Andrea Tantaros is Awesome!

Ms. Tantaros' response to the left's CIA torture report is so dead on it's practically the last word you need to hear on the despicable Democrat traitors.

And this of course explains why the hate-addled, treasonous fever swamp progs have gone ballistic, at Memeorandum.

Here's the clip, on YouTube.

And here she is on Twitter, reporting on the left's predictably depraved attacks:

I can always tell when I'm hitting a nerve and some truth bc the lefty front groups send mass emails out for people to tweet me mean things.

— Andrea Tantaros (@AndreaTantaros) December 10, 2014

Americans will die bc of this memo while US becomes intel pariah. Progressives are children. They should never be trusted w natl security.

— Andrea Tantaros (@AndreaTantaros) December 10, 2014

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How the Nation is Failing Today's Troops and Veterans

At the Military Times, "America's Military: A Force Adrift":

For many of the war-weary troops who deployed to combat zones over and over again for 13 years, the end of an era of war in Iraq and Afghanistan is good news.

But for Marine Sgt. Zack Cantu and other service members, it's a total morale killer. For many of them, particularly the young grunts and others in combat arms specialties, it's the realization that they may never go into battle for their country and their comrades.

"Most people in [the Marine Corps] are in because of the wars," said the 25-year-old Cantu, a former infantryman at Camp Pendleton, California. Cantu has retrained as a telephone system and computer repairer, a specialty more likely to survive as the service downsizes.

"Now, everyone's coming to the realization, 'It's probably not going to happen for me,'" he said.

The wars against America's enemies gave troops like Cantu a noble purpose. Their training had focus, their sacrifices were appreciated by a largely grateful nation. That gratitude was reflected from the White House to the citizen in the street, all of whom heaped praise upon military members for their service.

Congress lavished generous pay increases and expanded benefits on them while spending deeply to provide the gear and weapons they needed. Recruiters raced to grow the size of the services, and society vowed to never again undervalue the 1 percent of the country who stepped forward to keep them safe.

Today, however, that gratitude seems to be dwindling. The services have weathered several years of deep cuts in funding and tens of thousands of troops have been unceremoniously given the boot. Many still in uniform and seeking to retire from the military fear the same fate, as those cuts are not yet complete.

A Military Times survey of 2,300 active-duty troops found morale indicators on the decline in nearly every aspect of military life. Troops report significantly lower overall job satisfaction, diminished respect for their superiors, and a declining interest in re-enlistment now compared to just five years ago.

Today's service members say they feel underpaid, under-equipped and under-appreciated, the survey data show. After 13 years of war, the all-volunteer military is entering an era fraught with uncertainty and a growing sense that the force has been left adrift.

One trend to emerge from the annual Military Times survey is "that the mission mattered more to the military than to the civilian," said Peter Feaver, a political science professor at Duke University who studies the military. "For the civilian world, it might have been easier to psychologically move on and say, 'Well, we are cutting our losses.' But the military feels very differently. Those losses have names and faces attached to [them]."

Keep reading.

U.S. Losing Global Influence

On Obama's watch.

At IBD, "Obama Blamed for Decline In U.S. Global Leadership: Poll."

It's Almost Showtime!

Tonight's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show!

ObamaCare’s Casualty List

At WSJ, "Three elections later, the law continues to be a political catastrophe for Democrats":

Mary Landrieu ’s defeat in Saturday’s Louisiana Senate runoff was no surprise, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored as inevitable. Ms. Landrieu was a widely liked three-term incumbent, and her GOP foe was hardly a juggernaut, yet she lost by 14 points after Washington Democrats all but wrote her off. Think of Ms. Landrieu as one more Democrat who has sacrificed her career to ObamaCare.

It’s hard to find another vote in modern history that has laid waste to so many political careers. Sixty Democrats cast the deciding 60th vote for the Affordable Care Act in 2009 and 2010, but come January only 30 will be left in the Senate. That’s an extraordinary political turnover in merely three elections, the largest in the post-Watergate era. As it happens, the law has been nearly as politically catastrophic for Democrats as Watergate was for Republicans.

Three of the ObamaCare 60 died in office, while 19 declined to run for re-election. Some of the retirees left for reasons such as becoming Secretary of State ( John Kerry ), but others left because their own re-election prospects were hardly stellar. Think Chris Dodd of Connecticut in 2010 or Virginia’s Jim Webb in 2012. At least Democrats succeeded them.

Yet no fewer than eight of the retirees handed their seats to Republicans: They include Ben Nelson, of Cornhusker Kickback fame, who deprived his state of the pleasure of returning him to private life in 2010. After five terms, Jay Rockefeller was increasingly out of step with West Virginia, not least on ObamaCare. Max Baucus (Montana), Tim Johnson (S.D.) and Byron Dorgan (N.D.) would have had rough rides had they tried to stick around.

When they got the chance, voters dumped eight ObamaCare incumbents who dared to seek re-election. In addition to Ms. Landrieu, four are moderate-in-name-only Democrats who went along with President Obama ’s lurch to the left: Mark Begich (Alaska), Kay Hagan (North Carolina), Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor (Arkansas).

But conventional liberals like Russ Feingold (Wisconsin) and Mark Udall (Colorado) also lost in states Mr. Obama carried twice. In Pennsylvania, Arlen Specter left the GOP to vote for ObamaCare after Republican Pat Toomey announced he’d run against him in a primary. Specter, since deceased, lost the Democratic primary to Joe Sestak, who lost to Mr. Toomey in two degrees of ObamaCare separation.

Mr. Obama told Democrats at a March 2010 pep rally that he knew they faced “a tough vote” but was “actually confident” that “it will end up being the smart thing to do politically because I believe that good policy is good politics.” That month, New York Senator Chuck Schumer claimed on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “by November those who voted for health care will find it an asset, those who voted against it will find it a liability.”

Mr. Schumer has since recanted, calling ObamaCare a disaster for the party of government. Nancy Pelosi said his remarks were “beyond comprehension,” which for liberals like her happens to be true. Their goal is to expand the entitlement state whether the public likes it or not, figuring that sooner or later enmity will subside and new programs will acquire a constituency. So it has always been in the Entitlement Age—until ObamaCare...

More.

RELATED: At Politico, "The Dems' Final Insult: Landrieu Crushed."

Bolstered by GOP Electoral Wins, Oil, Gas and Coal Lobbyists Plan Fresh Push Against Climate Rules

At WaPo, "Fossil-fuel lobbyists, bolstered by GOP wins, work to curb environmental rules":

Oil, gas and coal interests that spent millions to help elect Republicans this year are moving to take advantage of expanded GOP power in Washington and state capitals to thwart Obama administration environmental rules.

Industry lobbyists made their pitch in private meetings last week with dozens of state legislators at a summit of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an industry-financed conservative state policy group.

The lobbyists and legislators considered several model bills to be introduced across the country next year, designed to give states more power to block or delay new Obama administration environmental standards, including new limits on power-plant emissions.

The industry’s strategy aims to combat a renewed push by President Obama to carve out climate change as a top priority for his final two years in office. The White House has vowed to continue using executive authority to enact more environmental limits, and the issue is shaping up to be a major flash point heading into the 2016 presidential election.

With support from industry lobbyists, many Republicans are planning to make the Environmental Protection Agency a primary political target, presenting it as a symbol of the kind of big-government philosophy they think can unify social and economic conservatives in opposition...

More.

Obama Launches 'Profanity-Laced' Tirades Against the Media (VIDEO)

From Ed Morrissey, at Hot Air, "Compton: Obama goes on profanity-laced tirades against the media that loves him."

Fewer Law School Graduates Pass California Bar Exam

Apparently, legal academics want to know why, but the entire piece avoids one explanation: it's likely more under-qualified minorities took the exam than in previous years.

At LAT, "Fewer law school graduates pass bar exam in California":

For the first time in nearly a decade, most law school graduates who took the summer California bar exam failed, adding to the pressure on law schools already dealing with plummeting enrollments, complaints about student debt and declining job prospects.

The 48.6% pass rate in California is a drop of nearly 7 percentage points from the previous year; nearly 8,500 people took the test in July. The last time the passage rate dipped below half was in 2005.

Many other states showed similar declines this year. It's unclear why the recent passage rates are so low, but they fell by at least 5 percentage points in 20 states.

The decrease in the number of law school graduates who pass the bar could make it more difficult for schools to attract applicants. As a result, administrators might have to offer further incentives to prospective attorneys, experts say.

Some schools have reduced tuition and increased scholarships, and some have cut staff. Still others are offering dual degrees in an effort to help graduates find jobs.

"Law school deans are in a particularly difficult situation these days," said Derek Muller, a professor at Pepperdine University who writes on the business of law.

The bar exam is offered twice a year, in July and February. The number of people who take the July test is traditionally far greater than in February. About 45% of test-takers passed the California bar in February.

Many academics say the drop isn't a concern — at least not yet. "We live in a sound-bite society, but one year does not make a trend," said Gilbert A. Holmes, dean of the University of La Verne College of Law...

More.

Rolling Stone's 'Rape Fantasies'

Via Instapundit, "Street Artist Sabo Blasts Lena Dunham, Bill Clinton in Fake Rolling Stone Covers."

And at American Digest, "Advance look at the cover of Rolling Stone's 'Rape Fantasies' Issue."

Los Angeles Fire May Have Been Arson

An update, at the Los Angeles Times, "Downtown fire may have been intentionally set":

Los Angeles fire officials said they are “inclined” to believe a fire that engulfed a massive residential development project downtown was intentionally set.

But until arson investigators can enter the wreckage, it’s impossible to determine the cause, which could take several days.

“Certainly one of the things we lean toward is 'was it intentionally set?'" LAFD Deputy Chief Joseph Castro said at a news conference Monday afternoon...

More.

PREVIOUSLY: "Massive Fire in Downtown Los Angeles Possibly Torched by Far-Left Radicals."

ADDED: "L.A. fire: Damage to 110 Freeway estimated at $1.5 million, at least."

Massive Fire in Downtown Los Angeles Possibly Torched by Far-Left Radicals

Here's the fire, at LAT, "L.A. fire: Huge blaze engulfs tower, melts signs, bursts windows."

And see Gateway Pundit, "BREAKING: TWO MASSIVE FIRES IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES! May Be Arson."

I hope everyone has Injustice and Revolution insurance because #LosAngeles is on fire #LAfire pic.twitter.com/d0Nc0QYXvo

— JAGO (@AirJago) December 8, 2014

Just driving through the #LAfire apocalypse. https://t.co/0DM70u3U42

— JAGO (@AirJago) December 8, 2014

Max Blumenthal 'gets his point across about the Jewish state being fundamentally evil with a couple of propaganda paragraphs that might as well have been published on Stormfront...'

From David Steinberg, at Pajamas Media, "NY Times Publishes Op-Ed by Anti-Semite Max Blumenthal."

Wild. Man.

Notre Dame's 'White Privilege Seminar' Designed to 'Disrupt Personal, Institutional, and Worldwide Systems of Oppression...'

It's not really an academic class. It's a training seminar for radical, race-mongering activists.

At the College Fix, "NOTRE DAME ‘WHITE PRIVILEGE’ CLASS PROMISES ‘PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION’."

Rolling Stone Roundup on the Fallout

In no particular order.

At JustOneMinute, "If You Were An Early Reader of the WaPo UVA Rape Expose..."

And from Megan McArdle, "Rolling Stone's Rape Story Fails Victims."

Richard Bradley, "Aftermath." (A list of those who need to come clean and apologize for the hoax.)

At the New York Times, "Rolling Stone Cites Doubts on Its Story of University of Virginia Rape":

Sabrina Rubin Erdely "could not be reached for comment."

Also at BuzzFeed, "Rolling Stone Quietly Changes Its Rape Story Apology."

Plus, from Twitchy, "Feminist refuses to abandon the sinking ship Rolling Stone rape story."

From Ed Morrissey, at Hot Air, "WaPo media critic: Fire everyone associated with Rolling Stone’s UVa rape story."

And Glenn Reynolds on Politico's "fake but accurate" piece, "THE INEVITABLE “FAKE BUT ACCURATE” SPIN: “Ultimately, though, from where I sit in Charlottesville, to let fact checking define the narrative would be a huge mistake”."

73 Years After Pearl Harbor, Sacrifices Continue

Today's the anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

At the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, "73 years after Pearl Harbor, the sacrifices for country continue":

On Saturday, flags flew at half-staff throughout Franklin County in honor of a newly fallen soldier -- Army Spc. Joseph "Joey" Riley of Grove City, Ohio. The death of the paratrooper and grandson of a World War II veteran -- who had been a popular local football player before he joined the Army 2 1/2 years ago, -- was a reminder that on this 73rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, brave U.S. service members are still putting their lives in jeopardy overseas...

More.

Melissa Harris-Perry, MSNBC Race-Mongering Hack: Arson and Looting 'Not Necessarily Violence...'

She's a bleeding idiot:



PREVIOUSLY: "With No Conception of the Importance of Property Rights to Liberty, Leftists Shocked at Condemnations of Ferguson Arson and Looting as 'Violent Protests'."

Berkeley Michael Brown Protest Turns Violent

Dirtbags, losers, and poseurs.

At the San Francisco Chronicle, "Police use tear gas on Berkeley protesters."

Update: Police use tear gas on Berkeley protesters, six arrested after rowdy night http://t.co/ayvO9KgBqs pic.twitter.com/pnOQCSXasj

— SFGate (@SFGate) December 7, 2014

Also at the Los Angeles Time, "Berkeley protest ends in vandalism, clashes with police."

GOP Challenger Bill Cassidy Defeats Democrat Incumbent Mary Landrieu in #LASen

This is big.

Sen. Mary Landrieu’s defeat to Rep. Bill Cassidy gives GOP ninth pickup this cycle http://t.co/UUhkCP1lhm pic.twitter.com/I9AeXBuD3B

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) December 7, 2014

Good evening. Senator Landrieu has lost re-election in #LASen

— AoSHQ Decision Desk (@AoSHQDD) December 7, 2014

Wow this is a slaughter.

— AoSHQ Decision Desk (@AoSHQDD) December 7, 2014

Nothing from Orleans parish yet mind you, but this is total devastation. Think the elevator from The Shining.

— AoSHQ Decision Desk (@AoSHQDD) December 7, 2014

Orleans now coming in.

— AoSHQ Decision Desk (@AoSHQDD) December 7, 2014

And with it, the gap closes a little bit. Cassidy 170822 Landrieu 123100

— AoSHQ Decision Desk (@AoSHQDD) December 7, 2014

Why we had the parishes to watch- When we planned tonight we assumed a closer race. Typically, you can gauge the race with those three.

— AoSHQ Decision Desk (@AoSHQDD) December 7, 2014

But in a race of total destruction like this, just enjoy the map : )

— AoSHQ Decision Desk (@AoSHQDD) December 7, 2014

And Cassidy crosses the 100k margin.

— AoSHQ Decision Desk (@AoSHQDD) December 7, 2014

'It is hard to read an article like this and avoid the conclusion that we live in a culture that hates women, just hates us...'

This is pretty mind boggling, from Chloe Angyal, a "senior columnist at Feministing, with a Ph.D. in pop culture," praising Sabrina Rubin Erdely's rape hoax story at Rolling Stone.

At RCP, "MSNBC Panelist: "We Live In A Culture That Hates Women (VIDEO)."

I'll be on @MHPshow tomorrow. I'll stand by what I said last week: we live in a culture that hates women. Hates us, hurts us, silences us.

— Chloe Angyal, PhD (@ChloeAngyal) December 7, 2014

.@ChloeAngyal You're clearly not too bright.

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) December 7, 2014

.@ChloeAngyal "I've got a Ph.D. in pop culture." Well, that really says it all, doesn't it?

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) December 7, 2014

It takes utter defeat a long time to sink in on the left. And especially in this woman's case. She's obviously special.