Conservative Blogger
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Cruz vows to use all ‘means available’ to block ObamaCare, Reid tees up budget vote
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz vowed Monday to use “every procedural means
available” to block funding for ObamaCare, as he squared off against
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid at the start of a showdown that
could risk a government shutdown in a matter of days.
Cruz is trying to back up House Republicans, who last week passed a bill that would defund the health care law while funding the government past Sept. 30. Cruz, however, has charted an unusual course – because he’s worried that Reid will strip the language defunding ObamaCare, Cruz is calling on his colleagues to block the House bill, even though he supports it.
But Cruz and his allies were running into serious roadblocks Monday night as GOP leaders tried to short-circuit his plan to stall the bill.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell threw a wrench into Cruz's plan earlier Monday, saying he will not vote to block the House bill because it "defunds Obamacare and funds the government without increasing spending by a penny."
Fox News has now learned both McConnell and Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) are actively working on colleagues who may be on the fence, according to sources familiar with the situation.
That move reportedly came as a surprise to Cornyn's Texas colleague Cruz.
A well placed source told Fox News that Cruz was "caught off guard" and "very upset" when he got wind of what was going on, adding he felt like he was stabbed in the back.
The Texas senator’s battle, though, has been rocky all day as he threw up a series of roadblocks only to be rebuffed by Reid.
At the same time, Reid arranged for an initial test vote Wednesday on the House passed-legislation that would avoid a partial government shutdown on Oct. 1 while simultaneously canceling funding for the health care law.
A second key vote is set for later in the week as Democrats seek to keep the health care law intact and Cruz and other Republicans resist.
Cruz told reporters he’ll do whatever it takes to prevent that outcome.
Speaking earlier on the Senate floor, he warned that any member who votes to advance the bill “will be voting to allow the majority leader to fund ObamaCare.”
“I think that vote’s a mistake,” he said. “I think that vote hurts the people of America.”
Cruz and his allies, though, face an uphill battle. To block the bill, they would have to corral 41 senators.
Reid claimed he has the votes to prevail on the health care issue.
"Any bill that de-funds Obama and his health care law is dead on arrival in the Senate," he said.
Democrats, meanwhile, have launched an aggressive campaign that seeks to pin the blame on Republicans in the event of a government shutdown. If Reid succeeds in stripping out the “defund ObamaCare” provision and sends the bill back to the House, it’s unclear whether House Speaker John Boehner would stand by the conservative wing of his caucus, or allow the bill to be called to the floor and potentially pass it with a majority of Democrats.
For its part, Obama administration spent the day warning of dire consequences unless Congress approves funding beyond the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Medicare beneficiaries could lose their fully-paid annual wellness doctor's visit if funding is cut off, prescription drug costs could rise, and millions of seniors who are enrolled in private Medicare coverage might be required to switch to the traditional fee-for-service coverage to continue receiving health care.
Sebelius also said federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program would end on Oct. 1, some Medicaid recipients would lose coverage and Indian health programs would also be affected. Bailey Comment: Only a bunch of morons and people who get a lot of freebies would believe that Reid really cares about their health. Him and Nancy and all the rest of the fat cats in Washington are rich and can always have the best things in life including the best insurance.
Cruz is trying to back up House Republicans, who last week passed a bill that would defund the health care law while funding the government past Sept. 30. Cruz, however, has charted an unusual course – because he’s worried that Reid will strip the language defunding ObamaCare, Cruz is calling on his colleagues to block the House bill, even though he supports it.
But Cruz and his allies were running into serious roadblocks Monday night as GOP leaders tried to short-circuit his plan to stall the bill.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell threw a wrench into Cruz's plan earlier Monday, saying he will not vote to block the House bill because it "defunds Obamacare and funds the government without increasing spending by a penny."
Fox News has now learned both McConnell and Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) are actively working on colleagues who may be on the fence, according to sources familiar with the situation.
That move reportedly came as a surprise to Cornyn's Texas colleague Cruz.
A well placed source told Fox News that Cruz was "caught off guard" and "very upset" when he got wind of what was going on, adding he felt like he was stabbed in the back.
The Texas senator’s battle, though, has been rocky all day as he threw up a series of roadblocks only to be rebuffed by Reid.
At the same time, Reid arranged for an initial test vote Wednesday on the House passed-legislation that would avoid a partial government shutdown on Oct. 1 while simultaneously canceling funding for the health care law.
A second key vote is set for later in the week as Democrats seek to keep the health care law intact and Cruz and other Republicans resist.
Cruz told reporters he’ll do whatever it takes to prevent that outcome.
Speaking earlier on the Senate floor, he warned that any member who votes to advance the bill “will be voting to allow the majority leader to fund ObamaCare.”
“I think that vote’s a mistake,” he said. “I think that vote hurts the people of America.”
Cruz and his allies, though, face an uphill battle. To block the bill, they would have to corral 41 senators.
Reid claimed he has the votes to prevail on the health care issue.
"Any bill that de-funds Obama and his health care law is dead on arrival in the Senate," he said.
Democrats, meanwhile, have launched an aggressive campaign that seeks to pin the blame on Republicans in the event of a government shutdown. If Reid succeeds in stripping out the “defund ObamaCare” provision and sends the bill back to the House, it’s unclear whether House Speaker John Boehner would stand by the conservative wing of his caucus, or allow the bill to be called to the floor and potentially pass it with a majority of Democrats.
For its part, Obama administration spent the day warning of dire consequences unless Congress approves funding beyond the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Medicare beneficiaries could lose their fully-paid annual wellness doctor's visit if funding is cut off, prescription drug costs could rise, and millions of seniors who are enrolled in private Medicare coverage might be required to switch to the traditional fee-for-service coverage to continue receiving health care.
Sebelius also said federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program would end on Oct. 1, some Medicaid recipients would lose coverage and Indian health programs would also be affected. Bailey Comment: Only a bunch of morons and people who get a lot of freebies would believe that Reid really cares about their health. Him and Nancy and all the rest of the fat cats in Washington are rich and can always have the best things in life including the best insurance.
Monday, September 23, 2013
US government seizes NY skyscraper allegedly secretly owned by Iran
The U.S. Attorney’s office has seized ownership of a skyscraper
in New York City, alleging that it was secretly owned and operated by
the Iranian Government.
The structure at 650 Fifth Avenue, a 36-story building near Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan formerly known as the Piaget Building, was seized after a judgment by the New York Southern District court on Tuesday. The government plans to use money from the seizure to compensate victims of Iranian–sponsored terrorism.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara claimed that the property owner, the Assa Corporation, was nothing more than a front for the state-run bank that financed the building.
“The Judge’s opinion upholds what was the contention of this Office from outset: ‘Assa was (and is) a front for Bank Melli, and thus a front for the Government of Iran,’” Bharara said in a statement.
The building was originally erected in the 1970s by the Phalavi Foundation, a non-profit that was operated at the time by the Shah of Iran and financed by Bank Melli, which is controlled by the Iranian Government.
After the Iranian revolution, the loan for the building was cancelled in the 1980s and ownership was transferred to Assa and the Alavi Corporation. The U.S. alleges that Assa and Alavi were shell companies set up by the Iranian regime, with the former based in the UK’s Channel Islands to launder money back to the government.
The U.S. has spent the past five years on seizing the building in what it calls “the largest-ever terrorism forfeiture.”
A statement from the Alavi Foundation posted on its website claims it intends to appeal the court’s decision.
“We are obviously disappointed with the district court’s decision granting partial summary judgment against the Alavi Foundation,” reads the posting. “We have reviewed the decision and disagree with the court’s analysis of the facts and the law. The Foundation was ready for trial and is disappointed that it did not have the opportunity to rebut the Government evidence before a jury.”
It is alleged that both companies had transferred income made from rental space to Bank Melli and in turn the Iranian Government.
Some of the corporations that have offices in the building include CitiBank, Starwood Hotels and Armani.
Reports say that the building will have a sale tag of between $500-700 million and recently had $11 million in improvements. How unbelievably stupid us Americans must seem to the rest of the world.
The structure at 650 Fifth Avenue, a 36-story building near Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan formerly known as the Piaget Building, was seized after a judgment by the New York Southern District court on Tuesday. The government plans to use money from the seizure to compensate victims of Iranian–sponsored terrorism.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara claimed that the property owner, the Assa Corporation, was nothing more than a front for the state-run bank that financed the building.
“The Judge’s opinion upholds what was the contention of this Office from outset: ‘Assa was (and is) a front for Bank Melli, and thus a front for the Government of Iran,’” Bharara said in a statement.
The building was originally erected in the 1970s by the Phalavi Foundation, a non-profit that was operated at the time by the Shah of Iran and financed by Bank Melli, which is controlled by the Iranian Government.
After the Iranian revolution, the loan for the building was cancelled in the 1980s and ownership was transferred to Assa and the Alavi Corporation. The U.S. alleges that Assa and Alavi were shell companies set up by the Iranian regime, with the former based in the UK’s Channel Islands to launder money back to the government.
The U.S. has spent the past five years on seizing the building in what it calls “the largest-ever terrorism forfeiture.”
A statement from the Alavi Foundation posted on its website claims it intends to appeal the court’s decision.
“We are obviously disappointed with the district court’s decision granting partial summary judgment against the Alavi Foundation,” reads the posting. “We have reviewed the decision and disagree with the court’s analysis of the facts and the law. The Foundation was ready for trial and is disappointed that it did not have the opportunity to rebut the Government evidence before a jury.”
It is alleged that both companies had transferred income made from rental space to Bank Melli and in turn the Iranian Government.
Some of the corporations that have offices in the building include CitiBank, Starwood Hotels and Armani.
Reports say that the building will have a sale tag of between $500-700 million and recently had $11 million in improvements. How unbelievably stupid us Americans must seem to the rest of the world.
Three Attackers in Kenya Mall Siege Lived in US
Three of the attackers at the Westgate Mall siege in Nairobi, Kenya, are
from the United States, sources within the terror group that
orchestrated the attack told CNN on Sunday.
CNN reported that the American-linked militants from the terrorist group al-Shabab are among nine people listed on a since-shuttered Twitter account linked to the group.
Sources told CNN that other names linked to the account include two individuals from Somalia and one each from Canada, Finland, Kenya and the United Kingdom. They range in age from 20 to 27 years old.
Two of the Americans are from Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, and the other is from Kansas City, Missouri. Minneapolis has a large Somali community that in the past has been linked to recruitment efforts by al-Shabab as well as al-Qaida. The U.S. State Department is trying to match the names released by al-Shabab, but is growing more confident that American citizens were involved in the attack, according to CNN.
CNN reported that the American-linked militants from the terrorist group al-Shabab are among nine people listed on a since-shuttered Twitter account linked to the group.
Sources told CNN that other names linked to the account include two individuals from Somalia and one each from Canada, Finland, Kenya and the United Kingdom. They range in age from 20 to 27 years old.
Two of the Americans are from Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, and the other is from Kansas City, Missouri. Minneapolis has a large Somali community that in the past has been linked to recruitment efforts by al-Shabab as well as al-Qaida. The U.S. State Department is trying to match the names released by al-Shabab, but is growing more confident that American citizens were involved in the attack, according to CNN.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Obama to Boehner: No Deal on Debt Limit, Defunding Obamacare
Bailey Comment: Like we didn't see this coming! President Barack Obama called House Speaker John Boehner late Friday and
reiterated that he would not negotiate with Congress on raising the
debt limit, a Boehner representative told Newsmax.
"The president called the speaker this evening to tell him he wouldn't negotiate with him on the debt limit," the spokesman said in a statement. "Given the long history of using debt limit increases to achieve bipartisan deficit reduction and economic reforms, the speaker was disappointed, but told the president that the two chambers of Congress will chart the path ahead.
"It was a brief call," the Boehner spokesman said.
The president also called House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the White House said.
"The president telephoned Speaker Boehner and told him again that the full faith and credit of the United States should not and will not be subject to negotiation," an administration official told Politico in a statement. "The president reiterated that it is the constitutional responsibility of the U.S. Congress to pass the nation's budget and pay the nation’s bills."
Editor's Note: Should ObamaCare Be Defunded? Vote in Urgent National Poll
Obama's calls came as the House of Representatives voted to temporarily finance the federal government while defunding Obamacare. The 230-189 vote set up a showdown with the Senate and the White House.
House Republicans said on Wednesday they were preparing legislation to raise the government's $16.7 trillion debt limit.
Leaders have said that they were considering including such options as blocking Obama administration plans to curb coal ash pollution; forcing civil servants to contribute more to their retirement plans; requiring Congress to approve many major regulations; and defunding Obamacare for a year.
Obama has said he wants Congress to send him legislation that simply extends the debt limit and has said that he will not negotiate the matter.
The government is expected to exhaust its borrowing authority by late October. That would threaten a first-ever federal default, which many analysts believe would deal a severe blow to the economy.
Meanwhile, Republican leaders have said they do not want a federal default and have noted that past presidents, including Obama in 2011, have negotiated over earlier bills to extend the debt limit.
In a video released on Thursday, Boehner questioned Obama's willingness to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the chemical weapons issue in Syria but not with Republicans.
"Why is the Obama administration willing to negotiate with Putin on Syria ... But not with Congress to address Washington's spending problem?" the text from the ad asks.
The United States and Russia reached a deal last week in which Syrian President Bashar Assad would give up his nuclear arsenal to be destroyed via international standards. The threat of a U.S. military strike against Syria was staved off by the agreement.
"The president called the speaker this evening to tell him he wouldn't negotiate with him on the debt limit," the spokesman said in a statement. "Given the long history of using debt limit increases to achieve bipartisan deficit reduction and economic reforms, the speaker was disappointed, but told the president that the two chambers of Congress will chart the path ahead.
"It was a brief call," the Boehner spokesman said.
The president also called House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the White House said.
"The president telephoned Speaker Boehner and told him again that the full faith and credit of the United States should not and will not be subject to negotiation," an administration official told Politico in a statement. "The president reiterated that it is the constitutional responsibility of the U.S. Congress to pass the nation's budget and pay the nation’s bills."
Editor's Note: Should ObamaCare Be Defunded? Vote in Urgent National Poll
Obama's calls came as the House of Representatives voted to temporarily finance the federal government while defunding Obamacare. The 230-189 vote set up a showdown with the Senate and the White House.
House Republicans said on Wednesday they were preparing legislation to raise the government's $16.7 trillion debt limit.
Leaders have said that they were considering including such options as blocking Obama administration plans to curb coal ash pollution; forcing civil servants to contribute more to their retirement plans; requiring Congress to approve many major regulations; and defunding Obamacare for a year.
Obama has said he wants Congress to send him legislation that simply extends the debt limit and has said that he will not negotiate the matter.
The government is expected to exhaust its borrowing authority by late October. That would threaten a first-ever federal default, which many analysts believe would deal a severe blow to the economy.
Meanwhile, Republican leaders have said they do not want a federal default and have noted that past presidents, including Obama in 2011, have negotiated over earlier bills to extend the debt limit.
In a video released on Thursday, Boehner questioned Obama's willingness to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the chemical weapons issue in Syria but not with Republicans.
"Why is the Obama administration willing to negotiate with Putin on Syria ... But not with Congress to address Washington's spending problem?" the text from the ad asks.
The United States and Russia reached a deal last week in which Syrian President Bashar Assad would give up his nuclear arsenal to be destroyed via international standards. The threat of a U.S. military strike against Syria was staved off by the agreement.
Another far left nut coming out.
These are the people educating our young?
Kansas professor placed on leave after tweet about Navy Yard killings
that read: "#NavyYardShooting The blood is on the hands of the #NRA.
Next time, let it be YOUR sons and daughters. Shame on you. May God damn
you."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
-
Tit for Tat ? ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — A statue of abolitionist Frederick Douglass was ripped from its base in Rochester on the an...
-
NEW YORK (AP) — As New York City faced one of its darkest days with the death toll from the coronavirus surging past 4,000 — more th...
