Petraeus Contradicts White House’s Benghazi Statements

Wow.

WASHINGTON - Former CIA Director David Petraeus has told Congress that references to militant groups Ansar al-Shariah and al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb were removed from the agency’s draft talking points on what caused the deadly Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya.

So the Obama Administration’s assertion that their initial lies about the death of four Americans were based on CIA intelligence was yet another lie.

Wisconsin Declines to Create State Exchange

Good. Here’s part of Governor Walker’s explaination.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) gives states three options in building health insurance exchanges: an exchange built and managed by an individual state subject to federal mandate; a partnership plan requiring the state to perform functions on behalf of the federal government; or a federal exchange developed by the federal government. While the three options differ in who initially builds and operates the exchange, all three options are identical in that they are governed and controlled by federal policy. No matter which option is chosen, Wisconsin taxpayers will not have meaningful control over the health care policies and services sold to Wisconsin residents. If the state option is chosen; however, Wisconsinites face risk from a federal mandate lacking long-term guaranteed funding.

Hostess To Liquidate

Nice work, bakers union. You just cost 18,000 people their jobs.

8:08AM EST November 16. 2012 - INDIANAPOLIS—Hostess Brands, maker of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Wonder Bread said Friday that it has filed a motion in Bankruptcy Court seeking permission to close and sell its assets, including its iconic brands.

The company says it has suspended bakery operations, but deliveries will continue and Hostess retail stores will stay open to sell products already in the pipeline.

Hostess workers remained on picket lines across the country Thursday night, refusing a company ultimatum to return to work or face the liquidation of the national baker.

The company had warned it would file a motion in U.S. Bankruptcy Court to shut operations if enough workers didn’t end their weeklong strike by 5 p.m. ET Thursday.

A shutdown would result in the loss of about 18,000 jobs.

You know it’s bad when the Teamsters are the voice of reason.

The Teamsters union is urging the bakers union to hold a secret ballot on whether to continue striking. Citing its financial experts who had access to the company’s books, the Teamsters say that Hostess’ warning of liquidation is “not an empty threat or a negotiating tactic” but a certain outcome if workers keep striking.

Gaza Gets Worse

Yikes.

GAZA (Reuters) - Egypt tried to open a tiny window to emergency peace diplomacy in Gaza on Friday, but hopes for even a brief ceasefire while its prime minister was inside the bombarded enclave to talk to leaders of the Islamist Hamas movement were immediately dashed.

Prime Minister Hisham Kandil visited the Gaza Strip officially to show solidarity with the Palestinian people after two days of relentless attacks by Israeli warplanes determined to end militant rocket fire at Israel.

A Palestinian official close to Egypt’s mediators told Reuters Kandil’s visit “was the beginning of a process to explore the possibility of reaching a truce. It is early to speak of any details or of how things will evolve”.

Israel undertook to cease fire during the visit if Hamas did too. But it said rockets fired from Gaza hit several sites in southern Israel as he was in the enclave and has begun drafting 16,000 reserve troops, a possible precursor to invasion.

Unions and Environmentalists Pushed for Larson

It makes sense that they support a thief.

Leaders of lobbying groups, including Wisconsin’s largest teachers union, contacted Democratic state senators to urge them to back Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, as the caucus’ new leader, several veteran senators said.

“I have not seen it before,” Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, said of the outside groups’ involvement. “It’s one of the most self-serving insertions into politics that I’ve seen in 30 years.”

State Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, confirmed that he had been contacted by leaders of the Wisconsin Education Association Council and the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters who praised Larson and said he would be “an excellent leader.”