The White House briefing takes a fictional turn.

Source: youtube.com

No U.S. troops will be put in harms way, Carney said.

French Elite Special Operations soldiers drive through the town of Markala, about 275 km (171 miles) from the capital Bamako, January 15, 2013, to meet Malian soldiers and organize a counter-attack in the jihadist-held town of Diabaly.

Image by Stringer / Reuters

WASHINGTON — White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday that the United States is considering a request to offer logistical support to French counterterrorism efforts in Mali.

The African nation has become a hotbed for Islamic extremists who have taken control of substantial portions of the country. France has deployed troops and warplanes to push back the Islamist forces.

Asked whether the U.S. involvement would put troops in harms way, Carney told reporters "we are not contemplating that kind of action."

"The French operation in Mali is one that we support, but it is a French operation," Carney said.

Last week U.S. combat aircraft entered Somali airspace to support a French attempt to rescue a citizen held by the terrorist group Al-Shabab. The operation was unsuccessful and Carney said no U.S. troops deployed weapons.

Peter Waldron alleges “Rasputin-like” control over the candidate. “The story is completely false,” says O'Donnell.

O'Donnell looking at Bachmann.

Image by AP / AP

Michele Bachmann's high-profile debate coach, Brett O'Donnell, developed an "unnatural" and "Rasputin-like" relationship with his candidate during her failed 2012 presidential campaign, another former aide told BuzzFeed, a charge O'Donnell denies.

Peter Waldron, an evangelical organizer who served as Iowa field coordinator for Bachmann and helped her win the Ames straw poll said O'Donnell exercised an "unusual power over Mrs. Bachmann." Waldron and other former Bachmann staff also currently say the Congresswoman has yet to pay them for debts owned from her short-lived campaign.

"He prohibited her husband, Dr. Marcus Bachmann, from sleeping in the same room with wife while on the campaign trail," Waldron said in an email to BuzzFeed. "He prohibited legendary consultants Ed Rollins and Ed Goeas from attending debate prep sessions. He told her when she could get off the bus (Waterloo event with Gov. Perry), he wrote most of the words that came out of her mouth, he wrote all of her speeches."

Waldron, who led Bachmann's outreach to the religious groups that helped fuel an early surge in Iowa and bring voters to the Ames Straw Poll, is a veteran of Republican politics and a colorful character in his own right. An Army veteran who says he leads an organization called Christians Restoring America's Greatness, he spent a month in jail in Uganda in 2002, on terror charges that he denied.

"Your source for your outrageous claim is a disgruntled campaign employee who has little knowledge of reality," O'Donnell said in an email. "Why is this news now anyway?"

"The story is completely false," he said.

Waldron, who was among a wave of staffers pushed to the sidelines as O'Donnell emerged as a central adviser, blamed him for her flagging campaign.

"Frankly, Brett exercised 'Rasputin-like control over Michele. More than one staffer was grateful to God that she didn't win the nomination because of the influence that Brett had over her," Waldron said.

"He attempted to re-shape Mrs. Bachmann's personality from her popular 2010 to spring 2011 into his own image," he said. "Pastors in IA and SC complained to me privately that Mrs. Bachmann spent too much time alone with Brett, they even criticized the times the two of them held hands to pray apart from others. Brett resented Mrs. Bachmann's confidence in me."

Waldron said that at the time, Bachmann appeared to even be fearful of O'Donnell.

"Once she asked me to ride on the bus with her to pray. Brett's objection was so intense that for the good of the order, I followed the bus in my personal vehicle," said Waldron. "On one occasion, she whispered to me, 'Peter, don't get off the bus no matter who tells you to get off.' Another time, her personal assistant told me, 'Peter, Michele does not want to you leave. Stay on the bus. Please pray for us.'"

Waldron described the last week of Bachmann's failed campaign as "the most painful days to imagine," saying Bachmann still has not recovered from her time with O'Donnell.

"Brett held her captive day after day, speech after speech, etc. in the back of the bus during the 99-county tour. By the end, she was broken emotionally, mentally, and slept in her private cabin in the back of the bus. I do not know if she has ever recovered," Waldron said.

Waldron, a veteran of Republican Christian outreach, said O'Donnell's control over Bachmann was like something he has "never seen before in any campaign."

"Most presidential candidates have strong personalities, not Mrs. Bachmann, she outsourced decision making to Brett. She was for all intents and purposes "mesmerized" by Brett O'Donnell."

Bachmann spokesman Dan Kotman and two former Bachmann campaign aides did not respond to emails seeking the former candidate's version of the story.

[Update]

James Pollack, Michele Bachmann's campaign finance chair emails: "Mr. Waldron's accusatory inferences regarding the Congresswoman are both inaccurate and meritless. His outrageous embellishments of the reality of what transpired are not deserving of further comment. Further defamations by Mr. Waldron will be dealt with accordingly."

Whereabouts unknown. Update Dog now lives on a “horse ranch.”

Reagan and Rick Scott.

Via: www2.tbo.com

Rick Scott has returned a dog he adopted during his 2010 campaign for governor of Florida according to a report from the Tampa Bay Times.

After winning the Republican nomination for Governor, Scott announced that his family had rescued a Labrador retriever and named it Reagan, at the urging of his Facebook friends.

By 2011, the dog had disappeared with its last appearance at Scott's swearing-in ceremony in January of that year.

Scott's office evaded questions from the Tampa Bay Times about the dog's whereabouts, with a spokesman telling the paper their line of inquiry was "weird."

A spokesman eventually e-mailed the paper saying he was aware of "the potential for a PR nightmare if the Tampa Bay Times doesn't receive a photo of Reagan next to today's copy of the Tampa Bay Times. So take it to the bank, I'm getting you every bit of info I can lay my hands on."

But the promised information never materialized.

The newspaper then confronted Scott himself, asking him where his dog was. Scott said they had given the dog back to its owner because it "scared the living daylights" out of people at the governor's mansion, and "barked like crazy."

A spokesman for Rick Scott then said the dog was returned to All Pets Grooming And Boarding, in Naples.

BuzzFeed's calls to the head of All Pets Grooming And Boarding have gone unreturned. An employee who answered the phone Tuesday said her boss was "busy with a customer," and then later claimed he "left for the day and won't be back until Thursday."

Asked to confirm the whereabouts of Scott's dog, the employee said, "I really don't know what happened to Reagan."

Update

A local Florida television station found Rick Scott's dog. His name is Pluto now and lives on a "horse ranch."

“This clandestine commitment of taxpayer funds is highly irregular and objectionable, and it must end now,” Democratic leaders write to Boehner about the increased cost cap.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi oppose House Republicans' support for the Defense of Marriage Act.

Image by Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

WASHINGTON — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer blasted House Republican leaders Tuesday for their continued legal support for the Defense of Marriage Act — which Republicans have now authorized $3 million to defend.

"This clandestine commitment of taxpayer funds is highly irregular and objectionable, and it must end now," the pair wrote in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner. Calling Republicans' efforts "a practice in futility and a waste of Americans' hard-earned tax dollars," Pelosi and Hoyer's latest criticism comes as the House Administration Committee chair, Rep. Candice Miller of Michigan, on Jan. 4 approved the defense of the 1996 law by Bancroft PLLC's Paul Clement to reach costs of $3 million.

As the minority members of the five-person House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group that authorized the DOMA defense when Attorney General Eric Holder announced in February 2011 that he and President Obama had concluded that DOMA was unconstitutional, Pelosi and Hoyer have opposed the defense each step of the way.

"This is not the first time that House Republicans have made a unilateral decision to raise the ceiling on expenditures for this wasteful litigation that supports a discriminatory statute, without any public discussion or advance notice to Democratic members of the BLAG, Members of the House, or the public," Pelosi and Hoyer wrote to Boehner.

Now, with one of the cases challenging DOMA — the case brought by Edith Windsor — having been accepted by the Supreme Court to be heard in March, the defense could reach its end in June.

Until then, however, House leaders remain committed to continuing the defense. At a December news conference, House Speaker John Boehner said, "If the Justice Department is not going to enforce the law of the land, the Congress will." Rules adopted by the House at the start of the 113th Congress on Jan. 3 specifically authorize the continued legal support of DOMA.

Pelosi and Hoyer's DOMA Cost Cap Letter

Behold the power of this fully armed and operational press release!

Last week, the Obama Administration ignored citizen requests to build a Death Star.

And today, the Galatic Empire passive-aggressively called-out Earth.

A representative of the Empire had this to say over on the official Star Wars blog:

IMPERIAL CENTER, CORUSCANT – The overwhelming military superiority of the Galactic Empire has been confirmed once again by the recent announcement by the President of the United States that his nation would not attempt to build a Death Star, despite the bellicose demands of the people of his tiny, aggressive planet. "It is doubtless that such a technological terror in the hands of so primitive a world would be used to upset the peace and sanctity of the citizens of the Galactic Empire," said Governor Wilhuff Tarkin of the Outer Rim Territories. "Such destructive power can only be wielded to protect and defend by so enlightened a leader as Emperor Palpatine."

Representatives on behalf of the nation-state leader from the unimaginatively named planet refused to acknowledge the obvious cowardice of their choice, preferring instead to attribute the decision to fiscal responsibility. "The costs of construction they cited were ridiculously overestimated, though I suppose we must keep in mind that this miniscule planet does not have our massive means of production," added Admiral Conan Motti of the Imperial Starfleet.

Emissaries of the Emperor also caution any seditious elements within the Galactic Senate not to believe Earth's exaggerated claims of there being a weakness in the Death Star design. "Any attacks made upon such a station — should one ever be built — would be a useless gesture," added Motti.

Is statehood next?

Image by Jack Dempsey / AP

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's armored limousine, "The Beast," is getting an upgrade just in time for the president's second inaugural.

A White House spokesman confirmed Tuesday that the limo will bear Washington, D.C. "Taxation Without Representation" plates starting this weekend.

President Bill Clinton placed the slogan on his limo's license plates when the District of Columbia introduced the protest plates in 2000, though they were later removed by President George W. Bush.

"President Obama has lived in the District now for four years, and has seen first-hand how patently unfair it is for working families in D.C. to work hard, raise children and pay taxes, without having a vote in Congress," said spokesman Keith Maley. "Attaching these plates to the presidential vehicles demonstrates the President's commitment to the principle of full representation for the people of the District of Columbia and his willingness to fight for voting rights, Home Rule and budget autonomy for the District."

In 2009, then-Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama was supportive of legislation granting the district statehood when explaining why Obama wasn't rushing to reinstall the "Taxation Without Representation" plates.

"Giving it voting rights, giving it statehood," Gibbs replied when asked what he meant by saying Obama supported a change of status.

"I think rather than change the logo around the license plate, the president is committed instead to changing the status of the District of Columbia. I guess I would ask you to ask people in Washington whether they'd like to have that status changed, or that symbolism screwed onto the back of a limousine?"

The plates will remain on the limousine through the president's second term.

This post has been updated with Gibbs' 2009 comments.

Source: blog.georgetownvoice.com

Chuck Hagel joins AIPAC. More or less.

Senator Chuck Schumer met Monday with President Obama's chosen Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel, and today released a detailed statement on the meeting.

The good news for Hagel's allies and defenders is that Schumer offered his tentative support for the former Nebraska Republican Senator: "I am currently prepared to vote for his confirmation." Schumer, a New York Democrat who represents that state's intense support for Israel, is a key ally and a bellwether for Senate Democrats whose support can probably carry Hagel through.

The bad news for Hagel's allies among "realist" foreign policy thinkers and on the foreign policy left is that the nominee appears to have gotten Schumer's support by repudiating virtually everything they liked about him.

Schumer cites "several key assurances." I count about 12 points, most of them related to Israel and Iran, on which Hagel has reversed past positions or his perceived stances, points that now come across in Schumer's voice, but which he will have to presumably reiterate in his own words in televised hearings. This was always a likely endpoint of the battle over Hagel, which has been a proxy war over Israel and over a broader foreign policy philosophy, but it has come with remarkable speed and comprehensiveness.

"Senator Hagel made a crystal-clear promise that he would do 'whatever it takes' to stop Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons," Schumer asserts in his release. Hagel also guaranteed Israel both specific hardware and a broad license to "defend herself" even "when terrorist groups hide rocket launchers among civilian populations and stage attacks from there."

So while Hagel may get through, so much of what gave the left hope about him may not.

Here's Schumer's full statement, distributed by the the former Obama campaign staffer heading Hagel's communications operation, Marie Harf:

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer released the following statement Tuesday regarding the nomination of former Senator Chuck Hagel's nomination for Secretary of Defense:

When Senator Hagel's name first surfaced as a potential nominee for Secretary of Defense, I had genuine concerns over certain aspects of his record on Israel and Iran. Once the President made his choice, however, I agreed to keep these reservations private until I had the opportunity to discuss them fully with Senator Hagel in person.

In a meeting Monday, Senator Hagel spent approximately 90 minutes addressing my concerns one by one. It was a very constructive session. Senator Hagel could not have been more forthcoming and sincere.

Based on several key assurances provided by Senator Hagel, I am currently prepared to vote for his confirmation. I encourage my Senate colleagues who have shared my previous concerns to also support him.

In our meeting Monday, Senator Hagel clarified a number of his past statements and positions and elaborated on several others.

On Iran, Senator Hagel rejected a strategy of containment and expressed the need to keep all options on the table in confronting that country. But he didn't stop there. In our conversation, Senator Hagel made a crystal-clear promise that he would do "whatever it takes" to stop Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, including the use of military force. He said his "top priority" as Secretary of Defense would be the planning of military contingencies related to Iran. He added that he has already received a briefing from the Pentagon on this topic.

In terms of sanctions, past statements by Senator Hagel sowed concerns that he considered unilateral sanctions against Iran to be ineffective. In our meeting, however, Senator Hagel clarified that he "completely" supports President Obama's current sanctions against Iran. He added that further unilateral sanctions against Iran could be effective and necessary.

On Hezbollah, Senator Hagel stressed that—notwithstanding any letters he refused to sign in the past—he has always considered the group to be a terrorist organization.

On Hamas, I asked Senator Hagel about a letter he signed in March 2009 urging President Obama to open direct talks with that group's leaders. In response, Senator Hagel assured me that he today believes there should be no negotiations with Hamas, Hezbollah or any other terrorist group until they renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist.

Senator Hagel volunteered that he has always supported Israel's right to retaliate militarily in the face of terrorist attacks by Hezbollah or Hamas. He understood the predicament Israel is in when terrorist groups hide rocket launchers among civilian populations and stage attacks from there. He supported Israel's right to defend herself even in those difficult circumstances.

In keeping with our promises to help equip Israel, Senator Hagel pledged to work towards the on-time delivery of the F-35 joint strike fighters to Israel, continue the cooperation between Israel and the U.S. on Iron Dome, and recommend to the President that we refuse to join in any NATO exercises if Turkey should continue to insist on excluding Israel from them. Senator Hagel believes Israel must maintain its Qualitative Military Edge.

Regarding his unfortunate use of the term "Jewish lobby" to refer to certain pro-Israel groups, Senator Hagel understands the sensitivity around such a loaded term and regrets saying it.

I know some will question whether Senator Hagel's assurances are merely attempts to quiet critics as he seeks confirmation to this critical post. But I don't think so. Senator Hagel realizes the situation in the Middle East has changed, with Israel in a dramatically more endangered position than it was even five years ago. His views are genuine, and reflect this new reality.

On issues related to female and LGBT service members, Senator Hagel provided key assurances as well. He said he is committed to implementing the Shaheen amendment to improve the reproductive health of military women. He also supports the full repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

In general, I believe any President deserves latitude in selecting his own advisors. While the Senate confirmation process must be allowed to run its course, it is my hope that Senator Hagel's thorough explanations will remove any lingering controversy regarding his nomination.

The ad appeared on the NRA's “Stand and Fight” website today after being provided to The Blaze. [[Update]] The ad, and website, were down for a brief time but are back up. A copy that is available on YouTube is also below.

Here's a copy of the ad before the website went down.

Source: youtube.com

The State Department believes that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against his people last month. (Warning: Graphic and disturbing videos.)

A secret State Department cable obtained by Foreign Policy's Josh Rogin says that chemical weapons have already been used against the Syrian people by its government — the "red line" that President Obama said would cause the U.S. to get involved.

The weapon allegedly used on December 23 in the city of Homs is reportedly Agent 15, a nerve agent also known as BZ. Effects include vomiting, respiratory problems, and a number of different nervous system symptoms.

Rogin's story links to some of the videos circulated by opposition activists, who say they show victims of the chemical weapons. The first video shows a rebel talking about the apparent chemical attack; the rest show people are gasping for air and in some cases vomiting.

View Entire List ›

GOP leaders bring the bill to a vote even as most Republican members oppose it. “It had to come up for a vote,” Republican Rep. Fleming says.

Image by Shannon Stapleton / Reuters

WASHINGTON — The House on Tuesday approved a final $50 billion in disaster relief to help the East Coast rebuild after Hurricane Sandy, more than eight weeks after the superstorm hit.

After the vote, lawmakers from New York and New Jersey made the rounds outside of the House chamber, shaking hands and offering mutual congratulations.

"Hey, we did it!" a grinning Rep. Michael Grimm said as he flashed a reporter two thumbs up.

In addition to the aid approved Tuesday, Congress has already approved $9.7 billion in relief for flood insurance, for a total of $59.7 billion.

Lawmakers from New York and New Jersey have lobbied publicly and relentlessly for the funding, which will supplement the Federal Emergency Management Agency relief already sent to the region; when the House dragged its feet, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie issued a stern rebuke.

In spite of this pressure, it took 79 days to approve the relief funding. In the wake of comparable natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, Congress has authorized supplemental aid in less than two weeks.

"Moving forward, let us pledge to never again allow politics to stand as a roadblock to relief for Americans in need," said Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in a statement after the vote Tuesday. "Let us ensure that Congress will always honor its responsibility, in a timely fashion, to offer a helping hand to our fellow citizens in the wake of disaster."

The delay came largely due to objections by conservative Republicans to the extra spending as Congress grapples with how to reduce the federal deficit. Ultimately, 49 of 232 House Republicans supported the measure.

Notably, the vote defied the so-called "Hastert rule," an unwritten code often followed by Congressional leaders that requires them to have a majority of the governing party's support before bringing a bill to the floor.

Although he has not explicitly endorsed the rule, House Speaker John Boehner has adhered to it; the guideline was among the obstacles that slowed talks leading up to the fiscal cliff. But conservatives largely backed Boehner's decision to allow a vote on the relief funding.

"It had to come up for a vote, and we did what we could to trim it down to a responsible level," said Rep. John Fleming, a Republican of Louisiana. But, he added, "There are so many places that we could cut that we just don't have the courage as a body to do."

Although they brought the measure to a vote, Republican leaders did not offer wholesale support for the bill: Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy opposed the addition of $33 billion to the aid package, although both supported final passage for the package.

The bill will now move back to the Senate, where it will be finally approved.

Tuesday, Sens. Frank Lautenberg, Chuck Schumer, Robert Menendez and Kirsten Gillibrand, the senators from New York and New Jersey, said it was "great news for families, communities and small businesses in our region that the House — after weeks of delay — finally passed an emergency relief bill for Superstorm Sandy."

"Our region extends a helping hand any time another community suffers from a major disaster, and we're pleased that the House voted to provide this emergency relief for New Jersey and New York."

Connecticut's new senator bests his home-state rival, a member of Congress. “At long last, Congressman Himes' long and oppressive rule atop Connecticut's Twitter delegation has finally ended,” Murphy says.

Image by Jessica Hill, File / AP

WASHINGTON — A Twitter rivalry between two Connecticut lawmakers reached the next level Tuesday when Sen. Chris Murphy bested Rep. Jim Himes, a fellow Democrat, in his follower count for the first time.

When Murphy passed the threshold, he issued a press release to gloat:

CHESHIRE—Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy achieved what many once said was impossible, surpassing U.S. Congressman Jim Himes in total twitter followers. Himes was crowned the second "best tweeter" in Congress by Washingtonian magazine just last year. Murphy released the following statement to mark the occasion:

At long last, Congressman Himes' long and oppressive rule atop Connecticut's Twitter delegation has finally ended.

First, I want to thank each and every person or bot who has clicked 'follow,' and come along on this journey with me. We've proven that, together, we can truly accomplish the impossible: we can best Jim Himes. It's encouraging to see so many people in Connecticut and across the country are engaged in more than just endless musings about Metro-North trains, obscure literary references, and oysters.

And second, while some may attribute this achievement to my election to the Senate, it's important to remember that we're all working with the same Internet here. People are free to follow whoever they want, and increasingly it seems they are choosing me instead of Jim.

On Monday, Himes had appeared to challenge Murphy with a photo that mocked Murphy's follower count:

View Entire List ›

“Don't Ask, Don't Tell” is gone, but don't tell the Association of Bragg Officers' Spouses. The Pentagon is backing the Army's decision, but the Marines are taking a more inclusive path.

Troops in Fort Bragg wait for the arrival of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama on December 14, 2011.

Image by Davis Turner / Getty Images

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon late Tuesday night backed up the decision of Army leaders at Fort Bragg in North Carolina not to intervene in the case of a military spouses group that denied membership to the lesbian wife of a servicemember, citing a 2008 policy that has not been revised since "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was repealed in 2011.

The reason cited by an Army spokesman at Fort Bragg: "[F]ederal discrimination laws don't extend to sexual orientation." A Pentagon spokesman added late Tuesday that the Department of Defense "neither drafts, executes nor exercises control over the Club or its governing documents. Private organizations who adhere to the criteria outlined in applicable instructions are allowed base access."

The decision marks a distinct departure from the path announced this past week by the Marines, which will require such groups not to discriminate against same-sex spouses if they wish to operate on military property.

Ben Abel, a spokesman at Fort Bragg, however, said the spouses group is "not in violation of the law in the way that they are operating now."

"The Association of Bragg Officers' Spouses is one of the private organizations that operates on the installation because the garrison commander has determined that they do provide a service to the post through, sponsor[ing] events on the post that are of benefit to the community. The Association of Bragg Officers' Spouses, to the judgment that we have here at Fort Bragg, are not in violation of federal discrimination laws because federal discrimination laws don't extend to sexual orientation," Abel said.

The Pentagon spokesman, Nathan Christensen, explained the current policy to BuzzFeed, "When [a private group] asks for authority to operate on a base it must comply with all applicable DOD instructions and directives and laws, in this case [Department of Defense Instruction] 1000.15."

The applicable instruction has not been revised since October 24, 2008 — during the George W. Bush administration and before the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The instruction prohibits private groups seeking recognition by the military as a "non-federal entity" from discriminating on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, age, disability, or national origin. It does not mention sexual orientation because out gay, lesbian and bisexual service was a ground for discharge when the instruction was written.

The Army's move at Fort Bragg provoked immediate criticism from the nation's largest LGBT military organization, OutServe-SLDN, which has been encouraging the Pentagon to update its policies to include gay servicemembers' families since before the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Allyson Robinson, the group's executive director, said the base's commander, Lt. Gen. Daniel B. Allyn, is "doubling down on anti-gay discrimination in his community." Robinson, who spoke with BuzzFeed prior to the Pentagon spokesman's comments, added, "I'm very disappointed in Gen. Allyn and in his command."

Despite the current instructions cited by Christensen, the Marines' guidance, issued by the Marine commandant's Staff Judge Advocate this past week, appears to go further than currently required in order to advance a nondiscrimination policy that includes sexual orientation. As reported by NBC News at the time, "The Marine memo, issued [Jan. 8], described the Fort Bragg club's stance as having 'caused quite a stir' and added, 'We do not want a story like this developing in our backyard,' confirmed Capt. Eric Flanagan, a Marine Corps spokesman. 'The order was pretty much using (the Fort Bragg events) as an example to clarify our policy,' Flanagan said. 'We stated that the policy is to be non-discriminatory.'"

When Abel was asked Tuesday afternoon about the discrepancy between the two service branch's policies, he said, "We don't make arbitrary decisions here at Fort Bragg. We get guidance from the Army and the Department of Defense. I cannot tell you why the Marines did what they did. I don't know anything more than you do from what I've seen in the press." Christensen, likewise, did not reference the Marines' guidance in his response late Tuesday night.

Robinson, of OutServe-SLDN, spoke with BuzzFeed Tuesday evening about Abel's comments, saying that his explanation was inadequate. "This response sounds like a very defensive final answer on the matter from General Allyn and from his command. As a private organization, the Association of Bragg Officers' Spouses is free to discriminate, but what Gen. Allyn, I think, would like for us to forget is that he doesn't have to provide support or dedicate resources to an organization that blatantly discriminates against certain families in his command. The responsibility here is still his," she said.

Abel, however, responded that the decision was not Allyn's to make, saying, "We don't make the laws here within the military, within the executive branch. We just execute the laws, and we follow the laws. If individuals have trouble, a specific grievance with the law, then they need to speak to somebody else. We don't make the laws here at Fort Bragg."

Robinson contrasted Abel's comments with those by President Obama's defense secretary nominee, former Sen. Chuck Hagel, who wrote in a letter to Sen. Barbara Boxer that he would "do everything possible to the extent permissible under current law to provide equal benefits to the families of all our service members." The letter, dated Jan. 14, was made public on Tuesday.

Referring to Allyn, Robinson said, "He is doubling down on anti-gay discrimination in his community on the very day that the likely next secretary of defense has pledged himself, historically, to using all of his authority to give out as equitable a situation for gay and lesbian military families as he possibly can under law. I think that what we're seeing at Fort Bragg highlights the need for leadership from the Pentagon to bring some consistency across the U.S. Armed Forces."

Although the Association of Bragg Officers' Spouses had announced in December that it would be reviewing its membership policies, Broadway told BuzzFeed on Monday evening, "Unfortunately, there has been no word from ABOS."

Salazar is expected to announce Wednesday that he plans to return to Colorado by the end of March, The Denver Post reports.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar inspects dock damage at the Statue of Liberty, which remained closed to the public six weeks after Hurricane Sandy, on December 13, 2012 in New York City.

Image by John Moore / Getty Images

WASHINGTON — Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is stepping down from his post in the coming months, The Denver Post reported early Wednesday morning:

Salazar is expected to broadly announce his departure Wednesday. He has told President Barack Obama that he intends to leave his job by the end of March. ...

The secretary is not shy talking about how much he loves his job as steward of the country's public lands. He often says the Department of Interior is really the Department of America. ...

But the pull of family obligations — he and his wife are primary caretakers of their 5-year-old granddaughter who has autism and is enrolled in a special school — was too great to commit to four more years, Salazar's office said.

A sharp response as a gun control battle brews.

WASHINGTON — White House officials blasted the National Rifle Association Wednesday for a new ad that calls Obama a hypocrite for advocating gun control legislation while his daughters are protected by armed Secret Service agents.

"Most Americans agree that a president's children should not be used as pawns in a political fight," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney in response to the ad. "But to go so far as to make the safety of the president's children the subject of an attack ad is repugnant and cowardly."

Source: youtube.com

Assault weapons ban and new “executive actions.”

FILE - In a Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013 file photo, gun owners discuss a potential sale of an AR-15, during the 2013 Rocky Mountain Gun Show at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy, Utah.

Image by The Deseret News, Ben Brewer, File / AP

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama announced a set of sweeping proposals Wednesday that administration officials say are designed to combat gun violence by restricting the sale of new weapons.

Flanked by children upset by the mass school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, last month, Obama and Vice President Joe Biden announced his support for congressional legislation banning the sale of new assault weapons, mandating universal background checks, and banning the sale of high-capacity magazines.

"The world has changed and it's demanding action," Biden said.

"I intend to use whatever weight this office holds to make them a reality," Obama added. "If there's even one thing that we can do to reduce this violence, if there's even one life that can be saved, then we have an obligation to try. And I'm going to do my part."

Obama also announced that he will take 23 "executive actions," including nominating a director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and clarifying "that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes."

The administration will also direct the Centers for Disease Control to study the causes of gun violence as well as the potential link between violence and violent video games.

Senior administration officials said they didn't know how many lives Obama's proposals would save. "There is no question that the action he is taking and the legislation he is proposing will save lives," maintained one senior official on a call with reporters. Nor could they say if they would have prevented any of the mass shootings that precipitated the reform.

Obama isn't presenting specific legislative language to lawmakers; instead he will "work together" with them to fine-tune proposals already introduced in Congress, the officials said, but they wouldn't provide a specific timetable for the legislation.

Likewise, the officials said the proposals would do nothing about existing assault weapons and magazines holding more than 10 rounds, and will only ban the sale of new ones.

"Our view is that we should get done as much as we can get done now and change the practice going forward," said one official.

In the immediate aftermath of the Newtown shooting, Obama called on Vice President Joe Biden to lead a task force to investigate a response to the slew of violence that has plagued Obama's time in office.

According to the officials, Biden and Cabinet officials convened "22 different meetings meeting with more than 220 different organizations and conversations with more than 31 elected officials — Democrats and Republicans."

"The president is backing up his strong words in the wake of Newtown with action," said one official, pushing back on reports that Obama was backing down from a fight given strident opposition from the National Rifle Association.

But the political future for Obama's legislative proposals is grim, with many Americans opposed to the assault weapons ban and many Republicans gearing up for a fight.

"House committees of jurisdiction will review these recommendations," said Michael Steel, a spokesman for Speaker of the House John Boehner. "And if the Senate passes a bill, we will also take a look at that."

The Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy announced that his committee will hold its first hearings on gun violence on Jan. 30.

Obama said "this will be difficult," encouraging Americans to contact their representatives to ask them to support his efforts. "This will not happen unless the American people demand it."

"What's more important? Doing whatever it takes to get an A grade…or giving the American parents the peace of mind when they drop their children off for first grade," Obama added.

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“P.S.: I know you're doing your best.” Letters by some of the children who flanked President Obama during today's press conference announcing executive action on gun control .

President Obama high-fives 8-year-old letter writer Grant Fitz.

Image by Susan Walsh / AP

Taejah, 10, Georgia

Julia, 11, Washington

Grant, 8, Maryland

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The New York governor's road to the White House runs through marriage, gun control, and sheer political brilliance. “A progressive who's broke” — or a new kind of centrist?

Cuomo talks about the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act in Albany on January 15.

Image by Hans Pennink / Reuters

The gun safety package that passed the New York state legislature Tuesday does many things: tightens the state's assault weapons ban, beefs up background checks, and requires 5-year re-certifications of gun licenses, to name a few.

It also provides an incredibly clear example of how the state's governor and aspiring president, Andrew Cuomo, operates – as well as what motivates him.

More specifically, it reflects a seemingly superhuman mastery of legislative politics, a consuming political drive, and a pattern of trying to score points on the Democratic left — key to a primary — through so-called "cultural" issues, while operating as an economic moderate.

On the first count, we are now at the point where even Cuomo's detractors cannot deny that the man is a mastermind when it comes to managing the levers of New York state government to enact his goals. You may not agree with his choices, you may question his principles, but you cannot question the man's skill and intuition.

Explaining his boss's efficiency and ability to persuade, a top Cuomo aide once explained, "We operate at two speeds here: Get along and kill." And how Cuomo managed to achieve this latest unachievable triumph (in formerly dysfunctional Albany, no less) could be its own masters course in executive expertise.

The story involves leveraging his considerable popularity to encourage previously obdurate Republican lawmakers to align themselves with him for the purpose of their own survival. It entails pressuring a wobbly coalition of Republicans and breakaway Democrats "leading" the state senate to put forward a legislative package most majority members opposed, as a means to retain legitimacy. It includes cleverly announcing as his priorities those broad areas which he already thought he could get done.

And it ends with rushing forward a vote on the legislation (crafted behind closed doors) in the dead of night, without New York's mandatory three-day aging period — and before anyone can change his or her mind.

Some might say that the backwind of the Newtown tragedy helped push this particular legislative package over the finish line; but if that's your view, take a look at the issue of marriage equality instead.

New York's legislature had voted down a similar bill just two years prior to 2011's historic achievement. And again it was Cuomo displaying an uncanny knack to motivate individual legislators to do things they otherwise would not consider – by lining up gobs of money to support a PR campaign for the issue, bringing prominent conservatives into the fold for political cover for Republicans, and uniting the various disjointed gay rights groups under the same banner.

Whether this mastery of the process would be transferable to Washington, DC, where Cuomo also worked as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, remains to be seen. But for now in New York, it's a fact of life: a combination of deep, on-the-ground experience (he had served as a young, trusted aide during his father's gubernatorial reign) and once-in-a-generation, innate political intelligence.

Which brings us to the governor's ever-running, finely-tuned political antenna.

As some have mentioned, Cuomo surely could have acted on gun safety earlier in his career, working to, say, tighten the interpretation of the assault weapons ban as Attorney General, or push for reform in his first few years as governor; this wasn't a societal problem newly brought to attention last month. But Cuomo saw the news stories, seized on a political moment to score big time attention, and envisioned the headline he wanted on his resume.

When he declared his state would be — must be — the first to do something on guns post-Newtown (and would have "the toughest assault weapons in the nation"), this was less the passionate pronouncement of a lifelong gun safety crusader, than the move of a political chess prodigy.

Of course, such motivation isn't unique to Andrew Cuomo. Politicians often strive to leave no crisis unexploited, and others like Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley (and, of course, the White House) are also rushing to get something done on guns now.

Which is sort of the point: Any commentary suggesting that Cuomo's push for gun safety reform is "bold" misses the fact that there is little but political upside to this battle. Not only is Cuomo's stance currently the de facto position for Democratic presidential aspirants, but every statewide elected official in blue New York holds similar views on the issue. What passes for the opposition in Cuomo's state, much like the opposition to marriage equality, is weak and disorganized.

The governor is a canny political player who picks his targets carefully and aggressively — and an issue with significant national attention, massive support in his home state, and a lethargic opponent, is political catnip, especially if you can influence legislators to act.

And here again, Cuomo excels without parallel. The conditions making gun safety a smart call for the governor were largely in place under his successors, but they couldn't move the Republican state senate to support legislation (or in some cases, put it to a vote). Cuomo found a way around that.

By tacitly supporting a controversial power arrangement whereby a handful of Democratic state senators abandoned the elected Democratic majority to swing control of the senate to the Republicans (in exchange for resources and co-equal authority), Cuomo set up his ideal arrangement.

Rather than a powerful Democratic majority (as the voters had elected) that could provide real checks on him, Cuomo now had a loose, decentralized state senate power structure that was far easier for him to control. In fact, he announced that he would only publicly support the governing coalition's legitimacy to the extent it acted on his top ten policy priorities, and would withhold or offer this support on a piecemeal, case-by-case basis.

Even more appetizing for him, Cuomo no longer had to worry about a united Democratic assembly and senate pushing him to act on liberal priorities that pushed him out of his comfort zone. By definition, a hybrid Republican-Democratic coalition is not going to present Cuomo with legislation that pushes him too far left or too far right (in fact, for all the gun safety reforms in this latest package, there are also conservative measures, like increased penalties). For a self-styled "consensus" guy, Goldilocks herself couldn't have asked for better.

But for this odd arrangement to work, the coalition would need to prove it could get stuff done. The breakaway Democrats had explicitly and counter-intuitively stated that they were forming the new structure to better ensure a "progressive agenda." And many observers of Albany politics, including yours truly, noted that the guns package was the first test of their credibility – and one they could not afford to lose.

Here, Cuomo cleverly leveraged the circumstances of this arrangement to his every advantage. First, when the fate of the package was not yet certain, he benefited from the pressure placed on the coalition to pass its first test; the greater the stakes were for the volatile senate leadership to get something done, the more likely the governor was to get his package voted on and passed. Then, when the deal was done, Cuomo allies were able to credibly point to the success of the controversial coalition in passing guns reform, as proof that it was a legitimate governing structure.

Which means the convenient arrangement can continue, and Cuomo can move on to the next item on his priority list, and again pressure the coalition to get it done. (Rinse, wash, repeat.)

But what exactly are his priorities? Once again, his decision to pursue the guns issue is instructive.

His recent rhetoric aside, Cuomo has staked out a relatively conservative record on economic issues, from cutting programs cherished by many in his own party and battling public workers, to eschewing progressive taxation and moving to silence Occupy Wall Street protestors. Such an agenda has helped Cuomo win favor with the well-heeled business and donor community in New York, influential conservative editorial pages, and Republicans, all adding up to very high approval ratings in New York.

But there's been some political cost to this economic conservatism for Cuomo: a backlash from liberals, with MSNBC's Chris Hayes calling him out for his tacit endorsement of the Republican power grab in the senate, and Daily Kos's Markos Moulitsas declaring he looks forward to crushing Cuomo in the 2016 presidential primary.

Cuomo's approach to balancing two competing interests – piling up points to advance in a Democratic primary for president, while steering to the center in key areas (and carefully avoiding antagonizing monied interests who fund campaigns and influence elite opinion) — has consisted of aggressive advocacy of "cultural" or "social" progressive causes, while downplaying economic ones. He has explained this practice by saying he's "a progressive who's broke" (a pronouncement which fails to explain why he opposed higher taxes on the rich).

Former New York Assemblyman Richard Brodsky has described the approach as, "a 'progr-actionary' or a 'con-iberal,' where you take the two prongs of the progressive agenda, the focus on the economic health of the middle class and the poor, and the liberation of people who've been historically oppressed, and you dump one in its entirety and you seize the other in a very high-profile move."

Marriage equality fit neatly into this matrix. Not only did wealthy people not mind this crusade, many of them actually supported it (and of course, some were themselves gay).

Similarly, guns is another issue right in the Cuomo wheelhouse. Unlike, say, a millionaire's tax (a policy he strongly opposed before acquiescing on a compromise), it's an issue that does not upend the economic status quo.

For Cuomo, the play here is to get the acclaim of being called a "progressive dreamboat" by reporters and commentators who fail to appreciate that liberalism is about more than cultural issues (and to reach voters less focused on economic justice). Just how successful this will be depends in part on the mood and positioning of the national Democratic party.

If economic liberalism ascends — and a candidate like Elizabeth Warren catches fire, or the liberal backlash against him gets louder — this strategy could spell trouble for Cuomo (in this case, one should expect him to suddenly shift leftward on economic justice, a posture he's actually hinted at in recent days). If, instead, what I call "SPECs" (Socially Progressive Economic Conservatives) retain the soul of the party, Cuomo will have a "pro-business" record that fits neatly within that framework.

With this context in mind, don't be shocked if you soon see an energetic effort by Cuomo to tackle the culturally progressive but financially non-disruptive cause of reproductive health care rights, referenced in his recent State of the State address.

The answers might surprise you. A fluid debate.

If Congress passes the gun legislation laid out Wednesday it could rival the Brady Act and Gun Control Act. “We're usually grumpy about things… But this covered all the bases we were hoping for.”

President Barack Obama'ss siganture is seen on a set of executive orders that he signed prior to unveiling a series of proposals to counter gun violence.

Image by Jason Reed / Reuters

Gun control advocates said Wednesday that President Barack Obama's proposal to reduce gun violence was "unprecedented in its scope and complexity."

Following recommendations made by Vice President Joe Biden's task force — charged with proposing new gun legislation following last month's mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary — the president urged Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban, require universal background checks on gun sales, and put a 10-round limit on gun magazines.

"We're really happy with it," Matt Bennett, of Third Way, told BuzzFeed after Obama's announcement. "He really struck a balance between having a plan that is bold and to scale and agressive, and one that respects the second amendement — it's the sweet spot we were hoping for."

Bennett compared the scale of Obama's proposal to the Gun Control Act of 1968, which prevented convicted criminals and mentally ill from purchasing guns, and the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, which put background checks in place on gun sales.

"It's really unprecedented in its scope and complexity. It's on the level of the other two big gun safety movements we've seen in 1968 and 1993," he said.

Whether or not the Obama administration will be able to put into law legislation comprobable to the Gun Control Act or Brady Act will depend largely on Congress.

"I don't think anybody thinks Obama will get everything he's asked for," said Bennett, adding that Democrat-controlled Congresses in 1968 and 1993 helped the success of both past gun control bills.

"It's a start — there's no question the administration's gonna do a lot more. But the president is doing what he's supposed to and telling Congress they need to get their act together," he added.

Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, was similarly pleased with Obama's proposal.

"The Brady Campaign stands with the president and vice president in supporting these comprehensive policy recommendations to address gun violence," he said in a statement Wednesday. "The White House has shown tremendous leadership in convening stakeholders and engaging the country in a conversation."

Both the Brady Campaign and Third Way were involved in talks with Vice President Biden's gun control task force.

Jonathan Cowan, Third Way president, added that the package "shows his genuine respect for the Second Amendment rights of law abiding Americans."

"There's a whole bunch of things in in his plan that were sensitive to the needs of gun owners," Bennett told BuzzFeed. "There was nothing about waiting periods, federal licenses and registration of gun owners — these are the things that alarm people who are eager to see Second Amendment rights preserved."

The president also signed 23 "executive actions" directly following his remarks. Most prevalent among them was the nomination of Todd Jones for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms Explosives, which has not had a confirmed director in six years.

"None of them are enormous," said Bennett of the actions. "They're necessary but not sufficient. Had they been enormous he would have done them already."

But in full, gun control advocates seem poised to stand fully behind the president and vice president on their proposals.

"We're usually grumpy about things — we're hard to please over here sometimes," said Bennett. "But this covered all the bases we were hoping for."