Author Archives: Pamela Leavey

Former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates on Benghazi

  By Pamela Leavey | May 12, 2013 7:59 pm - 7:59 pm | , , , , , , , ,
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The Benghazi Kabuki theater continues as House Republicans push on with “hearing” that some are calling a witch hunt. An apt description… Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told CBS’ Face the Nation that ”some critics of the administration have a “cartoonish impression of military capabilities and military forces.”” Gates, a Republican who was appointed by then-President George W. Bush in 2006 and agreed to stay through more than two years of President Obama’s first term, repeatedly declined to criticize the policymakers who devised a response to the September 2012 attack on a U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, that left four Americans dead, including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens. “Frankly, had I been in the job at the … Continue reading →

Tamerlan Tsarnaev Received Mass. Welfare Benefits

  By Pamela Leavey | April 24, 2013 5:26 pm - 5:26 pm | , ,
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The wingnuts are in a tizzy… The Boston Herald reports Tamerlan Tsarnaev and family were receiving Mass. welfare benefits: State officials confirmed last night that Tsarnaev, slain in a raging gun battle with police last Friday, was receiving benefits along with his wife, Katherine Russell Tsarnaev, and their 3-year-old daughter. The state’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services said those benefits ended in 2012 when the couple stopped meeting income eligibility limits. Russell Tsarnaev’s attorney has claimed Katherine — who had converted to Islam — was working up to 80 hours a week as a home health aide while Tsarnaev stayed at home. The Herald says, “The news raises questions over whether Tsarnaev financed his radicalization on taxpayer money.” … Continue reading →

The Rich Continue To Get Richer, The Lower 93% Struggle On

  By Pamela Leavey | April 23, 2013 10:42 pm - 10:42 pm | , , , , ,
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If you are like me, you’re among the lower 93% still waiting for a break from the long recession/depression that we still haven’t recovered from. According to an analysis by Pew Research Center of newly released Census Bureau data, “During the first two years of the nation’s economic recovery, the mean net worth of households in the upper 7% of the wealth distribution rose by an estimated 28%, while the mean net worth of households in the lower 93% dropped by 4%.” Honestly this is no surprise, it’s been a long shaky ride for most of America. The struggling class is still held down by the upper 7%. Time to turn that around, don’t you think?

Jeanne Shaheen Trounces Scott Brown in Dem Poll

  By Pamela Leavey | April 23, 2013 5:48 pm - 5:48 pm | , , , , , , , , ,
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Former Massachusetts senator Scott Brown has been contemplating jumping the MA/NH border to challenge Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Not such a good idea perhaps for Brown. Politico reports that Brown “trails his could-be opponent by double digits in a new poll conducted for the League of Conservation Voters.” Brown’s personal favorability numbers are tepid: 37 percent of Granite Staters said they have a favorable view of him, while 42 percent said they have an unfavorable view. Asked whether Brown should run for Senate in New Hampshire or not, 54 percent answered in the negative. Scott Brown should heed the poll, lest every Democratic activist in Massachusetts crosses the border to help Jeanne Shaheen trounce him on election day, should he … Continue reading →

Boston Marathon Bomb Suspect Is Charged, To Be Tried In Federal Court

  By Pamela Leavey | April 22, 2013 8:18 pm - 8:18 pm | , , , , , , , ,
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One week after unleashing hell on the city of Boston, Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been charged with “using a weapon of mass destruction.” The Boston Marathon bombings resulted in three deaths and wounded more than 200 people with injuries that included amputations. In a criminal complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Tsarnaev is specifically charged with one count of using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction (namely, an improvised explosive device or IED) against persons and property within the United States resulting in death, and one count of malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive device resulting in death. The statutory charges authorize a penalty, upon conviction, … Continue reading →

Senator Boxer’s Statement on 43rd Earth Day

  By Pamela Leavey | April 22, 2013 6:47 pm - 6:47 pm | , , , , , ,
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Today is the 43rd anniversary of Earth Day as Walter Brasch noted below. Senator Barbara Boxer released the following statement on Earth Day: “As we celebrate Earth Day, it is important to remember the significant progress we have made since the first Earth Day in 1970 and prepare for the serious work that lies ahead.  “The first Earth Day helped lead to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.  It also helped spur strong bipartisan legislation, such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Superfund law, which have been some of the most successful laws ever enacted in the U.S. “Over the past four decades, we have made a tremendous difference in … Continue reading →

No Charges Filed Yet In Boston Marathon Bomber Case, Suspect In Critical Condition (UPDATED)

  By Pamela Leavey | April 21, 2013 8:11 pm - 8:11 pm | ,
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No charges have been filled yet in the case of the Boston Marathon Bomber suspect, 19 year old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Tsarnaev remains in critical condition in the hospital with ”a bullet wound to what appears to be the back of his neck and another to his leg.” The bullet wound to the neck appears to be self-inflicted, leading investigators to say “that wound to the back of the neck is very possibly a suicide attempt.” They say it appears from the wound that he might have stuck a gun in his mouth, and fired and actually just went out the back of his neck without killing him. That’s one of the reasons he’s unable to communicate, but he can understand what … Continue reading →

2nd Marathon Bomber Suspect Is in Custody

  By Pamela Leavey | April 19, 2013 8:51 pm - 8:51 pm |
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A collective sigh of relief can now be breathed in Boston and across America. The 2nd Marathon Bomber suspect is in custody. Report is that he is injured and medics were called in. His condition is not yet known. @Boston_Police: CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won. Suspect in custody. It’s just beautiful to see the people of Watertown cheering the police and first responders who did such an amazing job of capturing this suspect alive. 9:30 Presser expected… UPDATE 9:25 et: Suffolk DA Daniel F. Conley tonight delivered the following statement on the arrest of a suspect in Monday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon and the murder of an … Continue reading →