LA Times: We Don't Publish Letters to Editor Claiming Man Isn't Causing Climate Change

It's one thing for a news outlet to advance the as yet unproven theory of anthropogenic global warming; it's quite another to admit that you won't publish views that oppose it.

As amazing as it may same, that's exactly what the Los Angeles Times did Saturday in an article by editorial writer Jon Healey:

Regular readers of The Times' Opinion pages will know that, among the few letters published over the last week that have blamed the Democrats for the government shutdown (a preponderance faulted House Republicans), none made the argument about Congress exempting itself from Obamacare.

Why? Simply put, this objection to the president's healthcare law is based on a falsehood, and letters that have an untrue basis (for example, ones that say there's no sign humans have caused climate change) do not get printed.

So letters to the editor "that say there's no sign humans have caused climate change...do not get printed."

That's quite a statement coming from an editorial writer not named Al Gore.

Of course, readers are likely just as concerned that the Times is also not publishing letters claiming Congress is exempt from ObamaCare.

After reviewing fact checks on this issue published by CNN, the Washington Post, and Yahoo, it appears the Times has a point here.

Via: Newsbusters

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President Obama's top environmental advisor plans to leave

WASHINGTON – President Obama’s top advisor on energy and climate issues is leaving the post, the White House said Monday, making no immediate announcement of a replacement.

Heather Zichal has advised Obama since his 2008 presidential campaign and took over the role of lead energy advisor after Carol Browner left the White House in 2011. Her departure comes as the president moves to make good on a reinvigorated climate change agenda that he laid out in a speech in June.

“Heather is one of the president’s most trusted policy advisors," White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said in a statement announcing Zichal’s departure. "The president values her expertise and counsel and is grateful for her service.”

The statement did not give a reason for Zichal’s departure. Through a spokesman, Zichal declined to comment.

FULL COVERAGE: The U.S. government shutdown

Zichal, the president's deputy assistant for energy and climate change, is expected to leave in the coming weeks. A White House official did not offer any possible replacements. Any successor would have to shepherd controversial initiatives the White House plans to undertake to tackle climate change in the absence of congressional action.

Via: Chicago Tribune

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The Rages of Sin By BEN STEIN

SundayA full day. I had lunch with a stunningly brilliant 24-year-old Chinese woman film student at the Polo Lounge. The student’s name is Tian Wei Wang. She is from the Beijing area, and she graduated from a prestigious university there in foreign affairs, then studied drama and film in Berlin, Heidelberg, and Munich. She is fluent in German, English, and Mandarin

She has been sending me short comments on her favorite films and why she likes them. They represent one of the most acute minds on the subject of politics, romance, economics, class struggle, and drama I have seen since Warshaw’s The Immediate Experience.

I am simply awed by her. Her name means Clear Blue Sky and as far as I can tell, her horizons are unlimited.

Then, a long nap in my office. My bedroom is a total mess from the mad efforts to get my new 3D TV to work. It has taken four experts thus far and we are farther than ever from making it happen. Now, I have no TV at all, and no DVD, and a huge mass of empty boxes, wires, and bills for machinery and labor. This is a nightmare.

Then, a 12-step meeting at which a fine speaker spoke, but he kept being interrupted by two hideous, dopey texting girls sitting in front of my wife and me. Finally, my wife, the kindest of persons, said, “Be quiet!” sharply to them and they were quiet. What bad luck that they were there.

We then went to a going away party for a beautiful young woman who is moving to Hawaii. It was at a charming but very dark restaurant called “Joan’s” in Hollywood. I ran into Molly, the lovely daughter of my witty friend, John Mankiewicz, a successful writer, from that famous screenwriting family (Citizen Kane). She was so happy looking, it thoroughly charmed me.

As I was sitting and waiting for my wife to finish a conversation about training grizzly bears for movies, a pleasant young man came up to me.

Via: American Spectator

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Family of Four Will Pay $10,000 More for Insurance Because of Obamacare

That's what Tom Waschura, an independent who voted twice for Barack Obama, told the San Jose Mercury News on the day he learned his family of four would pay nearly $10,000 more for health insurance in 2014 in order for his policy to "conform to all the requirements of the new health care law."

"I really don't like the Republican tactics, but at least now I can understand why they are so pissed about this," Waschura told reporter Tracy Seipel. "When you take $10,000 out of my family's pocket each year, that's otherwise disposable income or retirement savings that will not be going into our local economy."

Sure, it's just one anecdote, and the success or failure of Obamacare will be determined by its overall effects. But the story is a good example of how the Affordable Care Act isn't living up to expectations. "Of course, I want people to have health care," Cindy Vinson, another Obama voter seeing her health policy spike $1,800 in 2014, told the paper. "I just didn't realize I would be the one who was going to pay for it personally."

The Mercury News reports that "California spokesman Dana Howard maintained that in public presentations the exchange has always made clear that there will be winners and losers under Obamacare." But, in fact, the law's biggest advocates didn't make that clear. 

"If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change for you under this plan is the amount of money you will spend on premiums," Barack Obama said during his 2007 speech unveiling his health care plan. "That will be less."

In 2012, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi said on Meet the Press that "everybody will have lower rates" under Obamacare. When asked by THE WEEKLY STANDARD this summer about reports of large rate hikes for some Americans, Pelosi said, "I don't remember saying that everybody in the country would have a lower premium."

Via: Weekly Standard

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Take Back the House? Democrats Aren't Even Ahead on Friendly Turf In 2014

There’s nothing Democrats can do about gerrymandering, so here’s a radical proposal: Let’s turn our attention to whether Democrats are poised to capitalize on the opportunities that do exist in the House. Because for all the talk about gerrymandering, there are still 17 House Republicans in districts carried by President Obama. And there are another 17 districts that Romney carried by less than 3 points, and still a handful more of even redder districts where weak GOP incumbents won reelection by a narrow margin. If Democrats are going to ride a wave of public frustration with the shutdown, the wave would hit these districts first—and Democrats would need to be poised to ride it. Right now, they’re not.

Last time, Democrats didn’t even come close in most of the districts that Republicans continue to hold that also voted for President Obama. Only one was decided by less than 5 points.

Republican incumbents outperformed Romney in each of the 43 districts where Romney won by less than 5 points. And usually, those Republican incumbents outperformed Romney by a significant margin. They just weren’t close races (another reason why gerrymandering probably didn’t represent the GOP’s margin of victory in the House).

Via: New Republic

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[VIDEO] MSNBC's Ed Schultz Declares John Boehner Guilty of 'Treason'

They have great writers on this comedy show!! Make it up as they go along!!!

Hard-left MSNBC host Ed Schultz on Monday took his assault on the Republican Party to a new level, declaring that John Boehner is a "traitor" to America for not giving in to Barack Obama on the government shutdown. After railing about how congressional GOP members are trying to destroy the country, the Ed Show anchor delivered his verdict: "And they will shut down the government and they will not pay the bills to get their way. The word is treason, the treasonous John Boehner." [See video below. MP3 audio here.]

Schultz bizarrely added, "The United States is at risk right now and I hope that there will be some foreign folks that will step up and say, you really don't want to do this." The definition of "treason" is apparently tied to attacking Obama. On May 24, 2012, Schultz shrieked over a Republican Congressman calling the President "not an American." The anchor berated, "That he would attack the commander in chief verbally? This is treasonous for him to say that he is not an American in his heart."

Treason is a very serious crime, one punishable by death. Is Schultz suggesting the death penalty for Boehner's high crimes?

Perhaps the anchor's viewers are egging him on. On Schultz's Facebook page, one commenter asked:

#Ask Ed. Why is no one talking TREASON? If you'd hard your country economically, harm it's people intentionally, and render aid to the enemy--which is what comes from army, CIA, secret service cuts--then you are a traitor to America. A dozen people were hanged for killing Lincoln. This is a conspiracy to hurt America.

The host closed by wondering if Boehner is "playing Russian Roulette with the American economy."

Via: Newsbusters

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Report: If You Sign Up For ObamaCare, IRS Will Seize Your Assets, Drain Your Bank Accounts, Revoke Your Drivers License For Late Payments Or No Insurance

Excerpted from INFOWARS: A man who attempted to sign up for Obamacare online was told that a fine of over $4,000 dollars a year for refusing to take out mandatory health insurance could be taken directly from his bank account, and that his drivers license would be suspended and a federal tax lien placed against his home, according to an entry on the HealthCare.gov Facebook page.

If true, the implementation of Obamacare is going to be a whole lot more draconian than Americans have been led to believe.

Will Sheehan claims that when he tried to sign up for Obamacare and then register to opt out, he received an ominous warning. Sheehan’s full Facebook post reads;

“I actually made it through this morning at 8:00 A.M. I have a preexisting condition (Type 1 Diabetes) and my income base was 45K-55K annually I chose tier 2 “Silver Plan” and my monthly premiums came out to $597.00 with $13,988 yearly deductible!!! There is NO POSSIBLE way that I can afford this so I “opt-out” and chose to continue along with no insurance.

I received an email tonight at 5:00 P.M. informing me that my fine would be $4,037 and could be attached to my yearly income tax return. Then you make it to the “REPERCUSSIONS PORTION” for “non-payment” of yearly fine. First, your drivers license will be suspended until paid, and if you go 24 consecutive months with “Non-Payment” and you happen to be a home owner, you will have a federal tax lien placed on your home. You can agree to give your bank information so that they can easy “Automatically withdraw” your “penalties” weekly, bi-weekly or monthly! This by no means is “Free” or even “Affordable.”

Sheehan went on to point out that the site makes you input all your personal information before giving you an indication of the costs, meaning a database of the “uninsured” is being built. He added that he could not afford to pay the premium so would have to break the law and pay the fine, leaving him with no health care coverage.

The federal government has consistently denied that any fines pertaining to Obamacare non-compliance could be seized from bank accounts, despite reports last year that the IRS had hired 16,500 new agents to harass citizens who attempt to evade the new law.

Via: Pat Dollard

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Insurance Rate Spikes Due to Obamacare Crushing N.C. Consumers

Thousands of North Carolina residents are facing huge increases in their health care premiums due to new coverage rules imposed by Obamacare.

Because the Affordable Care Act mandates certain types of coverage each health care plan must contain, some insurers like Blue Cross are canceling existing plans and requiring customers to purchase new plans.

How large are the increases? For some families, the changes will mean tens of thousands of dollars a year, the Charlotte Observer reports:

One of them is George Schwab of Charlotte, who pays $228 a month for his family’s $10,000 deductible plan from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.

In a Sept. 23 letter, Blue Cross notified him that his current plan doesn’t meet benefit requirements outlined in the Affordable Care Act and suggested a comparable plan for $1,208 a month – $980 more than he now pays. [...]

“The President told the American people numerous times that… ‘If you like your coverage, you can keep it,’” Schwab said. “How can we keep it if it has been eliminated? How can we keep it if the premium has been increased 430 percent in one year?”

Another family the Observer profiles would now pay $24,000 annually, up from $14,000.

The rate hikes at Blue Cross will affect one-third of the approximately 400,000 Blue Cross individual market customers in the state, the Observer reports.

Via: WFB

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Starnes: 'All About Power And Leverage' -- Feds Shut Down Major Roadway, Block Access To Graveyard

Folks who live in the Great Smoky Mountains have just about reached their breaking point with the federal government.

“It’s almost like they are pushing to see how far they can push before the American people say enough is enough,” said Ed Mitchell, the mayor of Blount County, Tenn. “We were founded on a declaration of independence. And they are about to push the people to the line again.”

Nearly a third of Blount County is inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. So when the federal government shut down the park, it also shut down one of the area’s chief sources of revenue.

The National Park Service also closed the Foothills Parkway, a major thoroughfare in the county. The closure came without warning and left the local school district scrambling to get children back to their homes.

Via: Fox News

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ObamaCare site to go offline for more repairs

It is still F'kd up and always will be!!!

Healthcare.gov, the primary website to enroll in health insurance through ObamaCare, will be taken offline again Monday night for improvements, following weekend work designed to fix major technical problems.

The site will be offline beginning at 1 a.m. in order to improve its capacity and make software changes, the Health and Human Services Department said.

HHS said the site had improved as a result of work done over the weekend. The site was taken offline during nonpeak hours to address widespread technical errors that prevented users from creating accounts, a step required before they can compare insurance plans.

"The work done to increase access to HealthCare.gov in light of the overwhelming demand is beginning to show results," HHS spokeswoman Joanne Peters said.

HHS has said the primary problem with healthcare.gov has been the unexpectedly heavy traffic to the site. It received roughly 8.6 million visits in the first week of its launch, overwhelming its servers.

But some technical experts say the site's problems are also structural, and HHS acknowledged Monday that its changes are not limited to adding more capacity.

The fixes scheduled to begin at 1 a.m. Tuesday include software changes and moving part of the system to a new type of hardware, HHS said.

"Our work to expand the site’s capacity has led to more people successfully applying for and enrolling in affordable health coverage online, with wait times being shortened by approximately 50 percent since Friday," 

Peters said. "But we won’t stop until the doors to HealthCare.gov are wide open, and at the end of the six-month open enrollment, millions of Americans gain affordable

Via: The Hill

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Obamacare’s four-year government shutdown

The federal government’s shutdown at midnight on October 1, 2013 was a long time in the making. The seeds were planted back in 2009 with the divisive passage of the Affordable Care Act. Since then, the entire United States government has been grinding to a slow, painful halt over this law. To understand the current shutdown, we must recall that Obamacare has been mired in a political grudge match on both sides of the aisle from its very conception.

Following huge electoral victories for Democrats in 2008, the president decided — against the pleadings of his closest advisers — to make healthcare his first priority. Almost immediately, the president was met with massive opposition, as this increasingly unpopular law was not supported by Republicans and the growing Tea Party. Counting his 60-vote bloc in the Senate, and a huge margin in the House, the president and Senate Democrats pushed on, deeming it unnecessary to have any bipartisan support.

Never before was such a monumental piece of legislation passed on a straight-party line vote, with zero support from the opposing party. In August 2009, former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean attempted to justify the “pass it at any cost” approach: “All the really great programs in American history, Social Security, [were] done without Republicans. Medicare was done without Republican support until the last vote where they realized they had to get on board.” He was wrong. The Social Security Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1965, The Social Security Amendments of 1965, which created Medicaid and Medicare, the Civil Rights Act of 1968, the Voting Rights Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, were all passed with bipartisan support in both houses of Congress.

Via: Daily Caller

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CA REPUBLICAN: 'ASSAULT WEAPONS' BAN 'ERASES' SECOND AMENDMENT

California Assemblyman and gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly (R-33rd Dist.) says legislation awaiting Governor Jerry Brown's (D) signature not only bans "assault weapons" but "erases the Second Amendment."

Donnelly was referencing SB374--a bill which broadens the definition of an "assault weapon" and then bans all such weapons within the state. 

Donnelly talked to Breitbart News about the bill on October 7:

SB374 basically erases the Second Amendment. We have California-only fuel, California-only this and California-only that, and with SB374 we are pursuing a California-only version of the Constitution. It's a version that will not have a Second Amendment.

This bill takes rifles that are semi-automatic with a detachable magazine--rifles that were lawfully purchased and are lawfully owned--and it bans them, period. If you own a gun that is on the ban list you will have to register it and it becomes non-transferrable. Therefore, although the government will allow you to keep the gun in your possession until you die, once you die it will be confiscated and taken out of circulation. 

This means if you own the M1 Carbine that helped us win in the Pacific during WWII--a gun that shoots a small .30 caliber bullet--if you own one, you would not be able to pass it on to your children.

This is an illegal and egregious confiscation plan. 

Donnelly says the bill's straightforward attack on the Second Amendment "deprives Californians of their basic civil rights to self-defense and to defend themselves from tyranny."

SB374 is sitting on Gov. Brown's desk. He has until October 13 to sign it into law. 

Via: Breitbart

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Glenn Beck: Obama’s Intentionally ‘Inflicting Pain,’ It’s ‘Sign of a Dictator’

In a monologue on his radio show Monday morning, Glenn Beck asserted that by “intentionally inflicting pain on the American people,” President Obama‘s handling of the government shutdown has been that of a “dictator.”

Beck lamented that the media and the D.C. establishment have largely blamed the Republican Party for the shutdown, and that this week’s new theme is that the president will attempt to negotiate an end to the battle. “Now they are coming out and saying [the president] will negotiate, but it’s the Republicans’ [fault],” the radio host said.

Offering up several examples of government programs “inexplicably” affected by the shutdown, Beck suggested that Democrats are the ones “inflicting pain” while the GOP is “negotiating.” He cited the controversy over NIH cancer funding, the World War II Memorial brouhaha, the furloughing of military chaplains, the D-Day Memorial in France, and the “forcing out” of citizens living on public land, among others.

“This is a strike and a slap across the face,” Beck warned. “This, I’m warning you, America, this is the sign of a dictator. He is slapping you across the face and saying, ‘You will behave. You will do what I tell you to do or I will punish you.’ If your friends don’t wake up and see the nonsense and see what they are in store for, when you’re spending money to put cones on the highway so people can’t stop and even see Mount Rushmore, we get everything we deserve. And we are about to get a lot.”

Watch the monologue below, via TheBlaze:

Via: Mediaite.com

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SEE THE RANT FROM A POPULAR SPORTSCASTER DURING AN NFL PRE-GAME SHOW THAT MAY HAVE HELPED GET FOOTBALL BACK ON FOR OUR TROOPS

The Fox Sports broadcast team closed Sunday’s NFL pre-game pontifications and predictions with something of a political statement: Former NFL great Howie Long addressed the issue of the government shutdown and how it’s affecting the Armed Forces Network and U.S. troops’ ability to watch professional football.

Image source: Fox Sports via YouTube

On the segment called “Extra Points,” Long wrapped up the show with a brief statement.

“Due to our government shutdown, our games today will not be seen on the Armed Forces Network, preventing thousands of men and women overseas from enjoying NFL football,” he said. “Over the years here at Fox, we’ve been fortunate enough to spend time with the troops both here and abroad. So we know firsthand how these games bring a welcome piece of home and a much-deserved respite from the dangerous work they do protecting our liberty. Regardless of politics, I know we all hope the shutdown ends soon and our troops can once again watch the game we all love.”

Long’s statement seemed to mirror the sentiments of many on social media who were tweeting and posting their displeasure with the shutdown of the service.

Via: The Blaze

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Wall Street falls as no progress seen to resolve shutdown

(Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Monday, extending two weeks of losses, as a lack of progress in ending the partial U.S. government shutdown or the debt-ceiling standoff kept investors nervous.

The S&P 500 ended near its lows of the session in a volatile day and dropped for its 10th time in the past 13 sessions. The CBOE Volatility index .VIX, a measure of investor anxiety, jumped 16 percent to its highest level since June. The VIX has gained for three weeks, up 48 percent over that period.

 

Much of the government has been closed since the start of the month, resulting in up to a million workers being furloughed. Investors are also looking ahead to the upcoming debate over the debt ceiling, which could result in a default on U.S. debt if not resolved.

In weekend comments, neither Republicans nor Democrats offered any sign of progress and both blamed the other side for the impasse. The deadline to increase the ceiling is October 17.

"The market is vulnerable to further declines for as long as the situation remains unclear. With each passing day, the market becomes more restless," said Leo Grohowski, chief investment officer at BNY Mellon Wealth Management in New York.

Grohowski, who helps oversee $175 billion in client assets, estimated that each week the shutdown continues could shave 10 to 15 basis points off gross domestic product.

"While that isn't a lot, the recovery is still too fragile to withstand any long-term impact. It will start to have an impact on earnings estimates, which will impact valuations," he said.

Nine of the S&P's 10 sectors were lower on the day, with groups tied to the pace of economic growth, including financials .SPSY and materials .SPSMCM, among the weakest of the day. The only sector that rose was telecom .SPLRCL, which is considered a defensive play.

Via: Reuters

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Carney 'proud' of Obama on Redskins

White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday he was "proud" of President Obama for saying over the weekend he would "think about changing" the name of the Washington Redskins.

Carney noted he was a longtime Redskins fan and a native-born Washingtonian.

"I was proud of my president on this issue," the press secretary said.

He also said that he did not believe Obama had called Redskins owner Dan Snyder to discuss the name.

Carney is a personal friend of the NFL owner, according to a financial disclosure form released in 2011.

In that document, Carney describes receiving a pair of tickets to watch two separate Redskins games in the owner's suite. The disclosure refers to Snyder as a "long-time personal friend."

In the interview with the Associated Press, Obama said that ultimately, the decision to change the name rested not with politicians, but the NFL franchise owners. Still, the president said, he would consider altering the nickname.

"If I were the owner of the team and I knew that the name of my team — even if they've had a storied history — was offending a sizable group of people, I'd think about changing it," Obama said.

The Redskins responded with a statement from their attorney, Lanny Davis, who is also a columnist for The Hill.

"We at the Redskins respect everyone," Davis said. "But like devoted fans of the Atlanta Braves, the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Blackhawks (from President Obama's hometown ), we love our team and its name and, like those fans, we do not intend to disparage or disrespect a racial or ethnic group."

Via: The Hill

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Shutdown poses political problems for some California Republicans Published

Outspoken Sen. Ted Cruz says “inflammatory” Democratic attacks on the shutdown impasse lead him to believe the Republicans are “winning” in the hearts and minds of the American public, as the GOP attempts to negotiate cutbacks to Obamacare in exchange for funding the government and extending the nation’s borrowing authority.

Mr. Cruz, Texas Republican, told CNN over the weekend that the debt ceiling has traditionally been a useful tool for Congress to rein in the White House, even if President Obama says he will not wheel and deal over the debt limit.

The Texan said the fight over the president’s health care law is a worthy one, because some employers cite the law as the reason they felt compelled to push workers into part-time status. The health law’s web-based implementation has been rocky, putting Democrats in an awkward position and forcing them to place blame for the current standoff at the feet of Republicans, he said.

“The fact that you’re seeing those attacks I think is indicative of the fact that we’re winning the argument,” Mr. Cruz told CNN. “‘Obamacare’ isn’t working. You don’t see any Democrats defending Obamacare.”

Via: Washington Times

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'Truckers for the Constitution' Plan to Slow D.C. Beltway, Arrest Congressmen

Police must detain 'accessories' to 'treason' or truckers will, organizer says

Tractor-trailer drivers will intentionally clog the inner loop of the Washington, D.C., beltway beginning on the morning of Oct. 11, according to a coordinator of the upcoming "Truckers Ride for the Constitution" rally.

Organizers of the three-day ride want to call attention to a litany of trucker frustrations and express their disapproval of national political leaders.

Earl Conlon, a Georgia trucker who is handling logistics for the protest, told U.S. News tractor-trailer drivers will circle the beltway "three lanes deep" as he rides with other participants to Congress to seek the arrest of congressmen for allegedly disregarding the Constitution.

[EARLIER: Truckers Say Their D.C. Shutdown Is Full-Speed Ahead]

The truckers circling I-495 will keep the left lane open for emergency vehicles, Conlon said, but "everybody that doesn't have a supporter sticker on their window, good luck: Nobody in, nobody out." The trucks will be going the 55 mile-per-hour speed limit.

D.C. commuters who wish to be allowed past the convoy must have "T2SDA" – an acronym for the event's original name, "Truckers to Shut Down America" – written on their vehicle, he said.

"It's going to be real fun for anyone who is not a supporter," Conlon said, "[and] if cops decide to give us a hard time, we're going to lock the brakes up, we're going to stop right there, we're going to be a three lane roadblock."

Zeeda Andrews, a former country music singer helping promote the protest, said last week participants would present demands to congressmen – including the impeachment of President Barack Obama – and give the congressmen an opportunity to agree to the demands in exchange for canceling the ride.

Via: US News

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Least Essential? Some agencies have 0 employees on job during slimdown

WASHINGTON –  Fiscal hawks say the silver lining to the partial government shutdown, which is entering its second week of scaled-back services, could be the picture of government waste it paints for taxpayers.

A look through the shutdown contingency plans of the federal government shows some little-known commissions and agencies -- like the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness -- don't have anybody reporting for work during the partial shutdown. 

The ability of the government to run without any of the people from any of these agencies on the clock is prompting some watchdog groups to question why, then, do the agencies need to exist in the first place?

“Think of all the money we could save as a nation,” Judicial Watch said in an Oct. 7 post.  “Besides bringing attention to these largely unheard of agencies, the shutdown – caused by Congress’s inability to agree on a funding bill – is also shedding light on just how bloated the federal government is, with an astounding workforce that’s seen nearly 800,000 furloughed this week.”

Government bodies that have exactly zero people on the job this week include the USDA Risk Management Agency, where all 430 employees are furloughed, and the Federal Maritime Commission, where all 120 workers are furloughed. 

The federal government is the country’s largest employer, and the fallout from the partial shutdown has been felt at almost every federal agency; some, though, more than others. 

Via: Fox News

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Obama OKs illegals’ march on Mall, still blocks Americans

The National Park Service is allowing an Oct. 8 pro-immigration rally on the national mall, even as it posts pickets and barriers to bar Americans from visiting their open-air memorials.

“They’re going to be allowed to go [ahead] because it is a First Amendment activity,” Shannon Maurer, a spokeswoman for the “March for Immigrant Dignity and Respect,” told The Daily Caller.

“They allowed us to have it because it is part of the First Amendment of the constitution,” said Susana Flores, a spokeswoman for CASA in Action, which is organizing the rally. ”We’re going to have a stage and microphones,” plus a stand for TV cameras, she said.

The mall is currently marked as closed, and law enforcement officials have have been deployed to picket open-air monuments to keep Americans off their own land.

Critics quickly pounced on what they see as special treatment for the administration’s allies.

“What this means is that the administration is sending a clear message that it’s OK to barricade elderly veterans out of their memorials, but illegal immigrants have to be accommodated no matter what,” Mark Krikorian, director of the anti-immigration Center for Immigration Studies, told The Daily Caller.

“It’s hard to justify closing off open areas [such as the World War II memorial], but to allow a major setup with equipment, electronics and security in a closed area is a little outrageous,” said Krikorian.

Administration officials say a rewrite of the nation’s immigration laws remains a very high priority. Analysts say a pending Senate bill would double immigration and allow 33 million immigrants into the country during the next decade.

Via: The Daily Caller

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