Harry Reid wants Boehner to Ditch the Tea Party

For Senate Majority leader Harry Reid to publicly request that House Speaker John Boehner ditch the Tea Party when the Current Continuing Resolution expires on April 8th, it's quite obvious that he's concerned about the force of the Tea Party Republicans. Reid wants Boehner to abandon them and join with the Democrats to either put forth another CR that will continue kicking the can down the road in the name of avoiding a government shutdown or agree to more, though still negligible cuts.

Here is Reid's expression of 'disappointment' with the Tea Party via The Hill:

“I am extremely disappointed that after weeks of productive negotiations with Speaker Boehner, Tea Party Republicans are scrapping all the progress we have made and threatening to shut down the government if they do not get all of their extreme demands," Reid said in a statement.

"The division between the Tea Party and mainstream Republicans is preventing us from reaching a responsible solution on a long-term budget that will make smart cuts while protecting American jobs, and prevented negotiations from taking place over the weekend even as the clock ticks toward a government shutdown," he added.

Considering the number of Republicans who vowed that there would be no more CR's, Boehner better pay attention to the contingency that put him in power last November. Siding with Reid would be the equivalent of using the nuclear option on himself.

To illustrate how absurd both the Republican and Democrat proposals are with respect to budget cuts, consider that interest on the current debt is $250 Billion. Yet, both party establishments want to cut spending by significantly less than that. The Democrats have been standing firm at $10 Billion while Reid is hinting that an olive branch of $20 Billion may be on the table. Meanwhile, the Republicans are playing around with the higher number of $60 Billion in cuts.

The Tea Party is the only group making any sense, saying that both are drops in the proverbial bucket. As if that wasn't enough, a lot has happened since the last CR. In particular, a little kinetic military operation in Libya that has already blown countless dollars in additional spending.



h/t Hapblog

Senator Dick Durbin's Move to Dhimmitude

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) has made quite the transformation from being very concerned about the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) in 2003 to being a staunch defender of the group in 2011. In the movie Cool Hand Luke, it's called 'making your mind right.' Durbin is not only apologizing for CAIR in Chicago by saying the group advances multiculturalism and understanding but he's apparently decided to associate with some very nefarious individuals just last month, among them was Jamal Said, an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation trial.

He's now going to hold a hearing on the matter of alleged anti-Muslim bigotry.

Via the IPT:

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., in an attempt to address what he claims is an increase in anti-Muslim bigotry, is relying on questionable statistics and a witness with a record of opposing virtually all law enforcement attempts to deal with Islamist-inspired terrorism.

In a statement, Durbin said his hearing Tuesday on the state of Muslim civil rights in America comes "in response to a spike in anti-Muslim bigotry in the last year including Quran burnings, restrictions on mosque construction, hate crimes, hate speech, and other forms of discrimination."

Contrast that with what Durbin said at a hearing in 2003 regarding CAIR:

"…apparently from what I have read (CAIR) is unusual in its extreme rhetoric and its association with groups that are suspect, there are many mainstream groups of Muslim Americans who fully support this war against terrorism and I would hope that they would be invited to speak to their heartfelt beliefs about this effort so that our characterization is fair across the board."

IPT goes on to quote from a letter Durbin wrote to CAIR's Chicago chapter just last week. In that letter, Durbin extolled the virtues of CAIR, saying the group:

"advances a greater understanding of the Muslim culture and serves as an essential thread in the multicultural fabric of our nation. Your efforts to advocate for tolerance promote the civil liberties of all communities."

So what's changed for Mr. Durbin?

Videos: ATF Gunwalking Scandal Growing

First, it was agent John Dodson who came forward. Then it was agent Rene Jacquez. Now, the lead ATF official in Mexico, Darren Gil has come forward with what he knows and it's not good for Eric Holder's Justice Department. As Barack Obama and Eric Holder pledge that they will rely on the findings of an Inspector General, ATF agents and officials seem to be pointing to someone above the ATF Director Kenneth Melson. If the IG is serious and allowed to operate unfettered - unlikely in this administration - that narrows the field significantly. Who at the Department of Justice has the power to direct Melson?

Once again, Sharyl Attkisson at CBS, gets closer to the truth courtesy of her interview with Gil:

In an exclusive interview with CBS News, the lead ATF official in Mexico at the time Darren Gil says somebody in the Justice Department did know about the case. Gil says his supervisor at ATF's Washington D.C. headquarters told him point-blank the operation was approved even higher than ATF Director Kenneth Melson.

"Is the director aware of this," Gil asked the supervisor. Gil says his supervisor answered "Yes, the director's aware of it. Not only is the director aware of it, D.O.J.'s aware of it... Department of Justice was aware of it."

Attkisson goes on to report that as the head of ATF operations in Mexico, Gill's job was to approve any operation in Mexico but in this case he knew nothing about Operation Fast and Furious.

Here is part 1 of Attkisson's report. Gil says his immediate supervisor not only told him that Melson was aware of the operation gut that the Department of Justice was aware of it as well. Gill then says in this clip, 'Ok, if you're telling me the heads of these two agencies are aware of it.....' Note that the head of the Department of Justice is Eric Holder.



Part 2: