Friday, January 15, 2016

Planned Parenthood to endorse Hillary Clinton


Planned Parenthood announced Thursday that it will endorse Hillary Clinton for president -- the controversial group’s first political endorsement in its history.
The group, which has been under fire from Republicans after a number of controversies over its abortion practices, will formally endorse Clinton at a campaign event in New Hampshire on Sunday, Fox News confirmed.
The group announced the endorsement on Twitter, calling Clinton the “only candidate to speak up for Planned Parenthood at the debates” and cited her legislative record of “expanding and protecting access to reproductive health care.”
Clinton said in a statement she was "honored" to receive the endorsement. "There has never been a more important election when it comes to women's health and reproductive rights-and Planned Parenthood's patients, providers, and advocates across the country are a crucial line of defense against the dangerous agenda being advanced by every Republican candidate for president," she said.

Planned Parenthood files federal lawsuit over undercover videos

Only in America!

Planned Parenthood filed a federal court lawsuit Thursday alleging extensive criminal misconduct by the anti-abortion activists who produced undercover videos targeting the handling of fetal tissue at some Planned Parenthood clinics.
"The people behind this fraud lied and broke the law in order to spread malicious lies about Planned Parenthood," said Dawn Laguens, the organization's executive vice president. "This lawsuit exposes the elaborate, illegal conspiracy designed to block women's access to safe and legal abortion."
The anti-abortion activists, who named their group the Center for Medical Progress, began releasing a series of covertly recorded videos in July alleging that Planned Parenthood sold fetal tissue to researchers for a profit in violation of federal law.
Planned Parenthood has denied any wrongdoing, saying a handful of its clinics provided fetal tissue for research while receiving only permissible reimbursement for costs. The lawsuit says the videos were the result of numerous illegalities, including making recordings without consent, registering false identities with state agencies and violating non-disclosure agreements.
The civil lawsuit was filed on Thursday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. It seeks compensatory and punitive damages, as well as legal fees. A Planned Parenthood lawyer, Beth Parker, declined to estimate how much money would be sought, but it said the amount would include extra money spent since the videos' release on additional security for Planned Parenthood clinics.
David Daleiden, a founder of the Center for Medical Progress who oversaw the video operation, said he looked forward to confronting Planned Parenthood officials in court.
"My response is: Game on," he said in an email. "I look forward to deposing all the CEOs, medical directors, and their co-conspirators who participated in Planned Parenthood's illegal baby body parts racket."
The lawsuit alleges that Daleiden and several collaborators, including longtime anti-abortion activist Troy Newman, "engaged in a complex criminal enterprise to defraud Planned Parenthood." The suit contends that the Center for Medical Progress violated the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organization Act (known as the RICO Act), engaging in wire fraud, mail fraud, invasion of privacy, illegal secret recording and trespassing.
According to the suit, Daleiden, Newman and other defendants used aliases, obtained fake government IDs and formed a fake tissue procurement company, Biomax, in order to gain access to private medical conferences and health care centers, and to tape private professional conversations of medical providers.
The videos provoked an outcry from the anti-abortion movement, and prompted numerous investigations of Planned Parenthood by Republican-led committees in Congress and by GOP-led state governments. Thus far, none of the investigations has turned up wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood in regard to fetal tissue research, but Republicans in Congress and in several states are seeking to cut off government funding to the organization.
The videos created a "poisonous environment" in which Planned Parenthood staffers were targeted with hate mail and death threats, said Parker, the organization's lawyer. She cited the attack in November on a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado in which three people were killed; the man arrested in the shooting depicted himself in court as a "warrior for the babies."

Trump, Cruz clash over eligibility, ‘New York values’ at GOP debate


Ted Cruz and Donald Trump clashed in a spectacular way at the Republican presidential debate Thursday, engaging in a rapid-fire and quick-witted exchange over Cruz’ eligibility for office – and later, a dispute in which Trump cited 9/11 to put down his rival’s jokes about “New York values.”
The tension between the two men, who until now have maintained a certain peace on the debate stage, was palpable. Trump essentially admitted he’s now getting tougher on Cruz because he’s rising in the polls in Iowa – and gave no ground over the course of more than two hours.
While all seven candidates on the prime-time Fox Business Network debate stage spent much of their time attacking President Obama and Hillary Clinton, the Trump-Cruz battle on display could set the tone for the final run-up to Iowa and New Hampshire.
In perhaps his most withering retort, Trump slammed Cruz for questioning “New York values.” Recalling memories from after 9/11, Trump described the “horrific” clean up and the “smell of death” in the city.
“It was with us for months, the smell,” Trump said. “And everybody in the world loved New York, loved New Yorkers -- and I have to tell you, that was a very insulting statement.”
On the question of Cruz’ eligibility, however, the Texas senator arrived well-prepared to rebut the GOP front-runner’s claims that his Canadian birth might make him unable to run for office.
He noted Trump ignored the questions last year, and alleged he was only going after the issue because of the polls.
“The Constitution hasn’t changed, but the poll numbers changed,” Cruz said.
Then, in a retort reminiscent of Reagan’s famous “youth and inexperience” quip, Cruz tried to flip the script by noting some “birther theories” also say a candidate must have two parents born on U.S. soil to be eligible to run.
Pointing out Trump’s mother was born in Scotland, Cruz said: “On the issue of citizenship, I’m not going to use your mother’s birth against you.”
Trump said, “But I was born here … big difference.”
This touched off a heated exchange, punctuated by frequent, thunderous boos and applause from the audience.
Trump argued that Cruz is exaggerating his poll numbers – “he’s doing better, he’s got probably a 4 or 5 percent chance,” he said -- but maintained that Democrats could use the questions to file suit against him.
And if he won, Trump said, “Who the hell knows if you can even serve in office?”
He called the issue a “big overhang” and said, “You can’t do that to the party.”
Trump also toyed with the idea of naming Cruz his running mate, and Cruz extended the same offer – but Trump said he’d probably “go back to building buildings” if he lost.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio then interjected to talk about other issues.
“I hate to interrupt this episode of court TV,” Rubio said.
The moment of levity was fleeting, with the two later tangling over Cruz’ “New York values” comments. Before Trump offered his somber memory of 9/11, Cruz said, “Not a lot of conservatives come out of Manhattan. I’m just saying.”.
The exchanges, at times, seemed to relegate the other five candidates to a debate among themselves, though most on stage put on an energetic performance.
Rubio and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie -- who are battling with Cruz, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for the No. 2 position in New Hampshire – tangled at one point over Christie’s conservative credentials. Christie fired back by suggesting Rubio was just playing politics.
At another point, the New Jersey governor cut off Rubio when he tried to elaborate on entitlements, saying, “You had your chance” and “blew it.”
Cruz and Rubio also tangled over immigration, with Rubio claiming Cruz has reversed course on several fronts. “That is not consistent conservatism, that is political calculation,” he said.
“I appreciate you dumping your oppo research folder on the debate stage,” Cruz countered, maintaining that he opposes “amnesty” while Rubio backs citizenship for illegal immigrants.
Bush chimed in to mock the debate between the “back-bench senators.”
Meanwhile, Cruz took aim at one of his favorite targets, the media – criticizing The New York Times for a critical report about a campaign finance disclosure mistake. He said if that’s the best the Times has, “they better go back to the well.”
Despite the intra-party battles, the candidates tried to focus their attention on Obama and Clinton.
Bush ripped the Democratic front-runner for being at the heart of an FBI probe over her email set-up, saying if elected, “she might be going back and forth between the White House and the courthouse.”
Rubio added that Clinton would actually be “disqualified.”
At the opening of the debate, the candidates slammed the president’s “rosy” State of the Union address earlier in the week.
“I watched story-time with Barack Obama, and I gotta tell you, it sounded like everything in the world was going amazing,” Christie said.
Cruz also ripped Obama for omitting any mention of the U.S. sailors detained by Iran in his State of the Union. “It was heartbreaking,” he said. Those sailors were later released.
Cruz also slammed Obama for saying in the same address that anyone knocking the economy is “peddling fiction.”
“The president tried to paint a rosy picture of jobs,” Cruz said.
The debate Thursday was among the last before the kick-off nominating contests of 2016.
The only other debate before the Iowa and New Hampshire contests will be held Jan. 28. The tight calendar has fueled the new tensions in the GOP race, particularly as Cruz challenges Trump for the lead in Iowa.
The Republican front-runner also has been engaged in an unusual battle on the sidelines with South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was tapped to give the official GOP response to President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday. Haley urged Americans to ignore the “angriest voices,” and later acknowledged she was referring to Trump and others.
Trump, asked about the remarks at the debate, seemed to brush off the challenge.
“I’m very angry… and I will gladly accept the mantle of anger,” he said.
Trump also stood by his controversial call to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the country – to which Bush repeated his charge that the plan is “unhinged.”
Kasich, as before, cast himself as a practical problem-solver with fiscal conservative credentials. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson was also asked about whether Bill Clinton’s past indiscretions are a fair topic.
“Here’s the real issue, is this America anymore? Do we still have standards? Do we still have values and principles?” he said, pointing to divisiveness in the country. “We need to start once again recognizing that there is such a thing as right and wrong. And let's not let the secular progressives drive that out of us.”
An earlier evening debate featured three lower-polling candidates -- former HP CEO Carly Fiorina; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul qualified but did not attend. Hours later at the prime-time debate, a very brief protest broke out when some started chanting, “We want Rand.”
The debates were held at the North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center in North Charleston, S.C.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Al Jazeera Cartoon



State Department discovers 'thousands' of previously undisclosed Clinton documents


The Department of State recently discovered “thousands” of previously unreviewed documents that relate to Hillary Clinton and the Benghazi attack, according to a watchdog group that has been suing the department to release public records from Clinton’s tenure.
The State Department disclosed the existence of the additional records in a court filing on Friday and asked the judge for further time to search and review the documents.
The watchdog group Judicial Watch has been suing the State Department for years to turn over public records related to Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state, the Clinton Foundation, the employment arrangements of Clinton’s top aides, and her response to the Benghazi attack.
According to the State Department, the newly found records are likely to include information relevant to Judicial Watch’s requests. Officials said they would need until at least Feb. 1 to review the documents.
“After State filed its motion for summary judgment in this case [on November 11, 2015], State located additional sources of documents that originated within the Office of the Secretary that are reasonably likely to contain records responsive to Plaintiff’s request,” said the State Department’s attorneys in a court filing.
A judge ordered the State Department to turn over public records after Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against the department in September 2013. The case was reopened last year after it was reported that Clinton’s emails, which were sent over a personal email server, had not been searched.

Al Jazeera America to shut down in April

Al Jazeera English bans terms 'terrorist,' 'Islamist'
Al Jazeera America, which went on the air in 2013 -- and is partly funded by the ruling family of Qatar -- announced Wednesday it is shutting down at the end of April, citing the "economic landscape of the media environment."
The network said in a statement that "Al Jazeera America will cease operation by April 30, 2016," explaining that "while Al Jazeera America built a loyal audience across the U.S. and increasingly was recognized as an important new voice in television news, the economic landscape of the media environment has driven its strategic decision to wind down its operations and conclude its service."
Ray Suarez, a Washington, D.C.-based host at the channel, said in an email to Fox News Latino: “We put a good product on the air, with strong content from around the world that you can't see anywhere else. But ... being good isn't enough on its own in 2016.”
Al Anstey, Al Jazeera America’s chief executive, reportedly wrote in a memo to staffers. “I know the closure of AJAM will be a massive disappointment for everyone here who has worked tirelessly for our long-term future. The decision that has been made is in no way because AJAM has done anything but a great job.”
Al Jazeera's prime-time ratings recently ranged from 20,000 to 30,000 viewers, according to Nielsen data. Upon taking over the network in May 2015, Anstey downplayed the network's ratings woes, saying it would “take time to build viewership.”
The network also said it will be ramping up its digital offerings in the U.S. as it shuts down its news channel.

Maine lawmakers to debate impeaching governor


Maine lawmakers are expected to debate an impeachment order against Gov. Paul LePage Thursday over allegations of abuse of power.
The proposal, submitted by Democratic Rep. Ben Chipman, hopes to punish the Republican governor for allegedly using his influence to pressure a school operator into rescinding a job offer from Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves. Eves responded to the action by filing a civil lawsuit in federal court.
"It's a matter of principle," said Chipman, of Portland. "It's about holding the governor accountable and standing up to his behavior."
LePage critics are also seeking to look into allegations that he forced out the president of the Maine Community College System, refused to allow administration officials to testify in front of committees and involved himself in the internal workings of the unemployment compensation board.
LePage was initially elected as Maine’s governor in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014. The 67-year-old governor has defended his actions, saying he has done nothing wrong and claiming the attacks against him are political and a tantamount to a “witch hunt.”
A majority vote in the Democratic-controlled Maine House would be all LePage’s critics need to kick off an investigation. However, some Democrats fear the decision to go ahead with a vote on the proposed order will prove futile and could embolden the already outspoken governor.
The state attorney general, Democrat Janet Mills, has already declined to investigate LePage's conduct. She said there was no evidence he committed a crime when he pressured Good Will-Hinckley, an organization that serves at-risk young people, to rescind the job offer to Eves.
LePage is known for a blunt style and off-the-cuff remarks that get him into trouble.
He was criticized last week after saying out-of-state drug dealers with names like "D-Money, Smoothie and Shifty" sell heroin in Maine and "half the time they impregnate a young white girl before they leave." He later apologized for the comment, calling it a slip of the tongue.
Rep. Jeffrey Evangelos, an impeachment supporter and political independent, said the governor's white-girl comment was just the latest in a long line of abuses.
"The governor's remarks unmask what many of us already knew about his racist and xenophobic tendencies, his class war against poor people of all colors and his vindictiveness toward immigrants based on color and religion," Evangelos said.
LePage has also said President Barack Obama could “go to hell” and likened the IRS to the Gestapo. LePage also once told the Portland NAACP to "kiss my butt." He said a political opponent gives it to the people "without providing Vaseline."
Republican Rep. Kenneth Fredette, of Newport, defended LePage’s comments, telling The Boston Globe the governor may have mistakenly chosen his words because his first language is French.
An impeachment order would be unprecedented. It also wouldn't likely survive long as it would eventually go to the Republican-controlled Senate.
The Boston Globe reported that an investigative panel would have until April 1 to report any findings and recommend an impeachment. The trial would move to the Senate where a two-thirds majority vote is required to remove LePage from office.

Trump, conservative pundits hit back at Haley for State of the Union response


While Gov. Nikki Haley, R-S.C., was praised in many quarters for her response to President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday, she also received strong criticism from some conservatives for her pointed remarks aimed at Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.
In her response, while criticizing President Obama on a number of issues, Haley also made a series of apparent references to Trump, including calling on Americans to ignore “the angriest voices” on the subject of immigration.
"During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation," Haley said
“Some people think that you have to be the loudest voice in the room to make a difference. That is just not true. Often, the best thing we can do is turn down the volume. When the sound is quieter, you can actually hear what someone else is saying. And that can make a world of difference,” she said.
On NBC’s Today Show Wednesday, Haley acknowledged that she was in fact referring to Trump among others.
"Yes, Mr. Trump has definitely contributed to what I think is just irresponsible talk," she said.
Haley later appeared on Fox News’ “On The Record” with Greta Van Susteren and said while she considers Trump “a friend,” she does disagree with him.
“I disagree with the fact that he wants to start using religion as a way to divide people,” she said, referring to Trump calling for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S.
“I just want him to understand that this country is made up of immigrants, we want to make sure they’re properly vetted and they come here legally,” Haley said.
Trump earlier had fired back on Fox & Friends Wednesday, calling Haley “very weak on illegal immigration.”
"She's very weak on illegal immigration…and she certainly has no trouble asking me for campaign contributions because over the years she’s asked me for a hell of a lot of money in campaign contributions," he said.
When asked if he would pick her as a running mate, Trump said, “I wouldn’t say she is off to a good start.”
While many pundits in the media and lawmakers in Washington D.C. praised Haley's speech, with some saying it has marked her as a potential candidate for vice president, other conservative voices weren’t so happy with Haley taking aim at a Republican presidential candidate.
Talk radio host and Fox News contributor Laura Ingraham tweeted that Haley missed a golden opportunity to stand with working Americans on the subject of immigration.
She also blasted her for being the voice of the Republican establishment.
Talk radio host Rush Limbaugh was also not impressed. While he said he was an admirer of Haley, he hailed the speech as proof that the Republican establishment is trying to drive conservatives out of the party and define who is qualified to be a Republican.
“For one thing, it's almost absolute proof of what I have been saying for last couple years now, that the Republican Party's trying to drive conservatives out of the party," Limbaugh said on his show Wednesday.
"But I think it's more than that.  It's certainly that, but her speech last night sort of expanded the theme of who is and who isn't qualified to be a Republican, and the Republican Party is still anti-conservative,” Limbaugh said.
Conservative author and columnist Ann Coulter criticized Haley using a similar tone, accusing her of wanting to shut up voters.
Coulter even went so far as to tweet "Trump should deport Nikki Haley."

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