The American Pundit

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is known for two things: 1) Being the most left-wing federal court in the country; and 2) Having its decisions overturned by the Supreme Court.

But now we can add a third line to its notorious reputation: Taking luxurious taxpayer-funded trips to island destinations.

Just weeks after Congress publicly excoriated the General Services Administration for spending $823,000 on an agency conference in Las Vegas, the judges and staff of the nation’s 9th Circuit Court of Appeals are headed to their own lavish, taxpayer-funded conference — in Maui.

The California-based court’s get-together, scheduled for mid-August, could end up costing taxpayers as much as $1 million, according to congressional aides. That because while there’s supposedly private funding available for the golf and tennis tournaments, yoga and surfing lessons, taxpayers are on the hook for airfare, meals, and rooms at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa.

To be fair, other federal circuit courts are holding expensive taxpayer-funded getaways, too.

The Second Circuit, which includes New York, Connecticut, and Vermont, will host its annual retreat in June at the Mohonk Mountain House luxury resort and spa. Court officials refused to private details for the taxpayer-funded event, calling it “private”.

Mayor Cory Booker (D)

ABC News reports the Obama campaign is in damage control mode after several prominent Democrats distanced themselves from the campaign’s despicable attacks on Bain Capital and Mitt Romney’s work there.

On Sunday, Newark Mayor and rising Democratic star Cory Booker said the president’s attacks on Bain are “nauseating” and made him “very uncomfortable”. He later tried to back down but it was too late.

Then today another promising young Democrat, former Congressman Harold Ford of Tennesse, said he agreed with the substance of Booker’s remarks and wouldn’t have backed down from that position.

Obama auto czar Steve Rattner was also in on the fun, referring to the Obama campaign’s attacks on private equity (which is the nature of Bain’s work) as “unfair”. Rattner went further, defending Bain itself.

Democrats have never hesitated to take money from private equity. In fact, the Obama campaign tried to blame a company’s closure by Bain on Romney when in fact the man leading Bain was an Obama bundler.

Some, like Booker and Rattner and Ford, just can’t stomach the hypocrisy of fellow Democrats who want to eat their cake and have it too. Romney should spend every minute reminding voters of that reality.

Bill Maher, the “comedian” who donated $1 million to Barack Obama’s superPAC, has decided to attack Obama challenger Mitt Romney over Romney’s religion.

At 1:23pm today, Maher tweeted:

Why even listen to #MittRomney on foreign policy? His entire FP experience is 2 yrs trying to brow-beat Frenchmen into joining his cult

That “cult” being Mormonism, a branch of Christianity with numbers of followers reaching well into the millions. Other followers include Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D), Twilight series author Stephenie Meyer, and Phil Farnsworth, the renowned inventor of electronic television.

Maher is just the latest left-winger hoping to use Romney’s religion against him. The Washington Post today ran a story that tries to connect Romney with something a Mormon militia did 150 years. Why they’re not anywhere near as concerned with the most powerful Senate Democrat being of the same religion isn’t clear.

Outrage caused the Obama campaign to issue a statement distancing itself from Maher. But the left-wing comedian has made outrageous statements before, including referring to women as “twats” and “c*nts”. Obama’s superPAC has repeatedly refused to return Maher’s donation. They want to distance themselves but still take his money.

CBS News has learned that three agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are under investigation for taking part in Colombian prostitution.

The incident under investigation took place at the same time as the Secret Service scandal. Sources tell CBS News that the agents involved have been removed from the country.

Update: Chad Pergram, senior Capitol Hill producer for Fox News, says his sources confirm CBS News’ report.

I’ve just concluded reading the latest edition of Donald Rumsfeld’s much-talked-about book Known and Unknown. Conclusion? It’s a must-read for history junkies, political junkies, and just about anyone who wants greater insight into some of the biggest political and geopolitical events of the past few decades.

The tome, clocking in at more than 700 pages, is intimidating at first. I half didn’t want to read it. But one quickly discovers it’s an easy and interesting read, made only more so when you realize how often Secretary Rumsfeld was present for history-changing events. I consider myself well-versed in American political history and yet was still surprised at times.

That famous meeting with Saddam Hussein? Covered. The days fighting for civil rights legislation? Covered. That time Lyndon Johnson gave Congressman Rumsfeld & Co. a tour of the Texan’s master bathroom? Wait, what? Yeah, that’s in there, too. Rumsfeld backs up his recollections with an astounding number of documents, many previously unreleased, easily found on his website.

One particular timely note involves Rumsfeld joining with others in tossing a Republican leadership that became complacent and resigned to being in the minority, keeping seats warm. Sound familiar?

This new edition of Known and Unknown will be released on May 29th. I should note the updated version includes Secretary Rumsfeld’s thoughts on the killing of Osama Bin Laden. It’s worth the read. The whole book itself is worth the $15 on Amazon. Plus, all proceeds from the sale of Known and Unknown are being donated to military charities. So you’re learning something and doing good at the same time. It’s a win-win.

He says it’s because of the Secret Service. I’m not so sure.

I don’t think Frank likes how Obama handled the gay marriage issue, pretending for years to oppose it, for political advantage of course, and then flip-flopping only when it was politically advantageous — and after the North Carolina vote.

I mean, why would you invite to your wedding someone who’s willing to sell your ideology and even happiness down the river for temporary political convenience? What an awkward and bitter day that would be.

I don’t approve of gay marriage, and I think Frank is just awful in ways totally disconnected from his sexual preference, but I could understand why what Obama did would offend and anger the outgoing congressman.

Oh my. Oh my, oh my, oh my my my.

Consider this post in loving memory of Cory Booker’s prospects of a career in national Democratic politics. Damn shame, too, because Mayor Booker is decent on issues like school choice and law enforcement.

Seriously though, this guy doesn’t just defend Bain Capital — and subsequently Romney — from his own party’s attacks. He goes further and notes unions invest in Bain to fund their pensions. It’s a double kick in the teeth to the extreme left.

Well done, Mayor Booker. Well done.

Someone was hosting a competition on Facebook involving drawings of Mohammed. Is it offensive to Muslims? Sure. But so is the anti-Christian stuff to Christians, antisemitic stuff to Jews, etc.. You don’t see Facebook running in fear over those actions of free speech.

Yet when Islamist thugs in Pakistan, which still executes people for converting from Islam to another religion, demanded the speech be censored, Facebook caved. The Pakistani Ministry of Information Technology confirms the recently-IPO’d company agreed to censor the material.

But there is one silver lining: Twitter told the Islamist thugs to take a hike. The social network was subsequently blocked in Pakistan, which has angered liberals, journalists, and other reformers in the country. Some are managing to defy the ban, apparently through VPNs. Good job.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin’s largest paper and a publication usually known for its liberal bias, has endorsed Governor Scott Walker (R) for reelection.

No governor in recent memory has been so controversial. No governor in America is so polarizing. Everyone has an opinion about Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin.

Here’s ours: We see no reason to remove Walker from office. We recommend him in the June 5 recall election.

The Sentinel notes the recall election, prompted by public employee union bosses angry that their power was diminished, could cost the state as much as $18 million.

The paper also notes the recall process is intended for cases of criminal wrongdoing — not because one block of society doesn’t like one piece of legislation.

The editorial concludes:

We urge voters to support Walker in the June 5 recall election.

Agreed.

He’s a real class act.

The actor , who wore glasses as he made his speech, continued his blue streak.

He instructed women: ‘Tell the man next to you, “I’m not going to f*** you tonight unless you pay the f*** up.’

The socialist actor, an ardent supporter of totalitarian thugs like Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro, was talking about “paying up” in regards to Haiti donations.

He went further:

He continued that Haiti should be helped because it was just an hour away from ‘the richest f***ing country in the world‘.

Huh?

Only in Hollywood would this embarrassing, ignorant jackass still be considered welcome company in polite society. Anywhere else he’d be the looser drunkard on the corner the kids are warned to avoid.