California Lawmakers Head to Maui with Lobbyists
Twenty California lawmakers will be attending an annual conference at a resort in Maui that is paid for by representatives of special interest groups that lobby the state legislature.
Cronyism
Shock: Jerry Brown Used State Experts to Seek Oil on Family Land
California governor Jerry Brown used state experts to prepare a 51-page report on the prospects for oil development on his family’s private land in Northern California, according to an Associated Press investigation released early Thursday morning.
State Department: Russia, China Not Joining Pacific Free-Trade Deal ‘At This Time’
Two Russian media outlets are reporting that Secretary of State John Kerry invited Russia and China to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade deal.
How A Deadly Nightclub Fire Triggered Anti-Corruption Protests That Brought Down The Romanian Government
Romanian prime minister Victor Ponta stood down this morning, taking his whole cabinet with him following a nightclub fire at the weekend that killed 32. Although the link between a nightclub fire sparked by pyrotechnics and the government may not
Obama’s DHS Plans Work-Permit Give-Away to Foreign Professionals
The Department of Homeland Security is officially disavowing the agency’s June memo that urged U.S. employers be given the ability to quickly hire in-country foreign professionals and foreign graduates instead of job-seeking American millennials. But agency officials are working on another memo on the same topic, said Todd Breasseale, the department’s acting Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs.
ESPN: Democrats Are Vote-Suppression Champions
Democrats are far ahead of Republicans in self-serving efforts to suppress voting by their political rivals, says a University of California professor.
RNC Calls For Audit of Nonprofit Group Attached To Clinton Foundation
The Republican National Committee wants an official audit of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, a nonprofit affiliated with Hillary and Bill Clinton’s foundation.
Study: Obama’s Bad Economy Helps Kill Almost 500,000 Middle-Age White People
The death rates for middle-aged whites in America is increasing, reversing a decades-long decline, says a new released analysis of national statistics.
Activists: Corporate Cronyism Boosted Common Core Proponents to Victory on Louisiana Board of Education
Parents, teachers, and other citizens who oppose the Common Core standards in Louisiana say corporate cronyism propelled proponents of the highly unpopular reform to win the super-majority in the recent state board of education elections.
Marco Rubio’s New Billionaire Backer Top Funder for Open Borders
Hedge-fund billionaire Paul Singer’s decision to throw his financial weight behind the donor-class 2016 favorite, Marco Rubio, has sparked fresh questions about Rubio’s coziness with the financial interests funding his career.
RNC Cancels NBC’s Candidate Debate, Media Pee On Themselves
The establishment media is peeing on themselves now that Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus announced Friday that the RNC would no longer sanction the NBC debate scheduled for February, because of CNBC’s brutally awful treatment of Republican candidates in Wednesday night’s debate.
Democrats Praise Ryan: ‘Sounded An Awful Lot Like A Democrat Speaking’
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s debut speech was very well-received by Democrats, which will not do much to assuage conservative critics.
“It sounded an awful lot like a Democrat speaking,” proclaimed Democratic Caucus vice-chairman Joseph Crowley (D-NY). “I think he’s a good person and a decent guy.”
Hastert Rule Lives As Paul Ryan Takes Speakership
As Paul Ryan takes over as Speaker of the House, he has a big shadow falling across his new gavel. To get the office, Ryan vowed to uphold a promise made by former Speaker Dennis Hastert.
Trump Walks Backs from Low-Immigration, High-Wage Plan
At the CNBC’s primary debate, Donald Trump walked away from two critical elements of his immigration policy by downsizing his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall, and by disavowing his prior commitment to curb corporate use of foreign university graduates.
House Passes Giant Budget-And-Debt Deal
The House voted Wednesday evening to approve the bipartisan budget deal, 266 to 167.
Same Old Budget Deal: ‘I Splurge Now, You Save Later’
Don’t believe any of the hype about how congressional spreadsheet wizards supposedly “fixed” the budget in new budget deal.
Fenway Fleecing: MA Inspector General Blasts Boston for Red Sox Crony Capitalism Deal
The Massachusetts Inspector General blasts a sweetheart deal between the Boston Red Sox and the city of Boston as an abuse of taxpayers.
Wisconsin’s ‘John Doe’ Witch Hunters Creeped On Conservatives Nationwide
A creepy epilogue to the sordid tale of the Wisconsin Witch Hunt comes from the Wall Street Journal, which notes the out-of-control Democratic investigators were looking at targets beyond the borders of Wisconsin as well, including politicians such as Jeb Bush and Reince Priebus, plus conservative media celebrities like Sean Hannity.
Paul Ryan’s Office: ‘Liberal Nonsense’ That Ryan Had Role In $150 Billion Budget Account
The press secretary for Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) is dismissing evidence that Ryan’s staff contributed to the closed-door drafting of the Washington’s controversial new $8 trillion, two-year budget. It’s “liberal nonsense,” spokesman Brendan Buck told Breitbart News.
Sen. Sessions; GOP Should Pick New House Speaker Before Voting On $8 Trillion Budget Plan
Sen Jeff Sessions is urging GOP legislators to pass a short-term budget that will create time for legislators and voters to look under the hood of Washington’s latest budget maneuver — the secretly negotiated, two-year $8 trillion budget plan. He also wants House legislators to pick their new House Speaker — likely Rep. Paul Ryan — before debating the two-year budget, which largely frees Obama from congressional pressure for the rest of his term.
Paul Ryan’s Fork in the Road
Paul Ryan has an opportunity as the new Speaker of the House, but it’s going to take courage to stand up to the failed status quo in Washington. He’s well equipped to make the pivot, if he’s willing to show some guts. He’s already seen firsthand what failed business as usual on Capitol Hill looks like.
Paul Ryan Schedules Victory Party For Thursday’s Speakership Vote
House Ways and Means Committee chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and his friends have scheduled a Speakership election victory party for Thursday evening, even though he has not yet won the floor vote.
NYT: The GOP Caused Free-Trade Job Loss In Rep. Paul Ryan’s District
The New York Times is trying to blame the GOP for General Electric’s decision to move yet another Wisconsin factory out of the United States. This time from a town adjacent to Rep. Paul Ryan’s district.
Texas Sues To Stop Corporations Imposing A New ObamaCare Tax
Texas has filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging an “unconstitutional tax” that is being imposed by ObamaCare’s blend of government and corporate power.
GE Moves Factory Bordering Paul Ryan’s District Up To Canada, Hundreds Face Job Losses
A GE Power and Water factory on the border between Rep. Paul Ryan’s district and Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner’s district in Wisconsin is moving its manufacturing to Canada, costing hundreds of Americans in those districts their jobs.
