And now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine...
Test Taker
President Obama famously pledged in the 2008 campaign his administration would be the most transparent ever.
So here's a little test.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) wanted to know more about the government's warrantless spying on citizens' text messages and they put in a Freedom of Information Act request to the Justice Department –- or a FOIA request.
Here's what the ACLU got back.
This document -- which is almost completely redacted for 15 pages, as you can see it's basically 15 pages of black -- saying merely -- quote -- "Guidance for the Minimization of Text Messages over Dual-Function Cellular Telephones."
Playing Catch-up
As we told you earlier, other media organizations are just starting to examine the Obama administration's culpability in the killing of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya last September.
MSNBC's Karen Finney, though, laid the blame for the dead on Republicans.
Quote -- "I believe that is what the GOP is most terrified of having to talk about. Because they know they screwed up. Their austerity measures may have endangered [Ambassador Chris Stevens'] life and they don't want to talk about that."
Actually, as we have reported it was the Obama administration that reduced the security for the consulate in the months before the attack. And, as James Rosen reported, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Charlene Lamb testified on Capitol Hill, that funding levels had nothing to do with her security decisions in Benghazi.
Big Benefit
Finally, there have been many claims from the left about the benefits of ObamaCare but here's a new one.
California Congresswoman Janice Hahn says the president's health care law will improve the overall quality of marriage.
Quote -- "It's an interesting angle, to talk about people who really only have jobs for the health insurance as being one angle to that. I had a friend who got married to the wrong person just so she could have health insurance. So, we'll also have a lot of less bad marriages as a result of this."
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