WASHINGTON DC – The top U.S. official in charge of archiving federal records testified Tuesday that the IRS ran afoul of the law by neglecting to tell his office that a trove of emails from the woman at the center of the targeting scandal disappeared after an apparent hard drive crash.

Archivist of the U.S. David Ferriero, speaking before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, made clear that federal agencies are supposed to report whenever their records are destroyed or even accidentally deleted. But he said that after emails from embattled IRS official Lois Lerner vanished after a computer failure in 2011, nobody told the National Archives.
“They did not follow the law,” Ferriero said.  (read more)

As with all complex stories the valuable discoveries come with time.

We now have a pretty good understanding of who, what, where, and why surrounding the 9/11/12 attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi Libya.  We are also better positioned to understand why, or perhaps more importantly why not, certain actions were taken before, during, and in the immediate aftermath of the attack itself.

We know from the Bret Baier interview with Hillary Clinton that she was physically located at her 7th floor office in Washington DC on the night of the attack.   Unfortunately we also know during the November 2012 Thanksgiving holiday a mysterious fire took place in that building.  Well, actually directly above her exact office – cause undetermined.
A “fire” which preceded an unfortunate slip and fall for the Secretary, resulting in a concussion, which led to the discovery of a blood clot, that ultimately delayed her congressional testimony before a Senate Hearing into the events of the night in question.
We know the Libyan uprising began on February 10th of 2011, and we also know that sometime around the end of February 2011 President Obama signed a presidential directive authorizing the State Dept and CIA to begin a covert operation to arm the Libyan “rebels”.
We know the “rebels” were positioned in two strategic places.  Benghazi, and the port city of Darnah, both located in Eastern Libya.
We know this covert operation came to be known as “Operation Zero Footprint“, and fell under the military command authority of NATO not (important to repeat), NOT, the U.S. Military. (more…)

WASHINGTON DC – The White House announced $254.6 million in new aid for Central American countries today.

The money will go toward returning unaccompanied minors who travel to the U.S. illegally to their families and fostering youth centered programs in their home countries, the White House said this afternoon.

The assistance to the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras announced today is in addition to the $130 million in aid the U.S. already provides those countries in economic assistance.
The U.S. has also decided to begin detaining families at the border instead of giving them court dates and releasing them. (more…)

People are calling this: “Paul Ryan Obliterates…” Others say: “Paul Ryan goes off…”
Sorry for disagreeing but this video is neither of those…. AND that’s the problem.
No-one calls these government corruptocrats what they are, “liars”.
If this is the best outrage that GOP congress can muster, they’re toast. That is a weak, wishy-washy, limp-wristed, non-confrontational exchange filled with order and rule delivery. It’s well past time to make a few headlines with a significantly more impactful delivery.

Our republic is under attack direct attack from within.  This poses an even greater risk than could be delivered from a foreign nation. (more…)

A Nation is a family. And those that swear an oath to defend that nation form a tighter family — one that depends on the loyalty of each member to protect their very lives. In his latest FIREWALL, Bill Whittle discusses the cultural disconnect not only of Bowe Bergdahl, but of the people who traded five deadly terrorists for his return.

Funny, well sort of, “it takes a Bush to protect vital U.S. interests” ie. American Citizens…. (the headlines write themselves) ….

WASHINGTON DC […] Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush to move from the North Arabian Sea into the Persian Gulf, which CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reported Friday was expected to happen. The Bush is carrying fighter jets that could easily get to Iraq.

“The order will provide the commander in chief additional flexibility should military options be required to protect American lives, citizens and interests in Iraq,” Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a statement Saturday.

A guided-missile cruiser, the USS Philippine Sea, and a guided-missile destroyer, the USS Truxtun, would accompany the carrier, Kirby said.  [*NOTE* The ships carry Tomahawk missiles… /SD]  The ships were expected to arrive in the Gulf later Saturday.

Fighters from the al Qaeda splinter group, drawing support from former Saddam Hussein-era figures and other disaffected Sunnis, have made dramatic gains in the Sunni heartland north of Baghdad after overrunning Iraq’s second-largest city of Mosul on Tuesday. Soldiers and policemen have melted away in the face of the lightning advance, and thousands have fled to the self-ruled Kurdish region in northern Iraq. (more…)

Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s campaign spent $168,637 in “steakhouses“ this election cycle (link)

Meanwhile, Dave Brat’s entire 2014 campaign spent $122,723 total.  Period.

(link)

“It takes a village” comes to life, and evolves into – “The village will tell you”, under what circumstances you -the parent- will be allowed to influence their children….. 

MICHIGANDISTAN – One Michigan mother was unpleasantly surprised when she took her daughter to the doctor recently. When she arrived in the office, a notice on the door terrified and angered her.

The note informed patients that a new Michigan law about access to medical records requires doctors (or nurses) to have a “private” conversation with adolescent children ages 12 – 17.

Needless to say this mom was not happy with the notice or the nurse’s insistence that there was no way for her to opt out.

… I asked if this policy was in effect and if so, how could I opt out. The receptionist told me it’s a new law and there is no opting out. Working to keep my cool, I said, “I’m sure there is.” She said, “No, there isn’t.” At which point I asked if I needed to leave and go to the urgent care center because I was not submitting my daughter to such a conversation.

That did not go over well.

(more…)

AFP: Taliban leader Mullah Omar says prisoner swap which freed U.S. soldier Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl was a "big victory"

— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) June 1, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Republican lawmakers on Saturday accused President Barack Obama of breaking the law by approving the release of five Afghan detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in exchange for a U.S. soldier believed held by Islamist insurgents for five years.

The White House agreed that actions were taken in spite of legal requirements and cited “unique and exigent circumstances” as justification.

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, 28, of Hailey, Idaho, was handed over to U.S. special operations forces by the Taliban. In return, five Afghans who were held at a U.S. detention facility in Cuba were released to the custody of the government of Qatar, which served as a go-between in negotiations for the trade. (more…)