottom as Cowell looked on.

The star appeared utterly amused by the entire debacle, and grinned away as he stared at the couple.
After the two men enjoyed a brief chat, Lauren and Cowell made their way over to a sun lounger, where they kicked off a rather friendly display.

Check the links for the photos.

Three's a crowd, as they say, although Cowell certainly made the best of it.

#Weiner Spokeswoman Barbara Morgan Apologizes to Olivia Nuzzi

London's Daily Mail with a big write-up, "Weiner spokeswoman apologizes and tries to laugh off vitriolic tirade against former intern she branded a 'sl**bag' and 'fame hungry b****' as she shares photo of her 'swear jar' stuffed with cash."

And at Twitchy, "Ex-Weiner intern: ‘Of course I accept’ Morgan’s apology for calling me a ‘slutbag’."

As to Barbara Morgan's apology, of course I accept it.

— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) July 31, 2013

BONUS: "Slam! ‘Who said it?’ Dana Loesch wallops Weiner, slutbag-spewing aide as only she can."

'Coming Soon' — Sydney Leathers X-Rated Parody of Sexting Affair

As you can tell, I'm having fun with New York's tabloid summer of scandal.

At the New York Post, "COMING SOON: Porn reenactment of Weiner and his sexting pal":

Leathers met with Steven Hirsch, co-chairman of Vivid Entertainment, who offered Weiner's former paramour an opportunity to make an X-rated parody of the sexting affair. When shock jock Howard Stern asked Leathers if she would have sex on camera, the 23-year-old replied, 'We'll see what happens.' Weiner has vowed to move beyond the scandal: 'Quit isn’t the way we roll in New York City.'

Elite Colleges Show Wide Disparities in Low-Income Enrollment

This is what leftists should be protesting.

At the New York Times, "Efforts to Recruit Poor Students Lag at Some Elite Colleges":

With affirmative action under attack and economic mobility feared to be stagnating, top colleges profess a growing commitment to recruiting poor students. But a comparison of low-income enrollment shows wide disparities among the most competitive private colleges. A student at Vassar, for example, is three times as likely to receive a need-based Pell Grant as one at Washington University in St. Louis.

“It’s a question of how serious you are about it,” said Catharine Bond Hill, the president of Vassar. She said of colleges with multibillion-dollar endowments and numerous tax exemptions that recruit few poor students, “Shame on you.”

At Vassar, Amherst College and Emory University, 22 percent of undergraduates in 2010-11 received federal Pell Grants, which go mostly to students whose families earn less than $30,000 a year. The same year, the most recent in the federal Department of Education database, only 7 percent of undergraduates at Washington University were Pell recipients, and 8 percent at Washington and Lee University were, according to research by The New York Times.

Researchers at Georgetown University have found that at the most competitive colleges, only 14 percent of students come from the lower 50 percent of families by income. That figure has not increased over more than two decades, an indication that a generation of pledges to diversify has not amounted to much. Top colleges differ markedly in how aggressively they hunt for qualified teenagers from poorer families, how they assess applicants who need aid, and how they distribute the available aid dollars.

Some institutions argue that they do not have the resources to be as generous as the top colleges, and for most colleges, with meager endowments, that is no doubt true. But among the elites, nearly all of them with large endowments, there is little correlation between a university’s wealth and the number of students who receive Pell Grants, which did not exceed $5,550 per student last year.

Washington University has an endowment similar in size, per student, to those of Emory and Vassar — between $300,000 and $400,000 as of mid-2012, wealthier than all but a few dozen colleges in the country, and Washington and Lee’s endowment is significantly larger, the Times research shows. At Harvard and Yale, with the largest endowments in the country, Pell enrollment was near the 15 percent average for the 50 most competitive colleges; at Princeton, with the largest per-capita endowment, it was lower, 12 percent, though its officials say the rate is higher for the freshman class starting this fall.

John Berg, the vice chancellor for admissions at Washington University, said one reason its numbers are so low is that the disadvantaged students it admits usually have offers from other top colleges with better name recognition.

Bob Strong, a professor of politics at Washington and Lee who oversaw admissions there for two years as interim provost, conceded that his institution historically did a poor job of recruiting low-income students, but said that it has improved and “we’re still working on it.”

And maybe regressive leftists might work on enlarging the pool of highly qualified minority students. But really, I doubt they care about that, because, you know, some "victims of discrimination" might have to work a little bit harder in life.

#Dodgers Beat Yankees With Ninth Inning Walk-Off Single

The Dodgers are pure excitement right now.

At LAT, "Dodgers walk off with another win":

Before Andre Ethier touched home plate, his teammates were leaping out of the dugout. The fans at Dodger Stadium were leaping out of their seats.

October came early to Los Angeles and everyone wearing blue wanted to celebrate.

The latest magical moment in the Dodgers' remarkable midseason run came Tuesday, when Mark Ellis drove in Ethier with a ninth-inning bloop single to deliver a 3-2, walk-off victory over the New York Yankees.

BOX SCORE: Dodgers 3, Yankees 2

"These kind of games, we just feel like we're going to win right now," Manager Don Mattingly said.

The Dodgers have won 27 of their last 33 games. They have claimed five World Series titles in Los Angeles, but had never won as many games in any previous 33-game stretch since their move from Brooklyn in 1958.

The walk-off win the was the second in a row for the Dodgers, who beat the Cincinnati Reds two days earlier on an 11th-inning home run by Yasiel Puig. They increased their lead over the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West to 31/2 games.

"We're just finding a way to get a big hit, something we weren't doing earlier in the season," Ellis said.

He neglected to mention steals. Ethier stole one base in the first three months of the season. But with two out in the ninth inning and Ellis at the plate, he stole second base.

That set up Ellis' hit off Shawn Kelley, which floated over the head of leaping shortstop Derek Jeter.

"We're not even blowing teams out, just not making mistakes and never giving up as a team," starting pitcher Zack Greinke said.

More from Bill Plaschke, "Plenty of star power in stands, but real show is on field for Dodgers."

San Bernardino 'Mass Rainbow Wedding' Called Off After Nobody Shows Up

I guess the organizers thought God would part the skies and homosexuals would rain down like manna from heaven.

But not.

At the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, "Mass gay wedding in San Bernardino called off when no one shows":

SAN BERNARDINO -- A month after California began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples once again, gay couples can get married, get divorced and even get cold feet.
A planned mass "Rainbow Wedding" ceremony at a gay community center in San Bernardino ended Saturday with the officiant being stood up at the altar when no one showed up more than an hour after the ceremony was scheduled to be held.

"It's a statement about equality," said P.J. Seleska, who runs Inland Empire Pride's Center on Waterman Avenue. "We had a big celebration" the night the Supreme Court struck down Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act "and kicked around ideas."

The center serves an impoverished region of thecity, and includes a food pantry and other services to help its largely poor clientele.

"It's so expensive to get married out there, are you kidding me?" Seleska said.

Marriage licenses alone cost $88 in San Bernardino County.

"Now I understand why people run out to Vegas," Seleska said.

Right.

It's "so expensive."

Damned freaks.

Moonbattery has more:

As this farcical episode illustrates, homosexual marriage was only an issue because the cultural Marxists who run the government and the media made it into one as a weapon to use against the traditional values that are the foundation of American civilization. The damage having been done to the institutions of marriage and Christianity, homosexuals are already returning to their bath houses. They tend to have hundreds of sex partners in the course of their often disease-shortened lives; blasphemous “marriages” are not likely to replace this lifestyle.

Word.

PREVIOUSLY: "Homosexual 'Marriage' Designed to Destroy the Institution of Marriage."

Manning Verdict Said to Raise Odds of WikiLeaks' Assange Prosecution

At the video communist Amy Goodman interviews Michael Ratner, an attorney for WikiLeaks.

And at the Washington Post, "Manning’s conviction seen as making prosecution of WikiLeaks’ Assange likely":

The conviction of Army private Bradley Manning on espionage charges Tuesday makes it increasingly likely that the United States will prosecute WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as a co-conspirator, according to his attorney and civil liberties groups.

Judge Denise Lind, an Army colonel, found Manning guilty of several violations of the Espionage Act, and he could face life in prison. Press freedom advocates said the verdict adds to their alarm that the Obama administration’s aggressive pursuit of leakers will discourage whistleblowers from providing critical information on military and intelligence matters.

Army Private Bradley Manning Found Guilty on 20 Counts, Including Several Violations of Espionage Act

Various reports indicate that Manning was convicted on 20 of 22 counts.

The press is spinning this as a victory for the defense, since Manning was not convicted of "aiding the enemy." Of course, to be convicted of espionage is de facto the same thing, but legally he won't be subject to possible life in prison without parole.

At the Los Angles Times "Bradley Manning acquitted of most serious charge, convicted of others." And the Wall Street Journal, "Manning Acquitted of Aiding the Enemy: Guilty of Most Lesser Charges Related to WikiLeaks Documents."

And the Washington Post has a nifty graphic, "Verdict in Bradley Manning case."

Garland County Jail Break Video

The dude got away.



And check the comments at this thread, lol, "UPDATE: Deputies arrest accomplice of escaped inmate, search continues."

Sydney Leathers on Howard Stern Show: #Weiner's 'Too Busy Jackin' Off' to Be Mayor

She's orgiastic about this whole thing.



And see the New York Post, "Weiner sext pal in raunchy tell-all interview: Phone sex '15 times a day wouldn't be enough' for obsessed pol."

Quitting Isn't 'How We Roll'

Oh hey, stay in the race, by all means.

The skeezy "slutbag" lulz are definitely how the Democrats roll.

London's Daily Mail has the original video of Weiner stoically pledging to, er, stick it out. See, "'Quitting isn't how we roll in New York': Tired Weiner insists he will NOT stand aside in new ad as his online mistress revels in humiliating him again in Howard Stern interview."

And here's Erin Burnett:



I'll have more coming up shortly.