National Organization for Marriage John Eastman Testimony Before House Ways and Means Committee

I watched this yesterday.

Check Yid With Lid, "Scandalpalooza Update: Revenge of the Tea Party."

And at Nice Deb, "Video: National Organization for Marriage’s John Eastman RIPS Democrats at IRS Hearing + Proof IRS Leaked Confidential Donor List to Political Rival."

The full published testimony is here.

Chris Christie Calls Special Election to Fill Frank Lautenberg's Senate Seat

Debilitating stupidity.

At National Journal, "Republicans Fuming Over Chris Christie's Senate Decision." (At Memeorandum.)

Plus, a big roundup at Legal Insurrection, "Chris Christie calls for Special Election in October to fill Lautenberg seat."

Obama Political Hacks Using Secret Email Accounts

At Fox News, "Obama officials deny using 'secret' email accounts, though some agencies won't disclose details."

And Michelle on the epic hypocrisy:

Libertarian Populism and Its Limits

See Ross Douthat, at the New York Times (and the links therein).

It's a debate about "reform conservatism," whatever that is. I recall going through this back in 2008 when the Barackalypse was first elected. And this latest iteration too shall pass.

Meanwhile, see the Other McCain for more, "Damn You, Josh Barro!"

@jbarro Hey, I'm not exactly president of the @ewerickson Fan Club, but ... "derpy"? That's all you got, "derpy"? businessinsider.com/erick-erickson…
— Robert Stacy McCain (@rsmccain) June 4, 2013

Yeah, that was a bit much with the "derpy."

And speaking of "derpy," click through for some "derpy" RAWMUSCLEGLUTES at the link:

Wow, I just got my second "Malkin Award" nomination of the year. dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/06/04/mal… I must be doing something right.
— Robert Stacy McCain (@rsmccain) June 4, 2013

Ethically Loose

Via the Looking Spoon, "The Only Response Needed For Anyone Questioning the 'Ethics' of a Republican Investigating Obama..."

PREVIOUSLY: "Jim Geraghty Destroys David Plouffe With One Tweet."

'He's quite handsome, but there's something about the shape of his features that suggests there's a fat man inside waiting to bust loose...'

That's Ann Althouse, ripping University of New Mexico Psychology Professor Geoffrey Miller, who slammed fat Ph.D. candidates on Twitter for "lacking willpower to do a dissertation."

See, "Fat-Shaming in Academe" (at Memeorandum).

The university's response is here, "UNM Response to Tweet by Professor Geoffrey Miller."

And go straight to the video of Department Chairwoman Jane Ellen Smith. It turns out that Professor Miller is apparently claiming that he's doing research on "provocative tweeting."

I gotta remember that one for next time the idiot progs contact my department!

The Truth About ObamaCare Rate Increases

At WSJ, "ObamaCare Bait and Switch":

Liberals have spent years claiming that "rate shock" under the Affordable Care Act—the 20% to 30% average spike in insurance premiums that every independent analyst projects—is merely the political imagination of Republicans and the insurance industry. So they immediately claimed victory when California reported last month that the plans that will be available on the state's new insurance exchange next year would be cheaper than they are today.

Except now it emerges that California goosed the data to make it appear as if ObamaCare won't send costs aloft as the law's regulations and mandates kick in. It will, by a lot. And now liberals have suddenly switched to arguing that, sure, insurance will be more expensive but the new costs are justified. Needless to say that was not how Democrats sold health-care reform.

California reported that the rates would range from 2% above to 29% below the current market. "This is a home run for consumers in every region of California," said Peter Lee, the director of the state exchange. "These rates are way below the worst-case gloom-and-doom scenarios we have heard."

But Mr. Lee and his fellow regulators were making a false comparison. They weren't looking at California's lightly regulated individual insurance market that functions surprisingly well. They were comparing ObamaCare insurance to the state's current small-business market where regulations similar to ObamaCare have already been imposed.

In other words, California wasn't comparing apples to apples. It wasn't even comparing apples to oranges. It was comparing apples to ostriches. The conservative analyst Avik Roy consulted current rates on the eHealthInsurance website and discovered that the cheapest ObamaCare plan for a typical 25-year-old man is roughly 64% to 117% more expensive than the five cheapest policies sold today. For a 40 year old, it's 73% to 146%. Stanford economist Dan Kessler adds his observations nearby...

Continue reading.

And the Kessler piece is here, "ObamaCare Is Raising Insurance Costs."

Plus, the epic idiot Ezra Klein's been scrambling to cover for this clusterf-k policy. Here's his latest stupidity, "The six ways Obamacare changes insurance premiums."

See that? How it "changes" premiums? Actually, the law is "raising" premiums. And it's raising premiums on young people to subsidize old people and the sick. And so what happened? Young people bailed. At the Los Angeles Times, "Affordable Care Act's challenge: getting young adults enrolled."

Things aren't going so well for this monstrosity. Not well at all.

Prosecutors Seek Life in Prison for Bradley Manning

Screw this guy.

Make sure he gets a fair trial, sure. Other than that, screw him.

At LAT, "Prosecutors look to closely link Bradley Manning and Julian Assange":

FT. MEADE, Md. — Government prosecutors seeking life in prison for Army Pfc. Bradley Manning opened his court-martial Monday closely linking the young, nondescript enlistee from Oklahoma with the outsized Julian Assange, head of the anti-secrecy WikiLeaks website who used his world stage to post hundreds of thousands of Manning’s purloined documents in the largest leak of U.S. classified material in the nation’s history.

Army Cpt. Joe Morrow, prosecuting Manning on 21 charges, including endangering the U.S. and aiding the enemy, said Manning downloaded and sent to WikiLeaks more than 700,000 classified materials after the short, bespectacled Manning and the silver-haired media celebrity Assange quietly exchanged personal contact information and crafted Internet chat logs to expose the deepest secrets in the fight against terrorism and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

That partnership, Morrow and other Army prosecutors alleged, blossomed to one where the unlikely pair discussed their own attempts at secrecy even as Manning methodically flipped documents to Assange and the WikiLeaks editor-in-chief routinely posted the material – including State Department cables, assessments of terror captives, prisoner interrogation videos and U.S. evaluations of foreign allies.

“These were massive, massive downloads,” Morrow said. “Packaged and out the door to WikiLeaks in some instances in a matter of minutes.”

RTWT.

Erdogan's Grip on Power Is Rapidly Weakening

An analysis at Der Spiegel, "Revolt in Turkey":

For a decade, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has had a tight grip on power. But it suddenly looks to be weakening. Thousands have taken to the streets across the country and the threats to Erdogan's rule are many. His reaction has revealed him to be hopelessly disconnected.

The rooftops of Istanbul can be seen in the background and next to them is a gigantic image of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey's powerful prime minister is watching over the city -- and is also monitoring the work of the political party he controls. At least that seems to be the message of the image, which can be found in a conference room at the headquarters of Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP).

hese days, though, Istanbul is producing images that carry a distinctly different meaning -- images of violent protests against the vagaries of Erdogan's rule. And it is beginning to look as though the prime minister, the most powerful leader Turkey has seen since the days of modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, might be losing control.

As recently as mid-May, Erdogan boasted during an appearance at the Brookings Institute in Washington D.C. of the $29 billion airport his government was planning to build in Istanbul. "Turkey no longer talks about the world," he said. "The world talks about Turkey."

Just two weeks later, he appears to have been right -- just not quite in the way he had anticipated. The world is looking at Turkey and speaking of the violence with which Turkish police are assaulting demonstrators at dozens of marches across the country. Increasingly, Erdogan is looking like an autocratic ruler whose people are no longer willing to tolerate him.

Continue reading.

And at Atlas Shrugs, "TURKISH PM ERDOGAN DESCRIBES CONSTITUTION AS 'A HUGE LIE': 'SOVEREIGNTY BELONGS UNCONDITIONALLY AND ALWAYS TO ALLAH'; 'ONE CANNOT BE A MUSLIM, AND SECULAR'."

IRS Spent $50 million for Conferences Between 2010 and 2012

Here's Greta Van Susteren, "Isn’t this disgusting? IRS spends $50 million in two years on conferences! Conferences to teach each other how to target unfairly?"

And Dana Loesch on Hannity last night:

Hate Cleric Anjem Choudary's Vile Rant Attacking Drummer Lee Rigby

Choudary's a darling of the progressives left.

At the Sun UK, "Lee Rigby will burn in hellfire. But Michael is a nice man."

The IRS Story Keeps Getting Worse

From Jonathan Tobin, at Commentary:

The liberal line about the IRS and other administration scandals in the last week has been that even if there was some low-level wrongdoing, an American public that is worried about the economy isn’t really interested in any of it. They are convinced that the only people willing to connect the dots between the demonization of the Tea Party by President Obama and the liberal press and the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups are Republican partisans. As Seth wrote on Friday, Democratic complacence is based on the idea that Republicans are overreacting to the current scandals in much the same manner that they oversold the Monica Lewinsky affair in 1998. But the revelation of two new angles to the IRS story in recent days shows that contrary to the hopes of Democrats, it is not only not dying down but could get worse.

By now, just about everyone has seen the videos of IRS employees line dancing at a conference paid for by taxpayers. The videos, like another bizarre IRS project previously discovered in which government employees acted out “Star Trek” and “Gilligan’s Island” parodies, illustrates an agency that is out of control and unaccountable in the way it wastes the money that it so zealously collects from the public.

But just as hard to explain is the news first reported on Friday by the Daily Caller that the wife of the IRS commissioner on whose watch the targeting of conservatives occurred is a senior official of a Washington group that has advocated for this kind of discriminatory scrutiny. One of the top talking points for liberals about the IRS has been to point out that former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman was appointed to his office by President George W. Bush, therefore lending a bipartisan gloss to the problem. But now it seems as if what was going on during Shulman’s frequent trips to the Obama White House isn’t the only question about his conduct that needs answering...

Continue reading.

Low-Info Voters Keep Obama Ratings Afloat

Barely afloat.

At IBD:

The scandals that have broadsided the Obama administration in recent weeks have the potential for leaving a gaping hole in the president's standing with the American people, according to a new IBD/TIPP poll.

Overall, more Americans still approve (48%) than disapprove (44%) of the job President Obama is doing — a 3 percentage-point improvement over approval readings in the last two months.

But the reverse is true among those who are following the administration's handling of the Benghazi crisis, the IRS' targeting of the Tea Party and other groups, and the Justice Department's seizure and pursuit of the phone logs of the Associated Press and Fox News reporter James Rosen.

See No Scandal?

The president's approval rating tops 60% among those who are not closely following coverage of the three scandals but is only 42% among those following Benghazi, 43% among those fol lowing IRS and 39% among those keeping an eye on AP/Rosen.

Put another way, disapproval stands at 55%, 53% and 57% among those watching the respective scandals vs. only 21%, 22% and 28% among those who aren't.

The results suggest Obama's ratings could erode dramatically if the scandals stay front and center in the news. There's no guarantee of that, of course, given media support of this administration. But even the decidedly pro-Obama mainstream media are stepping up scandal coverage.

Continue reading.

Also at American Thinker, "Obama approval slips in new Quinnipiac poll."

And Rasmussen, Monday, June 03, 2013: "The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that 47% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Obama's job performance. Fifty-two percent (52%) now disapprove."

More at Breitbart, "Obama Approval Rating Hits 12-Month Low."

Lautenberg's Death Adds to Democrats' Legislative Difficulties

Well, I guess there's a silver lining then.

At the New York Times, "Death of Senator Places Christie in Difficult Spot":

The death of Frank R. Lautenberg on Monday has left Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey the kind of opportunity that politicians usually covet: the chance to give away a seat in the United States Senate. But the decision is fraught with pitfalls, none bigger than having to choose between improving his party’s fortunes in Washington and furthering his own political ambitions at home.

Mr. Christie, a Republican, is up for re-election in November and was hoping to roll up a huge victory margin, which he could then use to accelerate his drive to present himself as a presidential candidate with broad appeal even in a blue state.

But adding a special election for the Senate seat to the ballot could put Mayor Cory A. Booker of Newark at the top of the Democratic ticket, potentially energizing more Democrats, who already outnumber Republicans in New Jersey by 700,000 registered voters, to come to the polls.

The implications extend beyond New Jersey to Washington, where both parties are maneuvering for strategic advantage in a Senate where even a single vote can derail legislation. The replacement of Mr. Lautenberg, a Democrat, with an interim senator appointed by Mr. Christie creates immediate complications for the White House and Democrats on Capitol Hill as they try to push through an overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws and presidential nominations, under the constant threat of Republican filibuster.

Mr. Lautenberg, a steadfast liberal who was New Jersey’s longest serving senator and the nation’s oldest senator, died of complications from pneumonia in Manhattan. He was 89 and had already announced he would not run for re-election next year.

Mr. Christie, whose popularity soared after Hurricane Sandy, is so eager to avoid appearing on the same ballot as Mr. Booker, according to Republican insiders, that he is considering two alternatives to a November election for Mr. Lautenberg’s successor. Each carries a potential political cost and could easily be challenged in court.

Christie turned RINO sometime back, so I'm not so bothered by his difficulties. And screw the the Dems. They can suck slime-balls.

More at the link.

Also, "Frank Lautenberg, 89, New Jersey Senator In His 5th Term, Dies."

Michael Douglas Backs Off Claim of Oral Sex Throat Cancer Cause

Here's this morning's New York Post, "Michael Douglas: Oral sex gave me cancer."

He's trying to back out of the claim now, but the Guardian UK has him pinned down, "Michael Douglas cancer oral sex claim: transcript and audio":

A spokesperson for Michael Douglas has claimed that the actor did not say his particular cancer was caused by oral sex. Here is the relevant audio and transcript to prove that he did...

Baywatch Babe! Pamela Anderson Looking Hot in Skimpy Red Bathing Suit in Brazil

At London's Daily Mail, "Still red hot at 45: Pamela Anderson gets back into her Baywatch colour as she displays perky body in Vogue Brazil."

Protesters Killed in Turkey

At the New York Times, "Turkish Premier Blames Extremists for Protests as Two Are Killed":

For the first time, deaths were reported at two demonstrations: one protester died in Ankara, the capital, after a vehicle slammed into a crowd there late Sunday, The Associated Press reported, citing a medical official. And in the southern border town of Antakya, an opposition party deputy reported on the Web channel Halk TV that a 22-year-old man whom he identified as Abdullah Can Comert was struck in the head by at least one of four bullets fired from an armored police vehicle. Mr. Erdogan accused the main opposition party of using the demonstrations, which flared into a widespread confrontation with security forces on Friday, for political gain.

Florida Student Iris Scans Raise Major Privacy Rights Violations

This is mind-boggling.

Listen to Michelle at the clip, and here's her discussion at the blog, "Confirmed: Polk County, FL schools conducted iris scans on students without permission."

Also at Tech Dirt, "FL Schools Go Minority Report On Students, Give Parents Opt Out Choice Afterward."

Storm Chaser Tim Samaras Killed in Oklahoma Tornado

At the Weather Channel, "Tim Samaras Dead: Oklahoma Tornado Kills Storm Chaser, Son Paul Samaras, and Chase Partner Carl Young."

There's video at that link, and also at CNN, "2004: Tim Samaras lived for tornado season."

And at the New York Times, "Chasing the Storm, but Hoping Not to Catch It":

When Tim Samaras began chasing tornadoes more than two decades ago, he was one of a small, mostly anonymous group of scientists and thrill seekers armed with paper maps, weather radios and a sense of wonder.

Today, interest in storm chasing has surged, and a preponderance of amateurs with video cameras and a thirst for YouTube fame now jockey with seasoned professionals to see who can get the closest and most dramatic images of churning storms, causing some veterans to worry about a growing safety threat.

The risks became apparent on Sunday when relatives confirmed that Mr. Samaras, 55, along with his 24-year-old son, Paul, and his colleague, Carl Young, 45, were killed while chasing the storms that ravaged parts of Oklahoma on Friday.

They were among at least 13 people killed in the storm, which spawned several tornadoes and caused flash flooding in the region around Oklahoma City. A tornado also picked up a truck carrying several storm chasers, including a meteorologist for the Weather Channel, and tossed it into a field, causing injuries but no deaths.

The deaths come as storm chasers have reached a kind of pop-culture zenith, similar to that achieved by celebrity chefs and interior decorators on numerous reality shows. Mr. Samaras was well known for his appearances on the reality show “Storm Chasers,” on the Discovery Channel, which ended in 2011.

Many other networks use vivid footage of storms. The Weather Channel has programmed regular series like “Full Force Nature” with storm chasers providing video of severe weather.

Advancements in video and Web technology mean storm chasers are now able to provide a live play-by-play of a tornado’s destruction. But with Friday’s deaths, the first in many years, veteran chasers said, some experts question whether the push to get closer and closer to storms has dimmed perceptions of the dangers they pose.

“When a veteran storm chaser as cautious and experienced as Tim Samaras dies, I hope it is a lesson to all the storm chasers of just how potentially dangerous storm chasing is,” said Greg Forbes, a meteorologist with the Weather Channel. “There is some chance you could die.”

The circumstances surrounding the deaths were still unknown Sunday. Dr. Forbes said the tornado Mr. Samaras was tracking made a sudden left turn, perhaps catching him and his team unaware and leaving them nowhere to run. Others speculated that engine trouble or perhaps a traffic jam could have left them stuck in the tornado’s path.

Mr. Samaras’s brother Jim posted a statement on his brother’s Facebook page expressing sadness but giving no details. “They all unfortunately passed away, but doing what they loved,” the statement said.

RTWT.

And at the Blaze, "STORM CHASER’S HAUNTING FINAL FACEBOOK POST BEFORE HE WAS KILLED IN TORNADO."

A Message for the Class of 2013

An hilarious piece, from Rob LaZebnik, at the Wall Street Journal.

And not so hilarious is Soledad O'Brien. See Warner Todd Huston, at Wizbang, "Soledad O'Brien to Grads: Don't Take Anyone's Advice."

I'm struck by her obsession with race, although I shouldn't be. But still...

Jean Stapleton Remembered

Rob "Meathead" Reiner remembers Jean Stapleton's career and character of Edith Bunker, at CBS News, "Jean Stapleton - TV's Edith Bunker - Remembered."

Also, an excellent obituary, at the New York Times, "Jean Stapleton, Who Played Archie Bunker’s Better Angel, Dies at 90."

Jim Geraghty Destroys David Plouffe With One Tweet

This is hilarious.

At Twitchy, "Choom Boom! Geraghty destroys Plouffe’s nasty Issa-smearing tweet with one photo."

For perspective, here's what Plouffe's most famous client was doing when the charge against Issa was dropped: twitter.com/jimgeraghty/st…
— jimgeraghty (@jimgeraghty) June 3, 2013

Also:

Issa calling Jay Carney the "administration's paid liar" apparently struck a nerve with David Plouffe j.mp/ZF6k2L
— Right Scoop (@trscoop) June 2, 2013

Powerhouse Fire 'Roars Like a Blowtorch' Through Elizabeth Lake and Lake Hughes

At the Los Angeles Times, "Residents remain evacuated as Powerhouse fire spreads to 25,000 acres."

Also, "Powerhouse fire grows to 30,000 acres; now 40% contained."

How Will U.S. Fund Entitlements?

At IBD, "Social Security Report Alarming; But D.C. Calm":

Disability beneficiaries face steep cuts in just three years under current law and today's new retirees are expected to outlive the Social Security Trust Fund by two years.

Yet the annual report from the Social Security and Medicare Trustees was taken in stride in D.C., as a full-fledged effort at entitlement reform remains far from the agenda.
When asked about how the administration would avoid scheduled disability benefit cuts of 20%, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew alluded to "the 1990s and policy choices made in time" to avert a similar set of cuts.

That policy choice involved one Social Security trust fund, the main Old Age and Survivors Insurance fund, lending to another in 1994. Almost 20 years later, even as Social Security is expected to run an annual cash deficit of $75 billion, the current administration is signaling that it's prepared to kick the can again. That is, unless it gets a big-enough tax hike to minimize benefit cuts.

Meanwhile, the White House hailed the "good news for seniors and taxpayers" that Medicare's hospital insurance program will be solvent through 2026.

Continue reading.

The Obama Breakdown

An outstanding commentary from Fred Barnes, at WSJ, "The Decline of the Obama Presidency":

John Dos Passos, the novelist and historian, once said: "Often things you think are just beginning are coming to an end." His observation was made in the 1960s. But it's true today of Barack Obama's presidency and the promise of a bright future for his second term.

Mr. Obama's re-election stirred grand expectations. The vote heralded a new liberal era, or so it was claimed. His victory was said to reflect ideological, cultural and demographic trends that could keep Democrats in the majority for years to come. His second four years in the White House would be just the beginning.

Now, six months later, the Obama administration is in an unexpected and sharp state of decline. Mr. Obama has little influence on Congress. His presidency has no theme. He pivots nervously from issue to issue. What there is of an Obama agenda consists, at the moment, of leftovers from his first term or proposals that he failed to emphasize in his re-election campaign and thus have practically no chance of passage.

Continue reading.

Angelina Jolie Makes First Post-Mastectomy Appearance at 'WWZ' Red Carpet Premiere

At London's Daily Mail, "'I feel great': Angelina Jolie makes first public appearance since double mastectomy as she attends Pitt's London premiere of World War Z."

Czech Zombie Walk

Trippy.

At Telegraph UK, "Czechs find rain no defence against zombies invasion."

Taking a Wrecking Ball to the Ivory Tower

From Kyle Peterson, at RealClearPolitics.

ZoNation: Islamic Terrorism - Just Say It!

Yo!

Top 10 Most Visited Businesses

Some Karen Alloy for you:

Tin Foil Democrats

Via Left Coast Resistance:

L.A. Times Touts Obama's 'Deferred Action' Amnesty Plan With Illegal Alien Who 'Cannot Read or Write in Any Language' and 'Drives Without a License'

Hey, nothing like pumping up the administration's shamnesty scam with the underclass of the illegal alien underclass.

See, "Education is missing key for some young immigrants":

MADERA, Calif. — While kids his age were reading Shakespeare and dissecting frogs, Benito Vasquez was picking grapes and almonds in the Central Valley.

He was 14 when he crossed the border from Mexico and has worked in the fields ever since. He has never gone to school and cannot read or write in any language.

Vasquez, now 28, is one of thousands potentially shut out of a landmark federal program that grants work permits and a two-year reprieve from deportation to people who came to this country illegally as children.

He and others like him are missing a key requirement — a high school diploma. They can make up the educational deficiency by enrolling in a class. But that is a daunting prospect for someone who works long hours, lives in a remote area and has little formal schooling.

"The cream of the crop in terms of educational achievement, all those people applied already, or most of them," said Jesus Martinez, a Fresno-based consultant for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. "A number of those who haven't applied have educational issues."

Vasquez is still grappling with whether to apply.

Well, he's not grappling all the much, it turns out. He can't find the time to break away from the 10-hour days he puts in working the fields:

Benito's path is more uncertain. He has yet to register at the adult school. It is hard to find the time for classes after a 10-hour workday.

At their Madera home, the Vasquezes speak mostly Spanish, with some Zapotec and some English. Benito's daughter, Lydia, is 4. His son, Jose, is 7 and speaks English most of the time. Benito would like to understand what the boy is saying. English would also help him at work.

Benito Vasquez has been working since he was Jose's age, harvesting corn and beans on the family farm in Oaxaca. His younger sisters enrolled in school, but the family needed the income from his farm labor.

To get to his job in the grape fields, where he operates tractors and other heavy machinery, he drives without a license. He fears being pulled over by the police. Still, he prefers to take his chances in the United States.

"It's better here than in Mexico," he said in Spanish. "Every week, I get a paycheck. There's more food. Everything's a little easier. If you need something, you just work. In Mexico, when you need something, there are no jobs."

Yeah, better to take your chances in the U.S., especially with the open-borders derps touting illiterate aliens as models for immigration reform.

Democrat values. You can't make this stuff up.

Al Qaeda-Linked Rebels Execute 11 Soldiers Loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad

Via Pat Dollard, "WATCH – WARNING GRAPHIC: Al Qaeda Linked Syrian Rebels Post Grisly Execution Video."

Also at the Los Angeles Times, "New videos from Syria spotlight conflict's brutality."

The So-Called 'Bipartisan Backlash' Against Common Core

I was skeptical when the L.A. Times mentioned there's a growing "bipartisan backlash" against the federal bureaucracy's disastrous "Common Core" education agenda. Perhaps some leftist RINOs would be allied with union thugs clinging to corrupt power, I thought. But the Times actually mentions some tea party groups that have mobilized against this progressive education/indoctrination power grab.

See, "Schools' effort to shift to Common Core faces a difficult test":

Educators developed the standards, the Obama administration pushed states to adopt them, and they enjoyed bipartisan support.

But a bipartisan backlash also has emerged. Critics worry that too much classic literature and fiction are being edged out and that too few concepts are covered in math.

Supporter Randi Weingarten, who heads the American Federation of Teachers, is among those urging a delay, especially if results of the new tests will be used to evaluate teachers.

California school districts remain worried about being ready, even with $1 billion that Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed for the transition. Districts would have wide latitude in spending the money for such needs as teacher training and computers.

In some states, opposition, especially from Tea Party groups is making headway. Conservatives speak of an erosion of state and parental rights and potential intrusions on student privacy through data collection. Under pressure, some Republican state leaders have pulled back funding or delayed the changeover.

Continue reading.

Following the links takes us to the Washington Post, "Tea party groups mobilizing against Common Core education overhaul," and the American Principles Project, "Controlling Education From the Top: A Pioneer Institute and American Principles Project White Paper."

Michelle Malkin has been doing yeoman's work in opposition to this corrupt Common Crap agenda. See, "Rotten to the Core: Conservatives spearhead drive at RNC meeting to stop Common Core." The leftist groups cited at the Times are unions worried about reforms that hold them accountable and weaken their power. The genuine opposition to Common Core is found among conservatives and patriots who actually care about the quality of education and the primacy and centrality of educational excellence to the preservation of American freedom.

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."

Also at Reaganite Republican, "Reaganite's SUNDAY FUNNIES," and at Theo Spark's, "A Thousand Words..."

More at Randy's Roundtable, "Friday Nite Funnies."

Cartoon Credit, "Branco Cartoon – He Built That."

Sunday Rule 5

Via Pitsnipes and Gripes:

A roundup at Proof Positive, "Best of the Web* Linkaround," and "Friday Night Babe: Denise Richards!"

More at Pirate's Cove, "Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup," and "If All You See……is snow created by fossil fueled helicopters, you might just be a Warmist."

Also at Gator Doug's, "DaleyGator DaleyBabe Random Beauty."

And at Knuckledraggin', "Your Good Morning Girl," and "Who doesn’t love a car wash?"

Also at Randy's Roundtable, "Thursday Nite Tart ... Miss Tennessee Chandler Lawson (Sweet!)."

More at Guns and Bikinis, "Girl Next Door."

And at Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, "The Friday Pin Up." Also at Eye of Polyphemus, "Flashback Friday: Lynda Carter."

At Odie's, "Rule 5 Woodsterman Style - FAA's new blood pressure testing method."

And Theo Spark's, "Bonus Totty..." Plus, "Sunday Totty..."

Now over at Animal Magnetism, "Rule 5 Friday," and "Saturday Blondepocalypse."

EBL has "Rule 5 Monica Belluci."

Also at the Last Tradition, "Rule 5 Sunday – Carmen Ortega, Model, Pin Up Girl."

BONUS: Lots more Rule 5 at the Other McCain, "Rule 5 Monday."

State Rep. Greg Harris Bawls at Failure of Illinois Homosexual Marriage Bill

A total homo.

At Breitbart, "IL State Rep Tearful Announcement Same Sex Marriage Will Not Pass."

And from Enza Ferreri, "It's Not Only Islam that Threatens Our Freedoms."

Deadly Illegal Immigrant Crossing at Brooks County, Texas

A powerful photo-essay, at the Big Picture Blog, "Deadly Crossing":

In 2012, sheriff's deputies in Brooks County found 129 bodies, around double the amount from the year before and six times the number recorded in 2010. Most of those who die succumb to the punishing heat and rough terrain that comprise the ranch lands of south Texas. Reuters photographer, Eric Thayer, traveled to Brooks County, Texas and Reynosa, Mexico to investigate the rising rates of immigrant deaths along the border there, spending time at a migrant's hostel in Mexico and with U.S. Border Patrol in Brooks County. Many migrants, after spending several weeks traveling through Mexico and past the Rio Grande, spend a few days in a "stash house," such as Casa del Migrante, in Reynosa, Mexico, and many are ignorant of the treacherous journey ahead.

Better Late Than Never: Kelly Brook's FHM Cover, May 2013

This was out last month, "Kelly Brook returns to the front cover of this month's FHM."

However, this came out just a couple of days ago, "10 GIF reasons why we love Kelly Brook."

PREVIOUSLY: "Sexiest Women of 2013 — FHM's Top 100."

Why Are Liberals So Rude to the Right?

At reader poll at Legal Insurrection, and my response:

They’re smug assholes with a false sense of self-superiority. They never respond on point in debate and can only preen with arrogance when speaking of Americans of the soil. Screw the so-called “liberals.”

And at the Guardian UK, "Why are liberals so rude to the right?":

Too many people who lean left would rather crack nasty jokes than actually be liberal and listen to other views

Sexiest Women of 2013 — FHM's Top 100

See: "FHM 100 Sexiest Women In The World 2013: The full list."

Daft Punk's Most Revealing Interview Yet

At Rolling Stone, "Daft Punk: All Hail Our Robot Overlords":

Much dance music withers when it leaves the floor, but Daft Punk's imagination exceeded raves nearly from the jump. "Music was a vector that we wanted to build a universe around," says Bangalter. Like the other flagship Nineties electronica artists, Daft Punk presented more like a band than DJs: touring behind an album of proper songs, placing singles on alt-rock radio, commissioning inventive videos with then-fledgling directors like Gondry and Spike Jonze. "Dance music is not cool," says DJ A-Trak, who's known the duo since 2007, and who introduced Kanye West to their music. "It has the worst fonts, the worst artwork – let's not forget what a rave flier looks like. And then here come Daft Punk with these crazy videos, beautiful album art. They have a flash and an elegance that other dance acts envied."

Stars' Swollen Faces Have Fans Howling

People should try to age gracefully.

In particular, Madonna and Portia de Rossi.

See London's Daily Mail, "'Why would anyone want to do THAT to their face?' Fans slam Madonna's 'swollen' appearance as she takes to the stage at Sound of Change concert," and "Has Portia de Rossi had surgery? Fans question her changing look after return of Arrested Development."

Elephants Hit by Train in India

At the Guardian UK, "Elephants hit by speeding train in India – video":

Two elephants lie dead on a track after being hit by a speeding train in Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, eastern India. Two more elephants were gravely injured in the accident, which reportedly happened as a 40-strong herd was crossing the track.

Also at London's Daily Mail, "Four elephants killed when they are hit by a TRAIN speeding through the jungle."

Joe Strummer on the Run: Documentary

At the Guardian UK, "I Need a Dodge! Joe Strummer on the Run – video preview":

A taster of the documentary, which looks back at the Clash frontman's time in Spain in the 80s. Through music and testimony of those who knew him, Strummer's days in Madrid are documented by filmmaker Nick Hall. Hall also searches for clues to the whereabouts of Strummer's Dodge, abandoned in Madrid when the musician rushed home for the birth of his baby daughter.

EU Foreign Policy Fails Again on Syria

From Ralf Neukirch, at Der Spiegel, "Empty Compromise":

European Union foreign ministers have sought to sell their Syria compromise as a success. In reality, Monday's agreement is an abdication of leadership, once again proving that Europe cannot be taken seriously as an actor on the global stage.

To fully understand the European Union's role in the Syrian crisis, a small thought experiment could prove helpful. If you were a party in the civil war in Syria, which of the following actors would you most like to have as an ally? The Russians, who deliver military supplies and demand political influence and a warm-water port in return? The rulers in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, who guarantee an endless supply of weapons in exchange for ideological compliance? Or perhaps the Americans, who remain hesitant to become involved but are nonetheless the world's most influential political and economic power?

One thing is clear: The EU would certainly not be at the top of the list. Europe, to be sure, regularly demands written assurances that it's allies are not cooperating with Islamists and terrorists. But as quid pro quo, they don't offer much more than encouraging words. And there is a reason for that. The Europeans can't even agree on a common position.

The agreement that EU foreign ministers finally managed to reach late on Monday night is a compromise in name only. The bloc's 27 member-states were only able to agree on a continuation of the financial and economic sanctions that are currently in place. Such sanctions are the lowest common denominator of the EU's approach to Syria, though. When it comes to the much more important issue of arms shipment, Europe is hopelessly divided.

Continue reading.

Marxist Rachel Maddow Spearheads MSNB's Nosedive in Nielson Ratings

She's the biggest loser.

At the New York Times, "Month of Breaking News Lifts CNN and Fox, but Sinks MSNBC."

And WND, "RATINGS CRASH! MSNBC IN MASSIVE PLUNGE: In wake of scandals, Obama-friendly network sees viewers fleeing."

Forward!

Judge Jeanine Pirro: Attorney General Eric Holder Should Be Indicted!

Man, this lady is on fire!

Violent Clashes as Protests Spread in Turkey

At the Guardian UK (Observer), "Turkish protest takes root in Istanbul square after security forces withdraw."

And at Telegraph UK, "Foreign Office warning over Turkey protests":

The Foreign Office has warned Britons to avoid areas where violent protests are ongoing across Turkey, including the centre of Istanbul, where thousands of people thronged Taksim Square.

Amy Louise McKeen

Nice flag, via Twitter.

'Humane institutionalization can help the mentally ill and protect society...'

Sounds good to me, at City Journal, via Kathy Shaidle: "Faster, please…"

Bring Back the Ottoman Empire

An interesting essay, from Professor Michael Curtis, at American Thinker:

Like Europe five or six centuries ago, the Middle East today is the scene of shifting alliances among states, political groups, and warring armies, in a struggle for supremacy or hegemony in the area. By contrast, the Ottoman Empire from its establishment in 1453 was a powerful, multinational, multilingual state that lasted until November 1, 1922, when the Turkish monarchy was abolished and a Republic was declared. The Ottoman Caliphate was abolished in March 1924.

In spite of problems, the Ottoman Empire remained intact for four and a half centuries. It ruled using boundaries of administrative divisions: provinces, or vilayets and districts, or sanjaks, Islam sustained the empire, and the sultan, the personification of a family that had ruled for seven centuries, was the protector of Islam.

The Palestinian narrative of victimhood has made the world familiar with the Palestinian concept of the Nakba, the so-called catastrophe, resulting from the displacement of Arabs during and after the 1948-49 war (a war which they started). But from an objective point of view, the real Nakba for Arabs was the end of the Ottoman Empire, which, in spite of political and military problems, had ruled with a strong army and accepted political institutions, and which had created alliances with political and racial groups...

Continue reading.

Weiner-Fluke 2016

Yeah, that's the ticket!

Via the People's Cube:

Related: At the New Yorker, "Will Anthony Weiner Be NY's Next Mayor?"

Also at National Journal, "Why Anthony Weiner Shouldn't Bank on Forgiveness in the New York Mayoral Race."

Leaning Out: Men May Be Better at Work-Life Balance Than Women

See Business Week, "Alpha Dads: Men Get Serious About Work-Life Balance":

“ ‘Work-life balance’ is one of these terms that tends to get overused,” says Rob Lanoue, a partner with Deloitte’s consulting group in Toronto. “It’s ‘balanced/unbalanced,’ ” chips in colleague Andrew Hamer, a senior consultant.

Lanoue, 43, in an open-collar shirt and sporting a wall clock-size dive watch, exudes a relaxed jock vibe, while Hamer, 29, is more hunky corporate hipster, with a beard, jeans, and checked blazer. They, along with Jonathan Magder, 35, a slender, mellow-voiced manager in Deloitte’s corporate strategy group, are eating breakfast across the street from their office, spearing eggs and discussing how they juggle their careers and families. In its contours, the conversation happens countless times a day among groups of women. This male version also touches on the challenges of getting home for bath time, showing up at recitals, and how all that must be reconciled with driving ambition. The only thing missing is the guilt and self-flagellation, which, if they were women, would be accumulating on the floor in puddles around their feet. You might call them “Alpha Dads,” guys who are as serious about their parenting as they are about making partner. What they illustrate is that men might actually be better at handling women’s issues than women. They don’t believe in “balance.” They believe in getting what they want, even if it’s time to yell at their 5-year-olds from the sidelines of a soccer game on a Wednesday afternoon.

Together, Lanoue, Hamer, and Magder run a group called Deloitte Dads, which aims to help working fathers. “New dads can be their own worst enemies,” Magder says. “The biggest thing for sure is time management.” One of his friends at another company tried to take a longer-than-average paternity leave after his first child was born, only to be told by his bosses that they were surprised he wanted to do it—surely his wife would be home, no? His friend wimped out on taking extra time off. For that reason, these guys believe, it’s important for them to live what they preach as much as possible. Magder’s wife doesn’t work, which may afford him a little more breathing room, but both Lanoue and Hamer are married to full-time professionals. None of them have illusions of achieving perfect harmony.

Lanoue, who became partner in 2010, has two children in school full time, a 5-year-old and a 9-year-old, and he estimates that he works one day a week out of his basement office at home, partly to spend more time with them. He manages this, he says, by “being proactive with my calendar, weeks out,” planning his schedule meticulously, moving in-person meetings to conference calls when he needs to and being blunt and in-your-face about it. Even when he’s in the office, he sometimes has to leave at 3:30 p.m. to drive his son to his hockey games, a fact he broadcasts to help dispel the stink that can trail people when they sneak out early. “Everyone knows my routine when I’m not there,” he says. “Between 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., I’m available by e-mail. If there’s anything I have to review, it’s well into the evening.” In other words: It’ll get done, but on his time.

Hamer has a 2-year-old who goes to day care and a 12-week-old who’s currently not sleeping—he sports the dark eye-circles to prove it—and at the moment his assignment takes him out of town three nights most weeks to work at a client’s office. “For me,” he says, “flexibility is more about being able to take part in morning routines and not having to worry about the commute.” Magder has three children, ages 6, 4, and 2. He tries to be home at least two or three times a week for dinner and bedtime. Sometimes it’s tough, he says, recalling one period when he was working 80 or 90 hours every week and was desperately short on sleep. But, “most people understand that if I leave for the day, I’m just changing my [work] location.” Magder and his colleagues sound in many ways like typical MBA guys, only they’re applying the principles of efficient management to the task of parenting...

Continue reading.

It's an interesting piece. My wife and I have a pretty good balance, but our kids are getting older. Babies and toddlers would be a whole different story. When my first son was born, I was in graduate school and I was the primary caregiver. I was home most of the time, getting ready to write my dissertation. My wife was really focused on her retail career. I focused on parenting for the first year of my son's life. It was an awesome thing being a new dad and spending my days being a good daddy. It would be a bummer for a new father not to be able to have that kind of experience. Things are different these days. Both parents often have careers. Couples have to find the balance. Kids take an incredible amount of time.

Kelly Brook Shows Off Bodacious Cleavage at Shopping Center Celebration in Belfast

At London's Daily Mail, "Make a wish! Kelly Brook shows off her cleavage and blows out candles for shopping centre's fifth birthday."

Via Ms. Brook on Twitter.

The Cost of Colonoscopies

I've got my insurance authorization to have this procedure done, but I've been waiting for the semester to wind down to schedule it. It's a routine test after the age of 50, apparently, and an expensive one, depending on how doctors bill insurance providers.

See the New York Times, "The $2.7 Trillion Medical Bill: Colonoscopies Explain Why U.S. Leads the World in Health Expenditures."

Democrats for Education Reform

I just came across this piece from April, by Karin Klein, "State Democrats decide who's a REAL Democrat."

Also, "California Democrats blast efforts to overhaul schools." Well, yeah. Overhaul will weaken the death grip of the teachers' union.

Troubling Stories About IRS Continue to Mount

At the Oklahoman:

THE story of Catherine Englebrecht of Richmond, Texas, should put to rest any suggestion that the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups was simply the work of overzealous or confused low-level staffers in Cincinnati. It's a story that should give the willies to any American, regardless of political bent.

Engelbrecht and her husband own a small manufacturing business. Through the years, Engelbrecht developed an interest in public policy. She acted on it by forming two groups, called True the Vote and King Street Patriots. The former seeks to ensure the integrity of elections by, among other things, working to clear voting rolls of people who have died.

In July 2010, Engelbrecht sought tax-exempt status from the IRS — and her world started to get turned upside down because, as Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan put it, “The U.S. government came down on her with full force.”

In December of that year, the FBI came to her home to ask about a person who had attended a King Street Patriots function. The following month, in January 2011, the FBI asked more questions and the IRS audited her business tax returns. The FBI came knocking again in May 2011, about King Street Patriots.

One month later, Engelbrecht's personal tax returns were audited and the FBI visited again. Questions about True the Vote came in October 2011, with another FBI inquiry a month later — and again one month after that. In February 2012, the IRS came with another round of questions about True the Vote, and questions about King Street Patriots.

Engelbrecht's business has a license to make firearms, but doesn't. In February 2012, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms did an unscheduled audit of the business. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration did the same in July 2012. Additional IRS questions about True the Vote followed in November 2012, and again in March of this year. In April, ATF conducted a second audit.

Engelbrecht says she and the feds had never crossed paths before her filing for tax-exempt status. “These people, they are just regular Americans,” her attorney, former Oklahoman Cleta Mitchell, told Noonan. “They try to get dead people off voter rolls; you would think that they are serial killers.”

Engelbrecht is fighting back with a lawsuit against the IRS. Brava! Meantime, she still hasn't received the exemptions she sought three years ago.

Continue reading.

Also, "VIDEO: Catherine Engelbrecht of True The Vote joins Bill O'Reilly 5-28-2013."

And at the Hill, "Conservative groups sue Holder, IRS over Tea Party targeting."

Homosexual Parenting Harms Children

The lead letters at yesterday's Los Angeles Times were in response to the coward David Blankenhorn's recent op-ed, "What matters now about marriage."

I'm surprised this one got past the editors:

I would say to Blankenhorn that what matters about marriage is the children. He fails to mention where the children fit into a gay marriage that has either two men or two women living together.

How does a child keep his or her head on straight when there is either no father or no mother? How does a female child living with two women learn the love and protection that only a man can provide? How does a male child living with two men learn the love and softness that only a woman can contribute?

How does the child, living in a lopsided environment, understand that a woman has her role in the marriage and that the man has his role in the marriage? It cannot be duplicated by two men or two women being married partners.

Lori Graham
Los Angeles

After all is said and done, this is the core argument that leftists can never rebut. All they can say is that it doesn't matter, that people have a so-called "human" right to marry whomever they want. Screw the children. It's all about the homosexual narcissists themselves.

And all of this activism won't end with same-sex marriage, because progressives are never satisfied with the status quo. The Kaitlyn Hunt saga demonstrates that reason and decency won't stand in the way of 100 percent license for homosexuals to do whatever they please. See, "The #FreeKate Meltdown Continues," and "Local PFLAG: ‘The Cry of Discrimination …Does Not Seem to Apply’ in Hunt Case."

Topless Femen Protesters Storm 'Germany's Next Top Model'

At the Los Angeles Times, "Heidi Klum ambushed by topless women during 'Top Model' finale," and Der Spiegel, "Crashing the Catwalk: Femen Hijacks 'Germany's Next Top Model'."

RELATED: At the Economist, "Why are feminists going topless?"

U.S. Woman Killed Fighting for Rebels in Syria

At Fox News, "Michigan woman, 33, killed in Syria fight, family says."

And at the Guardian UK, "Nicole Mansfield 'just a regular American', says daughter.'

More video at Euro News, "Westerners 'killed in government ambush' in Syria," and CNN, "Daughter grieves mom killed in Syria."

Orange County Woman Wins $1 million on 'Wheel of Fortune'

This was last night. My wife was watching.

At London's Daily Mail, "Woman becomes second contestant EVER to win $1 million on Wheel of Fortune (and she did it with just four letters)."

Video here.

Celebrating 65 Years of Defense

The Israel Defense Forces, via Theo Spark:

Restoring Public Faith Will Require Full Investigation of IRS Politicization

From Peggy Noonan, at WSJ, "An Antidote to Cynicism Poisoning":

The Benghazi scandal was and is shocking, and the Justice Department assault on the free press, in which dogged reporters are tailed like enemy spies, is shocking. Benghazi is still under investigation and someday someone will write a great book about it. As for the press, Attorney General Eric Holder is on the run, and rightly so. They called it the First Amendment for a reason. But nothing can damage us more as a nation than what is happening at the Internal Revenue Service. Elite opinion in the press and in Washington doesn't fully understand this. Part of the reason is that it's not their ox being gored, it's those messy people out in America with their little patriotic groups.

Those who aren't deeply distressed about the IRS suffer from a reluctance or inability to make distinctions, and a lack of civic imagination.

An inability to make distinctions: "It's always been like this." "Presidents are always siccing the IRS on their enemies." There's truth in that. We've all heard the stories of the president who picked up the phone and said, "Look into this guy," Richard Nixon most showily. He got clobbered for it. It was one of the articles of impeachment.

But this scandal is different and distinctive. The abuse was systemic—from the sheer number of targets and the extent of each targeting we know many workers had to be involved, many higher-ups, multiple offices. It was ideological and partisan—only those presumed to be of one political view were targeted. It has a single unifying pattern: The most vivid abuses took place in the years leading up to the president's 2012 re-election effort. And in the end several were trying to cover it all up, including the head of the IRS, who lied to Congress about it, and the head of the tax-exempt unit, Lois Lerner, who managed to lie even in her public acknowledgment of impropriety.

It wasn't a one-off. It wasn't a president losing his temper with some steel executives. There was no enemies list, unless you consider half the country to be your enemies...

Continue reading.

Teen Driver Hit Speeds of Over 100 MPH in Fatal Newport Beach Crash

Lots a new details on the crash.

At LAT, "Teen driver in fatal O.C. crash may have been going 100 mph."

Also, "Teen driver in fatal Newport Beach wreck was unlicensed":

The 17-year-old high school student who was at the wheel when his car spun out of control in a horrific Memorial Day crash in Newport Beach did not have a valid driver's license, according to DMV records.

The crash left five teens dead, all high school students from Irvine. Two sisters were among the casualties.

Police said speed was a contributing factor to the wreck. Investigators didn't say how fast the teen's Infiniti was going, but the mayor in the beach city said he was told the car may have been traveling at 100 mph or faster.

The driver of the car, identified as Abdulrahman M. Alyahyan, received a citation in April for violating his provisional license, among other offenses, court records showed.

The high school junior, records show, was pulled over just blocks from his Irvine home and cited for making a prohibited modification to the exhaust system of his gray 2008 Infiniti — which bore the personalized license plate "KHASONA" — and having tinted windows that obstructed the driver's view.

Although the citation lists a driver's license number, a DMV official said that number actually corresponded with Alyahyan's application for a license.

The single-car crash occurred on a downhill stretch of Jamboree Road where the posted speed limit is 55 mph. It's less than a mile from the spot where the co-founder of mixed martial arts apparel company TapouT was killed in 2009 when his Ferrari was struck by a Porsche traveling at 100 mph.

Four in 10 Households Now Have Women as Primary Breadwinner

The fact that women are primary breadwinners is non-controversial, in itself. What's controversial is the number of women who are single parents, so that children are denied the benefits of a stable two-parent family with one mother and one father.

At the New York Times, "U.S. Women on the Rise as Family Breadwinner":

Women are not only more likely to be the primary caregivers in a family. Increasingly, they are primary breadwinners, too.

Four in 10 American households with children under age 18 now include a mother who is either the sole or primary earner for her family, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census and polling data released Wednesday. This share, the highest on record, has quadrupled since 1960.

The shift reflects evolving family dynamics.

For one, it has become more acceptable and expected for married women to join the work force. It is also more common for single women to raise children on their own. Most of the mothers who are chief breadwinners for their families — nearly two-thirds — are single parents...

At the clip, Erick Erickson makes the extremely politically incorrect statement that men should be the "dominant" partner in the family relationship, and this has folks in a fit at Memeorandum. See Amanda Marcotte especially, "Watch the Men of Fox News Freak Out Over Female Breadwinners."

More at the link.

The Fiscal Cost of Amnesty to U.S. Taxpayers

From Robert Rector, at the Heritage Foundation, "The Fiscal Cost of Unlawful Immigrants and Amnesty to the U.S. Taxpayer":

The governmental system is highly redistributive. Well-educated households tend to be net tax contributors: The taxes they pay exceed the direct and means-tested benefits, education, and population-based services they receive. For example, in 2010, in the whole U.S. population, households with college-educated heads, on average, received $24,839 in government benefits while paying $54,089 in taxes. The average college-educated household thus generated a fiscal surplus of $29,250 that government used to finance benefits for other households.

Other households are net tax consumers: The benefits they receive exceed the taxes they pay. These households generate a “fiscal deficit” that must be financed by taxes from other households or by government borrowing. For example, in 2010, in the U.S. population as a whole, households headed by persons without a high school degree, on average, received $46,582 in government benefits while paying only $11,469 in taxes. This generated an average fiscal deficit (benefits received minus taxes paid) of $35,113.

The high deficits of poorly educated households are important in the amnesty debate because the typical unlawful immigrant has only a 10th-grade education. Half of unlawful immigrant households are headed by an individual with less than a high school degree, and another 25 percent of household heads have only a high school degree.
Some argue that the deficit figures for poorly educated households in the general population are not relevant for immigrants. Many believe, for example, that lawful immigrants use little welfare. In reality, lawful immigrant households receive significantly more welfare, on average, than U.S.-born households. Overall, the fiscal deficits or surpluses for lawful immigrant households are the same as or higher than those for U.S.-born households with the same education level. Poorly educated households, whether immigrant or U.S.-born, receive far more in government benefits than they pay in taxes.

In contrast to lawful immigrants, unlawful immigrants at present do not have access to means-tested welfare, Social Security, or Medicare. This does not mean, however, that they do not receive government benefits and services. Children in unlawful immigrant households receive heavily subsidized public education. Many unlawful immigrants have U.S.-born children; these children are currently eligible for the full range of government welfare and medical benefits. And, of course, when unlawful immigrants live in a community, they use roads, parks, sewers, police, and fire protection; these services must expand to cover the added population or there will be “congestion” effects that lead to a decline in service quality.

In 2010, the average unlawful immigrant household received around $24,721 in government benefits and services while paying some $10,334 in taxes. This generated an average annual fiscal deficit (benefits received minus taxes paid) of around $14,387 per household. This cost had to be borne by U.S. taxpayers. Amnesty would provide unlawful households with access to over 80 means-tested welfare programs, Obamacare, Social Security, and Medicare. The fiscal deficit for each household would soar.

If enacted, amnesty would be implemented in phases. During the first or interim phase (which is likely to last 13 years), unlawful immigrants would be given lawful status but would be denied access to means-tested welfare and Obamacare. Most analysts assume that roughly half of unlawful immigrants work “off the books” and therefore do not pay income or FICA taxes. During the interim phase, these “off the books” workers would have a strong incentive to move to “on the books” employment. In addition, their wages would likely go up as they sought jobs in a more open environment. As a result, during the interim period, tax payments would rise and the average fiscal deficit among former unlawful immigrant households would fall.

After 13 years, unlawful immigrants would become eligible for means-tested welfare and Obamacare. At that point or shortly thereafter, former unlawful immigrant households would likely begin to receive government benefits at the same rate as lawful immigrant households of the same education level. As a result, government spending and fiscal deficits would increase dramatically.

The final phase of amnesty is retirement. Unlawful immigrants are not currently eligible for Social Security and Medicare, but under amnesty they would become so. The cost of this change would be very large indeed.

Continue reading.

And at WaPo, "What amnesty for illegal immigrants will cost America."

Pakistan Says U.S. Drone Killed Taliban Leader

Well, so much for that war on terror reset.

At the New York Times:

WASHINGTON — Less than a week after President Obama outlined a new direction for the secret drone wars, Pakistani officials said that a C.I.A. missile strike on Wednesday killed a top member of the Pakistani Taliban, an attack that illustrated the continued murkiness of the rules that govern the United States’ targeted killing operations.

The drone strike in Pakistan’s tribal belt, along the Afghan border, was the first since Mr. Obama announced what his administration billed as sweeping changes to the drone program, with new limits on who would be targeted and more transparency in reporting such strikes.

But in the days since the president’s speech, American officials have asserted behind the scenes that the new standards would not apply to the C.I.A. drone program in Pakistan as long as American troops remained next door in Afghanistan — a reference to Mr. Obama’s exception for an “Afghan war theater.” For months to come, any drone strikes in Pakistan — the country that has been hit by the vast majority of them, with more than 350 such attacks by some estimates — will be exempt from the new rules.

American officials refused to publicly confirm the drone strike or the death of the Pakistani Taliban’s deputy leader, Wali ur-Rehman, even as Pakistani government and militant figures reported that he had been killed. Thus, the promise of new transparency, too, seemed to be put off.

Still, by one measure, Mr. Rehman would seem to fit the new road map for drone strikes: the threshold laid out by Mr. Obama that the target of the strike pose a “continuing and imminent threat” to United States citizens...

Yeah, that's a pretty convenient exception.

More from Max Boot, at Commentary, "Taliban Strike Exposes Flaw in Proposed Drone Guidelines."

Western Cultural Suicide

From VDH, at National Review:

Multiculturalism — as opposed to the notion of a multiracial society united by a single culture — has become an abject contradiction in the modern Western world. Romance for a culture in the abstract that one has rejected in the concrete makes little sense. Multiculturalists talk grandly of Africa, Latin America, and Asia, usually in contrast to the core values of the United States and Europe. Certainly, in terms of food, fashion, music, art, and architecture, the Western paradigm is enriched from other cultures. But the reason that millions cross the Mediterranean to Europe or the Rio Grande to the United States is for something more that transcends the periphery and involves fundamental values — consensual government, free-market capitalism, the freedom of the individual, religious tolerance, equality between the sexes, rights of dissent, and a society governed by rationalism divorced from religious stricture. Somehow that obvious message has now been abandoned, as Western hosts lost confidence in the very society that gives us the wealth and leisure to ignore or caricature its foundations. The result is that millions of immigrants flock to the West, enjoy its material security, and yet feel little need to bond with their adopted culture, given that their hosts themselves are ambiguous about what others desperately seek out....

At no time in our history have so many Americans been foreign born. Never have so many foreign nationals resided in America, and never have so many done so illegally. Yet at just such a critical time, in our universities and bureaucracies, the pressures to assimilate in melting-pot fashion have been replaced by salad-bowl separatism — as if the individual can pick and choose which elements of his adopted culture he will embrace, which he will reject, as one might croutons or tomatoes. But ultimately he can do that because he senses that the American government, people, press, and culture reward such opportunism and have no desire, need, or ability to defend the very inherited culture that has given them the leeway to ignore it and so attracted others from otherwise antithetical paradigms.

That is a prescription for cultural suicide, if not by beheading or by a pressure cooker full of ball bearings, at least by making the West into something that no one would find very different from his homeland.

RTWT.

Michelle Fields Just Eviscerates Tamara Holder Over Idiot Adam Levine's 'I Hate This Country' Comment

I love it!

And Sean Hannity bet Holder $100 to name one conservative how said "I hate this country."

Also at Twitchy, "Adam Levine caught on hot mic: ‘I hate this country’; Responds to backlash with douche-tweets; Update: Blames ‘frustration’ for comments."

Chinese Baby Flushed Down Toilet

This story is so unbelievably depraved...

At Mirror UK, "Chinese baby flushed down toilet: Mum tells police miracle boy FELL into sewage pipe."

And at the Washington Times, "Chinese mom who flushed newborn down toilet won't be charged."

Stop Drinking the 'Haterade'

Via Theo Spark:

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Slams Obama With Epic New Campaign Ad

Via Legal Insurrection, "IRS targeting — Remember it in November 2014."

GOP Already Tried the Bob Dole Paradigm

From Jonathan Tobin, at Commentary:

To say that Dole passed his best-used date is not to mock him for his age or infirmity. The fact that he is wheelchair-bound and losing his sight should grieve us all. He is the exemplar of the “greatest generation” veteran who nearly died as a result of his wounds and then spent nearly four decades in public life in the postwar era. He deserves every possible honor that his country can give him. But let’s get real. Dole was also an apt symbol of the failures of the self-proclaimed Eisenhower Republicans in Congress. His get-along-to-go-along style in which compromise always seemed to be the keynote was never going to fix the out-of-control growth of the federal government, it just managed it. As much as the abrasiveness of Ted Cruz makes many of us long for the more easygoing style of partisanship Dole practiced, there was a reason the GOP abandoned it: it didn’t work.

Continue reading.

The Dems, of course, cream on that kind of pathetic concern trolling, at the clip, for example.

Saint Kate Updates

Robert Stacy McCain reports, at the American Spectator, "#FreeKate Insanity Intensifies: Is Teen Lesbian the Rosa Parks of Jailbait?"

And at the Other McCain, "Quite Possibly the Most Eloquent Sentence of My Entire Journalism Career."