Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Chuck Norris Endorses Netanyahu in Political Ad



Chuck Norris, famous actor, overly exaggerated strong man, and avid Total Gym user, has endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his bid for re-election this year. Below is the video, with Chuck Norris's voice over pictures of himself, out of context clips of riots/protests, and videos that make B.B. Netanyahu seem like a real tough guy. We all know who would win in a fight though...

Courtesy of Youtube

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Bloomberg Cracks Down on Prescription Drugs


By John Amaruso




 Mayor Bloomberg has taken action to combat the epidemic of prescription pill addiction by limiting access to painkillers for hospital patients. The plan would severely limit access to some of the more notorious prescription painkillers like Vicodin and Percocet, while drugs like Oxycontin, a powerful painkiller derived from the poppy seed thebaine, will become virtually non existent in hospital emergency rooms.
    Critics of the Mayor's plan claim that this would only penalize the poor who's only means of available health care come from emergency room visits. The Mayor fought back against the claim, saying the epidemic of painkiller addiction must be addressed and overcome. ""There's nothing that you can possibly do where somebody isn't going to suffer, and it's always the same group claiming, 'Everybody is heartless.' Come on, this is a very big problem." said Mayor Bloomberg after critics lambasted the measure.
    Mayor Bloomberg stated that over 250,000 people over the age of 12 are addicted to painkillers. The Mayor said his measures would help reduce excess drugs that are prescribed to law abiding patients from transferring to the hands of drug dealers and users. "If you break a leg, you're going to be in pain, nothing wrong with getting something that reduces the pain,... But if you get 20 days worth of pills and you only need them three days, there's 17 days sitting there. Invariably some of the kids are going to find them, or you're going to take them and get addicted." added Mayor Bloomberg.
    Violent robberies at pharmacies across the country have shined light on the growing prescription pill problem in the United States, as hundreds of robberies are committed for the sole purpose of obtaining these highly addictive drugs.
    According to the CDC, prescription drug overdoses have more than tripled in the United States since 1990, and it is estimated that 100 people a day die from prescription drug overdoses.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Before We All Freak Out Over NY's Gun Legislation...



By John Amaruso

All I'm seeing in my news feed is people freaking the hell out over something they probably haven't even read-

So, with that being said...

Before we get all up in arms (no pun intended) over the recent bill that passed through the New York state assembly, let's actually take a look at what is in the bill before we jump the gun (no pun intended). Unless you want to remain another passer of erroneous and misleading talking points, take a look at what is actually in this bill as reported by NBC news.

(Source by NBC News)
The Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, New York's law:
  • Bans possession of any high-capacity magazines regardless of when they were made or sold. Only clips able to hold up to seven rounds can be sold in the state. Clips able to hold seven to 10 rounds can be possessed, but cannot be loaded with more than seven rounds. If an owner is found to have eight or more bullets in a magazine, he or she could face a misdemeanor charge.
  • Requires ammunition dealers to do background checks, similar to those for gun buyers. Dealers are required to report all sales, including amounts, to the state. Internet sales of ammunition are allowed, but the ammunition will have to be shipped to a licensed dealer in New York state for pickup.
  • Requires creation of a registry of assault weapons. Those New Yorkers who already own such weapons would be required to register their guns with the state.
  • Requires any therapist who believes a mental health patient made a credible threat of harming others to report the threat to a mental health director, who would then have to report serious threats to the state Department of Criminal Justice Services. A patient's gun could be taken from him or her, as well.
  • Stipulates that stolen guns should be reported within 24 hours.
  • Tightens the state's description of an "assault" weapon. Previous state law defined an assault weapon as having two "military rifle" features, but the new law reduces that specification to just one feature
  • Requires background checks for all gun sales, including by private dealers -- except for sales to members of the seller's immediate family.
To cut this down- you can all keep your guns. Unless it's you know, a ridiculously unnecessary one, like let's say an assault rifle (there's a reason why we're also not allowed to own grenades).

As for the background checks; when you buy a car in New York state, the car must be registered, and all sales whether private or public are reported to the state government to ensure the legality of the sale (I.E. make sure it's not stolen). Not to mention actually having to have a license to drive the car, because you know, driving a car is a big responsibility; hence, you must be qualified to operate one.

If I have to go through all that just to drive a car, I'd hope I'd have to do a lot more to own and use a weapon, especially one with the capability of taking out masses of people.

The only real victims in any of this? The mentally ill. They have now been stigmatized and ostracized as a bunch of looney violence addicted murderers who have no control over themselves whatsoever. There are millions of people diagnosed with all types of mental illness ranging from depression, to anxiety, to bi-polar and the like; they don't all go out and kill someone. They will only be made to feel further isolated and humiliated by society, singled out for having a mental deficiency which is just as debilitating and common as any physical disability.

This is just a prelude; I will be writing a piece in due time over why there is no real solution to gun violence in this country. Policy makers want to find the silver bullet (lol) for this problem, but there just isn't. Banning guns won't do. Locking up the mentally ill won't do it. What will do? Call me a cynic, but not much.

I am a firm believer in the constitution and our inalienable rights. But that does not mean that all of our rights come with absolutely no limitation- even our freedom to express ourselves is limited (it's called hate speech). Our freedom to assemble is limited (you need a permit). So everyone, just chill out- the government is not going to break down your door and take your guns away as the NRA would like you to believe.

Again New Yorkers, don't freak out- you'll all be able to keep your guns. Just not the completely unnecessary ones that were illegal in the first place.








P.S. You know there are 27 amendments in the constitution right? Many of which are violated on a daily basis and have a much bigger impact on our freedoms than our freedom to own a gun. Here's a short list of how some of these amendments have been violated in recent years.

  • Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression
    -No mosques can be built here! (I.E. Tennessee, Ground Zero Mosque)
    -Journalists can't photograph soldier's bodies returning from war
  • Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure
  • Amendment 6 - Right to Speedy Trial, Confrontation of Witnesses
  • Amendment 7 - Trial by Jury in Civil Cases
  • Amendment 8 - Cruel and Unusual Punishment
    -All 4 stated above violated by the Patriot Act and NDAA- look it up.
  • Amendment 10 - Powers of the States and People
    -Commerce Clause filled that power void a long time ago.
  • Amendment 24 - Poll Taxes Barred
    -Republicans tried passing voter I.D. laws requiring voters to have a driver's license (which can cost a lot to a low income person)- essentially, it's a tax or a fee to vote.
So enjoy fighting for those rights back too.





Thursday, January 10, 2013

I'm Sorry! It's Just... I Thought We Were At War...



When you play the Game of Drones, you win or you die. Especially if your a high-ranking Al-Qaeda member


Obama Criticized After Nominating John "Drone Master" Brennan for CIA Director Position

By Tyrone L. Heppard


Go ahead. Ask anyone who knows me. I’m liberal to the core.

For example, I don’t understand how gays still aren’t allowed to get married in America in 2013 (Especially after Rachel Maddow and former Rep. Barney Frank; they’re awesome people and we all know it). Also, kudos to Colorado and Washington and a pox on Oregon! Yeah; I support legalized marijuana; but I wouldn’t mind seeing cocaine and mushrooms legalized as well. I believe full-grown women know how their bodies work and how to make important life decisions; they don’t need any man’s help with any of that.

I believe people need to keep their religion out of our schools. That’s science’s turf – and if I’m not mistaken, there are places readily available for that sort of thing.  Plus, the aforementioned science says global warming is a tangible threat, so let’s stop destroying our planet for profits (I’m talking to you, Shell). I believe Wall Street’s run by criminals and thieves, racism impedes social progress, and the 1st Amendment is the most important amendment in our Bill of Rights. Speaking of which, we need to have a serious national discussion about gun control in America; something I have a feeling I’ll be talking about a lot this year.

With all that being said, there is one area where I’m staunchly conservative. I am very, very, conservative when it comes to fighting extremists. Bang the drums, sound the horns, raise the anchor – use whatever phrase you want.  I’m a hawk in that regard and I don’t care who knows it. Specifically, I’m a hawk when it comes to dealing with Al-Qaeda, North Korea, and the Iranian government; people like that have it coming. I’d explain myself here, but that’s a long story for another time. Allow me to continue.

As you know, President Obama won himself another four years in the White House last year after beating some tool in yet another historical election. Traditionally, even when the incumbent wins a second term, he’s expected to do a little bit of reshuffling to his cabinet come January, and that’s exactly what Obama is doing. However, anyone who was conscious during the last four years knows that Obama can’t make a decision without people throwing a hissy fit or trying to make it a bigger deal than it is.

President Obama with the potential CIA Director John Brennan 
As of January 8, Obama has nominated Chuck Hagel for Leon Panetta’s Secretary of Defense job, John Kerry for Hillary Clinton’s spot as Secretary of State, and a man named John Brennan to permanently serve as Director of the CIA after David Petreaus thought it a good idea to cheat with the woman writing his memoir. Not the way I would’ve chosen to end an illustrious career, but to each his own I suppose.

Please note that it’s not just the GOP who’s foaming at the mouth; everybody has something to say about Obama’s picks thus far. Democrats are ranting about Kerry because they think Obama was too scared to nominate Susan Rice after Benghazi. Republicans are mad he picked Hagel because of some stuff he said about the Iraq War and (ironically enough) a gay person. The media is flipping out because everyone he’s nominated so far is an old white guy and his "new" cabinet isn’t diverse enough – even though he’s not done picking people yet. The guy can’t catch a break!

What got my attention was the nomination of this John Brennan fellow. I didn’t know who he was so like a good little news junkie, I did some research. Turns out that Brennan had spent 25 years at the CIA and has been working closely with Obama since 2009. According to the president, Brennan is the guy responsible for developing and overseeing our, “comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy.”

Brennan does know his way around the CIA and America is fighting a “War on Terror”. It sounds like he’d be the right guy for the job to me, so what’s the big deal? Well, when Obama said Brennan helped with counter-terrorism strategy, he meant that Brennan has been the guy who has been advocating the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (aka UAVs or “drones”) on the battlefield. He’s the one who's been pushing the president to issue more drone strikes and the president has happily obliged him.  

A U.S. soldier makes adjustments to a UAV

According to CNN, drones seem to be the Obama Administration’s “weapon of choice”. As of September of last year, the number of people who were killed by drone strikes in Pakistan was somewhere between 1,494 and 2,618 – four times more than the deaths racked up during what I like to refer to as, “The G-Dub Era”. This was because Obama authorized 283 of them – six times as many as Bush. If President Obama is in love with drones like some say, then John Brennan’s the guy who hooked ‘em up.

As you can imagine, critics on both sides of the aisle aren’t too thrilled about this pick either for many reasons. The most popular being that when the US military started dealing death from the skies under Obama’s watch, it turns out that 100 percent of the people killed weren’t terrorists or enemy soldiers; there were a few civilians mixed in there.

Normally, this would be the point where I throw some facts ‘n figures in your general direction and allow you to decide how many civilian casualties is too many. I'm not going to do it though because I think that would be overlooking something fairly obvious: innocents have a tendency to get caught in the crossfire of battles raging in their backyards – even after over a decade.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not apathetic and I’m most definitely not saying anyone deserves death or should expect to be killed. All I’m saying is that when there’s war, people die; innocent people included. President Obama and John "Drone Master" Brennan might have been around for a while, but collateral damage is even older than they are....            

WAIT! Before my liberal brothers and sisters start de-friending me on Facebook, let me see if I can’t state this a bit more elegantly. Here goes….

Whenever innocents are killed it’s a tragedy; I think we can all agree on that. But if our country’s stated intent is to target extremists – extremists who themselves have said they want to destroy our government and end the lives of our friends and families – then what difference does it make if we’re using UAVs, or bombers, or assault rifles, or chemical weapons, or horses and bayonets to defend ourselves or to quash a threat? And look - we’re all people here, and, “to err is human”, right? Mistakes happen and this is war, so naturally someone is going to die who doesn’t deserve it.

Now, if you want to say that we shouldn’t be over there in the first place that’s one thing. Better yet, if you want to say that humanity needs to grow up and we need to stop trying to kill whoever we don’t like/disagree with, I’m prepared to have that conversation, too. Hell, I'm already at the table because I wholeheartedly agree!

But in my opinion, blaming the president, Brennan and UAVs for innocent deaths in a war zone is a lot like blaming the operator for running a machine they had no part in engineering. Granted; war is an ancient, massive, overused, violent machine fueled by wanton bloodshed and a lust for power at the expense of human suffering and misery – but it's a machine nonetheless. 

I'll tell you what: I’m totally down to help destroy it with you all; I think my life-long record as a leftist proves that. But you'll have to let me punch Kim Jong-Un and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the mouth first. Once should be enough. Afterwards - and you have my word - we will rage!

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Canadian Bridge Blockades: Canadians Indigenous are "Idle No More"


   by Kenny Brown

    Over the last few years we have seen protests and uprisings all across the globe. From the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street, from the EU Austerity Protests to the students in Canada. Now we are seeing a new protest stirring in the commonly silenced indigenous people of Canada. They are gathering behind a slogan "Idle No More", claiming multiple industries and the Canadian government are throwing them to the wind when it comes to promised profits and destroyed land. To put it in their own words here is an excerpt from the "Idle No More Manifesto" found on their Facebook page:

 "We contend that:
    Currently, this government is trying to pass many laws so that reserve lands can also be bought          and sold by big companies to get profit from resources. They are promising to share this time…Why would these promises be different from past promises? We will be left with nothing but poisoned water, land and air. This is an attempt to take away sovereignty and the inherent right to land and resources from First Nations peoples."

    The ongoing distrust of the Canadian government by the First Nations people and the "Idle No More" movement can be seen by recent actions. On Friday, January 4, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper agreed to a meeting with representatives of the First Nations but yesterday, Saturday the 5th, the month old movement successfully created a blockade on the International Bridge in Cornwall, Ontario leading the police to shut it down. Other blockades were created across places like the main rail line between Toronto and Montreal. This blockade helped create havoc for passengers when it disrupted service for the Via Rail, affecting Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.

    It should be noted that one of the four "Idle No More" founders, Jessica Gordon, does not support the blockade method, citing her support for peaceful protest. Although she disagrees with this form of action it should be noted the attention being fostered by it. News networks all over the globe have been covering the blockades and bringing light to a commonly ignored minority.

    Their next major announced protests will occur on January 11th on what they are calling their "Global Day of Solidarity and Resurgence". We shall see how things play out over the next few days and weeks with this rather young grassroots movement and if they will have their questions answered and their problems justified. It is hard to tell these days what movements will be successful but I always have my fingers crossed for the well intentioned under dog.

If you want to learn more about the "Idle No More" movement you can check them out via the links below.
Facebook Page
"Idle No More" Main Site

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Cat Caught Smuggling Weapons Into Brazilian Prison


Photo of the suspect

Ever see the show Prison Break? Well, it's sort of like that, except with a cat.

In A Brazilian prison, guards found a cat attempting to sneak in through the prison fence. Upon apprehending the feline, guards found that the cat was strapped to the teeth; with saws, a cell phone, headphones, a memory card, drills, and various other contraband to it's chest and legs.

An official at the prison made a press statement, commenting on how difficult it is to solve the mystery of who was using the cat as a mule for tools to plot a prison break, saying

"It will be hard to discover who is responsible since the cat does not speak"

It is said the cat will be brought downtown for further questioning.
 


Ultra Conservative Group Freedom Works Pays $8 million For Boss to Quit. The Dick Armey Story.


By John Amaruso


Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey has been paid by his right wing organization "Freedom Works" an $8 million dollar deal to leave the organization. Freedom Works which has backed Tea Party candidates and other affiliated movements has been ran by Mr. Armey for almost 10 years. Mr. Armey defended the deal to quit by saying he couldn't "leave with empty pockets". Meanwhile the head of Freedom Works was quoted as saying to Mr. Armey about the deal that "you'll never have to work again forever".

The 72 year old Mr. Armey in an interview claimed the organization was "dishonest" and reflected on his time in the ultra conservative lobbying group and the disputes which ultimately led to his resignation.

It has also been alleged that Mr. Armey had planned an impromptu "coup" against the leadership of Freedom Works when in early September of 2012 he brought a gun carrying aide with him to a meeting attended by Matt Kibbe, Freedom Works president.
Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey

Under the deal Mr. Armey is set to receive $400,000 a year until he is 92- bringing the grand total of his severance package $8 million dollars.

Mr. Armey after being offered the deal said "How many people are going to have trouble of making that choice at the age of 72?".

Freedom Works did not comment on any of the accusations posed by Mr. Armey, only saying they wish him the best in his future endeavors.

I don't know about you, but that's a whole lotta pension pay. Where do I sign?


Freedom Works designing a deal Dick Armey can't refuse

Thursday, January 3, 2013

NDAA Resigned By Obama With Concerns; Does Not Mention Indefinite Detainment of American Citizens




By John Amaruso

 
Yesterday President Obama released a written statement addressing his concerns over the H.R. 4310 bill, also known as the "National Defense Authorization Act" or NDAA. The bill which contains over 680 pages of various appropriations to military personnel and vital security programs, was originally signed into law for the fiscal year 2012. It has been approved again for this fiscal year 2013.

While a majority of it's provisions are mundane and maintain essential military protocol, there are sections of the bill which many civil liberty unions and activists alike see as violating the constitutional rights of the American citizenry.

The President who had vocalized his reservations when first signing the bill in 2012, has doubled down on his prudence by releasing a written memo, stating each section he sees as unnecessary, unlawful and counter productive.

Below I have outlined a few key sections President Obama has made a point of addressing in the statement.

Paragraph 3
"...restrictions on the Defense Department's ability to retire unneeded ships and aircraft will divert scarce resources needed for readiness and result in future unfunded liabilities."
Defined: The bill rejects retiring outdated products such as fighter jets/naval ships which are unnecessary in today's contemporary wars. AKA we are spending money on frivolous expenditures while neglecting priorities for out military men and women.

Paragraph 5
"Section 1025 places limits on the military's authority to transfer third country nationals currently held at the detention facility in Parwan, Afghanistan... Decisions regarding the disposition of detainees captured on foreign battlefields have traditionally been based upon the judgment of experienced military commanders and national security professionals without unwarranted interference by Members of Congress."
Defined: Enemy combatants/prisoners of war have always been dealt with by military leaders according to mission goals/ultimate defined ends. By leaving this authority to Members of Congress, the whim of public opinion on elected officials could lead to brazen and unwise choices made by career politicians who seek nothing more than to be re-elected. Free of this burden, military leaders can make the harsh and necessary decisions void of the sway of often irrational public opinion.

Paragraph 6
"Section 1027 renews the bar against using appropriated funds for fiscal year 2012 to transfer Guantanamo detainees into the United States for any purpose."
Defined: While there was a huge backlash against the executive branch's desire to try terrorists in Federal court, there is a necessary and vital function of this. Federal court is a viable and effective setting to try and convict the enemies of the United States. It may well be the last legal channel in which this could happen. By disallowing this, in essence Guantanamo Bay remains as the only possible location for these detainees, hence the continuation of it's operations despite President Obama's election campaign promise of closing down the controversial camp. Not to mention this violates the separation of powers clause. Section 1028 continues this, hampering the executive branch's ability to transfer detainees to foreign countries in an attempt to hinder the President's plan of shutting down Guantanamo Bay.

While these remain legitimate concerns and problems for the President and his counter-terrorism forces, there is one issue he has failed to address; Section 1021 which gives the military authority to detain any American citizen indefinitely without rights of habeas corpus. President Obama in a signing statement declared that his administration would not abuse that authority.

It sure is reassuring now that the President says he won't abuse this power handed to him by the Congress... but what about the next guy? There will be a new President in 2016, may he be Republican, Democrat, maybe (I inject the utmost optimism) even a third party candidate. As long as this law remains on the books, successive leaders and officials could take advantage of such unprecedented powers. History shows us that this much more likely to happen than not.

Once a right is taken away, it is much harder to take it back. As shown by the signing of the NDAA, our rights to ourselves and our liberty are being undermined by the Pentagon and Congress. It's the ability of Congress and elected leaders to essentially "sneak in" a tiny provision into a 1000 page bill that frightens me and most freedom loving people around the world. If such a maneuver is lawful, what is stopping Congress from pulling the rug out from under us? These insidious means to strip away our rights makes it possible for Congress to design a necessary funding bill or law while sneaking in a line or two. In essence, Congress can hold the country hostage to it's will if it so pleases...

Wait a second...


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's President Obama's statement in full- Read Below

Source provided by Tyrone Garcia



THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release January 2, 2013

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

         Today I have signed into law H.R. 4310, the "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013." I have approved this annual defense authorization legislation, as I have in previous years, because it authorizes essential support for service members and their families, renews vital national security programs, and helps ensure that the United States will continue to have the strongest military in the world.
         Even though I support the vast majority of the provisions contained in this Act, which is comprised of hundreds of sections spanning more than 680 pages of text, I do not agree with them all. Our Constitution does not afford the President the opportunity to approve or reject statutory sections one by one. I am empowered either to sign the bill, or reject it, as a whole. In this case, though I continue to oppose certain sections of the Act, the need to renew critical defense authorities and funding was too great to ignore.
        In a time when all public servants recognize the need to eliminate wasteful or duplicative spending, various sections in the Act limit the Defense Department's ability to direct scarce resources towards the highest priorities for our national security. For example, restrictions on the Defense Department's ability to retire unneeded ships and aircraft will divert scarce resources needed for readiness and result in future unfunded liabilities. Additionally, the Department has endeavored to constrain manpower costs by recommending prudent cost sharing reforms in its health care programs. By failing to allow some of these cost savings measures, the Congress may force reductions in the overall size of our military forces.
        Section 533 is an unnecessary and ill-advised provision, as the military already appropriately protects the freedom of conscience of chaplains and service members. The Secretary of Defense will ensure that the implementing regulations do not permit or condone discriminatory actions that compromise good order and discipline or otherwise violate military codes of conduct. My Administration remains fully committed to continuing the successful implementation of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and to protecting the rights of gay and lesbian service members; Section 533 will not alter that.
        Several provisions in the bill also raise constitutional concerns. Section 1025 places limits on the military's authority to transfer third country nationals currently held at the detention facility in Parwan, Afghanistan. That facility is located within the territory of a foreign sovereign in the midst of an armed conflict. Decisions regarding the disposition of detainees captured on foreign battlefields have traditionally been based upon the judgment of experienced military commanders and national security professionals without unwarranted interference by Members of Congress. Section 1025 threatens to upend that tradition, and could interfere with my ability as Commander in Chief to make time-sensitive determinations about the appropriate disposition of detainees in an active area of hostilities. Under certain circumstances, the section could violate constitutional separation of powers principles. If section 1025 operates in a manner that violates constitutional separation of powers principles, my Administration will implement it to avoid the constitutional conflict.
         Sections 1022, 1027 and 1028 continue unwise funding restrictions that curtail options available to the executive branch. Section 1027 renews the bar against using appropriated funds for fiscal year 2012 to transfer Guantanamo detainees into the United States for any purpose. I continue to oppose this provision, which substitutes the Congress's blanket political determination for careful and fact-based determinations, made by counterterrorism and law enforcement professionals, of when and where to prosecute Guantanamo detainees. For decades, Republican and Democratic administrations have successfully prosecuted hundreds of terrorists in Federal court. Those prosecutions are a legitimate, effective, and powerful tool in our efforts to protect the Nation, and in certain cases may be the only legally available process for trying detainees. Removing that tool from the executive branch undermines our national security. Moreover, this provision would, under certain circumstances, violate constitutional separation of powers principles.
         Section 1028 fundamentally maintains the unwarranted restrictions on the executive branch's authority to transfer detainees to a foreign country. This provision hinders the Executive's ability to carry out its military, national security, and foreign relations activities and would, under certain circumstances, violate constitutional separation of powers principles. The executive branch must have the flexibility to act swiftly in conducting negotiations with foreign countries regarding the circumstances of detainee transfers. The Congress designed these sections, and has here renewed them once more, in order to foreclose my ability to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. I continue to believe that operating the facility weakens our national security by wasting resources, damaging our relationships with key allies, and strengthening our enemies. My Administration will interpret these provisions as consistent with existing and future determinations by the agencies of the Executive responsible for detainee transfers. And, in the event that these statutory restrictions operate in a manner that violates constitutional separation of powers principles, my Administration will implement them in a manner that avoids the constitutional conflict.
        As my Administration previously informed the Congress, certain provisions in this bill, including sections 1225, 913, 1531, and 3122, could interfere with my constitutional authority to conduct the foreign relations of the United States. In these instances, my Administration will interpret and implement these provisions in a manner that does not interfere with my constitutional authority to conduct diplomacy. Section 1035, which adds a new section 495(c) to title 10, is deeply problematic, as it would impede the fulfillment of future U.S. obligations agreed to in the New START Treaty, which the Senate provided its advice and consent to in 2010, and hinder the Executive's ability to determine an appropriate nuclear force structure. I am therefore pleased that the Congress has included a provision to adequately amend this provision in H.R. 8, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which I will be signing into law today.
        Certain provisions in the Act threaten to interfere with my constitutional duty to supervise the executive branch. Specifically, sections 827, 828, and 3164 could be interpreted in a manner that would interfere with my authority to manage and direct executive branch officials. As my Administration previously informed the Congress, I will interpret those sections consistent with my authority to direct the heads of executive departments to supervise, control, and correct employees' communications with the Congress in cases where such communications would be unlawful or would reveal information that is properly privileged or otherwise confidential. Additionally, section 1034 would require a subordinate to submit materials directly to the Congress without change, and thereby obstructs the traditional chain of command. I will implement this provision in a manner consistent with my authority as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the head of the executive branch.
        A number of provisions in the bill -- including sections 534(b)(6), 674, 675, 735, 737, 1033(b), 1068, and 1803 -- could intrude upon my constitutional authority to recommend such measures to the Congress as I "judge necessary and expedient." My Administration will interpret and implement these provisions in a manner that does not interfere with my constitutional authority.


BARACK OBAMA


THE WHITE HOUSE,


January 2, 2013.


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