Monday Morning Ketch-Up After a Busy News Weekend!

Where to even start?

How about Twitter. It seems those wacky progs are at it again with the whole “shutting down the free speech of political opponents” thing they’ve got going.

Twitchy has the story: Twitter suspends another conservative account; Update: Chris Loesch is free, but flag-spam prog brigade still on the loose:

Just as with @FreeMarket_US last week, Twitter has suspended the account of conservative Chis Loesch. Chis is the husband of talk radio host and CNN contributor Dana Loesch and is very active on Twitter. Once again, Twitter’s reasons for suspending Chris’s account are not clear.

However, as @RBPundit and @lheal point out, it is likely due to liberals abusing Twitter’s system for reporting spam.

Because as Andrew Breitbart so aptly put it at CPAC 2012; “They’re a bunch of totalitarian freaks!”

Loesch got his twitter account back, but sans all of his followers. The same thing has happened to scores of other conservatives on Twitter:

It’s not over yet. Coordinated flag-spamming is a problem that Twitter needs to address now and preemptively, not AFTER conservative accounts are targeted and taken down.

More Twitchy: Twitter, you have a problem: Operation Flag the Prog Flag-Spam Abusers:

While Twitter executives sleep on the job, conservatives online are battling not only Loesch’s suspension, but the suspension of more than a dozen — and possibly dozens, if not hundreds more — innocent conservative social-media users who appear to have been maliciously targeted by Twitter abusers. The system is obviously broken and being exploited by vigilantes who oppose everything the engagement-enhancing ethos of Twitter stands for (or is supposed to stand for, anyway).

The targets are not big-time conservative celebs with large followings (which seems to be why Chris Loesch was targeted instead of his fellow conservative activist wife — Breitbart.com editor/CNN contributor Dana Loesch — whose high-follower Twitter account may be more immune to flag-spam attacks).

The progressives never expect pushback. But with the back-to-back suspensions of @freemarket_us and @chrisloesch, the conservative activist community online is banding together to Flag the Flag-Spammers for Twitter to see all in one place — no, not by abusing the flag-spam system, but by naming names and showing Twitter the extent of the problem.

Shane Wright, who himself was the victim of a temporary suspension, has compiled a list of conservatives suspended at some point on Twitter.

He explained to Twitchy how he came about identifying targets (and is working with Ben Howe to spread the word):

Speaking of Andrew Breitbart. Oh man.

Disconcerting news from the department that handled the Breitbart’s autopsy….

The LA Times reported: Possible arsenic poisoning probed in death of coroner’s official:

Authorities said a Los Angeles County coroner’s official, Michael Cormier, appears to have died from poisoning.

“At this point we haven’t ruled out foul play,” said Lt. Alan Hamilton of the Los Angeles Police Department. “It is one of the things being considered. We are waiting for the coroner’s results.”

Law enforcement sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said that finding the presence of poison does not necessarily mean the death was a homicide because the substance could have accidentally entered his system. According to sources, arsenic was one poison being examined as potential cause but stressed no final determination has been made.

Cormier, 61, died last week after being taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank from his North Hollywood home. Earlier he had complained of pain and vomiting.

Hospital staff notified police about concerns surrounding the cause of Cormier’s death.

Ed Winter, deputy chief coroner, said that an autopsy had been performed but that a determination of the cause of death has been deferred pending further tests.

The report also notes that Cormier worked as a coroner’s photographer, as well. Did this man have anything to do with Andrew Breitbart’s autopsy? I don’t know. But people are checking to find out.

 WND has more:

Michael Cormier, a respected forensic technician for the Los Angeles County Coroner died under suspicious circumstances at his North Hollywood home April 20, the same day Breitbart’s cause of death was finally made public.

“There are mysterious circumstances surrounding his death,” said Elizabeth Espinosa, a news reporter for KTLA-TV. “We’re told detectives are looking into the possibility that he was poisoned by arsenic.”

***

On April 20, the same day Cormier died, the coroner’s office released its findings into the death of Breitbart, stating the 43-year-old conservative media powerhouse died of natural causes, listing cause of death as heart failure.

“No prescription or illicit drugs were detected.The blood alcohol was .04%,” the official report said. “No significant trauma was present and foul play is not suspected.”

The Washington Post: Boehner: Obama picking fake fights:

House Speaker John A. Boehner scolded President Obama on Sunday for politicizing issues upon which Democrats and Republicans agree, including the need to prevent a hike in interest rates on federal student loans.

“The president is getting some very bad advice from his campaign team, because he’s diminishing the presidency by picking fake fights, going after straw men every day,” Boehner said in an interview broadcast Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Boehner (R-Ohio) told CNN host Candy Crowley that he and the president have a good relationship, but he provided no evidence of that, instead excoriating Obama for his recent speeches attacking the GOP’s position on student loans.

“The point I’ve been trying to make here in the last couple of weeks is that the president’s bigger than this,” Boehner said. He cast his criticism as constructive: “Somebody needs to help him out, so I thought I would.”

Speaking of fake fights: Weasel Zippers: War on Women: Senate Democrats plan another trap for Mitt Romney with female voters:

(The Hill) — Senate Democrats are planning a new ploy to put Mitt Romney and Republicans on the defensive with female voters.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will bring to the floor in coming weeks legislation to protect women from retaliation by employers if they inquire about salaries paid to male colleagues.

Republicans voted in unison to block the bill, the Paycheck Fairness Act, when it came to the floor in November of 2010.

Democrats say it will be difficult for GOP senators to back out of their opposition, especially because the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has staunchly opposed the legislation.

Mitt Romney will either have to split with Republicans and an important business group or take a position that could further erode his support among women.

“Romney’s going to be on defense on the Paycheck Fairness Act,” said a senior Democratic aide.

Because according to the Chamber of Commerce, it’s a crap bill:

“This bill would, among other things, expand remedies under [the Equal Pay Act] to include unlimited punitive and compensatory damages, significantly erode employer defense for legitimate pay disparities, and impose invalid tools for enforcement by the Labor Department,” the group wrote.

The Chamber argues the legislation would increase the opportunity for frivolous litigation and could result in increased costs for companies as they hire attorneys and conduct investigations to examine claims.

It says the bill would significantly erode the defenses available to employers under the Equal Pay Act by permitting plaintiffs to challenge legitimate pay decisions if they show other employment practices would not create disparities.

Speaking of the phoney war on women: The Shark Tank: Obama’s “War on Women” Assaults Fort Lauderdale, Sorta:

The front lines on the battlefield of Obama’s “War on Women” are looking pretty thin these days, as a sparsely attended rally of maybe 70 activists showed up in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Saturday to protest….something.  Some of the protestors got a bit ahead of themselves, as their signs demanded that they “Pink Slip Mitt”- before he’s actually been elected.

Can you say “astro-turf”? I knew you could.

HotAirPundit: Solyndra Leaves Behind Trail of Toxic Waste At Facility in California (Video):

A trail of toxic waste from the company touted as a symbol of green technology. This is a must-see video report from CBS San Francisco. The reporters go to a building in Milpitas, CA that was leased by Solyndra where they performed final assembly of solar panels. At the site, they find discarded buckets that are half-filled with hazardous waste  and the place trashed.

LifeNews: Official Won’t Say if Obama Admin Will Protect Chen Guangcheng:

An Obama administration official today would not say whether the Obama administration plans to provide political asylum or some sort of other diplomatic protection for Chen Guangcheng, the forced abortion opponent in China.

Chen, a blind attorney, has been in captivity at his home after spending years in prison after he was convicted in trumped-up charges engineered by family planning and community Party officials for retaliation against his exposing a massive brutal campaign in his home county involving the victimization of thousands in forced abortions and sterilizations.

In a daring rescue attempt, human rights campaigners helped Chen escape his home confinement and took him to an undisclosed location in Beijing — reportedly the U.S embassy — but the Obama administration has given no indication of whether it will provide Chen with political asylum or other diplomatic protection. Leading pro-life campaigners and human rights groups are concerned that if Chen is not protected, Chinese officials may illegally detain him and send him back to prison, home detention or may take his life.

John Brennan, Obama’s counterterrorism adviser, would not provide additional details as to whether Chen is currently under protection at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing or where Chen is hiding after he escaped the house arrest family planning and Chinese Community Party officials had subjected him to since he was released from prison on bogus charges following his exposing a massive campaign of forced abortions.

Well, can Chen help Obama get reelected? That’s the question. Will a pro life activist in China help inspire Obama voters to go to the polls? Hmmmmmm. I hope Guangcheng has a plan B.

Speaking of people who can help Obama get elected: Big Government: Obama White House Fundraises For Anti-Christian Bully Savage:

President Obama’s administration has focused heavily on ending childhood bullying. So why would the Obama administration get behind an anti-bullying organization headed by one of America’s most vulgar, extreme bullies?

The Obama Administration has placed significant support behind the so-called It Gets Better Project. The White House has devoted a specific section of the WhiteHouse.gov website to the Project. President Obama, Vice President Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and many other administration officials have cut videos on behalf of the Project.

The organization is led by Dan Savage – of *Google Santorum* fame. That……person’s “cause” (anti-bullying for gay kids, only) is is being financially supported by the President of the United States. People who have other points of view than Savage may be bullied savagely (no pun intended) and with abandon.

This is the same Dan Savage who spoke at the National High School Journalism Conference last week, where he ripped into the Bible and called religious students “pansy-assed” for walking out on him.

But there’s much more to Dan Savage than just anti-religious bullying. He’s one of the biggest bullies on the planet. And he’s the point person the White House specifically chose – and fundraised for – in order to push their anti-bullying agenda.

The most vile discussion about conservatives ever aired on television took place on the Bill Maher Show, and prominently featured Dan Savage. So cool – he has the ear and the respect and support of POTUS.

What country am I living in, again?

Twitchy: Bully, heal thyself: Backlash for ‘anti-bullying’ speaker Dan Savage:

“It gets better” project head Dan Savage rightly drew fire for his latest display of reprehensible behavior yesterday. This may be the straw that breaks the hypocritical camel’s back and it has sparked the #FireDanSavage hashtag on Twitter.

Oh hey – Remember when Obama said he would be okay with being a one term President? It always struck me as odd because he never stopped campaigning.

Doug Ross: “Obama has held more re-election fundraisers than [the] previous five Presidents combined”:

What do you know. Someone finally reported what everyone was already noticing:

Leave it the British media — in this case London’s Daily Mail (via Weasel Zippers) — to report the inside dirt on the Obama administration’s perpetual campaign.

Barack Obama has already held more re-election fundraising events than all five Presidents since Richard Nixon combined, according to figures to be published in a new book… Obama is also the only president in the past 35 years to visit every electoral battleground state in his first year of office.

The figures, contained a in a new book called The Rise of the President’s Permanent Campaign by Brendan J. Doherty, due to be published by University Press of Kansas in July, give statistical backing to the notion that Obama is more preoccupied with being re-elected than any other commander-in-chief of modern times.

Atlas: Putin’s Pathetic Puppy — Obama:

There is a remarkable 4 minute-39 second video issued on “Earth Day” (April 22, Lenin’s birthday) last Sunday denouncing the environmental agenda as an “economic suicide pact.” It is entitled “If I Wanted America To Fail” — (link to video):
http://www.youtube.com/v/CZ-4gnNz0vc&hlPlease watch it first before I continue – for I’m going say how it ends.After, with excruciating poignancy, describing all that Zero is doing to ensure the failure of our blessed nation, the narrator concludes with the last thing he would do “if I wanted America to fail… I wouldn’t change a thing.”The answer to our question, is Zero on Putin’s payroll?, is: given his behavior, given his actions as president, it makes no difference whether he is or is not. He could be a full-blown Manchurian Candidate. He could be bought and paid for by the KGB. He could be a brain-damaged black racist moonbat consumed with hatred for America. He could be a megalomaniacal narcissistic sociopath.It doesn’t matter if he actually is any or all of these. What matters is that his actions are such that he could be-for those actions are what he would do if he were. So we need not make accusations for which we do not have solid proof. It suffices to know that, whatever the cause, whatever his motivation, this man means us and our country mortal harm. And he has the capacity, as President of the United States, to do so. His every day in the Oval Office is dedicated to doing so.What matters is: Nobama 2012. Our country’s life depends on it.

Palette Cleanser: Paul Ryan: ‘It’s Not Too Late To Save The American Dream’:

Republicans blasted President Obama and Democrats for failing to act on a budget while trying to sell the American public on the Republican proposal.

In his GOP weekly address, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said the debate over the federal budget had the highest possible stakes, asking, “Is it too late to save America from a diminished future?”

Things that make you say…..”uh oh”: World Food Prices Spike As Soy Harvest Collapses:

The US Department of Agriculture believes that soybean production is headed for its biggest global drop ever — or at least since 1965 which is when the US started tracking global soybean production. Prices are now higher than they have been in four years, and could reach record levels later in the year.

The Daily Caller: Brit Hume: Obama’s SCOTUS fight ‘embarrassing,’ ‘exceedingly ineffective’ [VIDEO]

Last week the Supreme Court heard arguments about a controversial Arizona immigration law whose detractors say gives the state the authority to perform a constitutional duty that belongs to the federal government.

But if the Supreme Court should rule in favor of Arizona, it could be seen as another blow to President Barack Obama’s administration, which has come under fire after that same court called into question his signature health care reform law.

On “Fox News Sunday,” political analyst Brit Hume explained why such a ruling could hurt Obama’s brand.

“I think it is damaging, particularly in regard to health care,” Hume said. “This is the centerpiece of his domestic agenda. It is his proudest achievement and if it is struck down by the Supreme Court, it then bears the stamp of illegitimacy. It is already unpopular. It would, I think, in the aftermath be more so.”

Via Patriot Network: Attorney General Facing Contempt Charges:

Michelle Malkin: “Crucify them:” It’s the Obama Way:

Publicly humiliated by the video release of the persecution strategy session (FYI: the video has now been pulled, but there’s a copy here), Armendariz said this week he regretted his “poor choice of words.” “It was an offensive and inaccurate way to portray our efforts to address potential violations of our nation’s environmental laws. I am and have always been committed to fair and vigorous enforcement of those laws.”

Tyrannical actions, of course, speak louder than weasel words. And the record shows that Obama’s environmental overlords run amok.

It was Obama’s power-mad interior secretary Ken Salazar who vowed to keep his “boot on the neck” of BP after the Gulf oil spill in 2010. Salazar and former eco-czar Carol Browner colluded on a fraudulent report — condemned by federal judges — that completely distorted a White House–appointed expert panel’s opposition to the administration’s job-killing, industry-bashing drilling moratorium.

It was Obama’s EPA that railroaded a senior government research analyst for daring to question the agency’s zealous push to impose rules on greenhouse gases. When Alan Carlin asked to distribute an analysis on the health effects of greenhouse gases that didn’t fit the eco-bureaucracy’s blame-human-activity narrative, he was gagged and reprimanded: “The time for such discussion of fundamental issues has passed for this round. The administrator and the administration has [sic] decided to move forward on endangerment, and your comments do not help the legal or policy case for this decision. . . . I can only see one impact of your comments given where we are in the process, and that would be a very negative impact on our office.” Public-relations management trumped truth in science, the deliberative process, and fairness.

It was Obama’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in cahoots with the witch hunters at the Department of Justice, that raided Gibson Guitar factories in Memphis and Nashville three years ago over an arcane endangered species of wood. The guitar police have yet to bring charges, leaving the company in costly legal limbo.

Linked by Michelle Malkin, thanks!