On A Different Note.

Denver Broncos quarterback and two-time Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning reportedly will announce his retirement within the next week.
Manning, who turns 40 next month, is not expected to continue his illustrious football career with another team as the Broncos look to move on by focusing their attention to backup Brock Osweiler, two sources told The Denver Post.
The plan to complete Manning’s retirement decision was set in motion when he met with Broncos executive John Elway this past week, the Post reported.
The former No. 1 overall pick is coming off a Super Bowl win with the Broncos earlier this month. Denver defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10. Manning was 13-of-23 passing with 141 yards and an interception in the game. Linebacker Von Miller won Super Bowl MVP.
Manning is arguably one of the greatest regular-season quarterbacks of all-time. He has amassed 71,940 passing yards and 539 touchdown passes in his 18-year career between the Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts -- both of which are NFL records.
He also won the Associated Press MVP award five times, including one in 2013 with Denver.
The Broncos acquired the future Hall of Fame quarterback after the 2011 season. Manning missed all of that season recovering from neck surgery. When the Colts decided to move on from Manning in favor of Andrew Luck, the free agent then chose to sign with Denver.
Forty-five wins and a Super Bowl championship later, it looks like Manning will ride off into the sunset with his head held high despite being named in a Title IX lawsuit against the University of Tennessee and his alleged link to HGH in an Al-Jazeera America report.
If Manning decides to turn around and decide against retirement, the Broncos are expected to move on from him. Fox Sports reported are not counting and his $19 million salary on the books for salary cap purposes.

Cruz, Rubio release tax filings to 'pressure' Trump and other candidates

WASHINGTON –  Republican presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz released summary pages of their recent tax filings on Saturday, seeking to capitalize on GOP front-runner Donald Trump's refusal to release similar information.
Despite making promises to release his tax records, Trump has balked at doing so, saying he won't disclose the filings until the IRS finishes auditing his returns.
"We're putting these out today to put pressure on Trump and the other candidates to release theirs," said Rubio campaign spokesman Alex Conant.
Cruz, meanwhile, speculated that there could be "a number of bombshells" in Trump's tax returns, from exaggerations about the celebrity businessman's earnings to "significant contributions to Planned Parenthood."
The two candidates now pressing Trump have not released their complete tax returns, as Mitt Romney did in 2012 and Hillary Clinton did last year. Both Rubio and Cruz produced the first two pages of their filings to the Internal Revenue Service, which don't include key details about subjects such as their tax deductions.
Both Cruz and Rubio have left the door open to releasing more information, with Cruz essentially daring his opponents to go first.
"If Marco wants to release the complete thing for the recent years, I'm happy to do so as well," Cruz said. But he reserved his sharpest comments for Trump, calling the front-runner's delay "unprecedented in presidential politics."
Every major party candidate since 1976 has released his full tax returns at some point during the campaign, according to Joseph Thorndike, a tax historian and contributing editor to Tax Notes, an accounting trade publication.
But while Thorndike faulted Trump for backing away from releasing his tax returns, he called partial releases such as those by Rubio and Cruz "fake transparency."
"If you're going to release your tax return, you need to release your tax return," he said, calling such disclosure a rite of passage for candidates.
The tax returns released by the two lawmakers, combined with their previously released personal financial disclosures, offer an overview of their financial lives since arriving in the Senate.
Rubio released portions of his 2010 through 2014 returns on Saturday, adding to 10 years of tax documents he had previously made public.
Since winning election to office in Washington, they show Rubio's income has ranged from $276,059 to $938,963, and he has paid between $46,500 and $254,894 in federal income tax. Most of the income came from a business that collected royalties on two books: Rubio's memoir, "An American Son," and a pre-campaign tract, "American Dreams."
In 2012, Rubio's most lucrative year, his effective tax rate topped out at a little more than 31 percent. But by 2014, the family's income dropped to $335,963, an amount on which the Rubio and his wife Jeanette paid a 24 percent tax rate. Rubio's earnings that year were padded by cashing out $68,241 from his retirement savings.
Cruz released portions of his 2011 through 2014 returns. They show he and his wife Heidi brought in an annual average of $1,131,792, with large portions of their income coming from Cruz's work in 2011 and 2012 at the law firm Morgan, Lewis and Bockius, and his wife's work at Goldman Sachs. Cruz also reported $190,000 in income coming from a book advance from Harper Collins in 2014.
The returns show that Cruz and his wife reported more than $5.2 million in income in those years and paid an average effective tax rate of 37.6 percent.
The summary returns yield few details on either candidate's charitable giving, but they indicate that the Texas senator, who has banked on the support of evangelicals and appealed to voters on matters of faith, hasn't tithed a full 10 percent of his income.
"All of us are on a faith journey, and I will readily admit that I have not been as faithful in this aspect of my walk as I should have been," Cruz told the Christian Broadcasting Network in January.

Man claiming to be Marine says Clinton tried to 'cover' up Benghazi, removed from campaign rally

A man was removed Friday by police officers from a Hillary Clinton campaign rally in South Carolina, after raising questions with husband and former President Bill Clinton about his wife’s role in the Benghazi terror attacks.
“Four (Americans) were killed, and your wife is trying to cover it up,” said the protester, who said he’s a Marine sergeant and eight-year, active-duty veteran.
Hillary Clinton was secretary of state during the Sept. 11, 2012, terror attacks on a U.S. outpost in Benghazi, Libya, in which U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed.
Families of the victims say Clinton told them in the immediate aftermath of the attacks that they were inspired by an online, anti-Islamic video. Clinton’s emails show she knew within hours of the attacks that they were terror related.
“I heard you,” Bill Clinton said at the rally in Bluffton, S.C., in an effort to respond to the protestor, over cheer and boos and before sheriff deputies removed him. “You listen to me now.”
Clinton is the Democratic frontrunner in the race, leading primary challenger Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders by double digits in national polls and in South Carolina, which on Saturday is holding its Democratic primary.
However, polls show voters still have deep concerns about Clinton's trustworthiness over such issues as Benghazi and her uses as secretary of state of a private email server for official correspondence.
Emails from Stevens in the months before that attacks show that the State Department, which Clinton ran from 2011 to 2013, didn’t response to his request for better security at the outpost.
Clinton needs “to take responsibility for dropping the ball,” the Marine told the Island Packet/Beaufort Gazette outside the venue, after being removed. “The fact that she is not in prison now is mind-blowing.”

Clinton pays tribute to black victims – ignores officers killed in line of duty

Wonder what the cops were thinking when they had to provide bodyguards for this two faced politician?

Hillary Clinton paid tribute Saturday during her primary victory rally to the mothers of black victims killed by police and civilians – while ignoring the rising number of police killed by gunfire in the line of duty this year.
The Democratic presidential candidate paused during her speech in Columbia, S.C., to honor the five women, who also campaigned with her across South Carolina before Saturday’s primary.
“They all lost children, which is almost unimaginable, yet they have not been broken or embittered,” Clinton said, adding that they have turned their “mourning into a movement.”
She recited the names of Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin; Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner; and the three others.
But she did not mention the rash of police fatalities. So far this year, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 10 officers have been shot and killed, representing a 900 percent increase in firearms-related officer deaths compared with this time last year.
Most recently, Cpl. Nate Carrigan was fatally shot while serving an eviction notice in Colorado. And on Saturday, three officers reportedly were shot and wounded in Prince William County, Va., outside the nation’s capital.
Recently, six law enforcement officers were killed by gunfire in a period of a single week. Memorial Fund CEO Craig W. Floyd said at the time he “cannot recall any time in recent years” he’s seen so many killed in such a short span of time, calling it a “very troubling trend.” Traffic-related and other officer deaths are down so far this year, but shooting deaths have raised alarm in the law enforcement community.
Yet any mention of the “troubling trend” has been virtually absent on the Democratic campaign trail – which contrasts with the Democratic candidates’ often fiery language on police brutality against African Americans.
Both Clinton and Bernie Sanders have been talking more about these issues, as well as racial injustice in housing, the job market, the prison system and other areas.
Clinton said Saturday the five mothers who campaigned with her were “brought together by tragedy” in losing their children.
Martin, a black teenager, was killed in 2012 by George Zimmerman, in a case that revived the national debate over racial profiling.
Garner died in 2014 after being put in a chokehold by a New York City police officer. He had been confronted out of suspicion he was selling loose cigarettes.
Clinton also paid tribute to Lucia McBath, mother of teenager Jordan Davis, who was killed by a Florida man in 2012 after a confrontation over loud music playing in his car; Maria Hamilton, mother of Dontre, who was killed by a then-Milwaukee police officer in 2014 after a struggle; and Geneva Reed-Veal, mother of Sandra Bland, found hanged in a Texas jail cell in 2015.

Clinton cruises to victory in South Carolina primary

Who else they got to vote for, a commie?

Hillary Clinton cruised Saturday to an easy victory in the South Carolina Democratic primary, taking back the momentum from Bernie Sanders heading into Super Tuesday – though Sanders will keep his foothold in the race as he continues to rack up delegates and contributions.  
The Democratic front-runner won largely on the strength of her support from black voters – her so-called “firewall” that, in the end, held up.
Exit polls showed nearly nine in 10 black voters supported Clinton in the Palmetto State, and she hopes that bloc will carry her over her rival as the race heads deeper into the South. With a Nevada and South Carolina win now under her belt, Clinton is working hard to shake off her big loss to Sanders earlier this month in New Hampshire.
“Tomorrow, this campaign goes national,” Clinton declared at her victory rally in Columbia, S.C.
As cheering supporters shouted “Hillary! Hillary!” she said: “We are going to compete for every vote in every state. We’re not taking anything, and we’re not taking anyone, for granted.”
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Clinton was beating Sanders in South Carolina by a resounding 73-26 percent.
SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY RESULTS
But the Vermont senator, anticipating a loss Saturday, already had started campaigning in Super Tuesday states, and his campaign still predicts he’ll split the vote with Clinton next week.
“This campaign is just beginning. We won a decisive victory in New Hampshire. She won a decisive victory in South Carolina. Now it's on to Super Tuesday,” Sanders said in a statement. “Our grassroots political revolution is growing state by state, and we won't stop now.”

South Carolina Democratic Primary Results | InsideGov

Clinton visited Alabama earlier Saturday but by the evening was back in South Carolina for her victory party.
Sanders, though, spent Saturday speaking to about 10,000 people at a Formula One racetrack near Austin, Texas, skipping South Carolina. He then was heading to Minnesota.
Roughly a dozen states hold contests on Tuesday, with delegates on the line in 11 of them. In South Carolina and other states, delegates are awarded proportionally, so Sanders is able to add to his delegate total even when he loses.
As on the Republican side, Texas will be considered a huge prize on Tuesday, but Sanders also is looking to potentially more friendly territory in the Midwest and Northeast, including his home state.
Clinton is looking to win by large margins in Southern states, seven of which vote this coming Tuesday.
At one point in her victory speech Saturday, Clinton seemed to be trying to look past Sanders, rhetorically taking on Republican front-runner Donald Trump.
“Despite what you hear, we don’t need to make America great again. America has never stopped being great,” she said. “But we do need to make America whole again.”
Meanwhile, her victory in South Carolina had a redemptive quality for Clinton, who suffered a significant loss there to Barack Obama in 2008. Her husband, President Bill Clinton, was viewed by some as questioning the legitimacy of the black presidential contender -- Obama. This time, black leaders and officials largely gravitated toward her campaign ahead of the vote, though Sanders was able to pick up some support from influential black leaders.
Earlier in the day, the Vermont senator’s wife, Jane Sanders, said that her husband’s campaign is looking to Super Tuesday when "I think we'll split the vote."
She also said: "It's a 50-state election, and we're feeling very confident, actually."

Illegal Aliens Cartoon

Clinton commands dominant lead ahead of Saturday's South Carolina primary

The Democratic presidential race moves to South Carolina on Saturday, where Hillary Clinton is hoping to expand her winning streak against rival Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Multiple polls show Clinton with a dominant lead going into the first-in-the-South contest.
Clinton played up her allegiance to President Obama at a rally Thursday, and pledged to continue fighting for tougher gun laws -- an argument that resonates with black voters wielding influence in Saturday’s primary.
"I'm really proud to stand with President Obama, and I'm really proud to stand with the progress he's made," she said in Kingstree, South Carolina. "I need your help, starting with this primary on Saturday."
Clinton also pledged to “take on the gun lobby” in office, and slammed Sanders for having voted against some gun restrictions during his congressional career.
"We need to close the gun show loophole, the online loophole and what is called the Charleston loophole, which my opponent supported, which means that at the end of three days, whether the background check is done or not you get the gun," Clinton said.
"That's what the killer here in Charleston did."
Sanders spent Thursday making stops in the Great Lakes region – visiting several states that hold early March primaries.

Alabama passes law barring cities and towns from increasing minimum wage

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley signed a bill Thursday barring cities and towns from setting their own minimum wage just as Birmingham was set to raise it to $10.10.
The legislation’s passage came after the Birmingham City Council voted to increase the city’s minimum wage, according to AL.com.
The block drew criticism from Birmingham council leader Jonathan Austin who said “we will continue to work together to stand and fight for our citizens.”
“It’s certainly is unfortunate, if it stands up, it is a loss for those who deserve to earn a livable wage in the city of Birmingham, and, for that matter, the state of Alabama,” Austin said. “But the state obviously disagrees.”
Bentley signed the bill less than an hour after it was passed, AL.com reported.
Alabama has no state minimum wage and has used the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour since 2009 when it was last raised. The Guardian noted that a full-time employee who works for the entire year will only earn $15,080 per year.
State senator Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, argued Thursday that an increased minimum wage would stall economic development in the state. He claims business owners contacted him and asked him if they would have to close up shop because of a possible increased minimum wage, according to The Guardian.
“We want businesses to expand and create more jobs – not cut entry-level jobs because of a patchwork of local minimum wages causes operating costs to rise. Our actions today will create predictability and consistency for Alabama’s economy, which benefits everyone,” Waggoner said.
Alabama Democrats have said the federal minimum wage is too low for the working poor with families to survive on.
“Somebody has to recognize that we have a working-poor class of people that are not just in Birmingham,” state senator Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, said. She added that she is sponsoring a new bill that will make the minimum wage in all of Alabama $10.10.
“We don’t move until we’re forced to move. For once, I’d like for this legislative body to be the leader.”
Birmingham, the state’s largest city, is home to 212,237 residents and its per capita income was about $19,650 between 2009 and 2013, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
In 2014, Oklahoma also passed a bill keeping cities from raising their minimum wage. Arizona passed a similar law in 2013, but it was overturned last June.