Do The New TSA Procedures Really Make Us Any Safer?

by Thomas Wellborn

A large controversy has suddenly emerged over the TSA’s new mandatory security measure implementations within many of the airports around the United States.  I’ve composed a short video synopsis of the numerous conversations and arguments I’ve been seeing in the news and on social media.  Enjoy.

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A Productive Lame Duck Session?

by Stuart Shapiro

Yesterday marked the first step forward in what could be an uncharacteristically significant lame duck session of Congress.  By a vote of 74-25, the Senate voted to consider a Food Safety bill which would:

• Attempt to prevent food-borne illnesses from reaching the population by requiring food-processing plants to upgrade the frequency and thoroughness of their safety inspections;

• Require the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department and Agriculture Department to jointly develop a national plan to improve food safety, as well as an HHS requirement for a national system to better prevent problems in the …

Voters In Military Families Back Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Repeal 58-31%

It’s time to get this done.  After 23 studies and strong public opinion, there should be no qualms about getting rid of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” military policy. A Quinnipiac Poll shows that voters with a family member in the military favor repeal 58%-31%.  (h/t Political Wire).

Other interesting poll results are that 63-34% Americans want a ban on cell phone use in cars; 50% say we should not be involved in Afghanistan versus 44% who think otherwise; and on health care:

Mel Gibson’s Ex Says She Feared For Her Life

Oksana Grigorieva told Larry King that the reason she recorded telephone calls with Mel Gibson was because she feared for her life.

“I started taping it around 11 o’clock because I thought, ‘I’m actually not going to live through the night,” she said on “Larry King Live.” “I wanted my mother to be able to prove that if I’m dead that this is who did it.”

She told King that Gibson called her 30 to 40 times in one night, and that she recorded about eight of those calls.

Grigorieva also expanded on her allegations of domestic abuse.

“I …

Senator Jay Rockefeller Wishes FOX News and MSNBC Would Just Stop Existing

Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia somehow believes that free speech exercised on FOX News and MSNBC makes his job harder, and in his heart of hearts he wishes the government could shut them up.

At a Senate committee hearing about television retransmission consent on Wednesday, Mr. Rockefeller spoke broadly about the ways he believes television is ailing, and in doing so he singled out the “endless barking” of cable news.

He said: “There’s a little bug inside of me which wants to get the F.C.C. to say to Fox and to MSNBC, ‘Out. Off. End. Goodbye.’ It would be …

Buffet Says Thank You To Uncle Sam

by Stuart Shapiro

As we approach Thanksgiving, it is good for all of us to remember what we are thankful for.  And it is no surprise that Warren Buffett has more to be thankful for than most of us.  He is also smart enough to know what he should be thankful for and top on his list is the bailout decisions supported by both parties (and now decried by Republicans) in 2008.

So, again, Uncle Sam, thanks to you and your aides. Often you are wasteful, and sometimes you are bullying. On occasion, you are downright maddening. But in this …

Christian Leader Says Medal Of Honor Is “Feminized” Because Recipient Didn’t Kill People

Brian Fischer, “Director of Issues Analysis” for the American Family Association, is upset that President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to Sgt. Salvadore Giunta, because Giunta prevented deaths rather than caused them.

Giunta, the first living Medal of Honor winner of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, braved heavy gunfire to pull a fellow soldier to cover and rescued another who was being dragged away by insurgents.

But Fischer will have none of that, complaining:

“So the question is this: when are we going to start awarding the Medal of Honor once again for soldiers who kill people and break …

First Gitmo Detainee Tried In Civilian Court Found Guilty On 1 Of More Than 280 Charges

Former Gitmo detainee Ahmed Ghalfan Ghailani was convicted in civilian court on one count of conspiring to destroy buildings and property in the 1998 terrorist bombings of the United States Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Expect conservatives to make much of Ghailani being acquitted on hundreds of other charges, but he still faces 20 years to life in prison.

The problem in gaining convictions was the way he was detained without due process.

He helped to buy the Nissan Atlas truck that was used to carry the bomb, and gas tanks that were placed inside the …

Sarah Palin Says She Could Beat Obama In Presidential Race

Sarah Palin tells Barbara Walters in an upcoming “Nightline” interview she is seriously looking at running for president and she could beat President Obama (via Mediaite).

Palin: I’m looking at the lay of the land now, and … trying to figure that out, if it’s a good thing for the country, for the discourse, for my family, if it’s a good thing.

Walters: If you ran for president, could you beat Barack Obama?

Palin: I believe so.

…

On Wednesday’s Radio Show…

• Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) tells Alan why he’s fighting deficit-reducing proposals that would make drastic cuts in Medicare and Social Security.

• Alan confronts Texas State Rep. Leo Berman for introducing a “birther bill” based on his belief that President Obama was born in Kenya.

• Legendary comedian Pat Cooper sits down with Alan to share hilarious stories from his new autobiography, How Dare You Say How Dare Me.…

Senator Lisa Murkowski Makes History By Winning Alaska Write-In Campaign

Lisa Murkowski has retained her Alaska U.S. Senate seat by winning her write-in candidacy, the first time this has been done in more than 50 years.

With only 700 votes left to count Wednesday afternoon, state election officials announced that Murkowski’s lead was insurmountable.

The Associated Press reported that the incumbent was ahead by about 10,000 votes — a total that includes 8,153 ballots challenged by the Miller campaign over issues like legibility, misspellings or extra words.

Joe Miller, the Palin-supported tea party candidate, has threatened legal action if the numbers are close.

Miller, a little-known conservative lawyer…shook up Alaska …