Video: National Park Director Spanked by Congressman (Metaphor)

This video is a must-see. National Park Service (NPS) Director Jonathan Jarvis is being grilled by Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) about why OWS campers are allowed to camp despite the prohibition of such activity. Jarvis essentially hangs himself after making the distinction between camping and protesting. It played right into Gowdy's hands.

This exchange is also a good warm-up for when Eric Holder is in front of the Oversight Committee for the first time regarding Fast and Furious. Gowdy sits on that committee and is one of several fiery committee members.

Jarvis was a ball of yarn and Gowdy was a cat who turned him into a pretzel.

Via Breitbart:

Video: All American Muslim Imam Caught on tape Again

Remember this guy? When the controversy over Lowe's pulling its advertising from the TLC program, All American Muslim, we learned that they were justified in light of the fact that this Imam - Husham Alhusayni - has expressed support for Hezbollah and Iran. Now there is video of Alhusayni supporting terrorism and genocide.

Via Shoebat:

Ruh Roh: Will another US Attorney Plead the Fifth?

Just received a mass e-mail from Darrell Issa's press office. It looks like the head of the criminal division for the US Attorneys Office in Arizona, Patrick Cunningham, might have his subordinate joining him in taking the fifth. Issa is now demanding access to Michael Morrissey, Assistant US Attorney in Arizona.

Via the email:

Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa demanded in  letter to  Attorney General Holder that the Justice Department make Arizona U.S. Attorney’s Office Assistant United States Attorney Michael Morrissey available to speak with Committee investigators about his role in and knowledge of Operation Fast and Furious.  His supervisor, Patrick Cunningham, has stated he will exercise his Fifth Amendment and refuse to answer any questions pertaining to Operation Fast and Furious – such an assertion is extremely rare and suggests possible criminal culpability on the part of a high ranking Justice Department official.  Morrissey, who reported directly to Cunningham’s  and was intimately involved with Operation Fast and Furious.

“Since August, the Department has identified Patrick Cunningham as the best person in the U.S. Attorney’s Office to provide information about Fast and Furious to the Committee,” Issa said in his letter to Holder.  “The Department has refused to make Michael Morrissey and Emory Hurley, both Assistant United States Attorneys supervised by Mr. Cunningham, available to speak with the Committee, citing a policy of not making “line attorneys” available for congressional scrutiny.  Mr. Morrissey, however, was Mr. Hurley’s direct supervisor, and an integral part of Fast and Furious.  Importantly, both Morrissey and Hurley are unique in their possession of key factual knowledge about Fast and Furious not readily available from any other source.”

The Chairman also reiterated that the Justice Department still has not complied with the subpoenas issued to date, including subpoenaed documents from Cunningham, Morrissey and Hurley.

This scandal is about to get a whole lot more interesting if Morrissey pleads the Fifth as well. Actually, it's about to get a whole lot more interesting regardless of what Morrissey does because Eric Holder will be appearing in front of Issa's Oversight Committee on February 2nd for the first time (ironically, it's Groundhog day).

Issa's letter to Holder regarding Cunningham is HERE. His letter to Holder regarding Morrissey is HERE.

Video: Newt Deals with Far Left Heckler on Florida Campaign stop

This is the kind of energy Newt brings to a crowd that Mitt simply lacks. A left winger in the crowd begins screaming at Gingrich about taking money from Freddie Mac. Newt responds by saying that the only article about his recommendations to Freddie Mac appeared in a New York Times article and that his conclusion at the time was that the GSE should not be given any more money. The heckler didn't stop, at which point, Newt smacked her down while invoking Lincoln.



h/t GWP

Darrell Issa going after Holder on Mexican Deaths

The deadly consequence that has garnered the most attention when it comes to the Fast and Furious investigation has been the death of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry. His is a name and a face that basically represents everything that's wrong with the ATF operation that put guns into the hands of bad guys.

However, there's another aspect to the operation with hundreds of casualties; those casualties are Mexican citizens. In an interview with the Daily Caller, Chairman Darrell Issa highlights this point and says that 'Justice has blood on its hands.' Fast forward to the 4:00 mark if pressed for time.

The deaths of hundreds of Mexican nationals is something that no one in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) seems interested in holding Attorney General Eric Holder accountable. Go figure, they're all Democrats. I wrote about this after watching one of those members, Pedro Pierluisi, gushed in support of Holder at the House Judiciary Committee hearing in December.

More at Daily Caller

Video: Rep. Jason Chaffetz gave Obama a Rimshot at SOTU

I must say, this is the only portion of the State of the Union speech that I have seen. Barack Obama attempts to deliver a canned joke about crying over spilt milk. The camera then focuses on a portion of the gallery. In the top left-hand corner, you can see Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) mockingly give Obama an 'air rimshot.'



h/t Breitbart

Video: Newt Sets Univision Reporter straight on Comparison to Bill Clinton

Univision's Jorge Ramos attempted to do the same thing that CNN's Erin Burnett did a day after the South Carolina debate at which John King asked Gingrich about the 'open marriage' issue; he tried to paint the former Speaker as a hypocrite for attacking Clinton in the 1990's over Lewinsky while Gingrich himself was engaged in an extra-marital affair.

Like he did with Burnett, Gingrich set the interviewer straight about the difference. The issue was not about adultery; it was about lying under oath. The difference between Burnett and Ramos, however, is that Ramos appeared to be unable to understand the line of distinction. After failing to see it, Gingrich at one point referred to a misfiring 'synapse' in Ramos' brain.

Via MediaIte:

Newt and the Sarah Palin Effect

In 2008, John McCain rarely went anywhere without Sarah Palin. Most of their campaign stops were as a tandem. Why? Because without Palin, McCain's crowds would have been drastically reduced in size and in energy. Palin's energy brought crowds, yes, but it also brought the full force of the mainstream media.

Fast forward to 2012. Newt seems to be drawing the crowds that Palin drew in 2008 and McRomney seems to be about as inspiring as the 2008 nominee. Newt, like Palin, has also come under the full fledged attacks from the media while Romney desperately needs the support they appear to be willing to give him.

Via New York Times:

As Republican presidential candidates duke it out down here in Florida, the most visible measure of how they are doing is the crowd count.

And by that very simple measure, Newt Gingrich is crushing his opposition.

At an event Tuesday afternoon, more than 1,500 people showed up to rally for Mr. Gingrich. Later that evening, he stood before as many as 5,000 people, all applauding his surge toward the Republican nomination. And then on Wednesday, another 4,000 people.

Contrast that to Mitt Romney, who, according to polls, is roughly tied with Mr. Gingrich in the state. He, too, has been traveling around Florida in an effort to recover the momentum he had after a big win in New Hampshire.

Mr. Romney has not had a crowd with more than a couple hundred people since he arrived in the Sunshine State.

Unlike McCain, Newt has another entity gunning for him - his own party's establishment.

If Newt takes Florida, it will be monumental in light of the onslaught he is having to face. He will also need another home run of a debate performance tonight.

h/t Free Republic