Quote: 

"The virtues of men are of more consequence to society than their abilities; and for this reason, the heart should be cultivated with more assiduity than the head." 

~ Noah Webster, On the Education of Youth in America, 1788 

LISTEN LIVE TO REPATRIOT RADIO

"BETTER THAN EVER"

WNJC 1360AM Shows

(all times are eastern)

Wednesday 3-4pm "Patriots Watch" - Michael "JB" Schaffner and Adrianne Knobloch

On April 27th Senator Pat Toomey will help us cut through the left's hysterical rhetoric on the debt ceiling, be sure to save the date. The facts are clear, and the Obama administration is wrong. America will not default because the federal government would have more than enough revenue coming in to pay the interest on our nation's debt. Join us to get the facts before Members of Congress rush through any more "emergency" measures that come at the expense of our children and grandchildren. Senator Toomey will be joined by J.D. Foster of The Heritage Foundation for what is sure to be an informative evening. Let us know to expect you by submitting your RSVP via our event page on Facebook, or through the heritageaction.comevent page.

Please RSVP through only one site only so we can keep an accurate count. This event starts promptly at 7:00pm and will take place at the Fort Washington Holiday Inn.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Leo Knepper

State Director, Pennsylvania

Heritage Action for America

202.412.9526 (c)

www.heritageaction.com

Cutting through the Debt Hysteria with Senator Pat Toomey

Wednesday, April 27 Ft. Washington, PA

Senator Pat Toomey will help us cut through the left's hysterical rhetoric on the debt ceiling. The facts are clear; The Obama administration is wrong. America will not default because the federal government would have more than enough revenue coming in to pay the interest on our nation's debt.

Join us to get the facts before. Members of Congress rush through any more "emergency" measures that come at the expense of our children and grandchildren.

In addition to Senator Toomy, guests will include Rick Hellberg (Congressional candidate in 2010 in Philly), J.D. Foster from the Heritage Foundation.

This event is a joint project of The Kitchen Table Patriots, Heritage Action for America, Lehigh Valley Project 9-12 Tea Party Group, Thomas Jefferson Club, 9/12 Patriots of Lower Bucks County and The Loyal Opposition

Facebook Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=165686890153727

      Media Advisory                                                                                                     

        .Contact: Paul Crovo

            The Kitchen Table Patriots

            P.O. Box 3, Doylestown, PA 18901

            Mobile:  215-499-9117 (Press Inquiries only)

                                                              Noted Climate Change Expert Steve Goreham to Visit Bucks County

                                                                            Steve Goreham to Discuss Climate Change and Renewable Energy

          Doylestown, PA:   Steve Goreham, Executive Director of the Climate Science Coalition of America, and noted author and speaker comes to Bucks County to discuss some of the common myths about  climate change and renewable energy.  "The governments of the world have adopted Climatism and discarded reality. Acres of solar cells sit idle at night and on cloudy days. Thousands of 300-foot-high wind towers interrupt the vistas of coastline, field, and hill, standing motionless for two-thirds of their existence.  Billions of dollars in government subsidies are spent each year to fund solar, wind, and biofuel industries, which could not compete and would not exist without these subsidies. Yet, these renewable sources supply only a pitifully small amount of the world's energy needs.", says Goreham.  

                   When:  Thursday, April 28^th,  2011,  7:00pm to 9:00pm

Who:    Steve Goreham, Author, "Climatism", from the Climate Science Coalition of America

Where:  Doylestown Moose Lodge, Oscar Martin Room

              127 East State Street, Doylestown, PA 18901

What:  Author's presentation and book-signing, hosted by The Kitchen Table Patriots

 About Steve Goreham:  Executive Director of the Climate Science Coalition of America, a non-political association of scientists, engineers, and energy experts dedicated to educating Americans about realistic climate science.  Goreham , is an engineer,  an author, researcher, and speaker on the topic of climate change.  He holds a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Chicago. 

About the The Kitchen Table Patriots: Started in early 2009, the Kitchen Table Patriots is a non-profit,  grassroots conservative organization that educates, informs and mobilizes on the issues critical to our nation's economy, prosperity and security.   The Kitchen Table Patriots hosts educational forums, candidate forums, rallies, training for grass-roots lobbying, and get-out-the-vote activities.  Website: www.thekitchentablepatriots.org

Major U.S. Defense Shakeup Coming This Week

The Blaze | by Jonathon M. Seidl | Posted on April 27, 2011 

WASHINGTON (AP) - Administration sources say President Barack Obama plans this week to name CIA Director Leon Panetta to replace Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and Gen. David Petraeus, now running the war in Afghanistan, would take the CIA chief's job.

The officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because the changes are not final.

The changes would probably take effect this summer. Gates has already said he will leave this year.

The officials say Obama is expected to also announce that Lt. Gen. John Allen would replace Petraeus as Afghanistan commander, and that diplomat Ryan Crocker will be the next U.S. ambassador in Afghanistan.

The changes are expected to be announced Thursday at the White House.

Can New e-Book Series Help Spread Tea Party Message?

The Blaze | by Emily Esfahani Smith | Posted on April 26, 2011 

Broadside Books, a conservative imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, recently launched what it calls a "groundbreaking e-book series."

That new series, which is now available at an e-platform near you, is called "Voices of the Tea Party."

The series publishes short, pamphlet-like political works on topics such as Obamacare ("First Do No Harm") and grassroots activism ("Community Organizing for Conservatives").

Always refer to greenies

like Al Gore, Carol Browner, and Ed Begley Jr. as "Watermelons" - green on the outside, red on the inside.

Call up a liberal friend in Connecticut today, April 27,

and ask him how it feels to be living in the last state in the United States to reach Tax Freedom Day. Yep, that's right, you can say, every red cent anyone in Connecticut earns today will go straight into the gaping maw of big government. So who'd want to live in Connecticut-except maybe masochists, socialists, and people on welfare?

Female Protester Disrupts Muslim Radicals Rallying in Frankfurt, Germany

"You know that she's in a hostile crowd. She's a woman speaking her mind around Muslim - you know, let's just even say it's knots even extremists, just devout Muslim men. So, she's already overseas - so, she's already in hostile territory speaking her mind. Now you put in that it is devout Muslim men who are listening to a radical cleric."

April 26, 2011

Why you should CAIR

New Video Documents How the Council on American
Islamic Relations Has Ties to Hamas

 Last week, we brought to you an explosive story by investigative writer Patrick Poole, where he, quoting an unnamed DOJ employee whistleblower, claimed that the brass at the DOJ, under Eric Holder, ordered the squashing of indictments of several national Islamic organizations and their leaders due to their ties to the Obama White House. Poole's whistleblower specifically singled out CAIR and its Chairman Emeritus as beneficiaries of the squashed indictments.

In this context, United States Representative Sue Myrick last week released the third video in an excellent three part series on the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in America. This new video focuses on the early days of the Council on American Islamic Relations (C.A.I.R.) and documents their ties to the federally designated terrorist group Hamas.

Watch video here now

After watching this video, please go to our Fire Eric Holder Poll. We feel convinced that once you see for yourselves the overwhelming evidence as to CAIR's founding, its leadership and its stated goals, that you will demand the Attorney General step down.

We also ask that you share this email with your friends and family. We need to step up the grassroots pressure with the goal of forcing a change at the Department of Justice.

If you want to stay on top of this issue keep checking back with us at www.actforamerica.org

We have it from reliable sources that several of our ally Members and Senators on the Hill are ready, willing and able to hold the Attorney General's feet to the fire on this issue and that they might get their first chance on May 4^th (next Wed) as the Attorney General is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Our own Director of Government Relations, Lisa Piraneo, will once again be monitoring this hearing and will offer her live tweet commentary on the issue, should Holder be questioned on this matter.

Follow Lisa's ACT! for America Tweets from the Hill Here 

  

Six Suicidal Assumptions about Islam

Posted: 25 Apr 2011 12:40 PM PDT

1. Islam is about Muslims - no, Islam is about everyone. Islam has rules about everything, and that includes non-Muslims. 61% of the Koran is about non-Muslims. It has rules about whether or not Muslims should befriend non-Muslims; about how to treat non-Muslims captured in war; about whether non-Muslim women can be raped; the attitude to take towards the possessions of non-Muslims. Most of these rules are unfavourable or hostile toward non-Muslims.

2. Islam is a race (kind of) - there's a lot of sloppy thinking about this. Making this assumption will render you incapable of any clear thinking on the subject. When you think about it, it's obvious Islam is a belief system, but when people criticise Islam they are often accused of racism. Defenders of Islam are happy to exploit this tendency as a charge of racism carries such force in a society sensitised to it. But Islam is and always will be a belief system, not a gene pool.

3. Islam is a religion - there is a theme of personal salvation within Islam which gives it some similarities to other religions. However, this is not the main part of Islam. It is mainly a political and legal system with rules concerning the conduct of every imaginable subject from warfare to wiping your bottom. It is both highly political and very personal which may help to explain its huge capacity for taking offence. In a society concerned about discriminating against people on the basis of religion, the religious dimension of Islam can be exploited for political gain.

Islam teaches that achieving personal salvation is done through obeying all the rules and extending Islam's control of the world. The surest way to personal salvation is by being killed whilst fighting for Islam.

Islam is often described by Muslims as a "total system of life". This is a fair description. The effects of this system can be seen right across the Muslim world where women are subordinated, free expression is non-existent, and tyranny in one form or another is the norm.

4. The word "Islam" means "peace" - actually, "Islam" means "submission". The basic idea is that perfect submission to the will of Allah brings peace. How do Muslims know the will of Allah? By studying what Muhammad said and did. What did Muhammad say and do? He brought new lands under the control of Islam and told his followers to do the same. So Muslims bring new lands under the control of Islam. When the whole world submits to the will of Allah, there will be "peace", as Islam defines it.

In the past, Islam conquered new lands by following Muhammad's example of military conquest. Today, this is less feasible so Islam follows Muhammad's example of migration (al-Hijra). This is a 3 step process: (a) migrate (b) multiply (c) dominate. (b) is achieved by new arrivals, having large families, and converting the host population. (c) is achieved by subversion, increasing intimidation, then revolution. (a), (b) and (c) are mutually reinforcing. For example, the power achieved through (b) and (c) can be used to block controls on (a) migration.

5. Because most Muslims are not violent it must mean that Islam is not violent

The perception that most Muslims are not violent will depend on where you live. In those countries where Muslims are more dominant, they tend to be more aggressive. As a rule of thumb, where Muslims are a minority they are less violent. This goes back to the birth of Islam: when Muhammad had a small band of followers in Mecca, the message he gave them was peaceful and tolerant ("Let there be no compulsion in religion" is a favourite from this period); when he migrated to Medina and established dominance he and his followers became more violent ("Kill the unbelievers wherever ye find them" is a favourite from this period). The message he taught after migrating to Medina is saturated with violence. The principle here is that when Muslims are in a weak position, the Meccan message is uppermost; when they are dominant, the Medinan message is unleashed.

In effect, Islam is both violent and tolerant: when circumstances dictate, it is driven by the Meccan message; but, when circumstances allow, it switches to the Medinan message. Being a "good" Muslim and doing what's right for Islam will change accordingly.

6. The best person to ask about Islam is a Muslim

About 90% of Muslims know very little about Islam. Most Muslims do not study Islam for themselves; they get their opinions ready-made from their leaders. They don't have an in-depth knowledge and most probably don't want it because the consequences of forming a deviant viewpoint can be fatal. Many Muslims are also in denial about the real nature of Islam.

Given what has been said about the Meccan and the Medinan messages, how do you know which message your Muslim is familiar with? And, if your Muslim knows the Medinan message is he/she going to tell you? There is a longstanding principle of using deception to protect the faith and the faithful in Islam which, as with all things Islamic, goes back to Muhammad's own example.

_______________________________

The conclusions we reach reflect the assumptions we make. Start with false assumptions and you reach false conclusions. Start with suicidal assumptions and you reach suicidal conclusions. We don't have to make these mistakes ourselves; our leaders are making them on our behalf. We and our children will suffer the consequences.

Islam has a foothold in our country. If you want to prevent that becoming a stranglehold by means of the "peace process" described in 5 above, you need to join the Resistance.

Find out more about Islam and why you should resist it at www.citizenwarrior.com.
(You can also download, print, and distribute this leaflet there too)

 

RedState Morning Briefing

For April 27, 2011

1. Barack Obama Comes Out For Even HIGHER Gas Prices

I realize Barack Obama graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and was Editor of Harvard Law Review, but I'm starting to think he's not that bright - or at least lacks sense (never mind that he won't release his college transcripts).

He's definitely an amateur and it shows when, late yesterday, Obama came out in favor of even higher gas prices.

As a friend noted on Facebook, Obama's popularity is falling so fast that Kenyans are now claiming Obama was born in the United States. This won't help that.

Now, he does not say he is in favor of higher gas prices (though his Secretary of Energy does), but Obama wants Congress to "take 'immediate action' to end tax subsidies for oil and gas companies"

The two subsidies Barack Obama specifically wants Congress to kill are the "percentage depletion" and "intangible drilling costs (IDCs)" tax incentives.

Enter Democrat Congressman Dan Boren who explains why doing so would drive up the cost of oil production, make us more dependent on foreign oil, and - oh by the way - points out that getting rid of these would not affect Exxon, Shell, BP, Phillips-Conoco, etc. in the least little bit.

2. Why Republicans Will Never Win the PR Battle on a Government Shutdown. And Why They Shouldn't Care.

Conservatives are prone to lament a liberal bias in the media. There is another bias conservatives should play more careful attention to because it affects even the more relatively unbiased analysts and reporters that exist on television, radio, and in print. It is the "good government" bias.

The good government bias's hallmark is the exasperated sigh of the Washington press corps longing for the "adults" to have an "adult conversation" and handle gridlocked issues in Washington as "adults in the room." In other words, principles be damned, we need government to work. This is perhaps the most common press bias because it chooses to ignore or downplay real principled concerns in favor of practical, pragmatic, or "adult" solutions.

Republicans in Washington are scrambling trying to find a plan to stave off a government shutdown and reduct the debt to GDP ratio while looking like "adults" to placate a critical press. It won't happen. The GOP is so fearful of a government shutdown and the media's spin that the Democrats will be able to cajole them into doing less than they should.

3. Daily Kos poll suggests Union movement no match for TEA Party

I took a look at this poll by PPP for Daily Kos and SEIU. Markos Moulitsas himself is hyping the poll as showing an enthusiasm gap, which of course was one big indicator of the electoral wipeout we saw in 2010.

I think that he's right, to a degree. However I read the figures as having two conclusions: First, the TEA party effect is still there, and Republicans are slightly more engaged than Democrats at this early point in the cycle. Second, the Union activism of this year is not having the same engagement effect with Democrats, that the TEA party, the ARRA, and the PPACA had with Republicans.

4. Shouldn't Facebook Provide Equal Time?

Just last Wednesday, Barack Obama held a townhall meeting online at Facebook. It drew lots of publicity and was hailed as a campaign event. Heck, it clearly was all about Barack Obama's re-election.

We know Facebook leans left. We know Mark Zuckerberg is happy to be taxed more. But what of the Facebook community? They aren't all lefties.

When the GOP has a nominee, Facebook should be fair and give the GOP nominee equal time. Our sister site Human Events has a petition up that you can sign and ask Facebook for equal time.

We're Kicking ICLEI Out!

 Since our last email telling you about the patriots in Carroll County, Maryland, three more communities have succeeded in kicking ICLEI out!  Amador County, CA, Montgomery County, PA, & Edmond, OK. We are extremely excited to share this news with you. Thanks to the help of you and other supporters we have brought Agenda 21 and ICLEI into main stream tea party spot-light. We are making an impact!

 If you have not yet signed a "Letter of Thanks" to the Carroll County Commissioners please do so here.

 Recent Articles

Agenda 21 In One Easy Lesson

Awareness of Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development is racing across the nation as citizens in community after community are learning what their city planners are actually up to. As awareness grows, I am receiving more and more calls for tools to help activists fight back. Many complain that elected officials just won't read detailed reports or watch long videos. "Can you give us something that is quick, and easy to read that we can hand out," I'm asked.

So here it is. A one page, quick description of Agenda 21 that fits on one page. I've also included for the back side of your hand out a list of quotes for the perpetrators of Agenda 21 that should back up my brief descriptions.

A word of caution, use this as a starter kit, but do not allow it to be your only knowledge of this very complex subject. To kill it you have to know the facts. Research, know your details; discover the NGO players in your community; identify who is victimized by the policies and recruit them to your fight; and then kill Agenda 21. That's how it must be done. The information below is only your first step. Happy hunting... [Continue reading on our site]

How to Fight Back Against Sustainable Development

For the past fifteen years my efforts against Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development have been single-minded - get the message out to tell people about what it is and why it is dangerous to our way of life. All of our materials, special reports, hand outs, speeches, radio and television interviews and DVDs have been created for that purpose.

However, we have had so much success over the past year in getting that message out that we are now faced with a new problem. People are getting the message. They know what the problem is. So they are asking the next logical question - how do we fight back? It sounds like and easy question to be put to someone like me who has worked on the issue and sounded the alarm for so long. But in fact, actually having success in organizing people to fight Sustainable Development in their local communities is a very new thing... [Continue reading on our site]


More articles like these can be found on our site. Go there now.

 In the News

Guerrilla Hoarding
Mises  |  "The May 30, 1918, New York Times carried the headline, "Navy Man Indicted for Food Hoarding." It reported on a man who had invested his wife's inheritance in a year's food for storage; and so they were held on a $3,000 bail each. The food was confiscated." You say that it won't happen in America again. Why not? Because it boggles the imagination that a person would be arrested for hoarding? The same could have been said not that long ago for the government legally listening in to our lives; it couldn't happen in America. Nor the government not allowing school children to take lunch from home; it is happening now in Chicago. That's in America. -- Read more
The Real Housewives of Wall Street
Rolling Stone  |  Even some in mainstream media can see what is going on, or at least the top layers. Maybe someday these writers willing to open their eyes to what is going on might start digging deeper and discover the scary truth of the global elites. "In the case of Waterfall TALF Opportunity, here's what we know: The company was founded in June 2009 with $14.87 million of investment capital, money that likely came from Christy Mack and Susan Karches. The two Wall Street wives then used the $220 million they got from the Fed to buy up a bunch of securities, including a large pool of commercial mortgages managed by Credit Suisse, a company John Mack once headed. Those securities were valued at $253.6 million, though the Fed refuses to explain how it arrived at that estimate. And here's the kicker: Of the $220 million the two wives got from the Fed, roughly $150 million had not been paid back as of last fall - meaning that you and I are still on the hook for most of whatever the Wall Street spouses bought on their government-funded shopping spree." -- Read more
Eco-friendly bulbs loaded with lead, arsenic
Orange Country Register  |  Do you think Thomas Edison is rolling over in his grave or laughing at the stupidity of the powers-that-be? Whatever, we Americans are paying the price. His light bulb has been banned in order to promote ones that are made of hazardous materials that cannot be disposed of in regular landfill. "The LED bulbs sold as safe and eco-friendly can contain high levels of lead, arsenic and other hazardous substances, a new UC Irvine study shows - the same bulbs widely used in headlights, traffic lights, even holiday lights. The toxic material could increase the risk of cancer, kidney disease and other illnesses, although the risks are more long-term than immediate; a single exposure to a broken bulb is unlikely to cause illness. "I wouldn't worry about an immediate release of vapor," said UC Irvine public health and social ecology professor Oladele Ogunseitan, principal investigator and an author of the study. "But still, when these residues hang around the house, if not cleaned up properly they could constitute an eventual danger." Ask not what you can do for your government, ask what your government is going to do to you next. -- Read more
 

APC needs to be strong to continue to stand up against Agenda 21 and its supporters.  I need your financial support. Please consider making a donation today on our web site or via mail. Click here to donate online. Click here to download a mail in form.As always, we appreciate your support in our fight for freedom.

Thank you,


Tom DeWeese
President
American Policy Center
  

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer


Defending Marriage

As you will recall, Attorney General Eric Holder announced two months ago that the Obama Justice Department would no longer defend normal marriage in our nation's courts. According to Holder, President Obama had determined that the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, was unconstitutional and discriminatory.

To his credit, Speaker John Boehner said if the administration refused to do its job, then he would defend the law Congress passed. On Monday, April 18th, it was announced that the House Bi-Partisan Legal Advisory Committee had retained the counsel of former Solicitor General Paul Clement, a partner at the law firm King & Spalding, to defend DOMA.

Obama and other liberal Democrats, who are spending billions of dollars each day, were quick to blast Speaker Boehner and House Republicans for wasting so much taxpayer money ($500,000) "to defend discrimination," as Nancy Pelosi put it.

Predictably, the militant homosexual rights movement went on the attack. Various groups promised boycotts of King & Spalding and "educational campaigns" to notify clients, law schools and potential new employees about the firm's involvement in the case. Protests outside of the firm's Atlanta headquarters were planned for this week.

Yesterday, King & Spalding, citing concerns with the contract's vetting procedure, caved in to the pressure from the left and withdrew its representation. To his credit, Paul Clement immediately resigned from King & Spalding and promised to continue the job he started.

This episode is more evidence of the very real culture war over the values that define our society. It also demonstrates once again just how determined the left is to intimidate and silence those who oppose its radical ideology.

Consider this: There are dozens of lawyers at some of America's most prestigious law firms who are volunteering their services to the alleged jihadists in GITMO. They do that with no danger of a backlash from their employers or the public. In fact, many have received awards and applause from the left for their defense of unpopular clients and causes.

But a firm that dares to defend common sense -- that marriage is the union of one man and one woman -- leads to condemnation and protests. And rather than stand its ground in support of the law and the views of tens of millions of Americans who have voted over and over again in support of normal marriage, the firm retreated. How is it that defending jihadists attracts accolades while defending normal marriage invites scorn and ridicule?

My friends, be not afraid. I am convinced that the American people are with us. They share our values. It's our politically correct elites who are confused. But these events must cause us to realize what is at stake in political debate today. If we don't fight back, the result is predictable. We must inform friends and family members who aren't paying attention or don't make the connection between elections and the impact on their values.

ACTION ITEM: Please click here to politely, but firmly, share your thoughts with King & Spalding about their refusal to defend normal marriage. You can also call their Atlanta office at 404-572-4600.


We're Putting Pastors In Prison Too?

Here's more evidence of the erosion of judicial integrity that's happening in the American legal system. While defending marriage is difficult because of leftwing intimidation, a demonstration was stopped outside of a mosque in Dearborn, Michigan, because prosecutors feared it threatened to disturb the peace.

Pastor Terry Jones of Florida wanted to hold a rally on Good Friday outside of Dearborn's largest mosque. He has a First Amendment right to do so. But Wayne County prosecutors demanded he put up a $45,000 "peace bond" and even put him on trial! Consider this excerpt from the Detroit Free Press:

"During morning testimony, Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad said there had been at least four serious threats made against Jones from metro Detroiters, raising the likelihood of violence if the protest were held."

If that is the case, then prosecute those who are making the threats. Our politicians have become too fearful of offending radical Muslims. They see peaceful Americans exercising their God-given rights as threats to peace, rather than radical Muslims. Jones was briefly jailed after initially refusing to post bond, even after it was reduced to one dollar.

NOTE TO ALL GOP CONTENDERS: These questions -- how America will deal with radical Islam and how we will defend marriage from radical groups seeking to redefine it -- are vital to America's future. Did I miss your comments on either of these things? If you want the nomination and the chance to lead this nation, speak up and defend the values of the American people. Every day you are provided with "gifts" -- opportunities to speak out on issues that enjoy support from most Americans. But they need to know whose side you are on.


Another Obama Church Controversy

President Obama attended an Easter Sunday service at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. If all you saw were the reports from the mainstream media, you would have thought the church had been selected for a presidential visit due its historic significance. It was founded by freed slaves in 1863. But like the church Obama attended for so many years in Chicago, Shiloh Baptist is not without controversy.

Last year, the church's pastor, Dr. Wallace Charles Smith, told students at Eastern University, "Jim Crow ... can get a regular news program on Fox." Dr. Smith was referring to the segregationist laws of Southern states and suggested that Fox promotes racism. He also said that Rush Limbaugh is "spewing forth" the "same vile filth as the Ku Klux Klan." But there is more...

In 2009, Shiloh Baptist hosted a conference on Middle East peace dominated by anti-Israel activists. One of the speakers was a Palestinian Christian who once delivered an Easter sermon in which he said, "It seems to many of us that Jesus is on the cross again with thousands of crucified Palestinians around him." You can read more about the conference here.

While I'm pleased the president made it to church on Easter Sunday, I remain concerned that he continues to find his way into churches that are blatantly anti-Israel.


2012 Update -- One Out; One In

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour stunned political observers yesterday morning when he announced that he would not be a presidential candidate next year. Barbour had been laying the foundation for a campaign and signing top-notch operatives for weeks. Even though his polling numbers were unimpressive, no one doubted the former RNC chief's ability to raise money and run an impressive campaign.

Last night on Sean Hannity's Fox News show, Texas Congressman Ron Paul announced that he was forming a presidential exploratory committee. He made a formal announcement this afternoon in Iowa. But he will have competition this year for the libertarian vote from former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, who also supports the legalization of marijuana and same-sex marriage.

I am often asked which candidate I support for 2012. Right now I am uncommitted. At a press conference today, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus was asked about the current field. He said, "We don't know who's gonna be in the race. It's still pretty early. ...Many of the folks [who] are exploring running for president will likely get in the race. And perhaps some other folks we're not talking about might get in the race."

I agree. We haven't had a debate yet, and the first vote of the primary season is still more than eight months away. Having said that, we continue to have an "open door" policy -- offering advice publicly and privately to any candidate, making sure that your values are represented. Stay tuned!

 

 4/27/2011

Is the Age of America Coming to An End?

A dire prediction hit the news yesterday: A date has been set for the end of the "Age of America," - i.e., when China's economy will overtake the United States. The news comes by way of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast that shows China's economy surpassing America's by 2016. Though there are reasons to question the IMF's conclusions, it is true that if the U.S. does not get its fiscal house in order, the era of American leadership will be over.

Columnist Brett Arends writes in MarketWatch that China's evolution into an economic superpower will spell the end of America's economic dominance on the global stage: Read More . . . 

Recent Entries 

Heritage Libertad Radio

Defense of DOMA Remains in Good Hands

In the Green Room: Andrew Breitbart on the Tea Party and the Media's Power

WikiLeaking on GITMO

EPA Blocks Oil Drilling in Alaska

QUICK HITS

Gas prices are taking their toll. Seven in 10 Americans say gas prices are causing financial hardship, and of those people, only 33 percent say President Obama is doing a good job on the economy.

Retiree benefits aren't cheap. States are facing a $1.26 trillion shortfall in funds to pay pension and health-care benefits for public employees.

Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) in an interview Monday warned, "If the president doesn't get serious about the need to address our fiscal nightmare, yeah, there's a chance it [the debt limit vote] could not happen."

Ford Motor Co. reported a $2.6 billion first-quarter profit, its largest in 13 years.

The WikiLeaks release on Guantanamo Bay confirms that the detention facility and detainees alike are there for good reason. Read more on Foundry.org.

	New Common Sense Applying First Principles to the Issues of Today

The Uses and Abuses of the Commerce Clause
 

The Commerce Clause is one of the most misunderstood clauses of the Constitution. Since the mid-twentieth century, the Supreme Court has interpreted the clause to give the federal government virtually unlimited regulatory power over "any human activity or other phenomenon that has any ultimate impact on activities in more states than one." The Commerce Clause, though, does not grant Congress blanket authority to regulate anything it pleases. In its original meaning, the Commerce Clause gives Congress the power to promote commerce by lifting any artificial barriers that may be placed upon it.

After the War for Independence, the states had imposed competing tariffs that restricted the flow of goods among them while trying to attract foreign trade to their own ports. Congress had no authority under the Articles of Confederation to make commerce 'regular' in order to ensure that Americans had access to what they could not produce themselves.

The new Constitution corrected the Articles' failings. The Founders understood the congressional power to lift artificial barriers on interstate commerce as a necessary condition for a thriving commercial republic. Under Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of the Constitution, the Commerce Clause gives Congress the duty to promote interstate commerce by abolishing the restrictive systems of internal tariffs, creating a common market between the states, and encouraging the free trade of goods and services. The founders therefore "created the world's first modern free trade area," where Americans could purchase what they wanted, at a price they wanted, for goods and services anywhere in the country. As the young nation expanded its borders across the continent and its population grew, this freedom to trade unleashed opportunities for specialization and exchange, fueling economic growth and prosperity.

But what a difference a few hundred years makes. Throughout most of American history, barriers to commerce were imposed at the state level. In fact, an overwhelming proportion of the nearly 1,400 pre-20th century Supreme Court cases concerning the Commerce Clause, arose from state legislation. Now, Congress itself creates legislation to hinder commerce.     

Take, for example, the health insurance market. Today, instead of lifting the artificial barriers between the states, Congress has created them. In fulfilling the vision of the Founders, Congress has the power to expand competition in the health insurance market by allowing individuals and families to purchase health coverage across state lines. Under the McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945, however, Congress has ceded the regulation of health insurance almost exclusively to the states and thereby prevented interstate health care markets. There are over 1,200 health insurance companies in the United States, but no common market where citizens of one state can purchase a health insurance plan from another state.

President Obama correctly noted that the health insurance market lacked competition, but he offered no solution. Obamacare will result in a massive transfer of regulatory authority from the states to the federal government in 2014, but health insurance will remain a matter of intrastate commerce. Health insurance markets will remain dominated by a few big health insurance companies and largely insulated from real consumer choice. Because these companies do not need to compete for consumers' dollars in the same way that car insurance companies must compete (for example), the consumer suffers.

Far from a bottomless box of congressional authority to regulate any activity (or lack thereof), the Commerce Clause grants Congress the power to promote commerce, by lifting artificial barriers to competition and economic freedom. When Congress shirks its duty, the resulting markets resemble those of health insurance. When Congress promotes commerce, economic freedom and markets flourish and the nation prospers.

White House Working on Executive Order That Critics Say Will Stifle Political Speech

Monday, April 25, 2011

By Fred Lucas

President Obama and Sen. Charles Schumer, New York Democrat. (AP Photo)

 

Washington (CNSNews.com) -  In what the White House calls a push for transparency, a pending executive order would require companies doing business with the federal government to disclose political contributions to independent groups, but would not place the same requirement on public employee unions or federal grant recipients that typically donate to Democrats.

Entitled the "Disclosure of Political Spending By Government Contractors," the order would implement parts of the DISCLOSE Act, which failed to get through Congress last year. The legislation sought to restrict campaign speech after the landmark Citizens United vs. Federal Elections Commission U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld the right of corporations and unions to donate to campaigns.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney confirmed Monday that work is underway on the draft order, and linked the move to President Obama's stated commitment to transparency.

Watch the Video and read the rest of this story here

 Read the Draft Order here 

Your Representatives and Senators are on break this week. Please contact them and see what they

say about this issue.

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About Imprimis

Imprimis is the free monthly speech digest of Hillsdale College and is dedicated to educating citizens and promoting civil and religious liberty by covering cultural, economic, political and educational issues of enduring significance.  The content of Imprimis is drawn from speeches delivered to Hillsdale College-hosted events, both on-campus and off-campus.  First published in 1972, Imprimis is one of the most widely circulated opinion publications in the nation with over 1.9 million subscribers.

How Health Reform Punishes Work

The subsidies to buyers of 'qualifying' insurance policies will induce sharp reductions in the supply of labor.

READ MORE:

U.S. Effort to Remove Drug CEO Jolts Firms

Today's Headlines:  Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Obama Issued Proclamations for Muslim Holidays, Earth Day--But Not Easter

 Gallup: Majority of Human Race Does Not See Global Warming as Serious Threat

WH Working on Executive Order That Critics Say Will Stifle Political Speech

 Only 15 Percent of Republicans Approve of the Job Congress is Doing, Says Gallup

Obama Admin. Prosecuted the Most Terrorists in a 2-Year Period, Holder Says

Egyptians Cool Toward U.S.; Want to Scrap Peace Treaty With Israel, Poll Shows

Lingering Impact of Gulf Oil Spill is Marginal, Says Coast Guard

Obama Links America's Greatness With Government Spending -- Again

Judge's Homosexual Relationship at Issue in Calif. Marriage Case

Ford Earns $2.6B in First Quarter, Partly on Ford Explorer Strength

2012: Haley Barbour Out, Ron Paul In

COMMENTARY:

When Dictators Fall, Who Rises?
 By Patrick J. Buchanan

Smugglers As Heroes By Walter E. Williams

NEWSPAPER ROUNDUP:

Free health care for Medicare recipients goes begging
Kansas Gov. Brownback proposes stripping taxpayer funds from Planned Parenthood
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas sours on Obama
Obama considers new sanctions on Syria
More Americans disapprove of Obama's management of Afghan war
Teachers, counselors go to school to learn how to tackle bullying
Americans depend more than ever on federal aid
Mike Huckabee leads in South Carolina polls
Poll: Prices at the pump threaten Obama at the ballot box
Only 400 schools enter contest to 'win' Obama as graduation speaker
Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles welcomes two openly straight members
Donald Berwick says Paul Ryan's fiscal plan is real rationing
FDA to regulate smokeless electronic cigarettes as tobacco products
Doctors Without Borders blasts drug co. for not sharing HIV drug patents
Republicans flocking to NH on Friday for 'Summit on Spending and Job Creation'
 

Quote of the Day

"By gnawing through a dike, even a rat may drown a nation."  

                 -Edmund Burke

Laughing Liberally pours on the Tea Party jokes

Creeps in sweat shirts

In a grungy basement comedy club on West 46th Street, Elon James White, 32, bursts onstage in a hooded sweat shirt, hip-hopistan baseball cap askew, and lobs an opening joke about Rep. Michele Bachmann.

"I'm a fan of Republicans. They are just so damn entertaining. They're the best reality show - ever. Forget the Kardashians, I want to know what the Bachmanns are up to," he hoots.

Click here to read the full article at the Washington Post

Clyburn says compassion necessary in deficit talks

Compassionate debt talks?

The No. 3 Democrat in the House said Tuesday he believes Congress and the White House can find a consensus on tackling the nation's growing indebtedness as long as "a lot of compassion" is brought to the table.

But Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina told MSNBC that government safety-net programs like Medicare and Medicaid must not "be shredded."

Click here to read the full article at Yahoo News

Witness to Md. beating praised for trying to help

Article includes lovely mugshot

A witness who tried to help a transgender woman who was being beaten at a McDonald's in Maryland said she was overwhelmed by the response from people who have praised her for intervening.

Vicky Thoms was embraced by strangers at a rally Monday night outside the McDonald's in Baltimore County where the assault took place.

Click here to read the full article at Yahoo News

Food stamps equal big money

Mega profits

Retail smokeshops, convenience stores, substance abuse rehabilitation centers and take-and-bake pizza shops across the state received millions in food stamp purchases during a nearly two-year period examined by the Tulsa World.

But much of the nearly $1.2 billion in food stamp expenditures went to Walmart stores, which brought in about $506 million between July 2009 and March 2011, according to data supplied by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

Click here to read the full article at Tulsa World

Boy in high heels removed from class

The wussification of America

A pair of high heels got a Bay Area student sent to the principal's office after he wore them to class.

"He likes the way they make him feel. They make him feel more confident, and he just likes to wear them," said Riverview High School senior Hayley Stepp, who says she's a friend of the student.

Click here to read the full article at Fox Tampa Bay

Van Jones at power shift 2011: 'While they're stuck on stupid in DC, your generation is rising'

The generational approach to Marxism

In a passionate keynote address, green jobs leader Van Jones exhorted the 10,000 youth climate activists at the Power Shift conference in Washington DC to "shift the power" and lead the clean power revolution. He argued that both parties need to be held accountable for their failures, and that activists must explain that the climate movement isn't just about "hippie power" but that it is a vision of liberty and justice for all.

Van Jones had harsh words for the national political establishment. "You have to be wise enough to hold both parties to high standards," he said:

Click here to read the full article at the Huffington Post

Florida protests against US immigration proposals

Everything is "anti-latino"

Hundreds of activists on Monday kicked off a week of protests in several Florida cities calling for the rejection of measures in the state congress that would criminalize illegal immigrants.

The Florida House of Representatives is set to consider a measure that would authorize police to ask for documents to verify a person's immigration status, and detain that person and open a criminal investigation if there is reasonable suspicion that the suspect is an illegal migrant.

Click here to read the full article at Yahoo News

Financiers switch to GOP

They can no longer pretend to love Obama

Hedge-fund managers made a big bet on Barack Obama and other Democrats in 2008. Now, with the 2012 contest gearing up, some prominent fund managers have turned their backs on the party and are actively supporting Republicans.

Daniel Loeb, founder of Third Point LLC, was one of the biggest Obama fund-raisers in 2008, rounding up $200,000 for him, according to campaign-finance records. In the decade prior, Mr. Loeb and his wife donated $250,000 to Democrats and less than $10,000 to Republicans.

Click here to read the full article at the Wall Street Journal

Free Gas Coupon

What can we say? Prices have gone up in the last week.

Google Earth

Submitted

Revisionist History

Submitted

And now for a cartoon

April 27, 2011 

On Tuesday's Program 

Why doesn't Gov want you to have a passport?

The State Department reportedly will propose a new questionnaire for 'some' passport applicants -- an otherwise uneventful bit of news if it weren't for the questions themselves. Nearly impossible to remember details such as all addresses since birth, lifetime employment history including employer and supervisor names, addresses, and telephone numbers; mother's address one year prior to your birth and on and on and on. Fail to provide any details? It 'may result in the denial of your U.S. passport application' the form states. Why in the world would they want to do this? Glenn runs through the possibilities on radio today.

Latest exec order? Reveal donations prior to getting Fed loans

Are you or is your company seeking a federal government contract? No problem - all you have to do is first disclose all the money the company and/or executives gave in political donations and who they gave it to. Surely this will have no political implications at all. Oh, the best part about this executive order? Unions are exempt from it. That's some high quality HopeNChange, eh? Glenn has more - get the full story from The Wall Street Journal HERE.

What does courage look like? One German woman demonstrates

In the middle of a demonstration of radical Islamists, a valiant German woman gets right in the mix and confronts them. It's something to see - this lone German woman shouting at these radicals, "I am German, and I am so sorry that someone like him can stand here and speak like Hitler! I am so ashamed, where is everybody?! Why are people not standing up in this country of ours?" Amazing stuff. Watch the full video and get Glenn's reaction at GlennBeck.com. 

Execution in broad daylight may be case of mistaken identity **WARNING** GRAPHIC VIDEO 

The Blaze has the extremely disturbing video of a man being gunned down in broad daylight as he talked on his cell phone. A man stood nearby for a few moments before suddenly pulling a gun and opening fire, killing 24-year-old Trevonne Winn who was in town visiting family. He was the father of two young children and had another on the way. As if the video wasn't horrific enough, after Trevonne gets shot and hits the ground people just mill around and stare at him, offering no help or even comfort during his last moments.  The tragic video can be seen HERE.

Middle East chaos keeps getting worse: Insider Extreme presents Rumors of War II: The Last Days? -- an exclusive documentary that premieres TOMORROW night at 9 pm ET. It's hard to focus on the ongoing chaos in the Middle East because we've got so much going on here at home - but this documentary will show you why it is CRITICAL you get educated. Get the details HERE.

Internet polls, prepare to be spammed: Ron Paul running in 2012

Ron Paul is reportedly tossing his hat into the 2012 ring, which if nothing else means he will soon be running #1 in every internet poll on the planet. Paul is a giant in the Libertarian movement but not necessarily the favorite choice for mainstream conservatives. What are Paul's chances of success in the primary? What are his chances of success in the general? Get the full story from The Blaze.

Glenn set to interview, trick Allen West

Glenn continued to dote on Rep. Allen West on radio today and got so excited he accidentally revealed his plan to 'trick' West into announcing his 2012 run on Thursday during a planned interview with Glenn. So far, Glenn loves what West has to offer - but Stu argues that there is no perfect candidate and we tend to hold people to this impossible standard. Glenn will grill West on radio Thursday - do you have any questions you want Glenn to ask him? Send us an email: questions@glennbeck.com. Details on Glenn's latest West love fest HERE.