Obama Quietly Grants 12 Pardons and 8 Commutations

Written by Daniel Halper

President Barack Obama quietly issued 12 pardons and 8 commutations late Wednesday afternoon, which happened to be one of the busiest news days of the year.

Here are the dozen folks pardoned:

The President granted pardons to the following twelve individuals:

• Roy Norman Auvil – Bartonville, IL

Offense:  Possession of an unregistered distilling apparatus; working a distillery on which the required sign is not placed (District of South Carolina)

Sentence:  Five years’ probation (Nov.

How Harry Reid’s Last Act as Majority Leader Directly Benefited His State

Written by Melissa Quinn

In his final move as majority leader, U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) ushered through a series of tax breaks that directly benefit residents of his home state of Nevada.

Called tax extenders, the package retroactively renews expired tax breaks, including a state sales tax deduction and the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act.

The U.S. Senate passed the tax bill 76-16 earlier this week—the last legislation it would vote on before the end of the 113th Congress and Reid’s tenure as majority leader.… Continue Reading

Hillary Clinton’s “People” Magazine Cover Flops

Written by Don Irvine

It’s been a rough year for Hillary Clinton on the sales front. First it was her book “Hard Choices” that failed to sell despite a massive P.R. campaign, and now, as Adweek reports, the June 16 issue of People Magazine, featuring Clinton on the cover, was the worst selling issue of the year.

The Clinton cover sold just 503,890 copies, which is well below the magazine’s average of 700,000-plus. The best-selling issue was a tribute to the late Robin Williams on August 25, which sold over one million copies.… Continue Reading

Harvard Study Ranks Illinois Among Most Corrupt States

The state’s entrenched culture of cronyism is blindingly clear,
especially to those who report on it for a living.

Written by Brian Costin

As if Illinois’ illegal corruption problem wasn’t bad enough, a new Harvard University study ranks the state among the worst for “legal corruption” as well.

The study defines legal corruption as “the political gains in the form of campaign contributions or endorsements by a government official, in exchange for providing specific benefits to private individuals or groups, be it by explicit or implicit understanding.”… Continue Reading

If White Racism Causes Inequality, Why Do Whites Lag?

Written by Michael Medved

If white racism counts as the primary cause for the painful problems of people of color then why do white people themselves lag behind some other racial groups in every measure of success and health?

Census figures show that “non-Hispanic whites” still comprise a big majority of the American population – some 63% according to the latest numbers. But there’s no statistical indication that this numerical advantage has resulted in a corresponding edge in achievement or well-being.… Continue Reading

Gruber Apology “Lacking and Late,” Says Healthcare Analyst

Written by Chris Woodward

A health policy analyst predicts that Americans will find an ObamaCare adviser’s apology lacking.

M.I.T. professor Jonathan Gruber appeared Tuesday before a U.S. House committee, saying he was sorry for videotaped comments he made about the “stupidity of American voters” and lack of transparency in ObamaCare.

Newest GOP U.S. Senator: Vicotory an “Exclamation Mark”

Written by Bernie Becker

U.S. Senator-elect Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said Sunday that his election was the “exclamation mark” on this year’s Republican successes.

Cassidy, who unseated U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) in a runoff election on Saturday, said the GOP takeover of the U.S. Senate illustrated how dissatisfied voters were with President Barack Obama, especially in the Deep South.

“If there’s one party for the working people right now, it’s the Republican Party,” Cassidy said on “Fox News Sunday,” pointing to GOP efforts to expand drilling of natural resources and Democrats’ attempts to limit emissions.… Continue Reading

Media Obsession Hides Black Success

Written by Michael Medved

The media frenzy about a purported race “crisis” due to white cops killing young black males ignores basic facts. There is no evidence at all of a dramatic surge in police violence against blacks: Justice Department numbers show a steady average of less than 100 such deaths per year.

Of course, every unnecessary loss is a tragedy, but the obsessive focus on deadly confrontations between African-Americans and police creates fear and hostility that only make other confrontations more likely.… Continue Reading

The IRS Scandal Is Not Going Away

Written by Bruce Walker

The IRS scandal is not much in the news these days, but it is not going away.  The more Obama’s minions stonewall this scandal, the more congressional Democrats discount the scandal, the more the leftist establishment media ignores this scandal, the more toxic it will be for the left.  In late November we learned that 30,000 of Lois Lerner’s lost e-mails have been found, but these e-mails have not yet been converted into readable form.… Continue Reading

A Moral Primer: Obama’s Legacy is Government-Induced Chaos at Home, Moral Equivalence Abroad

Written by Victor Davis Hanson

The last but long gasp of the Obama administration is characterized not so much by deceit and incompetence as by growing chaos. Everything appears to be coming apart. The chariot of state now veers up and down with a terrified Phaethon clueless at the reins. Whether it is ISIS, Ebola, Putin, or Obamacare, the common strain is not simple incompetence, but a maladroitness born of intolerant ideological fundamentalism.

Have our government agencies ever seemed more corrupt or useless or both, staffed by political cronies and leftist zealots?… Continue Reading