WASHINGTON DC – Obama administration officials who were in key positions on Sept. 11, 2012 acknowledge that a range of mistakes were made the night of the attacks on the U.S. missions in Benghazi, and in messaging to Congress and the public in the aftermath.

The officials spoke to CBS News in a series of interviews and communications under the condition of anonymity so that they could be more frank in their assessments. They do not all agree on the list of mistakes and it’s important to note that they universally claim that any errors or missteps did not cost lives and reflect “incompetence rather than malice or cover up.” Nonetheless, in the eight months since the attacks, this is the most sweeping and detailed discussion by key players of what might have been done differently. (more…)

There are just some jaw dropping discoveries coming forth from the Congressional IRS Hearings and the investigative reporting being done into the background and substance of the claims.

(*note* liar avoidance 101 teaches you that when a person says “to be honest with you” as the lead to their next statement – they are NOT to be trusted.  Ever.   Honest people do not need to qualify when they are honest, and when they are lying.)

First: The IRS intentionally withheld the information last year until after the 2012 election cycle because they knew it would destroy the chances for the Democrats and President Obama specifically. Even to the extent they intentionally misled congress:

The Treasury Department’s inspector general testified at a congressional hearing Friday that he had informed Obama administration officials of an investigation into improper scrutiny of conservative non-profit groups by the Internal Revenue Service during the run-up to the 2012 election.

J. Russell George told Treasury’s general counsel of the investigation on June 4, and Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal Wolin — then-Sec. Timothy Geithner’s No. 2 — “shortly thereafter,” according to the New York Times.  (link)

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(Via Slate)  If you are a customer of Verizon Wireless, you might want to consider switching carriers in light of the Associated Press phone snooping scandal.

When the feds came knocking for AP journalists’ call records last year, Verizon apparently turned the data over with no questions asked. The New York Times, citing an AP employee, reported Tuesday that at least two of the reporters’ personal cellphone records “were provided to the government by Verizon Wireless without any attempt to obtain permission to tell them so the reporters could ask a court to quash the subpoena.” (more…)

POTUS deploys Marines for rain in Rose Garden with Turkish PM Erdogan. twitter.com/MajorCBS/statu…

— Major Garrett(@MajorCBS) May 16, 2013

This has all the indicators of reaching the West Wing. Prior Democrats in Congress had espoused the IRS *should* take this approach. With such blatant admissions in 2010, and even 2011 after they lost the House they continued the approach, this is going to be VERY difficult for the administration to firewall.

The DOJ having the authority to do warrantless wiretaps without presenting justification to a judge is alarming. The DOJ having the authority to do such wiretapping against reporters in the media, who provide the fourth estate to protect -and check- the balance of power, is well beyond alarming.

It was only fair that Associated Press reporter Jim Kuhnhenn got the first question to White House Press Secretary Jay Carney at Tuesday’s press briefing. Coming just one day after news broke that the Department Of Justice had secretly seized two months worth of phone records from AP reporters, Kuhnhenn used his question to tie the AP scandal together with the other troubling news stories of the week for the Obama administration.

“For fear of stating the obvious,” Kuhnhenn began, “the White House right now is confronting a confluence of issues: Benghazi talking points, IRS reviews of political groups, Justice Department’s review of journalists’ phone records, and in every instance either the president or you have placed the burden of responsibility someplace else… But it is the president’s administration, so I wonder, doesn’t responsibility for setting tone, for setting direction ultimately rest with the president on these matters?” (more…)

Ever since the name “Francine” came up during the George Zimmerman hearing(s) as the author of the DeeDee statement, and chaperone for the August 2012 visit to Jacksonville, many people have been puzzled by exactly who this person could be.

According to statements/testimony during the discovery hearings, during her deposition Witness #8 (aka Dee Dee) claimed the letter/statement with her signature was not authored by her, but by a person named “Francine” of unknown  (to W8) last name.  It was also stated during the more recent hearing that “Francine” accompanied Witness #8 to Jacksonville for a follow-up of some sort with the State’s attorney.

Many people have been chewing this revelation over and speculating about who “Francine” might be.   It is an interesting consideration. (more…)

Thermonuclear Splodey Head Warning:  Liberals Coast To Coast rabid with worry about the potential sale of the Tribune Co. media organization to the Koch Brothers.

Nothing would bring such joy to the Patriot movement than to see this sale take place.  Far-left “Liberals” have historically held a death grip on the media complex – this would be a serious blow to their media stranglehold.   

Los Angeles […]  As Tribune Co. emerges from a four-year bankruptcy, the predominantly Democratic city is quivering at the rumor that libertarian billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch may be interested in buying the LA Times. The brothers are believed to be the only group prepared to buy all eight Tribune papers, including the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel and Hartford Courant, as a package — how Tribune would like to sell them.  (link)

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Imagine the media response if George Bush were in office and the groups targeted were liberals…

WASHINGTON Associated Press  — A federal watchdog’s upcoming report says senior Internal Revenue Service officials knew agents were targeting tea party groups in 2011.

The disclosure contradicts public statements by former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman, who repeatedly assured Congress that conservative groups were not targeted.

On Friday, the IRS apologized for what it acknowledged was “inappropriate” targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see if those groups were violating their tax-exempt status. (more…)