National Intelligence Council Nominee Draws Fire From Both Sides
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A quick trip around Hannity's America...
Freeman Under Fire
More on Chas Freeman, the Obama administration's problematic pick to head the National Intelligence Council (NIC) — he's the man who called the Chinese crackdown in Tiananmen Square "overly cautious" and, until recently, ran an organization funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Well, the saga continues. Washington Times reporter Eli Lake reports that an independent inspector general will now investigate Mr. Freeman's foreign financial ties, which include serving on the international advisory board of the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, which has invested in countries such as Sudan and Iran.
Freeman's appointment is drawing fire from both the left and the right. Herb Meyer, the deputy chairman of the NIC under President Reagan, said, "Can you imagine if I had stood up and explained away Tiananmen Square? He does not have the intellectual firepower to sort through the intelligence and reach a plausible conclusion."
The Washington advocacy director of the left-wing group Human Rights had a similarly negative take, saying, "It would... be wise for President Obama to weigh the message sent by choosing someone who has so consistently defended and worked for the clenched fists the president so eloquently challenged in his inaugural address."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}You know, I think I remember the Obama campaign criticizing McCain adviser Charlie Black for lobbying for that very same Chinese oil company! Their hypocrisy would be astounding if it weren't so predictable.
Geither Gabs
Tax cheat Timothy Geithner testified before the House Financial Services Committee Thursday and spent his time telling the committee members how responsible and even cautious the president's giant budget is. For that, he's the subject of our Liberal Translation treatment:
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TIMOTHY GEITHNER, TREASURY SECRETARY: Now the first step in addressing our nation's fiscal problems is to be honest and candid about them.
LIBERAL TRANSLATION: That's why I honestly and candidly blame ALL of this on the Bush administration.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}GEITHNER: This budget breaks from the past by transparently presenting the stark fiscal challenges facing the American people.
LIBERAL TRANSLATION: It also breaks from the past by doubling the deficit. Talk about change!
GEITHNER: We include the cost of fixing the MT each year. We include reimbursements to Medicare physicians. We include the likely cost of future foreign wars and natural disasters.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}LIBERAL TRANSLATION: I put all of this into TurboTax and I've budgeted enough to pay for everything, trust me!
GEITHNER: And in an abundance of caution, we include the potential need for additional financial resources to get credit flowing again.
LIBERAL TRANSLATION: And considering how the stock market is reacting to my plans, we're going to need them.
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Tax cheat Geithner, you wrote the largest budget in American history! Spare me the talk about how abundantly cautious you are!
Drug War Erupts
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The drug war in Mexico continues to get closer and closer to the U.S. border. A recently released video shows a reporter caught in the middle of a vicious gun battle between a heavily-armed drug cartel and Mexican police forces.
It sounds like a war zone a world away from the United States, however this one happened in the Mexican city of Reynosa, just footsteps away from the state line of Texas. The reporter on the video Miguel Turriza and his cameraman Juan Partida were unharmed despite their close proximity to the gunfire. However, according to authorities, at least 10 were killed in this frightening incident.
It's time that the president and the leaders in Congress find the courage to address this problem before that gun battle happens in neighborhoods across America.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Golden State Drama
A gridiron rivalry may end up costing Democratic Representative Diane Watson her seat in the House. Several weeks ago, Watson, a UCLA graduate, introduced a bill honoring her alma mater's arch rivals the USC Trojans for their 2009 Rose Bowl victory over Penn State.
Since that time, according to Politico.com, Watson has been targeted by an extensive Internet campaign courtesy of angry football fans from her old university, UCLA. Some have even gone as far as calling the congresswoman a traitor for her gesture of scholastic bipartisanship. One Bruins supporter said, "This legislation is the wrong message at the absolute wrong time. Rome is burning, Representative Watson. Are you going to be Nero?"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Let this be a lesson to all elected representatives: Never turn your back on your alma mater, especially when its fan base is in your congressional district.
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