The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

In light of the Benghazi committee's report and conference yesterday, I posted this tweet on my Twitter page: Benghazi: 4 die GOP: "Let's research this for 4 straight years." Gun violence: 400,000+ die since 9/11 GOP: "This needs no research." To this point, it's collected 1,572 likes and 1,538 retweets. To check it out, "like," "retweet," and/or leave a comment, go to this link: https://twitter.com/CraigRozniecki/status/747797566339813376

Following the San Bernardino shooting last week where 14 were killed and 21 others wounded, which the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism, President Barack Obama said it was time to pass stricter laws in order to make it more difficult for terrorists to perform acts of terror within this country. Republicans quickly shot back, saying, "It's too soon to talk about terrorism," as well as, "Don't listen to the Democrats trying to use this terrorist act to set forth a political agenda." When I caught up with some of the GOP's leading presidential candidates, here's what they had to say about the matter: - "Bombs don't kill people; terrorists with bombs kill people." - Marco Rubio - "The only way to stop a bad terrorist with a gun is a good terrorist with a gun." - Ted Cruz - "No matter what terrorism laws we implement, terrorists are going to find a way to break those laws, so why harm the rights of law-abiding ...

It's largely known Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz has a way with numbers, and due to that, has decided to take the next step forward and become a college math professor. Earlier this year, Representative Chaffetz blew the minds of many when he lectured Planned Parenthood foes and supporters on the family planning organization's services, providing a chart which showcased that, while cancer screening & prevention services have decreased over the past 7 years, abortion procedures have increased in that same time-frame, and due to that, the 327,000 abortions Planned Parenthood was responsible for in 2013 was greater than the 935,573 cancer screening & prevention services the organization provided in that same year. Given that, the Utah Representative was kind enough to send me a copy of his first class lecture, which will go as follows:  "For our first class, I'm going to talk to you about numbers, but not just any numbers; I'm going to talk to ...

Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen is drawing some heat for a recent article of his, entitled, "Ferguson and Benghazi's Troubling Parallels." Cohen starts his piece with, "Ferguson has become the liberal Benghazi. It is more of a cause than a place, more of an ideological statement than an incident..." Another "interesting" quote from Cohen's article is when he said this: "...Let me offer another conclusion: If (Michael) Brown was not criminally shot because he was black, then possibly the cop was accused because he was white. Who was the stereotyped individual here?" Cohen also writes, "...It (Ferguson) does, though, conform to the very keen feelings of people who see white racism everywhere." Near the end of his piece, the author writes the following: "We live in a time where facts that do not fit an ideology or grievance are merely disregarded - or alternative ones concocted: Do you think campus rape is a ...

Liberal watchdog group Media Matters just released a report this morning which showcased just how obsessed and one-sided Fox News was with regard to their reporting on Benghazi. The study was conducted from the night of the attacks on September 11th of 2012 through early May of this year. Here are how some of the numbers break down during those 20 months: - 1,098 evening segments were aired on the attacks ( The Five , Special Report with Bret Baier , On the Record with Greta Van Susteren , The O'Reilly Factor , and Hannity ) - Special Report  led the way with 382 such segments - 244 segments were aired suggesting that "the Obama administration did not initially refer to the attacks in Benghazi as 'terror' or a 'terrorist act'" - 174 segments were aired in the month leading up to the 2012 presidential election - 478 segments "invoked the administration talking points used by former ambassador to the United Nations and current National Securit...

So, apparently, the GOP-controlled House has declared that they likely won't vote on immigration reform because of the deal President Obama made to get Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl home. Am I surprised? No. Do I find it kind of funny? In a sad sort of way, yes. This is nothing new for Congressional Republicans since Obama stepped into office. They've continually declared that they can't do their jobs because of a decision the president made which they don't agree with. There was "Obamacare," Benghazi, the IRS, the healthcare website, Fast and Furious, the NSA, drones, Solyndra, and now Bergdahl (among others). Here's a basic rundown of how these discussions go: Reporter: "So, do you think there will be enough Republicans whom vote for this bill to aid our veterans in order for it to pass?" GOP Congressperson: "It's unlikely we'll be voting on the bill at this time." Reporter: "Why is that?" GOP Congressperson:...

If Benghazi were a woman, she would have filed a restraining order against Fox News a long time ago, and won. Fox seems more obsessed with Benghazi than the Chicago Cubs are about disappointing fans and meteorologists are about getting forecasts wrong. While CNN could probably change their name to MAN, or the Malaysian Airlines Network, Fox News could just change their name to BBS, or Benghazi Bullsh*t. It seems that regardless of the story at hand, Fox will find a way to link the story to Benghazi, or at least find an awkward segue. I imagine even after the anchors' programs end, they find ways to bring up Benghazi daily in the real world. While these following discussions may seem a bit far-fetched, sadly enough, watch Fox News for 15 minutes at any point throughout the day and you'll probably realize they're not that drastic of exaggerations after all. Event: Fox News program Anchor #1: "So, how about those Miami Heat? Coming off two straight NBA championships, ...

Heard of the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, where people try to connect an actor with Kevin Bacon in six or fewer steps? It appears as if Fox News has been playing a condensed version of that game with regard to President Obama and Benghazi. I call it the Three Degrees of Benghazi. Here are just a few examples: Starting point: "Syria may have used chemical weapons against its own people." Fox News' next move: "Obama is looking very weak as a leader during this whole thing." Fox News' closer: "He's obviously doing this so people forget about his weak leadership during Benghazi!" Starting point: "A shooting rampage occurred in Washington, D.C. earlier today." Fox News' next move: "At last check, 12 people were killed." Fox News' closer: " That is only eight more than were killed in the most brutal attack on American non-American soil - Benghazi!" Starting point: "It's another record...

As I've said many times before, I seriously believe Texas Governor Rick Perry is a clone of former Texas Governor and President of the United States George W. Bush. If Perry ever became elected president, he'd have 1 : 2 odds that he'd eclipse Bush's total of Bushisms books with his own Perryisms. Perry continued this trend on Saturday during a speech at the Faith and Freedom conference, when he said this: "I fear where we've come to in America, where our administration won't make one phone call to save our men and women in a embassy in Lebanon." Psst... That's Libya. The two countries are only 1,200 miles apart from one another and in different continents (Libya - Africa, Lebanon- Asia). Besides that, they're about as close to being clones of one another as Perry and Dubya are. Alright, so that's not true either. Sorry, Rick. I tried... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/17/rick-perry-benghazi-lebanon_n_3453233.html

So, like last summer, President Obama is trying to work with Congress on a way to prevent student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1st of this year (from 3.4 to 6.8%). The president is trying to be, you know, presidential. What did Indiana Republican Representative Luke Messer have to say about this? Just the following: "It's not only a distraction from issues like Benghazi and the IRS and Department of Justice, but it's a distraction from the fact that the real threat to college-age students in America today is not a few more dollars on their student loan, it's the fact that the explosive growth of debt, the fact that the jobs in this economy for young people entering the marketplace have been the people probably most hurt by the Obama policies." Minnesota Republican Representative John Kline added: "It's time for the president to stop politicizing the student loan issue. The president and House Republicans agree on the need for a long-t...

If I have a religion, it might be Stewbertism - named after Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. While I read and write about the news on a daily basis, Stewart and Colbert typically provide me a number of laughs concerning the issues I wrote about every Monday through Thursday, which allows me to sleep a little better at night (laughter is the best medicine, along with denial, and possibly some Ny-Quil). Over the past two to three weeks, however, I've been slightly disappointed with The Daily Show - perhaps because the show has taken on a more serious tone, with that the laughs haven't been as frequent, and the show has seemed to blend in with mainstream news networks more so than has been typical. With regard to the three recent controversies surrounding the Obama Administration, Stewart and his writers jumped on the Benghazi-conspiracy bandwagon before it became pretty clear there wasn't a cover-up, which prompted the show to play things in a Swiss-like fashion. They al...

I've remained pretty consistent on the three controversies which have surrounded the Obama Administration in recent weeks. While I believe there was a fair amount of incompetence surrounding the administration during the Benghazi attacks, I don't believe it was a cover-up. The longer the case has drug on, the more I believe that Congressional Republicans' main intent is to drag Hillary Clinton's name through the mud to decrease the threat of her becoming the Democratic nominee in the 2016 presidential election. The AP controversy is the one which has bothered me the most. Unfortunately, due to the Patriot Act and with it, increased powers of the DOJ (Department of Justice) since the 9/11 attacks, chances are Eric Holder's actions weren't illegal. Also unfortunately, since Mitch McConnell and other Congressional Republicans have defended Holder's actions, chances are no changes are going to be made through Congress. The controversy which I've had the most...

Conservative radio talk show host, conspiracy-enthusiast, and full-time douche - Pete Santilli - recently made the following remarks on his show with regard to the Benghazi attack and then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: "I want to shoot her right in the vagina and I don't want her to die right away; I want her to feel the pain and I want to look her in the eyes and I want to say, on behalf of all Americans that you've killed, on behalf of the Navy SEALS, the families of Navy SEAL Team Six who were involved in the fake hunt down of this Obama, Obama bin Laden thing, that whole fake scenario, because these Navy SEALS know the truth, they killed them all. On behalf of all those people, I'm supporting our troops by saying we need to try, convict, and shoot Hillary Clinton in the vagina." After making a comment like this, I think Mr. Santilli should have his gun "rights" suspended, if not completely stripped. Anyone who talks about taking pleasure in...

House Oversight Chairman and man least likely to believe the lyrics to the song "I'm Too Sexy" are about him - Darrell Issa (Republican - California) - just recently told Megyn Kelly of Fox News the following regarding President Obama and the Benghazi attacks: "The president sent a letter to the President of Libya where he didn't call it a terrorist attack even when at the time the President of Libya was calling it pre-planned Sept. 11 terrorist attack. The words that are being used carefully - like you just said, 'act of terror' - an 'act of terror' is different than a 'terrorist attack.' The truth is, this was a terrorist attack, this had Al Qaeda at it." Mr. Issa, if you would be so kind, could you differentiate the terms "act of terror" and "terrorist attack" for me please? I have a feeling I'll be waiting awhile... In light of the before-mentioned quote, I have a hunch Mr. Issa will engage in the fol...

Benghazi has been back in the news lately, especially over at Fox News, which is soon to change its name to BSN or Benghazi Spin Network (yes, BS'n). But while Fox News, Congressional Republicans, and other conservatives obsess over Benghazi more than Screech Powers obsessed over Lisa Turtle, most Americans wish Congress would focus on something other than the September 11th attack of last year, according to a poll just released by Public Policy Polling . According to this poll, the public trusts Hillary Clinton over Congressional Republicans on Benghazi by a 10-point margin (49 to 39). Also, Clinton's approval hasn't declined at all due to the attacks, as it remains at +8 (52% approval, 44% disapproval), just like it was in a poll taken in late March. The poll also showcased that Congressional Republicans are still less popular than Oscar the Grouch when he first awakens in the morning, as they're at a net -21 (36% approval, 57% disapproval). That's the least i...

Wanna know of a sure-fire way to get everybody at a party drunk? Play a game I like to call "Getting Foxed with Benghazi." Here's how you play. First, you grab a bunch of shot glasses, bottles of liquor, and pass them around. Next, turn on the Fox News channel. Lastly, whenever someone on Fox News utters the word "Benghazi," you take a shot. This will guarantee that everyone is drunk and passed out within 15 minutes. You're welcome. In all seriousness, however, talk of Benghazi has been floating about Congress and the airwaves at a greater clip than Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, and Nicolas Cage star in bad movies. Congressional Republicans and conservative talking heads have compared Benghazi to Watergate and Iran-Contra more than I've been compared to Tom Hanks by drunks. As a result, the right and left are pointing fingers more than Hugh Hefner's gotten laid. The right's general talking point is that four Americans died in the attacks an...

In the past few days, I've heard some Congressional Republicans and seen some conservative friends write that President Obama should be and will get impeached over Benghazi. I'm sorry to disappoint all of them, but that's not going to happen. Obama isn't even the main target, which I'll get into more in a separate blog later today. While Republicans control the House of Representatives, which is where the impeachment proceedings would start, Democrats control the Senate, where impeachment proceedings would end. Democrats control 55 of 100 seats in the Senate, and in order to impeach a president, two-thirds of the Senate must favor that option. In other words, if all 45 Republican Senators voted to impeach President Obama, 22 Democratic Senators would have to as well, or 40.0% of all Democratic Senators. There's less chance of that happening than of Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson performing gospel songs together during their tour this summer.

Some Tea Party activists went on a 4-day boycott recently. Whom did they boycott? Fox News. ...and why? For becoming too liberal. No, this is not an article written by someone at The Onion . There are, however, a number of Onion -worthy moments in this very article. So, let's get to know some of these boycotters a little better, shall we? One such Tea Partier - 70-year old Stan Hjerlied - said the following to The Daily Beast regarding the boycott: "Particularly after the election, Fox keeps turning to the left... We are really losing our only conservative network." If Hjerlied means this in a literal sense, perhaps Fox is role-playing as a NASCAR driver. If he means this politically, let's check out what Fox News currently has posted on its website. At this current juncture on FoxNews.com, the following headlines are posted:  - "Greg Gutfeld fires back at Jim Carrey's anti-gun skit" - "ObamaCare forces a good doctor to quit" - ...

The Republican Party is at it again. Like they did with President Obama's "you-didn't-build-that" line, they're taking a Hillary Clinton quote so far out of context, the surrounding context has officially been reported as missing. If anyone finds the surrounding context, be certain to call Fox News with the information pronto. On January 23rd at the Benghazi hearing, Clinton answered a question with the following: "With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest? Or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided they'd go kill some Americans? What difference, at this point, does it make?" Fox News host and well-known Irish phone sex operator Bill O'Reilly, responded with this: "With all due respect, it makes a huge difference!" Sean Hannity joined the fun, by saying, "She appeared to indicate that it doesn't matter who was behind the attack." Yes, Clinton's...

Iowa Republican Representative Steve King had quite the words with regard to Benghazi yesterday, when he said: "I believe that it's (Benghazi) a lot bigger than Watergate, and if you link Watergate and Iran-Contra together and multiply it times maybe 10 or so, you're going to get in the zone where Benghazi is. I don't think the public has any idea, and I tell you, I don't either, of the chronology of the events - what took place, and who was where doing what and why. And all the way down through - we still haven't seen an autopsy report on the ambassador yet. Simple questions that you would ask in the first 24 hours have not been asked yet." That's right, ladies and gentleman. Benghazi is "a lot bigger than Watergate, and if you link Watergate and Iran-Contra together and multiply it times maybe 10 or so, you're going to get in the zone where Benghazi is," says a guy who has this to say regarding his knowledge of the event - "......