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House Judiciary Committee approved House Bill 4770, which seeks to define the word journalist.

The
goal is to distinguish between those who should see accident records immediately (vehicle owners,
prosecutors, journalists, etc.) and those who shouldnt (the vulture-lawyers).


DEFENSE. The Senate is also expected to consider the defense authorization bill, and it is expected to
pass this week. The Heritage Foundation explains the importance of the National Defense Authorization
Act (NDAA) and its passage:
Congress exercises its Constitutional responsibility to provide for the common defense by passing key
pieces of legislation: the annual defense appropriations billand the NDAA, which sets forth the policies
that guide how that money is spent. The NDAA also provides direction and guidance on a host of
Pentagon activities. Congress has not passed a budget in years. The NDAA is all that is left. Now it looks
like Sen. Reid is willing to let the NDAA die on his watch.

GM's CEO rejects repaying Feds for bailout losses

Peter-King-Launched-Anti-Cruz-PAC

Feds spend tax dollars collecting human urine...
Govt Blatantly Wasted $30 Billion This Year...
'Wastebook'...
Ryan-Murray Deal Increases Deficit by at Least $15.5B
Ten Ways Congress Is Blowing Taxpayer Money
Feds Spent Almost $1 Million on Romance Novel Website
Sessions: Budget Deal Uses Double Counting Just Like Obamacare
12 GOP Senators Join Democrats to Support Ryan-Murray Budget
[The 12 Republicans supporting cloture are: Lamar Alexander (TN), Roy Blunt (MO), Saxby Chambliss
(GA) Susan Collins (ME), Jeff Flake (AZ), Orrin Hatch (UT), John Hoeven (ND), Johnny Isakson (GA), Ron
Johnson (WI), John McCain (AZ), Lisa Murkowski (AK) and Rob Portman (ON).]
Sessions-Ryan-Murray-budget-deal-uses-double-counting-just-like-Obamacare
Corker-comes-out-swinging-against-Ryan-Murray-budget-deal

Rand Paul: Christians Want to Fight Wars for the Chosen People: Rand Paul is Ron Paul with more
subtlety, sometimes; other times hes about as subtle as his father.


Rush Limbaugh: Tea Party 'Way of Life' Under Assault
Scott-Brown-Sells-MA-Home-Campaign-for-Senate-in-NH-Seems-Inevitable
Upcoming-Senate-Races-Loom-Over-Democrats


Republicans Will Totally Kick Butt On The Debt Ceiling
You can stop laughing now.

I can answer what they are going to try and get. Nothing. Bupkis. Diddly squat.

After throwing away the hard-fought success that was the sequester for fairly dust and unicorn farts
twenty years down the road, Paul Ryan and the House GOP leadership is now trying to convince us that
they will TOTALLY GO TO THE MATTRESSES ON THE DEBT CEILING.

We all know that isnt going to happen.

George Wills Libertarian Evolution: Q&A on Obama, Syria, & the Power of Choice


2014: The Year of the Primaries
Next year Republican primary voters will have an unprecedented number of choices for whom to
nominate to the United States Senate. There have never been so many primary challenges against such
high-level and long-serving members of the Senate.

There are now primary challenges in Kentucky, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina, Kansas,
and Wyoming. The challengers vary in degrees of viability, competence, and skill. Not all of them have
been endorsed by conservative groups; not all of them necessarily will receive endorsements. But all of
these states are represented by entrenched ruling class Republicans of yesteryear. They are also all
states Mitt Romney carried by a comfortable margin
obama-steals-billions-from-veterans

The Political Corollary to You Will Be Made to Care
Many of you are convinced you can sit on the sidelines or quietly take the side of the Republican
Establishment in the upcoming primary season. Many of you are convinced it does not matter. Many of
you are convinced that the GOP will do the right thing once they have control.

Many of you will be made to care by a Republican Party intent on writing you off while taking your
money and vote.

Right now, while the GOP has stoked your anger over Barack Obamas IRS harassing conservative
groups, Senator Mitch McConnell and an orchestrated outside campaign of lobbyists, consultants, and
donors are attacking conservative organizations. They are harassing donors to conservative
organizations. They are harassing and intimidating the vendors to conservative organizations. They are
doing exactly what the IRS is doing, only with Big Louie knocking at the door instead of a tax code
wielding agent.

They will make you care.

Hope Yes, Vote No is Not a Winning Equation
Despite the fact that the Ryan-Murray budget deal passed the House with overwhelming support, it was
not a slam dunk in the Senate as of late last week. Without Paul Ryans strong influence, individual GOP
senators were leery of the deal. Even the defense hawks view this deal as too little too late.

The Senate whip count began with only one Republican John McCain vocally supporting the deal.
Moreover, its not a sure thing that there wont be any Democrat defections either. On Sunday, Senator
Dick Durbin was worried he wouldnt get 60 votes for the deal. He candidly noted that a handful of
members of the Senate are vying for the presidency in years to come and are thinking about this vote in
that context and others are, frankly, afraid of this new force, the Tea Party force, the Heritage
Foundation force, that is threatening seven out of the 12 senators running for reelection.


Dr. Milton Wolf for Senate
In the past six months, Senator Pat Roberts has been a rock ribbed, small government conservative. He
has stood with Ted Cruz. He has fought the fight. Hes done in the sixth year of his term everything
conservatives have wanted. And thats pretty unusual because in the last five years Pat Roberts has
stood with his leadership even against conservatives.

We have seen this before. Orrin Hatch, bless his heart, went through 2012 pounding his chest and
throwing red meat to the crowd. To heck with plans for amnesty, said Hatch. Shut down the government
if thats what it takes to stop Obamacare, campaigned Hatch. No more debt increases, no more
spending, no more big government Hatch was a reformed and repentant Senator.

Conservatives decided they could forgive him the prior five years of his record and his kissy face with
Ted Kennedy. They re-elected him.

He immediately went back to amnesty. He gave up fighting Obamacare. Hes cool with raising taxes in
the Murray-Ryan budget plan. Hes okay with growing government. Secure with another six year term
unaccountable to voters, Hatch went back to his old ways.

Conservatives need to stop being played the fool by incumbent Senators who find religion in their
election year. We can do better in Kansas. We can support Dr. Milton Wolf.



budget-battle: democrats-block-amendment-to-restore-military-retirement-benefits
Sessions: Ryan-Murray Budget Deal Uses Double Counting Just Like Obamacare
McCain: Republicans Who Vote Against Budget Deal Lack Intellectual Integrity
Sessions: Bill Increases Deficit by at Least $15.5B
Loss of Faith in GOP Kept Conservatives Out of Ryan-Murray Budget Fight


Sessions-detailed-Ryan-Murray-spending-bill-issues-in-section-by-section-analysis

Huckabee, a former baptist minister, compared the tea party groups' adherence to conservative
principals to religion: When the movement becomes, sort of, focused in a handful of groups that are
raising funds to attack Republicans and the criteria for being attacked is the difference you might have in
the tactic of the party, not the philosophy of the party, I think that is what Boehner and the others are
really reacting to. Governing is tough politics is not theology. Its easy to be pure when you are talking
about theology.

HUCKABEE DEFENDS BOEHNER'S TEA PARTY ATTACK: 'POLITICS IS NOT THEOLOGY'

Disabled military retirees NOT exempt
Senate Dems side with illegal immigrants over veterans
VETS TAKE THE CUTS

Rush: Maybe GOP Doesn't Dislike Obamacare That Much
Krauthammer To Manchin: 'Why Don't You Fess Up and Become a Republican?'
Democrat Resignation Could Mean Smooth Sailing for Mia Love

Sorry GOP, an 'R' Is Not Enough [by Dr. Milton Wolf]



BOEHNER REBUKES TEA PARTY
Boehner Fed Up With 'Ridiculous' Tea Party Intransigence on Budget

msnbcs rachel-maddow claimed that, in senate-races, the gop is repeating mistakes

republican-center-bites-back

PALIN: READ MY LIPSTICK: NO NEW TAXES
Huckabee: I May Run for President in 2016

TEA PARTY: Boehner 'declared war'...

Heritage Action: The iTunes of Politics

conservative-activist-thwarted-after-trying-to-name-nevada-peak-after-reagan
tea-party-brews-2016-presidential-straw-poll and-cruz
"GOP RINO'S" SUPPORT PRESIDENT OBAMA'S LIBERAL, SOCIALIST SPENDING AGENDA
Politico: Voter ID, Abortion Restrictions Result of 'Hotbed Conservatism'
Flashback: Director of GOP Group Financed by Labor Unions Wants Higher Taxes
gop-divide-could-stall-defense-bill
Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS Provided 85% of Funding for Norquist's ATR in 2012
Tea Party Patriots: Paul Teller Firing Act of War Against Conservatives
GOP Senators to Hold Talkathon to Counter 'Nuclear Option'
rsc-fired-executive-director for leaking
Palin gets new reality TV show
Tea partiers line up to tackle GOP senators
I need your renewed support today by signing the Tea Party Leadership Fund's petition to draft Sarah
Palin to the U.S. Senate

Daily Beast Preemptively Calls Sexism on Clinton Attacks in 2016

Dishonest, Orwellian word games undermine the GOPs credibility, argues Sean Davis at The Federalist.
Do you know who Paul Teller is? Heres why it matters that he got fired from a Republican group.
Ann Barnhardt claims the TPM hasnt performed adequately

USA-Today-Chief:-Amnesty-2013-Biggest-Loser

PETER KING: RAND PAUL IS 'ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE,' HAS 'DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR'
Republicans appear to hold edge in Senate races, as party fortunes ebb and flow


Neal Boortz: Social Conservatives Will Keep Republicans from Taking Senate

GOP-Establishment-Group-Backed-By-Labor-Unions-Wants-Higher-Taxes

The Republican establishment and labor unions view the Tea Party as a common enemy. And the
establishment group that labor unions have been financing has not only openly declared war on the Tea
Party, but its director has even advocated for more taxes.
Former Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-OH) is leading the deceptively named "Defending Main Street" PAC
that is seeking to raise at least $8 million from Wall Street to "beat the snot out" of the Tea Party.
LaTourette has supported tax increases and alleged that the Tea Party of not caring about economic
freedom.
And according to a report in National Journal, "the International Union of Operating Engineers and the
Laborers' International Union of North America, directed a combined $400,000 to the Republican group
in September and October." The group has "not yet submitted a major donor disclosure to the Federal
Election Commission," but the donations were revealed in other documents filed by the labor
organizations.
Defending Main Street has reportedly raised $2 million to wage war against the Tea Party starting in the
2014 midterm elections, which means Big Labor is responsible for at least 20 percent of the group's
funds.
Appearing on CNN's Crossfire on November 4, with guest-host Larry Elder, LaTourette supported more
taxes and said Republicans would only win if it abandoned the Tea Party.
"Republicans can win the game if they act like Republicans. And that doesn't mean acting like the Tea
Party," he said. "It means acting like Republicans who care about economic freedom, economic -- or
individual liberty," he said.
Newt said Boehner doesnt mind it when Cruz is attacked.
NJ Paper Accuses Christie of 'Censorship' of Sandy Fund Records
Court orders Christie administration to reveal New Jersey pension probe secrets
NJ's Paper Criticizes Christie for Keeping 'Eyes on the Presidency'
grover-norquist-sizes-up-2016-presidential-primary
GOP targets Hillary 2016
ted-cruz-spinal-tap
MOODY'S lowers NJ debt outlook to negative, citing slow recovery
Stockman challenges Cornyn
Cochran to run for reelection


Boehner's office blasts

Were Back to the Next Fight
The past three years of GOP control in the House have been marked by the rallying cry of fighting the
next time. With every budget deadline comes a degree of leverage from which Republicans can extract
concessions on reducing the size of government. Yet with every budget battle, House leadership shirks
from the fight and blithely points to the next battle the debt ceiling as the consummate opportunity
to push for reforms. After all, a budget battle raises the stakes of a government shutdown.
DC Lobbyists Cheer Boehner's War on Tea Party
Brit Hume: Boehner Finally 'Strong Enough' to Take On Tea Party
Why Business, GOP Attacking Tea Party Could Backfire Big Time
Gingrich Supports Boehner's 'Brilliant Politics', Would Have Done Same
kathleen-parker-republicans-rise-up-against-their-right-wing

Tis the season, and Nancy Pelosi has given the hands-down best gift to the American
people her phrase Embrace the suck.
Miraculous.

Offered to fellow Democrats as a push to pass the bipartisan budget bill, the phrase has
all the characteristics necessary to ensure a permanent place in the popular lexicon. Its
succinct, raunchy-esque and, most important, you know exactly what it means. It
sucks, but its the best well get.
In no time, Embrace The Suck (ETS) had its own hashtag and was launched into the
Twitterverse. Suckitude is aloft at a time when nothing floats.
Punctuating her epitaph-ready mandate, Pelosi added a characteristic subtitle: We
need to get this off the table so we can go forward, which sounds similar to her
previous comment on the Affordable Care Act (ACA): We have to pass the bill so that
you can find out what is in it.
We now know she wasnt kidding. The ACA rollout continues to reveal hitches, glitches
and pitches that have Geppettos Pinocchio nose factory working overtime.
And Republicans are on fire. The real story isnt that a bipartisan budget bill has been
hammered out but that House Speaker John Boehner has ignited.
He and others of like mind obviously have decided to sacrifice party unity in the interest
of national well-being. What a concept. Over a couple of days during the budget
negotiations, Boehner turned both barrels on insurrectionists both inside and outside
Congress especially the big conservative action groups that have undermined any
efforts at compromise and bipartisanship.
Depending on how things shake out in the remaining days of the jolly season, we could
be witnessing the first shots of an old-guard revolution from which emerges the leader
Republicans have been waiting for.
Center stage: Paul Ryan.
As all know, the budget deal was crafted by Ryan and Democrat Patty Murray. Its a not-
grand bargain i.e., it sucks but its something, and it staves off another budget
crisis through fiscal year 2015.
Boehners rather sudden, unexpected attack on conservative groups such as Heritage
Action, FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity was to many minds overdue. He
condemned the groups for forcing tea party Republicans into corners and encouraging
them to fight battles they couldnt possibly win. Boehner has always thought this,
insiders tell me, but had never expressed it publicly. His statements this past week were
bold and consequential.
Conservative advocacy groups are using our members, and theyre using the American
people for their own goals, he said. This is ridiculous.
Deliciously refreshing, if I do say. His remarks also leave tea party members of Congress
a little wiggle room by implying that, though they acted in good faith, they were being
manipulated by powerful forces.
This is the part where Angry Tough Guy creates contrast for Cool Pocket-Protector
Jock the budget-savvy, fully seasoned, conservative-but-sane presidential candidate
with crossover appeal. No longer is Ryan the kid standing next to the grown-up, he has
matured into a full-throated advocate for bipartisan problem-solving with a tough
stance on fiscal restraint, who is also humorous, humble and respectful toward his
political opponents. He even speaks with greater authority than when he was Mitt
Romneys sidekick.
At first glance, one wonders whether Republicans are spiking their coffee with
testosterone. Whats clear is that the era of Boehners bottom-up approach to
leadership has ended. Not again will he allow the obstructionist wing of the party to
force showdowns and shutdowns that hurt the American people and the Republican
Party. Even if he has to draft Democrats to help him, Boehner enjoys the further benefit
of speaking the truth.
Meanwhile, concurrent with Boehners one-man firing squad, a significant sub-story was
unfolding. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), leader of the Republican Study Committee,
orchestrated the departure of his chief of staff, Paul Teller, who is beloved by these
same conservative groups. Teller was thought to be leaking information on budget and
other negotiations to these organizations, according to inside sources.
Boehner hinted at this when he responded to a question about conservative opposition:
You mean the groups that came out and opposed [the budget deal] before they ever
saw it?
Gee, how did they know?!
What everyone will know soon enough is that Paul Ryan is The Guy the missing leader
the GOP has been searching for and who is clearly being groomed for 2016. Until then, if
Boehner continues playing hardball and prevails, Democrats really may have to follow
Pelosis imperative come 2014 and thereafter.

LaTourettes Infidelity

SEN. JOHN CORNYN - "Stuck in the Middle: Harry Reid to the left of him. The tea party to the right.
Senator John Cornyn oe challenges of running a 'big tent' GOP in a time of fierce partisanship," by Brian
D. Sweany ... CORNYN, on how the tea party has affected the Republican Party : "I don't know how we
got off on this track where some people are welcome in our party and some people are not. Hence my
reference to Ronald Reagan's line, 'What do you call someone who agrees with you eight times out of
ten? An ally, not a twenty-percent traitor.' Well, we're at a point where you can agree with someone 98
percent of the time, but they think of you as a 2-percent traitor, which is just an impossible standard."
--On Ted Cruz and the government shutdown: "It's a difference of opinion within the family about the
tactics of achieving a goal, not the goal itself. ... I thought the effort to defund ObamaDontCare was not
achievable, and I think the facts bear that out. I've made mistakes in how I've approached certain things,
and I've learned from every one of them. That's part of being a rational human being."
http://goo.gl/dCtn3g
--2014 WATCH - "Tea party firebrand Steve Stockman to challenge Texas Sen. John Cornyn," by Dallas
Morning News' Todd J. Gillman in D.C.: "Sen. John Cornyn drew a surprise challenge Monday from U.S.
Rep. Steve Stockman, a tea party-style congressman with a penchant for political theater. The two-term
senator was poised to escape any serious challenge until Stockman sprung his last-minute move, giving
up his safe Houston-area seat to take aim at Republicans' deputy leader in the U.S. Senate. ...
"Voters turned Stockman out of office after one term in 1994; he drew widespread ridicule by claiming
that the Branch Davidian siege near Waco was a pretext for widespread gun confiscation. After a
comeback last year, he brought rocker Ted Nugent to the State of the Union address, to dramatize his
views on gun rights. And he's called for Barack Obama's impeachment. Cornyn [has] been ranked as the
second-most conservative senator." http://goo.gl/JUflfP
stockman-will-primary-cornyn


2016 POTUS

Cruz
POLL: Ted Cruz 3rd 'most influential' world leader, behind pope, Obama
Ted Cruz Has Obama Seriously Worried
senate conservatives have distilled the U.S. Senate Races by providing an interactive map [and links that
provide info about each of these races; there are 35 U.S. Senate seats up for election in 2014 and, of
those seats, 14 are currently held by Republicans and 21 are held by Democrats.
The Legal Limit: The Obama Administration's Attempts to Expand Federal Power - by Senator Ted Cruz

One conversation held a few days ago with a prominent GOP-attorney recalled [in his mind] the danger
of Cruzs effort as it simultaneously recalled *in my mind+ how close Cruzs effort came to demonstrating
that BHOs dire claims regarding both the debt-ceiling and ObamaDontCare were illegitimate. Thus, the
hyperlinks to be provided are intended to provide documentation in real-time of my views.

Cruz Responds To Coloring Book Controversy
Recently a story made the rounds concerning a coloring book about Senator Ted Cruz published by the
Really Big Coloring Book company. While the company didnt work with Senator Cruz or his staff on the
project, and have previously printed political comic books, that didnt stop political adversaries of Cruz
from associating him with the book.

Today, Senator Cruzs office chose to respond to the controversy by issuing the following statement:

We hope all who enjoy the book color it in bright bold colors, and not pale pastels, just as Ronald
Reagan would have wanted.

Interestingly, the coloring book is on its third printing in six days and is selling very well.


Christie
commentarymagazine christies-old-school-style is marketable
In an era in which the most popular complaint about Congress and other branches of government is one
of dysfunction, it may be an opening for a candidate who is not ashamed of exercising power. Christies
brand is not just that of a tough-talking guy but also one that touts him as a man who can get things
done even if means ruffling feathers and stepping on a lot of toes. Whether such a stance will play well
in Middle America, especially in southern and western states where conservatives are already skeptical
about Christies supposed moderation, is open to doubt. But since a shift to a cuddlier Christie is unlikely
and liable to be viewed as fake, if he is to be elected president it will have to be on these terms.
gingrich predictred perry-christie showdown in 16 [I think Cruz will supplant Perry in Texas and, thus,
will assume the role of advocating for GOP-Reform, rather than reaching again for elusive moderate
voters; the ambient narrative that only governor should be nominated is a subtle way to marginalize
Cruz.]

Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan Doubles Down on Cutting Veteran Pensions
Military Pension Cuts Now Unsure; Changes Likely
Fact Check: Paul Ryan Twisted Truth to Sell Budget Deal to House
Ryan's Committee Scrubs Doc of Claim to Protect Disabled Vets' Pensions
Paul Ryan Dismisses Idea that Budget Deal Derailed any Presidential Ambitions
paul-ryan-conservative-outside-groups-part-of-our-family
military-veterans-scathing-open-letter-to-paul-ryan-is-set-to-go-viral

Others
huckabee-50-50-chance-i-run-for-president-in-2016
huckabee-creating-the-huckabee-post
Mike Huckabee quits radio show, sets sights on 2016
huckabee-attacked-as-he-hints-at-2016-run-for-president


rick-perry-is-headed-to-iowa
the-filthy-mouth-of-hillary-clinton
under-the-radar-clintons-take-back-dnc-control-as-2016-creeps-closer
Howard Dean: 'God Help Us' if Cruz Becomes President
can-gop-candidates-ignore-iowa-caucus-2016
Cruz disputes claim of dual citizenship with Canada
chris-christie-tops-potential-2016-gop-presidential-field-in-mississippi

Peter King: Rand Paul Slandering NSA Officials
gop-sues-to-force-obama-compliance-on-fast-and-furious
infected-intelligence-system
ted-cruz-releases-birth-certificate-and-is-apparently-a-canadian-citizen
Media's Cruz Derangement Syndrome: 'Creepy,' 'Abrasive,' Born in Canada
redstate-gathering
Perry Ramps Up Speculation on 2016 Presidential Run
'I'm in this business to win'
texas-lt-gov-personally-called-police-in-failed-attempt-to-spring-niece-from-jail
BUSH DAUGHTER: Hillary should run
FLASH: Howard Dean traveling to Iowa!
The New York Times takes down the Clinton Foundation. This could be devastating for Bill and Hillary
PAPER TAKES DOWN CLINTON FOUNDATION
'Ran multimillion-dollar deficits, despite vast amounts of money flowing in'
Rife with Cronyism
Website knocked offline
George W. Bush's Daughter: Hillary Should Run
Rand Paul
CONSERVATIVE COLUMNIST KATHLEEN PARKER: 'HILLARY CAN SAVE THE WORLD'
hillary-to-the-rescue-clinton-to-kick-off-series-of-speeches-to-bolster-trust-in-government
Maureen Dowd: Clintons Think 'They're Entitled to Everyone's Money'
NBC's Todd: Hillary's Speeches Hasten Obama's 'Lame Duck Status'
Media Matters Attacks NYT over Clinton Foundation Expos

CRUZ COLORING BOOK RACKING UP HUGE SALES
DEM REP: I TALKED TO CRUZ AND HAVE 'NO DOUBT' HE IS RUNNING IN 2016


2014 - Congress

do-nothing-congress

congress-least-productive-ever

U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Donahue told Fox News Channel's Neil Cavuto on Thursday he
plans on his organization being involved in the upcoming Republican primaries, more than the actual
general elections.

Mitch-McConnell-Im-a-Big-Fan-of-Tea-Party


gop-2014-strategy-attract-minority-votes-reinforce-red-state-strongholds

justin-amash-afraid-obama-is-setting-the-stage-for-something-very-dangerous-in-the-future

ObamaCare Fallout Tightens Key Senate Races
Will the Senate Hold?
sarah-palin-for-senate: read-my-lipstick-no-new-taxes

Sarah Palin almost immediately went on the record to defend Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertsons
comments about homosexuality, but then admitted days later during an appearance on Fox News On
the Record with Greta Van Susteren that she had not yet even bothered to read the GQ interview that
ignited the controversy.
I havent read the article, Palin told Susteren on Monday (see video above) when asked if she was
bothered by Robertsons graphic description of homosexuality. I dont know exactly how he said it,
but what he was doing was in response to a question about a lifestyle that he disagrees with.
Palin began weighing in on the issue over Facebook last week the same day A&E suspended Robertson
indefinitely for comments GLAAD described as hateful and anti-gay.
Free speech is an endangered species, Palin wrote. Those intolerants hatin and taking on the Duck
Dynasty patriarch for voicing his personal opinion are taking on all of us.
When Robertson was asked what he considers sinful, the born-again Christian TV star told
GQ homosexual offenders wont inherit the kingdom of God because its not right.
Also read: Duck Dynasty Flap: Bristol Palin Blasts Hypocritical Gays
Palin initially appeared on Fox News last Thursday to talk about the issue with Sean Hannity, and stated
it was all about freedom, free speech.
You know, so many American families have spilled blood and treasure to guarantee Phil Robertson and
everybody elses right to voice their personal opinions and once that freedom is lost, everything is lost in
our country, Palin said.
When Susteren mentioned that people loosely use the term free speech when discussing
Robertsons troubles with A&E, Palin clarified attorneys can decide whether its a legal free speech
issue or not.
The post Sarah Palin Defended Duck Dynastys Phil Robertson Without Even Reading His GQ Interview
(Video) appeared first on TheWrap.
Palin: MSM Obsession with Santa's Race 'Bizarre'

stockman-faces-long-odds-against-incumbent-cornyn
Poll: Cornyn Crushing Primary Challenger Stockman
Rep. Steve Stockmans most outrageous abortion tweets
stockman-will-vote-no-on-budget-deal-urges-senators-to-block-vote


Farm

House eyes short-term farm bill
Reformers could be key on farm bill
heritageaction.com//morning-action farm-bill-budget-unemployment-insurance-ObamaDontCare
heritage.org//eight-things-watch-farm-bill
farrakhan-home-in-obamas-old-neighborhood-got-$100k-in-farm-subsidies



Overview

Congress: The great American problem
Glenn Beck Says John Boehner is Worthless
Boehner Shows True Colors to Tea Party with Ryan-Murray Budget Deal

GOP INSIDERS, 'CONSIDER YOURSELF SERVED' - Republican firebrand files 'divorce papers' against
establishment
boehner-faces-all-out-revolt-from-right-wing

gop-leadership should favor taxpayers over defense-contractors

democrats-senate-choose-illegal-aliens-servicemen
phoenix-tea-party-leader-the-gop-has-lost-its-way
government_separated_from_the_people_cannot_stand

Mike Lee Explains Why Congress Must Stop Obama
u-s-general-calls-for-massive-march-on-congress-white-house
crony-capitalists-seek-protection-by-partnering-with-the-establishment-gop
congress fakes-fiscal-responsibility as uncle-sam-heads-toward-bankruptcy
Republican establishment and insurgent groups brace for all-out war

10-quotes-that-help-explain-why-so-many-conservatives-dont-trust-the-republican-party
the-tea-party-isnt-going-anywhere

boehner-rove-and-chamber-wage-big-moneyed-assault-against-tea-party

If things are going badly, we're told the GOP should compromise on what it believes in
to start winning elections again. If things are going well, we're told we must turn a blind
eye to the GOP abandoning its beliefs so as not to ruin the great year we're going to
have. The establishment Republicans who are always arguing in favor of trading off
dearly held principles in return for magic beans always claim they're doing it to win
elections, but it's hard to miss the fact that they don't actually seem to be any better at
winning elections than the grassroots conservatives they seem to write off as amateurs.
Setting that aside, winning elections isn't an end unto itself. You win elections in order
to implement your agenda, which win or lose, the GOP never seems to be all that
interested in. If you disagree with that, point out all the great domestic victories we
achieved when the GOP controlled both houses of Congress and the White House.
When Democrats pulled that same trick off, they attempted to fundamentally transform
America while Republicans passed tax cuts and then moved on to big government wish
list items like Medicare Part D, raising spending on the Arts and the now universally
hated No Child Left Behind.
The sad fact of the matter is that while liberals have a very good idea of where their
representatives stand on almost everything, there's NOT A SINGLE ISSUE where
conservatives can just trust Republicans to live up to their campaign promises. If the
Republicans could simply be counted on to do what they said they were going to do and
showed a modicum of respect for the people who put them in office, there would be
very little intraparty fighting. Instead, politicians in D.C. incessantly do things to
aggravate their own supporters and then ask the people who put them in office to set
aside their disappointment in the name of party loyalty. That seems a little backwards
given that the politicians and the Party don't elect the base; the base elects the
Republican Party. The politicians who make promises to get elected are the ones who
owe people, not the grassroots conservatives who put them in office and are now
dismayed at their behavior.
If the Republican Party wants to end all these primary challenges, stop the intraparty
fighting and get everyone to sing Kumbayah, it's really not that hard to do. Do what you
say you're going to do, treat the opinions of your base with respect, and stop picking
fights with the people who put you in power by saying things like....
1) "Read my lips: no new taxes." -- George H. W. Bush's famous pledge not to raise
taxes, which he broke.
2) "The Budget Control Act (Sequestration) represents a victory for those committed to
controlling government spending and growing our economy. I applaud Speaker
Boehners leadership in stopping tax increases on job creators, rejecting President
Obamas demands for a blank check to keep borrowing, and advancing real spending
cuts and controls. The agreement while far from perfect underscores the extent to
which the new House majority has successfully changed Washingtons culture of
spending. No longer can Washington endlessly spend money it does not have." -- Paul
Ryan, who just worked with Democrat to gut the sequester cuts he called
a "victory" and "real spending cuts and controls."
3) "I am strongly against amnesty. The most important thing we need to do is enforce
our existing laws. We have existing immigration laws that are not being adequately
enforced. Nothing will make it harder to enforce the existing laws, if you reward people
who broke them. It demoralizes people who are going through the legal process, its a
very clear signal of why go through the legal process, if you can accomplish the same
thing if you go through the illegal process. And number two, it demoralizes the people
enforcing the laws. I am not, and I will never support any effort to grant blanket
legalization/amnesty to folks who have entered, stayed in this country illegally." --
Marco Rubio, who led the charge for a path to citizenship in 2013.
4) They were elected, nobody believes that there was a corrupt election, anything
else, McCain said. But I also think that when, you know, its always the wacko birds on
right and left that get the media megaphone." Asked to clarify, McCain said he was
referencing Rand Paul, Cruz, Amash, whoever. -- Former GOP Presidential
nominee John McCain on the most popular conservative politicians with the
conservative grassroots.
5) "Frankly, I just think (conservative groups have) lost all credibility." -- House Minority
Leader, John Boehner on conservative groups who, unlike him, actually believe in all the
things he campaigns on when he runs for election.
6) "And then, he says, the next president, whoever he is, 'would have to call a truce on
the so-called social issues. Were going to just have to agree to get along for a little
while,' until the economic issues are resolved." -- Former Indiana Governor Mitch
Daniels suggested we blow off tens of millions of social conservatives who make up part
of the core of the GOP base.
7) Ill just say this about the so-called porkbusters. Im getting damn tired of hearing
from them. They have been nothing but trouble ever since Katrina. Former Senate
Minority Leader Trent Lott complains about the Porkbusters group that demanded he
cut spending and kill earmarks.
8) "With his record of reform in Florida, I know that Governor Crist will bring a fresh
perspective to Washington in our efforts to fight for lower taxes, less government, and
new job creation for all Americans." -- Senator John Cornyn, the Senate's Minority
Whip, endorsing Charlie Crist, who ended up switching parties and speaking at the
Democrat Convention.
9) "The problem with the Tea Party, I think it's just unsustainable because they can
never come up with a coherent vision for governing the country. It will die out." --
Lindsey Graham
10) "Ive abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system." --George
W. Bush explaining his support for the corporate bailouts in TARP.
Incidentally, the solution to all of this is not to leave the Republican Party. To the
contrary, it's to treat the Republican Party like a puppy that's having difficulty with
house training. When Republicans do the right thing, praise them, support them and do
what you can to help them out. When they do the wrong thing, rub their noses in it.
Attack Republicans who betray their principles relentlessly, primary them at every
opportunity and take over the Republican Party so we can shove the politicians who
won't listen to us to the side. While we will never be able to build an entire party full of
men like Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and Rand Paul, we can make it miserable enough for bad
actors that the go-along-to-get-along Republicans will conclude it's better to work with
us than face primaries and incessant attacks from their own side in the new media.
Most people don't realize it, but we have already started moving the Republican Party
to the Right and the time will come when Republicans are just as afraid of their base as
Democrats are of Planned Parenthood and the unions. It's not going to happen
overnight, but if we keep going after Republicans who sell us out, even the ones that are
as hostile as John McCain, Peter King and Lindsey Graham will eventually have to get on
board if they want to keep their jobs.


Dear Congressman Fitzpatrick;

Ruling class politicians like John Boehner trumpet conservative principles when its
convenient, but when you look at their policies they are nothing but a bunch of tax-and-
spend liberals.

Just last night after his smug and pretentious rant, Boehner passed his so called bi-
partisan, back-room budget deal which increases discretionary spending, does nothing
to reform entitlements, and fully funds Obamacare. Not to mention, this last minute
"deal" cuts significantly less than the cuts under the sequester, a long fought bi-partisan
accomplishment.
Exactly what did the President's party offer in compromise? Nothing! Why did Boehner
publicly rant against the Tea Party wing but to divide Conservatives. How dumb is that?
It is an out and out betrayal of the American people.

Jack Potok

kathleen-parker-republicans-rise-up-against-their-right-wing

Tis the season, and Nancy Pelosi has given the hands-down best gift to the American
people her phrase Embrace the suck.
Miraculous.

Offered to fellow Democrats as a push to pass the bipartisan budget bill, the phrase has
all the characteristics necessary to ensure a permanent place in the popular lexicon. Its
succinct, raunchy-esque and, most important, you know exactly what it means. It
sucks, but its the best well get.
In no time, Embrace The Suck (ETS) had its own hashtag and was launched into the
Twitterverse. Suckitude is aloft at a time when nothing floats.
Punctuating her epitaph-ready mandate, Pelosi added a characteristic subtitle: We
need to get this off the table so we can go forward, which sounds similar to her
previous comment on the Affordable Care Act (ACA): We have to pass the bill so that
you can find out what is in it.
We now know she wasnt kidding. The ACA rollout continues to reveal hitches, glitches
and pitches that have Geppettos Pinocchio nose factory working overtime.
And Republicans are on fire. The real story isnt that a bipartisan budget bill has been
hammered out but that House Speaker John Boehner has ignited.
He and others of like mind obviously have decided to sacrifice party unity in the interest
of national well-being. What a concept. Over a couple of days during the budget
negotiations, Boehner turned both barrels on insurrectionists both inside and outside
Congress especially the big conservative action groups that have undermined any
efforts at compromise and bipartisanship.
Depending on how things shake out in the remaining days of the jolly season, we could
be witnessing the first shots of an old-guard revolution from which emerges the leader
Republicans have been waiting for.
Center stage: Paul Ryan.
As all know, the budget deal was crafted by Ryan and Democrat Patty Murray. Its a not-
grand bargain i.e., it sucks but its something, and it staves off another budget
crisis through fiscal year 2015.
Boehners rather sudden, unexpected attack on conservative groups such as Heritage
Action, FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity was to many minds overdue. He
condemned the groups for forcing tea party Republicans into corners and encouraging
them to fight battles they couldnt possibly win. Boehner has always thought this,
insiders tell me, but had never expressed it publicly. His statements this past week were
bold and consequential.
Conservative advocacy groups are using our members, and theyre using the American
people for their own goals, he said. This is ridiculous.
Deliciously refreshing, if I do say. His remarks also leave tea party members of Congress
a little wiggle room by implying that, though they acted in good faith, they were being
manipulated by powerful forces.
This is the part where Angry Tough Guy creates contrast for Cool Pocket-Protector
Jock the budget-savvy, fully seasoned, conservative-but-sane presidential candidate
with crossover appeal. No longer is Ryan the kid standing next to the grown-up, he has
matured into a full-throated advocate for bipartisan problem-solving with a tough
stance on fiscal restraint, who is also humorous, humble and respectful toward his
political opponents. He even speaks with greater authority than when he was Mitt
Romneys sidekick.
At first glance, one wonders whether Republicans are spiking their coffee with
testosterone. Whats clear is that the era of Boehners bottom-up approach to
leadership has ended. Not again will he allow the obstructionist wing of the party to
force showdowns and shutdowns that hurt the American people and the Republican
Party. Even if he has to draft Democrats to help him, Boehner enjoys the further benefit
of speaking the truth.
Meanwhile, concurrent with Boehners one-man firing squad, a significant sub-story was
unfolding. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), leader of the Republican Study Committee,
orchestrated the departure of his chief of staff, Paul Teller, who is beloved by these
same conservative groups. Teller was thought to be leaking information on budget and
other negotiations to these organizations, according to inside sources.
Boehner hinted at this when he responded to a question about conservative opposition:
You mean the groups that came out and opposed *the budget deal] before they ever
saw it?
Gee, how did they know?!
What everyone will know soon enough is that Paul Ryan is The Guy the missing leader
the GOP has been searching for and who is clearly being groomed for 2016. Until then, if
Boehner continues playing hardball and prevails, Democrats really may have to follow
Pelosis imperative come 2014 and thereafter.


Budget Bill

Sen. Murray (D-WA) Refuses Joint Interview with Paul Ryan on Fox News
woodward-budget-deal-happened-because-obama-wasnt-part-of negotiations

coburn-hints-gop-will-cave-debt-limit-negotiations
coburn says-america-in-debt-crisis-not-because-we-didnt-agree-but-because-we-did

tea-party-steps-up-war-words-against-boehner-over-budget-vote

Jeff Sessions: House GOP Didn't Understand Budget Deal Makes It Easier to Spend, Tax
John McCain, 3 GOP Senators To Support Budget Deal

Sessions-Senate-GOP-to-filibuster-Paul-Ryans-budget-deal

John C. Goodman: Congressional leaders have agreed on a budget deal. But it does not solve the long-
term problem of entitlements, which threaten to bankrupt our country. Long-term reform means
privatization and prefunding, so that each generation pays its own way. Former Medicare Trustee and
Senior Fellow Thomas R. Saving and Senior Fellow Andrew Rettenmaier find that if employees and their
employers deposit 4 percent of wages in a personal account every year, the long-term problem of Social
Security would be solved. Based on Saving and Rettenmaier's work, another NCPA study finds that if
workers save and invest another 4 percent of payroll in private accounts, it would solve the problem of
Medicare.
Sen. Toomey: Budget Deal Breaks Caps, Increases Spending
FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 640
The Budget Deal -- and Why We're $17 Trillion in Debt


The congressional budget deal includes some user fees.
For the Washington establishment, thats apparently the politically correct way of telling Americans
theyll be paying more to the federal government. For the rest of us, its a tax increase.
The Ryan-Murray budget deal, which passed the House on a 332-94 vote, includes a number of fee
increases. One would make flying more expensive. Travelers are currently charged $2.50 per flight under
the Transportation Security Administrations airline security fee. Under the budget deal, that would
increase to $5.60 per flight or $11.20 for a round-trip ticket.
Supporters of the deal are claiming this isnt a tax increasebut take a look at your airline receipt. The
airline security charge is just one of the taxes youll see. According to Delta Airlines, theres also the
Domestic Transportation Tax (7.5 percent), Travel Facilities Tax ($8.40), and U.S. International
Transportation Tax ($17.20). These are all considered taxes.
When asked if the user fees were a code name for a tax increase, Representative Tom McClintock (R-
CA) explained it this way: I happen to believe once government spends a dollar they have decided to
tax that dollar. The only question is when and by what means.
And in the case of this airline security fee increase, the money isnt even going back to the TSA to fund
or improve security. Instead, as Heritages Cassandra Lucaccioni explained, it will be deposited annually
into a general fund of the Treasury.
Not all government user fees are problematic. If theyre used to provide services to distinct groups of
individuals or specific businesses or industries, they might make sense. Thats not whats happening
here.
If a higher fee does not directly cover the cost of a government service and instead goes to pay for
more spending, then it is akin to a tax increase, said Curtis Dubay, Heritages senior tax policy analyst.
The budget deal uses the higher fees to cover the cost of more spending; hence it is essentially a tax
hike.
Taxpayers are tired of Washingtons gimmicks and gamesand conservatives on Capitol Hill shouldnt
fall for this sneaky wordplay. The $63 billion spending hike in the Ryan-Murray budget has to come from
somewhere.

Budget Passed by House Eases CUTS Both Parties Dislike...
CONGRESSWOMAN: Harder to recruit federal workers...
ZERO Senate Republicans support Paul Ryan Budget Deal...
Rubio: Will Lead to Debt Crisis...
Plan 'Filibuster'...
Tempers Flare as New Rules Bring Strain

budget-deal-sparks-revolt

boehner-declared-war-on-the-american-people

Dennis Prager: the bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.
Democrats Need Just Five GOP Senators to Back Budget Bill
the budget deal provides an example of how America got $17 trillion in debt


Despite Budget Deal, Atmosphere in DC Remains Toxic

a-washington-budget-deal-republican-style
Boehner blasts GOP budget criticism
The bipartisan budget deal is expected to come to the House floor on Thursday, according to multiple
senior Republican aides. House Republicans emerged from a closed meeting Wednesday morning
confident they were building strong support for the deal, crafted by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen.
Patty Murray (D-Wash.). The legislation sets spending levels and replaces automatic spending cuts for
two years. There is mild opposition among pockets of conservatives.
Inside the budget agreement
It is salted with good government reforms.
o Paul, Crapo to oppose budget deal
o Budget agreement reached
o Conservatives balk at budget deal
o Coburn: I can't support budget deal
o Pritzker backs budget plan 'big deal'

Why timing is right for budget deal
Rep. Paul Ryan and Sen. Patty Murray unveiled a budget proposal Tuesday night. The proposal, which
has yet to be voted on, busts through sequester caps, setting FY 2014 spending at $1.014 trillion
billions beyond the levels mandated by sequester. The proposal contains no mention of pension reform.
Ryan Budget Deal May Hike TSA Fees
Congressional Budget Committee chairs Rep. Paul Ryan and Sen. Patty Murray are working to finalize a
deal on the federal budget. Reportedly, the two are just "a few billion" away from an agreement to fund
government and replace the automatic sequester cuts. The deal may also increase government revenue
through higher "fees" for airline security and other government services. This idea should never get off
the ground.
Budget Kabuki: Ryan & Murray Near Meaningless Deal
ideologues-should-allow-budget-truce-paul-ryan-sequester

breaking-their-word-conservative-groups-cry-foul-over-emerging-budget-plan
House and Senate Negotiators Reach Budget Deal
another-conservative-group-comes-out-against-expected-budget-deal
obama-congress-eye-veterans-pensions-for-budget-chopping-block

scarborough-on-new-budget-deal-conservatives-are-getting-ready-to-get-rolled
House prepares to vote on budget deal

The Big Spenders Return
If Paul Ryan were a Peanuts character, hed be the guy who pulls the football out of the way just as he
himself is about to kick it. Over the past number of years, Congressman Ryan has come up with a few
reform proposals.

From his roadmap to this, he has made as his starting point for negotiations that which should be his
ending point.

Now, with liberal Senator Patty Murray, Congressman Ryan wants to raise spending today on the
promise that Congress will restrain itself ten years from now. Its a return to pre-sequestration
Washington spending increases today in exchange for promises of spending cuts later.

I opposed sequestration at the time the GOP came up with it. I figured theyd do an end run around it.
But they did not. Surprisingly, they stuck with it if only because they couldnt figure out a way to
undermine it without rocking the boat with their base.

Now its looking like they are prepared to rock that boat. . . . please click here for the rest of the post


Emerging Ryan-Murray Deal: More Taxes to Fund ObamaDontCare and Increased Spending
James Madison was very adamant that the power of the purse be preserved in the body of government
that is closest to the people the House of Representatives as a way to redress all grievances against
harmful government interventions. We have a law that is woefully unpopular and universally regarded
as unworkable, yet Republicans have made it abundantly clear to the Democrats that ObamaDontCare
will never be part of the budget negotiations ever again. We have a president who is illegally usurping
the power of Congress on an array of issues, yet Republicans have preemptively abdicated their
authority to reassert their power through the budget process.

Consequently, Democrats are on the cusp of getting everything they want in the upcoming budget bill.
When Democrats are fully committed to growing government and Republicans are publicly committed
to surrendering their leverage on budget bills, we are left with a one-sided deal. Its that simple. . . .
please click here for the rest of the post

Ryan, GOP May Give Up Actual Cuts for 'Future' Cuts, Higher Fees

THE DEALMAKERS - "Why the timing is right for a budget deal," by Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan:
"John Boehner and Barack Obama failed. Harry Reid, Boehner and Mitch McConnell didn't fare much
better. Eric Cantor and Joe Biden barely got started. But with the year winding to a close, Sen. Patty
Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) are nearing a modest, yet important, budget deal that
senior aides say could be rolled out as soon as Tuesday and voted on later this week. After years of fits
and starts, talks marred by leaking and negotiations that sowed distrust, the staunchly conservative
Ryan and loyally liberal Murray have taken advantage of a political climate that's unusually fertile for a
deal. ...
"Boehner and congressional Republicans , bruised from the October shutdown, are desperate to avoid
another all-out budget battle - especially during an election year. Democrats want the government to
have more flexibility to spend its money. The framework under discussion checks boxes ... There are also
the practical considerations that have kept the talks going. If key players can't wrap up the deal, the
threat of another government shutdown looms large - the government runs out of funding again on Jan.
15. Congressional Republicans privately admit that passing a yearlong government funding bill - known
as a continuing resolution - would be next to impossible, so they have every incentive to reach a deal
now. " http://goo.gl/jA9yLt



John Boehner Learned His Lesson
lobbyists-for-foreign-workers-praise-boehners-new-aide
american-conservative-union-tells-lawmakers-to-vote-against-ryan-budget-deal
http://heritageaction.com/2013/12/morning-action: attack on conservatives
http://heritageaction.com/2013/12/top-policy-reasons to oppose-ryan-murray
"GOP RINO'S" Support Obama Budget Deal that jacks up spending in the short-term in exchange for
promises of additional cuts years from now
Ryan-Murray Budget Raises National Debt Above Current Law For 9 Years
pass-it-to-find-out-whats-in-it-ryan-budget-deal-limits-senate-gops-power-to-block-tax-increases
paul-ryan-justifies-his-lousy-budget-deal: elections-have-consequences
democratic-budget-dressed-in-rino-red
its-nothing-personal-conservatives-stand-by-ryan-even-as-they-knock-his-budget
'Wrong Direction': Cornyn, Thune Skeptical of Ryan-Murray Budget Deal
Rand: Budget Deal 'Huge Mistake'
GOP SPLIT ON BUDGET DEAL
STOCKMAN: BUDGET BETRAYAL, FINAL SURRENDER
Cruz: 'Deeply Concerning'
REPORT: McConnell to vote against
Airline fees to increase 124%
House leadership aide compares Ryan to Jesus
Sessions: Ryan-Murray Deal 'Not a Budget'
...Levin: Establishment Replaced 'Patriot' with 'Boehner Lackey'
Civil War: House GOP Fires Conservative from Top Post...
Lamar Alexander's Chief of Staff Arrested on Child Porn Charges
Huelskamp: GOP Losing 'Only Real Significant Spending Restraint'
Limbaugh: Deal Shows GOP Paralyzed with Fear
Newt: Its a Bad and Dishonest Deal
Why the media adore a budget deal that accomplishes so little
Rubio: Budget Deal Fails to Stop Washington Spending Problems
Ted Cruz: Budget Deal 'Deeply Concerning'
Rand: 'Huge Mistake'
Boehner Pushes Back
Ryans-budget-deal-keeps-America-on-path-to-$25-trillion-national-debt
4 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT RYAN-MURRAY BUDGET DEAL
1. The Deal Increases Federal Spending.
2. The Deal Increases Federal Revenue.
3. Spending Cuts Fuel More Spending.
4. The Promised Deficit Reduction Will Never Happen.
RYAN BREAKS DOWN HIS BUDGET DEAL


BOEHNER GOES OFF ON RIGHT
"Though conservatives support more spending restraint, the discretionary spending limits defined in the
Budget Control Act represent a promise to the American people to marginally slow the growth of
government," reads a lettersigned by the heads of Heritage Action, the Family Research Council, and the
American Conservative Union. Heritage Action's Michael Needham penned an op-ed in USA Today on
Tuesday calling the deal "a step backward." The Cato Institute called the deal a "huge Republican cave-
in."
REPORT: McConnell to vote against Ryan plan...
Tea Party turns...
Another-sellout: gop-says-pentagon-gets-to-spend-like-before-sequester, and lobbyists-rejoice

The budget deal worked out by House and Senate negotiators is on the verge of unraveling over the
exclusion of federal unemployment benefits, several leading Democrats warned Wednesday.

Boehner-1-Tea-Party-0

Santelli and Stockman: The budget deal Is a joke and a betrayal. Its the final surrender of the House
Republican leadership.

Is It Worth Breaking Sequester to Save Defense?
One of the main arguments that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) is using in favor of the budget deal struck with
Sen. Patti Murray (D-WA) is that the next wave of sequester cuts under the Budget Control Act would
hurt the military significantly. In fact, the entire Budget Control Act of 2011 hurts the military
disproportionately, since it applies 50% of the cuts to defense, which is only 19% of the budget. But is
that a reason to reduce the cuts?
Here Congress must weigh another consideration: the national debt is "the most significant threat to our
national security," said then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, in August 2010.
Therefore, while present-day cuts would hurt the military in the short to medium term, but a failure to
make overall spending cuts and deficit reductions would endanger national security in the medium to
long term.
The Ryan-Murray budget deal raises overall spending today with promises of future reductions, through
cuts to mandatory spending. That is a dubious proposition, at best. As with the Budget Control Act, now
so readily thrown aside, there is no reason to believe that future Congresses will be bound by changes
made by this one. Nor is there a guarantee that Democrats will not pass side bills on spending such as
unemployment extensions.
The Budget Control Act does not strike the right balance. But it is the only way to achieve even modest
spending cuts, for one simple reason: by sheer accident and miscalculation, the sequester was proposed
by President Barack Obama. That means it is a law that the Democrats cannot easily undo. If
Republicans are to change the sequester at all, they should change its composition, not the total
amount, making other trade-offs if necessary.
The real, underlying problem is Congress's failure to prioritize defense spending above all other
discretionary budget items. Defense is the primary public good, the first priority of any government.
Placing it on a par with student loans and green-energy tax credits is a political perversion. That does not
mean it should take over the whole budget, or that there is no waste in defense spending. But it should
be restored to its place of primacy.
The Ryan-Murray deal does not do that. It does the opposite: it allows Democrats to threaten national
security unless the sequester is lifted. Worse, it reinforces the idea that the moral burden of national
security falls on the Republican Party alone. That is not a way to protect the military, but rather a recipe
for future defense spending cuts as Democrats revive their class warfare arguments, setting up the
Pentagon as a convenient political foil.
The Wall Street Journal crowed on the front page: "Deal Brings Stability to U.S. Budget." Yet, in fact, the
deal does precisely the opposite. The sequester was the only politically stable part of the budget, a
compromise that was made as a matter of necessity, and which Republicans mustered the political will
to defend earlier this year. With the sequester caps removed, Democrats can merely threaten more
shutdowns to increase future spending.
If the national debt crisis is as severe a threat to national security as Adm. Mullen suggested--and there
seem to be many Americans who agree--then there really are only two viable options: 1. keep the
sequester in place, and learn to manage with less; 2. change the makeup of the sequester, giving
Democrats something in return (other than new taxes). Otherwise the sequester caps that remain will
be a Maginot Line: reassuring, but futile.
CONGRESS TO ROLL BACK SEQUESTER
Mark-Levin-to-Ryan-Budget-Deal-is-Mickey-Mouse
washington-budget-unlimited-spending-needs-restraint
Conservatives sound alarm over tentative budget deal - Conservative groups pushed back hard against
the proposed federal budget agreement announced Tuesday, arguing that the tentative deal unravels
hard-fought spending cuts.
conservatives-concerned-about-blowing-through-spending-caps-in-budget-deal
The document that lays out exactly what's in the deal
@MikeGrunwald: GOP conservatives furious that budget deal adjusts their beloved sequester that they
used to claim was all Obama's idea.
This budget deal isn't guaranteed to work. "The budget deal that Representative Paul Ryan and Senator
Patty Murray reached today will be a tough sell in the House of Representatives...Ryan and Speaker John
Boehner will have a considerable challenge persuading a large number of House Republicans to back the
deal. The Tea Party-backed, anti-government, wing of the Republican House caucus opposes any
measure that dilutes the cuts from sequestration." Albert R. Hunt in Bloomberg.
The Stupid Party Strikes Again: Republicans Poised to Give Up Sequester Victory
3-things-you-need-to-know-about-congressional-budget-deal/
Rubio Opposes Budget Deal
A TRIO OF OUTSIDE CONSERVATIVE GROUPS are trying to kill the deal, TIME's Alex Rogers reports:
"FreedomWorks is planning to oppose the deal 'in its current reported form,' while Heritage Action and
CATO have also announced their disapproval of the agreement being hammered by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-
Wisc.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the respective House and Senate budget committee chairs. 'The
deal is not going to be what mainstream Republicans hoped for,' said Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the
ranking Republican on the Budget Committee." http://ti.me/18kH3iL
MICHAEL A. NEEDHAM, CEO of Heritage Action, says in a USA Today op-ed that the agreement is a "step
backward": "First, it represents an immediate increase in federal spending. ... Second, the deal includes
higher user fees on air travel and customs. ... Negotiators relied on this gimmick to make the claim they
were not raising taxes, but diverting user fees to fuel bigger government is a tax. Third, the deal relies
upon promises of future cuts that the demise of the sequester vividly illustrates cannot be counted on."
http://usat.ly/1bx1046
I noticed the talking point first, yesterday, when Douglas Holtz-Eakin attacked Heritage Action for
America for expressing its concerns with the Paul Ryan-Patty Murray deal. Basically, if Republican
Leaders have a talking point, you can expect Dougs group to parrot it.
But there is no deal, according to Holtz-Eakin, McKay Coppins, Kasie Hunt, and Shane Goldmacher. Still,
the Washington Post, Boston Herald, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, and others are given a pass by
them to report on the terms of the no deal while they will not let conservatives get away with it. By the
way, not one of them criticized Harry Reid, during the government shut down, for dismissing Republican
plans before knowing what would be in those plans. Only conservatives can be criticized for that.
TEA-PARTIERS LINE UP TO TAKE ON GOP ESTABLISHMENT - Manu Raju and John Bresnahan write for the
hometown paper: "GOP senators have aggressively tried to keep their conservative base at bay to
ensure there's virtually no space on their right for a primary foe to emerge. That didn't work so well.
Republican primary challengers are lining up to take on sitting senators next year in eight of the 12 races
involving sitting GOP senators, gunning for party leaders like Mitch McConnell in Kentucky, veterans like
Thad Cochran in Mississippi and Pat Roberts in Kansas and deal-makers like Lindsey Graham in South
Carolina. Texas Sen. John Cornyn became the latest target this week, when a fiercely conservative
congressman, Steve Stockman, suddenly announced plans to challenge the Senate's second-ranking
Republican in next March's primary. 'I think it's pretty thin gruel,' Cornyn said of Stockman's case for his
candidacy: that the senator didn't fight hard enough to defund ObamaDontCare.
-- "The intraparty battles are the latest iteration of the tea party-versus-establishment war that has
rocked the Republican Party since the 2010 elections and thwarted their efforts to retake the majority.
After watching two sitting senators - Dick Lugar of Indiana and Bob Bennett of Utah - lose to insurgent
candidates in the last two cycles, tea party-backed candidates are looking to repeat their luck in 2014
and fundamentally reshape the Senate. The threat of a challenge alone has implications for
policymaking in Washington: It is enough to scare off attempts by many GOP senators to cut deals with
Democrats and risk a revolt from the right. ...
-- "Graham, who has seen his poll numbers sag back home, called the primary battles a 'fight for the
heart and soul of the Republican Party,' arguing that hard-line conservatives are targeting 'anyone who
has ever worked with a Democrat on anything.' 'The party is going through a struggle here,' Graham
added." http://politi.co/1d7Mr6q
-- Washington Post, A1: "Tea party complicates GOP push to take Senate," By Paul Kane:
http://wapo.st/J5g8vG
THE ROGERS REPORT: NO FARM BILL IN '13 - "Farm bill negotiators conceded Tuesday that they will not
finish their work before Congress goes home for the year, but insisted that they are close to a final deal
and working toward floor action in early January...." David Rogers reports. "The next few days remain
pivotal as lawmakers wait on final scores from the Congressional Budget Office related to the
commodity title. ... With no bill this year, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas filed a six-
page short-term extension of current farm law through Jan. 31, 2014. Lucas said he wanted the House to
have this option to consider before it goes home Friday. But if the CBO numbers fall into place, the
Oklahoma Republican signaled he would be happy to leave the extension on the shelf."
http://politi.co/1aSSDw9
NEW IRAN SANCTIONS APPEAR UNLIKELY - Paul Richter reports for the L.A. Times: "Secretary of State
John F. Kerry faced sharp complaints from House lawmakers Tuesday about the interim deal to rein in
Iran's nuclear program, but the Obama administration won two tactical victories in its campaign to fend
off further sanctions that it says could jeopardize a final deal. Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), chairman of the
Senate Banking Committee, announced he had decided against introducing sanctions legislation, at least
for now, that the administration had strongly opposed. Johnson said President Obama and Kerry 'made
a strong case' to not undermine upcoming negotiations aimed at forging a comprehensive deal to
eliminate any threat from Iran's nuclear program. Sanctions advocates also apparently failed in their
efforts to attach an amendment to a must-pass defense spending bill." http://lat.ms/1d7UlMV
SENATE RIFT THREATENS TO DERAIL DEFENSE BILL - Our own Austin Wright and Juana Summers report:
"Fractures in the Senate could sink the compromise plan to pass the annual defense policy bill. Senate
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday dismissed the strategy being pushed by the leaders
of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees as a 'transparent attempt' to avoid tough votes on
imposing stricter sanctions on Iran, a move the Obama administration has said could imperil a deal to
curb the country's nuclear program. ...McConnell offered his criticism after Senate Democrats won their
first nominations victory after voting in November to do away with the filibuster on most presidential
nominations.The leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees say their expedited
compromise strategy is the only way for Congress to finish a National Defense Authorization Act this
year, but not everyone agrees. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who supports the expedited plan, said that
members of both parties are dissatisfied with it." http://politi.co/1aSipk9
redstate.com/2013/12/11/bohica-act-of-2013
"Bend over! Here it comes again."
MILITARY PENSION CUTS COULD KILL BUDGET DEAL IN SENATE
HOUSE PASSED BUDGET DEAL
Palin to GOP: Read My Lipstick, Dont Back Budget Deal



Leno: The Rolling Stones Quote That Describes Congress is we cant get no satisfaction. In defending
the budget deal Congressman Paul Ryan quoted the Rolling Stones, he said you cant always get what
you want.

Republican establishment and insurgent groups brace for all-out war
10-quotes-that-help-explain-why-so-many-conservatives-dont-trust-the-republican-party

If things are going badly, we're told the GOP should compromise on what it believes in
to start winning elections again. If things are going well, we're told we must turn a blind
eye to the GOP abandoning its beliefs so as not to ruin the great year we're going to
have. The establishment Republicans who are always arguing in favor of trading off
dearly held principles in return for magic beans always claim they're doing it to win
elections, but it's hard to miss the fact that they don't actually seem to be any better at
winning elections than the grassroots conservatives they seem to write off as amateurs.
Setting that aside, winning elections isn't an end unto itself. You win elections in order
to implement your agenda, which win or lose, the GOP never seems to be all that
interested in. If you disagree with that, point out all the great domestic victories we
achieved when the GOP controlled both houses of Congress and the White House.
When Democrats pulled that same trick off, they attempted to fundamentally transform
America while Republicans passed tax cuts and then moved on to big government wish
list items like Medicare Part D, raising spending on the Arts and the now universally
hated No Child Left Behind.
The sad fact of the matter is that while liberals have a very good idea of where their
representatives stand on almost everything, there's NOT A SINGLE ISSUE where
conservatives can just trust Republicans to live up to their campaign promises. If the
Republicans could simply be counted on to do what they said they were going to do and
showed a modicum of respect for the people who put them in office, there would be
very little intraparty fighting. Instead, politicians in D.C. incessantly do things to
aggravate their own supporters and then ask the people who put them in office to set
aside their disappointment in the name of party loyalty. That seems a little backwards
given that the politicians and the Party don't elect the base; the base elects the
Republican Party. The politicians who make promises to get elected are the ones who
owe people, not the grassroots conservatives who put them in office and are now
dismayed at their behavior.
If the Republican Party wants to end all these primary challenges, stop the intraparty
fighting and get everyone to sing Kumbayah, it's really not that hard to do. Do what you
say you're going to do, treat the opinions of your base with respect, and stop picking
fights with the people who put you in power by saying things like....
1) "Read my lips: no new taxes." -- George H. W. Bush's famous pledge not to raise
taxes, which he broke.
2) "The Budget Control Act (Sequestration) represents a victory for those committed to
controlling government spending and growing our economy. I applaud Speaker
Boehners leadership in stopping tax increases on job creators, rejecting President
Obamas demands for a blank check to keep borrowing, and advancing real spending
cuts and controls. The agreement while far from perfect underscores the extent to
which the new House majority has successfully changed Washingtons culture of
spending. No longer can Washington endlessly spend money it does not have." -- Paul
Ryan, who just worked with Democrat to gut the sequester cuts he called
a "victory" and "real spending cuts and controls."
3) "I am strongly against amnesty. The most important thing we need to do is enforce
our existing laws. We have existing immigration laws that are not being adequately
enforced. Nothing will make it harder to enforce the existing laws, if you reward people
who broke them. It demoralizes people who are going through the legal process, its a
very clear signal of why go through the legal process, if you can accomplish the same
thing if you go through the illegal process. And number two, it demoralizes the people
enforcing the laws. I am not, and I will never support any effort to grant blanket
legalization/amnesty to folks who have entered, stayed in this country illegally." --
Marco Rubio, who led the charge for a path to citizenship in 2013.
4) They were elected, nobody believes that there was a corrupt election, anything
else, McCain said. But I also think that when, you know, its always the wacko birds on
right and left that get the media megaphone." Asked to clarify, McCain said he was
referencing Rand Paul, Cruz, Amash, whoever. -- Former GOP Presidential
nominee John McCain on the most popular conservative politicians with the
conservative grassroots.
5) "Frankly, I just think (conservative groups have) lost all credibility." -- House Minority
Leader, John Boehner on conservative groups who, unlike him, actually believe in all the
things he campaigns on when he runs for election.
6) "And then, he says, the next president, whoever he is, 'would have to call a truce on
the so-called social issues. Were going to just have to agree to get along for a little
while,' until the economic issues are resolved." -- Former Indiana Governor Mitch
Daniels suggested we blow off tens of millions of social conservatives who make up part
of the core of the GOP base.
7) Ill just say this about the so-called porkbusters. Im getting damn tired of hearing
from them. They have been nothing but trouble ever since Katrina. Former Senate
Minority Leader Trent Lott complains about the Porkbusters group that demanded he
cut spending and kill earmarks.
8) "With his record of reform in Florida, I know that Governor Crist will bring a fresh
perspective to Washington in our efforts to fight for lower taxes, less government, and
new job creation for all Americans." -- Senator John Cornyn, the Senate's Minority Whip,
endorsing Charlie Crist, who ended up switching parties and speaking at the Democrat
Convention.
9) "The problem with the Tea Party, I think it's just unsustainable because they can
never come up with a coherent vision for governing the country. It will die out." --
Lindsey Graham
10) "Ive abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system." --George
W. Bush explaining his support for the corporate bailouts in TARP.
Incidentally, the solution to all of this is not to leave the Republican Party. To the
contrary, it's to treat the Republican Party like a puppy that's having difficulty with
house training. When Republicans do the right thing, praise them, support them and do
what you can to help them out. When they do the wrong thing, rub their noses in it.
Attack Republicans who betray their principles relentlessly, primary them at every
opportunity and take over the Republican Party so we can shove the politicians who
won't listen to us to the side. While we will never be able to build an entire party full of
men like Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and Rand Paul, we can make it miserable enough for bad
actors that the go-along-to-get-along Republicans will conclude it's better to work with
us than face primaries and incessant attacks from their own side in the new media.
Most people don't realize it, but we have already started moving the Republican Party
to the Right and the time will come when Republicans are just as afraid of their base as
Democrats are of Planned Parenthood and the unions. It's not going to happen
overnight, but if we keep going after Republicans who sell us out, even the ones that are
as hostile as John McCain, Peter King and Lindsey Graham will eventually have to get on
board if they want to keep their jobs.


Dear Congressman Fitzpatrick;

Ruling class politicians like John Boehner trumpet conservative principles when its
convenient, but when you look at their policies they are nothing but a bunch of tax-and-
spend liberals.

Just last night after his smug and pretentious rant, Boehner passed his so called bi-
partisan, back-room budget deal which increases discretionary spending, does nothing
to reform entitlements, and fully funds Obamacare. Not to mention, this last minute
"deal" cuts significantly less than the cuts under the sequester, a long fought bi-partisan
accomplishment.
Exactly what did the President's party offer in compromise? Nothing! Why did Boehner
publicly rant against the Tea Party wing but to divide Conservatives. How dumb is that?
It is an out and out betrayal of the American people.

Jack Potok



Mark Levin Attacks Senate Republicans that Supported Budget Deal

deals
Senate reaches deal on Obama nominees - As part of the agreement, the upper chamber will vote on
Janet Yellen's confirmation next year.
Senate sends defense bill to Obama - The 84-15 vote follows a drawn-out partisan spat that at times
appeared to threaten the bill.
Ending an unusual fast-track process, the Senate gave final approval to the annual National Defense
Authorization Act and sent it to President Barack Obama. The vote for the House-passed compromise
was 84 to 15. The White House has indicated the president will sign it.



The Fed Is the Big Story, Not the Budget Deal


Sen. Murray (D-WA) Refuses Joint Interview with Paul Ryan on Fox News
woodward-budget-deal-happened-because-obama-wasnt-part-of negotiations


10 Reasons to Vote Against the Murray-Ryan Giant Spending and Deficit Increase
New discretionary spending would be increased by $26,300,000,000 this year, $21, 600,000,000 next
year (fiscal year 2015), and $8,600,000,000 in fiscal year 2016. Thus, the total discretionary spending
increases for three years is $56,500,000,000. This budgets projections concerning spending in 2023 or
any other out-year arent worth the paper theyre printed on.

Even the fake spending offsets are only $2.625 billion this year, $1.830 billion next year, and $2.026
billion in 2016 for a total of $6.481 billion. But these are unenforceable, for reasons which will be
discussed later.

But, even assuming their fake spending offsets, the net spending increase as a result of the Murray-
Ryan bill will be slightly over $50 billion.

The Broken GOP House
Weve noted many times that the GOP Senate Conference is rotten to the core, as Harry Reid can count
on a supermajority at any given time to pass liberal legislation. Many of us thought that the House was
significantly better, although far from perfect. Sadly, the GOP-controlled House adjourned the 2013
session with a bust.

Ever since the details of the budget detail were released, I thought that the House would surely pass the
bill only over the objection of a majority of the GOP Conference, thereby violating the Hastert Rule once
again. Astoundingly, only 62 members voted against it, just 26% of membership.

GOP Aided by Democrats Attack Conservatives
You will be forgiven if you dont recognize the fat, hairy guy standing next to House Speaker John
Boehner. That is former Ohio representative Steve LaTourette. He is important because he is a critical
part of the attack on conservatives being carried out by the House leadership, including Speaker
Boehner.

LaTourette was a close ally of Boehner in the House. Like so many of his ilk, he was willing to run for
office in a high tide year, in this case 1994, but once in Congress he found having values required actual
work and that was too tough for him so he decamped last year.

Washingtons Fantasy Land
If you want to know how out of touch Washington politicians on both sides of the aisle are with
hardworking Americans just take a look at the latest bipartisan budget deal.

Every responsible American family understands the simple facts of balancing their checkbooks. When
times are tough, they cut back to make ends meet. They dont max out their credit cards and then apply
for more credit cards. They make sacrifices and work hard. It makes perfect sense that the American
people expect Washington politicians to make the same kind of responsible budget decisions.

But if you look at Washington, you have to wonder if our representatives live in a fantasy world. This
week, Republican Rep. Paul Ryan and Democratic Senator Patty Murray agreed to a budget deal for
2014 that increases federal discretionary spending to over a trillion dollars from the $967 billion spent in
2013 and obliterates the modest budget cuts agreed to under sequestration.


Budget? Deal with It
Great news for everyone who was tired of the recent Republican unity over Obamacare and fantastic
momentum heading into the midterm elections: House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan, (R.,
Wisc.) worked out a budget deal with Senate Budget Committee chairman Patty Murray, (D., Tennis
Shoes).
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 would set overall discretionary spending for the current fiscal year at
$1.012 trillionabout halfway between the Senate budget level of $1.058 trillion and the House budget
level of $967 billion. The agreement would provide $63 billion in sequester relief over two years, split
evenly between defense and non-defense programs. In fiscal year 2014, defense discretionary spending
would be set at $520.5 billion, and non-defense discretionary spending would be set at $491.8 billion.
The sequester relief is fully offset by savings elsewhere in the budget. The agreement includes dozens of
specific deficit-reduction provisions, with mandatory savings and non-tax revenue totaling
approximately $85 billion. The agreement would reduce the deficit by between $20 and $23 billion.
This is not what most of us would consider a "good" deal. The deficit reduction is pretty paltry. The
"non-tax revenue" includes things like raising the $2.50 per-passenger per-flight "TSA fee" on flyers,
which will sound a lot like a tax hike to a lot of folks. But there is a tiny bit of pension reform for federal
workers:
These sections increase federal-employee contributions to their retirement programs by 1.3 percentage
points. The proposal affects new employees hired after December 31, 2013 with less than five years of
service.
And there's a bit of what we would consider to be entitlement reform in the treatment of military
pensions:
This provision modifies the annual cost-of-living adjustment for working-age military retirees by making
the adjustments equal to inflation minus one percent. This change would be gradually 3 phased in, with
no change for the current year, a 0.25 percent decrease in December 2014, and a 0.5 percent decrease
in December 2015. This would not affect service members who retired because of disability or injury.
Service members would never see a reduction in benefits from one year to the next.
This, or any other long-term deal, avoids a government shutdown for the next two years. And you have
to figure Barack Obama and Harry Reid are itching to have another government shutdown, as it
provided the Democrats their one most optimistic political moment, just before Obamacare the
Destructor appeared on the horizon.
Here's the political environment at the moment, according to Quinnipiac:
President Barack Obama's job approval among American voters drops to a new low, a negative 38 - 57
percent, as the outlook for Democrats running for Congress and the U.S. Senate fades also, according to
a national poll released today. He even gets a negative 41 - 49 percent among voters 18 to 29 years old
and a lackluster 50 - 43 percent approval among Hispanic voters.
American voters say 41 - 38 percent that they would vote for a Republican over a Democrat for the U.S.
House of Representatives, the first time this year the Democrats come up on the short end of this
generic ballot. Independent voters back Republican candidates 41 - 28 percent. Voters also say 47 - 42
percent that they would like to see Republicans gain control of the U.S. Senate and the House.
Independent voters go Republican 50 - 35 percent for each.
If Quinnipiac's not to you liking, here's NBC News/Wall Street Journal this morning:
A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that more Americans disapprove of the president's job
performance than ever before; half say they're either disappointed or dissatisfied with his presidency
and 54 percent believe he's facing a long-term setback.
Perhaps more significantly, Obama has seen a drop in key presidential attributes.
Just 28 percent give the president high grades for being able to achieve his goals (down 16 points from
January); only 37 percent give him high marks for being honest and straightforward (down 5 points from
June); and 44 percent give him high marks for being able to handle a crisis (down another 5 points since
June).
Only 34 percent believe the health law is a good idea (down 3 points from late October), while 50
percent say it's a bad idea (the highest percentage on that measure since the NBC/WSJ poll began asking
this question).
Also, by a 51 percent to 43 percent margin, respondents say they are bothered more by the Obama
administration's troubled health care website and some Americans losing their health plans than by the
Republican Party's continued efforts to undermine the law.
And asked which one or two issues have been most important in shaping their views about the
president, the top response was the health care law (58 percent) followed by the economy (25
percent), the government shutdown (23 percent) and the situations in Syria and Iran (16 percent).
The Ryan-Murray deal puts Obama and Reid in a box. Only a few events would be big enough to change
this dynamic, and the most likely is another shutdown. But to get another government shutdown, they
have to shoot down this deal -- putting them on the wrong side of a happy-talk "bipartisan compromise"
and making them the scapegoats for any failure to reach a deal. Sure, they could dig in and force
another government shutdown, but they would get the blame for this one.
Mike Memoli nicknames it, "The Bland Bargain."


I Could Have Built a 'Black Arch' out of Legos for $150, Tops
The U.S. State Department spent $150,000 to acquire the art exhibition "The Black Arch" by two Saudi
sisters :
Raja Alem is a writer, Shadia Alem is a visual artist. For the exhibition, titled The Black Arch and curated
by Mona Khazindar and Robin Start, the sisters worked closely together. The result is an installation that
visually plays very much with darkness and light. It is about two visions of the world and about two
cities, Mecca and Venice.
As the press release states: "The work is a stage, set to project the artists' collective memory of Black
the monumental absence of colour and physical representation of Black, referring to their past. The
narrative is fueled by the inspirational tales told by their aunts and grandmothers, and are anchored in
Mecca, where the sisters grew up in the 1970s. The experience with the physical presence of Black is
striking for the artists as Raja explains, "I grew up aware of the physical presence of Black all around, the
black silhouettes of Saudi women, the black cloth of the Al ka'ba and the black stone which supposedly
is said to have enhanced our knowledge." As a counter point, the second part of the installation is a
mirror image, reflecting the present. These are the aesthetic parameters of the work."
Your tax dollars at work!


In my view, military spending is out of control and loaded with pork. We want a strong defense and the
insiders play us on this issue We can do more for less. The Tea Party is becoming a real problem. We can
cut spending without weakening national security.



http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304173704579260133964574284?mod=djemIT
P_h

WASHINGTONSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell recently delivered a direct pitch to one of
America's top defense contractors: Get off the sidelines and start backing Republicans who will protect
military spending.
Mr. McConnell's message, according to people who attended a Nov. 6 fundraiser with officials from BAE
Systems Inc., was that if Republican lawmakers lose primary elections from challengers further to their
right who have few qualms about trimming military budgets, the defense industry could expect
dwindling support in Washington.

Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell and several colleagues face 2014 challenges from their right.

"In the current debate, spending cuts have trumped robust national-security spending," said one person
at the McConnell fundraiser, held at a Capitol Hill townhouse. "The main message he was pushing was:
Get involved, mainly to teach those who are primarying incumbents that it is not helpful to run against
incumbents who are champions for the industry."
The Kentucky Republican's outreach to the defense community is part of an effort by party leaders to
blunt the effects of conservatives who are stepping up in increasing numbers to challenge GOP
incumbents. Many of the 12 Senate Republicans up for re-election next year are facing primary
challengers aligned with the tea party, including Mr. McConnell.

Budget Set for Tighter Vote in Senate

In the House, Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) also has moved to undermine the power of the tea party,
saying that groups supporting the movement had lost credibility in policy debates and accusing them of
forcing GOP lawmakers to take ill-advised policy positions. That was a reference to the federal-
government shutdown of October, which the public blamed largely on the Republican Party.
On Sunday, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) noted Mr. Boehner's frustration and
said, "I was frustrated, too." But he also said on NBC that the tea party represents "very important
elements of our conservative family, and I would prefer to keep those conversations within the family."
The effort to beat back challenges from the right goes beyond the defense industry. The U.S. Chamber
of Commerce and other business groups have been stepping in to help business-friendly Republicans
aligned with the GOP leadership, a reaction to the government shutdown in October, which the business
groups opposed, and a sign of worries that tea party-aligned candidates might try to eliminate tax
breaks and spending favored by businesses.
Mr. McConnell delivered his message at the fundraiser hours after a candidate backed by a number of
GOP leaders in Washington, and the Chamber of Commerce, beat a more conservative challenger in a
special congressional election in Alabama.
According to campaign-finance records, BAE Systems, BA.LN +0.74% a U.S. unit of U.K.-based BAE
Systems PLC that works on such items as the F-35 jet fighter and the Bradley fighting vehicle, has given
Mr. McConnell $5,000 so far this year, the maximum allowed, to help him beat back a 2014 challenge
from tea-party ally Matt Bevin.
BAE, which has a large presence in Kentucky, declined to comment on the fundraiser or its discussions
with Mr. McConnell.
"Our political action committee's contributions reflect our support for candidates who believe in strong
national security and defense and represent districts where BAE Systems is a part of the local
community," said spokesman Brian Roehrkasse.
Mr. McConnell's Senate office referred questions to his 2014 re-election campaign. Josh Holmes, a
senior adviser to the McConnell campaign, defended the senator's appeal. "Sen. McConnell is a
conservative who believes in a strong national defense and wants to ensure that those who share his
opinion aren't silenced by a reluctance to voice their opinion in elections," he said.
The message appears to be rippling through the defense industry, where officials are voicing increasing
resentment with tea party-aligned Republicans.
"There's definitely frustration within the defense community, and the frustration goes to tea partiers
who are emphasizing cuts without internalizing the harm," said Roger Zakheim, an attorney at Covington
& Burling LLP who served until October as general counsel for the House Armed Services Committee. "At
times, our respective leaders in both branches have essentially allowed, and continue to allow, the
military to be a pawn in the greater debate."
Mr. McConnell's pitch to the defense industry is a delicate one. As Senate Republican leader, he has
supported sequestration, the across-the-board spending cuts that have hit domestic programs and the
Defense Department.
Matt Hoskins, executive director of the Senate Conservatives Fund, a political-action committee backing
Mr. McConnell's GOP challenger, called Mr. McConnell a hypocrite for casting himself as a defender of
military spending while supporting the spending cuts. "All he's really doing is saying 'nudge-nudge, wink-
wink, you know I'm a big spender, you know I'll take care of you,' " he said.
"What he's really saying is that he's a big spending Republican who will take care of these special
interests if they help him in the primary," Mr. Hoskins said. "It's, you scratch my back, I will scratch your
back."
In Georgia, Lockheed Martin Corp. , General Dynamics Corp. and Boeing Co. have already stepped in to
support Rep. Jack Kingston, who is battling Rep. Paul Broun and others in the GOP primary for retiring
Sen. Saxby Chambliss's Senate seat. Mr. Kingston, who has faced accusations from the right that he is
insufficiently committed to eliminating the president's health-care law, has collected at least $60,000
from defense firms for his campaign, according to finance records, making him a top recipient of
defense industry dollars in the current campaign cycle.
In addition to BAE's contribution, Mr. McConnell has drawn donations from Lockheed Martin
and Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc., HII +1.41% which have each donated $2,500 to his campaign,
records show.


WSJ Letters to the Editor more on defense spending and bureaucracy. Bureaucracies multiply. Given
the alleged threats of cuts in defense spending, it is mportant that we look at this issue carefully.


http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304477704579254511505176536?mod=djemIT
P_h

Former Navy Secretary John Lehman misses part of the problem with the Defense Department
bureaucracy. It is not just that it has grown like Topsy ("More Bureaucrats, Fewer Jets and Ships," op-ed,
Dec. 10). More important is the quality of the bureaucracy itself. While many able workers struggle to
do their best, overall the DOD bureaucracy is burdened with untrained or poor management, shifting
supervision, intra-service feuds, divided responsibility and unaccountable performance. A close relative
of mine worked as a military civilian employee for decades, and for at least that long he's regaled me
with stories from the depths of the system. Poorly performing employees shelter behind an
impenetrable civil-service system abetted by intransigent and uncooperative unions.
Management is weak in its own way. Supervising officers cycle through on short tours, punching their
tickets and leaving just as they begin to understand their staff and the technology. Usually they are
paired as co-equals but often fail to agree.
Add the fiscal follies, whereby equipment purchased at the end of the budget cycle sits in a storeroom
unused, plus the chaotic intra-service transfers of functions and people and you have a process best
described as a toxic combination of politburo succession politics and Japanese consensus management.
Max Hensley
San Antonio
How many flag officers did our military services have in 1955-56 when President Eisenhower approved
the Polaris submarine program, and how many flag officers do they have today? There lies another
story.
R. Cargill Hall
Arlington, Texas
Real reform requires the investment of time (attention), moral authority and wisdom of a commander in
chief, not a committee.
Mike Niehuser
Portland, Oregon
Mr. Lehman points at party politics as the culprit but misses the fact that, by nature, bureaucrats
multiply.
Michael Whitehead
Poway, Calif.


http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304014504579250393172288678?mod=djemIT
P_h







Jeb-Bushs-Son-George-P-Tries-to-Align-Himself-With-Tea-Party

Ryan: GOP-should-fight-on-debt-ceiling-despite-caving-on-budget-to-focus-on-Obamacare


Fellow Conservatives:

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) joined Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) last week
in declaring war on conservatives.

John Boehner called conservatives "ridiculous" for opposing the budget agreement that increases
spending, raises taxes, and funds Obamacare while Mitch McConnell previously called us stupid
"traitors" who should be locked in a bar and "punched in the nose."

These Republican leaders are attacking conservatives because they don't like it when the grassroots hold
them accountable.

Unfortunately, their attacks go beyond words. A top conservative aide in the House was fired last week
for opposing John Boehner's budget and Mitch McConnell has blacklisted political firms that work for
conservatives.

What these leaders are doing to conservatives is no different from what the IRS got caught doing to
them this summer. They're using their power to discriminate against people they see as a political
threat.

THROW THE BUMS OUT

There's no question anymore about where the Republican leadership stands. They hold the grassroots in
contempt and are working to destroy us.

The real question is what we're going to do about it.

Will we let them remain in office and continue to help the Democrats enact their liberal agenda OR will
we fight back and replace establishment Republicans with true conservatives in the 2014 primary
elections?

The moderate Republican establishment has decided what they're going to do.

The strategic communications advisor for the
National Republican Senatorial Committee
(NRSC) said their goal is to defeat conservatives in
"every primary" next year. Every primary.

Their focus isn't on electing a Republican
majority. Instead, their top goal is to defeat
conservatives because they don't want more
people like Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), and
Rand Paul (R-KY) to be elected.

We can't let them win the 2014 primaries. If we do, we will have more debt, higher taxes, and
Obamacare will never be repealed.

These Republicans have been in Washington too long and they're no longer willing to fight for our
principles. They're hostile to the people who elected them.

SUPPORT CONSERVATIVES

Fortunately, we have a choice. We can work together to promote the most promising conservative
candidates in the country.

To help you, we have identified five outstanding U.S. Senate candidates who will stand up to the big
spenders in both parties.
Matt Bevin (R-KY)
Chris McDaniel (R-MS)
Ben Sasse (R-NE)
Rob Maness (R-LA)
Milton Wolf (R-KS)
These are full spectrum conservatives who understand that the oath of a senator is to "support and
defend" the Constitution of the United States.




The moderate Republican establishment is doing everything it can to defeat these candidates so they
won't win without your help.

The most powerful thing you can do to help is donate directly to their campaigns.

The Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF) pays all processing and handling fees so they receive 100% of your
contributions.

Nothing upsets the Republican establishment more than when you donate to candidates. It's why they
attack SCF so much. We have shown that we can help conservatives defeat the establishment by getting
thousands of freedom-loving Americans to make donations to their campaigns.

If you've already donated to these candidates, we thank you. It's making a big difference. You've helped
us invest over $1.5 million in these critical races.

If you haven't donated, please consider giving at least $5 to a candidate today.

The stakes could not be higher.

Thank you for staying informed and for standing up for liberty.


Best regards,


Matt Hoskins
Executive Director
Senate Conservatives Fund





morning-action-the-senate-will-work-on-budget-defense-authorization-bills/
MORNING ACTION: THE SENATE WILL WORK ON BUDGET, DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILLS
CATEGORY: Morning Action

BUDGET. The Senate is working to pass the Ryan-Murray budget this week, which Majority Leader Sen.
Harry Reid (D-NV) hopes to get to President Obama by the weeks end. This budget deal is very flawed
policy and is comprised of a $63 billion spending increase over the next two years. We have identified
the top policy reasons to oppose the Ryan-Murray budget andexplained elsewhere how its passage
would reduce fiscal leverage points to limit government:
According to the Washington Post, After more than two years of constant crisis, the emerging
agreement amounts to little more than a cease fire. Republicans and Democrats are abandoning their
debt-reduction goals, laying down arms and, for the moment, trying to avoid anotherstandoff. In
short, this agreement is an effort to limit the number of fiscal standoffs over the next two years. Each of
these standoffs have led to sustained public attention on the $17 trillion national debt and a seemingly
bipartisan inability to get the countrys fiscal house in order.

government
the-path-forward-on-the-farm-bill
the-only-way-to-reform-the-farm-bill
farmers-harvest-u-s-taxpayer-dollars
government-spends-$592,000-to-figure-out-why-monkeys-throw-poop
farmers-boost-revenue-sowing-subsidies-for-crop-insurance
Cashing in on Uncle Sam's sweet tooth
reform-the-farm-bill
NYT: GOP 'MINDLESSLY GUTTING FOOD STAMPS'

Potus
Ron's 9/11 Views Pose Problem for Rand
billionaire-sheldon-adelson-assesses-the-2016-field
ron-paul-condemned-over-speaking-to-antisemitic-catholics/2013/09/10/
rand-paul-were-not-the-party-that-wants-to-give-you-another-cell-phone
rand-paul-on-meet-the-press
ron-paul-condemned-over-speaking-to-antisemitic-catholics/2013/09/10/
cruz.senate.gov/record
cnn-poll-clinton-deadlocked-with-christie-but-leads-other-gop-presidential-possibilities
cnn-poll-gop-has-edge-in-early-midterm-indicator

McCain Decries GOP Infighting

americanmajority.org/events/new-leaders-summit-philadelphia-pa

Governor Rick Perry has started an ad campaign in the home state of another potential 2016 candidate,
Democratic Maryland Governor Martin OMalley
NY MAG: HILLARY IN MIDAIR...
'OBVIOUSLY' HAD DISAGREEMENTS WITH OBAMA; NO DETAILS GIVEN...
Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow: The Clintons Can Make America... America Again.
Palin: Hillary Unfit for Presidency Because of Benghazi

GOP Has Lost Its Way: National Weekly Tea Party Address

cnn-poll-democrats-lose-midterm-election-advantage; gop-now-has-the-lead

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