D.L. HUGHLEY SAYS "BILL COSBY'S COMEDY WAS CLEAN BUT HIS LIFE WASN'T & HE RAPED WOMEN" (VIDEO)

D.L. HUGHLEY SAYS "BILL COSBY'S COMEDY WAS CLEAN BUT HIS LIFE WASN'T & HE RAPED WOMEN":

TIME'S UP.

Post Sources: VladTV, Youtube

During an interview in 2017 on VladTV (Youtube), comedian D.L. HUGHLEY made this compelling, shocking statement about Powerful, Super Wealthy, Sex Addict/ Rapist BILL COSBY:

"Bill Cosby's comedy was clean but his life wasn't and raped every one of those women. Bill Cosby tried to stop other Black Comedians from becoming famous that's why he wanted to buy NBC."

Can you say "HYPOCRITE"??

I'm not surprised.

Dr Bill Cosby was telling Impoverished Black Men to "pull their pants up", while he was pulling down the panties of Women outside of his Marriage and Raping those Women.

This same kind of HYPOCRISY can often be found in many large Churches.

Many of the Men in large Churches (especially Black Churches) are living a double life of ADULTERY, FINANCIAL ABUSE, PHYSICAL ABUSE against their Wives and INCEST against their own Daughters, yet their image at Church is Clean and Respectable.

This Hypocrisy lifestyle can largely be found among Black Male Church Leaders who should be demonstrating to Young Men how to live a Clean, Professional life, instead many Black Male Church Leaders are Married Whoremongers, who prey upon low income, Single Women.

Just as Bill Cosby did, those Black Men in large Churches who live a double life of ADULTERY, FINANCIAL ABUSE and PHYSICAL ABUSE against their Wives and INCEST against their own Daughters, while APPEARING to live a Clean life in public, often use Money and Influence to keep their Wives Silent.

When the Wives of these Black Male Church Leaders attempt to Speak Out and EXPOSE these Sexual Predators in Sheep clothing, the Men will tell other Church members that their Wives are "Mentally Unstable" or that their Daughters are "Mentally Unstable".

The Pastors at many of these "Mega Churches" often remain quiet while the Men in their congregation Abuse their Wives and Daughters because the Men are putting MONEY into the Church coffers.

For the record I am not attacking Black Churches nor am I attacking "Mega Churches".

I'm just want to see JUSTICE for hurting Women and Children whose lives have been torn apart by trying to COVER UP Sexual Assault in the Workplace, at Home and sadly enough in the Church.

If Society really wants to know why the lives of so many Young Black Men are messed up, look no further than the neighborhood Black Churches.

Many Young Black Men have Mothers who were PHYSICALLY ABUSED, EMOTIONALLY ABUSED and FINANCIALLY ABUSED by Black Male Church Leaders.

Who were these Black Male Church Leaders? The Fathers or Step-Fathers of those Young Black Men.

Many Young Black Men have Sisters or know other Young Women who were RAPED or Sexually Assaulted by a Black Male Church Leader,who in most cases was their own Father or Step-Father.

When those Young Black Men attempted to Speak Out on behalf of their Mothers and Sisters, they were labeled as "Rebellious" or as "Thugs".

Forgiveness does not eliminate Consequences.

God is the final Judge!

I thank the good Lord Bill Cosby isn't God.

Cosby deserves to be in Jail even at 80 years old because he committed Sexual Assault against Women for decades with Malicious Intent and then called those Women "Mentally Unstable" and "Gold Diggers".

No More Shame!

#MeToo

KANYE WEST'S RECENT INTERVIEW BEFORE MELTDOWN (SURFACE MAGAZINE)

KANYE WEST'S RECENT INTERVIEW BEFORE MELTDOWN (SURFACE MAGAZINE):

HE SPOKE INTELLIGENTLY BUT YOU CAN TELL HE WAS ANGRY & HURT ABOUT SOMETHING.


Sources: Billboard, Surface Magazine, YouTube


***** Kanye West's Thoughtful Interview on the Music Industry, Emojis & Design With 'Surface' Magazine


Despite being touted as the king of controversy for his extensive rant in Sacramento over the weekend, Kanye West does what he does best and did not censor himself for his latest interview with Surfacemagazine.

While discussing his passion for design and art, the Chicago rapper-cum-designer also discussed the power of the Internet, including his love for emojis.

“There’s a lack of people in power that are motivated by the idea of helping people. But, thanks to the internet, people who would never have made it through a corporate system, they were able to jump to positions of power in their 20s that work on ideas for the new world," said West.

West also urged people to stop handing over their power to the "uncool" and allowing others to dictate their lives. "More people need to know that they’re not f---ing cool. In today’s world, having money has allowed people who are extremely uncool to think that they’re cool and carry it like that. People who really are cool and people who really are artists and have ideas have to literally turn in their cool card to society just to make it past the age of 28."

Elsewhere in the interview, he touched on his desire to further children's education, all while comparing life to the popular '90s video game The Legend of Zelda. "People across the world just lack opportunities, period. I feel a responsibility because of my parents. They’re activists and were in the world-changing business," he said. "Any extra goodwill or good skills I’ve gained I learned from them, and take along on my Legend of Zelda role-playing path in life."

LOUIS FARRAKHAN CALLS HILLARY "EVIL WOMAN", PRAISES TRUMP (SORT OF)

MIN LOUIS FARRAKHAN CALLS HILLARY AN EVIL WOMAN WHO DESTABILIZED LIBYA BUT HE PRAISES TRUMP (SORT OF):

FARRAKHAN SAYS TRUMP IS DANGEROUS TO THE STATUS QUO.

Sources: Alex Jones, NOI, US News & Report, Youtube

~ Note:

 The views expressed in the posted videos above are solely those of Louis Farrakhan.

**** Louis Farrakhan on Donald Trump: 'I Like What I’m Looking At'

The strange-bedfellows truism of American politics was all but redefined Tuesday when Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump – currently taking fire from his own party for the support he's getting from the Ku Klux Klan – got a salute from Louis Farrakhan, longtime leader of the Nation of Islam.

Speaking at the black nationalist organization's annual Savior's Day in Chicago, Farrakhan told parishioners that he admires Trump because he believes the celebrity billionaire's purportedly self-funded presidential campaign isn't taking money from the "Jewish community."

"[Trump] is the only member who has stood in front of [the] Jewish community and said, 'I don't want your money,'" Farrakhan told his followers Sunday at the Mosque Maryam in Chicago, according tothe Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights organization.

"Anytime a man can say to those who control the politics of America, 'I don't want your money,' that means you can't control me. And they cannot afford to give up control of the presidents of the United States." Farrakhan said in the sermon. Though he said he admires Trump's independence, the 82-year-old leader stopped short of endorsing the first-time novice politician for president.

"Not that I'm for Mr. Trump," he said, "but I like what I'm looking at."

On Sunday, CNN host Jake Tapper pressed Trump about whether he'd disavow David Duke – a former Klan leader who's active in conservative politics – and other white supremacists backing his presidential campaign. Trump at first said he didn't know anything about Duke, then hastily disavowed him Monday under an ongoing firestorm of criticism.

The critics include House Speaker Paul Ryan, the GOP's 2012 vice presidential nominee, who backhanded Trump when speaking to reporters Tuesday.

If a person wants to be the nominee of the Republican Party, there can be no evasion and no games. They must reject any group or cause that is built on bigotry. This party does not prey on people's prejudices," Ryan said.

For Farrakhan, the enemy-of-my-enemy support for Trump is nothing new: Besides calling for a separate African American state, the Nation of Islam strongly believes Jews were responsible for the slave trade and that they're part of a vast conspiracy that controls the government, the media and the entertainment industry, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. That the NOI's fierce brand of anti-Semitism puts them on the same side as the Klan, which also despises African Americans, is largely viewed as incidental.

Praising Trump, however, is a reversal for Farrakhan, who a few months ago suggested a White House run by the former reality show star would lead America into "the abyss of hell."

MIKE HUCKABEE SCHOOLS MEDIA ON FAIR COVERAGE & HELPING THE POOR (LIVE IN IOWA)

MIKE HUCKABEE SCHOOLS MEDIA ON FAIR COVERAGE & HELPING THE POOR (LIVE IN IOWA):

Almost immediately after participating in the Undercard Debate in Iowa, 2016 GOP Presidential candidate MIKE HUCKABEE kindly granted interviews with members of the Media.

Surrounded by a sea of Journalists and Media reps, I was finally able to get close enough to capture 3 minutes of Gov Huckabee discussing his campaign receiving unfair air time and the best strategy for helping lift Poor people out of Poverty.

Sources:  Fox News, Google, Youtube

BLACK VOTERS WANT CHANGE; WILL SUPPORT GOP IN 2016 (ATLANTA VOTERS SPEAK OUT)

ATLANTA'S BLACK VOTERS WANT CHANGE; WILL SUPPORT GOP IN 2016 (REAL VOTERS SPEAK OUT):

LIVE INTERVIEWS FROM BLACK VOTERS IN EAST POINT, GEORGIA.

EAST POINT, GEORGIA NEEDS JOBS & COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS.

Due to failing "OBAMANOMICS" policies and Democrat Politicians refusing to invest back into communities heavily populated with BLACK lower income constituents, many BLACK voters are strongly considering casting their ballots for a GOP Presidential candidate in 2016.

Some young Employed BLACK Men interviewed in the video posted above explain why they will indeed vote for a Republican President this Fall.

One of the Men I interviewed in this video is originally from CHICAGO.

*** By the way CRIME and Unemployment in East Point, Georgia is extremely HIGH.

The quality of Drinking and Bathing WATER in East Point, Georgia is grade Fair to Poor. Especially in communities further away from the Camp Creek Marketplace near College Park.

Democrats need to wake up!

This time the GOP is prepared to WIN!

Sources:  Yahoo News, Youtube

ARIEL SHARON'S 60-Minutes Interview: Feb 26, 1928 - Jan 11, 2014 (R.I.P.)

#SHARON

ARIEL SHARON; Born: Ariel Scheinermann, February 26, 1928, in Kfar Malal just outside of TEL AVIV.

Died: January 11, 2012, at a Hospital near TEL AVIV.

Former ISRAELI Prime Minister ARIEL SHARON is dead at the age of 85.

SHARON a Tel Aviv native, survived the last 8 years of his life in a Coma.

Prime Minister SHARON was a WAR Hero, who supported expanding ISRAEL'S borders and helping JEWISH Settlers.

His death was met with both Tears & Cheers from around the world.

In 2002 ARIEL SHARON was interviewed by 60-Minutes Journalist LESLIE STAHL.

During this interview SHARON stated that he felt NO HATRED toward anyone, including former Palestinian leader YASSER ARAFAT, but loved ISRAEL with all his heart.

SHARON also expressed deep regret for NOT having Killed YASSER ARAFAT when he had the chance to do so.

Last Saturday Pres OBAMA along with other World Leaders, publicly offered his Condolences to SHARON'S Family & to the people of ISRAEL.

R.I.P.






ARTICLE: "Ariel Sharon, Former Prime Minister Of Israel, Dies At 85"


Ariel Sharon's life was one of dramatic highs and lows. As a soldier, he was both a war hero and a national disgrace. As a politician, he was a brazen leader who fought for Israel’s security, but became despised for withdrawing unilaterally from the Gaza Strip and offering Palestinians a state of their own.

His son, Gilad Sharon, announced his death Saturday, saying "he went when he decided to go."

Vice President Joe Biden said in a statement that he will lead the U.S. delegation to Israel for Sharon's funeral, which was scheduled for Monday near his ranch in the Negev Desert.

In a statement released by the White House, President Obama called Sharon "a leader who dedicated his life to the state of Israel."

"We reaffirm our unshakable commitment to Israel's security and our appreciation for the enduring friendship between our two countries and our two peoples," Mr. Obama said. "We continue to strive for lasting peace and security for the people of Israel, including through our commitment to the goal of two states living side-by-side in peace and security."

The man Israel knew as "Arik" began serving as the nation's prime minister in March 2001. A highly controversial figure as both a longtime political and military leader, Sharon was also known as "the bulldozer" for his aggressive style.

Short and burly -- he was 5-foot-7 and weighed well over 250 pounds before his debilitating stroke in 2006 -- Sharon seemed larger than life. Proud and defiant, he liked to remind Israelis that he fought in every one of the country's five wars since its founding more than half a century ago.

Born in 1928 to Russian immigrants, Sharon first fought in the Jewish militia whose founding preceded statehood in 1948. Sharon then rose swiftly through the ranks of the Israeli army, making his name on the battlefield as he went. His bold advance across the Suez Canal helped turn the tide of the 1973 Mideast war.

But Sharon also masterminded Israel's disastrous invasion of Lebanon in 1982. The unapproved military strike stopped Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization from using Lebanon to launch attacks against Israel, but it also resulted in the massacre of hundreds of innocent Palestinians.

An Israeli commission found Sharon indirectly responsible and in early 1983, he was removed from his post as defense minister. His political future seemed doomed, but he would gradually resurrect his career, serving in parliament and holding a variety of cabinet posts.

Sharon defied international protests, leading a push to build dozens of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. But after his party's election defeat in 1999, Sharon devoted more of his time to his sheep farm in southern Israel.

Failed peace talks and a Palestinian uprising, however, would draw him back onto the political stage. In 2001, Sharon was elected prime minister in a stunning landslide.

It was in his second term that Sharon stunned observers across the world -- including his domestic allies -- by offering Palestinians statehood and classifying Israel's rule over them an "occupation."

Prior to withdrawing from the Gaza Strip and giving 1.3 million Palestinians a degree of autonomy after decades of Israeli rule, Sharon had always maintained a contrarily hard line.

As a member of parliament, he had never voted in favor of any of Israel's peace agreements with neighboring Arab states. He consistently refused to shake the hand of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, who he called a murderer and a liar.

Sharon was a founding member and former head of the conservative Likud party. But in 2005, he broke away from the party and founded a new centrist party, Kadima ("Forward").

On Saturday, former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noted Sharon's politics in a statement offering their condolences.

"Ariel Sharon gave his life to Israel - to bring it into being, to sustain and preserve it, and at the end of his long service, to create a new political party committed to both a just peace and lasting security," the Clintons said. "It was an honor to work with him, argue with him, and watch him always trying to find the right path for his beloved country."

In January 2006, Sharon's career was cut short when he suffered a massive stroke.

Ehud Olmert, the deputy prime minister and fellow Kadima party member, was confirmed as acting prime minister. Before suffering the incapacitating stroke, Sharon enjoyed enormous popularity and a wide lead in the polls. His Kadima party went on to win the largest number of seats in the March 2006 elections.

Supporters viewed Sharon as a leader who worked toward peace without compromising Israel's security. Many Israelis also consider him a war hero who helped defend the country during some of its greatest struggles.

Sharon's critics in Israel, however, say he undermined the peace process and surrendered too much security in exchange for peace with the Gaza pullout.

The divergent views on Sharon extended to the White House. Ronald Reagan, writing in his autobiography "An American Life," called then-defense minister Sharon "a bellicose man who seemed to be chomping at the bit to start a war."

In 2003, however, President George W. Bush referred to him as "a man of peace."

On Saturday, a spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon released a statement saying that Ban was "saddened" by Sharon's death.

"The Secretary-General calls on Israel to build on the late Prime Minister's legacy of pragmatism to work towards the long overdue achievement of an independent and viable Palestinian state, next to a secure Israel," the statement read. "At this time of national mourning, the Secretary-General renews the commitment of the United Nations to work alongside the Government and the people of Israel for peace and security."



Sources: 60-Minutes, AP, CBS News, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Youtube

Enrique Peña Nieto Calls Arizona's Immigration Law "Discriminatory", Seeks New Debate On Drug War

Mexican President-Elect Tells Fareed Zakaria: Solution To AZ Law Is Fixing Mexican Economy

Mexican President-Elect Enrique Peña Nieto spoke to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria this week for an interview airing tomorrow, and in a preview released today, Peña Nieto reacts to our Supreme Court upholding parts of Arizona’s controversial SB-1070 law.

While calling the law “discriminatory,” he acknowledged that the solution was making immigration “a decision and not a necessity for Mexicans.”

Zakaria asked Peña Nieto to respond to the Arizona law and explain how, as president of Mexico, his administration would address the immigration problem, particularly the criminal side of it.

He called the law “discriminatory” and argued that said laws “do not recognize the contribution and the value of millions of immigrants” to the American economy.

He added, however, that as President of Mexico, “I understand that Mexico must facilitate conditions for greater economic development through structural reforms, treasury reform, labor reform… in order to generate jobs and great opportunities in our culture.”

The bottom line for him was to make “immigration a decision and not a necessity for Mexicans.”





Mexico's Peña Nieto calls for 'new debate' on the drug war

Mexico's Enrique Peña Nieto called for a "new debate" on the drug war and said the United States must play an important role in that discussion.

The presumptive president-elect spoke this week to Fareed Zakaria in an interviewing airing on this week's "Fareed Zakaria GPS."

"Yes, I do believe we should open up a new debate regarding how to wage war on drug trafficking. Personally, I'm not in favor of legalizing drugs. I'm not persuaded by that as an argument.

However, let's open up a new debate, a review, in which the U.S. plays a fundamental role in conducting this review," said Peña Nieto.

More than 47,500 people have died in drug-related violence since Felipe Calderon, Mexico's current president, made combating cartels a top priority when he took office in 2006.

Peña Nieto has pledged to focus more on reducing violence and less on catching cartel leaders and blocking drugs from reaching the United States.

"What we seek now in our new strategy is to adjust what's been done up until now. It's not a radical change.

It's to broaden the coverage and above all, the emphasis I aspire to of reducing the violence in our country," he told Zakaria.

"I'm persuaded that if we achieve the specialization in the work carried out by the various branches of the federal police and the inspector general's office, waging war on impunity will allow us to combat crime," he said.

The presumptive president-elect also weighed in on Arizona's immigration law, which allows police to check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws if "reasonable suspicion" exists that the person is in the United States illegally.

The controversial provision was recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

It struck down other parts of the law.

"Clearly, it seems to me that these are discriminatory laws that don't recognize the contribution and the value of millions of immigrants, particularly from my country, who make enormous contributions to the United States' economic development.

It's clear to me that Mexico must facilitate conditions for greater economic development through structural reforms, energy reforms, treasury reform, labor reform, in order to generate jobs and greater opportunities in my country, so that immigration is a decision and not a necessity for Mexicans," he said.

An official tally of returns Friday confirmed Peña Nieto of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, as the winner of Mexico's presidential election.

But until the country's electoral tribunal ratifies the results - and challenges are virtually assured - he remains the presumptive president-elect.

Peña Nieto's closest rival, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has vowed to challenge the results, accusing the PRI of vote-buying, and said that he would take his complaints through the legal system.

The federal electoral tribunal, known as TRIFE, will begin to accept complaints Monday of voting irregularities.

The tribunal will have until September 6 to complete its investigation and ratify - or reverse - the official election results.

The new president will be sworn in December 1.





Police in Arizona arrest 20, dismantle drug trafficking cell of Sinaloa Cartel

Authorities in Tempe, Arizona, dismantled a drug trafficking cell associated with Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, arresting 20 people and seizing three tons of marijuana, 30 pounds of methamphetamine and $2.4 million in cash, police said.

A six-month investigation by Tempe police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency also concluded with the seizure of an airplane, 10 vehicles and 14 firearms, police said Friday.

The cartel delivered illegal drugs in Tempe and branched out to customers in New York, Alabama, California and other states, police said.

"This operation demonstrated a collaborative effort by state and federal law enforcement agencies," Tempe Chief of Police Tom Ryff said in a statement.

The drug trafficking "stretched across the Mexico border and into Arizona and beyond," said Doug Coleman, special agent in charge of the DEA's Phoenix office.

The Sinaloa Cartel is one of Mexico's most powerful drug-trafficking groups, and cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera is widely known as Mexico's most-wanted fugitive.

Forbes magazine has placed him on its list of the world's most powerful people, reporting his net worth at $1 billion as of March.


View Larger Map


Sources: CNN, Mediaite, Google Maps

"30 Million Uninsured Not the Issue" Says McConnell: 4 Reasons Romney & GOP Can't Repeal

4 Reasons Why Republicans Won’t Be Able To Repeal Obamacare

Responding to Thursday’s Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, Congressional Republicans have scheduled a vote in the House to repeal the law and Mitt Romney pledged to undo the measure if he’s elected president in November.

But unless the GOP wins a super majority in the Senate — a scenario no one thinks is plausible — it can do little more than weaken Obamacare’s regulations and defund some of its provisions.


Here is why:

1) Romney has no authority to issue waivers.

Romney has promised to expand a provision of the Affordable Care Act that allows states to opt out of certain sections of the law to permit states to ignore it entirely. But the executive branch and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) likely don’t have the authority to grant such broad waivers.

According to the law, HHS (together with the IRS) have waiver authority, but only if the states meet very specific requirements.

Neither have blanket waiver authority, which would have to come from Congress.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) — the author of the waiver provision — has challenged Romney’s claims, saying, “Anybody who tries to move outside the standards of the bill — which is the coverage and costs and the like — well I’ll certainly fight that. But I think lots of other people will too.”


2) Congress can’t repeal the full law through reconciliation.

Without the necessary 60 votes in the Senate for full repeal, Republicans are pledging to use a budget reconciliation bill to undo the ACA.

But this process would only apply to the budget-related elements of the law and would thus leave many portions — including the mandate — intact.

As health care expert Robert Laszewski put it, “Romney could end up creating a chaotic environment driven by enormous uncertainty over just which parts of the new health care law would be implemented–for consumers, health care providers, and insurers.”


3) Republicans have nothing to replace it with.

David Frum explains that since the expansion of coverage provisions go into effect in 2014, Romney would have just one year to both repeal and replace the law.

Republicans haven’t even coalesced around a single plan — and many in the party believe that the federal government should leave health care alone and want to leave the entire reform process to the states.

Thus, “if replacement does not happen in the first 100 days, it won’t happen at all—that is, it won’t happen as a single measure, but rather will take the form of dozens of small incremental changes adopted episodically over the next 20 years.”


4) Americans support Obamacare’s provisions.

While Americans may not like “Obamacare” — and the political process of passing it — they do support its major provisions and are likely to resist any effort by Republicans to take away their benefits.

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that while 56 percent of Americans oppose the law as a whole, 61 percent of respondents favored allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ insurance plans until age 26, 72 percent wish to maintain the requirement that companies with more than 50 workers provide health insurance for their employees, and 82 percent of respondents favored banning insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

As more benefits roll out in 2014, it will be increasingly difficult for Republicans to argue for their repeal.





WHY ROMNEY WON’T REPEAL OBAMACARE

Mitt Romney, speaking just before noon today, declared that on his first day in office, “I will act to repeal Obamacare.” I think he chose his words carefully. As President, he may indeed “act” to repeal it on Day One, but I don’t believe he will actually be able to overturn the law.

If Romney were to win in November, the first matter he’d have to deal with would be the fallout from the so-called fiscal cliff of December 31st, the day when some five hundred billion dollars worth of tax increases and spending reductions take effect, which could put the economy into another recession (if it’s not already in recession by then).

This moment would perhaps be Romney’s greatest chance at repeal.

Because the fiscal-cliff negotiations will be an enormous fight over the size and scope of the federal government, every government policy will theoretically be open to debate—including, Romney might insist, repeal of the A.C.A.

But it’s a fantasy.

The negotiations would be dead before they started if Republicans demanded repeal as a price for a Grand Bargain on taxes, spending, and entitlements. The fiscal-cliff negotiations will undoubtedly include a great deal of horse-trading that will infuriate and cheer partisans on both sides.

But there is literally nothing Republicans could offer Democrats in return for repealing the Party’s greatest achievement since the Johnson Administration.

Assuming that Romney comes through this period of his transition and Presidency with a deal that settles the tax and spending issues brought about by the fiscal cliff (and the related debt-ceiling vote that will likely happen weeks later), he could then return to his domestic agenda, which, he declared today, includes repeal of the A.C.A. as the first priority.

But he would immediately face a set of political circumstances similar to the ones that made health care such a difficult issue for Obama in 2009.

Absent the Senate Democratic Caucus being found to be running a crack house or chid-prostitution ring, there is no prospect whatsoever of the Republicans winning a sixty-vote, filibuster-proof majority in the Senate this year.

The most likely outcome is the Democrats narrowly retaining control, though Republican control is certainly within the realm of possibility.

Assuming that Romney comes to Washington without a sixty-vote majority in the Senate, the task of repeal will be nearly insurmountable.

First of all, the Congressional Budget Office, which “scores” all legislation—and which so frustrated Obama in 2009 that he refused to mention its name in White House meetings, demanding instead that aides call it “banana”—would now be the A.C.A.’s best friend.

The last time the C.B.O. weighed in on the matter, it reported that repeal of the A.C.A. would cost the government almost three hundred billion dollars.

Republicans dispute that, but they’d still be under pressure to explain where they would come up with that money.
The bigger problem, of course, would be in the Senate.

Remember the weeks that the Senate Finance Committee spent arguing over health care?

The committee would need to return for a repeat performance.

If Democrats still controlled the committee, Republicans would have to somehow force it to debate repeal and find at least one Democratic vote to send repeal legislation to the full Senate.

This is unlikely to happen.

But if it does, in order to become law, Romney’s repeal of the A.C.A. would face a battery of three separate tests requiring sixty Senate votes: one to bring the legislation to the floor, one to start the debate, and one to end the debate.

The filibuster, the G.O.P.’s favorite parliamentary device of the Obama era, would now be the Party’s great enemy.

Many Republicans, especially in the blog and talk-radio swamps, would cry, “Use reconciliation!” Readers familiar with the congressional debates of 2009-2010 will remember that this procedure allows certain budgetary measures to pass through the Senate with a simple majority.

(After Ted Kennedy died and was replaced by the Republican Scott Brown, Obama and congressional Democrats used the reconciliation process to make some final, crucial changes to the health-care law.)

But reconciliation wouldn’t work here—the process can only be used for policies that have budgetary effects and a C.B.O. score. Much of the A.C.A., such as the insurance exchanges and subsidies, would fall under these categories.

But a lot of it, including the hated individual mandate, does not. Repealing the exchanges and subsides without repealing the mandate and the other regulations and cost controls in the law would create a health-care Frankenstein that a President Romney would be rather nuts to support.

If the Supreme Court had gutted the law today by throwing out the mandate and the regulations and several of the other “non-scoreable” items, a President Romney with a G.O.P. Congress might have had a relatively easy time finishing the job of killing Obama’s law, even without sixty votes in the Senate.

But today the Court did two things that make repeal of the A.C.A. nearly impossible now: it has given its not-inconsequential stamp of legitimacy to the law, and it has made the parliamentary path of repeal through Congress highly unlikely and probably impossible, at least in the near future.

Far-sighted conservatives always thought that their great hope for toppling Obama’s most important legislative achievement was through the courts.

They were correct.



Sources: CBS News, Face The Nation, Fox News, New Yorker, Think Progress, Youtube

"GOP Should Get Over SCOTUS Health Care Ruling!" Says Jack Lew

Obama chief of staff: Time to get over debate

Jack Lew, the White House chief of staff, said Sunday the Supreme Court decision upholding President Barack Obama's health care measure should put to rest the national debate over the law's practicality.

Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," Lew said the Affordable Care Act, which was signed into law in 2010, needs to be fully implemented before Americans assess its merit, and that detractors of the law, including Obama's opponent in the 2012 presidential election, were using it to divide the country.

"This was a plan that Gov. Romney supported," Lew said, "and it's something that I would have thought he would be proud of."

The national debate over the law, which has been ongoing since the law was implemented, can now end with the court's ruling, Lew said.

"It's time now to get over the debate and implement that law," he told CNN chief political correspondent Candy Crowley. "What the American people don't want is, they don't want to be taken back to the old divisive debate. They want to get on with it, and they want us to be focusing on economic growth and creating jobs."

The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, said the law's individual mandate to obtain health insurance could stand under Congress' power to levy taxes. Lew maintained that ruling should end all questions about the measure's legality.

"I think one of the great things about this country is that we have a Supreme Court and when it rules, we have a final judgment," Lew said. "So there's not a question now on whether or not the law is constitutional. It is constitutional."

He continued, "I think health care has been a divisive debate for many years. It's a very personal issue for people. They understand that health care is a big part of their lives. And frankly they hear a political debate that makes it more, not less, divisive."

Despite Lew's proclamation that debate should now end on the law, Republicans this week signaled they were not retreating in their battle against the president's plan. Romney, speaking soon after the court's ruling was handed down, renewed his vow to repeal the law.

And House Republicans, who have seized on Roberts' assertion the law could stand as a tax, scheduled a vote to repeal the law in early July.

Lew dismissed the tax argument Sunday, saying that Obama and his team were ready to take on Republicans who claim the law represents a tax hike.

"The law is clear. It's called a penalty," Lew said, saying the fine imposed on people who choose not to get health insurance would only affect 1% of Americans.

"Everyone who has insurance, everyone who chooses to get insurance, will not pay it," Lew said. "What they are going to get is security, lower premiums, and better health care."


Sources: ABC News, CNN

Donald Trump vs Wolf Blitzer: Wolf Calls Donald "Ridiculous!"

Blitzer and Trump go at it over Trump's 'birther' claims

Donald Trump did not back down Tuesday from his questioning of President Barack Obama's birthplace, instead arguing heatedly with CNN's Wolf Blitzer that "a lot of people do not think it was an authentic certificate," though he declined to offer names of experts who agree with him.

The issue of Obama's birth - litigated in the 2008 presidential campaign, then settled when the Obama White House released the longform version of the certificate in April 2011 - is being brought to the fore in no small part by Trump, who is also set to fundraise alongside presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney Tuesday evening.

On CNN's "The Situation Room" Tuesday, Trump maintained that Obama's birthplace is a matter of opinion, rather than fact.

"Everybody's entitled to your opinion," he said. "You know my opinion and you know his opinion and that's fine. We're entitled - as he said yesterday in the airplane - we're all entitled to our opinions and he's entitled to have his opinion. I don't happen to share that opinion, it's wonderful."

Blitzer presented Trump with newspaper announcements of Obama's birth from 1961.

Trump interrupted, "Can you stop defending Obama?"

"Donald, you're beginning to sound a little ridiculous, I have to tell you," Blitzer replied.

"You are, Wolf," Trump fired back. "Let me tell you something, I think you sound ridiculous."

Trump then alleged that the practice of filing U.S. birth announcements for an overseas birth was commonplace, though he offered no evidence.

"Many people put those announcements in because they wanted to get the benefits of being so-called born in this country," Trump said. "Many people did it."

Obama's longform birth certificate showed he was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961 and was acknowledged as authentic by state officials. Natural born American citizenship is one of the Constitutional requirements for the presidency.

"Is it the most important thing?" Trump asked in an interview earlier on Tuesday. "In a way it is. You're not allowed to be the president if you're not born in the country."

Trump finds himself at odds with GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, whose spokeswoman pointed out in an email statement that "Governor Romney has said repeatedly that he believes President Obama was born in the United States."

But Romney made no effort to distance himself from the comments, even when presented with the opportunity by reporters on Monday.

"You know, I don't agree with all the people who support me and my guess is they don't all agree with everything I believe in," Romney said when asked about the issue. "But I need to get 50.1% or more and I'm appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people."

Trump said he has not spoken about the birther issue with Romney

"I haven't talked to Mitt Romney about it," he said. "What I speak to Mitt Romney about is jobs. What I speak to Mitt Romney about is China, because he's got a great view on China and how they're taking our jobs and taking our product and manipulating their currency so it makes it almost impossible for our companies to compete."

Trump spoke by phone with Blitzer in the interview from Las Vegas, where he and Romney will fundraise with former GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.

Obama's campaign released a web video on Tuesday that said the 2008 GOP nominee "John McCain stood up to the voices of extremism in his party… Why won't Mitt Romney do the same?" In the video, McCain is seen addressing a woman who called Obama an "Arab," saying, "He's a decent family man, citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with."

The president's deputy campaign manager suggested Romney's alliance with Trump in light of the tycoon's statements calls into question how he would serve as president.

"Mitt Romney's continued embrace of Donald Trump and refusal to condemn his disgraceful conspiracy theories demonstrates his complete lack of moral leadership," Stephanie Cutter said in a Tuesday afternoon statement. "If Mitt Romney lacks the backbone to stand up to a charlatan like Donald Trump because he's so concerned about lining his campaign's pockets, what does that say about the kind of President he would be?"

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday the White House was forced to address the issue last year, "but not because we chose to, but because it was such a ridiculous distraction from the important business that we should be doing here that the president is committed to doing and Congress should be doing to help the economy grow and help it create jobs."

"We can revisit that but I think the American people are pretty fed up with this kind of nonsense," he said.

As evidence of his claims, Trump pointed to a biographical note published in the 1990s by Obama's literary agent, which said Obama was born in Kenya.

The literary agent recently apologized for the mistake.


Sources: CNN

Lark Voorhies: OMG! What Happened To "Lisa Turtle's" Face? Plastic Surgery Gone Bad??

Has anyone seen the face of former "Saved By The Bell" cast member Lark Voorhies lately?

She used to be so Beautiful.

Now she looks like the Walking Dead!

What happened??

Is it a case of Bad, Cheap Plastic Surgery?

OMG!






Lark Voorhies, former ‘Saved by the Bell’ star, looks barely recognizable with drastic new look


"Lisa Turtle", is that you?

Lark Voorhies, who played the spoiled student on “Saved by the Bell” from 1989 to 1993, has fans all atwitter over her drastic new appearance.

The 38-year-old actress looked barely recognizable during a recent interview with Yahoo!’s “The Yo Show,” in which she wore a different hairstyle and heavily-applied makeup over a puffy face.

During the chat, Voorhies admitted she would be open to the possibility of an onscreen reunion with her former cast mates Mark Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley, Tiffani Thiessen and Dustin Diamond.

“I really honestly believe if it did happen it wouldn't be a bad thing ,” the actress and producer said. “We tend to circumvent and come around to this topic quite often, so I think the buzz might catch.”

As for the rumors that she once dated Gosselaar?

"No, we were all that close," Voorhies said. "We just had a great chemistry and it registers very powerfully (on-screen)."

Nowadays, the former teen star said she has been "very busy” with her new company, Yo Soy Productions. In September, she will appear in an episode of VH1's new reality show “Miss You Much,” in which viewers are updated on what their favorite TV, movie and music stars are up to now.

Whoa! See What Lark Voorhies Looks Like Now


If the Bayside High Class of 1993 reunion ends up happening, Jessie, AC, Kelly, and Zack might have a hard time recognizing their old pal Lisa Turtle.

Now 38, Lark Voorhies--who played the spoiled Valley girl on Saved by the Bell from 1989-1994--recently sat down for an interview with Yahoo!'s "The Yo Show," setting the internet abuzz with chatter over how the actress has changed since her faux-high school days.

Voorhies, whose last major role was in 2001's How High, debuted a dramatically different hairstyle and a fuller face, heavily made up with poorly-matched shades.

During the chat, the actress and producer--who currently owns her own production company, Yo Soy Productions--opened up about what she's been up to lately, and more importantly, whether she and her former costars plan to reunite.

Though she wouldn't confirm if a reunion with Mark Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley, Tiffani Thiessen and Dustin Diamond was in the works, Voorhies did admit she would be interested in signing on.

"I really honestly believe that if it did happen, it wouldn't be a bad thing," Voorhies revealed. "We tend to circumvent and come back to this topic quite often . . .so I think the buzz might catch."

As for the rumors she once dated costar Gosselaar?

"No, we were all that close," Voorhies says. "We just had a great chemistry and it registers very powerfully [on-screen]."

This fall, the former teen star is set to appear in VH1's new reality show Miss You Much--which updates viewers on what their favorite 90s entertainers are up to now--alongside the Wonder Years' Jeremy Miller.



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Sources: AOL, Huffington Post, NBC, NY Daily News, US News, Yahoo, Yo Productions, Youtube, Google Maps

Dharun Ravi/ Tyler Clementi Case Wrongfully Labeled A Hate Crime: Ravi Didn't Cause Tyler's Suicide

Rutgers’ Ravi: ‘I Wasn’t the One Who Caused Him to Jump’

Former Rutgers student Dharun Ravi, convicted last week of a hate crime for spying on his gay roommate’s date, regrets his “dumb kid” actions, but told ABC News today that he takes “comfort” in the belief that his webcam peeking is not the reason Tyler Clementi jumped to his death.

Ravi, 20, of Plainsboro, N.J., spoke about the case just days after a New Jersey jury convicted him of invasion of privacy, bias intimidation, witness tampering and hindering arrest for using a webcam to peek at Clementi’s date in their college dorm room on Sept. 19, 2010 and encouraging others to spy during a second date, on Sept. 21, 2010.

Ravi was not charged in connection with Clementi’s death.

“Even though I wasn’t the one who caused him to jump off the bridge, I did do things wrong and I was stupid about a lot of stuff,” Ravi said in an exclusive broadcast interview with “20/20″ co-anchor Chris Cuomo.

Ravi, who was 18 at the time, was initially rattled by Clementi’s death, which the press depicted as the result of cyber bullying.

He asked himself, “Is this because of me?” Ravi told Cuomo.

But Ravi said that what he learned about his freshman roommate during the course of legal proceedings — including information that hasn’t been made public — convinced him that the 18-year-old took his life for reasons that didn’t have anything to do with Ravi and his webcam.

“The more and more I found out, it would be kind of obnoxious of me to think that I could have this profound effect on him,” Ravi said.

At another point he added, “After all this time and reading his conversations and how and what he was doing before, I really don’t think he cared at all.

I feel like I was an insignificant part to his life. That’s giving me comfort now.”

Ravi also pointed out that Clementi left behind a note, and that its contents have never been made public.

“The fact that we weren’t allowed to read it, that they said it didn’t have anything to do with this, that gave me comfort also because I figured if it has nothing to do with me…it must have been something else that was going on,” he said.

“He didn’t even care about this… He had bigger problems in his life,” he said.

Ravi, alerted by his dorm resident adviser that Clementi was aware of his spying and wanted a room change, sent Clementi a text and an email apologizing. That text was sent about the same time that Clementi jumped off the bridge.

“What is frustrating was I never knew if he got my text or the e-mail that I sent.

It was very frustrating to think I didn’t get a chance to say anything to him. To this day, I just say you know what, I’ll just think he read it and he got it and I’m going to accept that as that’s what happened. …At least he had to hear what I had to say.”
Ravi is scheduled to be sentenced May 21 and could face five to 10 years in prison.

As an Indian citizen who is in the U.S. on a green card, Ravi could also face deportation.

Despite the hate crime conviction, Ravi maintains his innocence. He said he never hated Clementi and is not homophobic. That’s why, he said, he turned down prosecutors when they offered a plea deal that included no jail time in exchange for admitting to charges of intimidation against Clementi.

“I had to go up there in front of a judge under oath and say I intimidated Tyler because of sexual orientation — (to say that) I did this because I had this hate for gay people,” he said. “I don’t hate gay people.”

It is believed Clementi learned about his roommate’s spying over Ravi’s Twitter account, on which Ravi posted messages about the incidents.

The first time, Ravi said, he and a friend watched Clementi and his date kissing for just few seconds from another dorm room before quickly shutting it down.

The second time, Ravi said, he planned to let a friend watch the webcam feed, and through a Twitter post he also let other friends know about his plans. But he later decided against it and turned the camera away from Clementi’s bed, he told Cuomo.

During Ravi’s trial, the prosecutor rejected Ravi’s claim to have turned off his computer and turning the webcam away, arguing that it was Clementi who shut it off.

Ravi told Cuomo that his actions were never intended to hurt or shame Clementi and that the Twitter posts were just a way to keep in touch with his own friends and let them know what was going on in his life.

“Looking back, I was very self-absorbed with the whole thing. It was never, ‘What if Tyler finds out, how’s he going to feel about it?’” he said. “…I was 18, I was stupid, I wouldn’t think about my actions beyond a minute into a future. I was a dumb kid not thinking about it.”

Despite media depictions of Clementi and his suicide, Ravi said he believes the teen wasn’t fragile.

“Just because he’s gay doesn’t mean he’s automatically fragile and can’t deal with anything,” he said.

While Ravi believes he should face some punishment, that punishment shouldn’t include jail, he said.

“So much worse happens,” he said. “Kids actually get bullied and actually go through stuff much worse than this. I understand why people feel the need to punish me.

Bad stuff happens and they need to set an example, but it’s unfortunate this has to be the case where this happens.”

Ravi said he feels he’s been taken advantage of.

“The people that are fighting for gay rights, they have a just cause. I think this kind of detracts from their cause,” he said. “This is something people can point to and say, ‘You guys are going overboard.’ I think it’s bad for them.”


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Sources: ABC News, Google Maps

Santorum & Gingrich Enter "Etch-a-Sketch" Political Fray; Both Are Trailing Romney

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Rick Santorum & Newt Gingrich have now joined the "Etch-a-Sketch" Political Fray after Romney's Adviser mentioned it this Morning.
Both Santorum & Gingrich are losing Badly to Romney.






Etch A Sketch takes center stage in GOP fight


Rick Santorum has found an unlikely new rallying point: The Etch A Sketch.

Santorum's campaign has aggressively seized on a comment Wednesday morning by Romney Communications Director Eric Fehrnstrom, who was asked on CNN if he was concerned that the primary challenge from Santorum and Newt Gingrich "might force the governor to tack so far to the right" that Romney will alienate moderates who would otherwise vote for him if and when he reaches the general election.

"Well, I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign," Fehrnstrom responded. "Everything changes. It's almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all over again."

The comment reflected a political reality: Presidential candidates from both parties traditionally tend to play to their base in the primary before tacking toward the center in a general election in order to win moderates. But it also played directly into the Santorum campaign's argument that conservatives can't trust Romney to stand up for their beliefs in the general election.

In the middle of a campaign event in Louisiana Wednesday, Santorum, grasping an Etch A Sketch, said he was launching "what I'll call my Etch A Sketch tour of America." It was not the first time Santorum brought up Fehrnstrom's comment Wednesday.

"Imagine, had Mitt Romney been around at the time we were drafting our Constitution," he said. "He would just shake it and just shook it up after it was approved to rewrite it. We're talking about big things here folks, this isn't a joke or a game. We're talking about important things in our society. Freedom is not something that you go out and give nice lofty highbrow speeches about and then turn around the next day and say no, when we have to go out and work in a general election, I'll go back to my government control approach."

Added Santorum: "The people of Louisiana have a choice to make now that we know what's very clear about the Romney campaign. We all knew it before, as he was all over the place on every issue, but now they've made it clear. They think they have this nomination in the bag so it's time to reset. It's time to start moving to the middle. We have an opportunity here in Louisiana to make a very clear statement. We're not looking for someone who's the Etch A Sketch candidate. We're looking for someone who writes what they believe in in stone and stands true to what they say."

A Santorum adviser told CBS News/National Journal reporter Lindsey Boerma that the campaign had stopped at a Toys "R" Us store on the way to the event and picked up four Etch A Sketch toys - and that on the way to the event they were doing drawings of Romney in the car. (Santorum's campaign tweeted out a photo of Santorum using the toy with the caption "@RickSantorum studying up on @MittRomney policy positions.")

Meanwhile, Santorum spokeswoman Alice Stewart showed up at a Romney event in Maryland and handed out Etch A Sketches to reporters.

"The point is that clearly the Romney camp acknowledged what we've all been afraid of is that if he were to make it through the primary he would abandon his conservative principles and go right back to the middle," she said, pointing to Romney's relatively moderate record as Massachusetts governor. "That's absolutely the last thing that we need as conservatives."



The Santorum team isn't alone in mocking Romney over the comment. Newt Gingrich brought an Etch A Sketch to a campaign event, where he gave it to a toddler and said that with it, the child could be a presidential candidate too. He also tweeted that "Etch-A-Sketch is a great toy but a losing strategy. We need a nominee w/bold conservative solutions."

Democratic consultant Matt Ortega, meanwhile, went up with a website, etchasketchmittromney.com, featuring what are presented as Romney's contradictory statements on an Etch A Sketch screen. And on Twitter, Romney's critics asked what other toys might describe the former Massachusetts governor using the hashtag #RomneyToys. (A few samples: "Hungry, Hungry Corporations," "Backtrackgammon," "My Little Phony.")

The gaffe blunted a bit of positive news for Romney Wednesday: His endorsement from former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Romney responded to questions about the criticism late Wednesday afternoon by saying that his campaign "takes on a different profile," if he gets the nomination, but his positions won't change.

"I can tell you this: When the campaign moves to becoming a general election campaign, the nature of the campaign itself in terms of staff, funding, the states we would go to will be different than today, obviously," he said, adding that the campaign becomes "much larger" and involves working with the Republican National Committee.

"The issues I'm running on will be exactly the same," Romney added, saying he "was a conservative Republican governor" and is "running as a conservative Republican."

Meanwhile, the company behind the Etch a Sketch, Ohio Art Company, says it is thrilled with all the attention. The company put out a statement in which it said that it is "Happy to see Etch A Sketch, an American classic toy, is DRAWING attention with political candidates as a cultural icon and important piece of our society."

It goes on: "A profound toy, highly recognized and loved by all, is now SHAKING up the national debate. Nothing is as quintessentially American as Etch A Sketch and a good old fashion political debate. We are pleased with the added attention being drawn to Etch A Sketch which is truly one of the most recognizable, iconic and fun toys ever developed. As one of the most classic toys of all time, Etch A Sketch has always sold particularly well with today's consumer. It is too early to tell, but we are hopeful to see if there is an uptake in sales given this recent exposure."


Sources: CBS News, CNN, MSNBC, TPM