Quote: 

"[The President] is the dignified, but accountable magistrate of a free and great people. The tenure of his office, it is true, is not hereditary; nor is it for life: but still it is a tenure of the noblest kind: by being the man of the people, he is invested; by continuing to be the man of the people, his investiture will be voluntarily, and cheerfully, and honourably renewed." 

~ James Wilson, Lectures on Law, 1791

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RedState Morning Briefing

For May 16, 2011

1. Huckabee Is Out. The Down and Dirty on Who It Helps and Hurts.

Mike Huckabee announced on his TV show Saturdy night that he is not going to run for President in 2012.

he down and dirty analysis of who it helps:

Tim Pawlenty. He becomes the evangelical governor in the race.

Herman Cain. He remains the Huckabee of 2012.

Sarah Palin. She and Huckabee would largely be fighting for the same crowd.

Who it hurts:

All of us. Some of you won't agree, but I think Huckabee would force the other candidates to bring their A game on message and rhetoric. Just for that alone, I wanted him in the race.

What it means:

Mitt Romney is the front runner and the field is wide open to be the anti-Mitt. If Daniels gets in,and it is increasingly likely, he will be the odds on favorite to be the anti-Mitt. Otherwise it will probably be Pawlenty. And even with Daniels in, Pawlenty's access to the evangelical community will make him a force to be reckoned with. Those two will fight it out to be the anti-Mitt.

2. Newt Gingrich's Rapidly Self-Limiting Campaign Defends the Individual Mandate

Newt Gingrich appeared on Meet the Press this morning and said two things that won't exactly endear him to the Tea Party crowd or the reform minded movement sweeping the GOP.

First, he endorsed the individual mandate and said he would not bash Mitt Romney over the individual mandate.

Second, he went after Paul Ryan's proposal to reform Medicare. Your mileage may vary on Ryan's plan, but he is both offering up one and using the free market, individual choice approach favored by conservatives.

Newt was not happy with the approach.

Gingrich is already going to have to overcome the apprehensiveness of evangelicals and women in the primary. To also have to overcome the free marketers' concerns may prove problematic.

I'm still struggling to figure out what Newt's natural constituency is. He seems to want to be the ideas guy, but that really amounts to being a conservative technocrat. If Daniels enters and Mitt is there too, it is a crowded field for the technocrats to fight over.

3. Do Victory Laps and Spiking the Football outweigh Operational (and Personal) Security?

This month's successful kill/capture mission in Abbottabad, Pakistan, which resulted in the death of the World's Most Wanted Terrorist and in the recovery of a treasure trove of intelligence (and of pornography - gotta love those radical fundamentalists' aversion to hypocrisy!) has naturally increased national and media interest in the elite special operations professionals who carried out this operation.

While the information being reported by various media outlets and individuals has often missed the accuracy bulls-eye by quite a bit (yet again demonstrating that life imitates the Onion), enough accurate-ish information has apparently been revealed to the public by the usual suspects - the administration and those members of Congress who hold security clearances because of the voters' actions rather than for any personal character qualities they may actually possess - that some units within, and affiliated with, JSOC are reportedly being forced to consider adapting their Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) - not to mention the fact that some operators are now concerned for the safety of their families (more on this later).

4. Who's the Boss? AFL-CIO Affiliate Seeking to Unionize Office of Management & Budget

According to ABC News' Jake Tapper and Rich Klein, the American Federation of Government Employees (part of the AFL-CIO) has filed (or will on Monday) a petition to unionize the employees of the Office of Management and Budget.

Now, one might think, so what's the big deal? Another agency unionized under the most pro-union President since Franklin Roosevelt...

Well, you might harken back to a few months ago when Executive Order 13522 was brought to your attention. Executive Order 13522, signed by President Obama back in 2009 and clarified in a January, 2011 OMB letter (below), gives unions in the Executive Branch agencies the right to engage in "pre-decisional involvement" over a wide array of governmental decision making.

5. Levantine Day of Protest Brings Attacks on Israel from All Sides

"Nabka Day" 2011 represents two major milestones: (1) the 63rd anniversary of the creation of the modern state of Israel by UN resolution, and (2) very close to the 63rd straight year of the UN doing everything it can to make up for its half-century-plus-old "mistake." Sunday May 15, 2011 also represents the first anniversary of Israel's establishment since the events of the "Arab Spring" began.

The results are not good. A possible terrorist attack was carried out in Tel Aviv, rioters massed in areas near Israel's borders with Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and incursions against Israeli territory were made along three of those borders, including that with Syria - a border which could generally be considered Israel's most secure aside from the Mediterranean coast. According to reports, "thousands of protesters stormed the fence [between Syria and Israel] and hundreds burst through, pelting soldiers with stones, the military said. Soldiers guarding the border opened fire to stop them." The IDF says its "forces fired selectively towards rioters who were targeting security infrastructure" in the Israeli Arab village of Majdal Shams. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the IDF was ordered "to act with 'maximum restraint'." Four invaders were reported killed, while thirty were wounded. The latter were treated at a nearby medical center and have already been returned to Syria.

6. House GOP Invites Diversity Mandates to Intel Agencies

Aside for oil drilling-related legislation, there weren't any high profile partisan legislative fights on Capitol Hill last week. The major piece of legislation that was brought to the floor and ultimately passed the House last week was the highly bi-partisan reauthorization of appropriations for our intelligence agencies (H.R. 754). The bill passed 392-15. Unfortunately, it is these "non-controversial" bills that are prone to insertions of reckless amendments. After all, who is watching the banal congressional proceedings of consensus legislation?

On Thursday, Republicans allowed Democrats to offer two amendments that would mandate pilot programs and studies to facilitate diversity within the intelligence agencies. I don't begrudge the GOP leaders for running an open process and allowing Democrats to offer amendments. The problem is that they adopted the amendments by voice vote, instead of voting them down. Well, if the timeworn bromide that "Republicans only control one-half of one-third of government" is sufficient justification for failure to pass prudent legislation, it should certainly justify their scuttling of multicultural amendments.

7. None Dare Call it Hypocrisy: The Left's Outrage Over Teaching Free-Enterprise in Universities

For the last few years, America has been slowly awakened to the level of Marxism taught in American classrooms. From the of taking public school students to Cuba and the NEA's recommendation of Saul Alinsky to the most recent revelation of the University of Missouri's "Introduction to Labor Studies" taught by two Marxists who, in addition to allegedly giving a Communist organizer two hours of class time to recruit, also shared the finer points of industrial sabotage and cat electrocutions.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

8. Rescheduling Trump

Unfortunately, I've just been informed that Donald Trump needs to reschedule our one on one interview. Those of you who have registered already will get a note when the rescheduled interview takes place.

Sorry about that.

Heritage Hotsheet

Experts on the Day's Hottest News

Items for May 16, 2011 

Israeli troops fire at Palestinian protesters on borders, killing at least 12
The Washington Post

We should be getting America's Maverick back
The Washington Examiner

Social Security 'Trust Fund' To Add $5 Tril To Debt
Investors Business Daily

Medicare to run out of money five years sooner, trustees say
Politico

Boehner ready for debt-limit deal
The Washington Times

Geithner Predicts Double-Dip if Congress Fails to Lift Debt Ceiling
National Journal

 Latest Heritage Research:

WebMemo
FTAs with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama Would Create U.S. Jobs and Exports

WebMemo
Ten Myths of Ryan's House Budget Plan

WebMemo
AT&T and T-Mobile: Good Deal, Bad Process

WebMemo
What's an Oil Subsidy?  

Stealthy Socialism:

Liberal Journalist Explains How Obama Could Decree Federal Control Over Private Corporations to Unionize & Regulate Them Using Laws Already on the Books

The Blaze | by Naked Emperor News | Posted on May 15, 2011 

   See it Here . . . 

Serenade them with Ted Nugent's "Kiss My Ass,"

in which Mr. Nugent ventures a characteristically subtle and insightful critique of liberal values, to wit:

Kiss my ass -Callin' on Jesse Jackson
Kiss my ass -How about the IRS...
Kiss my ass -United Nations
Kiss my ass -All those Liberals 

Tell a joke:

Q: Why is the health care plan called Obamacare, not Obamacares?

A: Because he doesn't. 

Find a feminist and see if she has a sense of humor: 

Q: How many men does it take to open a beer?

A: None. It should be open when she brings it to you. 

Your mission: Capture bin Laden. Just kill him first!

May 13, 2011 06:13 am | Coach Collins

By Doug Book, staff writer

  The flood of conflicting "official" stories detailing the death of Osama bin Laden has become almost farcical. But perhaps we're not being told what DID happen in Abbottabad because no one at the White House wishes to admit what was SUPPOSED to happen. That is, divulge the real objective.

After the discovery of bin Laden's hiding place, "...Obama chaired a series of five national security meetings to decide ...

... Continue Reading:Your mission: Capture bin Laden. Just kill him first!

comments | read more 

Stealth Helicopter for sale by our "good" friends in Pakistan

May 14, 2011 06:13 am | Coach Collins

Photos of the remaining parts were posted on the internet and this was the first time the public saw evidence of one of America's best kept secrets.

Design

The design of the Stealthy Blackhawk MH-60 is the product of a joint effort between the U.S. Special Operations Command and the Lockheed-Martin Skunk Works division. Lockheed designed and ... Continue Reading:Stealth Helicopter for sale by our "good" friends in Pakistan

comments |read more

 

Thursday, May 12, 2011

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer


Obama's Confused Priorities

The front page of today's Washington Post points out yet another example of President Obama's confused national security priorities. According to the Post, Pentagon officials (no doubt Obama appointees) are working with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross to allow visits by family members of the alleged jihadist detainees at GITMO. Even the Post acknowledges that this would be an "unprecedented step."

GITMO is not your local county jail. The accused thugs held there are not common street criminals. They are alleged enemy combatants. Why is the Obama Administration doing anything that would make their lives more comfortable? Sadly, because of the propaganda spouted by big media, most Americans don't realize how much we have already conceded. For example, a new book by investigative journalist Richard Miniter contains this shocking passage:

"I was stunned to learn ... that Guantanamo detainees succeeded in convincing prison officials to no longer raise the American flag anywhere they could see it. Each morning on every U.S. military base around the world, the American flag is raised to a bugle.  But in the interests of not offending the detainees, it was stopped at Guantanamo."

Unfortunately, even the Bush Administration was guilty of caving in to jihadist demands. Consider these 2003 Department of Defense regulations for the handling of Korans:

"a. Clean gloves will be put on in full view of the detainees prior to handling.
b. Two hands will be used at all times when handling the Koran in manner signaling respect and reverence. ... Handle the Koran as if it were a fragile piece of delicate art."

Are we leaving a mint on their pillows at night too?

Our guards are forced to wear gloves because devout Muslims believe that you and I are unclean and that our very touch would defile their holy book. Would we give in to demands by a white supremacist that black guards must wear gloves? Of course not. To do so would be to endorse their bigotry. Yet we endorse the bigoted demands of jihadists!

We are constantly told that these thugs do not represent Islam. If that's true, why are we submitting ourselves to their Sharia-compliant demands?


Jihadists Among Us

ABC News reports that two men of "North African descent" were arrested last night by New York police. They are accused of trying to buy guns and hand grenades. Both men are adherents of the "religion of peace," and were allegedly planning attacks on Manhattan synagogues. According to the report, the men are also being charged with hate crimes for saying during the undercover sting, "We hate the Jews."

Last weekend, Rageh Al-murisi, a 28 year-old with a Yemeni passport, was arrested after he attempted to storm the cockpit of a Boeing 737 with 162 passengers on board as it was preparing to land in San Francisco. The Associated Press reports "Al-Murisi repeatedly yelled 'Allahu Akbar,' ... and tried twice to open the cockpit door before being subdued by a crew member and several passengers."

These two separate, and presumably unrelated, incidents have a common thread: radical Islam. Our political elites tell us that Islam is a "religion of peace." Apparently they haven't convinced the Islamists. And while President Obama insists that we are not at war with Islam, the Islamic-inspired jihadists are clearly at war with us.


Liberals Bash Business; Promote Pain

Senate Democrats today resorted to populist demagoguery in an attempt to avoid blame for high gas prices. They hauled the heads of the big oil companies up to Capitol Hill and berated them for making profits. They did it because they know we are unhappy with the high price of gas, and they want us to blame everyone -- oil companies, Wall Street speculators, SUV owners -- except Obama, Reid, Pelosi and their anti-energy policies.

This hearing won't do a thing to lower gas prices. Nor will the Democrats' preferred solution of raising taxes on oil companies. But the hearing did serve a useful purpose: It exposed the economic ignorance and arrogance of Washington's liberal elites.

During one exchange Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) accused Chevron CEO John Watson of being "deeply, profoundly, out of touch" for not endorsing the Democrats' calls for "shared sacrifice." To his credit, Watson fired back, telling Rockefeller, "I don't think the American people want shared sacrifice. I think they want shared prosperity."

Watson is right. Americans want policies that will create jobs and grow the economy. Unfortunately, we have gotten wasteful stimulus spending, a socialized medicine scheme and policies that seem designed to cripple America's domestic energy production. We are subsidizing Brazil's oil industry while we are attacking our own domestic energy industry. The liberal war on U.S. energy translates into a war on U.S. energy jobs.


2012 Update

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich announced his candidacy for president yesterday in a YouTube video you can watch here. It will be interesting to see how Gingrich fares in the days ahead. Recent polls show that he is running fourth or fifth in the pack, but behind three potential candidates who have yet to take even the first step toward running -- Huckabee, Palin and Trump.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will deliver a major speech today addressing his biggest liability -- RomneyCare. But there is no doubt the governor's big day got off to a bad start when he woke up to a scathing editorial from the Wall Street Journal suggesting Romney should consider joining Obama's ticket as his running mate. Ouch!

And then there's Ron Paul. Periodically, I comment on what I believe are the oddities among Ron Paul's positions. Every time I do, I hear from his very committed followers. They are wasting their time when they e-mail me. When I see a Republican leader taking positions most often associated with the left, I'm going to call him on it, no matter who it is. This is one of those occasions.

On a radio show Tuesday, Paul said that he WOULD NOT have ordered the killing of Osama bin Laden. Instead, he would have tried to work with the Pakistani government to arrest him. But the Pakistani government is riddled with radical Islamists. Paul's policy would have likely resulted in bin Laden slipping away.

Think about this folks: If Ron Paul is the Republican nominee, Barack Obama will get to run as the tough guy who took bin Laden out, while our candidate would defer to international law.

But there's more. According to the Wall Street Journal, Paul thinks now is the perfect time to pull our troops out of Afghanistan because, "We've gotten the guy that supposedly headed up 9/11. He certainly supported it."

"Supposedly" headed up 9/11? Bin Laden did more than support 9/11. Bin Laden gleefully took credit for murdering thousands of Americans. Did Ron Paul miss that fact? Perhaps Paul is spending too much time with radical congressional leftist and same-sex "marriage" advocate Rep. Barney Frank. The two of them have teamed up to gut the Defense Department's budget.

 

Friday, May 13, 2011

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer


The Leftist/Islamist Alliance

From time to time, I have written about the disturbing alliance of radical leftists and radical Islamists. These two groups share nothing -- except their disdain of Western civilization. The killing of Osama bin Laden has again united the radical left and the radical Islamists in their hatred of America.

This week, prominent British historian Dr. Andrew Roberts published a column in the Wall Street Journal apologizing to America for the "foul outpouring of sneering anti-Americanism, legalistic quibbling and concern for the supposed human rights of our modern Hitler" that he observed in England following the death of Osama bin Laden.

Roberts writes, "I never thought I'd say this, especially less than a fortnight after the Royal Wedding, but my countrymen's reactions to the death of Osama bin Laden have made me doubt my pride in being British." Consider some of the examples he cites:

"...the writer Yasmin Alibhai Brown, was applauded [on a BBC, show] when she said she was 'depressed' by the killing, as it 'demeans a democracy and a president who has shown himself to be the Ugly American.'...

"The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, told reporters: 'I think the killing of an unarmed man is always going to leave a very uncomfortable feeling because it doesn't look as if justice is seen to be done.'"

Unfortunately, we're seeing the same nonsense on this side of the Atlantic. Noam Chomsky, well known for his vehement hatred of Israel, sank to new lows last week when he published his reaction to bin Laden's death. After questioning bin Laden's role in 9/11, Chomsky writes:

"We might ask ourselves how we would be reacting if Iraqi commandos landed at George W. Bush's compound, assassinated him, and dumped his body in the Atlantic. Uncontroversially, his crimes vastly exceed bin Laden's..."

So according to one of the left's most celebrated academics, a man who has received dozens of honorary degrees from our institutions of higher learning, George W. Bush was the greater evil that should have been taken out.

It is beyond delusional to determine that our democratically-elected president, who acted with the approval of Congress to defend this country, is somehow worse than a professed jihadist who murdered thousands of Americans.

As for the radical Islamists, they made their voices heard today in the senseless killing of 80 Pakistanis in twin homicide bombings. A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban took credit for the attack, saying, "We have done this to avenge the Abbottabad incident. It's the first revenge for the martyrdom of ... bin Laden. There will be more."

This is the senseless evil we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and which Israel is fighting in Gaza and the West Bank. It is the same evil that killed 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001. It also inspired the jihadists who were arrested this week for plotting attacks on synagogues in Manhattan. If we fail to defeat it, the world will be plunged into another Dark Age. We must defeat it. We must also confront the moral bankruptcy of the radical left, which provides it aid and comfort.


A Contrast In Visions

For those of you who don't think there is much difference between the two parties, just consider what happened yesterday on Capitol Hill. As we reported, Senate Democrats spent much of their day haranguing executives of some of America's largest employers.

America's energy industry is responsible for more than 9 million jobs and nearly 8% of our gross domestic product. But yesterday, we heard one Senate Democrat after another criticizing oil companies for making profits and bashing their executives as "out of touch."

It's the liberals who are out of touch. Liberals don't like Wal-Mart because its employees aren't unionized. They don't like McDonald's because it puts toys in kids' meals. They want to punish Boeing for opening a plant in a non-unionized state. They attack the pharmaceutical industry, even though it produces the finest life-saving medications in the world.

In short, if you are a successful business, Democrats approach you as if you are a competitor to their ideal where everyone works for Big Government!

Now, contrast yesterday's Senate hearing with what happened in the House, where conservative Republicans passed a bill to dramatically expand offshore drilling. Which of these two approaches -- bashing business executives or allowing access to our natural resources -- do you think is most likely to bring down gas prices?

And which of these two things did you hear about most on the evening news? The left-wing media had a field day showing "Big Oil" CEOs getting their comeuppance from Senate Democrats. And it had little to no interest in reporting what House conservatives were doing to reduce your pain at the pump.


Join Me In D.C.

Mark your calendars now! The 2011 Values Voter Summit will be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., October 7th through the 9th.

Confirmed speakers include Bill Bennett, Gen. William Boykin, Erick Erickson, Mark Levin and others. There will be educational sessions on a wide range of issues. My public policy group, American Values, will host a lunch Saturday, October 8th.

Register now at www.valuesvotersummit.org. Don't wait! Early bird registration ends May 20th.

I look forward to seeing you there!

 

 

War for American hearts and minds rages over Islam

Terror threat or peaceful religion? Both sides fight it out on small battlefields around US

By Kari HuusReporter

msnbc.com msnbc.com

updated 5/13/2011

 EVERETT, Wash. - Where Islam is discussed, controversy follows.

Though the 9/11 attacks by Islamic extremists are almost 10 years past and al-Qaida boss Osama bin Laden is dead, the American debate over Islam is still raging, as evidenced by numerous conflicts over public events around the country.

The battles - a kind of holy war for American hearts and minds - feature a changing cast of players, but they typically array some of the dozens of groups dedicated to exposing the threat of radical Islam in the U.S. against dozens of others established to protect the rights of Muslim Americans and defend their religion as peaceful.

 READ MORE: 

Nicholas Kristof is appalled that Israel is firing at protestors on three borders today. The story is not true of course, but why wait for hard news, when Arab propagandists have the story Kristof wants .  Kristof is the man who triumphantly proclaimed that "we are all Egyptians now" (just as CBS reporter Lara Logan was  being repeatedly raped and beaten by "pro-democracy" demonstrators).  Another headline today reads that "violence erupts"  in israel. I do not know who "violence is", and why he is erupting today,  but we do know that Arab truck-drivers tried to run over Jews in Tel Aviv. And we know that President Assad of Syria, anxious to distract from his slaughter of over 1,000 of his own people, opened the border on the Golan with Israel, allowing hundreds of Syrians to cross, practically guaranteeing that there would be casualties.  In Lebanon, it appears that the Lebanese army shot and killed Palestinians trying to cross into Israel. All of this is on Nakba Day, the day the Arab world mourns the tragedy of the creation of Israel.   These demonstrators are not  demanding a two state solution. It is  Israel's existence that is being attacked.   Richard Baehr, American Thinker

Obama's inexcusable indecision on Syria

by Jeff Jacoby
The Boston Globe
May 15, 2011

 

JOHN KERRY finally got a clue on Syria last week. Is it too much to hope that the Obama administration might follow suit?

 

 

Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad

For years, the senior senator from Massachusetts has been an advocate of appeasement with Syria. He has insisted that Washington and Damascus have "shared interests" that justify warmer ties, and has championed diplomatic and financial incentives to coax the regime of Bashar al-Assad away from its partnership with Iran and its support for terrorism. Kerry has repeatedly traveled to Damascus to woo Assad, and was confidently predicting not long ago that "Syria will move, Syria will change, as it embraces a legitimate relationship with the United States and the West."

 

But last week, with Syrian tanks shelling residential neighborhoods and the death toll in the government's savage crackdown on popular protests nearing a thousand, Kerry woke up to reality at last. He conceded that the Syrian dictator "is obviously not a reformer now" and that continued engagement with the bloody regime in Damascus is pointless. Given the carnage in Syria, it should never have taken Kerry so long to abandon his delusional belief that the House of Assad is anything but a tyrannical gang of thugs. But at least he abandoned it. That's more progress than the White House has made.

Jewish World Review May 13, 2011 / 9 Iyar, 5771

Obama's newest ambush

By Caroline B. Glick

http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | It is hard to believe, but it appears that in the wake of the Palestinian unity deal that brings the genocidal, al Qaida-aligned, local franchise of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Hamas into a partnership with Fatah, US President Barack Obama has decided to open a new round of pressure on Israel to give away its land and national rights to the Palestinians. It is hard to believe that this is the case. But apparently it is. 

READ MORE:

The Arab spring unleashes Islamists on Egyptian Christians.

By Andrew C McCarthy, NRO

Screaming "With our blood and soul, we will defend you, Islam," jihadists stormed the Virgin Mary Church in northwest Cairo last weekend. They torched the Coptic Christian house of worship, burned the nearby homes of two Copt families to the ground, attacked a residential complex, killed a dozen people, and wounded more than 200: just another day in this spontaneous democratic uprising by Muslim hearts yearning for freedom.

In the delusional vocabulary of the "Arab Spring," this particular episode is known as a sectarian "clash." That was the Washington Post's take. Its headline[1] reads "12 dead in Egypt as Christians and Muslims clash" - in the same way, one supposes, that a mugger's fist can be said to "clash" with his victim's face. The story goes on, in nauseating "cycle of violence" style, to describe "clashes between Muslims and Coptic Christians" that "left" 12 dead, dozens more wounded, "and a church...

Read the whole entry »

Abbas vs. Obama

by Steven J. Rosen, Middle East Quarterly

Having sidelined Barack Obama's peace initiative by refusing to return to the negotiations table without apriori Israeli concessions, the Palestinian leadership seeks to secure an international declaration of statehood at the next U.N. General Assembly session in September 2011. This "date certain" strategy, whereby its entitlement to a state will be fulfilled by the world powers, has long been preferred by the Palestinian leadership to any arduous, bilateral negotiation with Israel, which would require painful concessions. The Palestinians enjoy wide support in many European capitals, and they know that the Obama administration is close to their positions on many of the core issues. So forcing the statehood demand into a multilateral forum can entice governments into satisfying the Palestinian aspirations by a fixed date.

European Support

Read the whole entry »

Hi folks,

This article reveals an important difference between the basic legal philosophies of Islam and the West.  In Islamic law, the ancient justice of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" is preserved.  While this tradition may be an advancement over what preceded it, it basically codifies and proportionalizes revenge, rather than justice as it has evolved in the West.  While this ancient justice may feel good and even appear "fair" in the short-term, it has some major problems:

·         For this form of justice to be carried out, the victim has to become as cruel as the criminal.  If the victim can't bring him- or herself to carry out this revenge-based justice (Islam offers forgiveness as an alternative, and in fact encourages it), then the criminal essentially pays no penalty.

·         This form of justice is very personal, and can lead to reprisals between individuals, families, clans, or tribes.  In fact, a powerless individual may be pressured to "forgive" the criminal out of fear of retaliation from the criminal or his or her family/clan/tribe.  Alternatively, when justice is controlled and carried out by the state independent of the will of the victim, the criminal is pitted against the state and can carry no grudge against the victim for criminal prosecution.  (By the way, this point reveals the flaw in the common practice of police to only prosecute criminals when victims complain -- If a victim can influence whether a criminal is prosecuted or not, then the victim may come under pressure to not report the crime, and may also suffer revenge by the criminal.)

·         This form of justice can permanently destroy the criminal, making rehabilitation impossible.  One of the hallmarks of Western justice is the focus on rehabilitating the criminal rather than simply making him or her suffer in the same way as the victim.  While rehabilitation obviously doesn't work all the time, it works frequently enough to make it worthwhile, so that a repentant criminal can one day return to becoming a productive member of society.

Dave

Blinded woman gets to put acid in attacker's eyes

Court's sentence stemming from 2004 attack to be carried out in Tehran

Alberto Estevez / EPA

An Iranian man found guilty of using acid to blind a woman who refused to marry him now will have the same done to him as punishment - and she'll be the one who carries out the sentence, her lawyer says.

READ MORE:

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.

The Foundation

"The same prudence which in private life would forbid our paying our own money for unexplained projects, forbids it in the dispensation of the public moneys." --Thomas Jefferson

Government & Politics

Is Boehner a Braveheart?

Every man cries. Not every man fights a budget battle.

"It's true that allowing America to default would be irresponsible," House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told the New York Economic Club this week. "But it would be more irresponsible to raise the debt ceiling without simultaneously taking dramatic steps to reduce spending and reform the budget process." Could it be that Boehner has drawn a line in the sand over increasing the debt limit and that Republicans will rally to the cause? Yeah, it'd be nice, but we're not betting on it.

The speaker certainly appeared to be serious. "To increase the debt limit without simultaneously addressing the drivers of our debt ... would be monumentally arrogant and massively irresponsible," he warned. "It would send a signal to investors and entrepreneurs everywhere that America still is not serious about dealing with our spending addiction. It would erode confidence in our economy and reduce certainty for small businesses, and this would destroy even more American jobs."

He became more specific when he said, "Without significant spending cuts and reforms to reduce our debt, there will be no debt limit increase, and the cuts should be greater than the accompanying increase in debt authority the president is given. We should be talking about cuts of trillions, not just billions." To cut that much, reforming Medicare, Medicaid and even Social Security would be unavoidable. The last debt ceiling increase was $1.9 trillion, and the administration is asking for another $2 trillion increase to the current $14.294 trillion limit. The administration, of course, wants no conditions attached.

Some Republicans are proposing smaller, incremental increases if the administration or the Senate blocks such dramatic cuts (recall the bitter histrionics over that paltry $38 billion in budget "cuts" last month -- cuts that ultimately ended up being closer to $352 million). Numerous votes on the debt ceiling would probably cause heartburn for many Tea Party congressmen and in reality, such a plan won't work with the weak-kneed general Republican caucus. On the other hand, keeping the issue in front of voters should hurt Democrats even more. If Barack Obama chooses to stake his 2012 campaign on continuing the spending binge, he's welcome to it.

Obama will continue to push for tax increases -- or as he euphemistically put it, "spending reductions in the tax code." However, Boehner is having none of it: "If we're serious about balancing the budget and getting our economy back to creating jobs," he said, "tax hikes should be off the table." Should? As we've said before, our nation has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.

At present, there are outstanding plans on the table to fix the budget, including the Republican Study Committee Budget for FY 2012 and Heritage Foundation's comprehensive plan to restore prosperity.

Of course, all this comes on the heels of news this week that the Treasury Department auctioned $72 billion in new debt, which is enough to push the U.S. over the debt limit. According to the Treasury, accounting gimmicks will push back the deadline to Aug. 2, but something must be done. Soon.

This Week's 'Alpha Jackass' Award

"Let me just first of all say that workers ... for the federal, state and local governments are so important for our vital services, and it frustrates me sometimes when people talk about 'government jobs' as if somehow those are worth less than private sector jobs. I think there is nothing more important than working on behalf of the American people." --Barack Obama, who has never had a real job in his life

See the video and comment here.

 Judicial Benchmarks: ObamaCare Suit

The lawsuit to overturn ObamaCare hit a major obstacle this week in the form of the Fourth Circuit Court. A three-judge panel heard arguments in the case on Tuesday. The panel, according to the Court, is chosen by "a computer program designed to achieve total random selection." What luck -- all three judges are Democrat appointees. Obama nominees James A. Wynn Jr. and Andre M. Davis joined Clinton nominee Diana Gribbon Motz to hear the case, which is actually two suits; one was brought by Liberty University and the other by the state of Virginia. The lawsuit brought by 26 other states will be heard by the 11th Circuit Court in Atlanta on June 8.

So far, Democrat-appointed judges have declared ObamaCare perfectly constitutional -- by the standard of the living constitution, of course -- while Republican ones have struck down the law. It's painfully obvious to us that a law mandating that individuals purchase goods and services is unconstitutional. Yet to Democrats, the ends justify the means.

No matter what happens in these cases, the issue is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which earlier this year rejected the chance to take up the case before it went to the appeals courts. It's almost certain, too, that the final SCOTUS decision will be 5-4, one way or the other. In a nation that valued Rule of Law, the case -- if it had to be brought at all -- would be decided 9-0 in favor of individual liberty.

The 2012 GOP Field

Speaking of ObamaCare, Mitt Romney wrote an op-ed and made a speech this week defending Massachusetts' health care law that he signed in 2006. RomneyCare was the template for ObamaCare, both hinging on the individual mandate to buy insurance. Romney, who is running for president again, claims, "If I am elected president, I will issue on my first day in office an executive order paving the way for waivers from ObamaCare for all 50 states. Subsequently, I will call on Congress to fully repeal ObamaCare." Yet he is unapologetic when it comes to the failed experiment in his own state.

The Wall Street Journal slammed Romney this week for the results of Massachusetts health care law. On the subject, Romney displays a "troubling failure of political understanding and principle" and he "still doesn't seem to understand how government works." In fact, the Journal concludes, "If he does not change his message, he might as well try to knock off Joe Biden and get on the Obama ticket." Ouch.

Meanwhile, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich announced his candidacy this week. The Associated Press offered this analysis: "Gingrich's past a plus, a minus." Keen sense of the obvious.

His last time out he was the architect of a the biggest Republican victory in decades -- the GOP took the House in 1994 for the first time in 40 years. Yet in four short years, he was pushed out amidst ethics complaints and a second bout of marital infidelity. Then there's that 2008 ad he did with Nancy Pelosi, declaring that "our country must take action to address climate change." No doubt his rivals in the GOP primary will thank him for that one.

One rival will be Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), who announced officially this morning his intention to seek the White House for the third time. Paul, who first ran as a Libertarian in 1988 and again as a Republican in 2008, said, "Time has come around to the point where the people are agreeing with much of what I've been saying for 30 years. So, I think the time is right."

Ensign Out, Heller In

Former Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) left the Senate under less-than-ideal circumstances. In June 2009, he publicly confessed to an affair with his political treasurer Cynthia Hampton, who was married to Doug Hampton, Ensign's administrative assistant. Ensign's wife and Mr. Hampton had discovered the affair in 2008. Until earlier this year, Ensign remained defiant, refusing to step down from the Senate. Even when he did finally consent to leaving, it was first to announce that he wouldn't seek re-election in 2012.

Finally bowing to reality and announcing his resignation, Ensign remained defiant: "While I stand behind my firm belief that I have not violated any law, rule, or standard of conduct of the Senate, and I have fought to prove this publicly, I will not continue to subject my family, my constituents, or the Senate to any further rounds of investigation, depositions, drawn out proceedings, or especially public hearings," Ensign said. "For my family and me, this continued personal cost is simply too great." In other words, he really didn't do anything wrong, he's just a poor, persecuted soul.

On the contrary, the Senate Ethics Committee released a report today saying that Ensign broke federal laws and violated Senate rules while covering up his affair. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, John.

On Monday, Republican Dean Heller was sworn in to replace Ensign. Heller, who was serving his third term in the House, was appointed by Nevada Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval. According to the American Conservative Union's ratings, Heller has a lifetime conservative rating of 89 to Ensign's 94.

National Security

Warfront With Jihadistan: Bits of bin Laden

Most up-on-the-news types like our readers have been inundated with report after report on Osama bin Laden (OBL), so to help cull the wheat from the chaff we here offer a few of the most relevant OBL-related bullets gleaned from recent newsblather.

First is a renewed call to end the "investigation" (read: witch hunt) of CIA interrogators alleged to have used so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques," such as water-boarding. These are the same interrogators without whom OBL likely never would have been brought to justice. Most Americans have connected those dots, even as the White House now bristles with claims that "no single bit of information was a deciding factor." Well, no, of course not, but without information gleaned from those interrogations -- especially of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -- we know that none of the other information would have mattered. End the witch hunt. End it now.

Second is the absurd news that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, is investigating whether OBL's "rights" were violated. Her take: under international law, counterterrorism activity cannot be used to "commit extra-judicial killings," and this requirement is met -- in her mind, at least -- if America indeed adhered to its "stated ... intention ... to arrest bin Laden if they could." Setting aside the fact that the UN "Human Rights" Council is a laughable collection of human rights violators, we will deal with the issue head-on. The U.S. looks neither to the Human Rights Council particularly nor to the UN generally to get a "read" on what constitutes international law. In addition, Ms. Pillay is not just "wrong," but fraudulently so. She should know that under international law, OBL was a combatant and thus targetable -- period. Finally, if Ms. Pillay showed half the concern for the "rights" of the 3,000 Americans murdered on 9/11 as she does for their murderer, we might be more willing to listen.

Next, with the OBL affair apparently "wrapped up," U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is again trotting out his over-tired clarion to close the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. We wish him much un-success in his crusade, as without "Gitmo" the U.S. would be hard-pressed to treat unlawful combatants as, well, unlawful combatants. We're still at a loss to comprehend how such vermin deserve any protections under either the Geneva Convention or any other law-of-armed-conflict determined under international law -- let alone constitutional protections enjoyed by U.S. citizens -- but no doubt AG Holder has these answers. Meanwhile, until it's closed, the Pentagon is considering allowing detainees to receive visits from family members.

Finally, there's news from our "ally," Pakistan, whose essentially rogue intelligence arm, the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI), tipped the Pakistani news media to the identity of the CIA station chief in Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani condemned the U.S. for violating Pakistan's sovereignty. We'd like to ask PM Gilani what he thinks about the intrusion on our sovereignty committed by OBL on 9/11, and whether that justified his nation's harboring of the leader of that assault. Amazingly, Team Chosen responded appropriately. White House spokesman Jay Carney, while recognizing PM Gilani's concerns, stated bluntly (thankfully) but narcissistically, "We also do not apologize for the action that we took, that this president took."

This Week's 'Braying Jackass' Award

"It was a reminder of a simple idea, as old as America itself. E pluribus unum. Out of many, one. We define ourselves as a nation of immigrants." --Barack Obama in a speech about immigration reform

Memo to Barack: E pluribus unum does not refer to immigration.

This is the same president who also mocked Republicans' insistence on border security. "All the stuff they asked for, we've done," Obama said. "Even though we've answered these concerns, I've got to say I suspect there are still going to be some who are trying to move the goal posts on us one more time. You know, they said we needed to triple the Border Patrol. Or now they're going to say we need to quadruple the Border Patrol. Or they'll want a higher fence. Maybe they'll need a moat. Maybe they want alligators in the moat. They'll never be satisfied."

Of course, only about 5 percent of the border fence is even finished, much less "higher." The only thing Obama has done to reduce illegal immigration is to create high unemployment.

Department of Military Correctness: Navy Backtracks on Weddings

"Under pressure from more than five dozen House lawmakers, the Navy late Tuesday abruptly reversed its decision that would have allowed chaplains to perform same-sex unions if the Pentagon decides to recognize openly gay military service later this year," reports the Associated Press. Rear Adm. Mark Tidd, chief of Navy chaplains, had previously decided to allow chaplains to perform same-sex marriages, but this earlier decision has been "suspended until further notice pending additional legal and policy review and interdepartmental coordination." The Navy's lawyers are working to review the legal implications of such ceremonies on military bases. The members of Congress who wrote to the Defense Department, meanwhile, also requested that the government enforce the Defense of Marriage Act, even though the Obama administration has dropped its legal defense of the law.

Government Texting

Coming soon to a cell phone near you ... Big Brother, and with plenty of personal Obama messages thrown in for free! After all, no one can get enough of Obama (just ask him). This week, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the city is implementing a new system that uses people's cell phones to inform them of missing-child alerts, city emergencies, terror warnings and "other messages." Called the Personal Localized Alert Network, or PLAN, the system would allow presidential messages, Amber Alerts, and local emergency messages to automatically appear on cell phones equipped with "special" chips and software. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also said the system could warn of terror threats and natural disasters. In general, this is probably not a bad idea, provided one can opt in. This particular proposal, however, would allow the citizenry to opt out of all but "presidential messages."

What constitutes a presidential message? According to FEMA, it's a message issued by the president that contains an "alert involving imminent threats to safety of life." That's a pretty broad definition. So if Obama finds himself down in the polls, he could attempt to burnish his commander-in-chief credentials by announcing, just prior to Election Day, that our nation has received information about a non-specific terrorist threat. "Prez sayz: Evrythings cool. Just be ready 2 run 4 ur lives. LOL Vote 4 me!" Hypothetically, of course.

Perhaps worst of all, the Warning Alert and Response Network Act, passed in 2006, mandates that participating cell carriers must provide new cell phone models that include the PLAN chip and that the phones' default setting is to accept all of the messages, requiring the user to turn them off manually. Once again, in the name of "doing something good," personal liberty is eroded. Instead, we might suggest a Do Not Govern List, modeled after the successful Do Not Call List, which would allow American Patriots to decline federal government meddling in every aspect of their lives.

Business & Economy

Income Redistribution: Fannie Mae Back to the Well

We told you it isn't over. Fannie Mae is asking for another bailout of $8.5 billion. The firm continues to lose money despite the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) and the economic recovery that the administration keeps telling us is on the way. Since the third quarter of 2008, Fannie Mae has received nearly $100 billion (including this request) from the taxpayers.

Conservatives were raising concerns about the standards and evolving business practices of Fannie Mae a decade ago. They asked why basic underwriting standards that had worked for 50 years were being discontinued. Yet they were shouted down by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and former Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT), who, as chairmen of their chambers' respective banking and finance committees, lamented that merely asking such a question was tantamount to causing a financial crisis.

Now, with the clarity of 20/20 hindsight, it's obvious that the concerns about the long-term stability of Fannie Mae and her sibling Freddie Mac were well founded but ultimately ignored as inconvenient by the Beltway establishment. The relaxation of lending standards was essentially affirmative action for home ownership with the money given to "borrowers with impaired or limited credit histories." A junior-grade credit analyst could tell Congress that lending money to those with no demonstrated ability to repay is negligent, bordering on criminal. Yet given that Congress sees no need to demonstrate an ability to repay its debts, is anybody really surprised? No, and Washington's answer is to throw more money at the problem.

Regulatory Commissars: Cuba as an Oil Exporter?

Because of its fortunate geographic position in the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico, Cuba is in the process of becoming an oil exporter. Chinese-built oil rigs owned by an Italian company and operated by a Spanish concern will set up shop just outside the port city of Mariel. Brazilian funding ($2 billion of which was given to them by Obama) is reconstructing the port into a modern oil-shipping facility. The ocean floor surrounding Cuba could contain five billion barrels of oil, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Meanwhile, the United States continues to lock away the same resources under its waters with an ill-considered Obama moratorium of offshore drilling that, while officially lifted, continues de facto thanks to foot-dragging at the EPA. They're only approving offshore drilling permits at a minuscule fraction of the rate prior to the Deepwater Horizon accident in April 2010.

Seeing the international investment in Cuba could be an argument for ending the longtime embargo against the Castro regime, but it also underscores the importance of the oil industry on a global scale. Current policy needlessly keeps Americans out of the game and prevents us from taking advantage of the economic benefits.

Around the Nation: Grabbing for Florida's Rejected Funds

Florida's newly elected Republican Governor Rick Scott made headlines earlier this year when he refused $2 billion in federal funding for a proposed high-speed rail line between Orlando and Tampa, citing the long-term effects such "free" money would have on the state budget from operating subsidies.

Needless to say, federal largesse refused by one state doesn't mean that money won't be spent. Instead of going toward reducing a $1.4 trillion deficit, much of the money will be spent in squeezing another 25 miles per hour from existing trains running in the travel corridor between Boston and Washington. That upgrade from 135 miles per hour to a new speed of 160 miles per hour -- only in certain areas -- will cost taxpayers a cool $795 million; all to save a half-hour on a trip between those two cities for the few big shots who use the train.

Much of the rest of the cash will be spent in establishing a 110 mile per hour line between Detroit and Chicago and a 220-mph route from San Francisco and Los Angeles. All told, Amtrak will receive 21 of the 22 grants given out from the money Florida refused. Seeing no clamor for high-speed rail in America, the Obama administration is giving these boondoggles to us anyway. But at least Joe Biden will have a quicker commute to and from the office.

Subject: English First asks that you email your U.S. Senators asking them to become a co-sponsors of S.503

            Thanks to you, our efforts to unite all Americans with our common language, English, are moving forward.  With your continued help, we will achieve victory.

            For the past couple of months, we have been building momentum for H.R.997, the English Language Unity Act, sponsored by Steve King (R-IA).  And thanks to your efforts, we are adding cosponsors and putting pressure on various subcommittees to hold hearings on that bill.

            Now, our strategy calls for building support for an identical bill in the Senate, S.503, sponsored by Senator James Inhofe (R-OK).   When I say identical, I mean the exact same name and the exact same language - and there's a very important reason why:

Identical bills, when passed, become law immediately.  They do not have to go through the lengthy and dangerous process called reconciliation.  Under reconciliation, bills that are similar but not identical are sent to a Conference Committee where their differences are worked out. 

            But these conferences do a lot more harm than just delaying passage of good bills; these committees have the power to change dramatically the purposes of a bill by changing the language or adding provisions that run counter to the original intent of the legislation.

            That's why, Congressman King and Senator Inhofe made certain that their bills could not be tampered with so when H.R.997 and S.503 are passed, they will do exactly what their authors had envisioned.  These bills will -

** make English the official language of the United States;

** require that official functions of the United States be conducted in English;

 ** ensure all naturalization ceremonies are conducted in English;

** establish a uniform English language rule for naturalization;

** make English language requirements and workplace policies consistent

     throughout public and private sectors.

** direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish uniform testing of English language

     ability of candidates for naturalization - all citizens must be able to read and understand, in

     English the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the laws of the United States!

            The bottom line here is that these are terrific bills and deserve our support.  The English Language Unity Act will do exactly as its name states - it will unite all Americans through our wonderful common language, English.

            To accomplish these very worthy goals, I need you to help me gather support in the Senate for S.503.  Like its counterpart in the House, S.503 needs cosponsors to demonstrate to the Senate that it has enough support to be marked up by committees; debated; and then delivered to the Senate floor for a recorded vote.

            That is why I need you to click here to send an email message to your U.S. Senators asking them to become co-sponsors of S. 503 and to work for its final passage.

            If possible,please click here to contribute so that English First can begin to meet with every Senate office, explaining the critical importance of making English our common language so they will lend their support to S.503.

            It has taken us a very long time to reach this point.  We need your help to keep the pressure on the Senate to do the right thing. 
Thank you again for your continued support for our work.

Sincerely,
Frank McGlynn
Executive Director

English First
8001 Forbes Place
Springfield, VA22151
United States

Georgia governor signs controversial anti-illegal immigration law

From Gustavo Valdes, CNN

May 13, 2011

READ MORE: 

With Kohl's seat in play, the chances of a GOP takeover of the Senate in 2012 have gotten better. The GOP was already favored in North Dakota, and Nebraska, with 50-50 shots for pickups in Virginia, Missouri, and Wisconsin, and a decent shot in Florida, Ohio and New Mexico. In Florida and Ohio, Jewish Republican candidates- Adam Hasner, and Josh Mandel,  are already in the race, or may soon be. The Democrats have fewer pickup opportunities-Nevada and Massachusetts the best, but neither is better than 50-50 for them, and Scott Brown is favored. Of course, GOP primary voters could reject  incumbents Olympia Snowe in Maine, and Richard Lugar in Indiana, all but certain general election winners, and replace them with candidates who will likely  fare as well as Christine Odonnell, Sharron Angle and Ken Buck did in 2010 (3 pickup opportunities blown).   I had an article in Pajamas Media yesterday on  Obama's Osama poll bounce.  The bounce seems to have been short lived.   Obama's approval rating hit  52% in Gallup,and 51% in Rasmussen after the Bin Laden killing. These are  the only two pollsters in the market every day, and they now show that Obama's approval score has fallen back to 48%, where it was before the raid. 

The Death of Bin Laden and Obama's Re-Election Prospects

What effect will the killing of Osama bin Laden have on the 2012 presidential election?

May 14, 2011 by Rich Baehr

  

We are a bit less than 18 months out  from the 2012 presidential election, and the GOP field has no front-runner. A few of the GOP's announced contenders or possible candidates have national name recognition (Romney, Gingrich, Trump, Huckabee, Palin, Paul), but others (Pawlenty, Daniels, Cain, Bachmann, Santorum) do not. As a result, the best indicator of how the president is doing in his re-election bid is to look at his approval ratings  and how he fares against a generic (unnamed) Republican opponent.

The Obama campaign, aiming to raise a billion dollars or more, has gotten off to a fast start, with a national fundraising swing to attract contributions  from wealthy Democrats in New York, California, Illinois, and Texas, among other states.

 

Then on May 1 came the announcement of the killing of Osama bin Laden.

READ MORE:

Shocking Excerpts Read at Tucson School Board Meeting From A Book In The Ethic Studies Curriculum

There is some vulgar language in it, but it is directly from books issued to 3rd thru 12th graders in that school system.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Sunday that he strongly supports a federal mandate requiring citizens to buy health insurance - a position that has been rejected by many Republicans, including several who likely will be running against him for the Republican presidential nomination.

Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," Gingrich told host David Gregory that he continues to advocate for a plan he first called for in the early 1990s as a Congressman, which requires every uninsured citizen to purchase or acquire health insurance.

Read more on Newsmax.com: Gingrich Backs Obamacare's Individual Mandate Requiring Health Insurance  

Gingrich Slams Ryan Plan as 'Right Wing Social Engineering'

NewsMax | By Tim Collie | Sunday, 15 May 2011

Surprising many conservatives, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich stirred a lively debate Sunday by slamming Rep. Paul Ryan's plan to reform Medicare on NBC's "Meet the Press."

In what one popular conservative website described as Gingrich "tacking left," the now-declared presidential candidate dismissed a plan popular among many conservatives as "radical change" that he suggested was dangerous for Republicans to embrace heading into an election year.

   Read more on Newsmax.com 

Prosperity Alert: May 2011

New Hampshire Presidential Summit

On April 29th, AFP Foundation New Hampshire hosted its Presidential Summit on Spending and Job Creation. Speakers included Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, businessman Herman Cain, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum.

Click here to watch the full video of the Summit!

Click here to see ABC News's coverage of the event.

National RightOnline Conference - June 17-18

National RightOnline Conference - June 17-18
We are pleased to announce that Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn will be joining an already stellar lineup of speakers at the fourth annual RightOnline conference on June 17-18! Other speakers will include best-selling author and syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin, conservative commentator and author Andrew Breitbart, the Wall Street Journal's John Fund, RedState.com's Erick Erickson, Fox News Contributor Mary Katharine Ham, Townhall.com's Guy Benson, HotAir.com's Ed Morrissey, Daily Caller contributor S.E. Cupp, and more!

Register by Wednesday, May 18th, and bring a friend for free! Simply click here to visit the registration page, and select the "2-for-1 Deal" registration option.

Click here for more information on RightOnline.

Take Action

Tell Congress to Cut Spending Now!
This year, the federal budget will run more than $1.5 trillion in deficit, and more than 40% of every dollar we spend is borrowed. Runaway spending is at the core of this problem. More than 70% of the federal budget is mandatory spending on entitlement programs and interest payments on the national debt. These programs must be reformed in order for the country to regain its fiscal footing. Click here to tell Congress to Cut Spending Now!

Check out ObamaChart.com, and help stop Obama's Democracy Denied Agenda!
AFP's Obama Chart shows how it has become standard procedure in the Obama administration not to take no for an answer. When Obama's radical agenda is rejected by Congress and the American people, he goes around the democratic process to do what he wants anyway. Click here to view the chart!

Sign up to receive additional policy updates from AFP!
Like what AFP is doing? Can't get enough legislative information and in-depth policy analysis? Sign up to receive additional updates from AFP on specific policy issues and pieces of legislation. Click here to sign up now!

Activist of the Month - Kate Jaudes

Kate Jaudes is a retired Real Estate agent who now devotes most of her free time for cause of freedom and prosperity. Kate has been involved with AFP-Oregon since March of 2009 after attending a meeting at a Pancake House hosted by AFP-OR Director Jeff Kropf. She immediately jumped into working with AFP, becoming a volunteer communications coordinator for the Polk and Marion counties chapter.

Kate's proudest moment with AFP was the defeat of a prosperity-killing "cell phone tax" in the town of Kaiser. Kate organized and led the effort to defeat the measure. She and a few volunteers collected 4,000 signatures in 30 days, using detailed neighborhood maps and lists that Kate spent days preparing. The effort caused the Kaiser City Council to table the unpopular measure.

Thank you Kate, for all you do, and congratulations on being named AFP's Activist of the Month.

AFP Upcoming Events and Local Highlights

Local Highlights:

AFP California's Limousine Tour confronts Governor Brown about the over-the-top government employee pensions that threaten to bankrupt the state.

Sarah Palin speaks at the AFP-Wisconsin Tax Day Tea Party in the aftermath of the budgetary battle.

AFP-Ohio hosts over 300 activists at its Stop the Spending Town Hall in Marietta.

AFP Virginia hosted a Hands Off My Heath Care Rally on Tuesday, May 10th, outside of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals where they heard the case against ObamaCare.

AFP Oklahoma continues to make their voices heard throughout the state on tax day!

AFP-New Jersey continues to oppose the RGGI Cap-and-Trade scheme and hosts a press conference to support its full repeal.

AFP Pennsylvania hosted a rally on Wednesday, May 11th to kick off their "My Voice, My Choice" legislative agenda.

Like what Americans for Prosperity is doing? Invest in our work by clicking here. We're supported by citizen-activists nationwide. Your contribution in any amount will go a long way in promoting free-market policies at all levels of government - local, state and federal. Thanks!

Tea Party News
Friday, May 13th

Ron Paul: 'The time is right'for presidential run.         Ron Paul said he's running for president "because time has come around to the point where the people are agreeing with much of what I've been saying for 30 years - so I think the time is right,"         Paul's 2012 campaign has picked up right where he left off in 2008 - generating major online buzz, successfully rallying his dedicated, libertarian-minded following, and raising big grassroots money via his patented "money bombs." He hauled in more than $1 million online last week during a 24-hour period leading up to the first presidential debate.         And unlike last time, when Paul was relegated to fringe media coverage for much of the race, he's now attracting widespread attention. With Paul receiving some credit for kick-starting the tea party movement - sometimes called its "godfather" - and keeping up his longtime push to audit the Federal Reserve, it would seem that the decades he's spent beating the libertarian drum have reached an apex. [Politico, May 13]      Click here for the full story House passes offshore drilling bill.         The House passed a bill that would open more offshore areas on the U.S. continental shelf to oil and natural gas exploration that will cut foreign dependence by one-third. Without this bill domestic oil and gas production could slow to a trickle because of anti-energy actions by U.S. President Barack Obama.         "This action will help lower prices by signaling to the world markets that America is serious about producing more energy." The bill targets areas in the United States that the sponsors say hold as much as 2.5 billion barrels of oil or 7.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.         The bill says at least half of the fields in the U.S. continental shelf must become available for exploration. Under the plan, the bill's sponsors said domestic energy production would triple, diminishing the reliance on foreign energy reserves.         The measure passed on a vote of 243-to-179 largely along party lines. [UPI, May 13]      Click here for the full story Saturday Night Live Spoofs the GOP presidential candidates         Appearing on Saturday Night Live, Tina Fey reprised her role as Sarah Palin for an RNC debate with the potential candidates that did not attend Fox News' actual debate last week.         Also making an appearance were other potential Republican candidates who have not officially announced. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was played by Jason Sudeikis and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was played by Bobby Moynihan.         Darrell Hammond returned to SNL to play Donald Trump.         Watch this video NBC's Saturday Night Live, broadcast May 7, 2011. [Rawstory, May 10]      Click here for the full story   Tea Party Readers say Herman Cain most represents tea party principles. On the second day of our poll, Herman Cain has 29% of the votes; Michele Bachmann has 14%; Sarah Palin has 12% and Ron Paul has 10%.          Click here to see full results and to vote.          You can vote once a day.

 

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

 Illegal Immigration Harms American Workers.

FAIR Field Team Busy in the States -- FAIR's field team has been working closely at the local level with activists and state representatives to push for E-Verify and other immigration enforcement bills. Read more.

FAIR Media Update

FAIR Media On the Airwaves Following President Speech -- Congratulations to FAIR's Media team which handled nearly 30 radio interviews in the aftermath of the President's immigration speech in El Paso, Texas, on May 10th. Read more.

Secure Communities Showdown Begins -- With Illinois now refusing to participate, the Obama administration faces the dilemma of suing a state for not complying with federal immigration laws even as they recently sued Arizona for trying to enforce those same laws. Read more.

Congressman Wants to Hit Sanctuary Cities Where it Hurts - The Wallet -- This week Congressman Lou Barletta (R-Pa.) plans to introduce legislation that would impose financial penalties on cities that refuse to enforce federal immigration laws. Read more. 

OBAMA'S PHONY OIL COMPANY TAX at DickMorris.com

http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/obamas-phony-oil-company-tax/

 

May 14, 2011

Waterboarding is Not Unconstitutional

By William A. Levinson 

READ MORE: 

 From Carlo Grilletto:

I recieved an e-mail from Dick Armey, asking me to contact:

 "House Speaker Sam Smith and House Majority Leader Mike Turzai need to feel a groundswell of grassroots support for SB 1 to help spur them to action".

Let Dick Armey keep his Liberal Social  Engineering out of PA.

Dick, you don't have a groundswell of support for SB1, because PA conservatives are smart and can see beyond your Hype.

Yes call Sam Smith and Mike Turazi and tell them that SB1, as it is currently written, is essentially a social outreach program for inner city poor and unacceptable to  Pennsylvanians.

We need a real School Voucher System that will help all Pennsylvanians, for both financial and academic improvement. NOT THE CURRENT SB1.

MIKE TURAZI

E-mail: mturzai@pahousegop.com

District Office
 Mailing Address: 125 Hillvue Lane, First Floor , Pittsburgh, PA, 15237
Town of McCandless
Telephone: (412) 369-2230 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (412) 369-2230      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
 Fax: (412) 369-2236

SAM SMITH

E-mail: shsmith@pahousegop.com

District Offices
 Punxsutawney Office: 
 109 Indiana Street, Suite 3
Punxsutawney, PA 15767
Telephone: (814) 938-4225 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (814) 938-4225      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Fax: (814) 938-1950 
 Hours: 8:30 to 4:00 (M-T-Th-F)             
           8:30 to Noon (Wed.)

 05/13/2011

The Truth Behind Oil Subsidies

It's easy to take shots at oil companies, especially when gas prices are rising over $4 per gallon. Playing the role of David against an enormous corporate Goliath is a great way to score political points, so it's no wonder that President Barack Obama and liberals in Congress have issued a clarion call for the end to oil subsidies as a way of wreaking revenge against those they say are responsible for the high cost of energy. 

Recent Entries 

Cal Thomas on Bob Woodson: Look Who's Winning the War on Poverty

Online Chat on Heritage's Budget Proposal

WikiLeaks: Delightful Irony, Rank Hypocrisy, or Both?

Obama's High-Speed Spending on Slow-Speed Rail

One Battle Does Not Win a War

QUICK HITS

Pakistan's Taliban killed 80 people in a suicide bombing at a Pakistani military training center. The group says it was the "first revenge" for killing Osama bin Laden.

House Republicans say an August 2 deadline to raise the federal debt ceiling is meaningless and that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who set the deadline, is exaggerating the danger.

A new report today on the financial health of Medicare and Social Security will show the impact of aging baby boomers and the slow economy on the programs.

The Obama Administration is considering whether to raise automobile fuel efficiency standards to 62 miles per gallon by 2025, a move that could cause sales to drop 25 percent and kill 220,000 manufacturing jobs.

The U.S. Post Office lost a whopping $2.2 billion last quarter. Can it be saved? Should it? Find out on Foundry.org.

Today's Headlines:  Friday, May 13, 2011

Alligators in the Moat? 'I'm Game', Says Congressman

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 Schumer: Immigration Reform Will Boost Wages and Working Conditions for All Americans

Two Democrats Say No to Making Federal Contractors Disclose Their Political Activity

'Oppressed' Iran Hosts International Peace Conference

Administration Embraces New Report on Arctic Melting, Sea-Level Rise

Boehner Dodges Question on Negotiability of Tax Increases and Spending Cuts

Sen. Rockefeller, Great-Grandson of Oil Tycoon, Berates Oil Company CEOs

Romney Insists State-Mandated Health Insurance Was Right for Massachusetts

Third Time Is 'Right Time,' Says Presidential Hopeful Ron Paul

Pakistani Taliban: Deadly Bombings Intended to Avenge Bin Laden's Death

Sen. Kohl, Wisconsin Democrat, Plans to Retire

COMMENTARY:

The Persecution of John Demjanjuk
 By Patrick J. Buchanan

'Common Nonsense'
 By L. Brent Bozell III

What Happened on AA Flight 1561
 By Michelle Malkin

Arab World Unsettled, So What Can Obama Say?
 By Rich Galen

NEWSPAPER ROUNDUP:

Obama isn't thinking much about 2012 race right now, spokesman says
Federal bailout looming for U.S. Postal Service?
Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever op-ed: 'Abandoned on the Border'
Doctors, gun groups clash over asking patients about firearms
Republicans kill bill blocking gun sales to those on terror watch list
Colorado Republicans push Obama on domestic oil production
At town hall, federal worker about to lose her job confronts Obama
Obama isn't thinking much about 2012 race right now, spokesman says
With suit against Boeing, labor board a top GOP target
Poll: George Allen, Time Kaine in near-tie for Virginia's U.S. Senate seat

Obama's Hypocritical Rhetoric on Immigration Reform

By Michael Barone · Monday, May 16, 2011

Barack Obama's immigration speech in El Paso May 10 was an exercise in electioneering and hypocrisy. Hypocrisy because while Obama complained about "politicians" blocking comprehensive immigration bills, he was one of them himself.

In 2007, when such a bill was backed by a lame duck Republican president and had bipartisan backing from Senate heavyweights Edward Kennedy and Jon Kyl, Sen. Obama voted for union-backed amendments that Kennedy and Kyl opposed as bill-killers.

   Read More . . . 

Obama's Anti-Business Stance

By George Will · Sunday, May 15, 2011

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. -- This summer, the huge Boeing assembly plant here will begin producing 787 Dreamliners -- up to three a month, priced at $185 million apiece. It will, unless the National Labor Relations Board, controlled by Democrats and encouraged by Barack Obama's reverberating silence, gets its way.

Last month -- 17 months after Boeing announced plans to build here, and with the $2 billion plant nearing completion -- the NLRB, collaborating with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, charged that Boeing's decision violated the rights of its unionized workers in Washington state, where some Dreamliners are assembled and still will be even after the plant here is operational. The NLRB has read a 76-year-old statute (the 1935 Wagner Act) perversely, disregarded almost half a century of NLRB and Supreme Court rulings, and patently misrepresented statements by Boeing officials.

   Read More . . . 

Disney Moves to Trademark 'SEAL Team 6' - Is This Right?

The Blaze | by Mike Opelka | Posted on May 15, 2011 

Just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you should. Or does it?

Mediabistro is reporting that Disney has applied for trademarks on SEAL Team 6.

The trademark applications came on May 3rd, two days after the operation that killed Bin Laden... and two days after "Seal Team 6" was included in thousands of news articles and TV programs focusing on the operation.

Disney's trademark applications for "Seal Team 6" cover clothing, footwear, headwear, toys, games and "entertainment and education services," among other things. 

May 13, 2011 

On Friday's Program 

CNN host admits he advises Obama

CNN's Fareed Zakaria revealed in an interview to fellow CNN host Eliot Spitzer that he frequently advises the President on foreign policy. A host doing a 'news' show while advising the President of the United States and not telling the audience seems like a credibility issue. But so does hiring a disgraced prostitute-loving-dirtbag to be a host...and no one seems to care. Get the story HERE.

IMF: Don't worry about Greece

Despite more indication Greece is on the brink of economic collapse, fresh riots and continued protests, the IMF is attempting to assure the globe everything is ok. The reason? They've got land! But who owns the land? Glenn has the answer on radio today. 

Obvy: Obama's job solution is to tell employers to just 'start hiring' already - STORY

New Semester of Beck University starts this Wednesday! The new semester will be an extension of the Rumors of War series. The first class is a comprehensive guide to the importance of Israel - get an exclusive sneak peek HERE. 

Information leaks worry SEAL Team 6 fearing for safety

SEAL Team 6 are the elite of the elite. Were they the ones that killed Osama? No one knows for sure. This administration is leaking information on who is responsible for killing UBL-- why is that a problem? Glenn explains the bizarre stream of information leaks on radio today. 

Report: Tiny cams caught every second of 40 min UBL raid - get the story at The Blaze.
 

Glenn's site for news and opinion now has an email newsletter! Stay up to date with breaking news, original reporting, insightful opinions, engaging videos and the stories the mainstream media just won't cover - sign up for The Blaze email newsletter now.

Preserving history: Michelle Obama has said she wants to rewrite history, and progressives are doing their best to do just that. The only way to combat that is to get educated - get started with Glenn as he shows the incredible rare historical pieces recently sent to him. Two special video messages - one on George Washington and the other on indoctrination. 

Own original artwork by Glenn! Glenn is auctioning off 6 paintings he worked on with Paula Hawkins - bid on the paintings HERE. Get more details on the paintings HERE. 

The worst political ad ever? WATCH.

Read Mercury's David Harsanyi latest blog: The Establishment's Purity Pop Quiz

Cartoon's of the Day: 

Sir Barack Bargains with the Dragon

OBAMA'S ENERGY FANTASY