Category Archives: State
Taliban Peace Talks
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, formerly known as the Taliban, has opened an office in Qatar to hold peace talks with the US.
The talks were cancelled when doomed Afghan president Karzai expressed displeasure that the office has the appearance of a shadow government under the Taliban flag.
It turns out the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan office isn’t any more sovereign than our consulate in Banghazi. The cops came in and took down their flag.
The talks might be on again.
Taxing Success
No fuel saver will go unpunished. Some states want to tax hybrid cars because their success in reducing fuel consumption also reduces gasoline tax revenue.
Trend Setter
“He put a target on our backs, and he’s now going to blame the people who are shooting at us?” asks Idaho businessman and longtime Republican donor Frank VanderSloot.
The WSJ’s Kimberly Strassel says the IRS scandal goes to the top. The president publicly implied enemies were out to get him and that set the tone.
Vandersloot was a wealthy contributor to the Romney campaign. He was subjected to searches of his divorce records and 3 IRS audits. He spent $80,000 defending himself.
Don’t Question Authority
The Justice Department has labeled Fox News reporter James Rosen a co-conspirator with Stephen Jin-Woo Kim. Kim was charged with violating the Espionage Act for divulging classified information. The feds used the co-conspirator charge to violate Rosen’s first amendment rights. They snooped through his personal email account, phone records and his parents’ phone number. The way Eric Holder’s Justice Department sees it, asking questions about classified information (i.e., journalism) is illegal.
Kirsten Powers reminded readers that the Obama administration and its posse have had it in for Fox News from the get go, insisting that Fox isn’t a real news operation. Much of the mainstream-media remained silent on that charge though Jack Tapper would be an exception. When Tapper asked where the White House got off saying thousands of Fox employees don’t work for a media organization Jay Carney replied, “that’s our opinion”.
Obama recently told Ohio State students not to question authority. Looks like he really meant it.
Help From Hillary
While the State Department denied US Libyan Embassy requests for protection from terrorists it did send a lawyer to protect Deputy mission chief Gregory Hicks from visiting Congressman Jason Chaffets. When the lawyer’s lack of a security clearance kept him from a meeting Hicks was given a tongue lashing by Clinton lawyer Cheryl Mills.
