President Barack Obama said Wednesday that there is no precedent for revoking the U.S. Medal of Freedom — as some have called for him to do — given to comedian and actor Bill Cosby. But the President did outline his definition of rape.
“There’s no precedent for revoking a medal. We don’t have that mechanism,” he said.
The President then paused, and while he would not comment on the specifics of a case in which criminal or civil charges could be brought, he instead offered a definition of rape.
“If you give a woman — or a man, for that matter — without his or her knowledge a drug and then have sex with that person without consent, that’s rape,” Obama said Wednesday at a White House press conference.
Earlier this month, details of a 2005 lawsuit were revealed that showed that Cosby admitted to getting prescription Quaaludes to give to women he wanted to have sex with. (Read more from “Obama Defines Rape When Asked About Bill Cosby” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00kathleenhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngkathleen2015-07-16 03:57:222016-04-11 10:58:50Obama Says “No” to Revoking Medal of Freedom for Disgraced Bill Cosby
The national database of sex offenders is missing one crucial sub-element of society — illegal immigrants.
CNN’s John Walsh fought for years to get a national database of sex offenders — like the one who kidnapped and murdered his son, Adam Walsh.
The result was the National Sex Offender Public Registry.
There’s only one problem. The registry only lists the names of offenders who are U.S. citizens — it doesn’t include people who are living here illegally . . .
“How can a country, that can put a Mars Rover on Mars to send back pictures of ice crystals at a cost of $44 billion not be able to track convicted offenders, especially sex offenders — especially illegal alien sex offenders,” Walsh asked CNN host Erin Burnett. (Read more from “Is Trump Right? Guess Which Rapists Don’t Appear on National Sex Offender Registry” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-07-16 03:56:552016-04-11 10:58:50Is Trump Right? Guess Which Rapists Don’t Appear on National Sex Offender Registry
A tenured California professor is the latest academic to be accused of re-writing their personal history when claiming Cherokee heritage.
Andrea Smith, an associate professor at the University of California Riverside and a noted scholar in Native American studies, has been called out by critics who say she, like former Harvard Law professor Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D- Mass., and Ward Churchill, a former University of Colorado professor who infamously likened 9/11 victims to Nazis, used the phony claims to enhance her faculty pedigree.
“Wannabes like Andrea use the myths of Cherokees hiding in the hills, passing for white or being saved by righteous whites, to perpetuate their lies,” said David Cornsilk, a Cherokee genealogist who researched Smith’s lineage and found no evidence of Cherokee bloodlines.
Cornsilk, 56, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation who has been employed as a tribal enrollment researcher, wrote in Indian Country Today that Cherokees are generally very well documented, and debunking bogus claims is easy. Although Cornsilk refused to speak to FoxNews.com, in his article, he lamented “two centuries of non-Cherokees trying to lay claim to our lands and treasury, if not by force, then by subterfuge.”
Smith, who did not return requests for comment, issued a statement saying her belief was based on “what I knew to be true, ” and that she has been “and will always be Cherokee,” although she seemed to base her claim to the heritage on her own work and perceptions, rather than her ancestry. (Read more from “Ancestry.Con: College Professor’s Claims of Indian Heritage Debunked” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-07-16 03:56:402016-04-11 10:58:50Ancestry.Con: College Professor’s Claims of Indian Heritage Debunked
The White House dispatched Vice President Joe Biden to Capitol Hill Wednesday to sell Democrats on the newly announced Iran nuclear deal, as several influential members voiced reservations about giving it their seal of approval in a vital vote this fall.
Biden was meeting first with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, though the tougher lift may be on the Senate side. In the aftermath of the deal announcement in Vienna, senior Democratic senators made clear they were withholding judgment.
“We’re basically legitimizing Iran’s nuclear program,” Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., told Fox News, voicing concerns about what Tehran gets in return, including the likely lifting of an arms embargo and leverage over the timing of certain nuclear inspections.
“At the end of the day, the challenge here is that 10 to 12 years from now, does Iran have a pathway towards a full industrial-sized nuclear program and the possibility of breaking out to a weapon? And if so, all you’ve done is delayed the question of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.”
Menendez is a leading skeptic but plenty more are staying on the sidelines and could face more pressure from constituents during the August recess. (Read more from “Democrats Divided: Biden Dispatched to Hill to Twist Arms on Iran Deal” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-07-16 03:56:302016-04-11 10:58:50Democrats Divided: Biden Dispatched to Hill to Twist Arms on Iran Deal
Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen urged lawmakers to tread lightly when it comes to overhauling the central bank, warning that proposed changes could undermine its ability to support the economy.
In prepared testimony, Yellen will tout the Fed’s own efforts to boost its transparency as a way to discourage lawmakers from pushing their own proposals to bring the Fed under stricter oversight.
“Efforts to further increase transparency, no matter how well intentioned, must avoid unintended consequences that could undermine the Federal Reserve’s ability to make policy in the long-run best interest of American families and businesses,” she said.
Yellen’s testimony Wednesday before the House Financial Services Committee will come one day after that panel held a hearing in which Republicans blasted the Fed as being unaccountable.
While Yellen will argue in her testimony that Fed tweaks could subject the central bank to political pressure and make it less effective, GOP lawmakers have argued the Fed holds up its political independence as a way to avoid scrutiny. (Read more from “Mind Your Own Business!: Federal Reserve Chair Warns Congress to Be Wary of Fed Reforms” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-07-16 03:56:182016-04-11 10:58:50Mind Your Own Business! Federal Reserve Chair Warns Congress
The German Chancellor backed equal benefits for same-sex couples – such as tax breaks – and said that while discrimination should be “eliminated” she drew a “difference” between civil partnerships and marriage.
But the committed Christian, who has been married twice, gave her personal definition of marriage as ‘a man and a woman living together’, in a YouTube interview with Florian Mundt, a YouTube known under the alias LeFloid who has a significant online following.
“I’m someone who is very supportive of us eliminating all discrimination. We have come a long way; when I remember, 25 years ago, many people didn’t dare to say that they are gay or lesbian,” she said, according to the Huffington Post . . .
Ms Merkel went on to say stress that marriage should be strictly defined as between a man and a woman, adding: “I am for registered civil partnerships. I am for our not having any discrimination in tax legislation. And wherever we still find discrimination, we will continue to dismantle it,” according to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
Explaining further, the German leader said: “I don’t want discrimination and [I want] equality, but I make a difference at some point.” (Read more from “Angela Merkel Doesn’t Believe in Gay Marriage – ‘I Don’t Want Discrimination… But I Make a Difference at Some Point'” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00kathleenhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngkathleen2015-07-16 03:56:112016-04-11 10:58:51Angela Merkel Doesn’t Believe in Gay Marriage – ‘I Don’t Want Discrimination… But I Make a Difference at Some Point’
It’s almost as if every week the GOP-controlled Congress passes more legislation to increase spending with gimmicks for offsets. Today, the House plans to bail out the failed Highway Trust Fund, which should have been devolved to the states long ago, with offsets that can only be described as intangible, and to the extent they are actualized, they will represent tax increases. I’m sure many of you had this in mind when voting for Republican candidates in 2014.
After completion of the Interstate Highway System in 1992, it would have been more efficient for the federal government to return responsibility for highways and bridges – along with the revenue from the federal gas tax – to the states. The federal system, which costs roughly $52 billion per year, only brings in about $34 billion -$39 billion in annual revenue from the gas tax. As a result, the trust fund has received $65 billion in bailout funds since 2008.
The reason the trust fund continues to lose money is because so much of the funds are diverted for special interest projects or wasted by the inefficient process of having Washington lobbyists divvy up a vital function that is inextricably dependent on the diverse geographical needs of 50 states. For example, according to the Heritage Foundation, Davis Bacon prevailing wage mandates jack up the cost of construction projects by 22%. Mass transit accounts for 15% of the cost, even though the gas tax was supposed to be a pay-as-you-go tax for those who use highways and bridges, not the holy grail of urban politics.
In addition, the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), which diverts gas tax funds for bike paths and highway beautification projects, sucks up over $800 million per year. The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program is a slush fund of mandates from environmental regulations to social engineering projects that cost several billions. Taken as a whole, these wasteful programs and federal laws account for most, if not all, of the funding gap in the Highway Trust Fund.
Finally, the paralysis, waste, and fraud that is associated with the lobbyist-driven federal transportation policy should prompt any sane lawmaker to support returning transportation policy to the states where the cost and benefit of each project could be measured fairly and efficiently.
Yet, given that both parties are stuck on stupid, they plan to spend another $8.1 billion bailing out the trust fund until December 18 – without any reforms. The reason they chose that date is because members are willing to pass anything in order to go home for Christmas. The impending doom of a highway funding lapse could then be used as a catch-all bill that will contain a number of odious provisions and more spending.
The bill before the House today (H.R. 3038), is being sold as legislation that is fully offset and budget neutral. So which other government program is being eliminated or cut as a result of this bill, you might ask? None.
For starters, this is another case of Congress offsetting a four-month expenditure with “savings” spread out over 10 years. But it gets worse. The biggest offset— $3.1 billion worth— comes from TSA travel fees…from the years 2024-2026! Under current law, the TSA is prevented from spending that revenue through 2024 and must use it for savings. This bill extends that accounting until 2026. You try paying for an immediate expenditure with potential revenue from 9-11 years from now!
The remaining $5 billion in offsets originates from what the political class refers to as “increased tax compliance.” In the real world that either means illusory and intangible savings or (if aggressively enforced) a straight up tax increase. The bulk of this projected revenue would come from empowering the IRS to force banks to document more information from borrowers, more aggressively reassess tax returns with alleged misrepresentation of property value, and squeeze out more revenue from the death tax. Suddenly Republicans are all in favor of the death tax and empowering the IRS.
Furthermore, in the absence of any serious reforms, such as devolution or refocusing the core priorities of the trust fund, Congress should at least offset the cost of this temporary patch by enforcing tax compliance of federal workers. Let the federal employees lead by example. According to an IRS report from last year, federal employees collectively owed $3.3 billion in unpaid taxes. How come this offset is never proposed for the endless list of bills increasing spending?
What is so offensive about their desire to spend more money and find more tax revenue is that the Treasury is bringing in more revenue than ever before. Due to surging revenues from a booming Wall Street, the Treasury has received $2.4 trillion in tax revenue for the first three quarters in FY 2015 and is projected to end the fiscal year with $3.1 trillion.
It’s quite evident that not only are Republicans and Democrats – many of who rail against wasteful spending – inexorably opposed to reducing the size of government, they can’t even subsist on record-high revenue. We already know that there are no social conservatives left in Washington. Where are the fiscal conservatives? (“GOP Declares: “My Way for the Failed Highway Fund”, originally posted HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-07-16 03:55:552016-04-11 10:58:51Where are the Fiscal Conservatives? GOP Bailing Out Failed Highway Fund
Major Garrett: As you well know, there are four Americans in Iran – three held on trumped up charges according to your administration, one, whereabouts unknown. Can you tell the country, sir, why you are content, with all of the fanfare around this [nuclear] deal to leave the conscience of this nation, the strength of this nation, unaccounted for, in relation to these four Americans?
And last week, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said under no circumstances should there be any relief for Iran in terms of ballistic missiles or conventional weapons. It was perceived that that was a last-minute capitulation in these negotiations, making the Pentagon feel you’ve left the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff hung out to dry. Could you comment?
President Obama: I’ve got to give you credit, Major, for how you craft those questions. The notion that I am content, as I celebrate with American citizens languishing in Iranian jails – Major, that’s nonsense. And you should know better. I’ve met with the families of some of those folks. Nobody’s content, and our diplomats and our teams are working diligently to try to get them out. (Read more from “Obama Questioned on American Hostages in Iran” HERE)
(Read more from “Obama Questioned on American Hostages in Iran” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-07-16 03:55:482016-04-11 10:58:51Obama Questioned on American Hostages in Iran [+video]
In February 2011, Paramount Pictures asked me if I could fill in for a week as a driver for Sumner Redstone, the executive chairman of Viacom and CBS Corp. I’d had experience driving Hollywood talent and had a good reputation, and I accepted the position from the Paramount transportation planner.
Prior to starting the job, I met with Redstone’s regular driver to learn the routine. My initial instructions were pretty basic: a tour of the restaurants that Redstone frequented and ordered out from, the locations of his physicians’ offices, the Westwood theater location where Redstone was to make a red-carpet appearance at a movie premiere . . .
My week of employment began on a Monday morning after picking up from Paramount a custom Lincoln Town Car that contained a satellite television, along with interior video monitors. When I arrived at the gated Beverly Park Terrace residence, I was informed by a staff member at the house that I would be taking both Redstone and Sydney Holland (picture above right, with Redstone and his companion, Manuela Herzer) to his dentist appointment. However, the staff member first gave me a check with “Beverly Park LLC” in the top corner made out for several thousand dollars that was to be cashed at a Bank of America branch in Beverly Hills and the money brought back to the house. I proceeded to the bank and returned to the house with the cash envelope.
Upon my return, while parking in the front driveway, I noticed an old, red subcompact car that had the driver-side mirror duct-taped in place. The 40ish woman getting out of the vehicle was attractive but also looked a bit weary in her appearance. I figured she was hired help for the house, so I wondered why she would be parking in the main driveway rather than on the side, where I knew the house staff was told to park.
[Her name was Sydney Holland.] It had become pretty clear during my first few weeks back that Holland had aligned herself with Redstone and was reaping significant financial benefits. I had heard various rumors about Holland from people on staff and learned that she had been known as Sydney Stanger and was the co-founder of “The Inner Circle,” a VIP social club that advertised matchmaking services. (Read more from “Billionaires’ Strange, Secret Life Revealed” HERE)
Patricia Heaton, who starred on the classic CBS series “Everybody Loves Raymond” and currently stars in ABC’s “The Middle,” used her social media savvy to blast Planned Parenthood — and the liberal media — after a video released Tuesday that shows a top executive with the organization engaging in the sale of aborted baby body parts.
The video showed Dr. Deborah Nucatola, Planned Parenthood Federation senior director of medical services, bragging about how she can abort babies with enough precision to be able to sell their body parts afterward.
