Former Security Officials to Obama: Cancel Nuke Cuts

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Photo Credit: APA group of 18 former military and national security officials wrote to President Barack Obama on Friday urging the administration to cancel plans for further cuts in United States nuclear warheads, warning that new arms reductions would undermine U.S. security.

The ex-officials, including two former members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated in the letter to Obama that North Korea’s recent underground nuclear test, and concerns about growing Pyongyang-Tehran nuclear arms cooperation, undermines any further disarmament sought by the president.

“In our professional judgment, born of decades of experience with national security policy and practice, America’s ‘triad’ of nuclear-armed land-based and submarine-launched missiles and bomber-delivered nuclear weapons have promoted strategic stability and discouraged proliferation,” the former officials stated.

“Steps that raise uncertainty about the viability, reliability and effectiveness of our deterrent will have the opposite effect.”

The letter followed a report this week that the new strategic arms cuts with Russia will be announced soon. U.S. officials said the president is preparing for a new round of arms reduction talks with Russia that will seek a one-third cut in U.S. nuclear warheads, beyond the levels set in the 2010 New START arms treaty. The treaty requires cutting the U.S. arsenal to 1,550 warheads.

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FBI Probe Of Defense Tech Allegedly Leaked From NASA Stonewalled, Sources Say

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Photo Credit: NASAA four-year FBI investigation into the transfer of classified weapons technology to China and other countries from NASA’s Ames Research Center is being stonewalled by government officials, sources tell FoxNews.com.

Documents obtained by FoxNews.com, which summarize these and other allegations and were given to congressional sources last week by a whistle-blower, described how a “secret grand jury” was to be convened in February 2011 to hear testimony from informants in the case, including a senior NASA engineer. But federal prosecutor Gary Fry was removed from the case, which was then transferred from one office in the Northern District of California to another where, according to the documents, “this case now appears to be stalled.”

“The information is staggering,” the whistle-blower told FoxNews.com. A Justice Department spokesman on Thursday told FoxNews.com it “does not comment on grand jury proceedings,” as a matter of longstanding policy. Fry, reached for comment late Thursday, also would not confirm or deny the claim.

The claims originate with several past and current NASA employees concerned with the systemic leak of highly sensitive information relating to missile defense systems, as well as what they call a troubled investigation into the leak.

The documents claim the FBI has been working with other agencies since 2009 on an investigation into foreign nationals working at Ames. This follows allegations by two Republican lawmakers earlier this month that the U.S. attorney’s office in the Northern California district was ultimately denied by the Justice Department when it tried to proceed with indictments.

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Poll: Most Only Want Foreign Aid Cuts

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Photo Credit: APOf 19 options for cutting government spending, only one — reducing foreign aid — was supported by more than 40 percent of Americans, according to a poll released Friday.

The widespread rejection of most ideas to slash spending in the poll from the Pew Research Center shows the difficulty of translating a popular GOP message — the federal budget needs to be shrunk down to size — into political reality. Even on foreign aid, only 48 percent want to cut, compared with 49 percent who want to increase funding or keep it at the same level.

It also displays the difficulty of replacing the $1.2 trillion in spending cuts scheduled to hit March 1. While both Republicans and Democrats say they want to avoid the across-the-board slashes in defense and domestic spending, negotiations are at a standstill and an agreement on replacement cuts could be elusive.

Decreasing funding for the State Department and cutting unemployment aid are both supported by around one-third of Americans. Cuts to the Defense Department and to aid for the needy in the U.S. are backed by about a quarter of Americans. Cuts in all other areas suggested by Pew, including energy, health care, entitlement programs, infrastructure, scientific research and combating crime, receive even less support.

For most categories, a plurality of Americans want to keep spending at the same level.
Even among Republicans, there’s majority support for only two cuts: foreign aid and unemployment assistance.

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13,753 Gov’t Requests for Google E-Mail Data in 2012, Most Without a Warrant

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Photo Credit: APAmerican government agencies – state, local, and federal — made a record 13,753 requests to read emails or gather other information sent through Google’s Gmail and other services in 2012, more than half without warrants, according to statistics released by Google.

The total number of users about whom government agencies wanted information also set a record at 31,072, up from 23,300 in 2011, the first year Google began reporting the data. The discrepancy comes because government agencies request information on multiple users or accounts at the same time.

Most of these 13,753 requests, 6,542 of 8,438 in the latter half of 2012 alone, were done without a search warrant, Google data show. Google did not make available any detailed data prior to June 2012, nor did it make available which requests came from the federal government and which came from state or local law enforcement agencies, when asked by CNSNews.com.

Google spokesman Chris Gaither said the company only started tracking which type of legal authority – subpoena, court order, or search warrant – was used in the latter half of 2012. Google issues biannual reports on the requests for user data it receives from government agencies from around the world, including ones in the U.S.

Google announced in June 2012 that it had 425 million active Gmail subscribers, making it the largest e-mail provider in the world. It also provides users the ability to store documents via its Google Drive service, phone service via Google Voice, YouTube, personal blogs via Blogger, as well as email hosting services for corporate clients through Gmail.

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Obama Skirting Congress In Globalist Plan?

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Photo Credit: WNDThe Obama administration appears determined to ram through Congress a key part of a grandiose trade plan that transcends the vision for a “North American Union,” encompassing both Europe and Pacific Rim nations.

As WND reported, President Obama declared in his State of the Union address his intent to complete negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership and announced the launch of talks “on a comprehensive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union.”

It was the first time a decision by the U.S. Trade Representative within the White House to expand negotiations to create a free trade zone with Pacific Rim countries was made public, along with a similar initiative with EU countries.

To implement the newly contemplated Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade agreement, or FTA, the administration apparently plans to restrict congressional prerogatives to an up-or-down vote.

The issue centers on “fast-track authority,” a provision under the Trade Promotion Authority that requires Congress to review an FTA under limited debate, in an accelerated time frame subject to a yes-or-no vote.

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Bob Goodlatte: No Need For Citizenship Path

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Photo Credit: APThe chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who will be deeply involved with House efforts on an immigration bill, said this week that he opposes a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently in the United States.

When asked on an NPR program this week whether he supported an eventual path to citizenship for that group of people — numbering about 11 million — Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) responded, “I do not.”

Goodlatte will play a central role in shaping a House version of immigration legislation because of his committee position. A bipartisan group of senators and President Barack Obama have already outlined their visions of how to reform the country’s immigration system, and both proposals include pathways to citizenship.

“People have a pathway to citizenship right now: It’s to abide by the immigration laws, and if they have a family relationship, if they have a job skill that allows them to do that, they can obtain citizenship,” Goodlatte said, according to an NPR story and audio clip posted Thursday. “But simply someone who broke the law, came here, [to] say, ‘I’ll give you citizenship now,’ that I don’t think is going to happen.”

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O’Reilly Producer Tracks Down Obama’s Illegal Immigrant Uncle- And This Uncomfortable Interview Attempt Ensues (+video)

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Photo Credit: Fox NewsFox News’ Jesse Watters recently tracked down Onyango Obama, President Barack Obama’s illegal immigrant uncle, in Framingham, Mass., where he is currently working at a local liquor store.

What ensued was an on-camera battle of wits, as Watters attempted to get Onyango to speak about his citizenship status. When the Fox News producer walked into the store where Onyango works, the president’s uncle immediately demanded that he leave.

Of course, that didn’t stop the reporter from continuing to push for answers. After Watters was rebuked by Onyango, the producer and interviewer said, ”You don’t have to get angry with me. I just have a quick question.”

Onyango’s response? ”No questions. Thank you.”

But the dialogue didn’t end there. As Watters followed Onyango around the store, he had little luck in convincing him to go on the record to discuss his immigration status. Eventually, the president’s uncle threatened the Fox News employee, telling him that he called the cops and that they would soon be coming to remedy the situation.

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John Cornyn Draws Primary Challenger

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Photo Credit: Daily CallerTexas Sen. John Cornyn, the second-highest Republican member of the Senate, has drawn a 2014 primary challenger.

Erick Wyatt of Rockport, Texas filed papers this week with the Federal Election Commission to run for Senate against Cornyn, the Senate Minority Whip, who is up for re-election in 2014.

Cornyn is seen as vulnerable to a challenge from the right, and has said he’s been expecting and preparing for a primary battle. He was one of just three senators who voted against John Kerry’s confirmation as Secretary of State. He cast the vote with Texas’ junior senator, tea party favorite Ted Cruz, leading the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to accuse him of being in “Cruz control” in an attempt to gird himself against a primary.

Wyatt describes himself as more conservative than Cornyn, and an “ally” of the tea party. But asked why he’s running, in a phone interview with The Daily Caller, Wyatt’s first answer is that “Not enough is being done for our veterans.” Wyatt served in the Army for 10 years and the Coast Guard for four years. He was injured in Iraq in 2007. In 2012, he received temporary disability retirement.

“I’m a very big constitutional conservative and believe we have our God given rights,” he said.

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Ted Cruz: Obama’s ‘Lasting Legacy’ Will Be Creating Republican Leaders

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Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore President Obama’s “longest lasting legacy” will be helping to create a new group of Republican leaders, says Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

Cruz, speaking at the Cuyahoga County GOP Lincoln Day dinner in Ohio on Thursday, made the comments while assessing why Republicans lost the 2012 presidential race. Cruz said Democrats controlled the perception of their party and the Republican Party.

“You want to know what happened last election cycle? We didn’t win the argument for the American people,” Cruz said Thursday night according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
“The Democrats’ story is the Republicans are the party of the rich, the Democrats are the party of everybody else. And if that’s the narrative people believe, we’ll never win another national election.”

But in the end, Obama’s time in office will help create a new set of Republican leaders, Cruz added.

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Super PAC: Progressive/Tea Party Alliance Aiming To Topple Mitch McConnell?

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Photo Credit: APRepublican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is becoming increasingly concerned about his 2014 re-election chances in Kentucky, according to a progressive Super PAC that says it is partnering with unnamed Tea Party groups to paint McConnell as a corrupt insider and knock him out of his longtime Senate seat in a Republican primary.

A recent McConnell campaign fundraising email accused liberals of “attempting to infiltrate conservative” groups in Kentucky. Another McConnell campaign email accused the liberal organization MoveOn.org of supporting a “phony tea party” in an attempt to beat the senior senator. Though MoveOn disputed the McConnell campaign’s charges, the progressive super PAC Progress Kentucky is openly waging the kind of attack that McConnell seems worried about.

“Mitch McConnell has recently contributed through [his wife] Elaine Chao’s family $80,000 to the Kentucky GOP,” Shawn Reilly, executive director of the progressive super PAC Progress Kentucky, told The Daily Caller. “It looks to me like he’s trying to buy the Kentucky Republican Party in order to try to avoid a primary.”

“He also set up his campaign office a year earlier than he ever has, and he placed it in the same office where his 1984 campaign — his first successful Senate race — was housed,” Reilly added. “I hear from people that he’s pretty superstitious.”

Progress Kentucky, which filed as a Kentucky-based super PAC on Dec. 13, says it is making a concerted push to align itself with tea party groups in order to field and support a viable Republican primary challenger for McConnell. Reilly said that his group is already in productive communication with tea party leaders across the state.

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