Steny Hoyer: Navy Yard Shooting Will Renew Gun Control Debate

WASHINGTON -- House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said on Tuesday that he expects the tragic shooting at the Navy Yard will renew the debate around gun control, although he was pessimistic about prospects for passing new restrictions.

"I'm sure that it will renew the discussions about access to weapons that can be used to kill a lot of people quickly," he said at a breakfast discussion hosted by Politico's Morning Money.

On Monday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) -- one of Congress' strongest gun control advocates -- put out a statement calling for just that.

"When will enough be enough? Congress must stop shirking its responsibility and resume a thoughtful debate on gun violence in this country," she said. "We must do more to stop this endless loss of life."

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, however, said it was "inappropriate" to talk about the issue at this point.

"In almost every one of these instances [of mass shootings], we've seen the perpetrators be people who individuals thought were unstable," said Hoyer on Tuesday. "In this case, apparently this guy was prone to violence. He had apparently shot the tires out of a neighbor's vehicle. He'd shot through the ceiling of another neighbor. He was given a general discharge from the Navy. So there was no doubt that this was somebody who had a record of instability and certainly should have been, I think, subject to closer scrutiny, particularly in access to the facilities at the Navy Yard."

Additionally, the AP reported that Alexis had been suffering from various mental illnesses and "had been hearing voices in his head."

Via: Huffington Post

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Obama insists on no negotiations over debt limit

His way or the Highway??? NO WAY!!!!

This is a strange position to hold. Most voters understand that the debt limit has always been a source of negotiations - even when Democrats ran the House. And given that cutting the budget is very popular, it would appear that if Obama thinks he's standing on principle in not negotiating, it's not going to win him any points with the people.

Reuters:

President Barack Obama warned Republicans in Congress on Monday that he will not negotiate over an extension of the U.S. debt ceiling as part of a budget battle that will soon dominate Washington, with a deadline fast approaching.

The U.S. Treasury is expected to exhaust measures to avoid exceeding the $16.7 trillion debt limit as soon as mid-October. If the cap is not raised, the United States will not be able to pay all of its bills and would go into default.

Pivoting to domestic policy after devoting weeks to the crisis in Syria, Obama scolded his political opponents for threatening a federal government shutdown and attempting to attach conditions to funding the budget for the 2014 fiscal year that begins October 1.

Via: American Thinker

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CALIFORNIA ONE SIGNATURE AWAY FROM STATEWIDE BAN ON LEAD AMMO

Legislation that would completely ban lead ammunition from the state of California is sitting on Governor Jerry Brown's (D) desk, waiting for his signature to become law.

California already has a lead ammo ban in eight counties, but the Democrat-dominated assembly wants to broaden the ban to cover the entire state.

According to Fox News, proponents of the ban claim it will protect endangered species, like the condor. 

Proponents also "point to a 2008 study by the Centers for Disease Control and the North Dakota Department of Public Health that concluded lead is so prevalent in meat harvested through hunting that pregnant women and children should never eat it."

The NRA and others have countered these claims by saying, "the 2008 studies never conclusively linked consumption with illness in humans." Moreover, because copper bullets are more expensive, forcing hunters to buy them instead of lead ammo would make hunting cost-prohibitive for many Californians. This, in turn, would reduce the number of hunters, and "the state would lose millions of dollars in hunting license fees that [currently] pay for conservation efforts."

NRA lawyer Chuck Michel believes the danger posed by lead ammo to condors is overstated, as well: "These condors are flocking around... dump sites. They are vultures. They also congregate around lookout towers, and there are pictures of them eating the chipped lead paint. The point is, there are alternative sources of lead in the environment which are probably the source of the lead."

Gov. Brown has until October 12 to decide whether to sign the bill.

Via: Breitbart

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Scarborough slams Obama for harsh partisanship in post-Navy Yard shooting speech [VIDEO]

Joe Scarborough went on a three-minute rant about President Barack Obama Tuesday morning after the president used a White House address on Monday to slam Republicans immediately after the Navy Yard shooting tragedy in Washington, D.C.

From the backdrop to the content of the speech, the MSNBC host insisted Obama’s remarks were poorly timed and very insensitive.

“It was props — he brought his props along and he had this political,” Scarborough said. “And it was a harsh, partisan speech from the president of the United States on any day. But you know what? This president is frustrated and there is — he certainly has every right to do that. But on the day while people were hiding, while people were bleeding, while people were dying, while the nation was locked in on this — he’s talking about harsh partisanship and Republicans wanting to hurt people.”

“Mike [Barnicle], what is more partisan than not being able to put aside one of these stupid Washington battles — [postponing it] for a day,” Scarborough continued. “Never came under consideration. Never considered it. There’s not one person in the White House that said, ‘You know right down the block, people are dying right now and there’s a gunman on the loose and there’s local schools shutdown. The Capitol is on shutdown. And there may be a second or third gunman. And you know what? Maybe we’ll just give this speech tomorrow.’ Really, nobody even considered that? You believe Jay Carney — it never came under consideration? It’s unbelievable.”

Watch:

He went on to ask what if it had been any other president, particularly George W. Bush, who was a favorite foil of MSNBC personalities throughout his second term.

Via: The Daily Caller

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Lesson of Navy Yard shooting echoes lessons of Camp Liberty, Fort Hood

Spree shooters at military installations prey on Americans serving America, disarmed by America—but, not in the heavily armed neighborhoods of Washington

Yesterday’s shooting spree at Washington’s Navy Yard reminds us that disarmed military personnel are made-to-order victims for spree shooters.

When Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire Nov. 5, 2009, on soldiers preparing to deploy overseas, I was at Camp Basra, Iraq, a combat historian mobilized with the Army Reserve.

To the soldiers in my circle, it was similar to the May 5, 2009 shooting spree at Camp Liberty, Iraq, when a joe burst into that camp’s combat stress center (!) and fatally shot five other soldiers

.

Understand: All military personnel in Iraq were armed, with either a rifle or a handgun, and sometimes both. Living in a universally armed society created an unspoken atmosphere of respect and caution in personal relationships. It also meant any spree shooter inside-the-wire was instantly surrounded by equally armed personnel.

Unless you went to a combat stress center, where the soldiers turned in their “pole” for their visit. There were other places one left their weapon at the door, such as the gym or chapel. But at the combat stress center, there was also a good chance that the guns belonging to the clients had their firing pins removed—a precaution that allowed the a soldier to go about his day as if he could be trusted with his weapon, as he sought help.

The Fort Hood victims were absolutely unarmed. This is normal for garrison life, even for soldiers deploying, who may have a weapon, but no rounds. It was also a certainty for Hasan, who would have known that Clinton-era rules severely restricted military personal carrying firearms on duty.

Via: Canada Free Press

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Longest Streak Ever for $3-Plus Gas

(CNSNews.com) - The national average price of gasoline will surpass $3.00 a gallon Tuesday for the 1,000th consecutive day -- the longest stretch above $3.00 on record, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).

“Paying less than $3.00 per gallon for gasoline may be automotive history for most Americans,” said Bob Darbelnet, president and CEO of AAA. “The reality is that expensive gas is here to stay, which is tough on millions of people who need a car to live their lives. “

The current thousand-day streak began on Dec. 23, 2010.

AAA is predicting that the national average will remain above $3.00 a gallon for at least another thousand days, barring a major economic recession.

“Spending more on gas concerns consumers because it reduces savings and spending for everything else we need,” Darbelnet said. “Our leaders can help alleviate this economic burden by encouraging a national policy that stimulates production, limits price volatility, ensures greater efficiency and promotes alternative energy.

Via: CNS News
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[CARTOON] Shooting at Navy Yard

Via: California Political Review

Undocumented LA County Parents On Pace To Receive $650M In Welfare Benefits

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A projected $650 million in welfare benefits will be distributed to illegal alien parents in 2013, county officials said Monday.

Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich announced the latest figures from the Department of Public Social Services, which showed more than $376 million in CalWORKs benefits and food stamps combined have been distributed through July to illegal alien parents for their native-born children.

Approximately $54 million in welfare payments are issued each month, consisting of nearly $20 million in CalWORKs and $34 million in food stamp issuances, according to the data.

An estimated 100,000 children of 60,000 undocumented parents receive aid in Los Angeles County, according to Antonovich, who said this year’s projections — up about $1 million from the nearly $53 million in total benefits issued in July 2012 — underscore the economic impact of the nation’s immigration debate.

“When you add the $550 million for public safety and nearly $500 million for healthcare, the total cost for illegal immigrants to county taxpayers exceeds $1.6 billion dollars a year,” Antonovich said in a statement. “These costs do not even include the hundreds of millions of dollars spent annually for education.”

Via: CBS Los Angeles

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Warren Buffett: Scrap Obamacare and Start Over

You know things are bad for President Obama when even Warren Buffett has soured on Obamacare and says that "we need something else." Money Morning writes:

"Healthcare costs in the United States are like a tapeworm eating at our economic body.

"Those words come from famed investor Warren Buffett, who said he would scrap Obamacare and start all over.

"'We have a health system that, in terms of costs, is really out of control,' he added. 'And if you take this line and you project what has been happening into the future, we will get less and less competitive. So we need something else.'

"Buffett insists that without changes to Obamacare average citizens will suffer.

"'What we have now is untenable over time,' said Buffett, an early supporter of President Obama. 'That kind of a cost compared to the rest of the world is really like a tapeworm eating, you know, at our economic body.'

"Buffett does not believe that providing insurance for everyone is the first step to take in correcting our nation's healthcare system.

"'Attack the costs first, and then worry about expanding coverage,' he said. 'I would much rather see another plan that really attacks costs. And I think that's what the American public wants to see. I mean, the American public is not behind this bill.'"

Via: Weekly Standard

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DC Mayor Blames Sequester For Navy Yard Deaths

Washington Mayor Vincent Gray (D) on Tuesday suggested that the cuts made by sequestration may have hampered the response to the shootings at the city's Navy Yard on Monday.

"It's hard to know (what could have prevented it)," Gray said on CNN. "We're continuing this investigation. But certainly, as I look at for example sequestration, which is about saving money in the federal government being spent, that we somehow skimped on what would be available for projects like this, and then we put people at risk. Obviously 12 people have paid the ultimate price for whatever -- you know, whatever was done to have this man on the base."

Officials say 12 people were killed, as was the shooter, who has been named as 34-year-old Aaron Alexis.

Gray said the the Navy Yard is a very secure military installation and that Alexis, who reports indicate has been arrested and has a history of mental illness, shouldn't have been allowed access.

"It really is hard to believe that someone with a record as checkered as this man could conceivably get clearance, could get credentials, to be able to get on the base," Gray said. "I just met with the commandant of the Washington Navy Yard last week. We were talking about the security and we know this is one of the most secure facilities in the nation. So how this could happen is beyond belief."

Via: Washington Post
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