THE NARRATIVE AND POLITICAL CORRECTNESS


Threats to freedom of speech, writing and action, though often trivial in isolation, are cumulative in their effect and, unless checked, lead to a general disrespect for the rights of the citizen. -George Orwell

Thursday, April 30, 2015

BATF: APRIL 30, 2015

Welcome back to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Friends! This week, RedState's own Moe Lane joins regular panelists Leon Wolf of RedState, Scott Lincicome of the Cato Institute, F. Bill McMorris of the Washington Free Beacon, Neal Dewing of The Federalist, and Jeff Blehar of the Ace of Spades Decision Desk to discuss Baltimore, the Clinton Foundation, and the Iran deal.



 photo 9ef1b8bf-2783-402f-9322-9b5b82a2b397_zpsqdwsqqlf.jpg

CLEVVER NEWS #DHR - APRIL 30, 2015



 photo e809d2a8-19d5-4734-902a-18cb39da5008_zps3abff030.jpg

NERDIST NEWS: APRIL 30, 2015



 photo 8b7ec5e3-3d0c-4a42-84fd-dd5e18ddf878_zps684d495c.jpg

EWTN THE WORLD OVER - APRIL 30, 2015



In this week's EWTN The World Over, Raymond Arroyo reviews the headline news of the week, plus:

Kyle Duncan, former lead counsel for Hobby Lobby, joins Raymond to discuss oral arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court regarding same sex "marriage."

Reggie Littlejohn, human rights activist, China expert and president of Women's Rights Without Frontiers talks to Raymond about the sad legacy of China's nearly 40-year-old one child policy and her "Save A Girl" initiative.

Finally, Raymond interviews Most Reverend Jean-Clement Jeanbart, archbishop of Aleppo, Syria about the plight of the persecuted Christians of Syria.


 photo 75bbcd55-f040-4717-b9f4-81b20033bb9d_zps561d8f14.jpg

 photo 463df79b-4f19-41ae-be59-3fb1f74236a2_zps4e78f448.jpg

EWTN NEWS NIGHTLY: APRIL 30, 2015



EWTN News Nightly's Brian Patrick presents the headline news of the day.

Additional news and views from around the Catholic world:

The Attack on San Francisco's Archbishop Cordileone - Who's Behind It and Why?

Fools or Liars?

Will Supreme Court Impose a Supreme Injustice on Marriage?

Court May Deny Religious Liberty of Catholic Schools

Pope Francis planning to visit Fatima in 2017, local bishop announces

Who's on the guest list for a Vatican concert? Rome's homeless community

Mercy - God's antidote to a cynical world and tired Church

England: Hundreds to process through York in honor of Reformation martyrs

Remembering Sister Mary Ann Walsh

Thank a Nun Day: The Social Media Campaign to Say 'Thanks' to Catholic Sisters Around the World

 photo 8c9e5ac1-b3d8-407f-84a8-db06d3d1add7_zps543accdb.jpg

 photo 463df79b-4f19-41ae-be59-3fb1f74236a2_zps4e78f448.jpg

THREE MARTINI LUNCH: APRIL 30, 2015

National Review's Jim Geraghty and Radio America's Greg Corombos discuss current events. Today's Martinis: The MSM stays with the Clinton Foundation scandal, the White House doesn't care about Iran detaining a cargo ship, and MSNBC's Alex Wagner's unfortunate take on Obama's remarks on Baltimore.



Pentagon lawyers discover we don't have to defend our allies if threatened by Iran
There is no better metric to measure the health of American hegemony than whether trade ships enjoy unfettered access to sea lanes. Global maritime law is among the more settled concepts in international law, and its violation has universally understood consequences. American naval power guarantees the right of safe passage, and hostile powers know that they will encounter resistance if they used military force to prevent commercial ships from proceeding along their routes. At least, they knew that until Tuesday. Today, the world awakes to a new reality in which the United States has blinked.
If you're watching affairs from Moscow, or Beijing, or Tehran, or the capital of any other revisionist power, why wouldn't you believe that America's alliances are barely worth the paper on which they are written? Why wouldn't the Kremlin think it could test NATO's commitment to the defense of Eastern European states. Would London, Paris, Berlin, and Washington really risk war with a nuclear power over a sliver of territory in eastern Estonia?
It no longer seems like much of a risk to find out. Similarly, why would the People's Republic of China believe that a flotilla of "fisherman" colonialists who establish a base on the contested Senkaku Islands would be resisted with force? There is simply no evidence to suggest that would be the case. At least, not under this administration.
It's a more dangerous world today, and much of that is a result of Barack Obama's repeated displays of impotence and irresoluteness. Before this week, when it comes to America's obligations to its allies, Obama's "you're on your own" doctrine was only perceived. Today, it's precedent.
Also read:

The Obama Regime Is Surrendering the Gulf to Iran

John Kerry to Iran, reportedly: Barack Obama is great and all, but he's no Ayatollah Khamenei

 photo c65c8a6a-b23c-42c4-a170-4162851959c7_zps2e33dc91.jpg

YESTERDAY'S HEADLINES TODAY - VOL. 632



SCOTUS Prepares to Destroy Traditional Marriage Statutes

Yes, Justice Kennedy, States Can Decide Not to Make Marriage a 'Dignity-Bestowing Institution'

What you won't hear from the media and gay activists about same-sex "marriage"

American Jacobins: Sexual Revolutionaries Prepare the Battlespace for a De-Christianized America

Religious Liberty Is Not Enough

Why Same-Sex "Marriage" Is Impossible for Catholics

Redefining Marriage Would Erode Religious Liberty and Free Speech Rights of Citizens and Churches

Marriage, Civil Society, and a Church on the Margins

How the 'Right to Love' Is Promoting Hate

Should We Fight the Culture War?

THIS DAY IN TWITCHY: APRIL 29, 2015



'Who wants to tell him?' David Axelrod gets reality checks about #BaltimoreRiots

Multiple shootings, porta-potty torched and looting during #FreddieGray protest in Ferguson

Liberals unhappy with Barbara Mikulski for saying hello to National Guardsmen and thanking police

'Fuck Outta Here White Boy': Potential 2016 candidate Martin O'Malley gets heckled in Baltimore

Obstructionist mob blocks Holland Tunnel for social justice or something

Occupy retreads show 'solidarity' with Baltimore by blocking traffic everywhere

'Big mess': Denver mob curses cops, then each other; DPD pepper sprays crowd

'I just want to go home:' Seattle obstructionists piss off commuters…for justice!

Solidarity? Nope: Black protester says whites are taking up 'too much space'

Washington Post: Prisoner said Freddie Gray was 'banging against the walls' during ride in police van

Rick Leventhal also heard that Freddie Gray threw himself into walls of van

Protesters blast Geraldo for discussing Washington Post report on Freddie Gray



 photo 7689d097-fe44-449f-a5c5-65cc38f7b21e_zpsyymh2dpv.jpg

TDC: 5 MARVEL SERIES THAT DESERVE SPIN-OFFS!



 photo 8b7ec5e3-3d0c-4a42-84fd-dd5e18ddf878_zps684d495c.jpg

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

CLEVVER NEWS #DHR - APRIL 29, 2015



 photo e809d2a8-19d5-4734-902a-18cb39da5008_zps3abff030.jpg

KLAVAN & WHITTLE: SHOULD WE PRIVATIZE POLICE?

Should we just privatize police forces? Would the free market work to police us?



 photo 1f9507f4-f5cc-4773-abbb-1447d89d8ef9_zps657594e7.jpg

EWTN NEWS NIGHTLY: APRIL 29, 2015



EWTN News Nightly's Brian Patrick presents the headline news of the day.

Additional news and views from around the Catholic world:

Pope Francis donates $100,000 to Nepal relief efforts

Archbishop Lori: Please Pray the Rosary for Peace and Justice in Baltimore

'Civil' Marriage Does Not Exist

The Culture War: Stand Up and Fight!

Congress to Vote on Law that 'Takes Away Our Right in Catholic Schools' to Teach Faith

Feminist Bigot Gloria Steinem Touts Abortion, Ridicules Church at St. Norbert College

A "War" between Science and Religion?

Pope Francis: Is the fear of failure causing young people to avoid marriage?

Sister Mary Ann Walsh, woman of faith, writer, spokeswoman, dies at 68

St. Catherine of Siena & The Thirst for Holiness

 photo 8c9e5ac1-b3d8-407f-84a8-db06d3d1add7_zps543accdb.jpg

 photo 463df79b-4f19-41ae-be59-3fb1f74236a2_zps4e78f448.jpg

TOP 10 MOVIE RIOTS

There's plenty for our inner animal to feast on in these rowdy scenes of all-encompassing violence and mayhem!



 photo 5e9274df-0b79-49fa-abd6-0a1653e6f8ce_zpsb9a723e2.jpg

THREE MARTINI LUNCH: APRIL 29, 2015

National Review's Jim Geraghty and Radio America's Greg Corombos discuss current events. Today's Martinis: The situation in Baltimore improves, Obama wants us all to do some soul-searching, and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders wants to be president.



'DOG WHISTLE TOOT TOOT TOOT'! Obama calls #FreddieGray rioters 'thugs'
Also read:

'Paging Sally Kohn'! WH: Obama stands by word he used to describe #FreddieGray rioters

No, Riots Are Not 'Free Speech' Or A 'Legitimate Political Strategy'

 photo 25503688-2233-40de-b977-2225e4a31462_zpss25lxr1i.jpg

TAYLOR SWIFT'S CATS LOVE CALVIN HARRIS TOO?



 photo e809d2a8-19d5-4734-902a-18cb39da5008_zps3abff030.jpg

NERDIST NEWS: APRIL 29, 2015



 photo 8b7ec5e3-3d0c-4a42-84fd-dd5e18ddf878_zps684d495c.jpg

YESTERDAY'S HEADLINES TODAY - VOL. 631



U.S. Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on Same-Sex "Marriage"

Obama Regime Says Non-Profit Status is 'Going to Be an Issue' for Religious Schools

Who Will Be the Next Victim of the Big Gay Hate Machine?

The Unraveling of the Common Good

Gender-Diverse Marriage Laws Do Not Infringe the Liberty of Gay and Lesbian Americans

I'm Gay, and I Oppose Same-Sex "Marriage"

Is Homosexual "Marriage" Even Possible?

HuffPo editor: 'Why doesn't the Left advocate for persecuted Christians?'

Baltimore Is a Democrat Problem, Not America's Problem

In Praise of Partisan Rancor: Politics Shouldn't Be Fun

 photo 2910ccd4-456e-47e7-aa74-9335084d2f94_zpsd3b597dc.jpg

THIS DAY IN TWITCHY: APRIL 28, 2015



Media under attack in Baltimore as well; Photographer bloodied, camera stolen, accused of faking it

To riot or not to riot in Baltimore: Vox helps you decide

Tweeters wonder who CNN reporter Miguel Marquez was talking to on his phone all day long

Matt Drudge offers up ominous warning over the #BaltimoreRiots: 'the country could fall'

Good news: Salon just endorsed arson and looting as a 'legitimate political strategy'

Politico's Glenn Thrush cites Oklahoma City bombing as example of white people rioting

'Shame on you'! CNN's Brooke Baldwin offers B.S. excuse for smearing vets over #FreddieGray

Watch this clueless Baltimore woman berate CNN's Chris Cuomo

Geraldo Rivera proves to be especially potent riot irritant in Baltimore, nearly fights with protester

'We have a winner': Kevin D. Williamson perfectly nutshells the Baltimore problem



 photo 4c4e1e95-4522-49c1-8b9a-a0754045e1b5_zpsqxk8vuzv.jpg

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

CLEVVER NEWS #DHR - APRIL 28, 2015



 photo e809d2a8-19d5-4734-902a-18cb39da5008_zps3abff030.jpg

POLL: WALKER 23%, RUBIO 13%, BUSH 12% IN IOWA

 photo 0021dd11-894f-4b2d-9bcb-1294f91d5d9b_zpst9kwu65k.jpg

From PPP's latest Iowa poll:
PPP's newest Iowa poll finds Scott Walker well ahead of the rest of the Republican field in Iowa, getting 23% to 13% for Marco Rubio, 12% for Jeb Bush, 10% each for Mike Huckabee and Rand Paul, 8% for Ted Cruz, 7% for Ben Carson, 5% for Chris Christie, and 4% for Rick Perry.
Walker has the highest favorability out of anyone in the field, with 59% of voters viewing him favorably to 13% who have an unfavorable view. The key to Walker's success is that he's winning both among voters who are most concerned about electability in the general election and among voters who are most concerned with having the most conservative candidate.
Among voters who say being able to win in the general is their top priority, Walker gets 21% to edge out Marco Rubio (20%) and Jeb Bush (17%). His lead is much more emphatic among voters saying conservatism is their top priority- with them he gets 29% to 14% for Cruz, 12% for Paul, and 10% for Huckabee.
Bush's third place finish is because he really continues to struggle with conservative voters in the key early states. Overall he only has a 38/37 favorability rating, and that's because with those identifying themselves as 'very conservative' he comes in at 30/45. He only polls at 2% as the first choice for the nomination with that group, putting him in last place.
A couple of other highlights of interest:
Ted Cruz's 8% standing suggests that whatever bump he might have gotten following his official candidacy announcement has already worn off. We were finding him in double digits in most of the polls we conducted across the country before Rubio and Paul joined the field as well. Cruz was at 15% when we last polled Iowa in May so if anything he might be losing steam.
Chris Christie continues to be very unpopular with GOP voters - only 28% have a favorable opinion of him to 50% with a negative one, making him by far and away the most unpopular candidate in the state.
What's the secret to Walker's success? Simple: He's the guy whom every faction within the party can happily tolerate. He may not be everybody's initial first choice but he seems to be everybody's second choice. In other words he is the candidate who can unite the party when the time comes. That's powerful stuff, facilitated in large part by the fact that he is battled-tested and a proven winner, even in less-that-optimal situations.

Most candidates see their support swing, sometimes wildly, between self-identified TEA partiers, opponents, and neutrals, but Walker's putting up winning, consistent numbers across all three groups. He beats Ted Cruz, 25-18%, among TEA partiers, Jeb Bush, 22-16%, among Establishment types and Rand Paul, 24-15%, among those who are neutral.

The most satisfying part of the data, to me anyway, is the fact that Walker also wins among younger Republicans (18-45 years old). Many people assume that Paul or maybe Rubio would win that category but this data shatters that assumption. Among voters 45 and younger, Walker gets 26% while Paul gets 19% and Rubio, shockingly, gets only 4%. Meanwhile, Walker wins the 46-65 and 65 and older groups as well.

Walker has also been polling well in New Hampshire. He has also been well-received in South Carolina. There seems little doubt that among all the contenders, Walker is the only one who has a legitimate shot at winning the first three contests. That's a very pleasant thought!

Also read: Three reasons Iowa Republicans love Scott Walker right now


EWTN NEWS NIGHTLY: APRIL 28, 2015



EWTN News Nightly's Brian Patrick presents the headline news of the day.

Additional news and views from around the Catholic world:

Supreme Court doesn't tip hand: asks tough questions of both sides in marriage case

Those Raised by Same-Sex Couples Try to Show Another Side to Marriage Debate

Ireland's Defenders of Marriage Speak Up for Mothers, Fathers and Children

Lebanese cardinal: Christian exodus weakens moderate Islam

Local bishop describes 'a very, very frightening scene' in Nepal

On "Sustainability"

No to nuclear weapons, yes to nuclear technology – the Holy See's stance

Connecticut Threepeat: Assisted-Suicide Bid Shut Down

Pope Francis is a more influential tweeter than President Obama, study shows

Empire of the Cross: Layers of Our Faith

 photo 8c9e5ac1-b3d8-407f-84a8-db06d3d1add7_zps543accdb.jpg

 photo 463df79b-4f19-41ae-be59-3fb1f74236a2_zps4e78f448.jpg

TOTALLY CLEVVER: DO YOU KNOW THE AVENGERS?



 photo 8b3ea509-74fa-470d-aae1-2ee1470d2515_zps47b32f52.jpg

THREE MARTINI LUNCH: APRIL 28, 2015

National Review's Jim Geraghty and Radio America's Greg Corombos discuss current events. Today's Martinis: Baltimore's mayor stumbles in her response to increasing violence by rioters - and may have encouraged them with some ill-chosen words. Plus, even amid the ongoing riots is media coverage too focused on the bad news out of Baltimore?



Blue City Blues: The Left's Burning Cities
In Baltimore, as the National Guard steps in, curfews are imposed, and business owners pick up the pieces from their burned-out, looted stores, let's not forget why one more American city has been torn apart by racial violence. Blue America has failed at social justice. It has failed at equality. It has failed at accountability. Its competing constituencies are engaged in street battles, and any exploration of "root causes" must necessarily include decades of failed policies - all imposed by steadfastly Democratic mayors and city leaders.
Are the riots caused by the Baltimore Police Department's "documented history" of abuse? Which party has run Baltimore and allowed its police officers to allegedly run amok? Going deeper, which American political movement lionizes public-employee unions, fiercely protecting them from even the most basic reform? Public-employee unions render employee discipline difficult and often impossible. Jobs are functionally guaranteed for life, and rogue officers can count on the best representation money can buy - courtesy of Blue America.
Are the riots caused by inequality? Orioles' owner Peter Angelos's son, John, made waves on the left with his "tweetstorm" stating that his "greater source of personal concern, outrage, and sympathy" was not with "one night's property damage" but with a litany of economic outrages that he claims have "plunged tens of millions of hard-working Americans into economic devastation." Mother Jones summed up his message by declaring, "At the end of the day, it comes down to social and economic inequality."
So let's examine inequality. It turns out that the more "blue" a city is, the greater its level of income inequality...
Also read:

Riot-Plagued Baltimore Is a Catastrophe Entirely of the Democrat Party's Own Making

The sickening few in the media who welcomed the Baltimore riots

 photo 8bec4bca-49b7-4be4-a295-1426d510695b_zpsm4ad2bzk.jpg

TOP 10 SUPERHERO LOVE TRIANGLES

You thought saving the world was hard? Just try sorting out these messy love lives!



 photo 5e9274df-0b79-49fa-abd6-0a1653e6f8ce_zpsb9a723e2.jpg

NERDIST NEWS: APRIL 28, 2015



 photo 8b7ec5e3-3d0c-4a42-84fd-dd5e18ddf878_zps684d495c.jpg

YESTERDAY'S HEADLINES TODAY - VOL. 630



Gov. Scott Walker Talks About Wisconsin Witch Hunt; Dem Witch Hunters Not Pleased

Will Supreme Court take blockbuster "John Doe" campaign case?

Abandonment of Christian Victims of Genocide Today

Will the Supreme Court Open the Door to the Criminalization of Christianity?

Citizens, Not Judges, Should Determine Future of Marriage

Like the President and Hillary Clinton, My Views on Marriage Have Evolved

There Is a 'Real Case' Against Homosexual Marriage. But Nowadays Very Few Are Willing to Make It

On Ian Reisner's Craven 'Apology'

"Sex Change" Surgery: What Bruce Jenner, Diane Sawyer, and You Should Know

Bruce Jenner Wants To Change The World When He Should Change His Mind

 photo e53d1857-7868-4096-85e7-18b39834d02c_zps1f7e374d.jpg

THIS DAY IN TWITCHY: APRIL 27, 2015



'How many did he send to Chris Kyle's'? Obama dispatches WH aides to Freddie Gray funeral

'Scary stuff': Baltimore police warn of 'credible threat' from gangs to 'take out' officers

Baltimore police clash with #FreddieGray protesters; Reporter maced, officers injured, police car smashed

'You scumbags': Baltimore rioters fight for justice by looting CVS; Update: Now on fire

'ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW!?' TNR editor says #FreddieGray rioters are just 'communicating'

Protesters slash fire hoses as looted CVS burns; Sally Kohn declares #BaltimoreRising

Baltimore mayor decries 'thugs,' imposes curfew … starting tomorrow; Mall being looted?

Geniuses: Baltimore rioters steal from African hair salon

Now: Massive three-alarm fire breaks out on east side of Baltimore, was to be senior housing

No justice, No Charmin! Looters steal toilet paper, Pringles, and Oreos to honor Freddie Gray



 photo 31744101-c288-4e2b-8876-8c679001f6b0_zpskul0vtxh.jpg

Monday, April 27, 2015

CLEVVER NEWS #DHR - APRIL 27, 2015



 photo e809d2a8-19d5-4734-902a-18cb39da5008_zps3abff030.jpg

TOP 10 WEIRD SUPERHERO/VILLAIN WEAKNESSES

Really? This is all it takes to take you down?!



 photo 5e9274df-0b79-49fa-abd6-0a1653e6f8ce_zpsb9a723e2.jpg

EWTN NEWS NIGHTLY: APRIL 27, 2015



EWTN News Nightly's Brian Patrick presents the headline news of the day.

Additional news and views from around the Catholic world:

What's at Stake as Supreme Court Considers Marriage Tomorrow?

Scholars: No legal right to 'gay marriage' in Constitution

Religious leaders urge conscience protections in recognizing marriage

Archbishop Kurtz: Society Has Taken Marriage for Granted for Too Long

U.S. Supreme Court Grants Aquinas College New Hearing on HHS Mandate

Beauty and Tradition in the "Church of the Poor"

Reason is Not the Sole Property of Skeptics

Catholic Sensibility: Our Compass of Sanity

6 Ways to Avoid Being a "Stealth" Catholic

Why Do Catholics Confess Their Sins to a Priest instead of Directly to God?

 photo 8c9e5ac1-b3d8-407f-84a8-db06d3d1add7_zps543accdb.jpg

 photo 463df79b-4f19-41ae-be59-3fb1f74236a2_zps4e78f448.jpg

ICYMI: HILLARY CLINTON EATS CHIPOTLE...

Hillary Clinton & her campaign team strategize her Chipotle order.



 photo 1f4ca317-f286-45de-9cc6-e126f9cc3d8c_zpsgfc8jjx9.jpg

THREE MARTINI LUNCH: APRIL 27, 2015

National Review's Ian Tuttle and Radio America's Greg Corombos discuss current events. Today's topics: A charity watchdog group calls the Clinton Foundation a slush fund, Baltimore's mayor gives rioters some "space to destroy," and Hillary says religion needs to be subverted on behalf of abortion.



The Clinton Foundation - a "slush fund for the Clintons"
The Clinton Foundation joins Al Sharpton's troubled National Action Network on Charity Navigator's list. It seems appropriate that two great con artists, Bill Clinton and Al Sharpton, should be thus be joined.
Sharpton's outfit reportedly made the list because it didn't pay payroll taxes for several years. The Clinton Foundation's problems run deeper. According to the Post, it took in more than $140 million in grants and pledges in 2013 but spent just $9 million on direct aid.
It's important to note that the Clinton Foundation's status as a problematic charity is distinct from the "Clinton cash" issue that Peter Schweizer and others have highlighted. "Clinton cash" focuses on the fundraising methods used by the Clintons. Specifically, there are substantial allegations that they raise money in part because nations and wealthy individuals hope to influence U.S. policy through their donations, and very possibly have succeeded in doing so.
The problem flagged by Charity Navigator and other watchdogs focuses on what the Clinton Foundation does with the money it raises (whether ethically or not). The Foundation's profligacy and failure to spend a significant percentage of its funds on its alleged mission would be of concern even if there were no ethical problems associated with the Clintons' fundraising.
The two sets of problems are related, however. Both stem from the same greed, sense of entitlement, and arrogance. In this respect, both are related to a host of Clinton scandals dating back to Whitewater.
Also read:

Time for an independent audit of the Clinton Foundation, says...Common Cause

The Proof of the Clintons' Wrongdoing

 photo 3621031f-cf40-4e30-927b-45a87e56edb5_zpsb80a7d1f.jpg