Sorry about the headline. It's vague. I'm trying to understand this story more and am having a hard time of it. But it seems very important, so I want to get it up, before I really even understand it.

Sharyl Attkisson says this isn't directly related to the Fast and Furious program -- as far as she can tell at the moment. It's another gunwalking-type operation.

Somehow another gun walked, and killed an ICE agent down the line, and... you'll never believe it, but the Administration is concealing the most basic details of it.

Even the murder victim's family is surprised to find out there's been a conviction of the gun smuggler.

Prosecutors recently sentenced a Texas man, Manuel Barba, for trafficking a weapon connected to the murder of Immigration and Customs (ICE) Agent Jaime Zapata. Nobody was more astonished to learn of the case than Zapata's parents, who didn't know that Barba had been arrested or linked to their son's murder.

"The family was obviously surprised to learn that there was a case involving a weapon linked to the Zapata incident," attorney Trey Martinez told CBS News. Martinez represents Zapata's parents and the surviving ICE agent in the assault, Victor Avila. "They were surprised they had never been contacted in the capacity as victims so they could give a response or some kind of reaction at the time of sentencing."

...

In a related development, CBS News has obtained documents showing that Barba was under ATF surveillance for at least six months before a rifle he trafficked was used in Zapata's murder. Zapata's government vehicle was ambushed by suspected cartel thugs in Mexico Feb. 15, 2011.

...

The government has kept a close hold on nearly all information surrounding Zapata's murder, denying the family's Freedom of Information requests on the basis of an ongoing investigation. The Zapata's attorney says they will keep pursuing the information by "whatever means necessary."

Video Report: This is a previous report on Zapata's killing, also filed by Atkinsson. It fills in some background.
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Posted by: Ace at 02:14 PM | Comments (72)
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Nice to remember. more...

Posted by: Ace at 01:47 PM | Comments (66)
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Is this a protest, or do we really intend to win the presidency?

In the comments, I argued with politics about Mitt Romney's statement that he'd make sure the rich "pay their fair share."

Suddenly, it turns out, that's a horrible thing to say. Despite Romney's proposal to drop the top marginal tax rate to 28% (which seems too low, given it produced big deficits), apparently adding in the rhetorical caveat "the rich should pay their fair share" is a deal-breaker, because we cannot possibly "concede any of the left's narrative."

Even if what he means is that by eliminating most loopholes, 28% will mean something closer to 28%. That is, if the public is worried about "loopholes" and wants to gin up the marginal tax rates -- isn't the better solution to address the question of loopholes? And drop the marginal tax rate to something more reasonable?

This is the fundamental premise of calls for "tax reform." The idea is that you close all the loopholes and reduce deductions, and just post a real marginal rate that you expect people to actually pay (or close to it). You don't pump up a marginal rate and then let people dodge it with lots of loopholes.

It's a call for tax transparency -- your rate is what you actually pay. And if you're closing loopholes, you can also afford to lower the marginal rate.

How can anyone be against a "fair" share? The very term is loaded such that you cannot be against a fair share. Because, then, what do you support? An unfair share?

That's why Obama says it sixty three billion times. Because it polls well.

Do you really want our candidate arguing against a "fair share"?

Or arguing: Yes, I want the rich to pay their fair share. That's the point of my tax reform proposal.

I'd rather have it the latter way.

Furthermore, whether or not this is a concern to you, it is a concern of independents -- 57% of which do not think the rich are paying their "fair share."

So is Romney allowed to even rhetorically nod towards fairness?

Or is the plan to run on the true -- but politically toxic -- notion that the poor should be paying more in taxes, and the rich somewhat less?

Here's what I wrote in the email, and what I believe:

I believe the party wants to lose.

I believe the party has decided the problems facing us are so big that they cannot be overcome.

I believe the party has decided, maybe subconsciously, maybe consciously, that we are not up to the task, and the best thing to do is just duck out and Blame the Other Guys. Let them Own Their Problems.

If that's the plan, let me know. We don't have to contend very hard at all if our goal is to lose.

Easiest thing in the world, losing. Even easier when you've gotten practice at it.

I believe the party does not think it is capable of working positive good in policy. If so, I take it as knowing itself best, and perhaps it's time for a new party.

If the party is basically taking the position that governance is itself fundamentally unconservative -- the messy compromises and punts that typically occur in politics (and must occur in politics) -- then we're not a governing party any longer.

We're an ideological, protest sort of party -- like the Libertarian Party.

I think most people actually do not want to win, or, at least, do not wish to win in any plausible scenario. What I mean by that is that sure, they'll win, so long as they have a guarantee that there will never again be a single compromise in politics and will never again face a politician who disagrees with him.

That's not realistic, and that's not politics. It's political philosophy. You can be as pure as you like in political philosophy.

I used to make fun of the Libertarians for this.

Are we now all Libertarians, in that sense?

Reagan said the same thing. This is a liberal ad, showing how Obama's rhetoric echoes Reagan, but Reagan did say this.

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Posted by: Ace at 12:48 PM | Comments (673)
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"Scheme." Why not.

The Inquirer is, as far as I know, an in-the-bag liberal rag, so I guess who cares. If these guys are getting all the benefit from the media, they might as well have to bear the costs of running it, too, I figure.

And if they alienate too many people, then they take a bath.

Mr. Rendell, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is teaming with George Norcross, the Democratic Party boss of southern New Jersey, and others in an effort to purchase the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Daily News and the companyÂ’s website, philly.com.

There is reportedly at least one other bidder for the media company, the most influential in Pennsylvania, though that party has not publicly identified itself.

“The prospect of Rendell’s group owning the newspapers is like the foxes watching the henhouse and all of the sacred cows,” said Paul Davies, former deputy editorial page editor at the Inquirer. “Essentially, the Inquirer will cease to exist as a legitimate newspaper. It will become the insiders’ house organ.

My main feeling is envy. We have rich people who want a vehicle for shaping the public debate. Why don't our rich guys do this?

Maine Congresswoman's Husband Bails Out The Biggest Newspaper in the District. Slublog says the newspaper is Marxist anyway, but isn't it a bit of an ethics problem to essentially own the media that covers you?

Posted by: Ace at 11:55 AM | Comments (180)
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I still think I'm being punked, but it seems (superficially) to check out.

Update: Commenters are more certain I'm being punked. Now that I step back, I can't believe I thought maybe it was real.

Punked!!!! God I'm so dumb.

"Oh good" writes:

"this is fake, domain name is not owned by dell and the "photographer" doesn't seem to exist other than on his own website."

Dave writes:

If you go to the URL at the end of the vid:

http://www.dell.com/takeyourownpath

You'll see Clayton Sotos is not listed there. This looks like a satire of the videos on that page.

If you search google:

["clayton sotos" site:dell.com]

You'll get zero hits

So they mocked up the trade dress to parody a Dell ad, and made up this guy.

Okay, I was Punked, hardcore.

You got me.

Sorry, Dell!

I am now looking back at this wondering how the hell for one second I even imagined this was possibly real.

....

If the branding on this website is to be believed (and it probably shouldn't be), Dell is pushing a "Visual Innovators" ad series, focusing on photographers and videographers who use Dell computers for their work.

The guy they feature here, a Clayton Sotos, speaks vaguely about capturing "moments" and "clouds" and "natural acts," and is show testing various fine particulates for their capacity to fly in the wind.

What's he actually photographing?

Well I'd like to not SPOIL it for you but I have to to give you the CONTENT WARNING: He's photographing fat guys farting. The powders he's testing are for purposes of illustrating the fart-cloud.

You see some partial, sidal, fat-guy-ass nudity. And clouds of powder wafted by fart-wind. Gale-force farts. Neth'easters, if you will.

Really, Dell?

I know viral is the thing, but the viral message I take from this is that Dell is the computer for fat-guy fart fetishists.

If this is a spoof -- if this guy is invented -- I'ma tellin' ya, ya didn't underscore the spoof nature of it at all. It seems... real. (Edit: Or not.) more...

Posted by: Ace at 11:09 AM | Comments (134)
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People say there's no positive case for Romney.

Well, apart from his high personal morality and integrity, there's also the story of how he shut down Bain to help find a partner's missing daughter.

"In July 1996, the 14-year-old daughter of Robert Gay, a partner at Bain Capital, had disappeared," the story reads. "She had attended a rave party in New York City and gotten high on ecstasy. Three days later, her distraught father had no idea where she was. Romney took immediate action. He closed down the entire firm and asked all 30 partners and employees to fly to New York to help find Gay’s daughter. Romney set up a command center at the LaGuardia Marriott and hired a private detective firm to assist with the search. He established a toll-free number for tips, coordinating the effort with the NYPD, and went through his Rolodex and called everyone Bain did business with in New York and asked them to help find his friend’s missing daughter. Romney’s accountants at Price Waterhouse Cooper put up posters on street poles, while cashiers at a pharmacy owned by Bain put fliers in the bag of every shopper. Romney and the other Bain employees scoured every part of New York and talked with everyone they could – prostitutes, drug addicts – anyone.

Posted by: Ace at 09:55 AM | Comments (691)
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Would be nice to have ANWR operating "at its peak" right about now, as Barack Obama discussed.

I hate to root for high gas prices but how else is this cretin going to be held accountable for his anti-energy policies?

Thanks to @comradearthur

Posted by: Ace at 09:40 AM | Comments (138)
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This is a great month for sky watchers. Five planets are visible.

Friday, After Sunset

Follow me on Twitter.

Posted by: rdbrewer at 09:28 AM | Comments (94)
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Obama promises unilateral action.

In keeping with his “We Can’t Wait” initiative, President Barack Obama has once again asserted that if Congress does not enact his policies in the future, he will continue to forge ahead on his own.

“When Congress refuses to act, Joe and I are going to act,” Obama said on Tuesday, with Vice President Joe Biden at his side. “In the months to come, wherever we have an opportunity, we’re going to take steps on our own to keep this economy moving.”

President Obama doesn't seem to realize he's the president of the entire country, not just one party. He has never been a uniter. On the contrary, he is divisive both on a petty personal level and on a large scale though his politics. He has never been a leader of the entire country. He has never been a bi-partisan legislator. He doesn't make things better; he makes things worse. He thinks this is his path to reelection.

Executive fiat is for wimps. It's obvious he dreams of ruling by decree.

What a creepy guy.

More here, here, here, and here. In fact, if you Google "Obama Nixon," the number of hits tops 37,000,000.

Follow me on Twitter.

Posted by: rdbrewer at 05:44 AM | Comments (586)
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Follow 'The Daily DOOM' on Twitter: @AoSHQDOOM.

My day gig tasks me heavily, so all you get today is a link-dump, my groovy babies.

The "Robo-Signing" Settlement: Seeds of Recovery, Or Chaos?

Ominous Numbers for Obama.

It turns out that being able to lay off unneeded workers actually makes economic sense. Who knew? Also: Mr. Balls.

Capitalism isn't going anywhere. It's the best system we know of that increases both freedom and prosperity.

Unemployment rises to 9% in February. With a mighty effort, the MSM outlets avoid busting out the "unexpectedly" word.

Recovery 2: Election-year Boogaloo.

Questions that are rarely asked.

The latest Greek bailout won't work, and here's why.

...and there goes another $35 billion to our debt. Remember back when that was a lot of money?

So...the USPS plans to solve their problems by becoming even *more* uncompetitive with UPS and FedEx?

ALL IS WELL! ...or maybe not.

The GOP and Democrats would do well to remember that price controls never work. Never.

This seems extreme to me: "Kill the old." Can't we just take their stuff and make them dance for nickels instead?

After decades of corrupt Democrat and union rule, Illinois is now boned to the tune of $200 billion dollars.

When I say 'California is boned' (and I say it a lot), this is what I'm talking about.

"Fair share" only applies to people who aren't celebrities or other high-profile Democrats.

Government welfare is like heroin: easy to get hooked on, incredibly difficult to kick.
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Posted by: Monty at 04:40 AM | Comments (302)
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