Most Americans Want Tougher Food-Stamp Requirements

If the predicted removal of that many people failed to change minds, it's because the public thinks many beneficiaries don't deserve the benefits they record. Asked what the biggest problem with food stamps was, 66 percent of people said there was "too much waste, fraud, and abuse"—by far the most popular of the five options listed.

Another 12 percent said too many people were eligible to receive assistance.

Only 6 percent of respondents said too few were on the program, while 9 percent said the benefits were too small.

National Journal poll showing almost all parties in support of new rules for the nation's food-stamp program; however, Democrats' views are split down the middle. (Stephanie Stamm)Driven by a strong sense the food-stamp program is rife with abuse, two-thirds of Americans say they want to make it harder for people to receive assistance by requiring recipients to be drug-free and looking for work.

A National Journal poll found broad support for tightened eligibility. Even Democrats, traditionally resistant to limiting access to social-welfare programs, are split: 45 percent of them support the change while 49 percent do not.

The results suggest that the country welcomes Republican efforts to cut and reform the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a rarity for a party at odds with public opinion on issues like gun control, entitlement reform, and immigration. Democrats' opposition, meanwhile, shows they're squarely out of step with the public.

Respondents were asked how they felt about changes to the food-stamp program like tightening eligibility, limiting how long beneficiaries can collect, increasing work requirements, and administering drug tests. They were told the Congressional Budget Office estimated such changes would reduce its rolls by 4 million people.

Via: National Journal

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Backlash Grows Against 'Duck Dynasty' Firing

Outrage at the indefinite suspension of "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson was growing Thursday with politicians joining the fray amid a call for a boycott of the cable network that made the decision.

Robertson was canned Wednesday by the A&E Network after a magazine interview was published in which he compared homosexuality to having sex with animals.

But within hours, he was receiving support from conservatives who expressed their belief in Robertson's freedom to speak his mind.

Editor's Note: ObamaCare Is Here. Are You Prepared?

Leading the fray was Bobby Jindal, the Republican governor of Louisiana where "Duck Dynasty" is filmed. 

"Phil Robertson and his family are great citizens of the state of Louisiana," Jindal said on the official website of the governor's office. "The politically correct crowd is tolerant of all viewpoints, except those they disagree with." 

"I don't agree with quite a bit of stuff I read in magazine interviews or see on TV. In fact, come to think of it, I find a good bit of it offensive," Jindal added. "But I also acknowledge that this is a free country and everyone is entitled to express their views. In fact, I remember when TV networks believed in the First Amendment."

Jindal called it a "messed up situation" when people laugh off the controversial sexualized antics of twerking singer Miley Cyrus while someone like Robertson is put on hiatus indefinitely. Cyrus outraged millions of Americans during an awards show when she did a twerking dance routine with pop singer Robin Thicke. Although her performance was lambasted at first, she won plaudits from her peers and even became one of the 10 finalists for Time's Person of the Year award.

Via: Newsmax

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California: The Church of Pensions

Welcome to the Church of Pensions. I am your pastor, Rest. Vest Edward Wright. But you can call me Vested.

First a big thank you to the police and fire league, for your generosity in building a new sanctuary. Sometimes I wonder if there’s any limit to the amount of cash you have available to give us.

Speaking of which, it’s time for the offering. I’m going to pass the plates down the aisles, and I ask each of you to contribute to the church as generously as you…

Wait, just kidding! We never ask you to put up your own money at the Church of Pensions. It’s so much better to rely on the investment returns.

Anyway, Happy New Year. The passage of time is always important here at our Church. The culture outside still celebrates youth, but we know that getting old just means getting rich.

For those who are new to our congregation – and it’s good to see new faces, particularly after all those years of government layoffs during the recession – we’re a very special kind of church in that we have space for all of the world’s religions, except those that insist on paying back bondholders.

Many of the world’s religions believe that each human has a spirit or a soul that is immortal. That spirit or soul remains, no matter what other earthly concerns may intrude and seem more urgent. We accept this teaching, but we think it’s incomplete. There’s another thing that’s immortal, that can’t be changed no matter. And that immortal thing, the soul of our church, is the pension obligation.

That’s why you hear so much that these obligations, including vested rights, can’t be changed. Now, there are some people in certain parts of the world – federal bankruptcy judges in Detroit, mayors in San Jose – who think otherwise. But we know they are wrong. Pensions are forever. They are a promise that no Chapter 9 filing or ballot initiative can change.

Via: California Political Review

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[CARTOON] Snow-Bama

Via: California Political Review

Housing, jobs data weaken, but overall economic picture still upbeat

(Reuters) - U.S. home resales hit a near one-year low in November and new filings for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, putting a wrinkle in an otherwise brightening economic picture.

The reports on Thursday came a day after the Federal Reserve gave the economy a vote of confidence by announcing that it would reduce its monthly $85 billion bond buying program by $10 billion starting in January.

"Things have not changed. It's still a marginally rosier outlook in the short-term," said Jacob Oubina, senior U.S. economist at RBC Capital Markets in New York.

The National Association of Realtors said sales of previously owned homes fell 4.3 percent last month to an annual rate of 4.90 million units. That was the lowest since December last year and the third straight monthly drop.

A rise in interest rates since the spring and fast-rising home prices have shut some potential buyers out of the market, dampening home sales in recent months.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected home resales to fall only to a 5.03 million-unit pace in November.

Housing market fundamentals, however, remain solid. Household formation is rising steadily from multi-decade lows, which in turn is keeping demand for housing supported and encouraging builders to undertake new projects.

Median home prices increased 9.4 percent from a year-ago and the share of distressed properties - foreclosed and short sales - declined over the same period.

The inventory of previously owned homes on the market slipped 0.9 percent to 2.09 million units, representing a 5.1 months' supply at November's sales pace. That compared to 4.9 months' worth in October.

Via: Reuters

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Top 10 Broken Obamacare Promises

Since the passage of Obamacare in 2010, many of the President’s famous promises have been routinely broken. As he so ironically threatened in 2009, “If you misrepresent what’s in this plan, we will call you out.” To that end, here are 10 promises of Obamacare that have already been broken.

1. “If you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health care plan, period.”

Reality:

• Millions of Americans have lost and will lose their current coverage due to Obamacare.
• 4.7 million reported health insurance cancellations or changes of existing policies in 32 states.

2. “[T]hat means that no matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise to the American people: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period.”

Reality:

• Many Americans might not be able to keep their current doctor without paying extra.
• Many plans offered on Obamacare’s exchanges have very limited provider networks.

3. “In an Obama administration, we’ll lower premiums by up to $2,500 for a typical family per year.”

Reality:

• Premiums for people purchasing coverage in the individual market have significantly increased in a majority of states.
• Family premiums for those with employer-based coverage have increased by an average of $2,976 from 2009 to 2013.

Via: The Foundry

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Obama core still crumbling

Poll: Obama’s Base Continues To Crumble, Approval Rating Among Voters Under 30 Hits New Low, 37%

OBAMA CORE STILL CRUMBLING - The latest New Fox News poll gives President 

Obama a 41 percent approval rating among all registered voters – not a great way for him to end year five. But how about this: Only 37 percent of voters under 30 approve of the job the president is doing. That’s a 17-point decline in one year among the voters who represent what was once the core of the president’s coalition. These are the people to whom the president is making an increasingly frantic plea to enroll in ObamaCare. And surely the “Lie of the Year” about Americans being able to keep their coverage and care under his law is a big reason. Sixty-one percent of all respondents believed he knew at the time that his statements were untrue.

[When it comes to his signature entitlement program, 54 percent of respondents say they wish it had never passed. Another 60 percent do not see ObamaCare being successful. Sixty-seven percent favor a delay in its implementation, including 54 percent of Democrats.]

Can you hear me now? - But when it comes to younger voters, the other big scandal – the president misleading voters about his expansion of domestic surveillance – is likely just as important. A White House panel has proposed limits for domestic surveillance, and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney says President Obama will soon address those proposals. Reporters expect that could come as soon as today. Fox News has more.

PUTIN STICKS UP FOR OBAMA ON SPYING - Russian President Vladimir Putin claims Moscow is not controlling leaker Edward Snowden. Putin told reporters Thursday that anything published by Snowden came prior to his arrival in Russia. The Russian President maintains that Snowden’s asylum was conditioned on halting anti-American activities. Putin also defended the NSA’s surveillance program saying it is a necessary defense against terror but cautioned it needs to follow the rules. In referring to Snowden’s leaks, Putin said he “envies” President Obamabecause “he can get away with it”. AP has more.

Via: Fox News

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Democratic Campaigns Pay African American, Hispanic Staffers Less

Democratic federal-level campaigns are paying minority staffers significantly less than their white counterparts, according to a study from the New Organizing Institute (NOI).

“African American staffers on Democratic federal-level campaigns are paid 70 cents on the dollar compared to their white counterparts; Hispanics are paid 68 cents on the dollar,” writes Ethan Roeder, executive director of NOI.

The study finds that although Republican campaign staffs hire a disproportionately high number of white men, the income disparities between racial groups are not nearly as pronounced as on Democratic campaigns.

Barack Obama’s reelection campaign received criticism during the 2012 elections for a picture of his Chicago headquarters that revealed a lack of diversity; it responded by making a push to hire more African Americans.

NOI completed the study by compiling data from the Federal Elections Committee on 16,241 individual campaign staffers from 2012 that they could with good confidence determine the race of.

Via: WFB

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Europe Cracks Down on Illegal Aliens

For the last twenty years, European Union members regularly snarled at the United States' policies against illegal aliens as a selfish violation of human rights. But with thousands of screaming demonstrators protesting against depressed wages and carrying fake coffins emblazoned with the names of politicians, EU Labor ministers in Brussels were forced on December 17th to approve tight controls on hiring cheap, temporary workers and "illegal immigrants."

The EU made immigration and asylum core legal rights under the 1993 Maastricht Treaty that trumpeted "free movement" of people, goods, services, and capital within a common market in which barriers to trade would be removed across the continent. EU elites have tried to institutionalize a continental sense of belonging that would offer prosperity and the promise of peace. But high standards of living have made the EU a magnet for Middle Eastern, African, and Eastern European immigrants. According to the European Council of Refugees and Exiles, around 1.5 million of the world's 16 million recognized refugees currently live legally in Europe and millions more were referred to as "undocumented."

The EU rules allow "posted workers" to temporarily emigrate from one EU country to another for up to two years to carry out a specific contract job. Employers who "import" posted workers are legally required to respect the labor rules of the host country, but these workers are not charged the average 24% social security costs in their host state. Consequently, posted workers are much cheaper for companies

Via: American Thinker
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[VIDEO] Phil Robertson can’t cite Scripture, but these prancing dudes are brought to you by ObamaCare!

In the interest of getting the story right, it does not appear this is put out by the administration per se, although it’s likely one of those liberal advocacy groups that gets its funding from people who are joined at the hip with Obama and company. You can’t unsee this, so you’ve been warned:

Now, before you start disputing the comparison between this and the Phil Robertson situation, let’s get it straight. Yes, this is a video on YouTube and Phil Robertson could do one of those too. I’m talking about the broader stance of the prevailing culture. Robertson cites and embraces scriptural teaching on homosexuality, and he is suspended because A&E is “disappointed” in him for what he said. These guys prance around in a clear and unmistakable celebration of a) gay sex; and b) ObamaCare; and that’s perfectly fine because hey, what are you, some sorta bigot or something?

The site itself is all about directing the homosexual population into signing up for ObamaCare, and sure, that’s their right. If they want to make a video of dudes in their skivvies checking each other out while some girl butchers a song that was butchery to begin with, the First Amendment covers them too, just like it covers Phil Robertson.

Wait. It used to cover Phil Robertson, before special interest pressure became too great for A&E to bear. So enjoy your ObamaCare and enjoy your prancing.

Via: Canada Free Press

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Jindal Blasts A&E Over 'Duck Dynasty': 'I Remember when TV Networks Believed in the First Amendment'

Gov. Bobby Jindal today issued a statement criticizing the television network A&E over its decision to suspend "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson for controversial comments he made about gay people and African Americans.

"I remember when TV networks believed in the First Amendment. It is a messed up situation when Miley Cyrus gets a laugh, and Phil Robertson gets suspended," said Jindal in a prepared statement sent through email and Twitter this morning.

The Governor also described Robertson and his family members, who all appear on the reality television show together, as "great citizens of the State of Louisiana."

"The politically correct crowd is tolerant of all viewpoints, except those they disagree with. I don't agree with quite a bit of stuff I read in magazine interviews or see on TV. In fact, come to think of it, I find a good bit of it offensive. But I also acknowledge that this is a free country and everyone is entitled to express their views," said Jindal.

Via: Fox News

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Trumka Getting 'Grief' From Union Members Over ObamaCare

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said he was "getting grief" from union members regarding his support for the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. The calls have not changed his opposition to repeal, he added, saying the program merely needs to be "tweaked."

Trumka made the comments in response to a question from Politico reporter Mike Allen during a breakfast event hosted by the news website. Allen wanted to know if Trumka, who has been an enthusiastic backer of the law since it passed, was getting angry responses from rank-and-file members. President Obama's new law has been causing serious problems for union-run multiemployer health insurance plans, known as Taft-Hartley plans.

"Am I getting grief about that? Sure, I am getting grief about that. Do I want to see Obamacare scrapped? Absolutely not, because it is a good start," Trumka said.

Asked what the disgruntled members were telling him, Trumka replied, "The typical: 'What are you doing, you idiot, you dummy?' You know, the typical stuff."

The structure of Obamacare has caused many unions to fear that employers will pull out of Taft-Hartley plans or limit the coverage of members. At its quadrennial convention in September, the AFL-CIO adopted a resolution calling on Congress to amend the law. Some union leaders have talked openly of repeal.

Trumka and other Big Labor leaders have held private talks with the White House to amend the law as it applies to unions, and recently received an exemption from Obamacare's reinsurance fee, which caused the fee to be raised for others.

Via: Washington Examiner

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‘Duck Dynasty’ vs. ‘Pajama Boy’: Two Americas?

As you’ve probably heard, Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson has been suspended by A&E over what many are describing as “anti-gay” comments he made to GQ.

So what did he say that was so bad? Here’s an excerpt, via E!:

“‘Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men,’ he tells the magazine. Paraphrasing Corinthians, he says, ‘Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.’”

… “It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.”

… ”We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job. We just love ‘em, give ‘em the good news about Jesus—whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ‘em out later, you see what I’m saying?”

Much of the criticism coming from conservatives (regarding A&E’s decision) has focused on the fact that a). Robertson was merely stating an orthodox Christian position, and b). that this is just his opinion — and he’s entitled to it (and besides, why are people so offended these days?).

But I’ll make another observation: This may be an attack on “unsophisticated” country folks as much as it is an attack on orthodox Christianity.

When you consider the more effete, cosmopolitan America that “Pajama Boy” represents, you’ll get a sense for why the Duck Dynasty folks are out of touch with today’s acceptable norms. There is a huge schism between red state America and blue state America, and these two stories seem to symbolize the yawning chasm.

Via: Daily Caller

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[CARTOON] Arapahoe Shooter

Via: California Political Review

Harry Reid: Redskins should change name

DON'T WE HAVE MORE IMPORTANT ISSUES TO DEBATE HARRY!!!

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Wednesday that the Washington Redskins should change their name.

In an interview with The Hill, Reid said, “I think [Washington Redskins owner Dan] Snyder is so short-sighted on this.”

He added, “We live in a society where you can’t denigrate a race of people. And that’s what that is. I mean you can’t have the Washington Blackskins. I think it’s so short-sighted.”

Earlier this year, Snyder said he would never change the name. Asked for comment, a spokesman for the Redskins referred to the letter Snyder wrote to the team's fans earlier this year on the name controversy

The three most powerful Democrats in Washington — President Obama, Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) — have now urged the Redskins to rethink their mascot.

Pelosi told The Hill in October that it “probably would be a good idea if they change the name.”

Obama, meanwhile, told the AP this fall that he would think about changing the name if he owned the team.

Reid noted that other sports teams have changed their controversial monikers, including the Washington Wizards. The professional basketball team used to be named the Washington Bullets.

Other members of Congress who have called for the Redskins to change their name include Reps. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) and Dels. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (D-A.S.).

Via: The Hill

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Baltimore Sun: Maryland MUST consider scrapping its state #obamacare exchange.

The sound that you just heard was Martin O’Malley’s Presidential ambitions getting shot in the gut:

…the pace of enrollments is still far too low. If the [Maryland state] exchange is able to replicate its best weekday and weekend performance during every one of the 104 days between now and the end of the open enrollment period on March 31, Maryland will still only achieve about three-quarters of its goal of signing up 150,000 people with private coverage. The site may be better, but better isn’t good enough.

Under those circumstances, the question raised by Rep. John Delaney, a Montgomery County Democrat, about whether it would be better for Maryland to scrap its effort to build its own exchange and instead join the federal one has merit. Indeed, Gov. Martin O’Malley acknowledged on Monday that the option — and all others — remain on the table.

That’s a hard possibility for Governor O’Malley to acknowledge. Under his leadership, Maryland was one of the most aggressive states in the effort to build out its own exchange — a strategic decision that appears in retrospect to have involved no small amount of hubris and political ambition. Walking away now from all that effort and tens of millions in expenditures would be particularly embarrassing.

What is so astounding about this is that the Baltimore Sun is usually a reliable water-carrier for Democrats in Maryland: if you read the whole editorial, you immediately get struck by the fact that apparently in its world healthcare.gov is doing a whole lot better than it is in ours. If the paper is seriously discussing shutting down the Maryland state exchange anyway, then things are bad for the O’Malley administration.

Needless to say, this is also going to have an effect on the governor’s election next year: the Lt. Governor’s gubernatorial bid will probably get scuppered for certain if he has to preside over giving Obamacare back to the federal government. As I noted earlier this month… between this, underage twerking, and quixotic pot crusades, the Democratic primary is going to be insane.

Via: Red State

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MENTAL HEALTH LAWS ARE TROUBLE FOR DEMOCRATS

Instead of always taking incoming fire, how about Republicans start sending some back? It’s great that they stopped HillaryCare, but if they had actually fixed health care by forcing health insurance plans to be sold in a competitive free market, there would have been no opportunity for shyster Democrats to foist Obamacare on us.

It’s fantastic that we caught the Boston Marathon bombers, but why don’t Republicans fix an immigration system that brings foreign terrorists and mass murderers to our country? Let the Democrats explain why we couldn’t make room for a Danish surgeon because we needed another Chechnyan terrorist.

And it’s terrific that Republicans have managed to block sweeping gun bans after every mass shooting over the past few years — opposition to new gun restrictions has more than doubled since Newtown — but how about they actually do something to stop the next mass murder?

All these shootings are united by one clear thread: They all were committed by visibly crazy people, known to be nuts but not institutionalized.

Mental illness was blindingly clear in the cases of Seung-Hui Cho (Virginia Tech), Maj. Nidal Hasan (Fort Hood), Jared Loughner (Arizona shopping mall), James Holmes (Colorado movie theater), and a dozen other mass shootings in the past few decades.

But in every instance, Democrats’ response was: Let’s ban high-capacity magazines! Let’s limit private gun sales! Let’s publish the names of everyone who owns a registered gun!

Via: Human Events

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‘MASSIVE SEIZURE OF POWER’: Climate scientists, economists challenge EPA

A group of climate scientists and economists are challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and other stationary sources.

These critics see a “massive seizure of power” by the agency.

The scientists and economists, including the former chair of the EPA’s Science Advisory Committee, filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court, arguing that the agency does not have the authority to permit greenhouse gases from stationary sources. According to the group, such a permitting scheme is a “naked power grab of the most cynical sort.”

“There is no avoiding that this rule is a massive seizure of power, indeed likely far and away the largest seizure of power by any government agency ever,” reads the amicus brief.

“Under the guise of a technical statutory interpretation, the EPA now asserts it has a central role for itself to control and dictate all aspects of our lives under an over 30-year-old statutory provision never previously thought remotely to cover this subject matter,” the brief continues.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments from the EPA and some states and energy companies in February regarding the agency’s greenhouse gas permitting system. The central question of the case is, whether or not the EPA’s authority to regulate emissions from cars and trucks gives the agency the authority to set standards for stationary facilities, like power plants and refineries.

The EPA argues that it has the authority to permit stationary sources, but petitioners say that such a permitting scheme would be unworkable since greenhouse gases stem from global emissions and can’t be controlled by limiting U.S. emissions alone.

The high court’s decision will have huge implications for the energy sector and for the economies of coal states. Given that, several Republican lawmakers have injected themselves into this case, arguing that the court should rule against the EPA.

Via: The Daily Caller

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First lady: Signing up for Obamacare should be New Year's resolution

First lady Michelle Obama encouraged young people to sign up forObamacare, telling them that enrolling in the health law's new insurance exchanges should be a New Year's resolution.

“This act provides a safety net for millions and millions of Americans but we have to take the next step to go check it out, sign up and make sure that we're covered,” said Mrs. Obama in an interview for “The Joe Madison Show” on Sirius XM. “That should be our New Year's resolutions to ourselves.”

The first lady’s interview was one of three on radio programs as the administration looks to boost enrollment in Obamacare ahead of a Dec. 23 deadline for consumers to receive insurance at the start of 2014.

The administration is scrambling to sign up consumers in insurance exchanges after the glitch-ridden launch of the healthcare.gov website in October led to lower than expected sign ups and undercut public support for Obama's signature domestic achievement.

On Wednesday, the first lady and President Obama met with mothers in the White House and touted the role they play in making health care decisions for their families. The administration is courting mothers to encourage them to sign up their spouses and children, and touting the health law as the only way to cover all family members.

“There’s something about moms,” said the president at the event. “Number one, they’ve got credibility generally; number two, women oftentimes are the ones who are making the health care decisions of the family; number three, moms can tell young people who think they’re invincible that they’re not and prod them to at least get information.”

Via: Washington Examiner

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