Top Democrat: Americans succeed through luck . . . Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) said Thursday that luck is the biggest reason why people succeed in America, although he gave a sort of half-hearted nod to another possible reason. “America is a wonderful country,” he said. “We all have a chance to make it. Some make it better than others. That’s because luck and, whatever, hard work.” And so, lucky ones, you better pay up: “The fact is that if you’ve had a little luck, don’t you owe a little something back to the country?” McDermott asked. The Blaze

What better window into the thinking of Democrats. Maybe they should become acquainted with the wisdom of Jefferson, who said: "I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it."​

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With Obama, Alinsky becomes Machiavelli . . . The Saul Alinsky acolytes have achieved power, but are still using Alinsky tactics. But these tactics, virulent and uncompromising, were meant for the oppressed. In the hands of the powerful, they are frighteningly malignant. Alinsky has been turned on his head. And upside down, Alinsky begins to look like Machiavelli. White House Dossier

White House smears Grassley . . . The White House Thursday turned its vicious invective on one of Washington’s longest serving, most respected and most honorable senators, Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa, branding him as dishonest. White House Dossier

Obama sued for trying to force Obamacare on state . . . “It is appalling that President Obama would cut off federal healthcare dollars to Florida in an effort to force our state further into Obamacare," a furious Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) said Thursday as he announced that he plans to sue the Obama administration. CNS News

Obama is in court today trying to get the order blocking his amnesty lifted.

Obama Schedule || Friday, April 17, 2015

Video || Hillary's having a very bad day . . . Parks the Scooby van in a handicapped spot; lies about her grandparents. All in a day's work for the Hillary Clinton campaign. White House Dossier

"A very impressive rollout, with pictures looking like she was robbing a Chipotle," says Maggie Haberman of the New York Times.

Letterman: Top Ten Things Overheard in Hillary’s Van

Will Clinton embrace Social Security expansion? . . . Expanding the program’s benefits has become a central tenet for progressives led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren. National Journal

It's stunning, really. The program is broke and going broker, and the liberals want to expand it, using it as a piggy back for more socialism.

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Gowdy: I can't subpoena Hillary's server . . . The chairman of the House committee investigating the Benghazi terrorist attacks said Wednesday that his panel lacks the authority to subpoena Hillary Clinton’s private server. Politico

The Rise of Rubio . . . At the heart of Rubio’s announcement, and his candidacy, is a story. It’s the story of his family and, in Rubio’s telling, the story of America. Rubio’s parents came to the United States from Cuba in the 1950s to build a better life. They worked long hours in blue-collar jobs to provide opportunities for their children. Stephen Hayes

Rubio tied with Bush in Florida . . . Sen. Marco Rubio’s splashy presidential-campaign announcement and his subsequent media blitz has likely helped him catch up with friend and former mentor Jeb Bush in their home state of Florida, according to a new poll of 400 registered Republican voters. Politico

Bush backs Lynch confirmation . . . Jeb Bush said presidents should have the right to pick their teams, adding that Lynch's confirmation would at least speed up the departure of current Attorney General Eric Holder, deeply unpopular with the GOP. Associated Press

Cruz won't say if he'd attend a gay wedding . . . Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt asked two Republican 2016 hopefuls whether they would attend a same-sex wedding. Rick Santorum said he would not attend such a ceremony. Ted Cruz dodged the question entirely. Politico

Meet the Spouses of the 2016 Presidential Contenders

Gomert seeks end to federal income taxes on DC residents . . . Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) has introduced legislation to eliminate the federal income tax for residents of Washington, D.C. until they have a full voting representative in Congress. Gohmert argued that requiring residents of Washington, D.C. to pay federal income taxes amount to "taxation without representation," a rallying cry for the American Revolution. "It is the fair, just and right thing to do," Gohmert said in a statement. The Hill​

DC should be made part of Maryland. Of course, some Democrats want to turn a purple state blue by incorporating it into Virginia. But it's separated from Virginia by the Potomac. 

ISIS surrounds Syria's remaining Christian villages . . . ISIS charged into eleven of the 35 Christian communities along the Khabur River in Syria in February targeting Tel Tamer, which at the time was protected by Christian fighters and locals determined to defeat the terrorist group. This week, the Islamic State took another shot at conquering it. Breitbart

Muslim migrants arrested for throwing Christians into sea . . . Italian police said Thursday that 15 African Muslim migrants have been arrested after witnesses said the refugees threw 12 Christians into the Mediterranean following a brawl. Fox News

Turkey invokes crusades in response to the Pope . . . As Turkey’s leaders fume over Pope Francis’ use of the term “genocide” to describe mass killings of Armenian Christians a century ago, the country’s top religious figure invoked the crusades and said the furor would accelerate a controversial scheme to turn Istanbul’s most famous historical church into a mosque. CNS News

Pope may stop in Cuba . . . Pope Francis may add a trip to Cuba on to the itinerary of his visit to the United States in September, the Vatican said on Friday, adding that discussions with Cuban authorities were still at an early stage. Reuters

MSNBC anchor owes IRS $70K . . . The Internal Revenue Service has placed a tax lien on Melissa Harris-Perry and her husband, James Perry, for about $70,000 in delinquent taxes, according to a notice filed in Forsyth County Hall of Justice earlier this month. Harris-Perry is a well-known host of an MSNBC talk show and a professor at Wake Forest University. The IRS filed the notice April 6. Winston-Salem Journal 

Colleges consider attorneys for those accused of sex assault . . . “It really is a good, refreshing change of direction,” said Joseph Cohn, legislative and policy director of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. “I think it acknowledges that legislators are coming around to the point that we can’t continue to expel students under charges of felony conduct without providing them a right to a lawyer first.” Washington Times

Imagine that. The presumption of innocence in America.

Did environmentalists cause California's drought? . . . The blistering drought that has Californians timing their showers, driving dirty cars and staring at brown lawns and empty swimming pools is a “man-made disaster,” according to critics, who say the Golden State’s misguided environmental policies allow much-needed freshwater to flow straight into the Pacific. Fox News

Kansas: No more spending welfare money on tattoos . . . Republican Gov. Sam Brownback signed House Bill 2258 into law Thursday. The measure means Kansas families receiving government assistance will no longer be able to use those funds to visit swimming pools, see movies, go gambling or get tattoos on the state’s dime. Washington Post

Keith Koffler
Editor
White House Dossier