It Begins: Grimes, Nunn Say Shinseki Must Go

Daniel Doherty / Townhall Columnist

 

Senate hopefuls Michelle Nunn (D-GA) and Alison Lundergan Grimes (D-KY) refuse to say whether or not they would have voted for Obamacare, but evidently they aren’t straddling the party line on another brewing issue: the VA scandal. To wit, both candidates have now called for VA Secretary Eric Shinseki to tender his resignation.

Of course, going rogue directly violates the wishes of Bernie Sanders & Co., but in a tough election year, one’s own political considerations and interests must come first:

The Democratic Senate candidate in Georgia is joining a growing chorus calling for the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki in the wake of allegations of misconduct involving delayed treatment at the VA that may have led to 40 deaths. 

“There is growing evidence that the Department of Veterans Affairs needs new leadership in order to reform its badly broken bureaucracy,” Michelle Nunn said in a press release, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Nunn faces an uphill climb in a traditionally red state as she faces off against either businessman David Perdue or Rep. Jack Kingston, who are battling for the state's GOP nomination in July's primary runoff. Her fellow Democrats in the House, Reps. David Scott and John Barrow, have already called for Shinseki's resignation.

Nunn also follows a Democratic Senate challenger in another state, Alison Lundergan Grimes of Kentucky, in saying the VA chief should go.

Interestingly, Sens. Mark Begich (D-AL), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Kay Hagan (D-NC), Mark Udall (D-CO), and Mark Pryor (D-AR) haven’t yet explicitly called for Shinseki’s resignation. My hunch is that it’s only a matter time.

New Poll: One-Third Of Americans Unable To Sign Up Through Obamacare Website

Kevin Glass / Townhall Columnist

 

Obamacare continues to be profoundly unpopular with the American people, and its approval ratings continue to plummet. Just 28% of Americans support the law, a new Associated Press poll finds, compared with 43% in opposition

But another part of the AP poll revealed something that speaks to the way that the law disrupted the health insurance market and failed Americans over and over again:

More than one-third of those who said they or someone in their household tried to enroll, were ultimately unable to do so. For the White House, it's an uncomfortable reminder of the technical problems that paralyzed the HealthCare.gov website for weeks after it went live last fall. ...

The pattern illustrates why the health care law remains a favored target for Republicans seeking a Senate majority in the midterm elections.

28% support, 43% oppose, and more than one-third of people had someone in their household attempt to sign up for Obamacare and fail to do so. As the AP notes, it's no wonder why Republicans have made the law a favored political target: Americans hate it, and it has failed them.

State Dept promotes Muslim cleric who backed fatwa on “killing of U.S. soldiers”

Robert Spencer / Jihad Watch 

Here is yet another sign of how deeply entrenched willful ignorance and fantasy-based policymaking are in Washington. Bin Bayyah condemned Boko Haram, so the Counter Terrorism Bureau promotes his website. They are either ignorant of or indifferent to the fact that he supported jihad attacks on U.S. soldiers. And given the atmosphere of the Obama State Department, it is unlikely that anyone cares even if they do know.

“State Dept Promotes Muslim Cleric Who Backed Fatwa on ‘Killing of U.S. Soldiers,’” by Adam Kredo, Washington Free Beacon, May 23, 2014:

The State Department’s Counter Terrorism (CT) Bureau promoted on Friday a controversial Muslim scholar whose organization has reportedly backed Hamas and endorsed a fatwa authorizing the murder of U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

The CT bureau on Friday tweeted out a link to the official website of Sheikh Abdallah Bin Bayyah, the vice president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), a controversial organization founded by a Muslim Brotherhood leader “who has called for the death of Jews and Americans and himself is banned from visiting the U.S.,” according to Fox News.

Bin Bayyah is reported to have been one of several clerics who endorsed a 2004 fatwa that endorsed resistance against Americans fighting in Iraq, PJ Media reported in 2013, when Bin Bayyah met with Obama’s National Security Council staff at the White House.

The CT Bureau tweet linked to a press release on Bin Bayyah’s site condemning the kidnapping of hundreds of Nigerian girls by the Boko Haram group.

However, Bin Bayyah himself has been known to back controversial causes.

Bin Bayyah has “urged the U.N. to criminalize blasphemy,” according to reports, and spoke “out in favor of Hamas,” the terror group that rules over the West Bank.

The cleric also issued a fatwa in 2009  “barring ‘all forms of normalization’ with Israel,” according to Fox.

The 2004 fatwa on Iraq stated that “resisting occupation troops” is a “duty” for all Muslims, according to reports….

The Obama administration came under fire in June 2013 for holding a meeting with Bin Bayyah at the White House….

UN Headquarters screens film depicting Israel as green monster

Pamela Geller / Atlas Shrugs

Aren’t you glad that your taxpayer dollars go towards close to 25% of the UN budget?

Psychologically, the U.N. has contributed a great deal to the gray swamp of demoralization—of cynicism, bitterness, hopelessness, fear and nameless guilt—which is swallowing the Western world. Ayn Rand

And the modern day caliphate, the OIC (Organizaton of Islamic Cooperation), has received a moral sanction, a stamp of civilized respectability from the Western
world

…it has gained the West’s assistance in deceiving its victims—it has gained the status and prestige of an equal partner, thus establishing the notion that the difference between human rights and mass slaughter is merely a difference of political opinion. The declared goal of the communist countries is the conquest of the world. What they stand to gain from a collaboration with the (relatively) free countries is the latter’s material, financial, scientific, and intellectual resources; the free countries have nothing to gain.

Rand was speaking of communism when she made those comments back in the 1960s, but the shoe fits, because the battle is the same. Individualism (the foundation of a free society) and collectivism.

When an institution reaches the degree of corruption, brazen cynicism and dishonor demonstrated by the U.N. in its shameful history, to discuss it at length is to imply that its members and supporters may possibly be making an innocent error about its nature—which is no longer possible. There is no margin for error about a monstrosity that was created for the alleged purpose of preventing wars by uniting the world against any aggressor, but proceeded to unite it against any victim of aggression.

From a body that rains down condemnations on Israel while continually ignoring actual human rights abuses in other countries, this film is no surprise.

“UN Headquarters screens film depicting Israel as green monster,” Human Rights Voices, May 21, 2014 (thanks to Blazing Cat Fur):

On May 21, 2014 the UN screened a film in which Israel is depicted as a green monster that attacks a kite created by hapless Palestinian children just yearning for freedom. As filmmaker Nitin Sawhney unabashedly explained to his UN audience: “the dragon was an Israeli gunship and the kite became the persona of the child trying to deal with that.” The imagery of Jews as serpents was a frequent tool of Nazi propaganda.

The screening of “Flying Paper” was held at UN headquarters in New York City, and was advertised by the UN as “a documentary on Palestinian youth in the Gaza Strip.”

The event was organized by the “Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People,” created in 1975 to implement the notorious Zionism-is-racism General Assembly resolution.

The trailer for the documentary says “it’s a story about Palestinian’s creative resilience”.

More specifically, its creative antisemitism includes: a segment with “interviews with a fisherman from the Gaza seaport, who pleads with the Israeli navy to stop destroying his livelihood – the Israeli vessels are replaced with a giant, dragon-like sea monster which bites and lunges at the kite.”

According to the film’s promotional material, the film “tells the story…despite the blockade, of creative resistance and freedom.”

Palestinian “resistance” in the form of kidnapping, mortar and rocket attacks against Israelis – as opposed to children flying kites – is never mentioned.

As is the usual fare of Palestinian propaganda, the film’s directors talk about “the blockade” and the “siege” in a vacuum, with no references to the repeated and ongoing attempts to use Gazan waters, tunnels and all other access points, to provide lethal weapons to Palestinian terrorists.

The film also includes scenes of a kite “entangled in a barbed-wire fence,” and a kite “homed in on by an Israeli drone, and caught up in its computerized crosshairs.”

The co-directors have obligingly explained the film’s agenda to anyone who might have thought it was about kites. “Nitin [Sawhney] co-founded a nonprofit initiative called Voices Beyond Walls to conduct digital video and storytelling workshops with children and youth in Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza. Flying Paper is his first feature-length documentary film. Speaking about the workshops, he said the children were trained to make films themselves. ‘It gave them an opportunity to tell stories about their detention, prisons and what they went through during their war…Flying Paper catches the simple act of flying kites…and breaking out of the occupation…’”

Israel-bashing reviewers have got the message – as has the UN audience: “The idea of a kite is much more for children experiencing living in a big prison.”

Actually, the real prison is Palestinian antisemitism, persistent rejection of a Jewish state, and self-declared war with their Jewish neighbors for the last 66 years.

The film’s co-director Nitin Sawhney, has a long history of anti-Israel bias and antisemitism. For instance, he has been a member of the steering committee of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, an organization that laments “Israeli-controlled media” that is allegedly standing in the way of access to information about “Israeli apartheid.”

In 2008, Sawhney established the international Expressions of Nakba Exhibition. The Exhibition’s web-site describes the creation of the State of Israel as follows:

“Learn About the Nakba…In May 1948, Israel was declared a “Jewish state” despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of the indigenous population consisted of Palestinian Arabs, and the Jewish population was composed primarily of new immigrants…Zionist leader David Ben Gurion instituted “Plan Dalet” in order to change the demographic make-up of historic Palestine… As a result, thousands of Palestinians were massacred …”

It is obvious why an anti-peace radical like Sawhney made a film about Israeli monsters.

It is inexcusable that the United Nations disseminates his message.

The post UN Headquarters screens film depicting Israel as green monster appeared first on Pamela Geller, Atlas Shrugs.

Op-ed:
More e-mails...another thorn in Obama's side     By: Diane Sori

And so the clouds of Benghazi gather yet again over the White House as e-mails have surfaced showing that Barack HUSSEIN Obama...this most traitorous of men...contacted YouTube about the infamous 'Innocence of Muslims' video while the attacks at Benghazi were ongoing. This is serious stuff folks as it shows that while Obama did NOT send troops to help our people under attack at the mission...saying there was NOT enough time to save them (and how did he know the time frame while the attack was ongoing unless he helped plan it)...but he did have time to call YouTube and lay the foundation for the LIE that the attack was caused by said video.

And these e-mails unequivocally prove that the video accusations did NOT come from the CIA as Obama and his minions claimed...as they came BEFORE the CIA even began comprising their own talking points on what they believed happened that night. This basically means that the cover-up story was concocted by Obama and his people BEFORE the attacks occurred, thus ignoring a phone call that was made from Benghazi while that attack was ongoing that linked the attack to an al-Qaeda group.

So while the main e-mail still remains classified...and I'm sure that even when released certain words (possibly) tying Obama into the attack will be redacted...one line from it has been 'leaked' out. Sent to the Diplomatic Security Command Center at 9:11pm EST on September 11, 2012, hours BEFORE the attack was over, the subject line of the e-mail reads: “Update on Response to actions – Libya.” Now please tell me how can you have an update on response to actions when NO response to actions on our part ever took place nor before a suspension of violence occurred...you simply cannot...that is unless the events of that fateful night were known to you in advance of them unfolding.

And what do those circling the wagons around Obama say about these e-mails... “We actually think this proves what we’ve (Obama) said. We were concerned about the video, given all the protests in region,” according to an administration official who wanted to remain anonymous (of course he would as NOT taking responsibility for one's own words is a hallmark of this administration).

But Darrell Issa, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee currently investigating Benghazi...as do those of us really searching for the truth...believes differently and rightly so. Contending the e-mails directly contradict the Obama White House's assertion that it was the CIA who first blamed the attack on protests in response to the video, Issa said, "The e-mail shows the White House had hurried to settle on a false narrative - one at odds with the conclusions reached by those on the ground - before Americans were even out of harm's way or the intelligence community had made an impartial examination of available evidence."

And how right he is.

And to make this even more grievous, a memo from the State Department...Hillary 'What Does It Matter' Clinton's State Department...a memo in regards to a condolence letter sent to Sean Smith's family dated September 12th, refers to both the video and to a group linked to al-Qaeda as the cause of the attack. In trying to cover their bases...in trying to cover their LIE by throwing in words about a possible terrorist link to the attack into the mix on paper only, as the video alone was made the cause of the attack in the weeks that followed...this administration again blew it as NO ground investigation by our side had been conducted at that point in time to point a definitive finger anywhere. Remember, it took weeks for the FBI to investigate...so how could a letter of this sort been sent...and yet it was.

“At least 20 armed extremists, members of Ansar al-Sharia, set fire to the Principal’s office, allegedly retaliating for videos posted on the internet of a film deemed insulting to Islam,” the memo reads. And while an Ansar al-Sharia (a tentacle of al-Qaeda) connection was proven true (as per a released e-mail coming three hours after they took credit for the attack and BEFORE this condolence memo was sent), the attack had NOTHING to do with retaliation for the controversial video as NO protests about this video or any video were going on anywhere within the area of Benghazi, and everything to do (I believe) with covering up Obama's gun and weapons running operation to the al-Qaeda backed Syrian rebels and the targeted silencing of Ambassador Stevens who was going to expose Obama's unlawful operation. 

And as Obama and crew continue stalling on declassifying the e-mails, certain facts remain that are indisputable... Ambassador Stevens begged for help in the months leading up to that fateful night and all pleas went either unanswered or were dismissed as unfounded...Hillary had enemy combatants guarding the mission instead of our troops doing so...the time frame for the attacks seemed to have been known by the administration as NO help was sent when the attacks were in progress and NO one could have known how long the attacks would last yet apparently someone (as in Obama) did...the White House held a 'prep call' after the attacks with then-U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice in which the video was 'decided upon' to be the cause of the attacks she was to use when she made the rounds of the Sunday morning talk show...and most importantly NO, I repeat NO, YouTube video or protests against said video was involved in these attacks.

These are facts, simple indisputable facts, and connecting the attacks to the video almost from the outset...if NOT having it ready to be used even before the attacks...the bottom line remains that Barack HUSSEIN Obama has now been caught NOT just lying about the events of September 11, 2012, but also knowingly and willingly lying about who the perpetrators were. But now with these e-mails...if everything has NOT already been redacted that is...Obama (and Hillary) might actually be tied into the planning and cover-up of the whole sorted affair as well.

So if those in Congress would just follow NOT only the e-mail paper trail but the timeline of events as well and put two and two together like my good friend and CPR-RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen and I did in our 3-part Benghazi expose*...only then will the truth finally be exposed.

But I'm sad to say that NO one in this sitting Congress appears really willing to do this as even the new House Select committee led by Trey Gowdy has had the Democrats circling the wagons around Obama, and doing so by allowing Nancy Pelosi to pick the worst possible people...including the mouth that roared Elijah J. Cummings...to sit on the committee. And anyway, the fear of repercussions of impeaching and then arresting America's 'supposed' first black president seems to trump doing the right thing...trumps getting to the truth about the murders of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Information Officer Sean Smith, and ex-Navy SEALS Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.

And that is the saddest thing of all.
_________________________________________________________
 
*Benghazi: The Truth Exposed...Part 1 of 3  http://thepatriotfactor.blogspot.com/2014/04/benghazi-truth-exposed-part-1-by-craig.html
  Benghazi: The Truth Exposed...Part 2 of 3  http://thepatriotfactor.blogspot.com/2014/04/op-ed-benghazi-truth-exposed.html
  Benghazi: The Truth Exposed...Part 3 of 3  http://thepatriotfactor.blogspot.com/2014/04/op-ed-benghazi-truth-exposed_9.html