These Hos Ain’t Loyal

The Other Woman…

Hamas and Iran started dating in 2006. They consummated the relationship soon after. (That sex tape should be out soon.)

Then in 2013, Hamas did the unthinkable: she broke up with Iran. She even announced it on Facebook so you know it was foreal.

Ok sure Hamas is Sunni while Iran is Shia (same tree of Islam but competing branches who happen to have been at war with each other since the 700s), but still, they equally despise Jews and the West so they agreed to just not talk about the Sunni/Shia thing and make a go of it because of the great sex.

So why did these two crazy kids break up despite having so much in common?

Well. Enter the “Other Woman” aka the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in Egypt.

Oh yes. It’s true. Hamas has a wandering eye.

And wandering rockets, too.

Ahem.

See, after President Obama declared the Arab Spring a success, he congratulated Egypt on its ouster of its ruler, Hosni Mubarak, who actually isn’t Muslin but Coptic Christian. Mubarak was a dictator who kept the peace with Israel and felt that while trying to annihilate Israel is fun and all, it isn’t as profitable as making peace; and peace with Israel helped him stay in power.

http://youtu.be/FhDSTN8H0Uo

The Arab Spring removed Mubarak, and a new girl on the block showed up: the MB (the Other Woman as you recall). MB was elected in Egypt and immediately made it clear that things were going to change around here: Sharia Law for one. And for two, time to put Israel on notice: peace is over and all you Jews must die along with your country.  So the MB cast its eyes on that hot lil number living in Gaza, Hamas- to help them destroy Israel and all the Jews.

http://youtu.be/3wW0V6VckGQ

But the MB knew Hamas was Iran’s Other Woman. She had to entice Hamas away from Iran…

What’s a girl to do??

Become the other Other Woman, that’s what.

So the MB started swishing her tail (and money and rockets) in front of Hamas whispering things like, “I’m a Sunni, too, just like you” and “Why you wanna go round with that Shia girl, Iran? She so old plus she all tied up with Syria and can’t give you the attention I can.”

Then the MB pouted her lips and whispered: “I’m loaded with money pouring in from my Arab Spring line- plus Iran is so far away- while I’m right next door…we can see each other All. The. Time. And kill lots of Jewsssssssss.”

What was Hamas supposed to do with that kind of offer?!!?

So Hamas decided to dump Iran and hook up with the MB.

And to make matters even more humiliating for Iran, Hamas started fighting against Syria’s ruthless ruler, Bashar al-Assad, who Iran has been sending money to forever (Syria and Assad are Iran’s other Other Women). Assad isn’t technically Shia Muslim, but he’s closer to it than Sunni Muslim plus ever since the Siege of Damascus, Iran has had a thing for Syria.

Right now in Syria over 150,000 people have been killed in their Civil War. Assad is trying hard to stay in power and Iran is helping him. But not Hamas. Instead of helping Iran and its Other Woman Syria, Hamas has chosen to fight against Iran and Assad and keep its new Other Woman, MB in Egypt.

http://youtu.be/v60kXrpG2aQ

Iran was heart broken-

There she was at home all day building a nuclear bomb for Hamas to drop on Israel, organizing rallys every Friday to decry the Great Satan (the USA) and Little Satan (Israel); still taking the time to give Syria’s tyant money and weapons so he could slaughter his own people, and ugh! putting up with Putin’s not so veiled advances on her. (We all know Putin has LOTS of Other Women).

And on top of all that, Iran was taking heat from the international community who keeps whining about how they never get to see her anymore and she won’t even let them come visit!

And THIS is the thanks she gets from Hamas?? She up and takes up with the MB and completely ignores her?!

This Other Woman, MB, was causing all kinds of problems for Iran, but what could she do??

So Iran, being proud and refined said, “Good luck with MB. Enjoy trading down to that Other Woman, you Sunni losers.”

And with that, Iran withdrew the 25 million dollars a month it was giving Hamas.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/palestinianauthority/10091629/Iran-cuts-Hamas-funding-over-Syria.html

Hamas responded with, “Hey girl whatevah I got me a new ho and she fine I don’t need nuthin from you! I’ma still kill me some Jews!”

And for awhile Hamas and the MB were unfettered in love with the MB giving all kinds of money and gifts (RPGs, weapons caches, you know- the ususal) to Hamas so they could arm themselves in order to kill more Jews. They were giddy.

But then last year, Egypt’s military was like, “This MB girl is cray-cray and messin all our shit UP! She got to go!”

So Egypt’s military escorted MB to the door, wished her luck with a final “GTFO and stay out.”

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/world/middleeast/egypt.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Now that the MB were gone, Egypt’s military did not want Hamas as its Other Woman…they considered her too much of a pain in the ass.

 A top Egyptian General was allegedly overheard saying about Hamas, “Gawd! She lives RIGHT next door so it’s not like we can avoid her! We have to send her a clear message we aren’t into her, because this Hamas chick is wacked! She’s obsessed with killing Jews!”

So Egypt told Hamas “Look. It’s over.” Then cut off funding.

Breaking up is hard to do.

And so is getting back together…

So Hamas goes back to Iran with flowers and candy asking to maybe get together, you know, for a drink, to talk about killing Jews, like the good ol days.

Iran was not feelin it and said, “Fuck you Hamas! You worked against me in Syria so go to hell I ain’t helping you anymore! And besides, you ain’t the only Jew hater in town! Ima find me some new ones!”

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

After 3 years Iran decided she wanted to see Hamas again, but this time take it slowly and not just give it all away. Hamas was gonna have to work a little harder this time if she wanted Iran to help her kill more Jews.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/09/hamas-iran-rebuild-ties-falling-out-Syria

 Hamas was still lonely. And needed more money to kill Jews. Egypt had dumped her, Iran was playing hard to get. Who could she turn to? She needed a new Other Woman.

 Hello Turkey! It is a beautiful place full of history, but it has been taken over by that nut job Erdogan who wants to kill all Jews. (A theme seems to be developing here.) This seems a good match for Hamas! Erdogan also wants to make Turkey a fundamental Islamic state, just like Hamas wants in Gaza, but Erdogan is having a hard time because the Turkish people have enjoyed freedom for a good many years now (like a hundred) and are not too keen on giving it up just to kill Jews the way the Palestinians are. But Hamas can be very persuasive with her “Kill the Jew” talk.

So Erdogan is taking it upon himself to help Hamas kill some Jews:

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/europe/13059-turkey-to-send-another-freedom-flotilla-to-gaza

But still, Hamas needs more help.

 Enter another Other Woman: Qatar.

Why is that name so familiar?? Isn’t she somebody else’s Other Woman?

Oh yeahhhhh! Qatar is where Obama just sent those 5 Taliban terrorists he traded for the Army deserter guy, Bergdahl!

Obama told us Qatar promised to watch over those bad guys, make sure they weren’t going to be free to plan anymore attacks to kill Americans and promised he’s “keeping an eye on them”:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/03/obama-says-absolutely-risk-in-freeing-taliban-inmates-but-defends-bergdahl-swap/

Here they are getting welcomed in Qatar after Obama set them free, and you can see how tough it is for them to get around and make sinister plans-they are practically being tortured (just kidding):

http://youtu.be/YEIBhlr2_Fg

 By the way, Qatar is also where Hamas’ leadership are head- quartered (you don’t think they’d be in Gaza do you?! They only use children as human shields, not themselves.)

http://www.jns.org/latest-articles/2014/7/25/gaza-conflict-spotlights-role-of-qatar-the-hamas-funding-us-ally#.U9UqfNm9LCQ=

 And what about the USA? Are we at all concerned Hamas is now cozying up with Qatar (and Iran is back and Turkey is on board?)

Well, Obama just made a deal with Qatar to give them Apache helicopters and the Patriot missile defense program valued at $11 BILLION dollars (that’s your tax money hard at work for the Other Woman to use as she sees fit).

http://www.ibtimes.com/biggest-arms-sale-2014-signed-us-sell-arms-worth-11b-qatar-1628476

And, of course, the USA already gives Hamas 3/4 of a billion dollars, annually.

So don’t worry! Hamas is going to be okay.

Because killing Jews never seems to go out of style and there’s always another Other Woman out there to fill the hole.

 

Threading the Needle…how Hamas gets its cash

In 1997, the US designated Hamas a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO):

http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm

It is still on this list.

WHY?

Hamas is based on the principles of Islamic Fundamentalism. You know, the whole women are not equal to men, the West is evil, execute all gays, and especially and most importantly, kill all Jews and annihilate Israel. And if you happen to be gay, Jewish AND American, you get an extra virgin when you blow yourself up. (Just kidding, you only get 72 virgins no matter how gay your  target is.)

But none of that alone is enough to get you on the FTO list.

So what DOES get you on the list?

Well, according to the US, in order to make it into this club, “…the terrorist activity or terrorism must threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security (national defense, foreign relations, or the economic interests) of the United States.”

In other words, the groups on the FTO list are not big fans of Freedom and want to destroy us.

Are we the only ones who think Hamas is a terrorist organization? Apparently not. Canada, Japan, Israel, the U.K., Australia and all the countries of the European Union also designate Hamas as a terrorist organization. Yes, Hamas has made it clear the infidels must go!

If you don’t believe me, just read Hamas’ Charter (its legal, governing document that spells out its purpose and laws):

Click to access 1734.pdf

They don’t try to hide the fact all infidels, aka anyone who does not subscribe to their Islamic ideology, must die and that their declared goal is to destroy the Jewish state of Israel and replace it with an Islamic one.

Their legal documents, rhetoric, and actions clearly reveal their zest for executing gay people, subjugating women, killing all Jews and encouraging children to be martyrs by killing as many infidels as possible.

Our government considers Hamas a real threat to the USA and its citizens, right?

Also, if your organization is on this list “It is unlawful for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to a designated FTO.”

And since Hamas is on this list,  surely no US official (like the President of the United States) would in any way, shape or form allow support of any kind for a terrorist organization that threatens US Nationals and/or US Security, right?

Wanna bet?

In April of this year, the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) political wing, Fatah, made an announcement they were teaming up with their Palestinian political rivals, Hamas, to form a “Unity Government”. They made it official on June 2, 2014.

Fatah and Hamas, while on the same ideological team, have been at odds the past 7 years ever since Hamas won control of Gaza in 2007. That left the PA with control of the West Bank.

On June 2, 2014, they came to an agreement and formed their “Unity Government” that brought the two camps under one umbrella.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/palestinian-groups-fatah-hamas-announce-accord-that-could-threaten-mideast-peace-talks/2014/04/23/0e0c72ba-cafe-11e3-a75e-463587891b57_story.html

According to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, “Today, with the formation of the national conciliation government, we declare the end of division that caused our national cause catastrophic damage in the past seven years…”

The leader of Hamas in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, who has served as Hamas’ prime minister since the takeover of Gaza, welcomed the new unity government. He called its formation “…a historical day we achieved together for the sake of our people and cause.” He said, “We closed seven long years of division and opened a door for stability and participation in the decision-making process.”

So now we have an FTO that has sworn itself to Islamic Fundamentalism, death to the West and the destruction f Israel as part of the ‘peace process’.

President Obama did not at all condemn this new partnership.

Instead, he decided he could work with it.

(It is interesting that he can’t work with elected representatives in Congress, yet he CAN work with terrorists.  Maybe he should put the GOP on the FTO list, then he might be able to get something done?)

According to President Obama, Hamas really isn’t part of the unity government they just joined; they are kind of like just THERE, hanging out for photo ops more or less…I mean, what else are they doing if they aren’t part of the unity government they just created?

On Monday (July 7, 2014) CNN reporter Elise Labott questioned State Department Spokewoman Jen Psaki about the United States’ continued support for the Palestinian unity government, saying, “You’ve seen the comments that are coming out of Hamas. And now that the U.S. has, in effect, kind of accepted the fact that Hamas is now in this unity government, you would think that as leader of this unity government, it would be incumbent on President Abbas to rein in or take — you know, try and maintain some kind of control over the activities of Hamas.”

Psaki answered, “You’re right in a sense that we’ve stated from the beginning that we would judge the interim government by its actions, composition and policies…and based on what we know now, it hasn’t changed. We don’t believe that Hamas plays a role in the government.”

You can view that exchange here:

So let me get this straight. We are supposed to believe that Hamas created a unity government with the PA but neither the PA or Hamas believes that Hamas plays any role in that government?

Who, exactly, is Obama trying to kid? Is this some sort of sick joke?

I’m confused. Because I thought Hamas was a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization? Which means it is a threat to our safety and security as a US citizens?

Yep. Just double checked: it is definitely a terrorist organization dedicated to Islamic Fundamentalism and death to infidels.

I also thought Israel was our ally. Yep. Just checked on that, too. Obama even said so:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/03/20/president-obama-tells-israeli-peoplethe-us-proud-be-your-strongest-ally-and-your-gre

Hmmmm. Really?

What planet am I on??

Now, let’s get to those 3 teens (one of which was an American citizen) who were kidnapped and murdered in Israel last month…

They were kidnapped June 12, 2014, a little over a week after Hamas and the PA formed a unity government that according to our president doesn’t actually include Hamas. (Look, just because the PA and Hamas formed a unity government doesn’t mean Hamas is involved…they are just there for photo ops, remember?)

Israel says Hamas is responsible for the kidnapping and murders, but Hamas has not claimed responsibility (“We neither accept or deny”) so just as they are not REALLY included in the unity government they aren’t REALLY responsible for anything unless they say they are. That is how the President of the United States sees it and wants us to see it.

But 3 days after the teens went missing, US Secretary of State John Kerry said, “We are still seeking details on the parties responsible for this despicable terrorist act, although many indications point to Hamas’ involvement…As we gather this information, we reiterate our position that Hamas is a terrorist organization known for its attacks on innocent civilians and which has used kidnapping in the past.”

http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-israel-abduction-netanyahu-hamas-20140615-story.html

Um. Okay. So they are terrorists and they are in a unity government that is supposed to make peace with Israel but they aren’t REALLY part of it because the PA says the new government is non- partisan. Uh huh.

Obama had nothing to say at all about the kidnappings until the bodies of the teens were found. Then he issued a brief statement with his “deepest condolences” to the family of the slain teenagers.

He did not call out Hamas at all and instead said, “I also urge all parties to refrain from steps that could further destabilize the situation.”

Meanwhile the Chairman of Hamas’ Political Bureau said, “Blessed be the hands that captured them.”

The US government has designated Hamas  a foregin terrorist organization (FTO) that threatens the security of U.S. nationals or the national security (national defense, foreign relations, or the economic interests) of the United States.

Yet we directly provide almost $500 million a year to them through this new unity government and another $250 million via the United Nations.

According to our government, “…it is unlawful for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to a designated FTO.”

Is it just me, or is three quarters of a BILLION dollars a year, ANNUALLY, considered “material support or resources”?

President Obama has put Israel in an impossible position. He has also put every citizen of his own country at risk by supporting a terrorist group that by his own designation is a direct threat to our national security.

I expect the President to hold a press conference any minute and use Richard Pyror’s line: “Who you gonna believe? Me or your lying eyes?”

It’s only a matter of time before somebody’s finger gets pricked threading this needle.

UPDATE JULY 11, 2014
On Wednesday July 9, 2014:
“Mahmoud Abbas, currently in the tenth year of his four-year term as president of the U.S. taxpayer-funded Palestinian Authority, took to his Facebook early Wednesday to praise the terrorist rocket attacks upon Israeli cities and towns by his “unity government” partners from the terrorist group Hamas.
“One God, one homeland, one enemy, one goal,” Abbas told his followers and supporters. Abbas also boasted that Palestinian terrorists from Hamas, Islamic jihad, and other terror groups are “brothers in arms.”

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/07/09/Abbas-Proclaims-Hamas-and-Islamic-Jihad-Brothers-in-Arms-with-Palestinian-Authority

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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There are no Guatamalans on those buses

This morning I had a thought: What about those kids from Central America? Whether you agree or disagree with them being here, they ARE here. And for me, I want them in school rather than running around the streets or sitting in a room playing Call of Duty for 7 hours straight.

When kids are in school, they are less likely to get into trouble and/or be injured. Because they are in a relatively safe environment, being watched over, educated (even fed breakfast and lunch) and cared for by adults who care about them (yay Teachers!).

But ARE these new kids going to be in school or not? School starts here in 8 weeks. Elsewhere in the country, sooner.

California law says they have 90 days from start of school to get their School Entry Health Examination Requirement met. There is also an Oral Health Requirement that says kids are supposed to get checked out by a Dentist. Do the health screenings being done at the Border Patrol facilities and various ‘detention/shelter in place’ facilities meet the the California law requirement?

I decided to ask my Congressional representatives this question specifically (after I told them my name and where I lived):

ME: What is the process and/or mechanisms in place to make sure all these kids coming to San Diego (and elsewhere) are ready for school that begins in 8 weeks, and do the HHS screenings meet California requirements?

I now offer you the responses I received from their Staff Assistants (SA) when I called their offices:

Congresswoman Susan B. Davis D-San Diego

Me: What is the process and/or mechanisms in place to make sure all these kids coming to San Diego (and elsewhere) are ready for school that begins in 8 weeks, and do the HHS screenings meet California requirements?

SA: These kids are here because of a law passed in 2008 before Obama was president.

Me: Ok well I am not concerned about their legal status I am concerned about how all these kids are going to get processed within the next 8 weeks so they can start school. What is Congresswoman Davis’ position on whether they will be in school in 8 weeks?

SA: She’s talking with all of the appropriate people to find a resolution that works best.

Me: What people is she speaking with exactly?

SA: Border Patrol, people like that.

Me: Okay well do you know if the Federal Health Screening process meets the California requirement and what about the Oral Health care requirement?

SA: No, but she is working with all sides to find a resolution.

Me: Got it. But what about the kids in the detention facilities who are not processed within the next couple of months, how are they going to go to school?

SA: We are trying to determine their legal status right now.

Me: Right. But regardless of legal status, school starts in 8 weeks, what will they be doing in the meantime while you are trying to determine their legal status?

SA: Congresswoman Davis is working hard to find a resolution and is taking feedback from constituents.

Me: Okay well my feedback is that I would like to know if thousands of kids are going to be in school or not in 8 weeks?

SA: She is working hard to find a resolution.

Me: I see. (banging my head on the counter) Has anyone asked this question about these kids and school?

SA: No. You are the first.

Congressman Duncan Hunter R-Alpine

Me: What is the process and/or mechanisms in place to make sure all these kids coming to San Diego (and elsewhere) are ready for school that begins in 8 weeks, and do the HHS health Screenings meet California requirements?

SA: It’s unknown if Federal Health Screenings meet California requirements. As far as we know there’s no plan to integrate the children into the fall 2014 school system though.

Me: So these kids are not going to be in school this fall at all?

SA: That is unknown for sure. Nobody has actually asked that question.

Me: Well, do you think you could bring that up to Congressman Hunter?

SA: Yes, definitely. Can I get your name and contact info?

Congressman Darrel Issa, R-Vista

ME: What is the process and/or mechanisms in place to make sure all these kids coming to San Diego (and elsewhere) are ready for school that begins in 8 weeks, and do the HHS screenings meet California requirements?

SA: Have not heard that question and we don’t know, but Congressman Issa has called on President Obama to reverse his DACA policy, that is the policy that allows (I cut him off)

Me: Yes I know what that policy is but my question is about what happens in 8 weeks when school starts?

SA: Well. I don’t know.

Me: Do you think you could pass along that question to Congressman Issa? Because school starts in 8 weeks.

SA: Yes, yes I will.

Congressman Scott Peters, D-San Diego

ME: What is the process and/or mechanisms in place to make sure all these kids coming to San Diego (and elsewhere) are ready for school that begins in 8 weeks, and do the HHS screenings meet California requirements?

SA: Not sure. Nobody’s asked that question, but they will be released to sponsor families in SD then go through the normal screening process that way.

Me: What about the kids who don’t get sponsors?

SA: I’m not sure.

Me: Do you think you could pass along that question to Congressman Peters? Because school starts in 8 weeks.

SA: Yes, thank you for bringing it up

Congressman Juan Vargas, D-San Diego

ME: What is the process and/or mechanisms in place to make sure all these kids coming to San Diego (and elsewhere) are ready for school that begins in 8 weeks, and do the HHS screenings meet California requirements?

SA: That question hasn’t come up, I don’t have an answer at this time.

ME: Didn’t Congressman Vargas just visit a detention facility?

SA: Yes he did

ME: Do you think next time he visits he could maybe ask somebody about it?

SA: I will pass on your question. Can I have your contact info?

Senator Diane Feinstein D-California

ME: What is the process and/or mechanisms in place to make sure all these kids coming to San Diego (and elsewhere) are ready for school that begins in 8 weeks, and do the HHS screenings meet California requirements?

SA: I have no idea, but if you give me your contact info I will get back to you.

(Still waiting)

Senator Barbara Boxer, D-California

ME: What is the process and/or mechanisms in place to make sure all these kids coming to San Diego (and elsewhere) are ready for school that begins in 8 weeks, and do the HHS screenings meet California requirements?

SA: The HHS has a pretty comprehensive screening process, but I don’t know if they’re up to California standards.

ME: Has anyone asked this question?

SA: Yes, we are asking all kinds of questions.

Me: But so far no answers to it?

SA: Well the children in the Detention facilities will be taught by contractors.

Me: Contractors? Are they certified teachers?

SA: The care of the children in these facilities are being contracted out to various groups, and it is their responsibility to teach them.

Me: What about the kids who aren’t in the detention facilities?

SA: They will be screened and then released and must report to immigration within 15 days.

Me: What if they don’t report back?

SA: Well there are very few children being sent to San Diego.

Me: I just saw busloads of people being processed at San Ysidro which is in SD County.

SA: But very few are going to San Diego compared to other places. There aren’t any Guatemalans.

ME: Excuse me? What do you mean?

SA: Those aren’t Central Americans being processed there, there are very few Guatemalans in San Diego.

Me: I’m not sure what that has to do with anything? And I guess I will let my friends from Guatemala here know they aren’t really here??

SA: I didn’t say there were NO Guatemalans in San Diego, just that there isn’t a large community of them in San Diego like in Maryland.

ME: Ok so the kids at the detention facilities will get taught by contractors while being detained and the rest are just on their own?

SA: We are asking these same questions.

Let’s all bang our heads together…

If you like Obamacare, you’re gonna love ObamaCORE

OBAMACORE.

So what is it?

Here’s a student who explains it very well:

In case you don’t want to watch that video, I will sum things up for you:

Obamacore (aka Common Core) is a set of state standards created by testing companies that our federal government says your kid needs to know.

Remember how awesome No Child Left Behind is (NCLB)? How your kid spends entire school days bubbling in tests?

Well, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Obamacore is NCLB on steroids.

And if you think the Obamacare implementation has been a little shaky (and even shady)?

Ohhhh myyyy wait until you get a load of Obamacore.

The fall 2014 school year will see the official rollout of Obamacore for our kids in the 45 states that have adopted it.

3 guesses which 5 states said no thank you:

http://www.corestandards.org/in-the-states

States were originally told Obamacore was voluntary. If the states liked their own standards, they could keep them.

(Where have I heard that before? Oh yea, if you like your plan and doctor, you can keep them.)

And just like Obamacare, Obamacore is having a difficult time getting people to sign up.

When most states said “Hey thanks Mr. President, but we’re all good; we’re going to make our own state standards and according to the US Constitution we can, but we appreciate your input!” it became clear getting states to sign on would be similar to getting my 29 year old healthy as a horse nephew to pay for prenatal care exams and mammograms like he must under Obamacare.

What’s a president to do!?

Well, how about the ol’ carrot and stick method?

The carrot:

The money trail for Obamacore begins in 2009, with the passage of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, commonly called the Stimulus Bill. Among the bill’s many provisions was a $53.6 billion appropriation to the U.S. Department of Education, called the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund. Of that amount, $4.35 billion was set aside for the Race to the Top Initiative.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_to_the_Top

http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/k-12/race-to-the-top

In order to receive these funds, states had to assure the federal government that they would adopt “rigorous college and career ready standards” which translates to Obamacore.

States who had successfully completed the Stabilization grant process could then compete for Race to the Top funds in the form of grants.

Click to access faq.pdf

The Race to the Top grant applications had to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education BEFORE the standards were actually available to the states. Seems odd, but hey, we are now in the “You gotta pass the bill to find out what’s in it” phase of democracy.

Surprises are fun!

So the money in the federal State Fiscal Stabilization Fund and Race to the Top were the carrots.

The stick is federal regulation. And it’s a big one.

Federal regulations implementing NCLB (if you recall that was W’s baby) required every state to prove that 100 percent of its students were proficient in reading and math by the end of the 2013-2014 school year, with substantial penalties for failure to demonstrate that it had attained this impossible goal.

Shocker of shockers, the states have not yet produced 100% proficient kids and we are a few months away from the end of the 2013/2014 school year.

In order to get around that, the U.S. Department of Education has allowed states to apply for “flexibility” from these requirements, but the state must prove to the federal government that it has formally adopted college and career ready standards (Obamacore). The DOE is the sole judge of whether or not the state has adopted adequate college and career ready standards.

See how it works? If you don’t want to get penalized for impossible standards, i.e. 100% student proficiency as required by NCLB, you’re gonna have to adopt Obamacore.

Even states that did not apply for Race to the Top money, such as Texas and Virginia, were required to show how their state’s educational programs were aligned with the Common Core State Standards in order to be granted flexibility. So even the states that did not take the carrot found themselves confronting the federal stick.

So how’s it all working out for everyone involved so far?

In New York, where students have already taken the Common Core-aligned tests, scores plummeted, leaving parents angry, students anxious, and teachers – whose evaluations depend on their students’ test scores – extremely worried.

Last August, Indiana withdrew from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), its national Common Core testing coalition.

In July, Georgia and Oklahoma also withdrew from the tests.

PARCC now has only 17 state participants in its coalition, and, thus, may be in jeopardy since it requires 15 state members in order to keep its federal grants that provide all of its operating funds. The other national testing coalition, Smarter Balanced, has 24 participants.

Massachusetts and Louisiana, both seen as important in the world of school reform, have also decided to delay the implementation of Obamacore as well.

Some people really love Obamacore. President Obama is among them. Of course, his kids go to private school so they won’t be affected by it, but that’s one of the perks of being the POTUS.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan told a group of state schools superintendents last November that he found it “fascinating” that some of the opposition to the Common Core State Standards has come from “white suburban moms who — all of a sudden — their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were, and their school isn’t quite as good as they thought they were.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/11/16/arne-duncan-white-surburban-moms-upset-that-common-core-shows-their-kids-arent-brilliant/

He got a lot of flack once that news got out. He said his wording was “clumsy”.

I wonder if it would be considered “clumsy” if instead of “white suburban moms” he said “inner city black moms”?

He says the Common Core are a set of “high standards” that will get our kids ready for the global economy. Okay that sounds great, but there is no evidence to support this. It is all supposition at this point.

And who wrote the standards anyway?

The Obama Administration claims the standards were developed by the states, but that’s a bogus claim.

The standards were developed by an organization called Achieve and the National Governors Association, both of which were generously funded by the Gates Foundation. There was minimal public engagement in the development of the Common Core. Their creation was neither grassroots nor did it emanate from the states.

And now for the kicker.

Obamacore implementation means new textbooks, staff development and new tests. Somebody is going to make some big bucks publishing those new books, staff development and tests that now must align with the Common Core.

So who reaps the financial benefits of Obamacore?

Pearson Publishing, for one. And the politicians they grease, for two.

http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000036571&year=2013

Pearson is busy marketing common core textbooks, common core staff development, and common core student and teacher assessments. Its website brags “Pearson’s close association with key authors and architects of the Common Core State Standards ensures that the spirit and pedagogical approach of the initiative is embodied in our professional development.”

I guess lobbying politicians and “donating” cash for their next election is what they mean by working in “close association”:

(http://www.pearsonschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PSZuYo)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Thomas B. Fordham Institute estimates the national cost for compliance with common core will be between $1 billion to $8 billion and the profits will go almost directly to publishers.

Click to access ED532509.pdf

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-singer/protest-builds-against-pe_b_1586573.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/pearson-pays-77-million-in-common-core-settlement/2013/12/13/77515bba-6423-11e3-aa81-e1dab1360323_story.html

They’ve got us by the balls with Obamacare, now they’re coming for our kids’ balls with Obamacore.

Meanwhile, the publishing companies, politicians and so called “education consultants” are raking in the dough while the majority of these folks send their own kids to private school.

Oh, I almost forgot. Teachers will be evaluated based on their students’ scores.

I am going to make a prediction: Teachers who teach in affluent, English fluent schools will have kids who get higher scores than teachers who teach kids who are economically disadvantaged and/or who don’t speak English as a first language. I’m practically clairvoyant!

I’m going to leave this 4 minute clip to close out this post. This is a Mom who eloquently makes the case that Obamacore’s high standards may not be as fabulous as we’ve been told (keep in mind there has yet to be ANY evidence Common Core improves student outcomes).

As an example, she gave the board a simple fourth-grade division problem from Common Core.

See if you can do it yourself:

Mr. Yamata’s class has 18 students. (I must interject here…where in the hell is this class with only 18 students? My kid has 27 students in his first grade class! But I digress…on to the math problem.)

If the class counts around by a number, and ends with 90, what number did they count by?

Do you know the answer?

If so, how did you solve it? And how many steps did you have to go through to solve it?

If you are an Obamacore student, you are required to go through 108 steps in order to solve that question. No. I am not kidding.

http://www.infowars.com/arkansas-mom-destroys-common-core-in-four-powerful-minutes/

Common Core State Standards

Cup of Joe with your Obamacare please

If buying health insurance was like buying coffee…yes, yes you will say it is not the same, but I would argue millions of Americans enjoy coffee each day and I know more than a few people who have a difficult time functioning without it:

http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/current-events/coffeecare-great-video-shows-what-it-would-be-like-to-buy-coffee-if-it-was-like-obamacare

Shut up and take a seat, you’re going to camp.

In case you want something to talk about around the water cooler on Monday, try this:

Our President can lock you up because he suspects you of being a bad guy, and he doesn’t have to prove it. Hell, he doesn’t even have to tell you what kind of bad guy you are or why you are being held.

To his credit, Obama says we must reject the voices that warn that tyranny is just around the corner:

Um, how do I break this to the president though…

America’s whole identity is wrapped up in standing guard and fighting against tyranny. That whole Bill of Rights thing addresses all of that, Mr. President. Now you’re telling us we should just look away and nod and move along like good little sheep?

We have free healthcare now, so what more could you people want?!

President Obama is right: tyranny is not around the corner.

It is at your front door. And it needs no search warrant or proof to kick in your door and drag your ass off to ‘camp’.

President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2014 into law last Friday December 27, 2013.

Here it is: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr1960/text

The NDAA declares the entire United States of America as a military battlefield, where individuals — American citizens and non-citizens alike — are subject to arrest and indefinite detention by the President without the right to step into a courtroom.

So what? I mean, only a terrorist needs to worry about being locked up indefinitely. What’s wrong with that?

Because the laws of war on American soil cannot coexist with the Bill of Rights. That’s what’s wrong with that.

Such an immense grant of power is not only unconstitutional, it’s unconscionable.

The NDAA allows our president (the one we have now and any future one) to suspend your constitutional rights.

Say it ain’t so!!!

Sorry, but it is so.

The NDAA also allows for “captured records.” Section 1071(g)(1), defines a captured record as “a document, audio file, video file, or other material captured during combat operations from countries, organizations, or individuals, now or once hostile to the United States.”

That means everything you do online and by phone, from texting to Facebook to email, is now fair game. It’s all the proof the president needs. No need for charges or lawyers; you said something that sounds suspect, this means you ARE suspect…it is a very efficient method of locking up bad guys.

What’s that you say? But you aren’t a terrorist! You just take your kid to soccer and go to work and try to watch porn when your wife isn’t around…you have nothing to hide. Right?

Wanna bet?

The NDAA unlawfully gives the president the absolute and unquestionable authority to deploy the armed forces of the United States to apprehend and to indefinitely detain those SUSPECTED of threatening the security of the “homeland.” In the language of this legislation, these people are called “covered persons.”

Why would anyone suspect YOU of anything nefarious? You are no “covered person”. You voted for Obama, twice! You believe in peace and love and trees and global warming. Why would you be suspected of anything or be considered a “covered person”?!

Chew on this:

Obama won’t be the next president (unless he unconstitutionally grants himself this power via executive order). He himself said when signing the NDAA 2012 Bill, “The fact that I support this bill as a whole does not mean I agree with everything in it. In particular, I have signed this bill despite having serious reservations with certain provisions that regulate the detention, interrogation, and prosecution of suspected terrorists.”

http://www.naturalnews.com/034560_Obama_NDAA_civil_liberties.html#ixzz2obJNPG00

He then went on to promise he would uphold the values on which this country was founded.

And we all know he keeps his promises. Period.

The NDAA 2014 says the same thing as the 2012 one did: “Your ass is ours if we suspect you and we need zero proof and you get zero due process”. OK I am paraphrasing but that pretty much sums it up.

A politician’s word is good.

Especially Obama’s word, right? (That whole you can keep your doctor and plan thing was a simple misunderstanding, not a lie).

The government would never come after YOU, right?

Besides our government would never do that!

Ask George Takai or any other Japanese American around in the 1940s about that. How much fun it is to be rounded up for being a “covered person” and put into “camps”?

President Roosevelt did it via executive order during WW2. FDR is known in many circles as a hero, a good guy. He gave us social security!!

If someone as kind and smart and progressive as FDR can round up American citizens and force them into prison and strip them of their constitutional rights, just imagine what a Republican president could do!!?? (OMG I just saw Sarah Palin’s eyes glaze over!)

Or how about another democrat who is not as honest or as good a promise keeper as Obama? (Oh Hillary where are you!?)

Yes, think about that. A GOP, right wingin, bible thumpin, gay bashing, misogynist President with the power to give you the thumbs up or the thumbs down.

And in case you did not get it the first or second time I said it: ANY president now has this power.

The next guy (or gal) in charge may not be as kind when deciding whether or not you can keep your constitutional rights.

Period.

“If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be under the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.”
—James Madison



Nothin But Net (Dragnet)

Been trying to catch up with the news. Got a wee sidetracked with all the quack, I mean, flack about the Duck Dude.

Last Friday Obama decided to make a new law- not a new war; it’s a nice change up don’t you think?

The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land and says people are not allowed to have what the government considers sub standard insurance.

But last week the President decided it is okay if you do have what he considers crappy insurance, for now. That was the 14th time he has transformed the executive branch into the legislative branch by making law.

Then he went for #15 and said the individual mandate is now getting an extension. So now even more of us can keep our crappy insurance.

And then right before Christmas he went for #16 with the very quiet announcement we all have more time to sign up (an extra 2 days).

I am pretty confused at this point about Obamacare, but hey, the President has been on it!

http://m.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/obama-administration-secretly-extends-health-care-enrollment-deadline/2013/12/23/66470068-6bdf-11e3-aecc-85cb037b7236_story.html

Damn! This guy gets things DONE!

Speaking of getting things done, our Congress is on fire in that regard.

Last Thursday night, under the cover of darkness and right before they left for their well-earned winter recess, the Senate passed the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The House already passed it, and now President Obama is ready to sign it.

So what IS the NDAA of 2014?

Before I get to that, please keep in mind this massive bill was “Fast Tracked” through Congress.

What’s Fast Tracked mean?

Well, turns out President Nixon started the whole ‘fast track’ thing. And subsequent presidents have found it quite useful.

Fast Track delegates to the executive branch (the President) powers that belong to the legislative branch (Congress) outlined in the Constitution.

So with Fast Track the president now has power that once was Congress’:

1) power to select trade partners, set terms and sign agreements before Congress votes on them;
2) authority to write implementing legislation, skirt congressional committee review and amendment processes and directly submit it for a vote;
3) power to override congressional leaders’ control of House and Senate floor schedules and force votes within a set number of days;
4) and an override of normal voting procedures, including a ban on all amendments and limits on debate.

In its last years, Fast Track has become increasingly controversial as Democratic and Republican administrations alike use it to preempt state policies, seize Congress’ constitutional prerogatives and “diplomatically legislate” significant changes to U.S. domestic non-trade laws.

Okay that was all just fancy speak for: We decided the Constitution needs some fixin and now the President is in the Legilsaltive branch and we boot lickin Congressmen gonna shove this shit through as quietly and quickly as possible and as long as gay people, Christians, and school shootings keep them busy ain’t none of these fools we work for gonna notice a damn thing.

By the way…the ‘fools’ they work for, are us. You and me. We the People.

Now we have the NDAA of 2014 fast tracked through to be law. No debate, no changes. It passed on an 85-15 vote.

So what is it!????

Well, the NDAA has been around over 50 years. It’s the law that keeps our military humming, basically. But now, it offers a few more nuggets to our leaders. Here it is in full: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr1960/text

White House press secretary Jay Carney hailed the measure for providing the administration “additional flexibility”.

Flexibility for what??

Let’s talk money first:

Overall, the bill would authorize about $527 billion in base defense spending for the current fiscal year, plus funds for the war in Afghanistan (yes, we are still at war in Afghanistan). That’s $30 billion ABOVE the levels set under the bipartisan budget agreement passed in Congress last week.

You read that right. Remember that heralded “Bipartisan Budget Deal of 2014” that went through a week ago?? How we were told although the numbers didn’t quite add up today, it’s saving us all from another dreaded government shut down (until the next one) and over the next few years they will cut spending so we won’t go into default (more default that is)? Well. It isn’t even a week into yet and we’re already $30 BILLION over!!! hahahah you cannot make this stuff up…

The elevated spending levels in the NDAA allowed the Armed Services committees to avoid tough strategic choices about what to cut. But it also means the bill is out of sync with the fiscal realities facing us.

Reality Sucks. So let’s just move along…

Now for the good stuff. Or bad stuff, depending on how you view things.

I’m all for getting the bad guys and all that shoot em up stuff in the name of Liberty and Freedom. But…at what price??

The 2014 NDAA expands on the scope of surveillance established by the Patriot Act and the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF). Yes, good ol’ GW Bush started it and now good ol’ BH Obama is really kickin it in.

In the 2014 NDAA, there is a frightening fusion of the federal government’s constant surveillance of innocent Americans and the assistance it will give to justifying the indefinite detention of anyone labeled an enemy of the regime, known in political circles as “belligerents”.

Section 1071(a) authorizes the secretary of defense to “establish a center to be known as the ‘Conflict Records Research Center.’”

According to the NDAA, the center’s task would be to compile a “digital research database including translations and to facilitate research and analysis of records captured from countries, organizations, and individuals, now or once hostile to the United States.”

Hmmm. “Now or once hostile”? What exactly does that mean? Am I hostile? Are you? Who defines what hostile is? And what will our government do with these ‘hostile’ people? What if they are American Citizens? On American soil?

In order to accomplish the center’s purpose, the secretary of defense will create an information exchange in cooperation with the director of national intelligence.

Key to the functioning of this information exchange will be the collection of “captured records.” Section 1071(g)(1), defines a captured record as “a document, audio file, video file, or other material captured during combat operations from countries, organizations, or individuals, now or once hostile to the United States.”

Within the context of the revelations regarding the dragnet surveillance programs of the NSA, it’s clear that anyone’s phone records, e-mail messages, browsing history, text messages, and social media posts could qualify as a “captured record.”

After being seized by the NSA (or some other federal surveillance apparatus), the materials would be processed by the Conflict Records Research Center created by this bill.

This center’s massive database of electronic information and its collaboration with the NSA converts the United States into a constantly monitored holding cell and all its citizens and residents into suspects.

All, of course, in the name of the security of the homeland.

When debating the NDAA’s 2012 bill, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said if you are an American Citizen, and we think you are doing something wrong and you ask for a lawyer, you need to “shut up”:

Um. Isn’t there something in the Bill of Rights that says even if you are a complete asshole you get to have a lawyer?

The NDAA declares the entire United States of America as a military battlefield, where individuals — American citizens and non-citizens alike — are subject to arrest and indefinite detention by the President without the right to step into a courtroom.

Such an immense grant of power is not only unconscionable, but it’s unconstitutional, as well.

Because the laws of war on American soil cannot coexist with the Bill of Rights.

As for the most unconstitutional parts of the NDAA 2012 that remain in effect for 2014, a bit of history is in order. On December 31, 2011, with the president’s signing of that law, the writ of habeas corpus — a civil right so fundamental to Anglo-American common law history that it predates the Magna Carta — is voidable upon the command of the president of the United States. The Sixth Amendment right to counsel is also revocable at his will.

Of course, the denial of habeas corpus (or a trial) comes a little late in the process of being indefinitely detained.

Put simply, Americans would not need to worry about being held without charge if the president was not authorized in the same act to deploy the armed forces to round up the “suspects” and detain them indefinitely.

One of the most noxious elements of the NDAA is that it places the American military at the disposal of the president for the apprehension, arrest, and detention of those suspected of posing a danger to the homeland (whether inside or outside the borders of the United States and whether the suspect be a citizen or foreigner). The endowment of such a power to the president by the Congress is nothing less than a de facto legislative repeal of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, the law forbidding the use of the military in domestic law enforcement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act

(That link above is the simple definition from Wikipedia…the Posse Comitatus Act is a lot more juicy and full of drama than what Wikipedia gives.)

The NDAA unlawfully gives the president the absolute and unquestionable authority to deploy the armed forces of the United States to apprehend and to indefinitely detain those suspected of threatening the security of the “homeland.” In the language of this legislation, these people are called “covered persons.”

Please keep in mind this goes for any president. Obama, unless he makes a new law saying he can be the president again, won’t be the next president. He himself said when signing the 2012 Bill, “The fact that I support this bill as a whole does not mean I agree with everything in it. In particular, I have signed this bill despite having serious reservations with certain provisions that regulate the detention, interrogation, and prosecution of suspected terrorists.” He then went on to promise he would uphold the values on which this country was founded. Period.

http://www.naturalnews.com/034560_Obama_NDAA_civil_liberties.html#ixzz2obJNPG00

It is a frightening grant of immense and unconstitutional power to the executive branch. The president is afforded the absolute power to arrest and detain citizens of the United States without their being informed of any criminal charges, without a trial on the merits of those charges, and without a scintilla of the due process safeguards protected by the Constitution of the United States.

Ask George Takai or any other Japanese American around in the 1940s how much fun it is to be rounded up for being a “covered person” and put into “camps”. President Roosevelt did it via executive order during WW2. Now with the passage of NDAA, it has the Congressional seal of approval.

The universe of potential “covered persons” includes every citizen of the United States of America. Any American could one day find himself or herself branded a “belligerent” and thus subject to the complete confiscation of his or her constitutional civil liberties and nearly never-ending incarceration in a military prison.

This is not some conspiracy theory bullshit. This is real, live, USA law. Or rather it will be as soon as Obama gets a minute away from playing golf and signs it.

The idea of the NDAA is good, as in it IS good to catch bad guys, it IS good to fund our military etc., but it is NOT good to have all this other bullshit included. Kind of like Obamacare. The IDEA that we all have affordable healthcare is good. But these clowns in charge put so much bullshit in the bills, it ends up hurting more than helping. And the bottom line is that it is unconstitutional.

So what can we do?

You can read the Federalist Papers #45 and #46 (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1404/1404-h/1404-h.htm#link2H_4_0045), and find out what those guys who wrote the constitution thought we should do in this case…but it has some really big words and you probably already have enough to do what with the New Year around the corner.

Or, you can contact your senators and representatives and ask them what in the hell they think they are doing. Tell them although you are not a terrorist, and even though you want to catch the bad guys, they cannot abridge our constitutional rights. Even if we are assholes.

You can go here and check out a group who is trying to gain support to get the dangerous provisions of the NDAA removed:

http://pandaunite.org/

And finally, watch this 6 minute youtube clip of a Mom trying to have her voice heard, for you and your kids as well as her own:

Obama just changes laws. But that’s not his job, man.

It’s pretty simple:

Congress makes the laws. The Judges interpret them. And the President makes sure all those laws are being carried out.

The US Constitution makes this very clear:
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html

But I wake up today and here we go again with yet another CHANGE in Obamacare.

As a Ho Ho Ho, the White House just announced it’s lifting the individual mandate for people who have lost their insurance because Obamacare said their insurance wasn’t good enough.

Yesterday the law said we all gotta have it (except small businesses but that WAS the law till Obama changed it).

This morning the law has changed. Again.

I stopped counting how many changes Obama has made to the law since it became law. I think we’re at 14.

Other than the WTF factor this latest change presents (like WTF I’ve already been cancelled so how exactly do I get uncancelled?) can somebody please explain how it is the executive branch can change the law whenever it wants?!?!

I do think tyrants and dictators have efficient methods of getting things done. North Korea is a fine example. Shit gets done there! Ain’t nobody hassling Lil Kim about nothin.

But this is America. We hassle our leaders. It’s part of being American, Dammit! Our Constitution gives us this right. And we like it! But it seems more and more of us don’t like to hassle our leaders because we vote for people who think we are too much hassle. So they put on Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” and do whatever they please. Frankly, I prefer Vincente Fernandez’ “El Rey” to “My Way”, for getting pumped up to do whatever I please, but that is just my personal opinion.

America seemingly takes forever to make, change, and implement laws. But that is by design. The dudes who thought up this form of government lived under kings who didn’t have to bother much with what the “People” wanted or needed. The king just made shit up as he went along and had an army to make sure it happened. And, of course, the people were unarmed so fighting back wasn’t much of an option.

But again, this is America. Presidents are not allowed to change laws overnight. I know a lot of people, however, who will be happy he changed this one overnight.

But it ain’t right. And it ain’t legal.

Obama lovers and haters alike should take a moment to understand this guy is running rough shod over the Constitution. Those who are adamantly against Obamacare may applaud the latest change because it proves, yet again, what a freakin mess this law is. BUT IT IS STILL THE LAW AND ONLY CONGRESS HAS THE POWER TO MAKE AND CHANGE LAWS.

If the President can change my health plan, literally overnight, what else can he change?

Duck Soup

I’d seen periodic posts on Facebook about Duck Dynasty for about a year or so now, and I thought it must be a kid comedy show. A live version of Donald Duck’s life or something along those lines.

As time passed, I pieced together that it wasn’t a Disney cartoon-come-to-life, but instead a comedy about redneck, Christian, duck hunters who lived somewhere without running water. More or less.

This morning when I woke up and turned on my computer to check the news, I was surprised to see a member of ZZ Top staring at me.

Wait. No. That’s not ZZ Top.

“Who in the hell is this guy?” I thought, “Did he blow something up?”

Then I see the headline “Roasted Duck Leader Fired Over Gay Rant”.

Huh?

Click.

And I read this at 5:00 am:

“It seems like, to me, a vagina — as a man — would be more desirable than a man’s anus,” Robertson says in the January issue of the men’s magazine. “That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.”

Say WHAT?!

Did I just read how pussy trumps asshole?!

I’m in!!!!

So of course, I kept reading!

Turns out this guy, Phil Robertson, who looks like the Unibomber and ZZ Top’s love child, is in trouble for anti-gay remarks.

I was confused at first because I thought everybody knew that pussy is king, er queen. Pussy gives love, life and, well, it’s pussy!

So what’s wrong with La Grange over hear saying that’s his own personal belief?

He got canned for the love of pussy?

I kept reading:

“Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there,” Robertson says. “Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men.”

He goes on to paraphrase a Bible passage: “Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers — they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”

Ok, now I get it. This guy is not talking about his love of pussy as much as he’s preaching that it’s morally wrong to love assholes more.

I was still confused.

Why was he fired?

At this point I am wide awake because it is so rare the news offers pussy before the sun comes up.

So I kept reading:

“GLAAD on Wednesday condemned his remarks as “some of the vilest and most extreme statements uttered against LGBT people in a mainstream publication” and said “his quote was littered with outdated stereotypes and blatant misinformation…Phil’s decision to push vile and extreme stereotypes is a stain on A&E and his sponsors, who now need to re-examine their ties to someone with such public disdain for LGBT people and families.”

Wow. GLAAD is pissed. I can see why.

And now A&E have placed Mr. Robertson on hiatus for what he said.

Or maybe for what he believes?

“We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson’s comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series Duck Dynasty, A&E said in a statement. “His personal views in no way reflect those of A&E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely.”

So let me get this straight (no pun intended). He is placed on ‘hiatus’ for believing his religion does not condone homosexuality? Meanwhile A&E rakes in the duckets for placing his religion front and center, but now, because he came right out and said so, he is put in time out?

It was interesting to also read the latest season of Duck Dynasty just wrapped so Mr. Robertson’s ‘hiatus’ is perfectly timed for A&E. They can play both sides, or “swing both ways” might be a better term. Make GLAAD happy by offering an apology and a ‘hiatus’ (while garnering LOTS of publicity), and have the time to spin and recoup before the next season’s show is filmed and Mr. Robertson can come back to work for them.

Mr. Robertson has every right to his beliefs. And him saying he thinks a man should love pussy more than butt is his opinion. While his comments about homosexuality being a sin and linking it to bestiality are hard to swallow, they are only his beliefs, his opinions.

Mr. Robertson had this to say about the firestorm he casued:

“I myself am a product of the 60s; I centered my life around sex, drugs and rock and roll until I hit rock bottom and accepted Jesus as my Savior. My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the Bible teaches, and part of that teaching is that women and men are meant to be together. However, I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. We are all created by the Almighty and like Him, I love all of humanity. We would all be better off if we loved God and loved each other.”

That’s what he believes, too. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Kiss a Vet

Yesterday and last night while babies were being birthed and 21 year olds were out celebrating their legality to drink with shots called “Adios Mutherfucker”, our Congress was hard at work deciding what we as a country should spend (meaning how much more money we gotta print to keep us afloat because we all know we are out of real money), and how much and where we should cut back in order to not print as much money.

Last night the Senate decided to go ahead and vote on the 2013 Bipartisan Budget Act later this week.

Before the Senate voted on whether or not to vote on it (yes, that is how the legislative process works), they debated on what should be in the bill.

Like how much money should our veterans get?

Wrap your head around this:

The Bill CUTS military pensions by $6 BILLION.

This means that Vets who served our country will help us all out (again). It’s called “taking one for the team” in some circles.

Senator Jeff Sessions, a Republican from Alabama, tried to get an amendment to the Bill passed that unwrote these cuts to the military. His idea was that somebody else should take one for the team. He suggested that instead of our vets taking the hit, how about people who don’t have a social security number, yet still get tax breaks, be the ones to help us all out?

You may wonder how it is a person without a social security card can file taxes at all??

Well, they can and there is a loophole that allows them to file for child tax credits using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number rather than a Social Security Number. By coincidence, it turns out a lot of people who use this loophole are not here in the USA legally.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration noted in a 2011 report that millions of people without valid Social Security numbers received a staggering $4.2 BILLION from the IRS in the additional child tax credit in 2010 – up from $924 MILLION in 2005. (For those of you not good in math, that’s a lot of money as well as a really big increase).

Sessions argued that without his amendment, the Bill unfairly sticks veterans and other military retirees with the cost of new spending while allowing those who are here illegally to get a tax break. In addition, Sessions noted that the Bill also spares current civilian workers from the cuts the Vets are being assigned. So basically, everyone at the IRS is safe from these cuts. Whew. At least we got that going for us.

He tried to force the Senate to vote on including his amendment in the Bill before the entire Bill is voted on later this week.

Democrats, however, blocked the vote.

And many Republicans, including Paul Ryan, got down right nasty about Sessions bringing this up at all. They argued that the only reason Sessions was being defiant and standing in the gap for veterans was because he wanted to shut down the government and kill the whole bill. These Republicans are sick and tired of being shoved around by the likes of the Tea Party and they want to go “Forward” and want people like Sessions to shut the hell up.

Now we all know that every white person from Alabama is a flaming racist. And, of course, this means their representatives in Congress are as well. Plus, we know the GOP has no heart and hates anyone who isn’t a bible thumpin white boy with particular disdain for diversity; and they also have issues with people who come here trying to escape political and economic oppression in order to make a better life for themselves…

We also know that the Democratic party is the party of Hope and Change, and they love all people of color and diversity and the poor; and they are the party with a heart who helps the poor and minorities stand up against those horrible GOPers. They have been trying forever to get the Party of NO (that’s the GOP) to stop screwing over these groups.

Right?

On a near party line vote, Sessions’ amendment failed by 46-54. Sen. Key Hagan, a Democrat from North Carolina was the only Democrat to vote for not cutting the Vets’ money.

So, obviously the Sessions amendment was racist and xenophobic because why would Democrats in the Senate and newly reformed Republicans in the House be so against it?

In reality, our vets come from diverse backgrounds and turns out a whole bunch of them are not rich, white boys. Sessions’ bill would have HELPED all of our Vets including those minorities that served.

But this is politics, folks.

So later this week, the Senate will most likely pass the 2013 Bipartisan Budget Act, and then it will be signed by the President.

It will allow our government to continue printing money and spending it like a teenage girl on a shopping spree at the mall with her rich (white) Daddy’s credit card until 2015.

It gives our illustrious leaders some breathing room and the ability to enjoy the Holidays knowing that come fall 2014, voters will not have fresh in their mind “Government Shut Down”.

It doesn’t seem to matter that our Vets are going to have to eat it in order for our representatives to feel better.

“I’m hopeful that this deal can be just the first of many bipartisan deals, that it can rebuild some of the trust, bring Democrats and Republicans together, and demonstrate that government can work for the people we all represent,” Senator Patty Murray said in a speech on the Senate floor before the vote.

What a frightening thought that is.

This is what happens when common sense gets in the way of the political machine getting what they want. A merciful slaughter at the feet of our veterans.

So kiss a Vet the next time you see one, and thank him or her for taking one for the team.