Firefighter Shooter beneficiary of 'Straw Purchasing' (think Fast and Furious)

In the days after the fatal shootings of firefighters Mike Chiapperini and Thomasz Kaczowka in Webster, NY on Christmas Eve, it was learned that the shooter did not have legal access to guns; he had already been convicted of murdering his grandmother with a hammer. So how did he get them?

If you're familiar with what happened in Operation Fast and Furious, you're likely familiar with the term 'straw purchaser'. In the case of that operation, which began in 2009 and ended shortly after the death of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry on December 14, 2010, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) led the operation with the approval of the Department of Justice. Straw purchasing was a key component of Fast and Furious as gun store owners were instructed by the ATF to sell weapons to straw purchasers, who then walked those guns across the border into Mexico, putting them into the hands of the drug cartels. The weapons found at the scene of Terry's murder were purchased by a straw purchaser with the ATF's knowledge and approval.

Back to the firefighter shootings...

It's now being reported that the man who lured firefighters to his burning home before shooting at them - killing Chiapperini and Kaczowka - was the beneficiary of a straw purchaser, who also happened to be his neighbor.

Via the Daily Caller:

The neighbor, 24-year-old Dawn Nguyen, was arrested on Friday after police traced the serial numbers on two weapons used by William Spengler, the shooter: a Bushmaster AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun, both purchased in 2010.

In exactly the same way, the guns found at Terry's murder scene were traced back to a gun store in Arizona where they were sold to someone who was known to be a straw purchaser for the drug cartels. When you add in the fact that the ATF knowingly allowed those guns to walk across the border, it becomes a matter involving the U.S. State Department, as this exchange from October of 2011 between Rep. Connie Mack and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton illustrates:



Remember, in the case of Fast and Furious, thousands of weapons were allowed to 'walk' into Mexico by U.S. Government officials and hundreds of people were murdered as a result. Here is what Nguyen did in the case of the firefighter shootings:

Nguyen violated federal law by signing a form declaring to a gun retailer that she would be the sole owner of the firearms, U.S. Attorney William Hochul said Friday. She also faces a state charge of filing a falsified business record, a state police investigator added.

“She told the seller of these guns … that she was to be the true owner and buyer of the guns instead of William Spengler,” Hochul said. “It is absolutely against federal law to provide any materially false information related to the acquisition of firearms. … It is sometimes referred to acting as a straw purchaser, and that is exactly what today’s complaint alleges.”

When it came to the weapons sold to straw purchasers in Fast and Furious, all of the aforementioned things took place, with one difference. The ATF knowingly allowed it in advance. There's another difference when it comes to consequences. No one at the ATF has been arrested. To give one an idea of how criminal this all is, consider the charges that Nguyen is facing based on the fact that she provided her neighbor with guns used in the commission of two murders in the U.S. (which didn't included the added element of straw purchasing and then transporting them across international borders):

The federal charges alone could send Nguyen to prison for a maximum of 10 years and levy a fine of $250,000. Both Nguyen and her brother told the media after the shooting that Spengler had stolen the weapons from her, but Nguyen later called police and admitted buying the guns for Spengler, according to police.

Spengler also possessed a .38-caliber revolver during the shooting, which he reportedly used to shoot himself in the head after his rampage. That weapon has not been connected to Nguyen.

Another difference between what the ATF did and what Nguyen did very well could be motive. Did Nguyen know what Spengler was going to do with the weapons she purchased for him? That has yet to be determined but the ATF absolutely knew what was going to happen as a result of allowing straw purchasers to walk those guns into Mexico; hundreds of people were going to get killed.

So what was the motive of the U.S. Government? The answer is the same thing we're seeing today - the exploitation of a 'crisis' to push a gun control agenda.

It becomes obvious that the rule of law applies to some and not others. In another incident involving the ATF, Meet the Press anchor David Gregory was allegedly allowed to break the law by holding up a 30-clip magazine on national television during a recent interview. Subsequent to that interview, it was reported that the ATF gave him permission to do so, despite their having no jurisdiction. To this day, the ATF official who allegedly gave Gregory permission has not been named.

What was Gregory's motive for displaying the magazine during his interview with the NRA's Wayne LaPierre?

As was the case with the ATF in Fast and Furious, gun control. Yet another example of the ATF allowing laws to be broken for a similar purpose.

Ends always justify the means when you're a creature of the left.

Some might remember this powerful report from Univision earlier this year, in which the carnage that resulted from Fast and Furious was investigated. Remember, straw purchasing is what enabled all of these murders, the same kind of straw purchasing that enabled the Christmas Eve firefighter shooter:

Chicago Way hits Long Island; cops allegedly demoted for voting Republican

Earlier today, I posted the story about the Democratic Party in Wisconsin identifying registered Democrats - by name - who haven't voted in the last two elections and asking registered Democrats to put pressure on them to vote in the upcoming recall election in that state.

Now this.

Via New York Post:

Six Long Island cops claim their commissioner is putting politics before the badge.

The Long Beach crime fighters say they’ve been targeted by the seaside town’s Democratic machine for supporting GOP candidates in local elections last year.


Long Beach Police Commissioner Michael Tangney, a longtime Democrat, demoted the cops, cut their overtime, switched them to midnight tours and even filed false internal charges against them for “political payback,” the veteran officers claim in a $39 million lawsuit.

“It’s just the way politics work in this town,” Tangney allegedly told one of the officers while demoting him.

Officers James Canner, 44; Karl Hayes, 42; James McCormack, 55; John Radin, 53; Benjamin Tayne, 47; and Jose Miguez, 39, claim they turned to their union for help, but that then-president Stefan Chernaski, another Democrat, ignored them.

More 'tolerance' from the left.

h/t WZ

Video: Bob Turner's Victory Speech in NY 9

Again, if you thought Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts was big when he won Ted Kennedy's old seat, this one is much, much bigger. First of all, Bob Turner is a Tea Party guy; Scott Brown is nowhere close to being one. Second, any time a Republican gets such a substantial amount of the Jewish vote, it's beyond big news. Turner did just that and in his victory speech, chastised Obama for the president's treatment of Israel. Remember, the last time a Republican held the seat left vacant when Anthony Weiner resigned several months ago, it was before FDR became president.

This is good stuff, via Freedom's Lighthouse:

Anthony Weiner's Old Seat Could go Republican Tomorrow

This wasn't supposed to happen. If you thought the election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts was big, this one might just trump it. Former congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) had near unanimous support in his district. He probably could have died of old age while in office. In the wake of his resignation, there is a special election tomorrow for that seat. The Republican's name is Bob Turner and he is leading his Democrat opponent by up to 6 points in multiple polls. That's outside the margin of error. Perhaps the most shocking aspect to this election is Jewish support for Turner; that support is reportedly a repudiation of Obama's policies with respect to Israel.

Via Daily Caller:

Two days before the special election in New York’s 9th Congressional District, yet another poll confirms that Bob Turner, the Republican, holds an improbable lead in the heavily Democratic district.

A Public Policy Polling poll released Sunday night found Turner leading his Democratic opponent, David Weprin, by a 47–41 margin. A Siena poll released last week found Turner leading by the same split, 50 to 44 percent.

Weprin and Turner are competing to fill the House seat vacated by former Congressman Anthony Weiner.

Turner has a strong lead with independent voters, 58 percent of whom say they will vote for him. Just 26 percent plan to vote for Weprin. Turner also has the majority of the Jewish vote, a demographic that makes up 36 percent of the district according to PPP’s results. Fifty-six percent of Jews say they will vote for Turner, while 39 percent say they have chosen Weprin.

The Turner campaign has claimed that Tuesday’s election will be a referendum on Obama’s presidency, and specifically on his policies relating to Israel.

Barack Obama is learning what a rigid leftwing ideology will get you. The Arab spring his administration was instrumental in facilitating, coupled with calling for Israel to return to its 1967 borders one day prior to Benjamin Netanyahu's arrival in Washington, likely contributed to this turn of events. The sustained 'I hate you' look he gave Netanyahu in the Oval Office didn't help much either.

Democrats can typically count on about 80% of the Jewish vote. In light of these numbers in Weiner's old district, New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, who relies heavily on the Jewish vote, has got to be taking notice of this development.

More at DC

Did Anthony Weiner Convert to Islam?

The headline might seem a bit outlandish but it isn't really at all. Anthony Weiner's wife is a woman named Huma Abedin and she is a practicing Muslim according to multiple news sources. If she married a Jewish man named Weiner, why wouldn't she be a marked woman? Consider a Muslim woman marrying a Jewish man. This is not only frowned upon in Islam, it's virtually unheard of. One of two things must have happened. Either Abedin left Islam by marrying a non-Muslim or Weiner converted to Islam. Isn't it the only way Abedin can still be considered 'practicing?'

The New York Times reports that Rep. Anthony Weiner's wife – Huma Abedin – is a “practicing Muslim” who was raised in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In 2007, the New York Observer wrote – article no longer available but cross-posted at Free Republic – that her mother is a professor in Saudi Arabia and that her father was an Islamic scholar before his death.

Islamic law forbids any Muslim woman from marrying a non-Muslim man. Weiner was raised Jewish but admitted to growing up in a non-religious household. If Abedin remains a practicing Muslim and her religion forbids her from marrying a non-Muslim, isn't she failing to practice Islam? Wouldn't that be the case unless Weiner converted to Islam? The New York Times reported that Weiner “sometimes fasts with her (Abedin) during Ramadan.”

Known as the Shahada, the Islamic testimony of faith is very short. Weiner would have been required to say it according to Islamic law. Otherwise, Abedin would have violated a primary tenet of her religion. Here is what Weiner would have had to say in order to be able to marry Abedin according to Sharia law:

“There is no God except Allah and Muhammad is his messenger."

Curiously, the imam of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York (ICC) – of which Ground Zero mosque Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is a trustee – is a man named Sheik Omar Abu-Namous. He is calling for Abedin to stand by Weiner. Why would an imam encourage a Muslim woman to remain married to an unfaithful, non-practicing Jewish man?

Compounding this matter further is the fact that Abu-Namous was quoted in 2001 as saying:

“A unified Muslim state would be the ideal instrument to convince the world that Islam is the last version of God's word. God meant his word to be obeyed.”

In 2007, Abu-Namous spoke alongside the director of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) at the First National Summit of Imams and Rabbis. Abu-Namous is on record as having said there was no conclusive evidence that Muslims were responsible for the September 11th attacks. Ironically, Abu-Namous's predecessor at the ICC blamed the Jews for 9/11. ISNA is a Muslim Brotherhood group.

There is a question that needs to be answered. Did a secular Jewish man convert to Islam or did his (still) practicing Muslim wife abandon her religion by marrying him?

Stay tuned for more...

Cross-posted at Web Today

VIDEO: CANDIDATE FROM 'RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH' PARTY

Often times, third party candidates are shunned from debates. Here we have a perfect example of why they shouldn't be - sheer compelling entertainment. Jimmy McMillan was one of seven candidates participating in a debate for the New York gubernatorial race. The name of his party? 'The Rent is Too Damn High' Party. Kinda reminds me of the XFL player a few years back named, 'He hate me.' I think it's safe to say McMillan stole the show. These are unusual times and don't forget, Alvin Greene won the Democrat nomination in South Carolina.

Via Gawker TV:

Click HERE to watch.



h/t to Hot Air

VIDEO: NY GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE TAKES ON GROUND ZERO MOSQUE

Based on this ad alone, this race shouldn't even be a contest. Then again, we're seeing quite a bit of absurdity come to fruition these days. In times when Alvin Greene wins the South Carolina Democratic candidacy and Tony'd up politician Alexi Giannoulias does the same in Illinois, why would Americans not think Andrew Cuomo would win in New York? As HUD Secretary in 1998 when the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) was given teeth, Cuomo should be a disgraced former politician.

That said, this is an awesome ad from Cuomo's opponent, Carl Paladino, who says he will use eminent domain to stop construction of the ground zero mosque if elected. Meanwhile, Cuomo supports construction of the mosque. Before watching the ad, it's worth going to Paladino's website. When you visit, you'll see him come onto your screen to introduce himself - worth the watch.

h/t to Hope for America

CAN LARRY KUDLOW DE-THRONE CHUCK SCHUMER?

Not every Senator is up for re-election this November but the Democrats who aren't are no doubt feeling like they've escaped some sort of undesirable political lottery. One who may not escape being shown the door is a Chuck Schumer, whose mug conservatives would place on one of a deck of cards' Aces in a set of the 52 most disgraceful politicians.

Larry Kudlow, a very familiar face to conservatives - and trusted man when it comes to economics - is apparently considering a run against Schumer, whose numbers are falling and considering New York's financial status right now which is bad and likely to get much worse between now and November.

Via National Review:

Will Kudlow challenge him? “The only thing I’ve said and I’ll continue to say,” he told The Daily Caller, is that “I’m honored to be considered.” But “defeating Senator Schumer,” he added, “would be a noble cause.”

It would be perfectly understandable if Kudlow declined to put himself and his family through the hell of a campaign. But if he did throw his hat in the ring, his candidacy would be an important one.

Let's also not forget that Kudlow worked inside the OMB of the Reagan administration which is quite an enticing reason to vote for him in this economic climate.

At this critical juncture, Candidate Kudlow could make a vital contribution to the debate. That’s because the combination of gifts he possesses is so rare. Kudlow is at once an economic expert and an expert communicator. As an economist, he was “present at the creation” of Ronald Reagan’s tax cuts in the Eighties, when he served as associate director of economics and planning in Reagan’s OMB. As a communicator, he reaches a vast audience through CNBC’s The Kudlow Report and WABC radio’s The Larry Kudlow Show. He can tell you the top marginal income tax rate when President Kennedy proposed his own epochal tax cuts in 1962 (91 percent). What’s more, he can make you understand the significance of those cuts in a way few other economists can.

As the article points out, defeating the New York political establishment, of which Schumer is a part, will be incredibly difficult. It will require economic smarts and name recognition. Kudlow has both. He may be the best choice Republicans have. Hopefully, he gives it a go.

Read the whole thing.

VIDEO: OBAMA RACIST AGAINST THE HANDICAPPED?

New York Governor David Paterson was asked by Barack Obama not to run for re-election. Here is Paterson's wife hinting that her husband's visual impairment may have played a role in Obama not wanting him to continue to be New York's Governor.

Before you dismiss her (prepare for satire), didn't Obama mock the Special Olympics when he appeared on Jay Leno several months ago?

Here's Obama's slap at the Special Olympics. Paterson's wife forgot to mention this one.

Obama Special Olympic Gaff on Jay Leno
by charleslawlesss

h/t to HOT AIR