Quote: 

"The way to have safe government is not to trust it all to the one, but to divide it among the many, distributing to everyone exactly the functions in which he is competent....To let the National Government be entrusted with the defense of the nation, and its foreign and federal relations.....  The State Governments with the Civil Rights, Laws, Police and administration of what concerns the State generally. The Counties with the local concerns, and each ward direct the interests within itself. It is by dividing and subdividing these Republics from the great national one down through all its subordinations until it ends in the administration of everyman's farm by himself, by placing under everyone what his own eye may superintend, that all will be done for the best."  ~ Thomas Jefferson

Obama will deploy troops to Africa

One hundred U.S. troops are being deployed to help combat the Lord's Resistance Army. | Reuters Close

By JOSH GERSTEIN & CHARLES HOSKINSON | 10/14/11

President Barack Obama informed Congress Friday that he's deploying a force of 100 U.S. combat troops to Africa to help local forces take out the leader of a militant group accused of atrocities and terrorizing civilians, the White House announced Friday.

 

The U.S. contingent will aid local forces fighting Joseph Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, Obama said in a letter to House and Senate leaders.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/65989.html#ixzz1amsaGHvA

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Have a beer with Schmidt at Schmitz!

Fundraiser to support Al Schmidt for City Commissioner

When: Thursday, October 20th

Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Where: Brauhaus Schmitz

718 South Street

Donation: $100

Includes authentic German food and beer (wine, soda)

Please make checks payable to: "Friends of Al Schmidt"

Checks can be mailed to: P.O. Box 18538, Philadelphia, PA 19129

Or contribute online at: www.SchmidtForPhilly.com

For More Information:

Call: 215-624-1930

E-mail: info@SchmidtforPhilly

I am reaching out to you in hopes of gaining your support.  I have taken the liberty of attaching a PDF recounting a compelling story which I contributed to with the team at the Chester County Hero Fund (501c3).

For the last year, I have been training for the Marine Corps Marathon, which I will run on October the 30th (just shy of my 68th--birthday) in D.C.

I'm running to raise money to build an accessible home for Jay Raffetto a wounded Marine.  Jay graduated from Conestoga H.S. with my daughter Jennifer in 2000.  I always gave him positive encouragement through his parents about the virtues of military service.  Jay became a medic with special operations (Force Recon, USMC) and unfortunately, last August he became a triple amputee-while on patrol in Afghanistan.

I'm asking for a donation to support his cause and I'm asking consideration for a Corporate Sponsorship as well---if possible.  I think this is a compelling cause.

Please see attached PDF with instructions on the bottom of the sheet.  

100% of your donation will go Jay and his wife Emily, Thanks in advance for your support of Jay, his family and our men and women in the Military.

Also please feel free to use this email and PDF to send to others you Feel might want to support this effort.

P.S. I know I can count on your help! 

Vr,

Sal

Richard (Sal) Salcido, M.D.

The William Erdman Professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Senior Fellow, Institute on Aging, Associate, Institute for Medical

Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania

AAMC Scholar in Residence for Diversity Policy and Research

Class of 2013, Penn GSE, Executive Doctorate in Higher Education

Management

U.S. Army, Medical Corps (Ret.)

Cellular (610).331.6898

Home (610)578.9019

See the flyer Here . . . 

 You Are Cordially Invited! 

Lafayette statue sketch, copyright 2011

To the 1^st Bucks County Patriotic Art Exhibition!

Friday, November 4, 2011

6:30-9:30 P.M.

The Historic Moland House

1641 Old York Road

Hartsville, Pennsylvania

Enjoy refreshments and live music, while

viewing Marra's Bucks County inspired works of art

Admission $5 per person

25% of art sales will be donated towards the Lafayette statue

Donations are accepted at the show and through the website lafayettestatue.blogspot.com

RSVP to Gregory Marra

610-294-8658

gwmarra@gmail.com

Welcome to Washington's Headquarters at the Moland House

1641 Old York Road, Hartsville, PA  18974

In the early evening of 10 August 1777, eleven thousand Continental and militia soldiers are marching up York Road towards the Cross Roads with Bristol Road [Hartsville, PA] on their way to Coryell's Ferry [New Hope, PA] to camp four miles across the Delaware River.  General George Washington receives a dispatch from John Hancock, President of the Second Continental Congress, placing the 260-vessel British fleet, hauling 17,000 troops under General William Howe, fifty miles south of the Delaware Capes [May & Henelopen] on 7 August. Unsure and wary of Howe's intentions, Washington immediately halts his force to encamp around the bridge over the Little Neshaminy Creek in Warwick Township, Bucks County.  Knowing the area and having ridden through only ten days earlier, he selects the substantial stone dwelling of Widow Moland as his Head Quarters on the farm north of the bridge.  

See & Download the Flyer Here . . . 

Patriots,

Attached is a suggested list of items for the troops.  We will also need Money for shipping & boxes - we have some boxes & I think flat rate is the way to go.  A form must be filled out w/ details about what is in each box & approx. value. 

PLEASE bring items to our next VFP meeting Nov. 11th at the Phoenixville Country Club. Lets show our troops we care !!! 

Here's a list of preferred items to donate.

CANDY

Candy (hard candy/heat resistant)
Gum
Throat Drops
Twizzlers

CORRESPONDENCE
Journals
Padded Envelopes
Pens/Pencils
Writing Paper and Envelopes

DRINK
Coffee (instant)
Coffee Creamer
Gatorade
Hot Cocoa
Kool-Aid bursts- to freeze
Powdered Drink Mixes
Tea Mixes (sweet)

ELECTRONIC
CD Fanny Packs
CDs (music, books on CD)
DVDs (comedy, American travel)
Hand held electronic games
MP3 Players
Tapes

FOOD (including dry goods, snacks)
Beef Jerky
Canned Food (cheese, meats, etc)
Canned Fruit (pop top cans)
Cereal (in small boxes)
Chips
Cookies (including Girl Scout)
Crackers
Energy Bars (Cliff or Balance)
Granola Bars
Oatmeal (instant)
Pistachios and other nuts
Pop-Tarts
Popcorn
Ramen Noodles/Cup of Soup
Ravioli (pop top cans)
Salsa & Bean Dip
Snack Mix & Fruit Roll ups
Sugar packets
Sunflower & Pumpkin seeds
Tuna Kits

GAMES
Board Games
Checkers (travel size)
Chess (travel size)
Crossword Puzzles
Drawing pads/art pencils
Playing Cards
Sudoku books

PRINTED MATERIALS
Books (novels, short stories, history)
Comic Strips/Joke Books
Magazines
Newspapers (local)
Post Cards from Home

SPORTING EQUIPMENT
Baseballs/Gloves/Bats
Dart Board
Footballs
Golf Balls
Hacky Sacks
Soccer Balls

TOILETRIES/HYGIENE
Baby/Wet Wipes
Callous Removers
Dental Floss
Deodorant (gel or solid)
Eye Drops
Eyeglass Wipes
Facial Scrub
Femine Hygiene Products (for female soldiers)
Foot Powder
Hairbrushes
Hand Sanitizers (waterless)
Lip Balm with SPF 15+
Lotion (hand/body/face)
Mouthwash
Nail Clippers
Nose spray
Powder (Gold Bond)
Q-Tips
Razors (disposable)
Shampoo/Conditioner
Shower Shoes
Sunscreen
Tissues (heavy duty - i.e. Puffs)
Toilet Paper (name brand)
Toothpaste/Toothbrushes
Travel size body wash
Tweezers
Tylenol/Motrin (individual packets)

OTHER
American Flags (small)
Baggies (with zip lock)
Batteries (AAA, AA, C, D, 9V)
BBQ cooking supplies/tools
Boot laces (brown/tan)
Bowls (large for Ramen noodles/popcorn)
Bug Spray (must be packaged in zip-lock bag)
Cameras (digital, disposable, Polaroid)
Camping Items/Equipment
Chair (folding camping chair)
Duct Tape (olive green)
Dust pan (for sand)
Fans (battery powered - small - with extra batteries)
Flashlights (mini/mag lite, extra bulbs, lots of batteries)
Fly Strips & Swatters
Fly/Ant/Mouse Traps
Foot Massager
Gloves (Nomex Aviator's)
Hand and Foot Warmers
Hometown stuff
Instant Ice-Packs
Letters from veterans & citizens
Neck Scarf/Gator
Patch Kit
Phone Cards (pre-paid, AAFES)
Photo Albums
Pinch Lights
Plastic spoons
Shoe Insole Cushions
Socks (cushioned white calf high)
Socks (moisture-wicking boot socks)
Spray Bottle (for water)
  

Nullify Now! Philadelphia

If you see a story that you believe would be useful and important to our readers, simply respond to this email with a link and a brief description of why it is important.  (Even if it may be obvious)

LISTEN LIVE TO REPATRIOT RADIO

"BETTER THAN EVER"

(all times are eastern)

Monday 3-4pm "Bordering on Insanity" - Rabbi Nachum Shifren and Garry Miller

Tuesday 5-6pm "LaRossa & Gallagher" - N.J.State Senator Richard LaRossa and Art Gallagher

Wednesday 3-4pm "Patriots Watch" - Billy Baer and Dan Haggerty

Thursday 3-4pm "America's Black Shield" - Ted Hayes and Terrance Lang

Friday 10-11pm "Veterans' Weekly Forum" - Ed Rosen and Bob Rosebrock

Dear Patriot,

Please join Americans for Prosperity Foundation and thousands of grassroots activists for the 5th annual Defending the American Dream Summiton Friday and Saturday, November 4-5 at the Washington Convention Center in downtown Washington, DC.

Last year, more than 2,600 of our best activists descended on Washington for the Summit to demonstrate to elected officials, government bureaucrats, and the national media that the grassroots movement is alive and well.  We focused on reining in out-of-control spending and taxation, advancing sound free market public policy, and in a very real way, defending the American Dream.

Special bus packages are running from PA and for only this week you can register for an additional $70 off those all-inclusive bus packages. Sign up now to take advantage of this great opportunity! Use the code "Bus70" when registering.

Bus packages from PA include round trip transportation and hotel accommodations on top of all the other benefits of the Defending the American Dream Summit.

Summit Highlights Include:

• Friday Gala Dinner
• General Session with Keynote Speakers
• Continental Breakfast on Saturday morning
• Special Interactive Sessions for Teens & College Students
• Movie Night featuring Entertaining Films By Liberty Loving Filmmakers
• Seminars for Youth On Why Freedom Matters and How they Can Make a Difference
• Bloggers Row
• Free-Market Job Fair
• State-Specific Strategy Meetings
• Network With Leading Activists From Across The Country

 ... and much more!

Don't forget, receive $70 off a bus package until midnight on August 14th! Click here to register today and help defend the American dream! Use the code "Bus70" when registering.

Defending liberty and promoting prosperity is a family affair.  Give your children the gift of freedom and bring the whole family to the Defending the American Dream Summit this year.  In fact, we're offering a discount for families and small groups! Click here for more information about our special packages.

Join us and thousands of fellow freedom fighters and send a message that the American Dream is alive and well in this great country!

Sincerely,

Tim Phillips
President
Americans for Prosperity Foundation 

The Doctrine of Abrogation: Open the Koran Day

It's time to sign up!

 

 Earlier this year we announced a major event for this fall, "The Doctrine of Abrogation: Open the Koran Day."

We have scheduled this event for the weekend of October 28 - 30, 2011, which is close to the two year anniversary of the Ft. Hood jihadist massacre perpetrated by Major Nidal Hasan (pictured at right).

If you would like to learn more about this national event, or would like to host a local venue, please click here.

Please read the description of the event and the sign-up instructions carefully, and then access the sign-up form at the bottom of the page.

Also, if you would like to study the Koran, we have a resource to recommend. The Qur'an Dilemma is an accurate, readable English translation that contains commentaries and analysis, including commentaries on the doctrine of abrogation, the history of the codification of the Koran, chronological sequence of the Koran, and the status of women in the Koran. To find out more visit here.
 

 2012 Presidential Candidate Selector
or Obama, His Allies & Critics Matching Quiz

Politicians have already indicated their 2012 presidential aspirations. This matching quiz includes President Obama, top members of his administration, Obama's most vocal critics (Boehner, Cantor, etc.) and likely White House prospects (Palin, Pawlenty, Jindal, etc.). You may select a position for every issue, or just select issues important to you. The political figures' positions are based upon their voting records, special interest group ratings and their statements in the public record. In cases where there is no known public record or statement, these politicos are not given a score on that issue. We add candidates, revise their views and include new issues as they become known or change. Check back often for updates.   

 Read more: 

RedState Morning Briefing

For October 17, 2011

1. What the GOP Must Do: Finding Common Ground With the Occupiers

A friend of mine chastised me the other day. He said I was being too hostile toward the occupiers on Wall Street and elsewhere. He conceded that many of them are the ragtag group of hippies, hipsters, and communists I've said they were. But he also said that around the country there are also a lot of angry, unemployed people who just think the deck is stacked against them. They don't want to punish the top 1%. They don't want "free" anything. These people, he said, are reachable. And they are open to listen to anyone who is willing to take on Wall Street. We shouldn't let unwashed hippies be the only people they hear speaking to their concerns.

This touches on something I've written about before and think the time is right for a Republican candidate to take up the cause of populism against Wall Street.

Most of the common ground with most of these damn dirty communists is superficial. But let's presume there are some people out there who are reachable. We on the right should not be as dismissive of what is happening in this movement the way the left, to their determine, wholly dismissed the tea party movement. There is, in fact, some shared ground even beyond the superficial ground I've already covered.

What's the message?

First of all, the message is not punishment and retribution for success.

2. The President Is Not Going to Africa To Kill Christians

It is ridiculous that I'm even having to write about this, but I am.

In the past 72 hours, I have gotten lots of emails from lots of people who should know better asking me if I've heard about Barack Obama sending American troops to Africa to go after the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The people hearing the name assume it is a Christian group fighting radical Islamists in the Sudan or some such.

It is no such thing.

3. RedState Endorses Tom Cotton for Congress

RedState is proud to issue its first Congressional endorsement for 2012: RedState supports Tom Cotton for Congress in Arkansas' Fourth Congressional District.

Tom Cotton has perhaps the most compelling story of any new Congressional candidate this election season. This profile in the Weekly Standard lays it out in detail and is well worth the read. By way of summary, Cotton grew up in Southwest Arkansas, went to Harvard undergrad and Harvard Law, and was headed for a lucrative career as a high-profile attorney. However, along the way, 9/11 happened. Cotton decided that he needed to serve his country, so after completing his judicial clerkship and paying off his student loans, Cotton enlisted in the military. Cotton was offered a commission as a Captain in the Army JAG corps, but refused this position because he wanted to enlist in the infantry. He served combat tours as an Army Ranger in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What sort of person leaves a cushy job with a huge salary for the privilege of being shot at by terrorists? The sort of person we need more of in the United States Congress.

Heritage Hotsheet

Experts on the Day's Hottest News

Items for October 15, 2011

Joke time:

A biker is riding by the zoo, when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion's cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her before the eyes of her screaming parents.

The biker jumps off his bike, runs to the cage, and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch. Whimpering from the pain, the lion jumps back, letting go of the girl, and the biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly.

A New York Times reporter has witnessed the whole scene, and addressing the biker, says, "Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I saw a man do in my whole life."

"Why, it was nothing, really, the lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger, and acted as I felt right."

"Well, I'll make sure this won't go unnoticed. I'm a journalist from the New York Times, you know, and tomorrow's paper will have this on the front page. What motorcycle do you ride and what political affiliation do you have?"

"A Harley Davidson, and I am a Republican."

The journalist leaves.

The following morning the biker buys the New York Times and reads, on the front page:

*REPUBLICAN BIKER GANG MEMBER ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH* 

Express profound bafflement over a liberal's positions on abortion and capital punishment.

"So let me get this right: you're in favor of saving the lives of convicted murderers and terrorists? But you're in favor of killing kids who haven't gotten around to doing anything wrong yet and who might turn out nice? Interesting!" 

Explode another liberal myth:

Mock the notion that Saladin was any less cruel or more civilized than his Christian opponents. Recall how he treated Crusaders captured at Hattin on July 4, 1187,when Saladin ordered that they should all be beheaded-in accordance with the Koran-and watched, "his face joyful," while his followers slaughtered the infidels. 

VIDEOS * TODAY'S HOT PICKS 

1. Justice Department Sets up Hotline for Foes of Alabama's Immigration Law  2. Global Warming Book for Seventh-Graders  3. VIDEO: How Did Obama Know About 'Fast And Furious' Before Holder?
4. VIDEO: Chilling Footage: Iran Hosts Military Parade Showcasing Missiles, Shrouded Soldiers
5. AUDIO: Dennis Miller's Go to Muslim Dr. Zuhdi Jasser
6. A Tale of Two Protests: Media Cheer Wall Street Occupiers But Jeered Tea Partiers  7. Christian girl, 12, kidnapped, beaten and raped for eight months until she converted to Islam
8. VIDEO: 16 Year Old Atheist Student Fights Over A Prayer Mural That She Wants Removed From Her School.  9. VIDEO: Hate at Occupy Wall Street Protests: Have Featured A Disturbing Level Of Anti-Semitic and Anti-Israel Rhetoric.
10. VIDEO: Rep. Issa: Attorney Eric Holder 'Dodging At Best'
11. VIDEO: Obama to Fox News' Ed Henry: 'I Didn't Know You Were Spokesperson for Mitt Romney' 

Quds Force in Our Own Backyard

W. Thomas Smith, Jr. 

A Marxist Takeover of D.C.'s Freedom Plaza

Cliff Kincaid 

Senator Bernie Sanders Leaks Confidential Government Documents

Alan Kornman

A Pact Signed in Jewish Blood

Caroline Glick 

California's Dream Act - A Nightmare Bill?

Immigration News Update 

The Islamist's Dream Obituary

Lt. Colonel James Zumwalt, USMC (ret) 

From Arnold Roth, father of Malki, 15, murdered in the Sbarro terror attack in Jerusalem, 2001.

Please pass this heartfelt request along urgently to your contacts. It's a request to sign a petition, online here:  http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/remove-ahlam-tamimi-from-the-list-of-terrorists-to-be-f.html
  Under normal circumstances, requests to sign a petition are unlikely to lead to any significant outcomes. In this case, we are hoping to do something important.

The petition asks for the removal of one specific name from the list of more than one thousand terrorists, including hundreds of convicted murderers, to be published by the government of Israel tomorrow, Sunday. That list is the basis of a transaction by which Israel will get back Gilad Shalit, held hostage by the terrorists of Hamas for more than five years. The deal involves Israel throwing open the gates of its top-security prisons and issuing wholesale pardons. My wife Frimet and I have expressed our principled objection to the deal. While others are busy trying to stop it in the courts, we are focusing our energies on one specific person, and getting her off the list.

Her name is Tamimi. An article in today's New York Times [ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/15/world/middleeast/israel-prisoner-swap-touches-old-wounds.html

] provides some background:

Among those is Ahlam Tamimi, a 31-year-old woman who was a key figure in the pizzeria attack. She is often described as the driver of the car that brought the suicide bomber to the Sbarro restaurant and killed 15 people. But the Roths say her role went far beyond that, to the actual planning of the attack. In interviews from prison, Ms. Tamimi, who was a journalist, has told of having brought the suicide bomber to Jerusalem and then going on Palestinian television's afternoon broadcast to announce the news of the attack without acknowledging her involvement. "I'm not sorry for what I did," she told an Israeli news organization in 2006. "I will get out of prison, and I refuse to recognize Israel's existence. Discussions will only take place after Israel recognizes that this is Islamic land."

The Roths said their anger over the prisoner exchange was focused on Ms. Tamimi, who is being sent to Jordan. She is young, fervent and charismatic, Mr. Roth said, and proud of what she did. In a documentary on Palestinian prisoners, she was asked whether she knew how many children had been killed in the attack. She did not. When told the number was eight, she smiled.

There is a fuller background about the circumstances in which our daughter was murdered on the Keren Malki website: http://www.kerenmalki.org/Sbarro_Massacre.htm

And there are many articles on the web tonight showing her family and supporters celebrating her impending return to freedom and to a full and active life as a heroine and inspiration.

Even if you do not normally sign petitions, or pass them along to friends, we ask you to seriously consider signing this one. Once again, it's online here:   להקליק כאן ולחתום http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/remove-ahlam-tamimi-from-the-list-of-terrorists-to-be-f.html 

  Time is very limited. We really only have ONE DAY to get a significant number of signatures. If we succeed, we can then put pressure on the Prime Minister's Office and the Justice Ministry and publicize this in the media. 
 

What's Romney's position on the peace process.

Romney's foreign policy speech, which I posted a few days ago did nothing for me. What I want to know is whether he supports an undivided Jerusalem as Israel's capital city. Secondly I want to know if he supports Israel annexing all or part of J&S and whether he supports Israel building in J&S. On these matters he was silent.Ted Belman

Romney's Jewish backers enjoying front-runner status, even as challenges continue from his right 

By Ron Kampeas · JTA October 11, 2011

WASHINGTON (JTA) - Mitt Romney is the whack-a-mole front-runner: He consistently leads the Republican pack, but only by beating back one conservative challenger after another.

First it was Michele Bachmann, then Rick Perry, and now a surging Herman Cain.

His contradictory status - as a front-runner caught in a constant rearguard action against challengers to his right - both energizes and frustrates one of his most loyal constituencies, Republican Jews.

Romney's financial...

Read the whole entry »

What is it about Israel that wins Nobels?

By Linda Gradstein ·JTA, October 11, 2011

JERUSALEM (JTA) - Dan Shechtman remembers the day he was kicked out of a research group because of the theory that last week won him the Nobel Prize in chemistry.

"Read this book. What you say is impossible," the group leader at the National Bureau of Standards in Maryland, where Shechtman was doing his sabbatical in 1982, told him.

"I told him, 'I know this book, and I know I have something new,' " Shechtman replied.

The response, recalls Shechtman: "You are a disgrace and I want you to leave my group."

Schechtman joined another group, but the paper he wrote was rejected and he was ridiculed by many colleagues.

"My friends were nice to me, but kind of in the way that you're nice to the retarded kid," Shechtman recalled with a wry smile at a news conference this week.

Nearly 30 years later, Shechtman received the Nobel Prize for his work in quasicrystals, also called Shechtmanite.

Shechtman is...

Read the whole entry »

The Revolution is Upon Us

- Judi McLeod, Canada Free Press Thursday, October 13, 2011

Even as so many go about their daily lives hoping to hold it together in a recession whose end may be too distant to tell, the revolution is already upon us.

Occupy Wall Street (OWS) protests, which didn't happen overnight but were three years in the making, have been portrayed as spontaneous outbreaks by ragtag gangs of shiftless, harmless hippies. They are in fact the army that Barack Obama boasted about even before he came into power.

Trained in the fine art of Civil Disobedience by Ruckus Society anarchists; paid for by George Soros and the Tides Foundation, among others, aided and abetted by street fighters like Code Pink and Greenpeace, count on OWS as a permanent part of society until Obama and his masters perfect the fundamental Transformation of America through Marxism.

OWS vow they are after the 1% of the population that is uber rich. But their real job is to cow the middle class. They are not after Daddy...

Read the whole entry »

The Trouble With Muslim Democracy

By Daniel Greenfield

The ultimate symbol of Muslim Democracy may not end up being the purple fingers of the Iraqi ballots but the smoke from burning churches and dead Coptic Christians in Egypt. While Iraq was tenuously balanced between Shiites and Sunnis, Arabs and Kurds, there is no such balance in Egypt. The average Egyptian is a Sunni Arab and thinks Christians are dogs. Church burnings are as close as Egypt is ever likely to get to democracy and we should be happy for that.

The Muslim world is so enthusiastic about democracy because it allows the majority to slap around the minority- at least more so than it's already doing. And when there isn't a clear majority to sit in the driver's seat, they throw in musical chairs coalitions of different ethnic and religious factions in between bouts of civil war.

That's the situation in Lebanon and in Iraq, but those countries are lucky because the minority there is a sizable enough to have a shot....

Read the whole entry »

Strategic Notes on the Gilad Shalit Prisoner Exchange

By Barry Rubin, Pajamas Media 

There are some substantial misunderstandings on the nature of the Gilad Shalit exchange deal. I should stress that the list of those Palestinian prisoners being given in exchange for him has not yet been released. But note the following:

-The number 1000 is impressive but most will be chosen by Israel, meaning they will be prisoners with the lightest sentences and crimes - in other words, people who would have been released anyway during the next year or two.

-Israel rejected Hamas's demand to release those being called "arch-terrorists" who were major organizers of attacks or responsible for a larger loss of life.

-Of the most serious terrorist prisoners, only a bit over 96 will be released into the West Bank and 14 to east Jerusalem where they could cause direct trouble for Israel. The rest will be sent to the Gaza Strip or deported altogether. Those with lighter sentences who live in the West Bank would have been sent there...

Read the whole entry »

A journey from anti-Israel Roman Catholic to pro-Israel Jew

Going to Israel to find Quebec
Barbara Kay, National Post · Oct. 12, 2011

There are the countless stories of conversions from one religion to another, from atheism to belief and from belief to atheism.
All of these leaps of faith are interesting, because the same uniquely human faculty - the ability to critically examine the received wisdom of one's youth, and to reject it in favour of other more compelling resolutions to one's spiritual discomfort - can lead to so many disparate and often contradictory solutions.

Whatever the intellectual process that leads to such a dramatic change in a life, the final step is always a leap of faith. On Oct. 1, La Presse published two extracts from a newly published book recounting a double conversion - first political, then religious - requiring a leap of faith over such an unusually wide chasm that it deserves our attention. The author of Juif, une histoire québécoise, is Richard Marceau, a former MP...

Read the whole entry »

Shalit deal for immediate gratification but long term pain.

By Ted Belman

The proper equation here is not how many prisoners should we release to get Shalit back but rather how many Israeli lives are we prepared to forfeit in the future to get Shalit back now. Based on past experience, it could run into the hundreds.

Israelis know this, yet support the short term gratification. Why would they do this?

To my mind it is as a result of the constant drumbeat emanating from the Left made up of academia, media and politicians, for the last five years, arguing for his release. Israelis were easy prey so were the politicians that voted for the deal.

And thus to a large extent the Left is to blame for the long term pain which is sure to follow. The same goes for any concessions Israel makes in the peace process. The whole peace process brought upon us by the Left and continuously nurtured by them has been enormously detrimental to Israel. Although the public is steeling its spine, the left continues to weaken the resolve of Israelis to say...

Read the whole entry »

Into the Fray: A giant pall of shame

By MARTIN SHERMAN, JPOST 

"Kindly remove me from your mailing list; I have no patience for your tiresome, hackneyed, outdated rantings"

-An e-mail from Prof. David Shulman, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, after receiving my last opinion column, "Reassessing root causes and red herrings."

Barely a week after the Technion's Dan Shechtman was awarded the Nobel prize in Chemistry, the sixth Israeli laureate in 10 years, would appear inauspicious timing for a caustic rebuke of Israeli academe.

But although the nation's institutes of higher learning can indeed point to an impressive accumulation of accomplishments, it has a much darker side as well, which can no longer be ignored.

True, much of the intellectual output of Israel's universities has contributed immensely to the bolstering the country - both in terms of physical security and international stature. Lamentably, this is not the whole picture.

Detrimental, dysfunctional......

Read the whole entry »

Anti-Semitism on Display at Occupy Wall Street

Laura: Not surprisingly anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly head amongst the communist bilge protesting on Wall Street for the destruction of capitalism and to bring down America.  "Bankers" and "Wall Street" have a long history of being code for Jews. But in this video,  the anti-Semitism is blatant. And the Democrats are supporting this hideous movement.

Click here to view the embedded video. 

Matt Hausman is worth reading

By Ted Belman

I just re-read Hausman's latest article Israel's Jewish Character is her Truth...and thought to myself that it is required reading. For that matter all his articles which I have posted are worth reading again.

Matt is a practising attorney in the US and a very strong Zionist. His brother Rabbi Jon Hausman has made a name for himself as the "Warrior Rabbi" on behalf of Jews and Zionism.

Most of Matt's articles have come about as a result of my invitation to him to write on a particular topic. Those invitations included many ideas of mine intended the get his juices flowing. In all cases Matt went way beyond my ideas a produced articles which I consider classics to be reread from time to time.

So in honour of Matt's work I am providing the links to his well researched and informative articles.

The Liberal Political Agenda Discourages a Strong Israel 

Are Loyalty Oaths Consistent with Citizenship Values in a Democracy? 

Read the whole entry »

October 14, 2011
    Sharia, dhimmitude, and the Copts

Diana West's concise, compelling column below brings recent events in Egypt into clear perspective.

Most Americans have little knowledge of the 13 century history of Islamic conquests, and how these conquests resulted in the deaths of hundreds of millions of people and the enslavement of tens of millions.

Nor do most Americans understand the sharia-based subjugation of Christians and Jews as "dhimmis," who became third-class citizens in their own lands after they were conquered by the Muslim empire.

We are nearing the completion of an 18 month analysis of how Islam is presented in 38 middle and high school textbooks. One of the most egregious errors we have found, repeated over and over again, is how "tolerant" the Muslim conquerors were of those they conquered, with some textbooks going so far as to outrageously claim that the Muslim conquerors allowed Jews and Christians "full religious freedom."

This rewrite of history must be exposed if Americans are to ever understand not only what happened 1,000 years ago, but to understand why the persecutions of Christians and Jews in Muslim lands continues to this day-and why the threat posed by the supremacist ideology of radical Islam is one we must take seriously.  

Written by:Diana West 10/14/2011

 Read more: 

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Fellow patriots,

This is bad news, not just because of what this woman has done to her school district, but because of the precedent it sets.  Now Muslim teachers around the country are going to pull the same kind of stunt.

What's most galling about this case is that the Muslim calendar is lunar, meaning that it rotates through the solar calendar we use in the West.  Therefore it would have only been a few years before this woman could have gone on a pilgrimage to Mecca during the summer months, when school is out of session.  Given that Muslims are only obligated to go to Mecca once, it was completely unnecessary for her to take time off from school to travel to Mecca.

Eric Holder got directly involved in this case, which is shocking, and he muscled the court and the school into a terrible decision.  Let's hope that this decision gets overturned at some point, because Holder has just managed to do nearly as much damage to our country out in the open as he has done covertly via the Gunrunner scandal.

Dave

Woman wins right to Mecca trip

BY TINA SFONDELES Staff Reporter tsfondeles@suntimes.com October 13, 2011 http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/8200883-418/woman-wins-right-to-mecca-trip.html

A Muslim woman has won her fight against a west suburban school district after being denied unpaid leave to go on a religious pilgrimage to Mecca.

The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday announced it settled Safoorah Khan's religious discrimination lawsuit against the Berkeley School District, forcing the district to pay $75,000 in lost back pay, compensatory damages and attorneys' fees.

The district also will have to develop a policy accommodating religions consistent with the Civil Rights Acts to ensure something similar will not happen again.

Khan, a teacher at MacArthur Middle School, requested an unpaid leave of absence in December 2008 to perform hajj - a pilgrimage required by Islam - but was told she had to choose between her job and her religious beliefs. She resigned.

"I'm glad that we settled and I hope this does set a precedent," Khan said. "I hope they realize that hajj means a lot to Muslims and there will be more and more people taking the trip. I hope this helps people and their employers to accommodate Muslims and their requests."

According to the settlement, the district must also provide mandatory training on religious accommodations to all board of education members and school supervisors.

Khan, now 30, says she went to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the year she resigned.

"It's required once in our lifetime at the earliest opportunity you can get," she said.

BACKGROUND ARTICLE:

Off to Mecca with Eric Holder's Blessing

Mona Charen Columnist, Townhall.com

Mar 25, 2011

The village of Berkeley, Ill., 15 miles west of Chicago, is small enough to proclaim its population (5,245) on its welcome sign. It is also small enough to escape mention in the national news -- most of the time.

But the village, which, according to The Washington Post, is majority African-American and Hispanic, has attracted the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice. The department is suing the Berkeley School District on behalf of a former teacher.

Here are the facts: Safoorah Khan, 29, was hired to teach middle school math in November 2007. According to her lawyer, she was happy in her job, which included preparing sixth- through eighth-graders for state tests, and running the "math lab." After nine months on the job, Khan requested a three-week leave of absence in order to perform the hajj -- the pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims are obliged to undertake at least once in their lives if they can afford it.

Employers are required by law to honor requests for religious accommodations provided that they do not impose "undue hardship" on the employer or other employees. Berkeley officials maintained that a three-week absence in December -- which would have denied the school its only math lab instructor right before exams -- was unreasonable and was not covered by the teachers' union contract. They denied her request. Khann decided to make the trip anyway and submitted her resignation.

Read more: 

How Did Obama Know About 'Fast And Furious' Before Holder?

Game, set, and match.  Or will Holder upgrade his "incompetence" defense to claim he not only doesn't read his briefings or follow media coverage of vital Justice Department affairs, he doesn't even follow what the President of the United States says about those affairs?  Is he really going to try staying in office by claiming he's virtually unconscious?

I repeat my call for the immediate removal of Attorney General Eric Holder from office, while he awaits trial for perjury.

Speaking of Obama's involvement in the Fast and Furious scandal, Roll Call has a story that amplifies on something I noted about the massive subpoena House Oversight sent to Holder: investigators are very interested in how the White House has been orchestrating the cover-up.

Ignore the Constitution and save lives!

Oct 14, 2011 06:13 am | Coach Collins

 By Doug Book, staff writer

   "At some point we have to decide to be sane instead of following a document that's unclear and outdated,"  writes University of San Francisco professor David Vann of the Constitution of the United States. 

 As professor Vann's soon to be published,  "Last Day on Earth"  concerns the 2008 shootings at Northern Illinois University,  he was asked to give his opinions on preventing a repeat of these tragic though thankfully infrequent crimes.  And like most leftists eager to display a limitless fount of wisdom,  he was only too happy to oblige.

 Now some might consider an associate professor of creative writing an unlikely expert on methods of preventing multiple shootings on college campuses. And they would be right! For the professor's suggestions offer not only a complete disregard for fact,  they reveal the passionately held liberal belief that only the  "deserving"  should enjoy any real measure of freedom.

 For Vann believes ... Continue Reading:Ignore the Constitution and save lives!

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American Minute for October 12th

Oct 13, 2011 05:13 pm | Coach Collins

 Coachisright.com is pleased to announce American history scholar; nationally known speaker and best selling author William J Federer's daily American Minute column will be part of CiR's afternoon update.

 Bill Federer is a tireless and meticulous researcher whose daily history lessons reflect the relationship between God and our nation. Bill is a regular guest on radio and television shows when getting American history right is essential.

 We're sure you will enjoy Bill's daily columns and want to share them with your friends and families. Bill Federer is an American patriot whose message needs to be heard by all.

 By Bill Federer, staff writer

    Margaret Thatcher was born OCTOBER 13, 1925.

She was the first woman Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
While traveling through New York City in 1996, Margaret Thatcher had an interview with Joseph A. Cannon, which was printed in Human Events.

She stated:
"The Decalogue-Ten Commandments-are addressed to each and every ... Continue Reading:American Minute for October 12th

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These sickos want to "normalize" PEDOPHILA by voting themselves into the mainstream

Oct 13, 2011 02:13 pm | Coach Collins

 By Kevin "Coach" Collins

 In August B4U-ACT a group of pedophiles was at the forefront of a meeting of likeminded perverts trying to "vote" themselves into the mainstream. Calling themselves "Minor-Attracted-Persons" (remember when a "Sex Worker" was just a hooker?) these vermin are trying to force their way into our midst the same way homosexuals become normal in 1973.

 A 1973 meeting to re-write the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) was flooded by homosexual psychiatrists and psychologists who voted to change homosexuality from an identified illness to a variant but normal lifestyle.

 Now the perverts at B4U-ACT want their members to lobby gay and gay friendly liberal psychiatrists and psychologists to "vote" them into normalcy.        

 Here are the "highlights" of this circus of filth.

"Pedophiles are "unfairly stigmatized and demonized" by society."

 "We are not required to interfere with or inhibit our child's sexuality."

"Children are not inherently unable to consent" to sex with an ... Continue Reading:These sickos want to "normalize" PEDOPHILA by voting themselves into the mainstream

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When things go wrong keep it quiet? What the hell were these people thinking?

Oct 15, 2011 06:13 am | Coach Collins

 By Jim Emerson, staff writer

 For the last two weeks Air Force computer specialists have been battling a computer infection of ground based computers that control drones operating over the Mideast. The administration specialists at Creech AFB, Nevada wanted to keep the incident quiet till they could eliminate the virus by themselves.  Instead of asking for help the command was overwhelmed by a virus that couldn't be easily removed. Because of the time wasted it may take a while before the extent of the infection is known and what systems have been compromised.

 Keylogger

 The virus affecting the ground stations was a "keylogger" virus. A keylogger is an almost unnoticeable spyware that monitors key strokes and control clicks and sent the information to an external host computer. This virus had been found on several unclassified and classified computers.  As of this time investigating officials haven't determined how the virus was introduced into the network. Because of ... Continue Reading:When things go wrong keep it quiet? What the hell were these people thinking?

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American Minute for October 14th

Oct 14, 2011 05:13 pm | Coach Collins

Coachisright.com is pleased to announce American history scholar; nationally known speaker and best selling author William J Federer's daily American Minute column will be part of CiR's afternoon update.

 Bill Federer is a tireless and meticulous researcher whose daily history lessons reflect the relationship between God and our nation. Bill is a regular guest on radio and television shows when getting American history right is essential.

 We're sure you will enjoy Bill's daily columns and want to share them with your friends and families. Bill Federer is an American patriot whose message needs to be heard by all.

 By Bill Federer, staff writer 

He was the son of the British Navy Admiral who captured Jamaica in 1655 and established England as a global sea power during the First Dutch Wars.
He disappointed his father by being expelled from Oxford for having religious meetings in his dorm room rather than going to the Anglican chapel.
... Continue Reading:American Minute for October 14th

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An interview with Bernard Goetz: Yes, he would shoot them again

Oct 14, 2011 02:13 pm | Coach Collins

 By Bill McIntosh, staff writer

 Bernard Goetz became famous for his Dec. 1984 jaw dropping 5 shot quick fire response to four black assailants in a Manhattan subway car with his unlicensed .38 caliber J frame Smith and Wesson revolver.  Goetz hit all four of the "youths" who, when the shooting occurred on that NY City # 2 train, had fourteen criminal bench warrants against them. Goetz served eight months for illegal firearms possession and later returned to his electronics business and became active in Manhattan politics as an alternative candidate with interests in a wide range of issues.

 Q: Based on what you've been through between Dec.22nd 1984 and today, if you were faced with the same situation now would you shoot them again and how would you have acted differently?

"If I was carrying a gun, in the same situation I would do the same thing, namely shoot as many as I can as quickly as ... Continue Reading:An interview with Bernard Goetz: Yes, he would shoot them again

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Is HB 1505 a backdoor to shutting down the Bakken Range?

Oct 16, 2011 06:13 am | Coach Collins

 By Suzanne Eovaldi, staff writer

The Queens and Kings in our Congress have shut off their employers' ability to email them in their throne rooms to protest the proposed obscene land grab along our northern border region by the Division of Homeland Security!

  What's hard to understand is why House Bill 1505, now euphemistically called National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act, is even being allowed the light of day. What's worse, we can't even email our elected officials anymore but have to pay to contact them via fax or phone.   Conservativeusa.org  is reporting "Offices no longer use email addresses so there is no way to send a message." 

 So let's walk this issue back and look at what's really going on.  The DHS wants to lop off the top 1/3 of Montana, the top half of Washington and North Dakota as well as a similar take over of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine ... Continue Reading:Is HB 1505 a backdoor to shutting down the Bakken Range?

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American Minute for October 15th

Oct 15, 2011 05:13 pm | Coach Collins

 Coachisright.com is pleased to announce American history scholar; nationally known speaker and best selling author William J Federer's daily American Minute column will be part of CiR's afternoon update.

 Bill Federer is a tireless and meticulous researcher whose daily history lessons reflect the relationship between God and our nation. Bill is a regular guest on radio and television shows when getting American history right is essential.

 We're sure you will enjoy Bill's daily columns and want to share them with your friends and families. Bill Federer is an American patriot whose message needs to be heard by all.

  By Bill Federer, staff writer

   The U.S. Senate confirmed Clarence Thomas as a Justice on the Supreme Court on OCTOBER 15, 1991.

When questioned by Senator Thurmond on judicial activism during the hearings, Clarence Thomas stated:

"The role of a judge is a limited one. It is to...interpret the Constitution, where called upon, but at no point to ... Continue Reading:American Minute for October 15th

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OOOPS! Trying to COVER up, Obama TRIPPED up Attorney General Holder on Fast and Furious

Oct 15, 2011 01:13 pm | Coach Collins

by Doug Book,  staff writer

Anyone following recent blockbuster revelations concerning Operation  "Fast and Furious"-the Obama Administration's  "under the radar"  scheme to undermine the 2nd Amendment rights of the American people-is aware by now that Attorney General Eric Holder lied during his May 3rd testimony before Congressman Darrell Issa's House Oversight Committee.

When asked point blank by the congressman when he  (Holder)  had first learned of the Operation,  the Attorney General responded,  "...over the last few weeks."

But Department of Justice memos released on October 3rd by CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson clearly demonstrate that Holder had received WEEKLY briefings on Fast and Furious as early as July of 2010.

Over the past week,  this little bit of perjury has elicited an exchanged of letters between Holder and Issa followed by the congressman's  "request"  that the Attorney General provide testimony at an upcoming House committee meeting.

But on October 13th,  more time line history further disproving the claims made ... Continue Reading:OOOPS! Trying to COVER up, Obama TRIPPED up Attorney General Holder on Fast and Furious

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 Antisemitism on display -  

Occupy Wall Street

Posing As Banker, O'Keefe Finds Anti-Capitalist Protesters Looking For Some Venture Capital At #OccupyWallStreet  

Independent filmmaker James O'Keefe dressed as a Wall Street Banker and spoke with anti-capitalist protesters at "Occupy Wall Street." Some of the protesters were doing some seriously high-end pan handling.

Hello There,

The new Uncommon Knowledge video from our friends at the Hoover Institution is now available.

This week's video features Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, one of the most prominent members of the House of Representatives and author of the long-term budget proposal, The Path to Prosperity.

In this brand-new, wide-ranging interview, Congressman Ryan talks about the current state of the economy, and the steps he would take to get it back on track. He discusses why he thinks ObamaCare must be repealed, his plans for fixing Medicare and Medicaid, the importance of the 2012 election, and his decision not to run for President.

What are the most important steps to fixing the economy?  Find out what Paul Ryan thinks!

Read more: 

Friday, October 14, 2011

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer


Company Caves; Protestors Attack

The private company that owns Zuccotti Park backed down from its demand that the Wall Street protestors clear out so the park could be cleaned. And how did the protestors respond? Just as Iran or the jihadists in the Palestinian territories do -- at the first sign of weakness they attack!

Emboldened by their victory in occupying the park, the protestors decided to take their mops and brooms and "go clean up Wall Street." Chanting "The Whole World Is Watching," the mob attempted to breach the police barricades that had surrounded the park. And that wasn't the only lawlessness.

A Fox News affiliate in Boston reports that the Coast Guard has warned its members to avoid the Occupy Boston protestors while in uniform. Why? According to the report, one female Coast Guard member was spit on twice, verbally harassed and had a water bottle thrown at her.

No one in the great American middle class would be so disrespectful to a uniformed member of the Armed Forces. But these are the kinds of folks attracted to the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Unfortunately, there is more. Click here to watch the Featured Video on our homepage showing the anti-Semitism on display at the Occupy Wall Street protests.


What Do They Believe?

Thanks to New York Magazine we know a bit more about the protestors.

Reporters for the magazine recently interviewed 100 Occupy Wall Street protestors, and here's what they learned:

• 37 said that capitalism was inherently immoral and cannot be saved.
• Only six could correctly identify what the Volker Rule is -- one of the key demands of the big government regulatory crowd and a central component of the Dodd-Frank bill. In other words, these people don't know much about why they are there and what they are protesting for.
• When asked what they thought of Obama, one said he was doing great; 22 said he was doing the best he can; 40 said they believed in him, but he has let them down; and 27 said they never believed in him.
• The reporters also asked the demonstrators to rank how liberal they were compared to Barack Obama, Paul Krugman, Ralph Nader and Noam Chomsky.
  
  Three said they were "liberal but mainstream -- like Barack Obama." Twelve said they were "strongly liberal -- like Paul Krugman." Forty-one were "fed up with the Democrats and felt the country needed a major overhaul -- like Ralph Nader." And 34, like Noam Chomsky, are "convinced the U.S. government is no better than, say, Al Qaeda."

http://www.scribd.com/doc/68498345/Statement-of-Solidarity-From-University-of-Pennsylvania-Faculty

• California Gov. Signs DREAM Act for Illegal Aliens 

• Obama Getting No Love on Immigration 

• Obama's Jobs Council Wants More Foreign Workers 

• E-Verify is Good for All Industries (Including Farming) 

• Alabama Law - Fact vs. Fiction 

• The Ear - Newsbytes on Immigration  

Must See!!
FAIR's Director of Research Eric Ruark testified in front of a Senate Subcommittee concerning the effects of illegal immigration on the farming industry.
Click here to see his testimony.

Legislation in the States
Listing of states with good or bad immigration policies, including in-state tuition. click here to read more 

State and Local Cooperation on Immigration Enforcement: ICE Access
There are several programs that currently facilitate cooperation between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and state and local law enforcement agencies.
Read more  

Watch GOP Frontrunner Mitt Romney Praise Liberal Lion Ted Kennedy For His Role In Passing RomneyCare 

Peter Suderman | October 13, 2011

Romney-Kennedy Health Care Bill Signing

Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Mind of Mitt

 

Republicans have a curious problem: 77% of them do not want Mitt Romney and few know why. No one dares think it is because he is a Mormon, "That's not America!" It is the reason, but more subtle than most understand.

The mind of Mitt Romney is a product of nuture. There is nothing like being a Mormon for belonging, family and community. Let your barn burn down and "the brothers" will have one up in a matter of days while their amazing women cook and serve a splendid celebration dinner with seven flavors of Jello desserts.
 

Friday, October 14, 2011

The "9-9-9-9" Plan?

 

Herman Cain is now the leading Republican candidate having resonated with the American people saying, "Our tax code is the 21st Century version of slavery. The IRS has become the overseer of the American people."

Mr. Cain, 65, a graduate mathematician who did rocket science work for the US Navy, worked his way up to the executive suites of several major corporations, was a Regional Federal Reserve Chairman and is now a motivational speaker and on-air personality. Not only can he do it; he can sell it.

We have studied Herman Cain's "9-9-9" plan and been concerned that in haste to have cast a "bullet" he has erred in the marketing tradition of Don Draper so we have devised a solution. And, we have added something from our analysis of the economy. We see "9-9-9" as a work in progress.
 

Florida Repeals Smart Growth Law

by Wendell Cox 10/07/2011

The state of Florida has repealed its 30-year old growth management law (also called "smart growth," "compact development" and "livability"). Under the law, local jurisdictions were required to adopt comprehensive land use plans stipulating where development could and could not occur. These plans were subject to approval by the state Department of Community Affairs, an agency now abolished by the legislation. The state approval process had been similar to that of Oregon. Governor Rick Scott had urged repeal as a part of his program to create 700,000 new jobs in seven years in Florida. Economic research in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States has associated slower economic growth with growth management programs.

Read more: 

When you read it you'll wonder "WHY THESE parts?"

Obama administration halts part of health care law

The Obama administration announced Friday that it has suspended one piece of the landmark health care law which the president signed last year.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius told Congress in a letter that the CLASS Act, which was supposed to provide a new voluntary long-term care insurance program, was unworkable since no actuarially sound way could be figured out to run the program.

"I do not see a viable path forward for CLASS implementation at this time," Sebelius said in her letter.

CLASS stands for "Community Living Assistance Services and Supports."

The CLASS Act was a significant piece of the health care bill because it helped make it deficit neutral over the first ten years after enactment, as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office. Thus CLASS helped garner the votes to help the bill pass.
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Link to COMPLETE ARTICLE:

http://firstread.msnbc.com/_news/2011/10/14/8325174-obama-administration-halts-part-of-health-care-law#.Tpi6o5cHEBw.email

Today's Headlines:  Friday, October 14, 2011

Congressional Report on China: 500 Members of 'Unregistered' Protestant Church Under House Arrest

Republicans Advance Bill Targeting US Funding for UN: 'What Are We Paying For?' 
EU Considering Massive Cuts in Food Aid to Its Poorest Citizens

CNSNews.com has been awarded a $100,000 challenge grant! Please make a tax deductible gift today and your support will be doubled!

Arab Nations Condemn Iran's 'Flagrant and Unacceptable' Terror Plot

With Democrats' Support, House Republicans Amend Obamacare to 'Protect Life'

Pelosi: 'Women Can Die on The Floor' If GOP Passes Bill to Prevent Abortion Funding Through Obamacare

Boehner Says Protect Life Act Keeps Promise in GOP 'Pledge to America'

UCLA May Allow Coed Dorm Rooms to Better Serve Transgender Students

UN Human Rights Chief Calls for 'Immediate' Action on Syria|

Homosexual Military Personnel Holding Their First Convention -- in Las Vegas

Park's Owner Backs Down, Calls Off Cleanup at Filthy NYC Protest Site 

COMMENTARY:

Hollywood vs. Emilio Estevez
By L. Brent Bozell III
With his new movie "The Way," Emilio Estevez comes into his own as a producer, writer, and director, telling a beautiful story about death, faith, and family.

The Costs of Occupying Wall Street
By Michelle Malkin
The entitled Kamp Alinsky Kids are poaching WiFi and trespassing on private property under the guise of "social justice" but in plain service of themselves. Wait until Americans learn how much they're costing taxpayers.

Is the New World Order Unraveling?
By Patrick J. Buchanan
The desire of peoples for nations all their own, where their own language, faith and culture predominate and their own kind rule to the exclusion of all others, is everywhere winning out over multiculturalism and transnationalism.

Those Pesky Persians
By Rich Galen
This is an extremely dangerous time for the Obama Administration and for the Western world in general.

NEWSPAPER ROUNDUP:

New TSA tactic: 'Chat-downs' on top of pat-downs...  Mexicans demand international human rights investigation into violence
N.J. teacher's Facebook comments about gays spark firestorm
U.S. puts Iraq withdrawal plans under wraps to discourage attacks
Solar company Solyndra says its CEO has resigned
Arizona gives first graders three years to learn to read
Romney would be tough on China, he says
Army to phase out nerve-agent testing on animals
U.S. launches campaign to track down Libyan missiles

October 15, 2011 

 IS THE MUSLIM BRO'HOOD INSIDE OUR GOVT?  The Muslim Brotherhood is a large, global organization with a stated goal of installing the Koran as the "sole reference point for ordering the life of a Muslim family, individual, community and state." Is there any wonder people would be concerned that they have infiltrated the American government? See the details HERE.

60's radical speaks at messiah college   Leftist radical and college professor Frances Fox Pixen addressed an audience of about 250 students and faculty at Messiah College. Piven made a strange statement claiming "the Tea Party doesn't like the idea of a black president."  Watch highlights of this unusual event HERE.

ROGUE AMISH LEADER: 'WE ARE NOT A CULT'   The Blaze has been following the unusal story of a renegade Amish sect that is accused of cutting the hair and beards of other Amish who oppose their group. Watch the latest details on this story HERE.

ATHEISTS AROUND THE WORLD LOOK TO INCREASE THEIR POLITICAL INFLUENCE   Political power is a globally recognized currency and it appears that atheists have decided to work their way into the electoral process with a goal of instilling godlessness around the world. Find out where this movement has gotten a toehold HERE.

October 14, 2011       

'A PRIEST, A RABBI AND A nun WALK INTO A MOSQUE...' CAN RELIGION BE FUNNY?  A new breed of faith leaders and comics intend to use laughter to take the edge off contentious debates that often develop when the subject of religion pops up. Learn about this new trend and watch clips from "Allah Made Me Funny"  HERE.  

 SHARPTON RALLIES BLACKS TO 'occupy'   Speaking on the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner radio show, Al Sharpton agreed with the Occupy Wall Street protests and asked black Americans to join the "revolution" and "register your outrage." Listen to the interview HERE.     

MSNBC HOST HOPES FOR 'KENT ST MOMENT'   Early Friday morning, Millionaire and MSNBC host Donny Deutch said that he is "repulsed" by the Tea Party, that he believes that we need a "Kent State Moment" so that Occupy Wall Street resonates with the American people. Watch the video HERE.

RUSH ON ROMNEY: 'NOT A CONSERVATIVE'   Yesterday, Rush Limbaugh told his considerable radio audience that GOP front-runner Mitt Romney is not a conservative. Mr. Limbaugh also stated that he is "not ready to settle on anybody yet." Hear the entire segment HERE.     

OCCUPY BOSTON PROTESTERS SPIT ON UNIFORMED COAST GUARD OFFICER   The Coast Guard is confirming that a uniformed, female officer was spit on, harassed and even had a water bottle thrown at her while she was walking near the protest in Boston. Read the details of this breaking story HERE.

SATELLITE RADIO HOST MEETS 'ALINSKY TACTICS' AT OCCUPY WALL STREET   Gregg "Opie" Hughes, one half of SiriusXM's "Opie and Anthony" radio show, visited the protest in lower Manhattan hoping to find clarity on the protest and maybe shoot some video for his very active YouTube channel. He ran into a not-too-friendly group of people who used classic "Rules for Radicals" tactics to drive him away. Get the details HERE.  

VIRAL VIDEO DU JOUR - FLASHPOINT? WATCH THE WALL STREET PROTESTS TURN VIOLENT   The Occupy Wall Street protest took a strange turn this morning. After the city backed down on the demand to clear the park for a clean-up, the protesters seemed to be energized and started a march towards Wall Street where they encountered an immovable police line. See the video of the confrontation HERE.

The Foundation

"In planning, forming, and arranging laws, deliberation is always becoming, and always useful." --James Wilson

Government & Politics

Obama's 'Jobs' Bill Going Down in Flames

On Sept. 8, Barack Obama made yet another speech to a joint session of Congress. In it, he demanded that they pass his latest $447 billion "jobs" bill (i.e., Stimulus Jr.) "right away." It took weeks to write an actual bill and bring it to a vote, and, on Oct. 11, more than a month later, it went down in flames. While on the campaign trail, Obama defiantly declared that neither he nor "the American people" would "take 'no' for an answer." He chided Republicans for obstruction and challenged them to explain why they didn't want to create jobs. The Leftmedia happily repeated the charge that Republicans were to blame. The inconvenient truth, however, was that the Democrat-controlled Senate shot down his bill.

It's true that Republicans were united against the bill, but two Democrats joined them. And Republican leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) actually pushed for the vote, not to obstruct it.

Republicans -- and a few Democrats -- realize that the president's plan won't work. If the first "stimulus" didn't come close to accomplishing its stated goals, how would half the money spent in much the same way do any better? We did the math and this new stimulus doesn't cut it. But that doesn't mean the Congressional Budget Office isn't trying feverishly to make it work.

The CBO determined this week that the millionaires' tax proposed by Democrats would supposedly cover the bill's $447 billion price tag. What the CBO doesn't account for is the loss in tax revenue that always occurs when the so-called rich get soaked. Small businesses cut back and investment capital heads overseas. Taxes change behavior.

Even a few Democrats are starting to see that the gig is up. Some people even think that Obama is cynically seeking to use Republicans' votes against them in 2012 -- far fetched, we know. Even the Associated Press, normally a bastion of leftist propaganda, presented an unflattering analysis of Obama's bill and his recent performance as president. The AP observed that Obama is more motivated by campaigning than governing, so maybe they're finally coming around to what the rest of us have known for a long time.

Meanwhile, Vice President Joe Biden is doing his part to strike fear into opponents of the bill. Campaigning in Flint, Michigan, Biden warned the crowd that if Congress doesn't spend hundreds of billions of dollars, it would lead to (even more) rampant rape and murder. "In 2008, when Flint had 265 sworn officers on their police force, there were 35 murders and 91 rapes in this city," Biden said. "In 2010, when Flint had only 144 police officers, the murder rate climbed to 65 and rapes -- just to pick two categories -- climbed to 229. In 2011, you now only have 125 shields. God only knows what the numbers will be this year for Flint if we don't rectify it." So why didn't the first stimulus save all those police jobs?

On the other hand, Bill Clinton is warning that the tax increases in Obama's bill are a bad idea in this economy. "Should you raise taxes on anybody today -- rich or poor or middle class?" Clinton asked rhetorically. "No, because there's no growth in the economy." Oddly enough, he didn't comment on rape and murder rates.

Obama remains undeterred. In fact, he told supporters, "We're not gonna wait for Congress." He said he had given his instructions to his advisers: "Scour this report, identify all those areas in which we can act administratively without additional congressional authorization and just get it done. Anything that's within our authority to do as an administration we start doing immediately, and we don't wait for Congress." Hey, it's not like this is a constitutional republic.

One final note: Obama has added even more obfuscation to his "saved or created" metric for jobs. The White House now measures stimulus results with the utterly immeasurable word "supported." Based on his all-encompassing view of government, every job qualifies under that rubric.

What impact will Obama's "jobs" bill actually have?

The Oath Accountability Civil Action

Join the tens of thousands of Patriots who have already signed on to the Oath Accountability Civil Action for Constitutional Integrity.

To enforce our Constitution's limits on the central government, we believe a formal legal action is necessary. This action, if successful, would require that all members of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches, first and foremost, abide by their oaths "to support and defend" our Constitution, under penalty of law, and comport with its enumerated limitations on the federal government. The current scope of federal activities provides abundant evidence that many members of those three co-equal branches have long since abandoned their oaths, and, at present, there is no recourse for prosecution to enforce compliance.

To that end, we urge you to join this action with Patriots across the nation in this effort to establish legal standing as citizens, particularly those in our Armed Services who defend their oaths with blood and life. If we are unsuccessful in our effort to seek remedy for the lack of any proscription against, and penalty for breach of oath, it will be because the judiciary refuses any such accountability regarding the wanton violation of our Constitution. Such rejection would in effect condemn Americans once again to the abuse previously characterized in American history as "Taxation Without Representation."

Our goal is 500,000 signatures. Please join us, and encourage other like-minded Patriots to do so. A large support base will be necessary if the federal judiciary refuses to hear this action and we are forced to take it to the national legislature for codification into federal law.

News From the Swamp: 'Spending Reduction'

After all the drama surrounding the debt ceiling and the debt super-committee, anyone who's curious about whether the federal government is actually cutting spending can rest assured that they're not. The CBO now projects that this year's budget deficit will hit $1.3 trillion, which is $14 billion higher than they figured in August. The budget cut wars fought between Republicans and Democrats in Congress have been a farce. Outlays in 2011 rose 4.2 percent from last year, including 1 percent increases in defense spending and Medicaid. The current deficit accounts for 8.6 percent of the economy, making this the third-highest debt rate since World War II. And the debt is growing fast. The monthly deficit for September was $64 billion -- almost $30 billion higher than it was in September 2010. So much for progress on the national debt.

New & Notable Legislation

The Senate passed, 63-35, the Currency Exchange Oversight Reform Act, a measure to allow the U.S. to take action against China for undervaluing its currency. Hardly anyone disputes that the Chinese are, in fact, keeping the value of the yuan artificially low, thereby doing damage to the U.S. manufacturing sector. Yet the bill faces defeat in the House, where Speaker John Boehner warned that it was "dangerous" and could lead to a trade war with China. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai likewise said, "Should the proposed legislation become law, the only result would be a trade war between China and the U.S., and that would be a lose-lose situation for both sides." China's currency practices must be addressed, but it remains to be seen how that can be done successfully.

In other trade news, thanks to Republicans, Congress passed free-trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. While trade with the two South American nations will have limited impact, South Korea is the world's 15th largest economy. The Washington Post reports, "The South Korea deal has the potential to create as many as 280,000 American jobs, according to a recent assessment by the staff of the U.S. International Trade Commission, and to boost exports by more than $12 billion." These agreements were drawn up by the Bush administration. Until now, however, Obama and his weak-kneed fellow Democrats have been afraid to stand up to Big Labor.

This Week's 'Braying Jenny' Award

The House on Thursday passed the Protect Life Act, a bill to bar federal funding for abortions. The bill also provides conscience protections for health care providers so that they are not forced to perform abortions against their beliefs.

This seems to us what you might call a "no-brainer." Perhaps that's the key to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's response: "When the Republicans vote for this bill today, they will be voting to say that women can die on the floor of health care providers. It's just appalling." Ironically, Pelosi and other leftists have no problem letting women be killed before they're even born, or with forcing providers to so do against their will. Pelosi has no shame.

It's worth noting, too, that 11 Democrats voted for the bill. We wonder what they thought of Pelosi's comments. Also, Barack Obama has promised a veto.

Senate Parliamentarians

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) went nuclear last week, arbitrarily and unilaterally changing Senate parliamentary procedure in an attempt to stifle Republican opposition in debate. Reid acted without consultation or announcement, and the new rules passed by a strictly party-line vote. Reid claimed that GOP demands for votes on amendments drove him to this drastic action, and the assumption is that Democrats will be able to move their legislation. In reality, Reid's short-sighted maneuver will likely come back to haunt Democrats. Republicans are now in a position through procedural rules to bring Senate business to a halt -- not that it was moving at a brisk pace before. Democrats think the new rule was worth the cost because Republicans will have no real say in new legislation. Is it possible that they haven't thought far enough ahead to consider what might happen if the Republicans take the Senate in 2012?

On the Campaign Trail: Primary Dates

The jockeying for best position among states planning their GOP primaries and caucuses has gone to ridiculous extremes. New Hampshire, zealously proud of its first-primary-in-the-nation status, is holding its primary Jan. 3, and the Granite State may even push it up as early as Dec. 6 if Nevada and other states don't cave to pressure to back their primaries further into 2012. States have been shuffling dates on the calendar for several election cycles now, aiming for more influence in the nominating process, and the campaign season has gotten interminably longer as a result.

It wasn't always this way, though. Until 1972, the first primary was in March of the election year, and in 1968, New Hampshire was the only state to hold a primary even that early. However, in 1972, Florida began the leap-frog contest by bumping up its primary to the same day as New Hampshire's. The latter state couldn't tolerate this affront, and moved theirs up as well. Thus began the competition. The GOP tried threatening sanctions against states that continued this trend, including taking away half a state's delegates, but Florida did it again this year anyway. With the convention in the Sunshine State, it's unlikely the GOP will back up its threats.

National Security

The Iranian Terror Plot Brings Questions

"FBI and DEA agents have disrupted a plot to commit a 'significant terrorist act in the United States' tied to Iran," ABC News reported this week. "[Federal] officials said the plot included the assassination of the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States, Adel Al-Jubeir, with a bomb and subsequent bomb attacks on the Saudi and Israeli embassies in Washington, D.C. Bombings of the Saudi and Israeli embassies in Buenos Aires, Argentina, were also discussed, according to the U.S. officials." Attorney General Eric Holder said the plan was "conceived, sponsored and ... directed from Iran." If true, this plot further damages our long-deteriorating interaction with that rogue nation.

Following administration policy, after the suspects were arrested, they were indicted Tuesday in federal court. According to ABC, Manssor Arbabsiar, an Iranian-American, as well as Gohlam Shakuri, an Iranian official, "were named in a five-count criminal complaint filed Tuesday afternoon in federal court in New York. They were charged with conspiracy to kill a foreign official and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, a bomb, among other counts. Shakuri is still at large in Iran." The conspiracy allegedly included a Mexican drug cartel.

The plot seems almost too strange -- Arbabsiar was a used-car salesman from Corpus Christi, Texas, and he was supposedly recruited by Iran's elite Quds Force to connect with the Mexican drug cartel known as the Zetas to carry out the assassination. However, several elements of the story just don't compute. For example, the Zetas don't commit political murders in the U.S. -- it would be bad for business. In addition, many experts remain skeptical that Iran was behind the plot because it doesn't fit their style, and Iran would stand to gain nothing from the plot's success.

Nevertheless, Justice Department officials are standing by their story. Four years ago, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was invited to speak at Columbia University, and then candidate-Obama said he "would be willing as president to meet with the Iranian leader as a way to protect U.S. interests." How did that turn out? Well, The Wall Street Journal reports, "Mr. Obama injected a new level of gravity into the incident by taking the unusual step of authorizing U.S. diplomats to deliver a tough message directly to Iranian representatives." That'll show 'em.

What's the real story with this assassination plot?

Warfront With Jihadistan: The Plight of Middle East Christians

Ten years after the United States freed the Afghan people from the Islamist Taliban regime, and months after the "Arab Spring" supposedly brought more freedom to many Arab states, the reality on the ground, especially for religious freedom, continues to deteriorate. According to the U.S. State Department's latest International Religious Freedom Report, for example, there is not a single public Christian church left in Afghanistan despite the deaths of more than 1,700 U.S. troops and $440 billion spent to win freedom for the Afghan people. The last public Christian church in Afghanistan was razed in March 2010, according to the report, which also notes that "there were no Christian schools in the country."

Meanwhile in Egypt, ground zero for the Arab Spring, the allegedly secular military government has actively joined the country's majority Muslim population in brutally persecuting Egypt's Coptic Christians. This week alone, Egypt's armed forces killed more than 25 people and wounded hundreds when they brutally dispersed Coptic Christians gathered in front of the state broadcasting building to protest a church burning in Aswan. It is now feared that anti-Christian mobs will take the military's active repression as license to further terrorize the Copts.

Finally, religious freedom fares no better in Iran, where that nation's Supreme Court has ordered a retrial for the high-profile case of Yousef Nadarkhani, the 32-year-old pastor who was sentenced to death for converting to Christianity. Iranian authorities later changed their story to say that Nadarkhani had committed rape and other crimes. Sadly, for all the talk of freedom in the Muslim world, there is still little evidence it exists.

Business & Economy

Wall Street Occupied ... With Giving Obama and Democrats Big Bucks

The Red October Occupy Wall Street protests taking place in New York and being copied in cities around the nation reveal the irony of Obama's relationship with Wall Street. Forget for a moment the shocking pictures of garbage piling up, the arrests of protesters -- though apparently not the one caught on camera defecating on a police car -- and the competing lists of demands that include everything from forgiveness of all debt and a "living wage" of $20 per hour to a maximum allowed annual income of $40,000. While Obama's party sends out e-mail missives blasting a "reckless Republican leadership" that's "out of touch," it's interesting to note that Wall Street was very good to Barack Obama in 2008, and the 2012 cycle appears to be more of the same. All told, Obama for America received $15.8 million from Wall Street firms in 2008 and $7.2 million so far this cycle -- figures that dwarf the contributions received by any other candidate.

The Occupy Wall Street movement is quickly gaining the imprimatur of groups traditionally favoring Democrats as well as the party itself, as a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee e-mail calls on recipients to sign a petition in support of the movement. A number of labor groups have also joined protests around the country supporting the group's aims.

Sounds like "Astroturf" and not grassroots to us. Unfortunately, the stench of Zucotti Park that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg deems "not good for tourism" is very real indeed. Maybe New York Times columnist Paul Krugman was right when he wrote, "[T]here has in fact been nothing so far to match the behavior of Tea Party crowds in the summer of 2009." No, Tea Party members don't violate or vandalize private property, expose themselves indecently, or get arrested for disorderly conduct -- and they clean up after themselves when they're finished, partly because they actually leave and go home.

How is Occupy Wall Street different from the Tea Party?

Income Redistribution: Stimulus Was 'Surprisingly Naive'

While the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize is generally politically motivated, many of the other Nobel awards go to those truly deserving in their fields of endeavor. That's why it's so refreshing that a recently named Nobel laureate warned two years ago about something we already knew: government stimulus doesn't work. New York University professor Thomas Sargent, one of the two winners of this year's Nobel Prize in Economics, foretold as early as 2009 that the approach of massive government spending presented "respectable reasons for doubting that fiscal stimulus packages promote prosperity" and, furthermore, that dismissing the arguments of skeptics is "not an accurate description of the full range of professional opinion."

As time goes by, the crushing failure of the so-called stimulus package becomes more evident. For example, a $500 million program through the Employment and Training Administration that promised 125,000 jobs has spent $162.8 million so far, but it only employed 8,035 people. Of those, just 1,033 are still working after six months.

Another example of the failure of Obama's policies is that incomes are declining at a faster rate during the so-called "recovery" than they did even during the recession that technically ended in June 2009. Politico reports, "During the recession, which economists say lasted from December 2007 to June 2009, the median annual household income fell by 3.2 percent, from $55,309 to $53,518, according to a report authored by two former U.S. Census Bureau officials. But in the post-recession period from June 2009 to June 2011, the figure fell by 6.7 percent, from $53,518 to $49,909. From December 2007 to June 2011, median annual household income fell by 9.8 percent."

Not only was the stimulus "surprisingly naive" in the face of numerous experts advising a different approach; it has made the situation worse -- unless you revel in bad news for America. In that case, it's just what the doctor ordered.

Solyndra Fallout

Solyndra, the solar-panel maker that went bankrupt after taking a $535 million loan from the federal government, is once again in the news. CEO Brian Harrison has stepped down in the wake of the scandal. Harrison and Solyndra's chief financial officer, Bill Stover, testified before Congress last month, but pleaded the Fifth Amendment more than a dozen times rather than actually answer questions. Harrison's is just the latest head to roll -- last week, it was Jonathan Silver, the director of the Energy Department's loan program. Unfortunately, these resignations won't bring back the 1,100 jobs lost at the companies manufacturing facility, or the half-trillion dollars in taxpayer money burnt up on this "green" energy source.

Culture & Policy

Second Amendment: Holder Subpoenaed

Last week, we described how Attorney General Eric Holder was playing "fast and furious" with the facts related to Fast and Furious, the ATF's alleged undercover operation to track the straw purchase of American weapons transferred to Mexican drug cartels. We commended Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), chairman of the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee, for his efforts to get to the bottom of this scandal despite constant administration roadblocks. Issa hasn't let us down. Wednesday, he subpoenaed Holder seeking, among other things, all communications from 16 top Justice officials regarding the operation, including Holder, his chief of staff, Gary Grindler, and the head of the department's criminal division, Lanny Breuer.

The subpoena also asks for all documents and communications referring or relating to the murder of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agent Jaime Zapata, including any correspondence outlining the details of Zapata's mission at the time he was murdered. In a statement announcing the subpoena Issa said, "Top Justice Department officials, including Attorney General Holder, know more about Operation Fast and Furious than they have publicly acknowledged. ... The documents this subpoena demands will provide answers to questions that Justice officials have tried to avoid since this investigation began eight months ago. It's time we know the whole truth."

Issa's subpoena is a challenge to Holder's honesty before Congress -- not for the first time, either. For an administration that claimed it was going to improve transparency, its attorney general's forthrightness before Congress is awfully opaque.

Around the Nation: California Dreamin'

California is at it again. The state that gave us the University of California at Berkeley and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals just handed down a quartet of laws that can only be described as absurd. First, Democrat Governor Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown signed the California Dream Act, which will give illegal aliens taxpayer-funded college financial aid to the tune of some $14.5 million. This is an insult not only to every legal immigrant but also to every taxpayer whose earnings will go to educate lawbreakers. Second, Brown signed a law banning the open carrying of unloaded handguns in public. Previously, open carry of unloaded guns was allowed, but apparently these expensive paperweights made some folks squeamish. Fear not, though, as HotAir's Ed Morrissey writes, "[S]tate legislator Anthony Portantino discovered this grave threat to public safety that has produced no violence and no issues, except that it makes some people nervous." What a way to crack down on ... freedom.

A third law prevents anyone under the age of 18 from using tanning beds. While this alone may not sound crazy, given the threat of skin cancer (government over-reach aside), the lunacy is revealed with the fourth law, which permits children 12 or older to make decisions, without parental or guardian consent, about receiving medical care to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. In other words, a 15-year-old can't walk into a tanning salon for artificial sun but can walk into a medical clinic and obtain an HPV vaccination or, for that matter, an abortion on demand. Indeed, stupidity has become standard in the once-Golden State.

Judicial Benchmarks: Court to Decide on Church Ministers

The Obama Justice Department has requested that the Supreme Court hear arguments in a religious liberty case. Naturally, the administration is on, at best, dubious ground. The case is that of Cheryl Perich, a "commissioned minister" and "called teacher" at Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School in Redford, Michigan. After being diagnosed with narcolepsy in 2004, she was granted leave by the school, which eventually had to hire another teacher and sought to "peacefully release" her. Perich, however, demanded to be reinstated and threatened legal action if the school failed to do so. She was then fired because taking such matters to secular court is against church teaching.

The Justice Department has backed her and is seeking to have the Supreme Court rule that the school must reinstate her on the grounds that her firing violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. The school maintains that she was fired for threatening legal action, not for her disability. Furthermore, ADA contains a "ministerial exception," so that churches aren't forced to hire people who violate their teachings (female priests in Catholic churches, for example). The question for the court, then, is whether Perich was a "minister." The only thing at stake is religious liberty. What could go wrong?

What do you think of this Court case?

From the Village Academic Curriculum File

A Michigan school district recalled a book on global warming that was included in science kits this week after parents complained. "This book makes sweeping statements" unfounded in science, said Connie Duncan, director of the Battle Creek Area Math and Science Center. "We want to be sure the information we send out is 100 percent correct to the best of our knowledge." According to the Kalamazoo News, "The book holds up Al Gore as an 'eco-hero;' promotes organizations such as Greenpeace and Rainforest Alliance; urges children to persuade their parents to 'Vote Green' and buy organic; cautions against new-home construction, the plastics industry and conventional agriculture, and notes 'many people believe that it is best for the earth for families to have no more than one child.'" The only thing surprising here is that the district had the wherewithal to pull the book.

And Last...

Barack Obama enjoyed one vote of confidence this week. On the same day he visited Orlando for another fundraiser, the city opened the first part of a new road named after him. The construction of President Barack Obama Parkway created 150 jobs at a cost of $10.5 million (roughly equivalent to the cost of Obama's visit, no doubt), and as Phase II begins, the city plans to hire another 150 workers. The road isn't at all what we expected. In fact, we were surprised to learn that it's not a dead-end dirt road littered with Recovery Act signs.

Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis!
Nate Jackson for The Patriot Post Editorial Team

What Does Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party Have in Common? (ContributorNetwork)

October 14, 2011

The tea party and Occupy Wall Street; both exercise free speech, both inspire people to travel from one place to gather in another. Other than that, the two causes have nothing in common.

The tea party was homegrown when frustrated Americans united against the government. Occupy Wall Street was born in Canada and pits Americans each other.  

The tea party has a clear message; smaller government, cut spending and stay out of my private life. Occupy Wall Street opposes everything from corporate or personal success to global warming and the unfairness of being expected to pay back their student loans.

Tea party protesters bathe, leave an area cleaner than when they arrived and they never defecate on police cars. The Occupy crowd - not so much.  

Read more: 

October 14, 2011

Dear Neighbor,

Below is my response to a column in today's Bucks County Courier Times "Patriot or Extortionist?"  I invite you to read both the article and response.  As always, if there is anything I or my office can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact the Langhorne office at 215-579-8102, or online at Fitzpatrick.house.gov. 

Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) once famously quipped that, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts."  That quote came to mind as I reviewed Kate Fratti's column this morning in the Bucks County Courier Times.

In today's column, Ms. Fratti characterized a small-business owner here in Bucks County as an "extortionist" based on a conversation with the Courier Times editorial board two weeks ago.  This misguided and misinformed accusation misrepresents not only the story I recounted in our meeting, but also the intentions and desires of Bucks County job creators.

The example I cited during this meeting was of a local manufacturer who has been in business for over forty years, during which time his work has included some defense contracting.  During the first ten months of my term in Congress, I have visited dozens of local small businesses and met with the owners of countless more. 

As I shared with the group, one of the most disheartening messages I have come away with as I meet with these entrepreneurs, the aforementioned manufacturer included, is that if they had to decide whether or not to start their businesses in today's climate, they would opt not to take the risk.  It is not a case of whether his business would be "as profitable" as suggested by Ms. Fratti; it is a case of whether his business would succeed, be able to grow, invest in the community and create jobs. It is a case of whether small businesses can care for - through the provision of good wages and health care benefits - their employees when the federal government consistently beats them down, taxes their labor and crushes their spirit. 

Excessive federal regulations and increasing tax burdens necessitated by out-of-control federal spending are making it impossible for him to survive in business or to adequately care for his employees. That, despite the fact that orders are available to be filled, is pushing him and other similarly situated manufacturers out of business.  

In spite of herself, Ms. Fratti, through her interview with an unnamed local employer, has made the case for businesses that are wary to hire today.  As the owner she quoted states, "...I could go on about all other hassles I get from state and federal agencies, including audits, filings and registrations.  Every single bit of it is discouraging me from investing time in helping my customers."  He goes on to summarize the problems his business is facing by claiming that "the bottom line is that businesses are hunkered down from what they see as increasingly strong anti-business headwinds."

As part of this employer's characterization of the obstacles facing his business, and in the story about the manufacturer, neither made any mention of Republicans, Democrats, Obama or one of the GOP presidential hopefuls.  It is not a case of pure politics, but of overbearing and ineffective government.  It is safe to assume that should President Obama come before the nation tomorrow evening and announce long-term plans to control spending, reduce ineffective and onerous regulations and institute a pro-growth tax policy, local businesses would be anxious to expand and create new jobs.  Were the President to pursue this path, there is little doubt that these entrepreneurs would, as Ms. Fratti puts it, wait "until my team is in the White House again."

While Ms. Fratti derides small-business owners as extortionists, she implies that the "masses" who have gathered in cities such as New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles are the patriots.  These protesters are "waking up" in response to the "extortionists" waiting out the Obama administration as it aims to reshape the American economic system. 

Having watched the Occupy Wall Street movement since its inception in New York in mid-September, their true intentions have yet to crystallize and be clearly articulated.  Some protesters walk with signs that call for an end to the wars, others demand the criminal prosecution of Wall Street executives, while others still rally behind the idea of an expanded federal government all in the name of the "99%."  None of these ideas, nor the literal occupation of public spaces in major U.S. cities, will bring about the conditions for the private sector to create the jobs Ms. Fratti is nominally advocating.

I will continue to work for my Pennsylvania constituents and with colleagues in the House of Representatives, the Senate and the President, as I have since January, to bring federal spending under control, pass legislation which will streamline and fairly enforce effective federal regulations and foster a pro-growth tax environment.  The ultimate goal is not to win temporary and minor political victories - I aim to provide the small-business job creators, the true patriots who drive our economy, with the tools they need to lead us into a real and lasting economic recovery.

Sincerely,

Mike Fitzpatrick
Member of Congress

The race issue is not new to America, but in recent years it has been used as a tool to divide us. We all know that there are groups in our nation that are truly racist, but that label does not apply to the majority of Americans. 

Some of the more recent events to bring race back into the lime light is the recent accusation by Morgan Freeman that the Tea Party is racist; and Obama calling Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain an Oreo. The Democrats and their liberal backers continuously try to label any threat to their agenda as racist.

Mr. Freeman needs to quietly attend a Tea Party gathering and meet the people he accuses of being racist and learn what color they go by. He needs to get to know the many Tea Party members that come from many different races and backgrounds. What about these members that he calls racist that are black? Are they prejudice against their own race? Mr. Freeman, we will let you in on the great color secret of the Tea Party: the colors are red white and blue.

It would seem that Obama is under the impression that Cain has a soft, sweet center. Again they forget the red and blue. Of course, Oreos are on most American's list of favorite treats- and what a treat it would be to see Cain take over the oval office!

Oreo from the racial view normally means a person that is half black and half white. Obama used Oreo to say that Cain is nothing more than a "white man" in black skin. Wouldn't this be considered the pot calling the kettle black? 

What makes a black mans beliefs different than that of a white man? Just because one's skin is darker or lighter than another does not mean they cannot share the same beliefs. I know and have many other friends of different races than my own that share most of my beliefs. The common bond is the belief of conservative values and\or that America is still a Christian nation no matter what Obama and the liberals say.

The color of a person's skin does not mean that they are limited to what they can believe. That holds no truer than here in the United States of America, where each of us have the right and freedom to choose what we believe. Isn't it the left that supposedly condemns the stereotyping of any group? The Tea Party has been stereotyped and labeled ever since we have started to band together and stand up for our beliefs.

For Herman Cain and anyone of the Tea Party that has taken offense to the remarks from the liberals, just remember: they attack us because they have realized that we are here to take our nation back and we are the ones who will keep their socialist dreams from coming true.  

 Susan's Paul Ryan Medicare Pamphlet - please print this and give it to your contacts