David Sherfinski
Articles by David Sherfinski
McCain blasts Putin: ‘Old KGB Colonel Apparatchik’
Although Russia's foreign minister denied Tuesday that NSA leaker Edward Snowden had ever entered the country, Sen. John McCain said the unfolding drama is "reminiscent of the days of the Cold War." Published June 25, 2013
Rep. Peter King on NSA leak case: ‘Where is the president?’
Rep. Peter T. King said Monday that while he's hesitant to second-guess a president in the middle of an ongoing crisis, President Obama should have been out in front more on the NSA leak case. Published June 24, 2013
Former CIA head James Woolsey: Russia’s insulting U.S. has set example for Hong Kong, Ecuador
R. James Woolsey Jr., director of central intelligence during the Clinton administration, said Monday that the United States' failure to deal strongly with Russia and President Vladimir Putin is setting an example for other countries in the Edward Snowden leak escapade. Published June 24, 2013
Hong Kong, Russia, Cuba? Ed Snowden’s true motive is to injure national security, White House says
The protectors that National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden has potentially chosen — and his failure to criticize those countries — suggests his true motive throughout has been to injure the national security of the U.S. and not to advance Internet freedom and free speech, a senior Obama administration official said. Published June 24, 2013
Obama summons business leaders to White House ahead of key immigration vote
Mere hours before members of the U.S. Senate are scheduled to take a key test vote on comprehensive immigration legislation, President Obama will host a group of business leaders at the White House Monday to spur the lawmakers on. Published June 24, 2013
White House’s Jay Carney dodges questions more than 9,000 times: report
White House reporters sometimes poke fun at press secretary Jay Carney's penchant for using the phrase "I appreciate the question" during briefings — especially when it's clear he likely does not, in fact, "appreciate" a tough or awkward query. Published June 21, 2013
Boehner: New energy policies, immigration reform necessary to become ‘nation of builders’ again
House Speaker John A. Boehner called for an overhaul of the country's energy, immigration and tax policies Thursday as Republicans try to steady their footing on the claim that their No. 1 priority is jobs and the economy and prove the party can move big legislation through an often-rancorous chamber. Published June 20, 2013
Tea partyers rally at Capitol, blame White House for IRS mess
Thousands of activists rallied outside the Capitol on Wednesday to protest the IRS targeting of conservative and tea party groups, with many of the event’s speakers laying the blame for the fiasco squarely at the White House. Published June 19, 2013
Sen. Rand Paul on NSA surveillance: ‘I’m not sure when I’m being lied to’ now
Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican, said Wednesday that Tuesday testimony from intelligence officials on the government's data-surveillance programs did little to close what he called a "credibility gap." Published June 19, 2013
Cummings: Full IRS interview shows White House didn’t direct tea party targeting
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Democrats have released the entire 205-page transcript of an interview with a self-described "conservative Republican" employee in the Cincinnati office of the IRS who says he wasn't aware of any White House involvement in the targeting of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status, nor was there any political motivation in his work. Published June 18, 2013
Biden’s gun control vow: ‘We will get it’
Vice President Joseph R. Biden said Tuesday the fight for congressional action on gun legislation is far from over while outlining unilateral steps the Obama administration has taken to combat gun violence in the wake of the Connecticut school shootings in December. Published June 18, 2013
Sen. Claire McCaskill is first in Congress to support Ready for Hillary group
Sen. Claire McCaskill, an early supporter of President Obama in 2008, has officially thrown her support behind an independent group urging former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to run for president in 2016, becoming the first sitting member of Congress to do so. Published June 18, 2013
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie unfazed by conservative critics
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday he doesn't worry about people who criticize him for appearing publicly with people such as President Clinton or President Obama or being labeled a RINO ("Republican in Name Only"). Published June 18, 2013
White House devoted to sweeping gun control despite ‘progress’ on violence
The White House on Tuesday is touting a progress report on President Obama's pledge to combat gun violence, in the wake of December's school shooting, that says the administration has "completed or made significant progress" on 21 of 23 executive actions Mr. Obama laid out in January. Published June 18, 2013
IRS supervisor in D.C. admits to overseeing tea party targeting
An IRS supervisor working in Washington told congressional investigators that she personally reviewed applications from groups for tax-exempt status, in testimony that appears to show the agency's scrutiny of conservative groups extended beyond the confines of the office in Cincinnati. Published June 17, 2013
Ron Paul on Syria: ‘Another multi-billion dollar war has begun’
President Obama's tack on Syria looks a lot like President George W. Bush's handling of Iraq and "sounds an awful lot like how Vietnam started," former Rep. Ron Paul argues in his weekly column. Published June 17, 2013
British leaders tapped phones, emails during 2009 G-20 summit: report
Just before the 2013 G-8 summit got underway in Northern Ireland Monday, the U.K. Guardian reported that the British equivalent of the National Security Agency spied on foreign officials during the 2009 G-20 summit in London. Published June 17, 2013
Harry Reid: Background checks will pass — only question is when
On the eve of the six-month anniversary of the Connecticut school shooting, the White House and congressional leaders vowed to continue pushing for new gun controls — but the aftermath of recent mass shootings suggests such an effort is easier said than done. Published June 13, 2013
Va. gubernatorial candidates differ on debate, too
Just as Virginia Democrats were rounding out their statewide ticket for the fall elections this week, their party standard-bearer, Terry McAuliffe, was objecting to a rule for the first scheduled gubernatorial debate that would allow the candidates to ask each other one question. Published June 13, 2013
Prosecutors used existing gun laws as Congress debated restrictions after Sandy Hook
Federal gun prosecutions, which reached a relative low late last year, have risen steadily in the months since December's school shooting, according to the latest statistics that suggest the administration has put more effort into enforcing existing laws. Published June 12, 2013