Good News: There Are Two Side Deals With Iran That Won’t Be Shared With Congress

The hell you say! This comes Fred Fleitz at National Review

Senator Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) and Congressmen Mike Pompeo (R., Kan.) issued a press release today on a startling discovery they made during a July 17 meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency officials in Vienna: There are two secret side deals to the nuclear agreement with Iran that will not be shared with other nations, with Congress, or with the U.S. public.

One of these side deals concerns inspection of the Parchin military base, where Iran reportedly has conducted explosive testing related to nuclear-warhead development. The Iranian government has refused to allow the IAEA to visit this site. Over the last several years, Iran has taken steps to clean up evidence of weapons-related activity at Parchin.

The other secret side deal concerns how the IAEA and Iran will resolve outstanding issues on possible military dimensions (PMDs) of Iran’s nuclear program. In late 2013, Iran agreed to resolve IAEA questions about nuclear weapons-related work in twelve areas. Iran only answered questions in one of these areas and rejected the rest as based on forgeries and fabrications. (snip)

This means that two crucial measures of Iranian compliance with the nuclear agreement will not be disclosed to Congress despite the requirements of the Corker-Cardin bill (the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act), which requires the Obama administration to provide the U.S. Congress with all documents associated with the agreement, including all “annexes, appendices, codicils, side agreements [emphasis added], implementing materials, documents, and guidance, technical, or other understandings and any related agreements, whether entered into or implemented prior to the agreement or to be entered into or implemented in the future.”

As Fleitz notes at the end, this should make us all wonder what other side deals were made, ones which neither Cotton nor Pompeo were informed about. Ones which the duly elected Congress will not be informed about. Nor the American People.

From the press release

Pompeo said: “This agreement is the worst of backroom deals. In addition to allowing Iran to keep its nuclear program, missile program, American hostages, and terrorist network, the Obama administration has failed to make public separate side deals that have been struck for the ‘inspection’ of one of the most important nuclear sites—the Parchin military complex. Not only does this violate the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, it is asking Congress to agree to a deal that it cannot review.

“The failure to disclose the content of these side agreements begs the question, ‘What is the Obama administration hiding?’ Even members of Congress who are sympathetic to this deal cannot and must not accept a deal we aren’t even aware of. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand up and demand to see the complete deal.”

Cotton said: “In failing to secure the disclosure of these secret side deals, the Obama administration is asking Congress and the American people to trust, but not verify.  What we cannot do is trust the terror-sponsoring, anti-American, outlaw regime that governs Iran and that has been deceiving the world on its nuclear weapons work for years.  Congress’s evaluation of this deal must be based on hard facts and full information.  That we are only now discovering that parts of this dangerous agreement are being kept secret begs the question of what other elements may also be secret and entirely free from public scrutiny.”

Most transparent administration ever.

Read: Good News: There Are Two Side Deals With Iran That Won’t Be Shared With Congress »

NY Times Very Upset Over Planned Parenthood Sting

Not once does the Editorial Board profess anything approaching repugnance to the selling of aborted baby parts

The Campaign of Deception Against Planned Parenthood

A hidden-camera video released last week purported to show that Planned Parenthood illegally sells tissue from aborted fetuses. It shows nothing of the sort. But it is the latest in a series of unrelenting attacks on Planned Parenthood, which offers health care services to millions of people every year. The politicians howling to defund Planned Parenthood care nothing about the truth here, being perfectly willing to undermine women’s reproductive rights any way they can.

The nine-minute video clip released by the Center for Medical Progress, an outfit apparently created in 2013, invites viewers to “Hold Planned Parenthood accountable for their illegal sale of baby parts.” In it, Dr. Deborah Nucatola, Planned Parenthood’s senior director of medical services, is seen discussing the collection of fetal tissue in a lunch meeting with two people posing as potential tissue buyers. A second video, released on Tuesday, shows another Planned Parenthood staff member discussing fetal tissue.

Interestingly, the EB isn’t howling about PP selling baby parts. Nor are they howling after we learned that PP employees wanted to sell baby parts to buy a Lamborghini.

Of course, the rest of the editorial is all about protecting PP, and attacking the group that shot the videos. There is no concern that PP is illegally selling aborted baby parts. No outrage. Heck, they aren’t even upset that PP was using ultrasound to make the abortion cleaner to get the parts. Aren’t abortion on demand proponents against ultrasound for abortion?

Researchers use fetal tissue to study and develop treatments for diseases and conditions like H.I.V., hepatitis, congenital heart defects, retinal degeneration and Parkinson’s. Last year, the National Institutes of Health gave $76 million in grants for fetal tissue research. Planned Parenthood is certainly not the only collector of fetal tissue — clinics associated with universities also supply tissue for research.

So far, embryonic stem cell research has provided no viable cures nor medications. Unless you deem fixing a medical issue then causing big tumors “progress”.

The Center for Medical Progress video campaign is a dishonest attempt to make legal, voluntary and potentially lifesaving tissue donations appear nefarious and illegal. Lawmakers responding by promoting their own anti-choice agenda are rewarding deception and putting women’s health and their constitutionally protected rights at risk.

It’s dishonest to promote abortion as a means to gain tissue for failed research as a means to continue the abortion mills. If these were puppies or baby seals, the NYTEB would be freaking out in apoplectic outrage. And this same EB seems to have a big problem when it comes to school choice, especially vouchers, and the choice to own a gun.

Would this same NYTEB, along with all the leftist supporters of unfettered abortion on demand, have a problem with an open investigation of Planned Parenthood in light of these videos? I’m suspecting that the answer would be “no”.

Read: NY Times Very Upset Over Planned Parenthood Sting »

Poll: Only 38% Approve Of Obama/Kerry Iran Deal

Hilariously, Mr. Obama proclaimed that 99% of the world agrees with him on the Iran deal, a notion that was backed during a White House presser, as Press Secretary Josh Earnest made a fool of himself.

(Pew Research) More Americans disapprove than approve of the deal struck last week by the U.S., Iran and five other nations to limit Iran’s nuclear program: Among the 79% of Americans who have heard about the agreement, just 38% approve, while 48% disapprove (14% do not offer an opinion).

There is widespread skepticism about aspects of the agreement, particularly the Iranian leadership’s commitment to the terms of the deal: Most of those familiar with the agreement say they have not too much (35%) or no confidence at all (38%) that Iran’s leaders will uphold their side of the agreement. And while there is greater confidence in the U.S. and international agencies’ ability to monitor Iran’s compliance, 54% are not too (33%) or not at all (21%) confident, while a smaller share (45%) express at least a fair amount of confidence in their ability.

It’s going to be rather hard to overcome those numbers when information keeps rising that shows how good this deal is for Iran, and how worthless for the rest of the world, especially the U.S.

Recently, we’ve learned that there really are no restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missiles. There are many disturbing issues in this deal. Many disturbing issues. We hear about “voluntary commitments” made by Iran for their nuclear weapons program, which they still won’t admit to. How does an international body investigate compliance when Iran won’t admit what they’ve been doing?

Obviously, Democrats overwhelmingly approve, but, still 25% disapprove. Among Independents, 49% disapprove, with 36% approving. Not good numbers for the deal.

In the wake of the agreement, just 26% of those who have heard at least a little about the agreement say they have a great deal or fair amount of confidence that Iran’s leaders will abide by its terms. About a third (35%) do not have much confidence, while 38% say they have no confidence at all.

44% of Democrats have a great deal/fair amount of belief in Iran sticking to the agreement, compared with just 8% of Republicans and 22% of Independents.

It’s no wonder that Team Obama is pushing this deal hard, because, like so many Obama policies, it is underwater. It surely doesn’t help that they took it to the United Nations prior to the US Congress. Nor that he and people who work for him are trotting out irresponsible language, distortions, even lies, about what this deal does. Obama likes saying that the deal will “cut off every single one of Iran’s pathways to a nuclear weapon”, even when it does anything but. According to the actual deal. Even provided Iran doesn’t cheat.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Poll: Only 38% Approve Of Obama/Kerry Iran Deal »

Deep-Pocketed GOP Squish Really Wants To Tackle “Climate Change”

The squish in question is Jay Faison, writing at Politico

A GOP Approach to Tackling Climate Change

I’m a Republican, and I want to champion Republican answers to a challenge we aren’t yet known for embracing.

But first, as a happy — if worried — conservative and a lifelong entrepreneur, I’m ready for the Obama administration to pack its bags. I believe in school choice, tort reform, balanced budgets and small government. I believe we need a health care policy that doesn’t cost businesses like mine millions of dollars. I support a free enterprise system unshackled from bad regulation and big labor unions — which were the right thing for American workers in 1890.

If you’re that much of a Conservative, you don’t have to tell us, you’re really a Squish

For all those reasons and more, I’m a committed GOP donor, having contributed to campaigns and super PACs supporting Mitch McConnell, Jeb Bush and Rob Portman, to name a few. But I also believe that my party needs a fresh approach on one of the most important issues of our age.

Yup, a Squish.

Energy policy should be a powerful tool in the coming Republican resurgence, but for too long we’ve ceded the issue to the Democrats. It’s time to develop a conservative national energy agenda that grows the economy, reduces our dependence on foreign oil, protects jobs over lizards and reduces greenhouse gas emissions that are warming our planet.

Here’s the question: why does it have to deal with “climate change”? Sure, the policies that he proposes are actually more in line with mine, but, I don’t propose them as sops to the Cult of Climastrology, but simply as wise energy policies. What Jay is doing is buying into the “consensus” of anthropogenic Hotcoldwetdry, along the nominal lines of taking the issue away from far left fascistic Progressives.

I want to capitalize on this momentum, so I’ve committed $175 million of my personal funds through a new charitable foundation and a separate political action fund. The foundation will engage in targeted advocacy at both the state and national levels, make the public case through cutting-edge media platforms and give grants for innovative, conservative policy work. The political action fund will champion Republican candidates and legislation that support market-based solutions for clean energy and climate issues.

He’s very upset that people are comparing him to uber-leftie Tom Steyer, but, he’s essentially doing the same thing.

  • First, we need to prevent and reform regulations that obstruct the promise and development of distributed solar power, especially on rooftops.
  • Second, conservatives should encourage and fund innovation and research and development in both the private and public sectors.
  • Third, conservatives should embrace and promote energy efficiency in their own lives and businesses.

You should read the rest of each of those paragraphs for more detail, but, let me note that Conservatives tend to be much better at energy efficiency in our own lives than Warmists, because we like to not waste money. Of course, I have to ask if Jay has done the same in his own life?

People too often forget today that the Republican Party has long been the voice of smart environmental policy. Teddy Roosevelt, our original conservationist, protected our national treasures for future generations. Richard M. Nixon signed the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. Ronald Reagan forged an international agreement to phase out ozone-depleting chemicals. George H.W. Bush enacted a trading program that lowered sulfur dioxide, the primary ingredient in acid rain, by 80 percent.

Environmentalism is good policy. “Climate change” is a manufactured political issue based on junk science.

Read: Deep-Pocketed GOP Squish Really Wants To Tackle “Climate Change” »

If All You See…

…is an evil CO2 infused beer, which wastes hops that could be made into fuel, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Legal Insurrection, with a post on when American exceptionalism was good.

Read: If All You See… »

Liberal World: Drag Queens Banned From Gay Pride Event As They Might Offend Transgenders

So now gay behavior is offending gays. Or, really, might possibly Offend. Silliness to the max

(Metro) Free Pride Glasgow, which takes place next month and advertises itself as an ‘anti-commercialist’ alternative to the city’s main Pride event, decided that drag queens – closely associated with Pride celebrations for most of their history – would not be welcome to perform.

In a statement outlining the reasons for the ban, Free Pride Glasgow said it was concerned that trans people or those questioning their gender might feel ‘uncomfortable’ should drag queens perform.

God forbid anyone feel “uncomfortable”.

‘This can particularly difficult for those who are not out and still present as the gender they were assigned at birth. While it was discussed whether we could have trans drag acts perform, it was agreed that as it would not be appropriate to ask any prospective drag acts whether or not they identified as trans.’

They weren’t “assigned” a gender, they were born a gender. Period.

Pride Glasgow said they understood the rationale behind the decision, but said that the banning of drag acts was ‘against what an inclusive event should be about.’

Yeah, but if anyone might be Offended, measures must be taken. Possibly jail time.

Read: Liberal World: Drag Queens Banned From Gay Pride Event As They Might Offend Transgenders »

Scientists Create Bacon Flavored Seaweed, Warmists Immediately Link It To “Climate Change”

Have you heard about this yet?

(Time) Researchers from Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center say they’ve created and patented a new type of seaweed that has the potential to be sold commercially as the next big superfood.

The reason? It tastes just like bacon, they claim.

The bizarre but tasty creation is actually a new strain of red marine algae called dulse that is packed full of minerals and protein and looks like red lettuce.

So, this is a “superfood”, super duper good for you! And, making it taste like bacon would is simply awesome. Of course, along comes Joe Romm’s George Soros funded Climate Progress

This Seaweed Tastes Like Bacon. It Could Help Clean The Oceans.

By “clean the oceans”, they don’t actually mean really worried about ocean pollution. They mention nutrient runoff, particularly from agriculture, but, that is not their true concern

Besides nutrient runoff, ocean acidification is another environmental pressure that’s expected to alter marine ecosystems in the future. As the ocean begins to absorb more and more of the carbon dioxide that humans are putting into the atmosphere, the pH of the water is expected to decrease, making the world’s oceans more acidic. For organisms like shellfish, that could be a problem, because acidic waters means shellfish have to work harder to produce their shells, leaving them with less energy to fight disease or find food.

But like excess nutrients, Yarish said, seaweed has also shown an ability to thrive in waters with greater concentrations of carbon dioxide.

“Algae are the winners when it comes to ocean acidification,” he said. “They have the ability to extract more CO2 out of the water, and therefore lowering the pH of that water.”

No matter the subject, Cult Of Climastrology members are always willing to ruin it with their insane ideology.

Read: Scientists Create Bacon Flavored Seaweed, Warmists Immediately Link It To “Climate Change” »

Surprise: ISIS Quickly Becoming An Actual “State”

Remember when many told us that ISIS was not a state? We heard from folks like Hillary Clinton, the UK Guardian, and John Kerry. Heck, Kerry said it again less less than 20 days ago. Now we get

ISIS Transforming Into Functioning State That Uses Terror as Tool

The Islamic State uses terror to force obedience and frighten enemies. It has seized territory, destroyed antiquities, slaughtered minorities, forced women into sexual slavery and turned children into killers.

But its officials are apparently resistant to bribes, and in that way, at least, it has outdone the corrupt Syrian and Iraqi governments it routed, residents and experts say.

“You can travel from Raqqa to Mosul and no one will dare to stop you even if you carry $1 million,” said Bilal, who lives in Raqqa, the Islamic State’s de facto capital in Syria, and insisted out of fear on being identified only by his first name. “No one would dare to take even one dollar.”

Seriously? This is the way the NY Times article starts?

The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh, initially functioned solely as a terrorist organization, if one more coldblooded even than Al Qaeda. Then it went on to seize land. But increasingly, as it holds that territory and builds capacity to govern, the group is transforming into a functioning state that uses extreme violence — terror — as a tool. That distinction is proving to be more than a matter of perspective for those who live under the Islamic State, which has provided relative stability in a region troubled by war and chaos while filling a vacuum left by failing and corrupt governments that also employed violence — arrest, torture and detention.

It’s almost like the NY Times writers like this type of state.

While no one is predicting that the Islamic State will become steward of an accountable, functioning state anytime soon, the group is putting in place the kinds of measures associated with governance: issuing identification cards for residents, promulgating fishing guidelines to preserve stocks, requiring that cars carry tool kits for emergencies.

The forgot to mention “throwing gays off rooftops”. Of course, to acknowledge that fact is to acknowledge the threat from hardcore Islam.

They, at this time, have no viable economy. But, still, the article softly goes on to question the military fight against ISIS, wondering if there should be some sort of political solution. Because, ya know, sometimes Evil does win.

What isn’t really acknowledged is that this is all based on a hardcore interpretation of the Koran, of Islam, and that ISIS will never be satisfied until there is an established Caliphate running across the Middle East, Europe, and northern Africa, if not the entire world.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Surprise: ISIS Quickly Becoming An Actual “State” »

Dishwasher Industry Not Happy With Obama Climate Change Regs

Yes, this is all about “climate change”

(The Hill)  Companies that make dishwashers are warning that the Obama administration’s latest efficiency standards for their industry would backfire.

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers is accusing the Department of Energy (DOE) of a politically motivated drive to increase dishwasher efficiency, which are so bad that they would cause consumers to re-wash dishes, erasing any efficiency gains.

Some of the group’s members, which include companies like GE Appliances & Lighting and Whirlpool Corp., tweaked their models to comply with the DOE’s December proposal to ratchet up standards.

They then ran standard tests with food stuck to dishes.

“They found some stuff that was pretty disgusting,” McAver said.

The road to hell is paved with Progressive (nice fascist) good intentions, as the saying goes

When it released the proposal in December, DOE estimated that it would save 240 billion gallons over a 30-year period and reduce energy consumption by 12 percent. That would shave $2 billion of consumers’ utility bills, the agency said.

It would also reduce the output of air pollutants that are common in the power generation sector, including carbon dioxide, methane, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury. The carbon savings alone would bring billions of dollars in environmental benefits, the administration argued.

Even the water savings part is about Hotcoldwetdry. Yet another Big Government control policy that has unintended consequences.

Read: Dishwasher Industry Not Happy With Obama Climate Change Regs »

If All You See…

…is a horrible CO2 infused beer, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Flopping Aces, with a post on those who do and don’t matter to Obama.

Read: If All You See… »

Pirate's Cove