http://spectator.org/archives/2013/06/17/foreign-policy-as-farce Obama and Syria — this dog ain’t wagging. The Obama administration has reached the unenviable stage in which it’s almost impossible to determine where one scandal ends and another begins. The most recent case in point is President Obama’s decision to kinda sorta intervene in the Syrian civil war that is now in its […]
http://acdemocracy.org/?utm_source=Clueless+Harming+the+U.S.+Without+%26+Within&utm_campaign=ACD%2FEWI+BLOG&utm_medium=email
Introduction
Imagine, the White House and Iran’s president-elect agree. Both congratulated the Iranian people on their determination to participate in the “political process” of the purported election.
President Bashar al-Assad also voiced his approval, congratulating Hasan Rohani for gaining “the trust of millions of the brotherly Iranian people.” In a televised address following his victory, Rohani “thanked the Iranian people for their huge turnout” in the election, and called on the West to respect Iran.
It didn’t take long for the White House to assure Rohani that “we respect the vote of the Iranian people,” praising their “determination to act to shape their future.”
Iran’s official voters turnout of 72.7% is still smaller than the 100% turnout in North Korea, or 90% in Cuba. But like them, the “political process” and “election” that the White House praised was staged. Each “candidate” played the role scripted by Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was quoted saying, “Recently I have heard that a U.S. security official has said they do not accept this election. OK, the hell with you.” Nevertheless, the administration announced, yet again, it was “ready to engage the Iranian government.” Administration officials on Sunday talk shows described Rohani as a “moderate” and a “reformer.” Yet, he has never claimed to be either.
http://eastasiaintel.com/swiss-educated-kim-places-top-priority-to-building-luxury-ski-resort/ STARVING CITIZENS DO NEED DISTRACTION….RSK Swiss-educated Kim places top priority to building luxury ski resort North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at the Masik Pass Skiing Ground under construction by the Korean People’s Army. /Rodong Sinmun
http://www.worldtribune.com/?utm_source=Clueless+Harming+the+U.S.+Without+%26+Within&utm_campaign=ACD%2FEWI+BLOG&utm_medium=email One of the more bizarre aspects of the current deluge of Washington scandals is that their very numbers permit President Barack Obama to finesse and continue to play a role as No. 1 Observer and chief political fundraiser. The almost weekly additions to news of the Administration’s dereliction of duty and corruption diffuse […]
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/351208/irs-vs-pro-israel-groups-eliana-johnson Their applications for tax-exempt status are routed to an antiterrorism unit. Applications of pro-Israel groups for tax-exempt status are routinely routed to an antiterrorism unit within the Internal Revenue Service for additional screening, according to the testimony of a Cincinnati-based IRS agent. Asked whether Jewish or pro-Israel applications are treated differently from other applications, […]
http://pjmedia.com/blog/crony-environmentalism-insurance-firms-exploit-climate-fears-to-raise-rates/?print=1 Crony capitalism describes unduly close relationships between businesses and governments. It should also apply to groups which regularly favor one business over another for reasons other than financial profitability. It is a naive approach, because business is ultimately about profit. Anything else is a marketing ploy to further business opportunities. A business that does not […]
http://pjmedia.com/blog/sunsteins-successor-meets-skepticism-about-regulatory-czars-role/?print=1
SUNSTEIN WHO IS SAMANTHA POWER’S HUBBY WAS ONE OF THOSE “COMMICZARS” PUT IN PLACE AND SALARIED WITHOUT ANY CONGRESSIONAL SANCTION TO “OVERSEE” AND REGULATE…SOMETHING RIGHT OUT OF THE HUGO CHAVEZ HANDBOOK. PLEASE ALSO READ: Obama’s Czars and Their Left-Wing Affiliations…http://frontpagemag.com/2011/mike-bauer/obama%E2%80%99s-czars-and-their-left-wing-affiliations/
WASHINGTON— A Senate panel held a confirmation hearing Wednesday to fill the White House’s post of “regulatory czar” – a powerful but little-known position charged with reviewing rules proposed by government agencies.
President Obama tapped Howard Shelanski, an economist and lawyer, for the post in April.
If approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and confirmed by the Senate, Shelanski would serve as administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). While not a cabinet-level position, the OIRA administrator must receive the Senate’s approval.
The administrator post at OIRA has been vacant since last August when Cass Sunstein departed after three years in the job. Boris Bershteyn, a lawyer who had served as counsel at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), took over as acting administrator.
A small but influential office, much of OIRA’s work is to help federal agencies work through the rulemaking process. The obscure agency is in charge of making sure that the costs of regulation do not outweigh the benefits.
The Paperwork Reduction Act established OIRA in 1980 as part of the OMB. Under the 1980 act, no federal agency is allowed to collect information from American citizens without permission from OIRA. Shortly after assuming office, President Reagan gave OMB the additional responsibility of reviewing and approving rules from federal agencies. That responsibility is exercised by OIRA within OMB.
In his largely anecdotal book [1], Sunstein described just how much power the OIRA wields in the Obama administration. According to Sunstein, as the OIRA administrator he had the authority to ensure that rules were never implemented, or that the favorite rules of regulators were rejected.
“Although some people think we need to choose between regulation and having a robust, growing economy, I disagree. I believe that federal regulations should only be issued when there is a real need, when they are cost-effective, and when they make sense,” Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), the committee’s chairman, said during the hearing. “When these conditions are satisfied, federal regulation serves an essential purpose in protecting the environment, health, safety, consumers, and our financial system.”
Shelanski said that he would continue the regulatory look-back process emphasized by Sunstein, noting that prioritization and the approach of retrospective reviews is the primary responsibility of the OIRA administrator.
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/351222/pragmatic-moderate-wins-iran-west-predictably-swooning-andrew-c-mccarthy The Obama administration and European leaders, so predictably, are swooning over Iran’s newly elected “pragmatic moderate” president Hassan Rouhani, who is actually a Khomeini disciple and supporter of the current, despicable Khameini regime — and who (a) wouold not have been permitted to run without the regime’s blessing, (b) enthusiastically supports Iran’s nuclear program, (c) called […]
http://www.steynonline.com/5604/acceptance-silence-and-submission Four years ago in this space, I was anticipating an increase in Islamic-conversion rates in the likes of Amsterdam and Rotterdam: Let’s say you work in an office in those cities: One day they install a Muslim prayer room, and a few folks head off at the designated time, while the rest of you […]
Hassan Rohani unleashed attacks on pro-democracy student protesters in 1999. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323566804578549262039104552.html?mod=opinion_newsreel So this is what democracy looks like in a theocratic dictatorship. Iran’s presidential campaign season kicked off last month when an unelected body of 12 Islamic jurists disqualified more than 600 candidates. Women were automatically out; so were Iranian Christians, Jews and even Sunni […]
