Video: Newt Campaign Spokesman confronts Rep. Chaffetz on Campaign Trail

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) has endorsed Mitt Romney for president but seems to be following the Newt Gingrich campaign around, apparently for opposition research. At one such event, Newt's campaign spokesman, R.C. Hammond decided to approach Chaffetz and have an interesting exchange with the congressman from Utah.

Chaffetz came off as trying to walk a fine line between appearing cordial without conveying condescension. At several points, he attempted to distance himself from Hammond by saying he wouldn't talk to him because he wasn't with the press. That was a misplaced distinction, to be sure. As a high-profile Romney supporter who is showing up at Gingrich campaign stops, refusing to talk to the campaign's spokesman because he's not with the press is rather lame. Chaffetz should expect confrontations like this if he's essentially doing opposition research when he shows up.

Chaffetz did obfuscate when Hammond asked about lobbying or if he knew about Romney's ties to Freddie and Fannie, which is exactly what team Romney has been using against Gingrich.

It's disappointing to see this from Chaffetz. As a member of the House Oversight Committee, he has been one of the bulldogs in the Fast and Furious investigation. Frankly, with the biggest hearing to date in the near year-long investigation coming up on February 2nd, it's mildly disturbing to see Chaffetz more focused on Newt Gingrich than on his confrontation with Eric Holder.

Chaffetz came across as a little more arrogant than not, here.

Yes, Chaffetz is also a Mormon, like Romney.



h/t Freedom's Lighthouse

Second US Senator Calls for Holder to Resign

The running tally for the number of Congressmen and Senators who are calling for the resignation of Attorney General Eric Holder over operation Fast and Furious is now 52 and 2, respectively. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) joins his colleague, Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) on the growing list.

Via the Daily Caller:

The pressure appears to have gotten to Holder. On Tuesday he lost control when TheDC asked what he thought of the surge in calls for his resignation. 

“You guys need to — you need to stop this,” Holder said at a White House event. “It’s not an organic thing that’s just happening. You guys are behind it.” 

Subsequently, the White House refused to comment when TheDC asked if President Barack Obama plans to hold Holder to the same standard he applied to former attorney general Alberto Gonzales when Obama, then a U,S. Senator, demanded Gonzales’ resignation in 2007. 

Inhofe told TheDC he thinks Holder’s reaction is a sign that the Obama administration and Holder have been “caught” doing something wrong and they don’t know how to deal with it other than to attack the messenger. 

“Any time someone gets caught doing something like this, if they can [they] blame it on what they consider to be a minority,” Inhofe said. “And they consider the right wing to be minority, even though they’re wrong — if they can do that, they think they can somehow try to transfer the wrongdoing to another party in showing that they have a motivation for this to do things that are not honest.”

This is in no way insignificant. Inhofe is a more prominent and well known senator than is Isakson and this movement is showing signs of the wrong kind of inertia for Holder.

Moreover, though there are no Democrats on the list of legislators that are calling for Holder to step down, the closer we get to the election, the more likely that is to change, especially in battleground states / districts.

Reminder: December 8th, the Holder showdown with Issa promises to be more compelling than a Wrestlemania cage match.

Congressmen Call on Bureau of Prisons to Remove Violent Islamic Texts from Prisons

It's a start and it's logical. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Rep. Peter King (R-NY) are calling on the Bureau of Prisons to remove any and all Islamic texts that espouse or condone violence. This includes books, videos, and anything else inmates with nothing but time on their hands could get ahold of that would do nothing more than 'rub raw the sores of their discontent,' to quote from one of Barack Obama's ideological heroes, Saul Alinsky. Quite interestingly, the pair has even singled out Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan.

Via Daily Caller:

In an attempt to stem the tide of radicalization in American prisons, Tuesday Rep. Frank Wolf and Rep. Peter King called on the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to remove “inflammatory written, audio and video materials produced by the ‘Nation of Islam’ and Louis Farrakhan,” and examine all the other Islamic materials circulating in their facilities.

The pair further asked for an audit of the manner in which texts are vetted prior to providing them to inmates.

In a letter to BOP acting director Thomas Kane, Wolf and King, Republicans from Virginia and New York, respectively, cite the June 15, House Homeland Security Committee hearing, led by King, titled “The Threat of Muslim-American Radicalization in U.S. Prisons,” and testimony from former Bureau of Prisons (BOP) director Harley Lappin explaining the susceptibility of convicts to radical propaganda.

“Inmates are particularly vulnerable to recruitment by terrorists,” the letter quotes Lappin. “[BOP] must guard against the spread of terrorism and extremist ideologies.”

Wolf and Kane also pointed to a memo prepared by the House Homeland Security Committee, which highlighted a number of anti-American documents such as “Conspiracy of the US Government” and “Which One Will You Choose: The Flag of Islam or the Flag of America?”

“It defies common sense that any inmate, let alone convicted al Qaeda terrorists, would be able to receive anti-American and anti-Semitic propaganda from the Bureau of Prisons,” said King in the June hearing. “It is imperative that BOP not only remove all materials produced by the ‘Nation of Islam’ and Louis Farrakhan but ensure that all other Islamic texts provided to inmates are vetted.”

This is called 'nibbling around the edges' and it's good to see Republicans starting to address one of the elephants in the living room.

Read it all.

Rep. Peter King (R) Receives Bloody Pig's Foot in the Mail

Let's see. Rep. Peter King (R-NY) held hearings recently to determine the causes and pervasiveness of American Jihadists. He was ridiculed and painted as a McCarthyite Islamophobe. Then he receives a bloody pig's foot in the mail replete with a note containing a slew of anti-semitic rants. Was this the act of a Tea Party extremist, an angry leftist, or an angry Muslim? Not only does the Tea Party categorically reject such tactics but King is considered a favorite among the group.

Via CBS News:

Last month, King held hearings on radicalization in the Muslim-American community that critics suggested unfairly targeted Muslims, though it's not known whether this incident is related to those hearings. Muslims are forbidden from eating pork products.

Ibrahim Hooper, National Communications Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations - a target of King's hearings - said he found the situation confusing. He said his organization regularly receives pig-themed hate messages, including letters smeared with bacon.

"My guess is it was an anti-Muslim bigot, and bigots not being brain surgeons they probably got their signals crossed," he said.

Makes total sense, doesn't it? After being painted as an anti-Muslim bigot for holding the hearings, King is sent a threatening, anti-semitic message with a bloody pig's foot from an anti-Muslim bigot. Apparently lost on Hooper is the fact that such a scenario would point to King NOT being an anti-Muslim bigot.

If I'm an investigator on this case, I'd want to know more about the 'pig-themed hate messages' Hooper receives regularly and if there are any consistencies between what they allegedly receive and what King received. If so, CAIR would be placed under greater suspicion because it wouldn't make sense for an 'anti-Muslim bigot' to send such things to both CAIR and King.

More here.

Video: Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) Channels Charlie Sheen

If one is inclined to be fair to Rep. Anthony Weiner, he / she might say that he was placed squarely on the losing side of a debate before he engaged in it. However, as a Democrat who's been in Congress since Pelosi took the gavel in 2007, he's complicit in the budget mess we're facing. Perhaps that explains his inability to address any of the points posed to him by Sean Hannity or the opposing guest, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN).

Charlie Sheen is obviously detached from reality. That fact is manifested in his delusional words. In that regard, Weiner shares something in common with the actor. The money quote from Weiner comes very early in this exchange when he takes a hatchet to the metaphor he was trying to use. He was trying to blame Bush for our economic woes but it came out like this:

'The Bush Administration drove the economy into a cliff and we've been digging out ever since.'

Weiner went downhill from there. Watch for the same reason you're inclined to watch Charlie Sheen, if nothing else.



Now compare Weiner to this. Not too far apart, are they?

Registered Socialist Congressman not Intimidating Darrell Issa

New House Oversight Committee chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) was perpetually stonewalled when he was the ranking member, by the previous chairman, Edolphus Towns, whenever he attempted to launch investigations into the Obama administration. Towns is out and registered member of the Democratic Socialist caucus, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) is in. Last week, Cummings tried that old Alinsky tactic known as ridicule to intimidate Issa into not following through with his pledge to use that subpoena power.

Indications are that it's not working.

Via Daily Caller:

The latest dust up between top GOP oversight official California Rep. Darrell Issa and his combative new foil on the oversight panel, Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, has Cummings attacking Issa for the breadth of a new inquiry into how the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is working across a slew of federal agencies.

“I cannot even begin to imagine how much paper, how much work, and how much overtime this is going to cost the Federal Government,” said Cummings spokesman Paul Kincaid last week in an e-mail.

But Issa’s communications director, Frederick Hill, was nonplussed. Asked how Issa is assessing his relationship with Cummings, the newly appointed top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, Hill said “I think the short and long is, we’re really not.”

In the last Congress what top committee Democrat Rep. Edolphus Towns of New York, then-committee chairman, did “really mattered,” Hill said, “sometimes you would get to the point where the only way you could advance that is with a subpoena or if you got the chairman to join you on a letter.”

Issa is apparently wanting the White House to cough up any and all documents relating to multiple Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests. If he continues to move forward without regard for the smear tactics, Issa is likely to uncover some extremely troubling things about this administration.

Oh, and yes, Cummings is indeed registered with the Socialist Caucus.

AUDIO: MUSLIM CONGRESSMAN CALLS FOR CRISIS

Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress is also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). In fact, he's one of the super majority of its members who is a registered socialist. He, like the only registered socialist in the Senate - Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is unwilling to accept Obama's compromise on the tax rate extensions in return for another year of unemployment benefits. So what does Ellison want to break the impasse? Apparently a 'Crisis.'

While appearing on (ahem) NPR in Minnesota, Ellison called for just that. Via Breitbart:



Another point Ellison tried to make in that video is that the rich people who will see their tax rates remain the same don't just buy yachts; they also buy congressmen. That's quite interesting when one considers where Ellison got much of his campaign moneyin 2006 - from the CAIR-Hamas-Saudi Arabia connection. Pathetic.

Oh, here's that list of 70 Congressmen who are also registered socialists. That means Ellison is a socialist Muslim.

For some additional perspective on who Keith Ellison is, click HERE.

VIDEOS: CONYERS WON'T READ HEALTH CARE BILL, BUT READS PLAYBOY

Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), a registered socialist said infamously during the 2009 debate on the massive health care bill that there was no reason to read the bill because it had too many pages and there were no lawyers present to help him interpret what it meant. Fast forward to 2010; while on an airplane heading to Washington, D.C. ostensibly to do the people's business, Conyers is caught reading, uh, looking at the pictures in a Playboy magazine.

Here is Conyers reading Playboy on a Plane.



Here is Conyers on why he didn't read the Health care bill.



h/t Michelle Malkin

LATEST DEMOCRAT STRATEGY: BANNING BOOKS

Welcome to a manifestation of the real reason Barack Obama was so agitated, he called out the Supreme Court during a joint session of Congress for its ruling in Citizens United vs. FEC. That case was about whether corporations could contribute to non-profits that were publishing / distributing books videos for or against political candidates close to an election. At issue was the ability of Citizens United to market a documentary about Hillary Clinton. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Citizens United.

This case is slightly different in that it doesn't involve just corporations; it involves members of congress who have written a book titled, "Young Guns: A New Generation of Conservative Leaders" that Democrats apparently do not want released. In this case, three Republican congressmen - Eric Cantor (VA), Paul Ryan (WI), and Kevin McCarthy (CA) - are playing the role of Citizens United.

Via POLITICO:

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s attorneys sent Simon & Schuster a letter Thursday, hinting that the publisher may have violated several campaign finance laws that prohibit in-kind contributions by corporations by posting on its website a promotional video for a book penned by three top House Republicans.

At issue: the publishing house’s promotion of “Young Guns: A New Generation of Conservative Leaders” by Reps. Eric Cantor of Virginia, Kevin McCarthy of California and Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. The DCCC’s attorneys at Perkins Coie sent the New York-based publisher a letter saying it’s improper for a corporation to host a video on its website that directs viewers to a website that solicits contributions for Republican candidates for Congress.

The book is scheduled to be released on September 14 but the way the Democrats have been acting lately, look for the DCCC to sue the publisher - Simon & Shuster - or seek an injunction to have the book withheld, pending an FEC decision. In light of the Citizens United ruling, this takes on an added smack of arrogance on the part of the Democratic leadership.

Here is the promotional video for the book. Ironic that the title is "Young Guns" because this tactic on the part of the DCCC very well could backfire by giving it free publicity. To illustrate my point, this video came out last week and I didn't post it because it didn't do much for me. Now?

Kinda likin' it.



h/t to Gateway Pundit

VIDEO: LUKE RUSSERT SLAMS CHARLIE RANGEL

Former head of the House Ways and Means Committee, Charlie Rangel has done the impossible. He's done something so egregious that the Democrats appear to be willing to throw him under the bus. Not only that but he is held accountable in this exchange by an NBC reporter - Luke Russert, son of the late Tim Russert. I am not that familiar with the younger Russert's work but based on what I've been reading, he leans strongly to the left.

You wouldn't know it here, though. He gets under Rangel's skin so much that the congressman from New York actually accuses the network Russert works for as being an illegitimate news source.

Welcome to the club, Charlie.



And here's the added bonus of Rangel telling Jason Mattera to mind his "G**D**N" business. I just knew this would have staying power.



h/t to Free Republic

VIDEO: TEXAS DEMOCRAT LOSES CONTROL

The 23rd Congressional District here in Texas claims more than two thirds of our state's border with Mexico so the notion that its congressman would be a Democrat isn't all that shocking. That he is also an adamant defender of Obamacare isn't shocking either. However, in a meeting with constituents at a restaurant, Rep. Ciro Rodriquez (D-TX) seemed excessively offended by what he perceived to be an accusation that he is a liar.

Thou doth protest too much, Mr. Rodriguez? Here is the map of District 23.

Via Big Government

VIDEO: ANOTHER DEMOCRAT POLITICIAN UNHINGED

Democrats unmasking themselves is becoming quite the trend. Representative Bob Etheridge (D) was caught on video walking down a sidewalk by a couple of students. Suddenly and inexplicably, Etheridge demands to know the identity of one of the students, grabbing him by the arm and refusing to let go.

Democrats are coming unglued in larger numbers and it's incidents like this that leave no room for doubt about Etheridge in particular. I hope this kid files assault charges.

via Breitbart



UPDATE: ETHERIDGE RESPONDS TO VIRAL VIDEO...

“I have seen the video posted on several blogs. I deeply and profoundly regret my reaction and I apologize to all involved. Throughout my many years of service to the people of North Carolina, I have always tried to treat people from all viewpoints with respect. No matter how intrusive and partisan our politics can become, this does not justify a poor response. I have and I will always work to promote a civil public discourse.”

Rep. Bob Etheridge (NC-02)

I think it's safe to say that Etheridge is now officially in 'Oh, S***" mode.

h/t to Drudge for the update.

RACIAL BOMB-THROWING IN THE FLESH

The Ombudsman at the Washington Post, Andrew Alexander actually does a decent job of encapsulating the controversy over the alleged racial slurs and spit hurled at members of the Congressional Black Congress who intentionally did NOT use the tunnel on their trips to and from the Capitol on March 20th. It was the day prior to the health care vote on Sunday, March 21st.

Alexander references the alleged spitting incident, which took place as the congressmen walked up the steps not of the Capitol as Rep. Emanuel Cleaver's (D-MO) statement claims but the Cannon House Office Building.

YouTube videos show the spitting incident took place as Cleaver and other black lawmakers passed through a gantlet of rowdy protesters on the steps outside the Cannon House Office Building.

I noted the discrepancy between that video and Cleaver's claim here.

Also very much to Alexander's credit, he assumes responsibility for the Post not doing its due diligence.

With videos of the incident so prevalent on liberal and conservative Web sites, and with the question being so widely raised in the blogosphere and on cable channels, The Post was remiss in not providing clarity by quickly dissecting what happened. (Cleaver's office did not return repeated calls seeking comment for this column.)

This is HUGE. I am absolutely willing to put down the gloves - not throw them down - when someone like Alexander admits to this kind of error. Playing "gotcha" only serves to help the opposition build a thicker wall next time. Hats off to Alexander for going this route.

As for the slurs, Alexander doesn't take a side - that's what ombudsmen do, right - but instead paints a "he said, she said" picture of conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart pitting his $100,000 reward for anyone producing video evidence of the "N" word being hurled against a gaggle of Congressional BlacK Caucus members who gave passionate and believable accounts that no one should doubt.

Through spokesman Justin Ohlemiller, Carson stands by his assertion. The spokeswoman for Lewis, Brenda Jones, insists he and his chief of staff heard repeated uses of the N-word. They are declining interviews, she said, because they don't want to "fan the flames of destructive language."

Breitbart's $100,000 challenge may be publicity-seeking theater. But it's part of widespread conservative claims that mainstream media, including The Post, swallowed a huge fabrication. The incidents are weeks old, but it's worth assigning Post reporters to find the truth. After all, a civil rights legend is being called a liar. That aside, there's serious money at stake.

I find it incredibly interesting that the reason given by these CBC members who intentionally didn't use the tunnel but instead walked through angry crowds - presumably to capture a reaction on video - are now claiming they don't want to speak further on the issue out of concern for "fanning the flames". If a video magically surfaces and Breitbart has to pay up, what are the odds Carson fans the flames with all that money?

h/t to Gateway Pundit

HANK JOHNSON: GUAM COMMENT A METAPHOR

On April 1st, a video of Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA) expressing his concern to Admiral Robert Willard at a March 25th Armed Services Committee hearing went viral. Amazingly, Johnson conveyed that he was concerned that the island of Guam would "tip over" or "capsize" if it got too populated.

Since then, the reasons attributed to the absurd statement ranged from Johnson's lack of intelligence to an illness he suffered which prevents him from censoring his speech. In either case, he should be viewed as unfit to serve.

What to do, what to do? DAMAGE CONTROL! According to a post on Yahoo's Buzz Log, the strategy appears to be to blame those who took him seriously by saying that the whole thing was a metaphor that fell flat. Here is the statement from Johnson's spokesman:

"I was using a metaphor to say that with the addition of 8,000 Marines and their dependents -- an additional 80,000 people during peak construction to the port on the tiny island with a population of 180,000 -- could be a tipping point which would adversely affect the island’s fragile ecosystem and overburden its already overstressed infrastructure."

I didn't think the fact that Johnson's words indicated he believed that islands float could be easily trumped. This explanation does just that.

If this was a metaphor, Johnson's competence should be questioned in that area as well.

Judge for yourself....

VIDEO: CONGRESSMAN SAYS HE DOESN'T WORRY ABOUT CONSTITUTION

In a word, disgraceful. In another word, despicable. Representative from the 17th District of Illinois Phil Hare (D-IL) was confronted by some constituents over his support of the health care monstrosity. On camera, he literally said he "doesn't worry about the Constitution". That would be the same Constitution - as the cameraman rightly points out - that he swore to uphold and defend.

These leftwing politicians are no longer capable of debating policy. They are increasingly becoming unhinged prior to turning tale and running from tough questions. Citizen journalists are rapidly filling the vacuum being left by the MSM that long ago not only refused to do its job but additionally decided to do the leftwing's bidding.

SMACKDOWN via Big Government

VIDEO: JASON MATTERA'S LATEST AMBUSH

These videos are the best to come around in quite some time. Obama Zombies author Jason Mattera is literally and quite single-handedly flummoxing several of the most powerful people in the United States. Previous victims of citizen accountability courtesy of Mattera include Al Franken, Steny Hoyer, John Murtha, Charlie Rangel, and now Representative Jim Moran (D-VA).

Mattera greets Moran by impersonating a member of the state's 12th District. Small problem. There isn't a 12th District. When Mattera confronts Moran about the millions of dollars received by a district that doesn't exist, Moran called it a "clerical error" while coming completely unhinged.

via Jason Mattera

VIDEO: CONGRESSMAN FEARS GUAM WILL TIP OVER

I'm not making that up, nor am I exaggerating. Yes, of course, it's a Democrat. His name is Hank Johnson (D-GA) and in this video he at first seems obsessed with the dimensions of the island of Guam. So much so that he almost seems to press Admiral Robert F. Willard into giving him the exact information. It's laughably obvious very early on that Willard is silently pleading with Johnson to put aside the myopia of determining the exact size of Guam but he is cordial and respectful outwardly.

Ah, but there is a reason Johnson wants such specific information. You see, one can only ascertain how many people would have to live on Guam before it would "tip over" and "capsize" if one knows the very important variables such as its exact dimensions and how many "square miles" make up its surface.

Just remember, this man holds 1/535th of the total power of one of our country's three branches of government. The fact that someone like this actually has that much power speaks volumes about the mess we're in right now.

via Weasel Zippers

GET OFF THE COUCH AND PICK UP THE PHONE!!!

Your PHONE CALLS to Stop/Kill/Derail Obamacare socialized Medicine are working and the tide is turning our way!! We just need to KEEP making PHONE CALLS:

Barrackaid Rob Morrow sends in the info.....

Sen. Charles Grassley 202-224-3744 THE #1 PLAYER IN SENATE ON THIS ISSUE

Sen. Max Baucus 202-224-2651

Sen. Olympia Snowe 202-224-5344

Sen. Mike Enzi 202-224-3424



Rep. Mike Ross 202-225-3772 LEADER OF THE BLUE DOGS ON HEALTHCARE!

Rep. Heath Shuler 202-225-6401 (also a leader of Blue Dogs)

Rep. John Barrow 202-225-2823

Rep. Bart Gordon 202-225-4231

Rep. Jane Harmon 202-225-8220

Rep. Baron Hill 202-225-5315

Rep. Jim Matheson 202-225-3011

Rep. Charles Melancon 202-225-4031

Rep. Zack Space 202-225-4436

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin 202-225-2801



Google “House Members phone numbers” to get ALL phone numbers for Congress

Google “Horrors in the ObamaCare Bill”