Weiner’s Pension, Benefits Could Top $1 Million While Rep. Anthony Weiner may no longer have the benefit of Congress’ generous health care plan once he resigns, he will still be able to collect his pension and other benefits that could total more than $1 million during his lifetime. According to an analysis of his available benefits by the National Taxpayers Union, the New York Democrat’s pension and a savings plan lawmakers have access to similar to a 401(k) could be worth $1.12 million to $1.28 million. At 46, Weiner will not be eligible for his pension for another decade, at which point he could begin drawing a reduced rate of $32,357 a year, according to NTU. If he waits until age 62 to begin drawing his pension, he will receive his full benefits, or $46,224, according to NTU’s calculations. Additionally, if Weiner aggressively invested in the Thrift Savings Plan, his balance would be roughly $216,000, the organization said. Weiner announced Thursday that he would resign from the House in the wake of a sexting scandal that had engulfed the liberal firebrand for weeks and distracted his party. As of Thursday evening, however, Weiner had yet to actually resign and would technically remain a Member of Congress until next week at the earliest. (Read more from Roll Call) PALACE INTRIGUE – WEINER FOUGHT PELOSI ON PRIVATE CALL According to Politco:
A senior Democratic aide: “Leader Pelosi is a consensus builder and has always allowed her members room to make decisions. The turning point for Pelosi came Wednesday when additional photos emerged and the tenor of the Caucus changed. She felt that matter couldn’t wait for an Ethics investigation and that he needed leave Congress. Starting Wednesday, Leader Pelosi, Congressman [Steve] Israel and other colleagues and friends spoke with Weiner and made the case that an ethics investigation would be drawn out [a year or more] and expensive; that the situation is a distraction; and that it would be better for Weiner to move forward with his treatment without the pressures of being a Member of Congress. (Note: Israel is one of only three Members invited to Weiner’s wedding [also Crowley and Lowey], his involvement in the issue was because of their friendship not his role as DCCC chair.
“During a call on Friday (6/10) [between just Weiner and Pelosi], Weiner pushed back on Pelosi urging him to resign citing polls that said there was a majority supporting him in his district. Of the polling, Pelosi said to Weiner ‘consider those rose petals to let you go graciously.’ … [On Wednesday], near the end of the White House picnic, Weiner told Israel he would resign via phone. Israel gave Pelosi his phone so she could get word from Weiner firsthand.”
Obama: Weiner Will ‘Bounce Back’ An ABC News interview airing today: Holder: lawmakers endangering war on terror Efforts in Congress to force terrorism suspects into military commissions are undermining the war on terror, Attorney General Eric Holder charged in a speech to a liberal lawyers' group in Washington Thursday night. "I am determined to defeat our enemies," Holder said in his address to the American Constitution Society. "But victory and security will not come easily. And they won’t come at all if we adhere to a rigid ideology, adopt a narrow methodology, or abandon our most effective terror-fighting weapon -- our Article Three [civilian] court system."
"Without civilian law enforcement and Article Three courts, our ability to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat terror plots; to secure actionable intelligence; to enlist international cooperation; and to punish those who have -- and who intend to -- harm Americans would be seriously damaged," Holder declared to considerable applause from the audience of about 700. "We must speak out. And we must set the record straight." (Read more from Politico) Union leader calls New Jersey gov ‘Adolf Christie,’ compares pension battle to ‘World War III’ Welcome to the new civility. At a Thursday rally in New Jersey protesting Republican Gov. Chris Christie’s pension deal that would cut pensions and benefits to public workers, a union leader charged Christie with acting like a Nazi. And not any ordinary Nazi, but Adolf Hitler himself. “Good afternoon brothers and sisters. Welcome to Nazi Germany,” Communications Workers of America District 1 Vice President Christopher Shelton is seen raving in a video posted on YouTube. “We have Adolf Christie and his two generals trying to make New Jersey Nazi Germany.” The two Nazi “generals” apparently refer to two Democratic state legislators instrumental in reaching the pension deal with Christie. After ranting more about “Adolf Christie,” the YouTube video shows Shelton comparing the pension battle in New Jersey to World War II.Brothers and sisters, this is not going to be an easy fight,” he shrieked. “It took World War II to get rid of the last Adolf Hitler. It is going to take World War III to get rid of Adolf Christie. Are you ready for World War III?” Rally attendees are seen wildly cheering Shelton’s speech in the video. (Read more from The Daily Caller)
GALLUP: 2012 Voter Preferences for Obama, "Republican" Remain Close Forty-four percent of registered voters say they are more likely to vote for "the Republican Party's candidate" and 39% for Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election, according to Gallup's June update. The current five-percentage-point edge for the generic Republican is not a statistically significant lead, and neither side has held a meaningful lead at any point thus far in 2011.Check out this new video by The Bellamy Brothers, "Mexico Came Here." The Bellamys are no strangers to controversy after their "Jalapenos" caused a stir last year. This time, they take on immigration:
The cantina on the corner is lazy, Mariachi music is everywhere. Mariscos on the grill smokin’ hazy Spanish floats in the air. It’s a scene from Ole Mexicali, From here to the Ohio Valley.
And we’re saving all that money on the air fare Don’t have to put all those miles on the car We might as well be South of the Border Right where we are I can drink margaritas with my Chiquita Anytime of year We don’t have to Mexico, Mexico came here.
Reasoning for SFO sagging-pants arrest debated As prosecutors mulled whether to file charges against a college football player who allegedly refused to pull up his sagging pants at San Francisco International Airport, the outside world seized the incident to debate broader questions about respect, fashion policies and racial stereotyping. Deshon Marman, 20, a defensive player for the University of New Mexico and graduate of Lincoln High in San Francisco, was arrested and removed from US Airways flight 488 Wednesday after police said he ignored an airline employee's request to pull up sweatpants that exposed his underwear below the buttocks.
He was jailed for a day in San Mateo County on suspicion of trespassing, battery and resisting arrest before being released on $11,000 bail Thursday. Sheriff's deputies said there was also an outstanding warrant for Marman from Santa Clara County on a marijuana possession charge. San Francisco police, who took Marman off the plane, said he had refused the pilot's orders and had taken 15 minutes to leave. His family disputed that, saying Marman had pulled up his pants after boarding the plane and thought the problem had been solved after a visit from the pilot. Instead, the pilot made a citizen's arrest and passengers were forced to deplane, causing an hour and half delay before the jet took off for Phoenix and Albuquerque. (Read more from The SF Chronicle) Brand new Romney video: "20,000,000 Bumps in the Road"
Dad sues Cyber-bullies Who sues kids for cyberbullying? A Houston lawyer does when his daughter becomes the target of a nasty video posted on Facebook, according to a lawsuit filed this week in Harris County. Last month, three Kingwood students who attend Riverwood Middle School filmed themselves offering unkind words about a classmate, then uploaded the video to the social networking site, the civil complaint says. The targeted child's father, Jason Medley, provided the video to school officials, then sent cease-and-desist demands to the three girls and their parents. The letters said he would sue if the youngsters didn't stop all communication with his daughter and if their families did not donate at least $5,000 each to the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use, an Oregon nonprofit. Receiving no response by his early June deadline, one of Medley's colleagues filed a defamation of character lawsuit on Tuesday against the three girls, accusing them of making defamatory and false statements that "impute sexual impropriety and misconduct" on his daughter. The complaint also alleged that the video includes threats to physically harm the girl and seeks a permanent injunction to prevent the three from further contacting her. (Read more from The Houston Chronicle)
Lesbian Couple Reportedly Harassed by Security Guard for Kissing During Baseball Game A lesbian couple has filed a complaint with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights after they were harassed by a Twins security guard for kissing at a baseball game, according to CityPages.com. Taylor Campione and Kelsi Culpepper said a Target Field security guard reprimanded them with a biblical phrase during a May 27 game. The incident happened when Campione and Culpepper exchanged a quick kiss on the lips. A security guard then came up to the couple telling them they "can't do that" and that "we don't play grab-ass here," according to the paper. When the couple confronted the security guard, they said he brought God into the conversation. "Then he said, 'Well here in the stadium, we adhere to the 10 Commandments.' After that, I decided I was no longer going to speak with him, and I asked for his manager," Culpepper told City Pages. (Read more from Fox News)
Fight Erupts Among Spectators at Casey Anthony Murder Trial A brawl broke out among spectators waiting in line for tickets to Casey Anthony's murder trial in Florida. The Orlando Sentinel reports that two men tried to cut in line early Friday, starting a brawl and shouting match as others in line fought back. Spectators line up outside the courthouse each morning, hoping to secure seats in the courtroom where 25-year-old Anthony is standing trial in the 2008 death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. Many arrive at the courthouse in the wee hours of the morning to get in line. The fight broke out as the crowd was moving to a location closer to the courthouse entrance. Twenty-seven-year-old Jessie Dorris says she was shocked when the men "just cut in front of us." The fight broke up and there were no arrests. (Read more at Fox News)
Biden on debt-reduction talks: Negotiators ‘getting down to the real hard stuff’ After six weeks of talks with congressional leaders aimed at restraining the spiraling national debt, Vice President Biden emerged Thursday with a blunt message: Now, the hard part begins. Next week, Biden said, negotiators from the White House and Capitol Hill will begin working “around the clock” to bridge the yawning philosophical divide between the two parties, as Democrats press for fresh revenue and Republicans push for significant cuts to federal health programs as part of the debt-reduction package. (Read more from The Washington Post)
Check out this new video by 
