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The Left is in a hurry to bury Benghazi

Dead Americans

These four dedicated Americans lost their lives in the Benghazi attack. Hillary Clinton had five months of warnings and refused to provide increased security. The left wants to sweep it all under the rug.

“Benghazi debunked,” read the headline over a Washington Post editorial board piece on Saturday.  “All that wasted noise over Benghazi attack,” declared Rem Reider in Sunday’s USA Today.

Both accounts, triggered by the release of the House Intelligence Committee report on Benghazi, were designed to put to bed any attempt to place blame with the Obama administration, including then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The president’s failure to act decisively following the attack, and Clinton’s failure to provide proper security for the ambassador and other Americans prior to the  Sept. 11, 2012 assault, are still in question.

The Washington Post criticized Republicans for “advancing a series of bizarre conspiracy theories intended to besmirch the Obama administration.”

“For the past three years,” wrote Reider, “the right has worked feverishly to turn Benghazi into a major scandal, a cudgel with which to batter President Obama and former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton.” Continue reading →

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Secret Service victim of leadership vacuum

While news of White House “fence jumpers” has disappeared from the media, I thought perhaps it was about time I conveyed my thoughts on the Secret Service.

I believe two factors I have addressed numerous times in this blog – poor leadership and big government – are the causes of the degradation of one of the most highly thought of organizations, the Secret Service.

In my Oct. 1, post, It can all be traced back to President Obama, I said, “You may be shocked by the current revelations of security screw ups by the Secret Service, but you shouldn’t be surprised, because it can easily be traced back to the culture in the White House.”

Dan Emmett. (Fopxnews.com)

Former Secret Service Agent Dan Emmett points to a lack of leadership as a cause in the degradation of the once respected agency. (foxnews.com)

Prior to the fence jumping incidents, former Secret Service Agent Dan Emmett, writing in the Washington Post, recalled a well-led agency with many of its top and mid-level supervisors coming from the armed forces.  “They managed and led by the ethos of military leadership, which dictates accomplishing the mission while taking care of those entrusted to them.  They expected much from their subordinates but know that they must set the example to follow,” he wrote.

“The Secret Service today is awash in managers, not leaders.  Many supervisors have little tangible or leadership experience, yet they are designated as managers on the basis of their titles or  long lists of schools attended,” Emmett explained. Continue reading →

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Put it in writing, Mr. President

Each year, the Speaker of the House of Representatives extends an invitation to the president to present his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.

I find it ironic that the  purpose of the presentation is to allow the president to outline his legislative agenda, for which he asks Congress’ approval.

If ever there was a time for the Speaker to ask the president to submit his January report in writing, it is now.  Speaker John Boehner should respond to President Obama’s arrogant, open rebuke of Congress, whether it is his stonewalling Congressional investigating committees or the recent go-it-alone decision on immigration.

supreme court

President Obama rudely chastised the Supreme Court for its decision on Citizens’ United during his 2010 State of the Union Address. Note Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner smiling and applauding at left. (latimesblogs.latimes.com)

And let’s not forget how the president used his 2010 address to chastise the Supreme Court over the Citizens’ United decision.  The rude statement served to spur Democrats to intimidate the IRS into targeting conservative groups seeking tax exemption.

I don’t expect this to happen.  The GOP is too skiddish.  Remember how they got blamed for the government shutdown?  Standing up for your principles these days is interpreted as being “mean-spirited.” Continue reading →

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2013 Ohio State graduates now know tyranny is no longer just around the corner

 “Unfortunately, you’ve grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that’s at the root of all our problems.  They’ll warn that tyranny is just around the corner.  You should reject these voices.”

obama aat OSU (MSNBC.com)

Speaking to the 2013 graduating class of The Ohio State University, President Obama joked about those who warned that tyranny was just around the corner. (msnbc.com)

Those were the words of President Obama, speaking to the 2013 graduation class of The Ohio State University on May 5, 2013.

I was incredulous when I first heard the president give this speech. First, because it wasn’t the uplifting message to leave with graduates, but more so because he used the venue as an opportunity to answer his critics who have challenged his go-it-alone presidency.

In my long career in public affairs, I have learned that every word in a speech given by a president is carefully woven into the message the administration wants to impart on the public.  This speech was devoid of the lofty plans and hopes facing students as he sought to reject those who dislike his policies. Continue reading →

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Was the president just confused?

When the media asked the president about Jonathan Gruber’s role in the design of ObamaCare during his press conference in Brisbane, Australia, he insisted that he is well-briefed before each meeting with the press, and that Gruber was not on his staff.  Gruber, who has referred to the “stupidity” of the American people, has indicated that he met with the president in the Oval Office and the record shows he visited the White House 19 times.… read more

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The failure of big government, Part 2

In my last series of posts, I told you about eight days (Nov. 3 – 11) of events that were clear evidence of the failure of President Obama’s big government scheme.

imagesI posted the first four pieces on those events, beginning on Nov. 3, with the election eve Fast & Furious document dump. The repudiation of Obama’s policies in the Nov. 4, mid-terms, and the Gallup poll in which voters said they wanted Republicans, by a 17-point margin, to lead the nation.

On Nov. 5, an arrogant president was in denial over the meaning of the election and touted a flourishing economy. Then, on Nov. 10 and 11, tapes of how big government Democrats deceived Americans with ObamaCare, its radical health insurance plan, referring to the “stupidity” of voters.

In this post are the remaining news events of the eight-day period to further point to the failure of Obama’s transformation of America. Continue reading →

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Big government health insurance a failure

Perhaps the biggest example of the failure of big government is ObamaCare.

From the beginning, ObamaCare was doomed. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was given carte blanche in this law that no one read. Her failed website ate a billion dollars of taxpayer funding.

Changes to the flawed health insurance scam were illegally made as subsidy complications have put some enrollees at risk of IRS penalties.… read more

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Big government gun-running

On Nov. 3, 2014, the day before the mid-term elections, the Department of Justice did a document dump of some 64,000 pages, pertaining to Fast & Furious, to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Obviously, the DOJ calculated the contents wouldn’t get pre-election coverage. Friday night document dumps have become common place for the “transparent”  Obama administration

Early reports indicate that Attorney General Eric Holder, who is in contempt of Congress, was clearly in the communications loop on the ill-advised gun running scheme; something he denied under questioning.… read more