From Insty, talking about this little concept:
“All those people complaining about DOGE as a threat to privacy — why is it okay for the government to know how much money you make and what you spend it on?”
Why indeed.
Category: Government Thugs
More Savings
Representative Val Hoyle (D-OR) said on Monday on CNN’s “News Central” that Democratic lawmakers will not vote to fund the government if Republicans are advancing President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Wait, does that mean that the entire Feddle Gummint will shut down and won’t be paid? Including Congress?
Oh, please let it be so.
And by the way, you little pinko pustule: maybe the voters in your Commie district didn’t vote for Trump’s agenda, but the rest of us sure as hell did.
Now get out of the way so the adults can do what we sent them to D.C. to do.
Over The Line
I see that Tulsi Gabbard made it over the NO vote of soon-to-be-gone Mitch McConnell and was conformed as Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Excellent.
Now I’m wondering: who, exactly, approved the action which placed her on a “security risk” (SSSS*) list last year after she switched parties and became a Trump supporter?
If it was her predecessor, then he’s gone, no big deal. Then we have to ask: who motivated the action, if it wasn’t him?
Either way, I hope that Gabbard goes after the asshole — because if a former member of Congress can get blacklisted that way by the government, who is safe?
(Oh, and one last thought: I just hope that in her new positions she leaves behind all her earlier anti-2A bullshit.)
*SSSS: the code letters printed on your boarding pass that cause an “enhanced security check” when you check in. (FYI: it once happened to me too, for reasons never specified.)
Congress Playing Their Part
Hey, how can you argue with proposed legislation to rein in the jack-booted thugs of the ATF — especially when it’s known as the RIFLE Act?
Under the Biden Administration, ATF’s zero tolerance policy forced small and mid-sized gun stores out of business. The agency revoked Federal Firearm Licenses due to minor clerical errors like missing a customer’s middle initial or using a state’s abbreviation rather than the state’s full name. In 2024 alone, ATF saw the highest levels of gun store license revocations in 20 years—the third consecutive year of increased license revocations under President Biden’s leadership. Last week, the Biden Administration claimed it reversed its zero tolerance policy. Upon further review of the updated enforcement guidance, it appears to remain fully in effect.
Rep. Mann (R-KS) told Breitbart News, “President Biden did everything in his power to weaponize the federal government against gun store owners in the Big First District of Kansas and across the country. His zero tolerance policy undermined the Second Amendment and trampled on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. Since day one, I have rigorously pushed back against this unconstitutional policy and fought for more oversight to rein in ATF’s abuse.”
He added, “On November 5, 2024, the country made it clear—our constitutional rights are not up for grabs. My bill makes that crystal clear by fortifying the Second Amendment rights of local gun stores and seeking to restore a degree of wholeness to individuals whose livelihoods were destroyed by this federal abuse. I look forward to working with President Trump to further strengthen the protection of the Second Amendment, deliver justice for our FFLs, and get our country back on track.”
Who’s the new head of the ATF, again? (I know, I know: a decent head of the ATF would rescind the enforcement instructions off his own bat — I know I would, if my application to head up the ATF had been successful. But then again, considering that I’d have started shutting down the entire agency from Day 1 of my appointment, the whole issue would have been moot.)
DOGE Target #1
ATF Isn’t Talking About its Early Morning No-Knock Raid on a Baltimore Gun Rights Advocate
Manley estimated he owns more than 70 firearms, but all of them comply with Maryland and federal laws. He owns no full-autos, suppressors or destructive devices. The ATF learned this after threatening to blow open Manley’s gun safe, which he opened for the agents, who found nothing illegal.
After the botched search warrant, one of the agents who had told Manley’s wife he was the lead investigator, asked her for dimensions and other information about the doors and windows his team had destroyed, which he promised to replace.
Also:
ATF Murders Innocent Man
In March, agents shot and killed Bryan Malinowski, executive director of the Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas, in his home.
Agents were clearly spoiling for a gunfight when they went in during early morning hours, and they got one.
ATF has yet to comment officially on the March 19 killing, other to claim Malinowski fired first. But Malinowski’s family released a statement, which confirms what everyone already knew: It is extremely unlikely that the 53-year-old airport executive director knew he was trading gunfire with federal agents. It is far more likely Malinowski believed he was defending himself and his wife from armed home invaders.
This entire agency needs to be defunded and all their asshole agents fired and then prosecuted for all the crimes they committed against law-abiding citizens — both the people who authorized the crimes and the people who carried them out, no exceptions.
Period, end of statement, end of story.
Out Of Control
Here’s one that will make your nose bleed and your trigger-actuating digit twitch:
One of the more egregious abuses of power is the U.S. Department of Justice’s abuse of its power to harass citizens and companies through frivolous or dramatically expanded charges if that company/person pushes back against their legal threats.
An example of this is an October 21, 2024 lawsuit that the Biden administration brought against Rocket Mortgage because they followed the law.
That’s right, you read it correctly, Rocket Mortgage is having to spend millions of dollars in legal fees to defend itself against charges around actions they legally have no control over.
The DOJ lawsuit stems from a claim that a home was unfairly appraised and somehow that was Rocket Mortgages’ fault.
At this point, people who know anything at all about the business will be going “Huh? What about Dodds-Frank?” and rightfully so. Why?
It is important to note that while a mortgage company may contract with the appraiser, the law requires that the appraisal be completely independent of the mortgage company. In other words, it is illegal for the mortgage company to put their thumb on the scale in the determination of the value of a house under consideration for financing. In fact, to ensure appraisal independence is maintained, mortgage lenders contract through third-party appraisal management companies and have no authority over the independent appraisers.
Yet:
Yet, somehow, the Justice Department chose to splash Rocket Mortgage’s corporate name as the lead in their October 21, 2024 press release announcing a suit for racial discrimination in a clear attempt to grab headlines at the expense of the online mortgage innovator. Rocket Mortgage has received numerous customer service satisfaction awards from J.D. Power, and the decision by DOJ to very publicly seek to do harm to this company through their news release headline is a demonstration of the soft power to destroy which an out of control Justice Department possesses.
Even worse:
In an Orwellian twist, the Biden DOJ is seeking to harm a company’s reputation using the argument that they should have broken that law by putting pressure on the appraiser to come up with the right number in direct violation of the law.
In true socialist fashion, only the intentions are important. All that other inconvenient stuff — you know, existing law, the Constitution, actual right vs. wrong [stop sniggering] — none of that matters as long as DEI (All Hail DEI!!) is satisfied.
And if you dare to resist, say hello to lawyers’ fees, millions and millions of dollars’ worth.
The New DoJ — Trump’s — needs to end this shit, and have the charges dismissed, with Rocket’s costs reimbursed, said costs to be partially clawed back from the retirement accounts of all the individuals who initiated, authorized and executed this travesty.
And lest you think that it’s only a corporation involved here, and who cares about them? let me remind you of a certain individual named Randy Weaver, who refused to break the law at the behest of a federal agency (on this occasion, during the Dark Time Of Clinton). Things didn’t go well for him, did they?
The principle is precisely the same.
And if you think this one is bad, wait till you see the next post.