Political Roundup: 2-3-10

Political odds and ends...

US triple-A credit rating at risk?

You've got to wonder how long we can keep going down the fiscal road we're on and still maintain a AAA credit rating, which enables us to sell our bonds at higher rates of interest, and keep financing our big spending ways.  Turns out that thought has occurred to the people who hand out those ratings.

Moody's Investor Services, (the bond rating service), has said that the top debt ratings for the United States and the United Kingdom may "Test the AAA boundaries" due to the condition of their public finances.

Terrorists staying at Gitmo?

That's what the number two Democrat in the House of Representatives seems to be saying.  House Democrat Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said: “I think the administration realizes that this is a difficult issue,... And I think that they are assessing where they are and where they
think we ought to be, and I think that’s appropriate and I look forward
to discussing it with them.”

The brick wall the administration is running up against is that, no matter what they decide they want to do with Gitmo, Congress has to fund it.  And Republicans have introduced measures to deny funds to move the terrorists...and to deny funds for conducting trials of terrorists in US courts (as opposed to in military tribunals).

Of course, we're sure that the fact that Scott Brown won big in Massachusetts by attacking this issue (along with ObamaCare) has nothing to do with this turn of events whatsoever.

Shotguns for the IRS?

It seems that, for some odd reason, the IRS is in need of shotguns.  In fact, they've put out a bid for sixty of them. From the public bid:

"The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) intends to purchase sixty Remington
Model 870 Police RAMAC #24587 12 gauge pump-action shotguns for the
Criminal Investigation Division. The Remington parkerized shotguns,
with fourteen inch barrel, modified choke, Wilson Combat Ghost Ring
rear sight and XS4 Contour Bead front sight, Knoxx Reduced Recoil
Adjustable Stock, and Speedfeed ribbed black forend, are designated as
the only shotguns authorized for IRS duty based on compatibility with
IRS existing shotgun inventory, certified armorer and combat training
and protocol, maintenance, and parts."

Are we the only ones wondering why the "Criminal Investigation Division" of the IRS needs shotguns? Aren't these guys basically supposed to be accountants and investigative green-eyeshade types?  And shouldn't they be turning any investigative matters that would require being armed with shotguns (or any guns) over the FBI?

In fact, how many Americans are even aware that some IRS agents are armed, much less would approve of the fact?  Not many, we're sure.