Armed Police Guard Sandy Hook Students as Classes Resume Thursday is the first day classes resume for students of Sandy Hook Elementary, but they won't be returning to their old school building. A nearby school has been refurbished for use as the new Sandy Hook Elementary. by John Sexton
Demand a Plan, but Don't Demand More Gun Control We must understand that the government will use this, and has already started to attempt to force more useless gun control legislation on the law-abiding American public. No matter what they say, the Founding Fathers wrote the Second Amendment for a reason, and that reason was to prevent the federal government from becoming too powerful over the people. by Laura Rambeau Lee 3 Jan 2013, 3:06 PM PDT
'Fiscal Cliff' #1 on Lake Superior State University’s 2013 List of Banished Words At the end of each year, Lake Superior State University releases its List of Banished Words, which is exactly what it sounds like – a list of words and phrases nominated by readers that have been overused throughout the year so much that they should be banished. And the phrase that received the most nominations for the year 2012? Fiscal cliff. by Elena Lathrop 3 Jan 2013, 3:00 PM PDT
GOP Senator Grassley Signs On to Wind Energy Tax Credit Extension A real popular song from the 1963s was “Blowin in the Wind”. Fifty years later it is popular to blow cash in the wind. Thanks to Senators Grassley and Udall the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy has been extended through 2013. by Lindsay Leveen 3 Jan 2013, 2:40 PM PDT
New Hampshire Legislator: We Need to 'Restrict Freedoms' of Conservatives A New Hampshire legislator wants her constituents to know that she feels conservatives are the "single biggest threat" her state faces today, and she wants to use her powers to legislate to "pass measures that will restrict" the freedoms of Granite State conservatives. by Warner Todd Huston 3 Jan 2013, 2:28 PM PDT
Google Raises Fresh Privacy Concerns with Smartphone Move Google, Inc. is moving into cell phone production—a potential concern for consumers bothered by the Internet behemoth's treatment of user data, including an instance in which Google failed to disclose that it did not abide by its privacy policy with Safari browser users. by Capitol Confidential 3 Jan 2013, 1:57 PM PDT
Denny's Asks Police to Leave over Patrons' 'Discomfort with Guns' Belleville, Illinois’ local KSDK.com is reporting that one of their local Denny’s restaurants asked a table of police detectives to leave due to “some customers’ discomfort with guns.” by Brandon Darby 3 Jan 2013, 1:52 PM PDT
Boehner's Second Chance: No Compromise Today, Speaker of the House John Boehner received a second chance. After ramming through a fiscal cliff deal that made conservatives shudder – income taxes increased on everyone making more than $400,000 per year, the payroll tax cut expired, unemployment insurance was extended, and pork was ladled by the bucketful into law – Boehner came under heavy fire. But conservatives recognized that the true test of Boehner’s conservatism is yet to come: the debt ceiling debate. And there is no room for compromise. by Ben Shapiro 3 Jan 2013, 1:50 PM PDT
US Faces Credit Rating Downgrade by Three Top Firms This Year In the fiscal cliff negotiations, Obama held the line against entitlement reform, but the resulting deal could lead to downgrades by all three top debt ratings agencies later this year. by John Sexton 3 Jan 2013, 1:36 PM PDT
Superstorm Sandy Tops 2012 Insurance Claims Natural disasters cost insurers $65 billion last year, with the United States accounting for nine-tenths of the bill and Superstorm Sandy prompting payouts of $25 billion, a leading insurance company said Thursday. 3 Jan 2013, 12:52 PM PDT
NY State Hides Report Concluding Fracking Safe A leaked New York state analysis says fracking is safe technology which will not cause dangerous water contamination. by John Sexton 3 Jan 2013, 12:30 PM PDT
Thought of the Day: From Fiscal Cliff to Debt Ceiling Congress is responsible for spending. The President can use his office to promote favored policies, but the actual purse strings are controlled by Congress. The fact that this statute even exists is an admission that members of Congress are akin to alcoholics faced with an open bar, or a thief with a newly discovered pocket book. There are many who suggest, with a certain level of rationality, that we should do away with the debt ceiling. If our representatives in Washington were reasonable and sober individuals, I would agree. However, doing away with the debt ceiling will certainly not lead to fiscal prudence. by Sydney Williams 3 Jan 2013, 12:17 PM PDT
Humbled Boehner Retains Speakership on Close First Ballot Today, Speaker of the House John Boehner narrowly retained his speakership on the first vote. After signing off on a fiscal cliff deal that resulted in a tax increase for 77% of American households and an income tax increase on everyone earning more than $400,000 per year, Boehner was under heavy fire from within his own caucus. But, pledging significant changes to the way he does business, Boehner retained support for his speakership. by Ben Shapiro 3 Jan 2013, 11:35 AM PDT
IL Denny's Throws On-Duty Cops Out For Carrying Guns Illinois' over-the-top opposition to gun ownership hit new heights Tuesday when a Denny’s in Belleville, IL threw out cops carrying guns. When a group of detectives – on duty but not in uniform – walked into the Denny’s, one of the other customers started whining to a manager. The manager then threw them out of the restaurant. by Ben Shapiro 3 Jan 2013, 11:18 AM PDT
Armed Police Guard Sandy Hook Students as Classes Resume Thursday is the first day classes resume for students of Sandy Hook Elementary, but they won't be returning to their old school building. A nearby school has been refurbished for use as the new Sandy Hook Elementary. by John Sexton 3 Jan 2013, 10:52 AM PDT
Paradise Lost: Santa Monica Moves to Fine Fitness Instructors Using Public Parks In California’s never-ending quest to confiscate more wealth from its citizens, every penny counts. That’s especially true in super-liberal Santa Monica, which is now seeking to fine fitness teachers who use city parks without a license. by Ben Shapiro 3 Jan 2013, 10:49 AM PDT
Study: Environmentally Friendly Lightbulbs Cause Cancer The federal government is forcing more and more Americans into buying new energy efficient lightbulbs by gradually outlawing incandescent light bulbs, which supposedly waste energy. But a new study shows that eco-friendly lightbulbs may not be human-friendly. by Breitbart News 3 Jan 2013, 10:34 AM PDT
McConnell: A Debt-Ceiling Fight with Obama Whether He Wants It or Not Obama is already demagoguing the issue; he said Tuesday, “While I will negotiate over many things, I will not have another debate with this Congress over whether or not they should pay the bills that they’ve already racked up through the laws that they passed.” by William Bigelow 3 Jan 2013, 9:41 AM PDT
Boehner Best We Can Do Right Now It’s possible that a libertarian-tea party alliance can knock over Boehner, but here’s some reality: Boehner is as good as it gets, at least for now. Republicans first have to rebuild and regroup, and that’s not going to get done if GOPers instead indulge in ideological fratricide. by Virgil 3 Jan 2013, 9:34 AM PDT
Tea Party Group Wants Secret Ballot For Speaker Vote On Thursday afternoon members of the House will vote for the Speaker of the 113th Congress. Everyone’s vote for speaker is public like most House votes. Given the criticism of current House Speaker John Boehner (R – OH), some are calling for the vote to be a secret ballot, so members of his party will not face retribution, should they vote for someone other than Boehner. The Tea Party Patriots put out a press release Thursday morning calling for the vote for the Speaker to be a secret ballot. by Kerry Picket 3 Jan 2013, 8:32 AM PDT
Boehner Makes Concessions to Survive This afternoon, the new 113th Congress convenes. Its first order of business will be to elect a Speaker of the House. For most of the media, this is merely a procedural hurdle to John Boehner's reelection as Speaker. As Breitbart News has reported, however, there is growing dissatisfaction with Boehner's leadership among conservative lawmakers. In recent days, Boehner has been reaching out to conservatives and making some concessions. Will it be enough to retain the Speakership? by Mike Flynn 3 Jan 2013, 8:28 AM PDT
Conservatives Plan to Push Boehner to Second Ballot The plan the conservatives will likely follow is to force at least two, maybe several elections until a suitable alternative steps up to unite the party. If enough Republicans – 17 at a minimum – vote for someone besides Boehner as Speaker during the first election shortly after noon today, it will go to a second vote. Some groups have confirmed that more than 20 House Republicans plan to vote for somebody else as Speaker. by Matthew Boyle 3 Jan 2013, 8:02 AM PDT
Boehner Sets House Vote on Sandy Aid After the House passed the bill that averted the fiscal cliff but didn’t cut the budget, House Speaker John Boehner reversed course on his earlier decision to avoid a vote in the House approving $60 billion for victims of Superstorm Sandy. by William Bigelow 3 Jan 2013, 7:00 AM PDT
Attack on Tim Scott Reveals NAACP Has Nothing to Do with Civil Rights NAACP President Ben Jealous claimed yesterday that Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)--the first black Senator from the South since Reconstruction--does not believe in civil rights. The basis for Jealous's claim is that Scott received an "F" on the NAACP's annual civil rights scorecard. In reality, the NAACP scorecard has nothing at all to do with civil rights, and is just a checklist of liberal Democrat policy priorities, from collective bargaining to global warming. by Joel B. Pollak 3 Jan 2013, 6:39 AM PDT
Illinois Senate Moves Toward Total Gun Ban On Wednesday, the Illinois Senate Public Health Committee, led by anti-gun, Senate President John Cullerton and backed by Governor Patrick Quinn, passed House Bills 1263 and 815. These measures, if passed would ban nearly all common firearms and magazines, and institute new shooting range restrictions. by Rebel Pundit 3 Jan 2013, 6:17 AM PDT
FBI: More People Killed with Hammers, Clubs Each Year than Rifles According to the FBI annual crime statistics, the number of murders committed annually with hammers and clubs far outnumbers the number of murders committed with a rifle. by AWR Hawkins 3 Jan 2013, 6:13 AM PDT
Jobless Claims Rise to 372k The Labor Department says weekly applications rose by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 372,000 in the week ended Dec. 29. The previous week's total was revised higher. 3 Jan 2013, 5:37 AM PDT
Bigger Fights Loom After "Fiscal Cliff" Deal President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans face even bigger budget battles in the next two months after a hard-fought "fiscal cliff" deal narrowly averted devastating tax increases and spending cuts. 3 Jan 2013, 5:29 AM PDT
Kirk Returns to Senate a Year After Stroke Mark Kirk's welcoming committee when he returns to the U.S. Senate after a stroke includes Vice President Joe Biden and his colleague, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. 3 Jan 2013, 5:25 AM PDT
Obama Signs Sweeping US Defense Spending Bill President Barack Obama has signed into law a $633 billion US defense spending bill that funds the war in Afghanistan and boosts security at US missions worldwide. 3 Jan 2013, 5:20 AM PDT
Congress Ushering in New Members, with Old Divide Congress is ushering in the new and the old _ dozens of eager freshmen determined to change Washington and the harsh reality of another stretch of bitterly divided government. 3 Jan 2013, 5:19 AM PDT
NJ Gov. Christie Blasts Boehner, Republicans Gov. Chris Christie's blunt talk has long been one of his hallmarks. But Christie, who has verbally tangled with many, showed Wednesday he's willing to aim his barbs at the highest echelons of his own party. 3 Jan 2013, 5:18 AM PDT
Ring in ObamaCare, Say Farewell to Full-Time Jobs The start of the New Year means ObamaCare tax hikes for many and the countdown to the health reform law’s official inauguration on Jan. 1, 2014. Twelve months from now, most Americans will face a “tax” via the individual mandate. There will supposedly be new online insurance marketplaces called “exchanges,” and American companies and businesses with at least 50 workers will owe penalties if they don’t cover full-time employees. by Dr. Susan Berry 3 Jan 2013, 5:07 AM PDT
Obama, Labor Dept. Ship $40 million in Jobs Money Overseas It’s not enough that Barack Obama wants to stifle America’s private sector with crushing taxes and regulations. It’s not enough that Obama is in bed with public-sector unions. He and his Department of Labor (DOL), which is supposedly responsible for helping Americans find work, are now taking the money they steal from Americans in taxes and sending it to other countries to help their unions. by William Bigelow 3 Jan 2013, 4:58 AM PDT
Obama to Swiftly Pursue Immigration Reform, Gun Control How far will John Boehner go to accommodate Barack Obama if he retains his job as Speaker of the House? It won’t take long to find out; Obama is planning on moving swiftly on two issues which conservatives are adamant about: immigration and gun control. by William Bigelow 3 Jan 2013, 4:55 AM PDT
Could an Additional Background Check Have Stopped Sandy Hook Massacre? For Republicans and the handful of gun owners who have actually thought of capitulating to Democrat demands for heightened psychological background checks for gun purchases, a word of caution -- no increase in psychological scrutiny would have stopped Adam Lanza from obtaining his weapons. by AWR Hawkins 3 Jan 2013, 4:26 AM PDT
Eleventh Hour: Speaker Boehner Moves to the Right The Speaker of the House will be elected today and some conservatives believe they have the votes necessary to oust John Boehner. In an appearance on CNBC, American Majority Action spokesman Ron Meyer said there are more than 20 House Republicans willing to vote for someone other than Boehner on Thursday when the 113th Congress convenes to elect a Speaker. Another source from a different organization has similarly confirmed that more than 20 have planned to oppose Boehner. by Matthew Boyle 3 Jan 2013, 1:36 AM PDT
Who Will Stop Bully Obama on Debt Ceiling? With President Obama set to precipitate a constitutional crisis over the upcoming debt ceiling, Republicans in Congress must prepare to stand tall against any tax increases -- and they must be ready to shut down the government. by Ben Shapiro 2 Jan 2013
Jerry Brown Redistributes State's Wealth on Education Brown is expected to echo a plan he suggested last year, where, for example, Compton Unified schools would get $4,700 more per pupil while Manhattan Beach Unified would only get $681 per student. by William Bigelow 2 Jan 2013
2012: Guns Sold Increased in 48 of 50 States Those who oppose the Second Amendment and want to confiscate Americans’ guns may want to ponder this simple statistic: in 48 of the 50 states in the United States, in the year 2012, the number of individuals purchasing guns increased. by William Bigelow 2 Jan 2013
Obama Bypasses Congress, Shifts Rules on Immigration Again It took a year, but the Obama administration has now changed immigration rules to make it easier for illegal aliens with U.S. relatives to remain in the country while seeking a visa. by John Sexton 2 Jan 2013
Outgoing GOP Rep: We Have Enough Votes to Unseat Boehner Outgoing Louisiana Republican Rep. Jeff Landry told Breitbart News there are at least 17 GOP members who plan to unseat House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday, and Boehner may resign on Wednesday evening during or after a GOP caucus meeting. by Matthew Boyle 2 Jan 2013
Democrat Mayor Puts Armed Police In NJ Schools Lucky for Mayor Jonathan Hornik he's a Democrat. Were he not, it is hard to see how his segment this afternoon with CNN's Don Lemon would have been so civil. Lemon, just one of many CNN gun-control hysterics, actually treated with respect someone who agreed with the NRA's proposal to place armed guards in schools. by John Nolte 2 Jan 2013
Miscarriage of Justice in NY Political Prosecution If the government can violate a principle as fundamental and universally accepted as the prohibition on double jeopardy, and do so in plain sight, and do so to a public figure like Joe Bruno, there is no limit to what it can do. And that will spawn many more miscarriages of justice. by The Honorable Andrew P. Napolitano 2 Jan 2013
Occupy Uses Sandy Relief Bill to Attack GOP, Cover for Dems As the House refused to pass the pork-laden $60 billion Sandy Relief Bill, the official Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Sandy Twitter accounts immediately began to attack the Republican Party for not passing it, instead of the fact that the bill had been corrupted in the first place. by Brandon Darby 2 Jan 2013
Massachusetts Establishment Democrats Line Up Behind Ed Markey's Senate Bid to Replace Kerry Last Friday the Washington Post reported that Senator John Kerry and Vicki Kennedy, widow of the late Senator Edward Kennedy, both endorsed the candidacy of Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) for the Senate seat Kerry will vacate if, as expected, he is confirmed by the Senate as the next Secretary of State. by Michael Patrick Leahy 2 Jan 2013
Budget Hawk Hensarling Critical for Looming Debates The next Congress will be dominated by budget and fiscal issues. Almost immediately, the 113th Congress will have to grapple with Obama's demand to lift the debt ceiling and pair any further spending cuts with increased tax revenue. The budget is on an unsustainable path and can either be tackled now or in the wake of a certain collapse in the near future. It will require every ounce of principled fortitude that the GOP can muster. Texas Congressman Jeb Hensarling is one particular member who has consistently shown he has the will to fight for conservative positions. He will be central to the looming showdown. by Mike Flynn 2 Jan 2013
GOP Congressman: Boehner Will Lead Republicans to 2014 Loss It’s an embarrassing time to be a Republican Congressman—albeit an outgoing Congressman. As negotiators, we utterly failed to meet our two objectives: to reduce spending and prevent tax increases. President Obama demanded tax increases with small spending cuts, and that’s exactly what passed. by Rep. Jeff Landry (R-LA) 2 Jan 2013
Democrats Spin Their Votes for Cliff Deal For certain, liberal Democrats will be looking to get more of what they believe they missed in this cliff package. A Democrat familiar with the negotiations told the Washington Post that the president will be following up this deal, when the deficit reduction talks begin, with attempts to gain additional revenues from households making at least $250,000 by limiting their tax deductions. by Dr. Susan Berry 2 Jan 2013
McConnell: Obama Got 'Tax Rates He Wants,' Time to Cut In the aftermath of the fiscal cliff deal that put off the sequester’s implementation by some two months, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is putting focus squarely on debt reduction, with the debt ceiling as the trigger mechanism for that discussion. by Ben Shapiro 2 Jan 2013
Christie: 'Shame' on Boehner, Republicans on Sandy Relief Today, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), focusing like a laser on his goal of apparently becoming the Democratic nominee in 2016, attacked House Republicans for failing to pass the pork-laden Hurricane Sandy $60 billion relief bill. by Ben Shapiro 2 Jan 2013
White House: We Want 'Even More Revenue from The Wealthiest' While conservatives fume over the fiscal cliff aversion bill that passed through Congress and now awaits President Barack Obama’s signature, Obama’s team is triumphal about it – and they are ready for a debt ceiling debate featuring more talk about taxing the rich. Despite Obama’s proclamation that the rich are now “paying their fair share,” Obama will undoubtedly call for more tax increases for top earners if Republicans insist on cutting government spending. by Ben Shapiro 2 Jan 2013
Issa Backs Boehner While other conservatives are considering a coup d’etat against House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday, House oversight committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa plans to support the embattled Ohio Republican. by Matthew Boyle 2 Jan 2013
The Man Who Can Say No: Who Is Eric Cantor? There is perhaps no other congressional leader whom the president dislikes more, for the simple reason that Cantor is prepared to risk the consequences of confrontation. by Joel B. Pollak 2 Jan 2013
Study: A Few Extra Pounds May Be Healthy Turns out a few extra pounds may not be such a bad thing, according to a new analysis of nearly three million adults that showed people who are overweight or slightly obese may live longer. 2 Jan 2013
Private Spy Drone Images Lead to Criminal Indictments An anonymous individual or group’s private spy drone’s images have resulted in a criminal indictments for a US meat packing company. The images were taken nearly a year ago and received so much attention that authorities took notice and acted. by Brandon Darby 2 Jan 2013
Thought of the Day: Republicans Rolled Our founders were certainly wary of too much power accruing to the executive branch, but they were equally concerned with what James Madison called a tyranny of the majority. Protecting minority rights is an essential aspect to republicanism. A President who won reelection by taking less than 51% of the majority vote does not have a mandate to impose his will. by Sydney Williams 2 Jan 2013
Rep. Tom Price: We Need 'Red State Leadership' in House Rep. Tom Price is a respected leader of conservatives in the House. A former chair of the Republican Study Committee, the in-house caucus of conservative legislators, he has long been at the forefront of crafting conservative solutions to our nation's policy challenges. Appearing this morning on WMAL, Price told Breitbart New's Larry O'Connor that it was time for "red state leadership" in the House. The statement will likely send shockwaves through the GOP caucus. by Mike Flynn 2 Jan 2013
Boehner Joins Pelosi to Pass Obama's Fiscal Cliff Tax Bill Congress' excruciating, extraordinary New Year's Day approval of a compromise averting a prolonged tumble off the fiscal cliff hands President Barack Obama most of the tax boosts on the rich that he campaigned on. It also prevents House Republicans from facing blame for blocking tax cuts for most American households, though most GOP lawmakers parted ways with Speaker John Boehner and opposed the measure. 2 Jan 2013
It's Not the Fall that Kills You It is 2013, and we went over the Fiscal Cliff long before midnight last night. The fact is that our economy does not rise and fall over the course of months or even a year. We went over the Fiscal Cliff when the never-ending debt ceiling increase became standard operating procedure in Washington. by David Webb 2 Jan 2013
Boehner to Reid: 'Go F--- Yourself' Last Friday, House Speaker John Boehner told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to simply "Go f--k yourself" as tensions boiled over between the two Congressional leaders days before the country was slated to go over the so-called fiscal cliff. by Tony Lee 2 Jan 2013
Sandy Hook Students, Teachers Head Back to School parents like David Connors are bracing to send their children back to school, nearly three weeks after the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. It won't be easy _ for the parents or the children, who heard the gunshots that killed 20 of their classmates and six educators. 2 Jan 2013
Despite Deal, Taxes to Rise for Most Americans While the tax package that Congress passed New Year's Day will protect 99 percent of Americans from an income tax increase, most of them will still end up paying more federal taxes in 2013. 2 Jan 2013
Boehner Kills Sandy Relief Bill After Cantor All but Promised It Would Pass House Speaker John Boehner killed a $60 billion package to provide relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy, a GOP leadership aide--likely from Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s office--told Politico late Tuesday. by Matthew Boyle 2 Jan 2013
Political Brinksmanship Still Threatens US Economy An emergency deal reached after weeks of rancorous negotiations will keep the U.S. from driving off the so-called fiscal cliff, but higher taxes and continued political bickering in Washington threaten to shake the fragile U.S. economy well into 2013. 2 Jan 2013
Chicago: One and a Half People Killed Every Day in 2012 Despite Gun Laws Chicago has long been the proving ground for gun-grabbers' anti-2nd Amendment zeal. And with the most draconian gun control laws in the land, you'd think it would be an idyllic oasis of safety: a place where violence and evil have no place. by AWR Hawkins 1 Jan 2013
Cantor, McCarthy Turn Young Guns on Boehner, Ryan Tonight's vote on the Senate-brokered deal to avert the "fiscal cliff" may set the stage for a Leadership challenge when the new Congress convenes at noon on Thursday. Almost two-thirds of the House GOP caucus voted against the Senate plan which provided for steep tax hikes and increased spending. Just 85 Republicans went along with an overwhelming majority of the Democrat caucus to pass the plan out of the House. Among these were Speaker John Boehner and Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan. Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy broke with Leadership and voted against the plan. by Mike Flynn 1 Jan 2013
Fiscal Cliff Negotiations Leave Hedge Fund Tax Loophole Unscathed In 2008, Mr. Obama received nearly twice as much in political donations from private equity and hedge funds as Sen. John McCain. And while Mr. Obama has included provisions to end carried interest in past budgets—and certainly used the issue as a political bludgeon against his GOP challenger—the current fiscal cliff negotiations at this hour appear to have left carried interest unscathed. by Wynton Hall 1 Jan 2013
House GOP Leadership Split Votes Over 'Fiscal Cliff' The House voted to pass the Senate’s fiscal cliff bill on Tuesday night. Eighty-five Republicans joined 172 Democrats to pass the bill. And the House Republican leadership split down the middle. House Republican leadership members who voted against the Senate "fiscal cliff" bill were House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and House Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). by Kerry Picket 1 Jan 2013
Sources: Enough Republicans Willing to Unseat Speaker Boehner American Majority Action spokesman Ron Meyer told Breitbart News late Tuesday that enough House Republicans have banded together in an effort to unseat House Speaker John Boehner from his position--they just need a leader to take up the mantle. “At least 20 House Republican members have gotten together, discussed this and want to unseat Speaker Boehner--and are willing to do what it takes to do it,” Meyer said. “That’s more than enough to get the job done, but the one problem these guys face is they need a leader to coalesce behind.” by Matthew Boyle 1 Jan 2013
All Taxes, No Cuts: House Accepts Senate 'Deal' Tonight, the House voted to accept the Senate amendments to House Resolution 8, setting in motion the enactment of the McConnell-Biden brokered deal to avert the "fiscal cliff." The House will next hold a quick vote to pass the underlying resolution. The House GOP caucus voted against the proposal by almost a 2-1 margin. It secured a healthy 250 votes for passage because of overwhelming support from Democrats. by Mike Flynn 1 Jan 2013
CBO Revises Fiscal Cliff Deal Rating—10:1 Tax Increases-Spending Cuts Ratio The Congressional Budget Office revised its original estimates of spending cuts and tax increases down to a ratio of $10 in tax increases for every $1 in spending cuts on Tuesday. by Matthew Boyle 1 Jan 2013
'Turn 'Em All In': Feinstein Said She Wanted All Guns Banned One of the lines that many progressives and TV talking heads are reiterating is that no one really wants to take away Americans' guns. Senator Dianne Feinstein apparently missed that directive. She admitted as far back as 1995 that she does, indeed, wish to take everyone's guns away from them. by Warner Todd Huston 1 Jan 2013
Illinois State Senate Trying to Ram New Gun Ban Through Lame Duck Session Illinois is the only state in the Union that does not allow some sort of concealed carry statute for its law-abiding citizens. Illinois is also home to the city with the highest murder rate in the country. And yet, the Land of Lincoln is set to ring in the New Year with a new gun banning law that is more extreme than any yet instituted. by Warner Todd Huston 1 Jan 2013
House GOP May Reject Fiscal Cliff Deal The miniscule spending cuts ordained by the Senate bill aren’t enough for some House Republicans, who assert that they will raise the amount of spending cuts. Some Republicans said they favor a ratio of $3 in spending cuts for every $1 in tax hikes for the upper tax echelon. Rep. Steven LaTourette, (R-OH) said: "Our sense, at least in the House, was that a number of the Republicans who voted for it must have been drunk." by William Bigelow 1 Jan 2013
Senate Fiscal Cliff Bill Could Pass House, Cautions GOP Congressman The Congressional Budget Office came to the conclusion that the bill would add $4 trillion to the deficit in ten years. Fleming told reporters he would vote against the current Senate bill, but that even with no amendment there are enough Republicans and Democrats to pass the legislation. by Kerry Picket 1 Jan 2013
'Fiscal Cliff' Face-off: Boehner, Cantor Showdown Over Vote Tonight When the House votes on Tuesday evening (or potentially right after midnight early Wednesday morning), House Republicans will likely be divided into two camps: Team Boehner and Team Cantor. Those who vote for the bill will be on Team Boehner and those who oppose it will be on Team Cantor. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is backing the bill, and conservative groups like FreedomWorks are opposing it. by Matthew Boyle 1 Jan 2013
Eric Cantor Makes First Move to Unseat Boehner in 'Fiscal Cliff' Kabuki Theater On Tuesday afternoon Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) publicly announced his opposition to the "fiscal cliff" deal that the Senate passed on Monday by a 89 to 8 vote. It's unclear if Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) was informed by his second in command of his plans prior to Tuesday's dramatic public announcement. by Michael Patrick Leahy 1 Jan 2013
In 2013, Years Of Obama Reparations Planning Pay Off In Pigford Obama's 'free stuff' electoral victory in 2012 masked what is perhaps his biggest and shadiest giveaway of all; the multi-billion dollar reparations and vote-buying schemes masked as USDA "farmers settlements." by Lee Stranahan 1 Jan 2013
Cliffhanger: Cantor Opposes Senate 'Fiscal Cliff' Deal, Boehner Still Uncertain House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has publicly voiced his opposition to the Senate "fiscal cliff" deal that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Vice President Joe Biden cut late on New Year’s eve, and which passed early today by an 89-8 vote. by Matthew Boyle 1 Jan 2013
Cliff Deal: Half of Tax Hikes Go to Boost Spending As more details emerge about the Senate's hastily-passed deal to avert the "fiscal cliff", the scale of the GOP's capitulation grows more troubling. This morning, it looked as if the Senate GOP had overwhelmingly voted for a $620 Billion tax increase in exchange for almost no real spending cuts. That's bad enough, but an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office reveals that the deal actually contains $330 Billion in new spending over the next 10 years. More than half of the new tax revenue won't go to plugging the deficit, but increasing the size of government. by Mike Flynn 1 Jan 2013
Federal Appeals Court Sides with Religious Liberty on HHS Mandate Just last week Breitbart News reported on the threat to religious liberty from the HHS Mandate. Now another federal appeals court has gone the other way, siding with religious liberty and setting the stage for a Supreme Court showdown. by Ken Klukowski 1 Jan 2013
GOP New Year's Resolution: Political Suicide On a host of social and cultural issues, the American public has moved away from positions traditionally held by the Republican party. Yet, the party has remained competitive electorally because of two core tenets of the party; keeping taxes low and generally constraining the growth of government. It is one of the few issues where the GOP maintains a considerable edge over Democrats. As we begin 2013, the GOP seems intent on squandering its last remaining issue advantage. by Mike Flynn 1 Jan 2013
Fiscal Cliff Deal Sets Table for Conservative Debt Ceiling Win While conservatives roundly criticize Senate Republicans for cutting a deal with Vice President Joe Biden to avert the fiscal cliff, there are several aspects of the deal that make it a win for Republicans – if they cling to their promises this time. by Ben Shapiro 1 Jan 2013
Ann Coulter: Wayne LaPierre Wrong Spokesman for NRA Coulter says LaPierre's response was "hemming and hawing" instead of forthrightly telling Gregory to quit perverting the statements of the NRA. She says LaPierre should have reminded Gregory, and the country, at that point: "There is one way to stop innocent people from being gunned down by lunatics" and that's by having more law abiding citizens armed... by AWR Hawkins 1 Jan 2013
Official: Goal of 'Fiscal Cliff' to Break GOP on No Tax Increase Pledge According to Ed Henry of Fox News, the “fiscal cliff” deal passed by the Senate served its ultimate goal for President Obama. An official close to the negotiations said: “The President fulfilled a major campaign promise,” referring to raising taxes on the rich. The official added that the president “broke the Republicans’ backs on a 20-year pledge” not to raise tax rates. by Dr. Susan Berry 1 Jan 2013
'Fiscal Cliff' Deal Punishes Work, Rewards Unemployment The "fiscal cliff" deal approved by the Senate in a 89-8 vote early this morning, and which is under consideration by the House of Representatives today, punishes work and rewards unemployment. by Joel B. Pollak 1 Jan 2013
Boehner Promised a Deal Supported by 'Majority of Majority' Throughout the "fiscal cliff" negotiations, Speaker Boehner promised that only legislation that had the support of a "majority of the majority" would come to the floor for a vote. It was his nod to reassure conservatives that he wouldn't accept a terrible deal to avoid the tax hikes and automatic defense cuts triggered in the new year. As the details of the Senate-passed deal emerge, though, Boehner's ability to keep that promise are in doubt. by Mike Flynn 1 Jan 2013
Deal Will Prevent Spike in Milk Prices White House and congressional bargainers have agreed to prevent milk price increases as part of their compromise to avert the "fiscal cliff." 1 Jan 2013
Will Boehner Violate 'Hastert Rule' with 'Fiscal Cliff' Vote? A precedent set by former Republican House Speaker Denny Hastert, dubbed the “Hastert Rule,” requires that a Speaker have support from at least 50 percent of his or her own caucus before bringing a bill to the floor for a vote. While Boehner aides have told the Associated Press that he believes in and abides by the Hastert Rule, they wouldn’t answer when asked by the AP or Breitbart News if the Speaker would follow the rule when it comes to the "fiscal cliff" or this deal specifically. by Matthew Boyle 1 Jan 2013
Occupy LA Float Featured in Rose Parade Just when you thought Occupy was dead, it leaps back to life … in the Rose Parade. Today’s world-famous Pasadena Rose Parade is designed to give millions joy. But today’s parade will feature a float from Occupy Los Angeles, complete with a giant Mr. Monopoly riding a red wagon. by Breitbart News 1 Jan 2013
Domino's Wins Stay on Obamacare Contraception Mandate Late Sunday evening, Federal Judge Lawrence Zatkoff of Michigan ruled that Domino’s Pizza would not have to provide contraceptives or abortion services to his employees under Obamacare. by Breitbart News 1 Jan 2013
King Obama the Irrelevant The "fiscal cliff" fiasco has made it clear that President Barack Obama is entirely irrelevant to the everyday task of governing. He is not interested in it, and he is not good at it. He is great at campaigning and terrible at leading. He is essentially a symbol, a political celebrity who could be re-elected forever because people seem to like what they think he stands for, and what he tells them he stands against. But he does nothing positive for the country. by Joel B. Pollak 1 Jan 2013
Happy New Year: Feds Kill 75W Incandescent Light Bulbs Beginning today, the 75-watt incandescent lightbulb has been banned from production and importation in the United States. That’s right – as soon as stores clear their shelves of their current stock, you won’t be able to buy a 75-watt incandescent lightbulb anymore. by Ben Shapiro 1 Jan 2013
After Midnight, It's a Tax Cut; Senate Passes 'Cliff' Deal, 89-8 The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed a deal early this morning to cut taxes to Bush-era rates for all income categories below $450,000 per household ($400,000 for individuals). The Senate vote came too late to avert the midnight "fiscal cliff" deadline, and the deal must still pass the House of Representatives later today. The deal will also delay the deep spending cuts in the "sequester," including defense cuts," by two months. by Joel B. Pollak 1 Jan 2013
Fiscal Cliff Deal Kills Insolvent Obamacare Element As part of the fiscal cliff deal reached by Congressional leaders and Vice President Joe Biden last night, the so-called CLASS Act – an integral component of Obamacare – will be repealed. by Ben Shapiro 1 Jan 2013
Details of Senate Bill Averting 'Fiscal Cliff' Highlights of a bill approved Tuesday by the Senate aimed at averting wide tax increases and budget cuts scheduled to take effect in the new year. The measure would raise taxes by about $600 billion over 10 years compared with tax policies that were due to expire at midnight Monday. It would also delay for two months across-the-board cuts to the budgets of the Pentagon and numerous domestic agencies. 1 Jan 2013
Bill to Avert Fiscal Cliff Heads to House Legislation to negate a fiscal cliff of across-the-board tax increases and sweeping spending cuts to the Pentagon and other government agencies is headed to the GOP-dominated House after bipartisan, middle-of-the-night approval in the Senate capped a New Year's Eve drama unlike any other in the annals of Congress. 1 Jan 2013
Six-Year Old Suspended from School for Saying 'Pow' A six-year-old student at Roscoe R. Nix Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland, was suspended the week before Christmas break because he made a gun with his hand and said "pow" while playing with another student. by AWR Hawkins 1 Jan 2013
Fiscal Cliff Deal: $1 in Spending Cuts for Every $41 in Tax Increases According to the Congressional Budget Office, the last-minute fiscal cliff deal reached by congressional leaders and President Barack Obama cuts only $15 billion in spending while increasing tax revenues by $620 billion—a 41:1 ratio of tax increases to spending cuts. by Matthew Boyle 31 Dec 2012
Merry Cliffmas! Here is a summary of where things stand on the "fiscal cliff," with just minutes to spare before the midnight deadline, after which the Bush tax cuts will expire and massive automatic spending cuts are implemented. by Joel B. Pollak 31 Dec 2012
Group: Boehner Can't Get Majority of GOP to Back Deal American Majority Action, the conservative group that’s leading the charge against House Speaker John Boehner continuing in his current position, said Monday evening that Boehner doesn’t have at least 50 percent of his House GOP members’ support for the fiscal cliff deal that Senate leaders and the White House have reportedly cut. by Matthew Boyle 31 Dec 2012
Exclusive - GOP Insists on Tax Benefits, Cuts During Sequester Replacement Period As fiscal cliff negotiations continue, Senate Republicans are attempting to replace the sequester with a new program that would look like this. by Ben Shapiro 31 Dec 2012
Obama's New Economic Normal: Seven Devastating Facts America is entering a new economic normal, a reality where almost everything that should be going up is going down, and everything that should be going down is going up. The United States begins 2013 in uncharted economic waters. by Wynton Hall 31 Dec 2012
FBI and Andrew Breitbart Vindicated by New 'Occupy' Explosives Arrests The arrests come at a critical time due to recent allegations by the left against the FBI for having apparently infiltrated the revolutionary Occupy movement. The Occupy movement was heralded by mainstream media outlets as heroic and altruistic, but right-of-center critics, such as Andrew Breitbart, began to point out the movement was little more than a rebranded gathering of extremist far-left groups. by Brandon Darby 31 Dec 2012
Fiscal Cliff: Third Time Biden Has Negotiated for Obama President Barack Obama delivered remarks from the White House on Monday afternoon on fiscal cliff negotiation progress in Congress, as Democratic and Republican leaders in the upper chamber appeared to iron out major issues pertaining to a fiscal cliff agreement by Kerry Picket 31 Dec 2012
How California Will Sell Obamacare: Celebrities, Reporters, and Targeted Ethnic Appeals Democrats market policy the same way they market candidates: leveraging the power of the media to make targeted ethnic appeals. When it comes to selling Obamacare to Californians, the plan involves $90 million worth of outreach augmented by partnerships with celebrities, the entertainment industry, and "select" reporters who are presumably eager to help with the roll out. by John Sexton 31 Dec 2012
Congress Throws Worst New Year's Eve Party in the World - UPDATE: Biden Crashes If you're not having as much fun as you expected this New Year's Eve, take some comfort in the fact that the nation's politicians are even more miserable. They just failed to avert the "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and spending cuts, and they're still stuck in Washington, D.C. anyway. The entire country hates them, they hate each other, and yet they're fated to ring in 2013 together, drowning their sorrows in wonton soup at the Hunan Dynasty. by Joel B. Pollak 31 Dec 2012
American Heroes: Conservative Congressional Republicans How difficult it is to consider people currently in American government as heroes. After all, we have a narcissistic president, whose narcissism is so ingrained that he has no awareness of his grossly partisan agenda. We have a Democrat Party that plans to spend more money anyway, so why bother with a budget at all? And we have an established, main stream Republican Party that seems frightened to win elections. by Dr. Susan Berry 31 Dec 2012
JUMP: Washington Fails to Beat 'Fiscal Cliff' Deadline, Talks to Resume in New Year Numerous sources report that the House of Representatives will not be able to vote on any Senate deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff" before the midnight deadline tonight, even if the Senate were able to reach agreement, which it has not yet done. The nation will now go over the "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and spending cuts. 31 Dec 2012
Exclusive - GOP: Cuts Won't Be Stopped, Despite Dems' Reluctance While the Washington Post reports this afternoon that Congress is considering pushing off all cuts under a new deal to avert the fiscal cliff, top Republicans say that is absolutely false. The sequester cuts will either go through now, as written, or they will be replaced for no more than two to three months to be more specifically calibrated to avoid the blunderbuss across-the-board cuts largely affecting defense. by Ben Shapiro 31 Dec 2012
Clinton Most Admired Woman in US for 17th Time Ailing US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had something to smile about from her hospital bed Monday when she was named the woman most admired by Americans, for the 17th time. 31 Dec 2012
Obama Scuttles 'Fiscal Cliff' Deal? This afternoon, in one of the more bizarre appearances of his presidency, Barack Obama gave a televised address to a room full of supporters on the "fiscal cliff." He broke no news, but mocked Congress, and hinted at future tax hikes. Observers worried that he may have deliberately scuttled a potential agreement. by Mike Flynn 31 Dec 2012
Google Hires 'Grand Prophet' of Machine Intelligence In December, Google hired as its director of engineering Ray Kurzweil, 64, the "grand prophet" of something called “the Singularity”—the moment when machines will overtake human intelligence to such a level that “human life will be irreversibly transformed.” by Wynton Hall 31 Dec 2012
Stocks Turn Up on Hints of 'Fiscal Cliff' Deal The Dow and the other major stock indexes turned higher at midday after a few signs that a deal was emerging. The Associated Press and other media outlets reported that both sides had agreed on a few key points on taxes and unemployment benefits. 31 Dec 2012
Obama Approval Drops Five Points in Week In the wake of his reelection victory last month, President Obama has enjoyed a steady rise in his approval ratings. According to Gallup's daily tracking poll, Obama's approval rating reached 58% on December 21st, a 52-week high. Election winners typically see a rise in their approval ratings in the weeks following victory. Over the last week, however, Obama has shed most of his gains. by Mike Flynn 31 Dec 2012
Democrats Balk at Fiscal Cliff Deal Iowa's Democrat Senator Tom Harkin is balking at any offer to raise the tax hike threshold from $250,000 annually to $450,000 in late negotiations to prevent the federal government going over the "fiscal cliff." by Warner Todd Huston 31 Dec 2012
10 Most Corrupt Politicians of 2012 Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released its 2012 list of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.” by Tom Fitton 31 Dec 2012
Exclusive - Source: Chances of Fiscal Cliff Deal 'Pretty Strong' Today, a high ranking source in the Senate informed Breitbart News that the chances of a Congressional deal being cut to avoid the fiscal cliff were “pretty strong,” despite President Obama’s deep desire to push America off the fiscal cliff. by Ben Shapiro 31 Dec 2012
Progress seen in last-minute 'fiscal cliff' talks A person familiar with the negotiations says Democrats have offered to extend tax cuts for families making up to $450,000 a year and individuals making up to $400,000. President Barack Obama originally wanted the tax cuts to be extended only for families making up to $250,000 a year. 31 Dec 2012
RGIII: Only Man Who Can Solve Fiscal Cliff Yesterday, he only threw for 100 yards against the Dallas Cowboys, but it was enough to lift the Washington Redskins to an unlikely NFC East division title and a spot in the NFL playoffs. Today, all Robert Griffin III would have to do is walk into the Capitol building, and an immediate bipartisan consensus on a fiscal cliff deal would begin to form. by Joel B. Pollak 31 Dec 2012
As 'Fiscal Cliff' Draws Near, Obama Leaves Negotiations to... Biden In the final hours before the "fiscal cliff" becomes a reality, President Barack Obama has left talks to... Vice President Joe Biden, who is reported to be negotiating directly with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The last-ditch effort between Biden-McConnell talks reportedly began Sunday evening. This is not the first time that Obama has delegated core responsibility to his deputy. by Joel B. Pollak 31 Dec 2012
Marine to Gun-grabber Di Feinstein: 'No Ma'am' Joshua Boston, a retired Corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps, has a message for Senator Dianne Feinstein (D, CA) concerning her newest gun banning bill. Corporal Boston says, "No Ma'Am." by Warner Todd Huston 31 Dec 2012
Yes Mr. Obama, There Will Be Resistance While appearing on Meet the Press on Dec. 30th, President Obama pledged to make gun control one of the central aims of 2013. He said he knows it won't be easy -- that "there will be resistance" -- but that it has to be done to be sure another Sandy Hook doesn't take place. by AWR Hawkins 31 Dec 2012
Time for Gun-Free Politician Zones? Gun-Free School Zones have cost untold innocent lives since their implementation. And now, with so many Americans rallying behind the idea of armed guards and/or teachers in schools in the wake of the Newtown shooting, Political Media's Larry Ward wonders why we can't turn the tables and see how the politicians like it. by AWR Hawkins 31 Dec 2012