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What Your Favorite Politicians Got Into Over Their Long Holiday Break


8 Reasons This Was Actually The Best Cable News Network That Ever Existed

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America’s Talking, a prelude to MSNBC run by Roger Ailes, was THE BEST CABLE NEWS NETWORK THAT EVER EXISTED.

America's Talking may have only been on air from 1994 to 1996, but it was actually the best cable channel that ever existed.

Created by NBC as a sister channel of sorts to CNBC, America's Talking was critical to the cable news landscape we know today. Then the president of CNBC, Roger Ailes ran the network, pitching it as the cable news answer to talk radio and attempting to tap into the same audience. When a network shakeup led to NBC turning America's Talking into MSNBC, Ailes quit CNBC and went onto launch Fox News.

But America's Talking was something special, featuring a mix of now familiar talent (Chris Matthews and Steve Doocy) — and some truly insane content.

It featured Internet reaction from the "Information SUPERHIGHWAY."

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youtube.com

weheartit.com

Reacting with viewers meant that hosts had to deal with people like this man who ran over his girlfriends' cat on Valentine's Day.

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See the whole video here


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Senate Delays Vote To Extend Unemployment Benefits

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Sen. Harry Reid rescheduled the vote for Tuesday morning after a GOP senator accused him of using the vote as a “political exercise.”

Yuri Gripas / Reuters

In a surprise move Monday night, Sen. Harry Reid decided to delay the long-anticipated procedural vote on the extension of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program to Tuesday morning.

Though the vote had been scheduled for weeks, several senators were unable to make the session in time, partly because of rough weather around the country. Sen. John Cornyn argued the vote should be moved so they can attend.

"If this was anything other than a political exercise, the majority leader would reschedule this vote when we did not have 17 members of the United States Senate unable to be here and vote on this," Cornyn said.

Leadership aides told BuzzFeed just a few hours prior that a reschedule was "unlikely," but that Reid may still use a procedural rule to allow him to table the vote for another time if he didn't have enough votes. Cornyn's speech caused Reid to change those plans.

The legislation needs 60 votes to proceed to a final vote. All 55 Democrats and GOP Sen. Dean Heller (a co-sponsor of the bill) are expected to vote in favor. Sen. Susan Collins told reporters Monday night she would also vote to proceed the bill with hopes that an amendment to offset its costs would be added at a later date.

GOP leaders have argued that the bill needs some sort of cost-mitigating measure in order for them to consider it, while Democrats say that shouldn't be the case. The current Senate bill has no cost offsets in it and will cost an estimated $6.4 billion.

On Dec. 28, roughly 1.3 million Americans were cut off from the benefits they were supposed to receive after Congress chose not to hold a vote to extend the Emergency Unemployment Act, which provides federal funds to job seekers after their state benefits run out.

Even if the bill passes the Senate, it faces a tough battle in the lower chamber. House GOP leadership has said any proposal that does not include a way to mitigate the cost of the program will be rejected.

"It's hard for me to know if the Democrats are sincere about this. I must say I have my doubts," Rep. Tom Cole told BuzzFeed last week. "There's no way there'll be an extension of extraordinary unemployment without a pay-for."

Here's the exchange that caused Reid to delay the vote:

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Dennis Rodman Freaks Out On CNN

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CNN’s Chris Cuomo’s interview with former NBA star, who is in North Korea, (predictably) goes off the rails.

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, and friend of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, reacted wildly to questions about imprisoned American Kenneth Bae from CNN's Chris Cuomo on Tuesday morning.

"Are you going to take an opportunity, if you get it, to speak up for the family of Kenneth Bae and say, 'Let us know why this man is being held?' If you can help them, will you take the opportunity?" Cuomo asked.

"The one thing about politics, Kenneth Bae did one thing. If you understand — if you understand what Kenneth Bae did," Rodman said, adding "Do you understand what he did? In this country?"

Rodman went on to scream at Cuomo for not recognizing the sacrifice being made by the other former NBA players who are in North Korea to play a game as a "birthday present" for Kim Jong-un.

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Watch the full interview at CNN.


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The Coming Collision Between Andrew Cuomo And Bill de Blasio

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s looking a lot like a fiscal conservative these days.

Adrees Latif / Reuters

The 31-degree weather may have numbed his fingers and toes, but Andrew Cuomo's eyes were on fire.

It was Jan. 1, Inauguration Day for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Surrounding the governor on a City Hall stage were enough political puzzles to confound lesser operatives: two seats to his left, Hillary Clinton, who stands in the way of Cuomo's own White House run; at the podium, the new mayor, whose demand for more income equality is igniting the left and throwing into stark relief Cuomo's own silence on the issue.

The governor's eyes darted this way and that, perhaps processing variables and plotting a game plan stretching months in advance. His brow furrowed, raised in levity, or set in rapt discipline.

It's long become a cliché to call Andrew Cuomo a Machiavellian genius, but right now the prince's game plan is particularly curious. Contradicting the reputation of both his family name and the office he holds, and a Democratic zeitgeist demanding the rich pay their "fair share," this eldest son of Mario Cuomo is sounding like anything but a fiscal liberal.

"This state has no future if it is going to be the tax capital of the nation" is Cuomo's latest mantra. He is pushing tax cuts, particularly for suburban and upstate homeowners. He's allied with Republicans on taxes. He steers state money upstate at the expense of New York City. He is pushing for the closure of a money-losing Brooklyn hospital, over the objections of most locals, including de Blasio, who got arrested in a protest this summer, jump-starting what had been a flagging mayoral bid.

That hospital commotion is nothing compared with differences between the governor and mayor on taxes. The new mayor wants higher rates for the richest New York City residents to pay for universal free pre-kindergarten and more after-school programs. Through a relic of state law, de Blasio's plan requires Albany's approval. Cuomo says he supports de Blasio's goal, but not necessarily the method.

De Blasio's mention of the tax in his address Wednesday drew whoops from his inauguration crowd. Perhaps sensing his opposition isn't doing him favors with his base, Cuomo gave up a handful of half-hearted claps.

Competing agendas reached a fever pitch Monday, with dueling news conferences. De Blasio's featured a gaggle of labor leaders insisting on a tax hike or bust; in Albany, Cuomo hosted a dozen or so pro-business admirers. Set before them, a banner read "Cutting Taxes for New Yorkers."

Governor and mayor may reach a deal that doesn't hike taxes — finding the money by carving out a chunk of the labyrinthine state budget. But that may not satisfy a restless left — or even de Blasio — who see recurring higher taxes as equally important as more pre-K. With national eyes upon him, de Blasio is forming a lobbying movement fusing Occupy Wall Street with political sophistication.

"It's imperative that we have a tax that's dedicated to the proposition of universal pre-K and after-school centers," Peter Ward, president of the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council, said at de Blasio's event. "Taxes basically reflect the values that we have."

Asked Monday about de Blasio's plan, Cuomo said, "I'm in agreement with the mayor that pre-K is the direction this state has to head." But crucially, he added, "The question becomes how do we pay for it. And that's going to be a broader conversation with the legislature, when everything else is on the table."

For much of his term, Cuomo endured grief from the left that he's a Wall Street sellout. The moaning seemed to reassure Cuomo he's doing the right thing.

"Everything raises eyebrows in this business," he said in a recent radio interview. "This is a business of eyebrow raisers."

As my colleague Blake Zeff has pointed out in BuzzFeed, Cuomo insulates himself from being stigmatized as a conservative by amassing numerous legislative victories on liberal social issues, including legalizing marriage for same-sex couples and limiting gun rights. Continuing keen attention to the national agenda, Cuomo also recently reversed his opposition to medical marijuana by announcing the state would legalize small amounts for limited ailments. (He isn't seen as being assertive on a state Dream Act, offering college financial aid for undocumented immigrants).

Those social stances may be one reason why Cuomo retains strong support among liberals. (A recent poll found more liberals had a favorable view of Cuomo than de Blasio, though it was a statewide survey, and 3 out of 10 didn't know who de Blasio was). Polling also finds state voters supporting de Blasio's tax hike plan by about 2 to 1.

"I feel like his standing on the left has diminished, even as his standing on the right has diminished," notes one longtime political observer. While there has even been some talk of a Democratic primary challenge, Cuomo's abundant campaign coffers and name recognition would likely render it nothing more than a protest vote.

Why is Cuomo where he is on fiscal issues? Ask around, and you get different reasons, from the Freudian to the practical. Someone who has known him for decades theorized that much of what guides Andrew Cuomo is to be different than his dad, the former governor from 1983 to 1995, whose liberal reputation remains.

Bruce Gyory, a longtime political consultant from Albany, says it's not psychology but political math that's stirring Andrew Cuomo's brain.

"New York State isn't a liberal state. New York is a Democratic state," he says. This is especially true when you count who votes. Gyory notes that in the last election, New York City accounted for less than a third of the vote, even though it's about 40% of the population.

Cuomo's support hinges on suburban counties like Nassau on Long Island and Westchester in the Hudson Valley. Republicans lead both counties, with the Westchester County executive one of the few serious names to surface as potential Cuomo challenger in November. (That may be why Cuomo heaped praise on the Nassau County executive at his recent swearing-in.)

And maybe Cuomo truly believes it's in the state's best interest to keep taxes as low as possible. It should also be noted the governor is not exactly a strip-the-budget-bare executive. He's reportedly set to announce more than $100 million in new spending on housing and jobs for inner-city kids.

Cuomo's office declined to comment for this story.

Whatever the rationale for his controversial fiscal positions, de Blasio's demands will test a years-old relationship with Cuomo. De Blasio worked for Cuomo when the latter was Bill Clinton's HUD secretary. Cuomo aides note who was in charge.

Underlings have a curious way of seeking to someday best their old bosses.

Obama Defends Long-Term Unemployed As He Pushes For Benefits Extension

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“The long-term unemployed are not lazy.”

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President Obama urged Congress Tuesday to quickly pass a bill guaranteeing millions of Americans unemployment benefits for an additional three months. The president was speaking immediately after the Senate voted 60-37 to begin debate on the final passage of the bill.

"Now, I have heard the argument that says extending unemployment insurance will somehow hurt the unemployed because it zaps their motivation to get a new job. I really want to go at this for a second," the president said to applause. "That really sells the American people short. I meet a lot of people as president of the United States, and as candidate for president of the United States, and as a U.S. senator, and as a state senator. I meet a lot of people, and I can't name a time where I met an American who would rather have an unemployment check than the pride of having a job."

Even if the Senate ultimately votes to extend benefits, the bill is widely expected to meet stiff opposition in the Republican-controlled House unless a deal is made to pay for the benefits which cost $6.5 billion. While the bill was sponsored by Democratic Sen. Jack Reed and Republican Sen. Dean Heller, only six Republicans voted to begin final debate on the bill.

The president also pushed back at the contention that unemployed Americans were lazy or lacking motivation, citing the economic crisis.

"The long-term unemployed are not lazy. They are not lacking in motivation," he said. "They are coping with the aftermath of the worst economic crisis in generations. In some cases they may have a skills mismatch."

"They may have been doing a certain job for 20 years, suddenly they lose that job, he continued. "They may be an older worker, may have to get retrained. It's hard. Sometimes employers will discriminate if you have been out of work for a while. They decide, well, we're not sure we want to hire you, we'd rather hire somebody who's still working right now. So it's hard out there."

15 Reasons Arizona Should Take Steven Seagal Seriously As A Candidate For Governor

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Move over, Jan Brewer.

This is current Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer.

This is current Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer.

Via AP

Probably the most ballsy thing she has ever done is wag a finger at Obama.

Probably the most ballsy thing she has ever done is wag a finger at Obama.

Child's play.

That's possibly why preeminent universal badass and political genius Steven Seagal has announced he is gonna up the governor's game in the Sun Devil state.

That's possibly why preeminent universal badass and political genius Steven Seagal has announced he is gonna up the governor's game in the Sun Devil state.

Bogdan Cristel / Reuters

Don't take Steven Seagal is a serious candidate for governor?

Don't take Steven Seagal is a serious candidate for governor?

Sit down.

Via solomonscane.tumblr.com


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This Congressman Uses D.C.'s Freezing Weather As An Excuse To Look Fabulous


Extending Unemployment Benefits Is Still Going To Be A Long, Tough Slog

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After Democrats’ small victory Tuesday in the Senate, many roadblocks still lie ahead to restarting the benefits program.

Yuri Gripas / Reuters

The Senate passed a procedural vote Tuesday to advance a bill that would extend federal unemployment benefits for three months, but that's only the first of many steps required for the benefits program to start again.

Democrats won over five Republicans, in addition to the bill's co-sponsor Sen. Dean Heller, to garner exactly the 60 votes needed to pass the first procedural hurdle towards getting the bill through the Senate.

The six Republicans who voted yes were Heller, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, Sen. Rob Portman, Sen. Dan Coats, Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Sen. Susan Collins.

But several of those GOP votes came with a rider — that the final version of the bill offset some of the estimated $6.4 billion cost of the extension. The current bill does not offset any of the costs.

"I am willing to support this short-term extension if it's paid for," Ayotte told reporters. "If we don't get to a debate, how can we have the opportunity to offer potential amendments or to have votes on amendments that would pay for it?"

Majority Leader Harry Reid said he's open to "serious" proposals from the GOP on how to offset the cost. What exactly, if anything, Reid will consider a serious proposal remains unclear.

Sen. John Thune plans to introduce a four-part cost offsetting amendment that includes a change to Obamacare's employer mandate. When Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell offered an amendment to delay Obamacare's individual mandate Tuesday, Reid quickly blocked it.

Under Thune's proposal, if an employer hires a long-term unemployed worker, that worker would not be counted as part of the total employee count under Obamacare. The Affordable Care Act requires businesses with more than 50 employees to provide health care for their employees or pay a fine.

Other GOP senators plan to introduce amendments as well.

If a cost offsetting amendment is not agreed to, some Republicans could switch and vote against closing debate on the bill, effectively leaving it dead in the Senate.

And, even if the bill does clear the Senate, an unemployment benefits extension still faces tough challenges in the Republican-controlled House.

Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) told reporters he is relying on the media to continue to tell the stories of those who need the benefits in order to convince Republicans to pass the bill, without any cost offsets.

But according to a statement from Speaker John Boehner released just after the vote, that doesn't seem likely.

"Far too many Americans are still unemployed in President Obama's economy. For each of them, it's a personal crisis that we cannot overlook," Boehner said. "Getting these people back on their feet starts with a strong safety net – six months of unemployment benefits – that we continue to have in this country. But the ultimate solution to joblessness is more jobs."

White House Defends Joe Biden Against Book By Former Defense Secretary

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“Joe Biden has been one of the leading statesmen of his time, and has helped advance America’s leadership in the world,” says the National Security Council spokesperson.

Tim Shaffer / Reuters / Reuters

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration defended Vice President Joe Biden Tuesday after former Obama Defense Secretary Robert Gates wrote that the vice president "has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades."

The quote comes from an upcoming memoir by Gates, who also served as defense secretary under George W. Bush, the president who nominated him to replace Donald Rumsfeld, and worked in many other administrations. Excerpts from the book in The New York Times and Washington Post paint a picture of Gates as frustrated by Obama administration control over the national security space.

In a statement by National Security Council spokesperson Caitlin Hayden Tuesday, the Obama administration pushed back on the excerpts and defended Biden.

"The president disagrees with Secretary Gates' assessment — from his leadership on the Balkans in the Senate, to his efforts to end the war in Iraq, Joe Biden has been one of the leading statesmen of his time, and has helped advance America's leadership in the world," she said. "President Obama relies on his good counsel every day."

Read the full statement:


"The president deeply appreciates Bob Gates' service as secretary of defense, and his lifetime of service to our country. Deliberations over our policy on Afghanistan have been widely reported on over the years, and it is well known that the President has been committed to achieving the mission of disrupting, dismantling and defeating al Qaeda, while also ensuring that we have a clear plan for winding down the war, which will end this year. As has always been the case, the president welcomes differences of view among his national security team, which broaden his options and enhance our policies. The president wishes Secretary Gates well as he recovers from his recent injury, and discusses his book."

"The president disagrees with Secretary Gates' assessment – from his leadership on the Balkans in the Senate, to his efforts to end the war in Iraq, Joe Biden has been one of the leading statesmen of his time, and has helped advance America's leadership in the world. President Obama relies on his good counsel every day."

Fox Host Claims All Nigerians Are Scammers And Iranians Feed Their Children To Dogs

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He later clarified he was referring to FOREIGN Nigerians and Iranians, and not Americans descended from those nations.

On Tuesday, Bob Beckel, a liberal commentator on The Five, discussed a new book by "Tiger Mom" Amy Chua, in which she claims some races excel over others in America.

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Chua, who is a Yale law professor, listed Jews, Indians, Chinese, Iranians, Nigerians, Mormons, and Cubans among the groups most likely to succeed in the United States.

Beckel claimed Nigerians are "the greatest scam artists in the world" and "they must teach them to run scams and pickpocket people because they are very good at pickpocketing people."

Of Iranians, Beckel said, "Of course their kids are gonna pay attention, because if they don't they are gonna take them in back and feed them to dogs ... they scare 'em, the Iranians scare 'em, they're torturers. No wonder they are gonna pay attention ... not all of them, maybe some of them."

Beckel previously has alleged that rapes don't occur on college campuses and that he "would not have another mosque built in this country until we got it worked out who was not a terrorist.”

Beckel previously has alleged that rapes don't occur on college campuses and that he "would not have another mosque built in this country until we got it worked out who was not a terrorist.”

Via buzzfeed.com

At the end of the program, Beckel clarified he just meant that Iranians fed their children to dogs OVERSEAS and Nigerians were scam artists OVERSEAS.

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Ready For Hillary Raised More Than $4 Million In 2013

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The super PAC took in money from more than 33,000 donors to support a potential Clinton 2016 campaign, including the former chief privacy officer of Facebook.

Jason Reed / Reuters

The super PAC supporting Hillary Clinton's possible presidential run raised more than $4 million in its first year, the group announced Tuesday evening.

Ready for Hillary, founded last January to build what they call a "grassroots army" for Clinton ahead of 2016, tapped funds from more than 33,000 donors in 2013.

A Ready for Hillary official said the group claims more contributors than "all other presidential super PACs ever, combined."

The average contribution from donors was $82, according to a preview of the mid-year Federal Elections Committee filing the group made available to BuzzFeed.

Ready for Hillary, one of an array of outside groups already aligning behind Clinton in a coordinated effort, has capped its donations at $25,000. The voluntary cap was established, sources close to the group have said, so that Priorities USA, a pro-Obama PAC now transitioning to the Clinton effort, can focus on big-money contributors and large ad buys.

In the last sixth months, Ready for Hillary more than doubled the $1.25 million it raised during the first half of the year.

The FEC report, which will be officially released next month, will show two new donors, Chris Kelly and his wife Jennifer Carrico, maxed out to the group with donations of $25,000 each, the PAC's executive director, Adam Parkhomenko confirmed.

Kelly, the former chief privacy officer of Facebook, was an early supporter of Clinton's during the 2008 primary. His and his wife's contributions make them members of the group's National Finance Council, joining big names in fundraising like George Soros and Susie Tompkins Buell.

Ready for Hillary finished the year most recently with a fundraiser with Rep. Tim Ryan in Westchester, N.Y., that raised more than $100,000, the PAC said. This week, the group's senior advisor, Craig Smith, traveled to New Hampshire. He also plans to visit Iowa, another early presidential primary state, later this month.

13 Pregnant Women Detained By ICE In Texas During Four-Month Period In 2013

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ICE confirmed the number to BuzzFeed, and said the women were an enforcement priority, having recently crossed the border or been issued orders of final removal.

Signs hung by immigration activists.

Joshua Lott / Reuters

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in El Paso, Texas, detained 13 pregnant women from August to November 2013, according to an investigation by Fusion.

ICE confirmed the number to BuzzFeed and said the undocumented immigrant women were an enforcement priority because they had either recently entered the country or had been issued final orders of removal.

Fusion's investigation was in part launched after Sergio Garcia-Leco, an undocumented activist, infiltrated the El Paso Processing Center in December.

The report describes 13 pregnant women who were detained during a four-month stretch after attempted border crossings; the time each woman was detained varied — some were released the same day, while others were kept days or even weeks, ICE told Fusion.

ICE told BuzzFeed they are unable to name all of the women because of medical privacy issues but did identify two.

"Fatima Del Carmen Chavez-Guevara was apprehended Aug. 27, 2013, after she illegally entered the United States near Rio Grande City, Texas," Leticia Zamarripa, an ICE spokeswoman, said in a statement.

"Carmen Guadalupe Rivas-Torres was apprehended after illegally re-entering the United States at Sunland Park, N.M., after being formally deported just two months prior. As a recent border crosser and an illegal re-entrant, both of these women fall in line with ICE's priorities."

David Leopold, former president of the American Immigration Lawyer's Association, said he is "shocked" that 13 pregnant women were detained in such a short period at just one detention center.

"It's an astounding number," he said.

"If you're going to detain a pregnant woman there ought to be a damn good reason for it," he continued. "Maybe if they're violent, a national security risk, or someone who is going to abscond. But even in the case of someone who is a flight risk there are less restrictive means, like ankle bracelets and home monitoring, which are used all the time in the federal criminal system."

The agency's guidelines state pregnant women should not be detained absent extraordinary circumstances or the requirements of mandatory detention.

A spokeswoman for ICE said the agency takes care to identify and properly care for pregnant women, by asking women if they suspect they may be pregnant, through screenings when they enter and pregnancy tests.

"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) takes the health, safety, and welfare of those in our care very seriously, and the agency is committed to ensuring that all ICE detainees receive timely and appropriate medical treatment," Zamarripa said.

According to ICE, because its population mirrors society, they care for detainees with heart conditions, hypertension, cancer, and pregnant women. But ICE said detainees are given medicine to take with them and continuing care is set up through coordination with consulates.

Leopold says that isn't enough.

"You have to look at each case individually, but the notion that they get better care in ICE detention, than outside of ice detention, is not backed up by the facts," he said, noting that substandard medical treatment during detention has been a recurring issue since 2007 and under former ICE director John Morton, there was an effort to make detention more civil.

In one case, a detainee from Nigeria named Mariamo Ajagbe said she miscarried in mid-August in the detention center while three-months pregnant, Fusion reported.

But ICE denied that a miscarriage occurred during the specified time frame, but again cited the medical privacy of the woman in question as the reason they could not be more specific about her case.

Leopold said that the agency is a bureaucracy and sometimes decisions come down that don't always make sense. "One arm doesn't necessarily know what the other is doing, there can be a lack of coordination," he said.

"But we have to ask ourselves a couple questions -- are these people really priorities? And, if not, why are these women being locked up?"

Even Fox News Employees Think Ann Coulter Works For Fox News

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Oops.

After teasing a segment with the above image, Fox and Friends co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck introduced conservative pundit Ann Coulter in a fairly awkward way.

HASSELBECK: "Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates taking a direct hit on President Obama's foreign policy leadership and his foreign policy team. What will the fallout be, if any? Here to react, Fox News contributor and author of Never Trust a Liberal Over Three, Ann Coulter.

COULTER: "That's very nice of you, but I'm not a Fox News contributor."

Coulter went on to say that she's only been employed by one cable news channel, and that was MSNBC.

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Clinton Once Criticized Iraq Policy Being Driven By Politics

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The politics of war.

youtube.com

A new book by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates alleges that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted she opposed the Iraq troop surge for political reasons as she faced Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary.

But a few years before Clinton herself as a U.S. senator in 2003 criticized what she saw as U.S. policy in Iraq being driven by a political agenda.

"Hillary told the president that her opposition to the [2007] surge in Iraq had been political because she was facing him in the Iowa primary," Gates writes. "The president conceded vaguely that opposition to the Iraq surge had been political. To hear the two of them making these admissions, and in front of me, was as surprising as it was dismaying."

Here's the transcript of a December 2003 exchange between Clinton and Katie Couric on NBC's Today Show where Clinton criticizes what she perceives is the Bush administration shifting Iraq strategy based on politics. Clinton had just returned from a Thanksgiving weekend tour of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq with Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.).

Couric: Well let me ask you about that exit strategy, because it's been controversial, the notion of having caucuses and indirect elections rather than direct elections has been criticized by the head Shiite cleric and many, obviously, Iraqis are Shiites. Do you think an exit strategy is being crafted at sort of the risk of not establishing a true democracy in Iraq?

Clinton: Well, I think an exit strategy, unfortunately, is being driven by our political calendar, not necessarily what's in the best interest of a long-term stable Iraq. And that's one of the reasons why bringing the U.N. in would be a benefit for the Bush administration as well as the prospects for creating conditions that would lead to democracy. I hope that the administration takes these U.N. talks seriously that are going on. I hope that they will support a return of the United Nations, both in a capacity to determine the direction for self-government and to provide aid on the ground.


Chamber Of Commerce Promises To Make Opponents Pay Come November

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U.S. Chamber of Commerce warns the heavyweight organization will make lawmakers “see the light” or run them out of Congress.

Tom Donohue, President and CEO, US Chamber of Commerce, speaks to reporters after President Barack Obama spoke about immigration reform at the White House, June 11, 2013.

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

WASHINGTON —U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue Wednesday said his organization will use its vast resources to make lawmakers pay for opposition to new immigration laws and other business priorities and will focus on primary challenges to lawmakers who can't or won't "see the light."

In his annual "State of American Business" address, Donohue laid out the chamber's agenda for the year and reiterated that immigration remains one of the business community's top legislative goals, despite its dim prospects on Capitol Hill.

"We're determined to make 2014 the year that immigration reform is finally enacted. The Chamber will pull out all the stops — through grassroots lobbying, communications, politics, and partnerships with unions, faith organizations, law enforcement and others — to get it done," Donohue said.

But that will be easier said than done, even for a group like the Chamber that has traditionally wielded significant power in Washington.

Once one of the most powerful voices in American politics, the Chamber and other business groups have become increasingly marginalized as Tea Party and other newer outside groups have gained influence over the Republican Party.

That loss of influence has had clear impacts on Capitol Hill, where increasing numbers of Republicans have broken with the business community on issues ranging from immigration to shutting down the government over Obamacare.

Donohue acknowledged that getting new immigration legislation passed or any of the Chamber's other priorities done will be difficult in an election year.

But he argued the Chamber hopes to turn "the upcoming elections into a motivator for change. It's based on a simple theory — if you can't make them see the light, then at least make them feel some heat."

Donohue said the group is already focused on a dozen House and Senate races, including a number of primaries in which conservatives are challenging traditional Republicans.

"In primaries and in the general election, we will support candidates who want to work within the legislative process to solve the nation's problems—and who understand that business is not the problem, business is a big part of the solution," he explained.

"The business community understands what's at stake. They respect our political team, support our strategy, and understand the powerful impact our brand can have in pivotal elections. This means we will have all the resources we need to run the most effective political program of 2014," he added.

As part of that, Donohue said the group has already begun ramping up its field operations and hired additional staff for campaign activities. "We're prepared for this election. We're focusing intently on candidate selection," Donohue said at press conference following his speech.

Donohue said the group's fight isn't with the Tea Party as with hardline conservatives who he argues have hijacked the movement. "When the Tea Party first came out … they talked about things that the Chamber very much supports" including tax policy changes and "reasonable" control of federal costs.

"All of that stuff was pretty good," Donohue said. "And then we had people come along with different views … and they were the people that didn't want to pay the national debt, shutdown the government" and have generally been at odds with the business community.

"When they get to Washington they're not going to do what we believe they should do," Donohue said. "So why should we support them?"

Utah Marriages Of Same-Sex Couples "On Hold" Pending Appeal, Governor's Office Says

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“Based on counsel from the Attorney General’s Office regarding the Supreme Court decision, state recognition of same-sex marital status is ON HOLD until further notice.”

Jax Collins (left) and Heather Collins share a kiss after getting married at the Salt Lake County Government Building in Salt Lake City, Utah, Dec. 23, 2013.

Jim Urquhart / Reuters

WASHINGTON — The Utah governor's office has told state agencies not to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples that were granted in the two weeks during which same-sex couples could marry in the state.

The letter, sent Tuesday from Gov. Bob Herbert's chief of staff, was released Wednesday morning:

Dear Cabinet,

I'm sure you are all aware of the issuance of the stay regarding same-sex marriage in Utah from the United States Supreme Court yesterday. This stay effectively puts a hold on the decision of the district court, which found state laws prohibiting same-sex marriage in Utah to be unconstitutional.

After the district court decision was issued on Friday, December 20th, some same-sex couples availed themselves of the opportunity to marry and to the status granted by the state to married persons. This office sent an email to each of you soon after the district court decision, directing compliance.

With the district court injunction now stayed, the original laws governing marriage in Utah return to effect pending final resolution by the courts. It is important to understand that those laws include not only a prohibition of performing same-sex marriages but also recognizing same-sex marriages.

Based on counsel from the Attorney General's Office regarding the Supreme Court decision, state recognition of same-sex marital status is ON HOLD until further notice. Please understand this position is not intended to comment on the legal status of those same-sex marriages – that is for the courts to decide. The intent of this communication is to direct state agency compliance with current laws that prohibit the state from recognizing same-sex marriages.

Wherever individuals are in the process of availing themselves of state services related to same-sex marital status, that process is on hold and will stay exactly in that position until a final court decision is issued. For example, if a same-sex married couple previously changed their names on new drivers licenses, those licenses should not be revoked. If a same-sex couple seeks to change their names on drivers licenses now, the law does not allow the state agency to recognize the marriage therefore the new drivers licenses cannot be issued.

We appreciate your patience and diligence in this matter. We recognize that different state agencies have specific questions and circumstances that will need to be worked through. Please do so with the Assistant Attorney General assigned to your respective agency in coordination with the Governor's General Counsel. We also recognize that these changes affect real people's lives. Let us carefully and considerately ensure that we, and our employees throughout the state, continue to treat all people with respect and understanding as we assist them.

Regards,

Derek B. Miller
Chief of Staff
Governor's Office
State of Utah

Update at 1:30 p.m.: Peggy A. Tomsic, one of the lawyers at Magleby & Greenwood who are representing the plaintiff same-sex couples, said in a statement:

"This unprecedented and disappointing action harms not only my clients, but hundreds of other same-sex couples who also were legally married, and whose families have been needlessly destabilized and stripped of basic legal protection. By taking this unwarranted action, the State of Utah has discounted the lives of thousands of Utah citizens who live, work, and raise their families in Utah and pay Utah and federal taxes like all other Utah citizens. Regardless of how the State believes the Tenth Circuit will ultimately rule, these couples are legally married, and the State should treat them accordingly."


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Video: When Christie Mocked The Bridge Scandal And Joked About Personal Involvement

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A growing scandal.

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Emails emerged Wednesday tying some top staffers of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to the closing of lanes on a busy bridge in September, which caused major traffic problems. The emails add fuel to allegations that the closing of the lines were part of a political vendetta against mayor who did not endorse Christie for re-election in 2013.

"Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," Christie's deputy chief of staff Bridget Anne Kelly emailed David Wildstein, a top Christie ally at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, according to documents obtained by various news organizations today.

Christie has not yet commented on the emails.

In December, Christie mocked a reporter for asking about the scandal at a press conference, joking that he was personally involved.

"I worked the cones, actually," Christie joked. "Unbeknownst to everybody, I was actually the guy out there. I was in overalls and hat, but I was actually the guy working the cones out there. You really are not serious with that question?"

White House Denies Obama's Opposition To Iraq Surge Was Based On Politics

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“It doesn’t track.”

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White House press secretary Jay Carney denied Wednesday that President Obama opposed the Iraq troop surge for political reasons, contrary to a new book written by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

"Anybody who has covered Barack Obama, going all the way back to his race for the Senate, knows that he was opposed to the Iraq War," Carney said at a Wednesday press briefing.

"It would be entirely inconsistent for him not to hold the position that he held with regards to the surge. So I don't know what conversation that refers to but it doesn't track based on what I know and what everybody here knows about the president's positions through the year," Carney added.

Gates writes that both Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted they opposed the troop surge for political reasons.

"Hillary told the president that her opposition to the [2007] surge in Iraq had been political because she was facing him in the Iowa primary," Gates writes. "The president conceded vaguely that opposition to the Iraq surge had been political. To hear the two of them making these admissions, and in front of me, was as surprising as it was dismaying."

White House: Global Warming Caused The Polar Vortex

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“If you’ve been hearing that extreme cold spells, like the one we’re having in the United States now, disprove global warming, don’t believe it,” says John Holdren, Obama’s science adviser.

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is pushing back on skeptics who say the polar vortex proves climate change is a hoax.

In a new video to be posted on the official White House website Wednesday, President Obama's science adviser, John Holdren, warns against buying into the idea that a cold snap disproves that the earth is getting warmer overall.

"If you've been hearing that extreme cold spells, like the one we're having in the United States now, disproves global warming, don't believe it," he says in the video.

The two-minute clip puts the Obama administration at odds with conservatives and Republicans who have said the bitterly cold week in much of the United States proves their point that climate change isn't real.

The video is just one part of the administration's pushback on that idea. The administration plans to hold an online "We The Geeks" session on the polar vortex moderated by White House Office of Science and Technology Policy officials and featuring top climate observers from across the country. A tentative list of attendees, shared by a White House official:


Jason Samenow – Weather Editor at Washington Post

Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd – President of the American Meteorological Society and Professor, University of Georgia

Bernadette Woods Placky – Emmy Award-winning Meteorologist at Climate Central

Jim Overland – Arctic researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Stephanie Abrams – Weather Channel

The administration says global warming will likely cause more polar vortex-like winters, rather than fewer as skeptics suggest.

"We know that no single weather episode proves or disproves climate change. Climate refers to the patterns observed in the weather over time and space — in terms of averages, variations, and probabilities," reads the White House release announcing the We The Geeks session. "But we also know that this week's cold spell is of a type there's reason to believe may become more frequent in a world that's getting warmer, on average, because of greenhouse-gas pollution."

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