The World Health Organization (WHO), an arm of the United Nations (UN), is calling for a global, comprehensive ban on all tobacco product promotion, according to a Chinese news report. If instituted, the ban could prevent movies and TV shows from
There is a reason the GOP is often called the “stupid party.” Although every poll finds the public firmly on the center-right side of the political spectrum, the GOP has become expert at alienating voters on issues they ought to
On Thursday, the Commerce Department made a slight downward revision in GDP for the 1st Quarter. The agency reported that the economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.4%, instead of the previously reported 2.5%. Buried in the data, however,
On Wednesday, MN businessman Mike McFadden announced he would challenge first-term Sen. Al Franken in next year’s midterm elections. McFadden released a three-minute video introducing himself to voters. A serious challenge to Franken expands the Senate map next year, giving
Democrats are desperate to recruit a challenger to GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell. After a Spring Fling with actress Ashley Judd, adults in the party realized they needed a more credible opponent. Most potential contenders have passed on the race,
The chatter in DC about Democrats possibly reclaiming a majority in the House is just leftist happy-talk meant to keep donors in the queue. For proof, look no further than a fundraiser Nancy Pelosi is headlining for freshman IL Democrat
On Monday, London football club Crystal Palace won promotion to the top-flight Premier League. They defeated Watford to secure the third slot for promotion to England’s equivalent of the NFL. The win is estimated to be worth as much as
Karl Rove, arguably one of the biggest losers of the 2012 election, inexplicably won the RNC contract to revamp its voter contact database. Rove, who was a specialist in direct mail, has no obvious expertise in technology or social media.
A CNN poll released Monday finds that 54% of Americans oppose ObamaCare, the President’s signature domestic policy. Just 43% of adults support the law, a figure that has changed little since the law was enacted in 2010. The full effects
The break-out player of this year’s English Premier League was the Tottenham Hotspurs’ Welsh national Gareth Bale. While the team underperformed by only coming in 5th in the league, and missing the important Champions League, Bale racked up trophies for
Members of my family have fought in most of America’s wars, beginning with the Revolution. Fortunately, as far as I know, only one was lost, on the killing fields of the Bataan Death March. Whether it was on the outskirts
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who obviously wields enormous power of the nation’s health care industry, has been aggressively seeking donations from the industry to fund a private non-profit, Enroll America. The non-profit is led by veterans of the Obama White
On Friday, as Congress was preparing for a week-long recess, NJ Sen. Bob Menendez said supporters of the Senate Amnesty bill were short the 60 votes they needed for passage. The next two weeks are critical for both opponents and
April Fool’s Day was more than a month ago, but that didn’t stop DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse from emailing supporters Friday that the GOP was “making up so-called ‘scandals’ out of thin air.” This will obviously be news to the
Almost a week after hearing an inflammatory speech from the Rev. Louis Farrakhan, Dem Rep. John Conyers issued a statement on Thursday condemning the speech and apologizing for his attendance. The walk-back was likely prompted after the Drudge Report highlighted
NJ Gov. Chris Christie has staked out a curious path to the GOP nomination in 2016. His bromance with President Obama may add a few points to his expected landslide reelection, but it is hard to see it endearing him
Negotiators from both parties in the House are struggling to complete work on a comprehensive agreement to reform immigration. The House’s own “gang” is made up of 4 members from each party. According to reports they have broad agreement on
This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee completed its work on the “Gang of 8” Amnesty Bill. The full Senate is expected to take up the legislation the first week of June, when it returns from Memorial Day recess. On Thursday,
A new Fox News poll shows Obama’s disapproval rating among registered voters has spiked to 51%, up from 45% last month. The poll shows an 8-point swing against Obama since April. Another shocking finding, undoubtedly linked to recent scandals, is
On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pushed back a vote to confirm Richard Cordray until July. President Obama recess appointed Cordray to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and needs to be permanently confirmed by the Senate. Senate
On a conference call with reporters Tuesday, TX Rep. Lamar Smith said the House will take a more deliberate, thoughtful approach to immigration than the Senate. Smith predicted that the House would consider different elements of immigration in separate pieces
On Tuesday, KY Sen. Rand Paul launched a spirited defense of Apple, whose tax strategies were subject to a hearing of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. “I frankly think the committee should apologize to Apple,” Paul said. Paul went
On Monday, a broad cross-section of the conservative movement released a joint letter opposing the Gang of 8 Amnesty bill in the Senate. Signers included well-known talk radio hosts, prominent individual activists, tea party and family organizations from across the
On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee convened a hearing examining the circumstances of the IRS targeting of tea party and conservatives organizations. Appearing before the committee, Acting Commissioner Steven Miller began his remarks noting that the IRS hadn’t had time
On Monday, Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-UT) sent a letter to the IRS requesting detailed information about the origins of the IRS scandal. Baucus’s committee will convene a hearing on Tuesday to
The idea that Nancy Pelosi would again become Speaker after the 2014 elections was always something of a Democrat fantasy. It may be a good story to get a lefty to sleep at night, but it wasn’t likely to happen.
On Saturday, VA Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli formally accepted the GOP nomination for Governor at the party convention in Richmond. Cuccinelli will face Democrat fundraiser Terry McAuliffe in the November election, the premier political contest of 2013. In a speech
In House testimony Friday, former Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller explained that the IRS mistakes in handling applications for non-profit status from tea party groups were due, in large part, to a flood of applications following the Citizens United decision.
Sen. Max Baucus, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee said on Friday that he expects “a lot more” information about the growing political scandal at the IRS to come out over the coming days. The powerful Democrat, who is retiring
On Friday, two prominent conservatives called on the Obama Administration to fire Sarah Hall Ingram, a senior IRS official who formerly headed the IRS office that targeted tea party and conservative organizations. Last year, Ingram was promoted at the IRS
Under tough questioning from OH Rep. Pat Tiberi, former Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller said at Friday’s House hearing on the IRS scandal that the agency provided “horrible customer service.” The statement was in response to questions from Tiberi about
A Rasmussen poll finds that 57% of voters think the IRS targeting of tea party and conservative organizations is politically motivated. Not surprisingly, the same number believe those involved should be jailed or fired. Only 16% of voters believe the
Sarah Hall Ingram, the IRS bureaucrat who oversaw the division that targeted tea party and conservative organizations received over $100,000 in bonuses during her tenure. Her biggest bonuses came in the years that the IRS stopped approving for non-profit status
