Military spying on U.S. citizens?

Pertaining to the Planned Parenthood members, for example, the oversight report provides no explanation about how the information was collected. Nor does it indicate why the information was collected and notes only that military intelligence is not allowed to collect and disseminate information on U.S. persons unless the information constitutes “foreign intelligence.” The report indicates that the collection was therefore “clearly outside the purview of military intelligence” and should have been handled by law enforcement.

Regardless of your opinion on these groups, the miliary is barred by law from spying on U.S. citizens...for a good reason. This is the sort of thing that should bother people...and I doubt many will even notice this article.

Technorati Tags: Politics, Rights, Spying

Austin terrorist's daughter considers him a "hero"

Samantha Bell is the daughter of terrorist Joseph Stack, who flew his plane into an IRS office in Austin, TX, last week, murdering one and injuring several others. Samantha shared her father's anti-government and vehement anti-tax views, to the point where she moved to Norway (whose taxes are 47.8% at the top range...ours are 35% max...and Norway is famous for it's vast socialized programs). Yet she thinks he's a "hero". She did say his act was "inappropriate", but he's still a "hero" for acting out against injustice.

So according to the daughter of this terrorist, it's OK to murder in the name of an injustice...but what about the family of the dead person? Someone whose only crime was going to work that morning? If you want to change the tax system, terrorism isn't the way to do it. Samantha Bell appears just as warped as her father, ready to rally the "faithful" around her father as some sort of brave, anti-government martyr who fought some noble fight against "crushing" taxes. Funny, he owned a house that cost over $200,000, *two* businesses, and a private plane.

And just why did Samantha move to Norway? She lost her job (and health insurance) while pregnant, so she chose to move to a nation that had socialized medicine. Seems she's really more of a statement to why socialized medicine would be a better choice.

She's a hypocrite. She's supposedly anti-government and anti-tax, but lives in a nation that has some of the highest tax rates and a socialist government, and lives there by choice *because* of the advantages of that system. Yet she considers her father a "hero" for acting out against government/taxes?

Let's be clear...Joseph Stack was a terrorist and murderer, and his daughter Samantha is a hypocrite and an idiot.

Technorati Tags: Politics, Terrorism, Joseph Stack, Samantha Bell, Tea Party

Bill would ban federal currency in South Carolina

South Carolina will no longer recognize U.S. currency as legal tender, if State Rep. Mike Pitts has his way.

Pitts, a fourth-term Republican from Laurens, introduced legislation earlier this month that would ban what he calls “the unconstitutional substitution of Federal Reserve Notes for silver and gold coin” in South Carolina.

If the bill were to become law, South Carolina would no longer accept or use anything other than silver and gold coins as a form of payment for any debt, meaning paper money would be out in the Palmetto State.

State Rep. Pitts is a moron. What would he have people do when they are paid in U.S. currency (like military personnel, federal employees in SC, those whose companies pay them in dollars)?

What a moronic proposal. And you guessed it...Rep. Pitts is a conservative Republican. That's conservatism for you...idiotic throwback proposals to the 1700's.

Technorati Tags: Politics, Stupidity, Republicans, Conservatives, South Carolina

Domestic terrorist Andrew Joseph Stack III

For a guy who had his life "ruined" by the IRS, he had enough to buy a $230,000 house and owned an airplane. Couldn't have been too bad off. Maybe if he'd have *paid his taxes* like a law abiding citizen, he wouldn't have lost his business licenses.

I feel no pity for (apparently wealthy, or well off) domestic terrorists. If I believed in hell, I'd hope he burns in it...

Authorities said Andrew Joseph Stack III, 53, an Austin resident with an apparent grudge against the Internal Revenue Service, set his house on fire Thursday and then crashed a Piper Cherokee PA-28 into the building, which houses an IRS office with nearly 200 employees, federal officials said.

Technorati Tags: Politics, Terrorism, Taxes, IRS, Tea Party, Andrew Joseph Stack III

Grave dancing...a disgusting practice regardless of the (R) or (D) behind the name

Take a lesson here (and yes, I know, the left does it just as much)...this is what is wrong with political discourse in this country. It's one thing to get heated and sling a bit of mud when debating contentious issues...while not always appropriate or nice, it happens. Believe me, I slung plenty of mud at folks like George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Karl Rove, and I could get pretty heated. However, I can personally say I never danced on someone's grave (at least I hope I didn't). There are those who passed who I very, VERY passionately disagreed with, to the point of thinking them an idiot and a disgrace, but we are all human beings, too.

With that in mind, go read some of the comments on Malkin's site. Murtha was a decorated U.S. Marine and Vietnam vet, by the way, and a long serving member of the U.S. House. Here are some of the excerpts:

"Hey Murtha, Have fun burning in hell with Ted Kennedy. When you violate your oath to the Constitution and destroyed people’s lives and reputations, you get No sympathy from me."

"Hopefully Inouye is next." (Sen. Dan Inouye, D-HI, a Medal of Honor awardee for service in WWII after he was himself a detainee in a U.S. detention camp for being of Japanese ancestry).

"I’m afraid I have no apologies for having cheered out loud when I heard Murtha was dead – the world is a better place now."

"Wish I could travel so I could take a piss on the traitor’s grave."

"Wow, my bad day just got changed to good. Thanks Jack!"

Nice, eh? And folks, that is really what is wrong with politics these days. We just don't have opposing ideologies or points of view...the "other side of the aisle" is considered a blood enemy now, one not to be tolerated or compromised with.

And that is pathetic, as are the comments (and, frankly, the entire website) at michellemalkin.com.

Technorati Tags: Politics, Murtha, Gravedancing

Brennan briefed GOP leaders on Christmas bomber

White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan revealed on Meet the Press that he briefed four Republican congressional leaders on Christmas night about the arrest of the "underwear bomber" and the handling of the case.

Said Brennan: "None of those individuals raised any concerns with me, at that point. They didn't say, 'Is he going into military custody? Is he going to be Mirandized?' They were very appreciative of the information. We told them we'd keep them informed. And that's what we did."

The disclosure undermines GOP complaints about the reading of Miranda rights to the Nigerian suspect arrested for the attempted bombing.

So now we have concrete proof that the "concerns" raised later were a political game. They didn't raise any at the time. Only when it would score cheap political points.

Typical Washington politics...reality isn't important, makeing your own party look better (and the other guy's party look worse) is what the real motivation is.

I thought we sent these people up there to work for US, not the various parties/special interests they actually serve.

Technorati Tags: Politics, Republicans, Hypocrisy

Shelby Blocks Nominations Over Redstone Pork

According to the report, Shelby is holding Obama’s nominees hostage until a pair of lucrative programs that would send billions in taxpayer dollars to his home state get back on track. The two programs Shelby wants to move forward or else:

- A $40 billion contract to build air-to-air refueling tankers. From CongressDaily: “Northrop/EADS team would build the planes in Mobile, Ala., but has threatened to pull out of the competition unless the Air Force makes changes to a draft request for proposals.” Federal Times offers more details on the tanker deal, and also confirms its connection to the hold.

- An improvised explosive device testing lab for the FBI. From CongressDaily: “[Shelby] is frustrated that the Obama administration won’t build” the center, which Shelby earmarked $45 million for in 2008. The center is due to be based “at the Army’s Redstone Arsenal.”

Republicans are "supposedly" the party of fiscal repsonsiblity and restraint...so why is Shelby being such a hypocrite? He's making a blatant bribe request, somewhat like Ben Nelson did with the health care bill. Washington is so corrupt that they aren't even subtle about it anymore...it's open and brazen.

The $40 billion contract was also a) previously approved and b) was awarded in error and thereafter rescinded by the Air Force.

How is this even remotely justifiable? I'm sure GOP spinners are already defending it...or (as usual when a Republican does it) ignoring it.

Technorati Tags: Politics, Republicans, Hypocrisy, Porkbusters

Defense Contractors Go Offshore to Avoid Payroll Taxes

Gotta love them patriotic defense contractors...

Countries and regions with reputations as tax havens that were most often used by defense contractors to set up subsidiaries included Singapore, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg and the Cayman Islands. The biggest offender studied was Kellogg Brand and Root (KBR), which was registered in the Cayman Islands.

KBR...part of Halliburton...Dick Cheney's old company.

Why am I not surprised?

Technorati Tags: Politics, Hypocrisy, Tax Evasion, Republicans