The Coming Liberal Civil War

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Screen Shot 2014-12-13 at 2.16.20 AM“Even as they publicly condemn Tea Party Republicans as hostage-taking legislative thugs, the truth is that some Democrats are quietly jealous of them,” wrote Bill Scher at Politico Magazine Monday. “Think of it,” he continued, “The Tea Party gang gets to intimidate party leaders, threaten legislation, block nominees, shut down the government and default on the debt if they don’t get their way. They cause major trouble.”

That was just a few days ago. Since then, Scher’s article has only proven more prescient as liberal Sen. Elizabeth Warren (as the Boston Herald writes) ”turned her guns on her own party — targeting even her top ally, President Obama.”

The Herald is, of course, referring to the populist revolt launched against a budget package supported by President Barack Obama and the Republican leadership — a rebellion which could trigger a government shutdown. (For what it’s worth, Warren may have some legitimate concerns about derivatives.)

The larger question is whether or not this is a harbinger of things to come. And most people I talk to tend to believe it is. On one hand, I’m surprised to see this development. Democrats have looked mature and disciplined these last few years, especially compared to the divided Republicans. Why mess with a winning formula?

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Michigan Lawmakers Propose Drug Screening for Welfare Recipients

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Credit - Western Journalism

Credit – Western Journalism

Following a 26 to 10 vote, the Republican-led Michigan state Senate is presenting Gov. Rick Snyder (pictured above) with a bill that would require certain welfare recipients to submit to drug screening. The program described in this proposed legislation would be enacted on a limited scale in as few as three counties and would only affect recipients suspected of abusing drugs.

Under the guidelines submitted to Snyder for approval, anyone whose tests show the presence of illegal drugs – or who refuses to submit to the test – would automatically be denied welfare for six months or more. After multiple positive results, individuals could become ineligible for benefits; however, they could petition for reinstatement upon a future negative screening.

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Illegal Immigrants Flocking to Amnesty Workshops at Churches, Islamic Centers from Coast to Coast

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Credit - Breitbart

Credit – Breitbart

From coast to coast, illegal immigrants are reportedly flocking to community centers, churches, and Islamic centers to see if they will qualify for President Barack Obama’s executive amnesty.

According to an Associated Press report, recent workshops for illegal immigrants have been held “at a high school in Knoxville, Tennessee, a church in Goshen, Indiana, and an Islamic Center in New York City.” In addition, events have been held throughout California and Seattle.

As many as 10,000 illegal immigrants could show up to an event at Los Angeles’s convention center on Sunday.

Eben Cathey of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition told the outlet that “every time we do an information session, it is full.”

Immigration advocates are also warning illegal immigrants to avoid various fraudulent schemes associated with Obama’s executive amnesty, like groups charging illegal immigrants exorbitant fees to fill out applications.

Read more from this story HERE.

NDAA Passes, Authorizes Transfer of Large Tracts of Land to Fed Govt.

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Credit: Reuters - Jonathan Ernst

Credit: Reuters – Jonathan Ernst

By Donna Casata

Congress on Friday sent President Barack Obama a massive defense policy bill that endorses his stepped-up military campaign of air strikes and training of Iraqis and moderate Syrian rebels in the war against Islamic State militants.

The Senate overwhelmingly approved the bill that authorizes funds for basic military operations, including construction of new ships, aircraft, and weapons as well as a 1 percent pay raise for the troops. The vote was 89-11.

A coalition of defense hawks and Western state Republicans overcame objections by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and several other GOP senators, who were furious that unrelated provisions to designate 250,000 acres of new, federally protected wilderness were added to the popular legislation dedicated to military operations.

The measure would authorize the training and equipping of moderate Syrian rebels battling the extremists, a mandate that lasts for two years. It also would provide $5 billion to train Iraqis to counter the militants who brutally rule large sections of Iraq and Syria.

“American air power had changed the momentum on the ground somewhat and given moderates in the region an opportunity to regroup, but ISIS cannot be defeated without an opposing force to take the fight to it on the ground,” said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Armed Services Committee. “To do that, our Arab and Muslim partners must be in the lead because the fight with ISIS is primarily a struggle within Islam for the hearts and minds of Muslims.”

Read more from this story HERE.

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Cruz Votes Against NDAA

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today voted against the National Defense Authorization Act citing several concerns, including an extreme land grab provision and ongoing assistance to Syrian rebels.

“The 2015 National Defense Authorization Act includes a number of problematic provisions, including an extension through 2016 of the program to arm Syrian rebels and an extreme land grab that restricts more than a half-million new acres of property from productive use,” said Sen. Cruz. “This is yet another example of Majority Leader Reid’s legacy of obstruction by not allowing any amendments to be called on this bill.

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Gasoline Prices Hit 5-Year Low

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Photo Credit: Grant Hindsley AP

Photo Credit: Grant Hindsley AP

The average price of gasoline hit its lowest point in nearly five years Friday, following similar drops in crude oil prices.

The national average price was $2.60 a gallon Friday, the lowest since Dec. 27, 2009, auto group AAA said.

“There is no end in sight to lower gas prices as crude oil continues to fall sharply,” AAA spokesman Michael Green said in a statement.

The group had predicted that the price of gas would hit $2.50 a gallon by Christmas, but Green said that is now likely even sooner.

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Cromnibus Moves Forward: $1.1T Bill Financing Government Crosses First Hurdle

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Photo Credit: Greg Nash

Photo Credit: Greg Nash

by Associated Press

Republicans have muscled a $1.1 trillion bill financing government agencies through the House after President Barack Obama phoned Democratic lawmakers and urged them to back the measure.

The House approved the measure late Thursday by 219-206.

The compromise bill keeps agencies funded through next September.

Many conservatives opposed it because it did not block Obama’s recent executive actions on immigration.

Read more from this story HERE.

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Omnibus Bill Keeps Welfare Spending at Massive Levels

By Rachel Sheffield

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty. Since that time, annual means-tested welfare spending has increased by 16-fold, now costing taxpayers nearly $1 trillion a year. And the omnibus bill keeps spending at this sky-high level.

The means-tested welfare system is massive and is the fastest growing part of government spending. The federal government currently operates roughly 80 means-tested welfare programs that provide cash, food, housing, medical care and social services to poor and lower-income Americans. Nearly one-third of Americans receive benefits from at least one of these programs.

Food stamps is one of the largest of the welfare programs. Its cost has jumped dramatically over the last decade or so, doubling from less than $20 billion in fiscal year 2000 to about $40 billion in fiscal year 2007. By fiscal year 2012, costs doubled again to nearly $80 billion. The omnibus keeps food stamp spending at historically high levels: $82 billion.

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New Poll: 70 Percent Want Congress to Keep Probing IRS

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Credit - AP

Credit – AP

By Dana Blanton

Most American voters want Congress to keep investigating the IRS targeting of conservative political groups, according to the latest Fox News poll.

Seventy percent say the IRS investigation should last until “someone is held accountable.” That’s down from a high of 78 percent in June 2013. About one in five thinks it is time to move on (22 percent).

Click here for the poll results.

Call it a “kumbaya” question, as majorities of Democrats (60 percent), independents (75 percent) and Republicans (78 percent) support lawmakers continuing to dig.

The new poll also asked why the White House is refusing to release thousands of pages of documents related to the IRS targeting. By nearly three-to-one people think it’s because the administration wants to keep its role in the scandal secret (63 percent) rather than to keep taxpayer information confidential (22 percent).

Read more from this story HERE.

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New Lois Lerner emails indicate Obama’s DOJ involved in IRS targeting scandal

By Noah Rothman

In the month prior to the 2010 midterm elections, Internal Revenue Service investigator Lois Lerner met with Justice Department officials to discuss the criminal prosecution of tax-exempt political groups.

It had previously been revealed that Lerner investigated avenues for prosecuting certain tax-exempt status applicants upon the suggestion of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) when the watchdog group Judicial Watch obtained Lerner’s emails on that subject via a FOIA request.

The email, dated May 8, 2013, revealed some coordination between Lerner and the Department of Justice:

I got a call today from Richard Pilger Director Elections Crimes Branch at DOJ, I know him from contacts from my days there. He wanted to know who at IRS the DOJ folk s [sic] could talk to about Sen. Whitehouse idea at the hearing that DOJ could piece together false statement cases about applicants who “lied” on their 1024s –saying they weren’t planning on doing political activity, and then turning around and making large visible political expenditures. DOJ is feeling like it needs to respond, but want to talk to the right folks at IRS to see whether there are impediments from our side and what, if any damage this might do to IRS programs.

But new emails obtained from the Justice Department by Judicial Watch, heavily redacted and procured only as a result of a court order, indicate that Lerner had been investigating the potential for prosecuting tax-exempt applicants two years before she admitted to inappropriate targeting. Lerner went so far as to have an in-person meeting at DOJ to discuss the subject.

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Poll: Record 58 Percent of Americans Want ObamaCare Repealed.

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BarackObamaAccording to a brand new Fox News poll, a record 58 percent of Americans want to see Obamacare repealed. Further, Americans believe deception was used by Obama administration officials to pass the law in 2010.

The poll includes a hypothetical vote question that asks people to choose between only two options: keeping ObamaCare in place and repealing it. A 58-percent majority would vote to repeal the law, while 38 percent would keep it. That’s up from 53 percent a year ago — and a record high number backing repeal (and a record low number in favor of leaving it in place)…

The poll comes just after Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber, who infamously called American voters “stupid,” testified on Capitol Hill about the lack of transparency and deceptive, “tortured” language used in the legislation to hide taxes and redistribution of wealth.

Read more from this story HERE.

Senator: Obama’s Amnesty Gives Illegals A Fast-Track To Voting Booth

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Photo Credit: American Spectator

Photo Credit: American Spectator

by Daily Caller

President Barack Obama’s Nov. 21 amnesty puts millions of illegals on a fast-track to citizenship, Utah Sen. Mike Lee announced Thursday.

Obama and his administration “have cleared the pathway to citizenship for millions of people who have crossed our borders illegally,” Lee said in a Thursday speech on the Senate floor.

“They know what they have done, and it is illegal,” he added.

Obama’s amnesty allows illegals with U.S.-born children to briefly leave the country, perhaps for a business meeting in Canada, and then be given “advanced parole” by border officials that lets them legally return to the United States.

Once they have legally returned under “advanced parole,” they can be immediately sponsored for a green card and citizenship by their adult child, he said.

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Republicans 'Soul-Searching' Over Reversing the 'Nuclear Option'

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McConnell_Senate Republicans, who condemned a Democratic decision last year to require only 51 votes to confirm judicial and executive branch nominees, are struggling to decide whether to reverse the so-called “nuclear option” or leave it in place when they take the majority in January.

The rules change lowered the threshold for judges and President Obama’s executive branch appointees from 60 votes to 51 votes.

Democrats invoked the change with a simple majority vote rather than a typically required supermajority, infuriating Republicans, who promised the Democrats would “pay a heavy price” for the move.

But with the majority just weeks away from their grasp, the Republicans are “soul searching” about whether to change it back.

Meeting behind closed doors Tuesday with soon-to-be Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., most members appeared undecided about what to do, although a few have come out strongly in favor of or against reversing the rules change.

Read more from this story HERE.