912 Patriots of Lower Bucks - Your Daily Updates ALL in ONE Place!
October 21, 2011
Quote:
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. >>> Thomas Jefferson
Union President Testifies: ICE HQ Ordered Agents Not to Arrest Illegals--Including Fugitives
By Edwin Mora
October 20, 2011
(CNSNews.com) - Chris Crane, president of a union that represents Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, testified in the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration last week that ICE agents have been told by ICE headquarters not to arrest illegal aliens who do not have a prior criminal conviction even if they are fugitives who have been ordered deported by an immigration judge or are individuals who have illegally re-entered the United States after being deported and thus have perpetrated a felony.
CALLING ALL PATRIOTS - PLEASE SEE MESSAGE BELOW AND PLEASE MAKE THESE CALLS!!!!
PHONE LIST AND TALKING POINTS - HB 934 VOTER ID
PASSED BY THE HOUSE, STUCK IN THE SENATE!!
IT IS SITTING IN THE STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
WE HAVE A REPUBLICAN SENATE, A REPUBLICAN HOUSE, AND A REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR BUT NOTHING MUCH IS GETTING DONE. WHY??
VOTER ID WILL ASSURE THAT YOUR VOTE WILL COUNT AND HELP ELIMINATE MULTIPLE VOTES, DEAD PEOPLE VOTING, AND OTHER ILLEGAL VOTING. 14 OTHER STATES HAVE PHOTO VOTER ID AND 14 STATES HAVE VOTER ID (NO PHOTO). WE KNOW THAT IN BOTH GEORGIA AND ALABAMA VOTER PARTICIPATION INCREASED SINCE PHOTO VOTER ID PASSED. WE ARE ONE OF THE ONLY DEMOCRACIES IN THE WORLD WITH NO UNIFORMLY REQUIRED VOTER ID. THE UNIONS DO NOT WANT IT AND THE ACLU DOES NOT WANT IT. YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF WHY WOULD ANYONE NOT WANT VOTER ID?
EVERY ILLEGAL VOTE STEALS THE VOTE OF A LEGITIMATE VOTER.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL CALL THESE KEY SENATORS AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK EVERY WEEK. PUT THE PRESSURE ON TO PASS IT!!
Charles McIlhinney, Bucks County, Chairman, State Government Committee
(717) 787-7305 (We are working on getting a meeting with McIlhinney.)
Mike Brubaker, Vice Chairman, State Government Committee
(717) 787-4420
Joseph Scarnati, President Pro Tempore of PA Senate
(717) 787-7084
Dominic Pileggi, Senate Majority Leader (sets the Senate agenda)
(717) 787-4712
Majority Leaders on the State Government Committee:
Jake Corman, (717) 787-1377 Mike Folmer (717) 787-5708
John Pippy (717) 787-5839 Donald White (717) 787-8724
Minority Leaders on the State Government Committee:
Andrew Dinniman (717) 787-5709 Christine Tartaglione (717) 787-1141
LeAnna Washington (717) 787-1427
The Kitchen Table Patriots
are proud to join with
The Philadelphia Loyal Opposition
and Eagle Forum in support of
Al Schmidt (Only) for City Commissioner on Nov. 8th!
October 2011
Dear PhiladelphiaEagle,
You live in a spot where there will be an election this year on Tuesday, November 8 that could affect the national election next year in a big way. You will have the opportunity to vote in a special election that will have implications on every other office in the United States - from your local neighborhood to the White House.
This is the election for Philadelphia City Commissioner. Those are the officials who are in charge of running fair and honest elections in Philadelphia. You and I know that our candidates cannot win unless we have honest elections. For years, we've heard the same complaints about unfair elections, politicking inside the polls, voter intimidation, poll watchers denied access, and much more.
I urge you to vote for Al Schmidt for City Commissioner on Tuesday, November 8 because we know we can count on him to fight for fair and honest elections. Philadelphia has three Commissioners, but no more than two can belong to the same political party. That means two Democrats and one Republican will be elected.
I urge you to vote ONLY for Al Schmidt (Press #119) - even though your ballot instructions will probably say "vote for two." You are absolutely NOT required to "vote for two" - you have a right to vote for only one, and that is the only way to assure that Al Schmidt will be elected. Also, do NOT vote a straight Republican ticket because that will automatically cast your ballot for both Republican candidates, only one of whom can win. If you have any questions, call PA Eagle Forum President Ned Pfeifer, 412-973-0502.
Al Schmidt is eminently qualified to be a Philadelphia City Commissioner. He is a former Senior Analyst for the non-partisan U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) - the investigative arm of Congress. There, he conducted oversight of government agencies, programs, and policies to identify and eliminate waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement anywhere that federal taxpayer dollars are spent. After leaving GAO, Al ran for City Controller and earned a reputation as an outspoken advocate for good government.
Al Schmidt has the skills and commitment to clean up the City Commissioner's Office and give us honest elections in Philadelphia. This can be decisive in how Pennsylvania will go in the important 2012 elections, and maybe even how the U.S. will go.
I urge you to vote on Tuesday, November 8 for Al Schmidt for City Commissioner - and vote ONLY for Al Schmidt for City Commissioner. Press #119. This could be more important than any vote you cast next year.
Faithfully,
Phyllis Schlafly
P.S. Please tell ten of your friends to be sure to vote ONLY for Al Schmidt (Press #119) on Tuesday, November 8. This is a crucial election for Philadelphia, for Pennsylvania, and for America.
Your participation is vital for this event. WE NEED 20-30 people to respond with a firm "yes" to picket Rep. Pileggi's office on 10/22/11 before we call the media. Press coverage is the best way to inform the public about the actions or inactions of our representatives. If there are only a handful of people, the press will either report nothing or will report the small number that turned out. The story will become one about lack of interest and lack of participation rather than lack of action by Senator Pileggi. We need to know who is willing to help us get this out to the public.
Senator Pileggi, PA Senate Majority Leader, has not shown leadership and it is time we let him know! The Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the Governor's office in Harrisburg. The House is doing its job-Senator Pileggi is stalling many bills in the Senate that are good for the Commonwealth.
Please call LISA ASAP at 484-995-1540 to let her know if you will or will not be participating.
We would like to picket his district office (100 Evergreen Dr, Glen Mills) Saturday, October 22nd from 11:00-1:00pm. We hope to have the press there to get our message out in order to educate the public and hold him accountable.
Attached is a flyer (SEE BOTTOM OF PAGE) that we will be handing out that day. We will also be distributing these at the Court Houses in Media and West Chester at different times. We would also like to have it handed out during the morning rush hour at train stations in Senator Pileggi's district--this has been very effective in the past.
All signs should reflect what is in the flyer--keep it simple. We need to know who is willing to help us get this out to the public. Your response is very important! ****** Please call Lisa ASAP at 484-995-1540 to let her know if you will, or will not, be participating. FLYER: http://gallery.mailchimp.com/8f32e128e917a51bebe910e8b/files/Pileggi_Flyer_Edit_1_.pdf
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
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.
Thursday, November 3rd at 7:30PM: John Fea, "Was American Founded as a Christian Nation? How Did the Founders Understand the Relationship Between Church and State?" John Fea, Associate Professor of American History at Messiah College and a David Library Fellow, will investigate the role of religion in shaping the Constitution. Professor Fea is the author of Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? and The Way of Improvement Leads Home: Philip Vickers Fithian and the Rural Enlightenment in Early America.
Thursday, December 1st at 7:30PM: Paul Finkelman, "America's Covenant With Death: Slavery and the Founding." Paul Finkelman is the President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy, and Senior Fellow in the Government Law Center at Albany Law School. His lecture will explore the relationship of slavery to the American founding, and will examine how slavery was written into the original Constitution, and protected by it.
Thursday, December 8th at 7:30PM: George W. Boudreau, "'A Republic, If You Can Keep It': Benjamin Franklin and the Crafting of the Constitution." The series closes with a talk by an audience favorite, George W. Boudreau, Associate Professor of Humanities and History at the University of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. Professor Boudreau is Project Director of the "Teaching Franklin" website (http://harrisburg.psu.edu/teachingfranklin/). His lecture will explore Franklin's role in the creation of the Constitution.
David Library lectures are free and open to the public, but reservations are necessary. Please call (215)493-6776 ext. 100 or email rsvp@dlar.org to make a reservation. Lectures are held in Stone Hall in the Feinstone Conference Center adjacent to the Library, 1201 River Road, Washington Crossing, PA 18977. Books by the lecturers will be available for purchase at post-lecture receptions.
10.11.11
Dear CF Friends,
Last week we took to the airwaves with a statewide call to action. With the help of supporters like you, we launched a major media campaign urging lawmakers to do what's right - to honor their promises to taxpayers.
I think you'll agree, we've reached the boiling point, and it's time for action!
AN INVITATION TO COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION FRIENDS
This afternoon, we're pleased to announce the details of a special event hosted by Commonwealth Foundation's Matt Brouillette with Philly Talk Radio 1210's Chris Stigall. Here are the details:
BOILING POINT: A Call to Action Policycast Tuesday, November 1, 2011 | 7-9PM | Dolce Valley Forge Hotel
Field reports and success stories from Pennsylvania's grassroots, taxpayer movement.
Live audience seating is free, limited, and available on a first come, first served basis. Please click here or call 717-671-1901 to make your reservation as soon as possible. For a printable flyer for the event, click here.
Until then, we'll remain ...
Fighting for Your Freedom,
Commonwealth Foundation
We Appreciate Your Tax-Deductible Support!
Click to visit their site and see a bigger poster . . .
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 !!!
Thomas Jefferson: "Whensoever the general government assumes undelegated powers....a nullification of the act is the rightful remedy."
But what IS nullification? How does it happen and work? Since September 2010, the Tenth Amendment Center has been hosting a national tour to educate and activate people on this topic. People are learning the constitutional basis, when it's been used in history, and how it is happening around the country and how YOU can stop DC right in your own state.
Judical Watch is Demanding Answers Earlier this month, Judicial Watch, a government/judicial watchdog group based out of Washington, DC, hosted a Voter Fraud panel discussion featuring John Fund, Christian Adams, and King Street/True the Vote leader Catherine Engelbrecht. Here's video from a portion of the event:
"The Voter Fraud Threat to Free and Fair Elections" - Part 2
But wait, there's more! The really exciting thing Judicial Watch is doing happened just last week when they filed a FOIA lawsuit against the DOJ to obtain records of communications between the Department of Justice and Project Vote Official/former ACORN attorney Estelle Rogers. You can read more about it here. Bottom line..."Judicial Watch is convinced that Project Vote's activities remain a threat to the integrity of our elections. The fact that Project Vote is bullying states to attack election security reforms in order to register Obama's 'Food Stamp Army' comes as no surprise. But it appears that the Obama Justice Department is using the same playbook as Project Vote - to the detriment of clean elections. The American people deserve to know if the nation's highest law enforcement agency has become nothing more than a political tool to help this scandalous ACORN-front group re-elect Barack Obama. Again, this Justice Department can't seem to be bothered to comply with basic open records FOIA law," stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
Be assured, we will be closely watching for any new developments in this case....but in the meantime, if you haven't already volunteered to help uphold free and fair elections by working at the polls WE NEED YOU! There is a critical shortage of polling place workers. We wonder why Project Vote and ACORN get away with their flagrant abuses of our system...it's because we as citizens are allowing it to happen. WE MUST ENGAGE IN THE PROCESS OF OUR ELECTIONS. One way you can engage is by volunteering to work as a poll watcher on Election Day. Please, it is going to take all of us to uphold the integrity of our elections in the days ahead. Get involved now.
We need TTV volunteers for poll watching - Free and fair elections do not happen without citizen involvement. Want to stand up and take action? True the Vote will provide training and support - you just need to take the first step. For more information email info@truethevote.org or go HERE to sign up now!
TRUE THE VOTE FAQs
I would like to True the Vote in my area, how do I get started?
Please go to www.truethevote.org and register as a volunteer. If there is already a True the Vote Program Leader in your area, we will put you in touch with them. If there is not a Program Leader in your area, we will work with you and your organization to get one started.
Will there be chapters of True the Vote?
No. Our goal is to work with organizations that want to use the True the Vote program as the framework for their own election integrity initiative.
How should I represent True the Vote?
You will not be a representative of True the Vote. You will represent your own organization's initiative.
How do I get trained on the True the Vote Program?
We will offer five training courses:
1. Teambuilding
2. Data Collection and Research
3. Poll Worker / Poll Watcher Training
4. Logistics and Mobilization
5. Legislation and Advocacy
Once we connect you with a True the Vote Program Leader in your area or are working with you to implement a program, you will receive updates with the latest program information and training schedules.
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)
If you wish to unsubscribe (and we hope you don't) please click the "safe unsubscribe" link.
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.
Right now we are offering $100 off to anyone from PA -- all they have to do is use the code: PABUS100 (or they can just call me and I'll do it for them).
And..., Americans for Prosperity Foundation will send for FREE to the Summit (including bus, hotel, tickets to all venue and $50 for food), any person who books 15 or more people (including themselves).
Here are the details:
Americans For Prosperity Foundation is excited to announce that businessman and GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain will be joining Mark Levin, John Fund, Grover Norquist and many more at the 2011 Defending the American Dream Summit on November 4th & 5th at the Washington Convention Center.
Act now and register for one of our bus packages from your state (For PA: $259 single occupancy and $179 double occupancy [with the discount])! These packages include bus transportation, hotel accommodations, and Summit registration for one low price.
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
Also, learn about public policy issues, grassroots activism, new media strategies, foundations of economic freedom ...and much more!
Click here to register today and help defend the American Dream! Use the online discount code "PABUS100" on the registration page to get the $100 off all bus packages. Give your children the gift of freedom and bring the whole family to the Defending the American Dream Summit this year.
Please join Herman Cain, Mark Levin, John Fund, and Grover Norquist, along with thousands of fellow freedom fighters, and send a message that the American Dream is alive and well in this great country!
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.
Last weekend, both the New York Times and the Washington Post ran commentaries claiming that voter fraud is a myth. "There is almost no voting fraud in America," pronounced the Post's October 9 editorial. Apparently the liberal commentariat spurns reading readily available case studies on election fraud, and well-researched books detailing fraud, including John Fund's Stealing Elections and Larry Sabato's Dirty Little Secrets.
The fraud denialists also must have missed the recent news coverage of the double voters in North Carolina and the fraudster in Tunica County, Miss. - a member of the NAACP's local executive committee - who was sentenced in April to five years in prison for voting in the names of ten voters, including four who were deceased. And the story of the former deputy chief of staff for Washington mayor Vincent Gray, who was forced to resign after news broke that she had voted illegally in the District of Columbia even though she was a Maryland resident. Perhaps they would like a copy of an order from a federal immigration court in Florida on a Cuban immigrant who came to the U.S. in April 2004 and promptly registered and voted in the November election.
But the papers go beyond denying even the existence of fraud. They also erroneously claim that new voter-ID laws and other reforms designed to protect the integrity of the democratic process are actually intended to suppress the votes of Democrats and minorities.
By now you've probably heard about Barack Obama's interview with Jake Tapper where he says, "I believe all the choices we've made have been the right ones."
I want to focus on something else that I think gets to the heart of the matter. It's Barack Obama's fun use of the pronoun "it," as in the economy. He tells Tapper, "The economy is not where it wants to be."
Since when did the economy have an opinion on where it wants to be? When did we anthropormophize the economic? Does Walt Disney know about this? Maybe we should put this economy in the Hall of Presidents or something and let it speak for itself.
"I want to be bigger," said Mr. Economy.
Nooooooo. This is the President giving away the game. Barry O thinks, like with the physician, the economy should heal itself. The economy does not want anything. People want jobs. Investors want growth. The economy Does. Not. Want.
Yesterday, Leon Wolf wrote that Herman Cain's abortion position sounds much like that of the mythical pro-life Democrat, or like those Democrats who try to cast themselves as "personally" pro-life, but who would not do anything to actually change the law.
On Piers Morgan's show on CNN, Herman Cain seemingly took the position that while he is pro-life and things abortion is wrong, he would not as President do anything to stop women from having abortions.
Later, he clarified his statement.
This is the second time in as many days where Herman has walked something back claiming to have misunderstood a reporter's questions. The problem though, is that it is difficult to claim Piers Morgan was asking if Cain would order people to not have abortions based on how Herman himself answered the question.
So the left would have you believe that the voter fraud debate is really about racist Republicans trying to prevent African-Americans and other minorities from voting. The New York Times ran this argument earlier this month, conveniently ignoring that the right-wing bastion Rhode Island passed a voter ID sponsored by leading African-Americans and Latinos, all Democrats.
Well, today we are greeted by an op-ed by former Congressman Artur Davis, who was one of the shining lights of African-American Southern Democrats. Davis says that he made a mistake in opposing voter ID and that the real thing that needs immediate action is "manufactured" ballots in Alabama's Black Belt, which refers to the color of the dirt.
It's a turning point on the campaign trail. No one has knocked Herman Cain from his perch yet, but there is a growing consensus among both Democrat and Republican consultants that this is still a race between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry.
Why aren't they taking Herman Cain seriously? Why is this a Romney v. Perry race? And what about Michele Bachman? Intentional or not, she seems ready to embrace the role of spoiler for Mitt Romney.
Conservatives are starting to get antsy. Consolidation of the field is not happening. And things are starting to get ugly. Will Newt be the next guy to try to consolidate the field? We'll get into it all in this week's Horserace.
Wonder aloud why it is that conservatives are so much more generous than liberals.
(According to Who Really Cares? by Arthur Brooks, conservatives give at least 30 percent more to charity; other sources put the figure as high as 100 percent.) Decide that liberalism is a hypocrite's religion that, while preaching altruism, encourages its practitioners to outsource their personal obligations to taxpayers and, more effectively, to conservatives who really do practice the altruistic gospel.
The Council on American Islamic Relations, which is getting increasingly close to the Iranian regime, has failed to condemn the recent Iranian assassination plot.
The AFL-CIO union used to oppose extreme leftism, but now it is supporting the Occupy Wall Street protests. One of its affiliates is headed by self-styled leftist "revolutionary."
Absorbing internet information can be overwhelming. Using his own photographs, this author explains how he balances information overload by taking in the beauty of Maine.
When the secretary-general of the United Nations talks of the ransom of a thousand terrorists for one kidnapped soldier as a hopeful basis for peace, something is morally wrong.
At present, E-Verify is voluntary, where employers can check whether workers are legally permitted to work. Congress is now debating making E-Verify mandatory.
I think it good politics for Jerusalem to do this but at the same time they should study the Israeli curriculum and not the Palestinian one. It would be a travesty if the incitement continued. Ted Belman
With new classrooms and technology tools, Mayor Nir Barkat has declared an education revolution in the eastern sector of the capital city.
When the 2011-2012 school year began in the Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, millions of shekels in sparkling new or renewed classrooms, computers and sports facilities greeted 42,153 students and their teachers.
Many of the 59 public schools approved and budgeted under the Jerusalem Education Authority of the Ministry of Education have been neglected, undersupplied or overcrowded for decades. Since taking office in November 2008, Mayor Nir Barkat has been implementing improvements to get these facilities on par with schools in the western sector of the city, says Stephan Miller, advisor to...
Looming Threat By refusing to directly confront Iran's provocations, the United States has become the Islamic Republic's key ally in its march toward a nuclear bomb
By Lee Smith, Tablet Magazine
Seen this way, it is clear that the White House wouldn't want to highlight Israel's spot in Iran's crosshairs, because no matter how many times President Barack Obama tells Israeli officials and Jewish audiences that an Iranian nuclear bomb would be unacceptable, his administration's real policy position has just been exposed. A demand for more sanctions against Tehran in response to an operation intended to slaughter hundreds of American allies in the U.S. capital-in a series of attacks that would have also caused hundreds of American casualties-makes it clear to everyone, especially the Iranians, that Washington isn't going to do anything serious about stopping Iran's nuclear-weapons program.
Because Washington doesn't want to do anything about Iran,...
The Palestinian envoy to Canada has been told she's not welcome in Ottawa after she tweeted a link to a video that the federal government deemed an offensive diatribe against Jews.
Now, Linda Sobeh Ali, the chargé d'affaires of the Palestinian delegation in Ottawa, is just one cut above persona non grata. The Canadian government called her in for a high-level dressing down, made a formal protest to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and has decided to "limit communication" with her until a replacement arrives.
The diplomatic cold shoulder was sparked when Ms. Sobeh Ali took to Twitter this month to circulate a link to a video posted on YouTube, telling her followers on the social-media message system to "check this video out."
The video shows a Palestinian girl, in tears and shouting with passion, reciting a poem in Arabic, "I am Palestinian." The English subtitles on the video include a passage where millions are called "to a war...
We recently had a discussion on Israpundit in support of capital punishment. It was argued that that when you show tolerance for murder by not requiring capital punishment, you are giving a license to murder. You are saying murder is so so bad as to warrant capital punishment.
By the same token Israel gave a license for hostage taking by not taking action to recover Shalit immediately. And I don't mean military action because Shalit and other Israeli soldiers would most likely die in the rescue attempts.
Israel could have started a relentless campaign of killing Hamas leaders until he was released. It could have refused to continue on the peace process until he was released. It could have shut down the electrical grid functioning in Gaza. It could have retaken the Philadelphi Corridor and put a stop to the operation of the tunnels. And so on. By not doing such things, it made the trade inevitable.
Similarly Israel's response to the thousands of rockets...
'The agreement the United States made with Iran for return of the hostages has the same moral standing as an agreement made with a kidnapper, that is to say none at all. This is not said in criticism of the Carter administration, which made the deal to save the hostages' lives. But now that the hostages are free, President Reagan should examine the agreement carefully and if its unfulfilled parts do not, on balance, benefit American interests, there should be no hesitation in renouncing it.'
That is how the Wall Street Journal began one of the most controversial newspaper editorials in American history. The date was January 21, 1981, the second day of the Reagan presidency. It ran under the headline "Renounce the Deal." The reference was to the deal the Carter administration struck to free the last 52 of the American hostages who had been held for the last 444 days by the regime of Ayatollah Khomeini.
GENEVA: The United Nations voiced concern on Tuesday that some of the Palestinian detainees released in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit may have not have been given any choice on where to go, which could constitute an illegal forced transfer.
The office of Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, welcomed the release but cited reports that some of the Palestinian prisoners from the West Bank may be released to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip or abroad.
Under international humanitarian law, it is illegal to forcibly transfer war detainees or deport them to another country against their will.
Israeli soldier Shalit returned home to a national outpouring of joy on Tuesday after five years in captivity, and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners exchanged for him were greeted with kisses from Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip.
"It was with a sense of great relief that we have received...
The claim of Israel's isolation, echoed by Democratic and Republican leaders alike, is gaining status as fact. "Israel finds itself increasingly isolated, beleaguered, and besieged," John Heilemann wrote recently in New York magazine. The Economist reported that "Israel's isolation has .?.?. been underlined by the deterioration of its relations with Turkey and Egypt." New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "isolating his country," while Thomas Friedman described Israel as "adrift at sea alone."
But is Israel really more isolated now than in the past?
Former Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi is dead from wounds he suffered during his capture near his hometown of Sirte, according to Reuters reports. If the news turns out to be true, it would be great news for the people of Libya who have long suffered under Qadhafi's tyrannical rule and who have waged a months-long civil war to end the decades-old dictatorship. However, just as the death of Saddam Hussein did not mark the end of hostilities in Iraq and the death of Osama bin Laden did not spell the end of al-Qaeda, so it is also true that much work remains to ensure that Libya's future is secure.
Qadhafi was reportedly captured in his hometown of Sirte amid news that the Transitional National Council (TNC) finally took control of the city after weeks of fighting. Reuters reports:
National Transitional Council official Abdel Majid Mlegta told Reuters earlier that Gaddafi was captured and wounded in both legs at dawn on Thursday as he tried to flee in a convoy which NATO warplanes attacked.
"He was also hit in his head," the official said. "There was a lot of firing against his group and he died."
October 20, 2011 American Laws for American Courts
Please sign the petition! By Brigitte Gabriel, President ACT! for America
This is unlike any petition we've ever done. We're not sending it to Congress or the administration.
We're "sending" it to us. And it's extremely important.
You see, we need to hear from you. We need to know if you'll sign our petition of support for our 2012 effort to get "American Laws for American Courts" (ALAC) legislation passed in as many states as possible.
We need to know which states have the greatest grassroots support for ALAC. I'll explain why in a moment.
Earlier this year we were successful in getting ALAC passed in Tennessee and Arizona.
The bill prohibits state courts from using foreign law in areas such as family law. "Foreign law" includes sharia law.
This is a powerful firewall against the intrusion of sharia law into our court system. A Center for Security Policy report released earlier this year documented over 50 instances in 23 states where American courts have used sharia law over the past several years.
Our opponents have literally "gone ballistic" over our efforts to get "American Laws for American Courts" passed. One Michigan state representative made the absurd and dishonest claim that support for this bill is "racism at its core"!!
As we prepare for the 2012 state legislative sessions, we must build on the momentum we have gained this year. To do so, we need to make good, strategic decisions about where to introduce "American Laws for American Courts" and where to focus our energies and efforts.
Our ultimate objective is to get ALAC passed in every state in the Union, but we're not ready yet to fight for passage of this law in every state-so we must choose where to do so in 2012.
This is where you come in.
One element in our decision-making is the amount of grassroots support we can muster in a state. Should our opponents try to make the preposterous case that the law is "racist," we have to have a loud and strong grassroots presence to persuade state legislators to do the right thing and pass the bill.
For this reason, we are launching a petition to gauge the strength of our grassroots support for the bill in every state-except the states of Tennessee, Arizona, Louisiana and Oklahoma, where a bill or initiative in some form has already passed.
So let your voice be heard. Please sign the petition. Forward it to others in your state and encourage them to sign. Every person who signs will be put on the list for that state, so we can track the response to this state by state.
It's not just the total number of names from each state we'll be looking at. We know that larger states will likely have a lot more people sign the petition than smaller states.
This is why we'll look at the number of names from each state as a percentage of the population of that state.
So help us in our strategic decision making. Let us know how much grassroots support there is in your state by signing our petition and forwarding it to everyone you know today!
The dark scourge of anti-Semitism has reared up at many "Occupy" protests across the country, and the subject could well become a campaign 2012 issue as Republicans have been quick to point out to voters that many Democrats, including the president, are aligning themselves with the protests.
An organization that monitors Islamic extremism around the world reports there have been 3,094 people killed in 66 Islamic terror attacks in the United States in recent years, but the activist Council on American Islamic Relations says it is unfair for the nation's Department of Homeland Security to single out Muslims for observation.
"If we move in mass, be it ever so circuitously, we shall attain our object; but if we break into squads, everyone pursuing the path he thinks most direct, we become an easy conquest to those who can now barely hold us in check." --Thomas Jefferson, 1811
With the most recent GOP presidential primary "debate" just concluded, it's clear that the frontrunner is none other than ... you guessed it, Barack Hussein Obama. The incessant bickering bullpucky and petty assaults among most of the GOP wannabes is undoubtedly a source of great glee for the Obama campaign. That infighting, and the fact that Obama's adoring Leftmedia sycophants are promoting the GOP candidates they believe Obama can most readily defeat, largely account for the GOP candidate poll standings -- and are keeping Obama in the lead.
The intraparty rancor among the GOP candidates, both on and off the debate stage, is the direct result of archaic advice from the old-school network of Beltway political and media consultants relying upon their worn-out primary playbooks. Apparently they all missed the "Tea Party" message of the midterm elections beyond the Beltway, which heralded a new breed of conservatives and a new House majority.
Of course, it will take more than one election cycle to purge all the establishment Republicans from the House and Senate -- those who still exercise considerable control over Congress. I'm concerned, however, that the Republic may not have enough election cycles remaining to restore Liberty, especially if the Republican presidential hopefuls don't clean up their act. On their current self-destructive course, they'll readily hand re-election to Obama.
In 1966, Ronald Reagan adopted for primary candidates what his California Republican chairman labeled "The Eleventh Commandment": "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican." Two years earlier, an outstanding conservative, Barry Goldwater, had lost his presidential bid to liberal Democrat Lyndon Johnson only after Goldwater was attacked by East Coast establishment Republicrats like Nelson Rockefeller, who labeled him an "extremist" and declared him unfit for the presidency.
Recall that Reagan delivered the defining speech of the modern conservative movement in support of Barry Goldwater in '64, on ground laid by conservatives Russell Kirk and William F. Buckley. Had Goldwater won that campaign, the American political landscape would look very different today. Absent would be Johnson's "Great Society" government programs, which were the model for Obama's advanced breed of Democrat Socialists.
In subsequent campaigns, including his two presidential elections, Ronald Reagan abided by that 11th Commandment, unless defending himself, and he set an outstanding course for American renewal. But most of the current crop of GOP contenders is too busy hacking at each other to take a lesson from history. Of course, it took an individual of Reagan's character and stature to rise above pettiness and egomaniacal ambition that now besieges the GOP field.
Prior to these recent debates, I sent (via emissaries) this simple message to each Republican contender: "As publisher of the most widely read conservative grassroots publication on the Internet, here is some advice from outside the Beltway. If you want to win the 2012 presidential primary, STOP attacking your Republican opponents and START talking about what you will do as president to restore constitutional integrity, free enterprise, national defense, family values and America's standing around the world. This is a different election cycle from those in past decades, and the old formulas for debates should be discarded. I beg you to abide by Reagan's 11th commandment and stop attacking your opponent's record and focus on your own ... on what you can and will do as president. American Patriots want to learn about you, not about how effectively your campaign handlers can prepare you to attack other Republicans. The political paradigm has changed, and if your media and PR consultants do not comprehend that change, the result might well be the re-election of Barack Hussein Obama."
One of the candidates responded accordingly. Though already written off as unelectable by the media, in my opinion he would eviscerate Obama in "mano y mano" debate.
I won't mention him by name, because there isn't a GOP contestant whom I consider the "ideal candidate," and I don't want it to be inferred that I believe any of the current candidates fit that bill. (I believe Ronald Reagan was the most outstanding conservative president of the past century, but I certainly don't think he was flawless -- and neither did he.)
Those of us who have observed presidential campaigns for decades know that there is no "perfect candidate" in the current lineup, one who will be capable of, in the words of my colleague Cal Thomas, "delivering us from our collective economic, social and foreign policy 'sins' and bring redemption to a nation from the consequences of too many wrong-headed choices." Thomas adds, "Perhaps a Republican president with a 60-vote, veto-proof Senate majority and an expanded House majority might be able to revolutionize government, but only if squishy Republicans in both bodies went along, which seems problematic, especially on big issues."
However, if GOP contenders don't stop attacking each other, none of them will even have the chance to correct the course of our nation.
Fortunately, two of the GOP candidates have clearly upheld Reagan's 11th commandment in each of the debates, and every other contender should heed their example.
During the Reagan Presidential Foundation debate, one of the two chastised moderator John Harris for his bald-faced attempt to stir intraparty arguments: "Well, I'm frankly not interested in your effort to get Republicans fighting each other. ... I for one, and I hope all of my friends up here, am going to repudiate every effort of the news media to get Republicans to fight each other to protect Barack Obama who deserves to be defeated. And all of us are committed as a team, whoever the nominee is, we are all for defeating Barack Obama."
In the most recent debate, he chastised CNN pretty boy Anderson Cooper: "Maximizing bickering is probably not the road to the White House. And the technique you've used maximizes going back and forth over and over again."
Unfortunately, the rest of the candidates seem unwilling to rise above the pettiness.
Beyond the bickering, none of the candidates has given more than peripheral attention to the most pressing issue of the current era -- the restoration of constitutional integrity -- though I know a couple of them certainly place that task above all others. Perhaps their handlers have convinced them that the American people are just too dullard to participate in a more substantive national debate about constitutional authority and the First Principles of Liberty. However, in reality most of today's Beltway politicos couldn't begin to articulate the distinction between Rule of Law and rule of men, and the implications for Liberty, and thus are not prepared to integrate that into their campaign template.
That notwithstanding, there is a growing legion of conservatives who are, first and foremost, concerned about the abject violation of the limits that our Constitution places upon the central government. These constitutional conservatives, who were largely responsible for seating a House majority in 2010, are poised to increase that majority, and seat a Senate majority, in 2012.
Fact is, almost twice as many Americans self-identify as "conservative" than as "liberal," but apparently that stat hasn't made it across the Potomac, where establishment Republicans still exercise the greatest influence.
Perhaps all the GOP candidates will rise above the rancor in the next debate. For the record, I would remind them of the words of the wisest of all men: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand."
In the meantime, conservatives must reject the Leftmedia pollaganda promoting the media choice for the GOP ticket.
(Visit The Patriot Post's campaign resource page, where we've compiled all the 2012 presidential candidate links as well as debate transcripts and videos.)
Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis! Libertas aut Mortis!
The jury in the terror trial of the two Somali women who raised funds for al Shabab in Rochester, Minnesota, returned with a raft of guilty verdicts this morning. The women were convicted of charges including conspiracy to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization, of providing support, and of lying to the FBI. The jury deliberated for about 20 hours.
The ringleader was not exactly remorseful after the verdicts were returned. According to the AP, she stood before the judge and stated through an interpreter: "I am very happy." She added that she knew she was going to heaven - but first she'll be stopping off in prison. She condemned people in authority who accused her of wrongdoing (and anyone "who is against Muslims"), saying: "You will go to hell." I'm pretty sure that includes Judge Davis, but count me in as well.
It's been a while since I've seen the bumper sticker proclaiming Support mental health or I'll kill you, but Vice President Biden is adapting the bumper sticker approach to promoting Obama's so-called jobs (i.e., Son of Stimulus) bill. Biden suggested last week in Flint, Michigan that more rapes and murders could occur if the bill is not passed. Biden reiterated his warning in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Biden's approach to promoting Obama's bill hasn't elicited the attention or the mockery it deserves. Perhaps it has a grain of truth in its favor. Considering the bill's union supporters, you never know. But as Biden himself might say: Come on, man. The Democrats' original so-called stimulus bill of 2009 must have prevented an epidemic of pillage, plunder and rapine.
Shouldn't the Democrats be claiming credit? Apparently not. A trillion dollars later, murder and rape continue to rise in Flint, according to Biden. Another half trillion of walking around money is called for if Flint is to maintain.
Jason Mattera is the author of Obama Zombies and the editor of Human Events. He is also an indomitable ambush interviewer. Jason caught up with Biden to follow up on Biden's deep thoughts regarding the so-called jobs bill. "Don't screw around with me," Biden warned him.
Don't screw around with him, or what? That's where familiarity with the old Support mental health bumper sticker really comes in handy.
UPDATE: Glenn Reynolds has more here, and Alana Goodman takes a closer look at Flint, where the numbers - unexpectedly! - don't bear out Biden's remarks.
Angeleo Codevilla has been a relentless critic of the wars conducted by the United States in the wake of 9/11. The Claremont Review of Books (subscribe here) has been Codevilla's publication of choice for these essays, and the new (fall) issue features the latest installment of Codevilla's critique. It is a critique that I resist without being able to refute. Indeed, I would concede that parts of it are irrefutable.
Ten years after 9/11, Codevilla now asks, where do we stand? According to Codevilla, we are weaker, purposeless, and confused about our national security. Codevilla judges that we have lost the war on terror, and that the world is even more hostile to the United States than it was on September 10, 2011. He argues that one of our mistakes has been to trust the ruling class, as Codevilla calls it, the experts in charge, even though these experts have failed to understand the nation's best interest or to pursue the policies that further it. A new approach is badly needed - one that comes from clearer thinking about our place in the world and better understanding the true intentions of our enemies.
Thanks to the failed policies of the Obama/Biden Administration, the Misery Index has come roaring back. Here's how Reuters put it: "An unofficial gauge of human misery in the United States rose last month to a 28-year high as Americans struggled with rising inflation and high unemployment."
The Misery Index is a combination of the unemployment rate and inflation. It is currently 13%. For the record, the Misery Index averaged 8.11% during George W. Bush's presidency. It reached all-time high of 22% under Jimmy Carter.
Unfortunately, there is even more bad news. Underemployment -- the combination of unemployed workers and those who can only find part-time work -- rose again in September to 26 million, "a number experts say is unprecedented."
Let me remind you that Obama told ABC News this week, "I believe all the choices we've made have been the right ones," and Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid said, "It's very clear that private-sector jobs have been doing just fine; it's the public-sector jobs where we've lost huge numbers." Wrong, Harry!
As the saying goes, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." And the facts speak volumes -- Obama has failed. Too many Americans are losing hope. We need a change!
Barack & Joe: Take Your Own Advice!
2011 started off with the horrific shootings in Tucson, Arizona. A deranged gunman shot a Democrat congresswoman, members of her staff and others at a town hall meeting. The liberal media and the Democrat establishment rushed to judgment and condemned the Tea Party.
As it turns out, the assassin, Jared Loughner, was an apolitical radical who would fit in well with the Occupy Wall Street movement. A friend told ABC that Loughner was heavily influenced by a movie called "Zeitgeist." One left-wing reviewer described the movie as containing three central points: "Religion in general, and Christianity in particular, are systems of social control. 9/11 was an inside job... And, finally, International Bankers ... control our money and our future..." But I digress...
Barack Obama used his speech at the nationally televised memorial service following the Tucson shootings to call for less over-the-top rhetoric and greater civility in public discourse. The media loved it and praised Obama for his wisdom and statesmanship.
So what we have heard from the Obama/Biden team lately? Well, according to Barack Obama, Republicans want "dirtier air, dirtier water, [and] less people with health insurance." Not to be outdone, Vice President Biden blamed the Bush Administration for an increase in crime. Yesterday Biden said:
"In many cities the result has been -- and it's not unique -- murder rates are up, robberies are up, rapes are up. And folks, there's a simple reason for that. It's been a perfect storm out there from the God-awful Ponzi schemes that the last outfit allowed Wall Street to engage in, resulted in this gigantic collapse of the financial industry."
As outrageous as that was, Biden was just getting started. Responding to critics of Obama's so-called jobs bill, which is another massive temporary stimulus spending bill, Biden said this:
"... it's not temporary when that 911 call comes in and a woman's being raped, if a cop shows up in time to prevent the rape. It's not temporary to that woman. It's not temporary to the guy whose store is being held up and there's a gun pointed at his head, if a cop shows up and he's not killed. I wish these guys who thought it was temporary, I wish they had some notion of what it was like to be on the other side of a gun, or [to have] a 200-pound man standing over you, telling you to submit."
Really, Joe? You wish Americans who are tired of your record deficits and out-of-control spending were mugged or raped?
So, let's recap. While conservatives have been told to tone down our rhetoric, Democrats have insisted that Republicans want "dirtier air, dirtier water, [and] less people with health insurance." We want women to be raped and store owners killed. We not only want grandma kicked out of her nursing home, we want her pushed off a cliff too. We want children with disabilities kicked out into the streets and forced to fend for themselves. And we also want to see blacks "hanging on trees."
Hope and change is gone. Fear and smear is all the Democrats have left. Their hyperbolic rhetoric is designed to accomplish one thing: preserve their grip on power so they can continue to grow the government. But that is a dead-end road. Greece is once again gripped by riots because the European experiment in big government socialism has bankrupted that country. Will we learn from Europe's mistakes? Will we be grown-ups? Or will we end up in flames like Greece? The 2012 elections will decide what path our country takes.
Faith Under Fire
Here we go again. If you believe that homosexuality is wrong or immoral, you probably can't work for a major law firm, ad agency or corporation today. (Just ask Dr. Frank Turek.) But now New Jersey is setting the standard that you may not even be able to teach. Viki Knox, a New Jersey special education teacher, may well lose her job for daring to express her belief -- not in the classroom, but on her personal Facebook page -- that homosexuality is a sin.
Knox was offended by a display at the school where she worked promoting "Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Transgender History Month." A parent, offended by Knox's comments, contacted a local attorney, John Paragano, who referred the matter to the school board. Paragano argues, "She has a right to say it. But she does not have a right to keep her job after saying it."
(Knox, by the way, happens to be black. The teachers' unions won't defend her because they have fully embraced the homosexual rights movement. And in the liberal pecking order of minority rights, gay trumps black. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who many conservatives wanted to run for president, condemned Knox's views as "disturbing" and is promising a thorough investigation.)
My friends, I have warned for years that this issue will affect you. Millions of well-meaning Americans have fallen for "gay rights" because the movement has disguised itself under the cloak of tolerance. But their tolerance only goes one way. It is okay for the school to promote "lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender" issues to your kids, but it is not okay for a Christian to express her faith or utilize her free speech rights.
Reid signals government jobs must take priority over private-sector jobs
By Pete Kasperowicz - 10/19/11
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday indicated Congress needs to worry about government jobs more than private-sector jobs, and that this is why Senate Democrats are pushing a bill aimed at shoring up teachers and first-responders.
"It's very clear that private-sector jobs have been doing just fine; it's the public-sector jobs where we've lost huge numbers, and that's what this legislation is all about," Reid said on the Senate floor.
GOP: Democrats mum on anti-Semitism from Occupy Wall Street protestors
By Jonathan Easley - 10/19/11
Republicans launched a new attack on Democrats and the Occupy Wall Street movement on Wednesday, accusing party leaders of being silent in response to episodes of anti-Semitism in the demonstrations.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) charged Democrats with a double standard, saying they had ripped the Tea Party movement for incidents of racism.
FBI investigating assassination threat against Rep. Schilling
By Debbie Siegelbaum - 10/20/11
The FBI and U.S. Capitol Police are investigating an online threat made against Rep. Bobby Schilling (R-Ill.) that offered a $75,000 reward for his assassination.
The FBI and Capitol Police also are investigating a similarly worded online threat against President Obama and his family and several other lawmakers.
Schilling learned of the threat against him in an email alert Tuesday night, according to his spokeswoman, Andrea Pivarunas. Sherriff's deputies reportedly responded to the congressman's district home and have passed the matter on to the FBI and Capitol Police.
LIBYA CELEBRATES GADHAFI'S DEATHReports began swirling about the capture and death of Moammar Gadhafi early on Thursday morning. CNN, MSNBC, and Reuters have all be airing a gruesome photo of a corpse they claim is Gadhafi's. See the report HERE. CAIN CALLS JESUS "A PERFECT CONSERVATIVE"Herman Cain's poll numbers are rising and that has inspired considerable review of things he has said and written in the past. Last December, Cain wrote an article calling Jesus "a perfect conservative" and claimed that "he...changed the world for the better." Get the complete story HERE.
VP WARNS, 'DONT SCREW AROUND WITH ME'Joe Biden has been traveling the country trying to ramp up support for the Obama Jobs Bill. He even said that not passing the bill would mean an increase in rape and murder. When a reporter questioned the scare tactics, Biden's tone changed considerably. Watch the video of the encounter HERE. 'OWS' HITS 1000 ARRESTS, OBAMA'S WALL STREET CASH, RON PAUL BLAMES THE FEDEach day, The Blaze offers a special morning and evening electronic basket filled with must-read stories. The Thursday morning goodies await you HERE.
ONE-DAY FREE TRIAL OF GBTV... JUST CLICK AND WATCH LIVE TONIGHT AT 5PMOur own Glenn Beck has announced that tonight's two-hour, 5pm show will be a special presentation focusing on children, and it will also be available to anyone, free of charge. Find out more about this simple, "click and watch" deal HERE.
VIRAL VIDEO - A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO STEVE JOBS, USING ONLY APPLE-MADE SOUNDSYesterday, all Apple stores closed for three hours so employees could participate in a special memorial to deceased co-founder Steve Jobs. While searching for a clip from the Apple-produced tribute, we came upon an independently-produced homage that was created using Jobs' own words from a 2005 commencement speech and sounds generated by various Apple products. Watch it HERE.
ELDERLY COUPLE, MARRIED 72-YRS, DIES TOGETHER, HOLDING HANDS. . .Norma and Gordon Yeager were married for 72 years and according to local reports from their hometown in Iowa, they wanted to be together forever. Last week, both Norma and Gordon were seriously injured in a car wreck and had to be taken to an Intensive Care facility. They passed away within and hour of each other, from injuries received in the accident, still holding hands. Watch the reports of this moving story HERE.
This should really make you mad -
Occupy Portland Protester Dances On Soldiers' Monument
Yesterday Fox News reported that our Capital City, Washington, D.C., had become a sanctuary city after Mayor Vincent Gray signed an executive order formalizing the existing "don't-ask-don't-tell" policy prohibiting police from inquiring about the immigration status of people they stop or arrest.
How ironic then is a new Rasmussen poll released this past Monday that showed 63 percent of American voters favor immigration checks on all routine traffic stops.
What has just happened in Washington, D.C. should outrage Americans from coast-to-coast.
This is our beacon city for the world to see, and here we have a mayor who is arrogantly thumbing his nose at existing immigration laws--easing the minds of law-breakers while throwing out the welcome mat for even more!
+ + 275,000+ petitions headed to D.C Mayor's office
As Fox News so aptly pointed out in their story, Washington, D.C. needs true sanctuary for law-abiding citizens protecting them from the lawbreakers and politicians who promote these kinds of rogue policies.
That's precisely why Grassfire Nation is moving quickly to hand-deliver at least 275,000 "No Amnesty for Illegals"
petitions to Mayor Vincent Gray's office in a massive show of national grassroots outrage over his turning our nation's capital into a sanctuary city for illegal aliens!
Having already signed our petition, we are asking
key members of our team to help us quickly rally
the additional 25,000 signatures in time for our
delivery.
Please forward this message to 25-30 friends today
urging them to click below and sign our "No Amnesty
Again, we want to move quickly -- perhaps as soon as early next week. However, much depends on team members like you spreading the word and rallying their friends and family to take immediate action!
Open defiance of existing immigration laws -- especially in our nation's capital cannot be tolerated.
Thank you in advance for standing with us.
Your friends at Grassfire Nation
P.S. We are only 25,000 signatures shy of our goal. Please alert your friends. Urge them to click below to sign:
Last Friday, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius admitted that the CLASS program can't work. After months of insisting that it could meet a 75-year actuarial soundness test and keep with the statutory requirements, Sebelius acknowledged that "despite our best analytical efforts, I do not see a viable path forward for CLASS implementation at this time."
The CLASS Act was a key provision included to pass Obamacare. It would have established a new, government-run long-term-care insurance program. But it was also used to claim that the health care law was paid for and would help bring down the deficit. From the beginning, Heritage warned that it was poorly designed and was included in the legislation primarily as a budget gimmick.
Completely unworkable. As designed, the CLASS program is entirely unworkable. The AP's Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar reports that "a central design flaw dogged CLASS from the beginning. Unless large numbers of healthy people willingly sign up during their working years, soaring premiums driven by the needs of disabled beneficiaries would destabilize it, eventually requiring a taxpayer bailout." The result would be a classic insurance "death spiral," where high premiums discourage healthy, low-risk individuals from participating. If high-risk individuals alone enroll, premiums would rise even higher.
A new and unaffordable entitlement program. CLASS would have created another entitlement program. Its broad eligibility standards would have made the impact of adverse selection even worse, further increasing premiums. Though Obamacare barred the use of general revenue to fund CLASS, eventually taxpayers would likely be left picking up the program's growing tab under these conditions. Since Congress has yet to address the trillions in unfunded obligations under existing entitlements like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, the last thing American taxpayers need is another insolvent entitlement program.
One of Obamacare's many budget gimmicks. Finally, it is well documented that the CLASS program was included in Obamacare to reduce the impact that the law would have on federal deficit spending-on paper, at least. The final CBO score showed CLASS reducing Obamacare's impact on the deficit by $70 billion over its first 10 years. But the revenues raised through CLASS premiums were double-counted. The revenues were seen as offsetting new spending, including a massive Medicaid expansion and a costly new subsidy program for health insurance. But these revenues were also intended to pay for CLASS enrollees' benefits. Once beneficiaries begin to draw down the benefits, the premium revenues would quickly dry up.
The Secretary's letter carefully included the phrase "at this time," leaving many to speculate what the Administration will do now. Those on the left are already gearing up to "fix" the statute to make CLASS work. But, Obamacare cannot be fixed. It must be repealed.
October 20, 2011 Breakthrough in Georgia Signals Good News for Civil Society
Yesterday, The Heritage Foundation and Georgia Family Council co-hosted an event in Atlanta, Georgia, illustrating the profoundly negative consequences of social breakdown in the state and offering some promising solutions to restore human flourishing. At the symposium Breakthrough Georgia: Fighting Poverty and Restoring Society, Heritage Senior Research Fellow Robert Rector presented Georgia-specific research on child poverty and the role marriage can play in reducing poverty rates.
Today, over 45 percent of births in Georgia are to unmarried mothers. The lack of social and financial stability that accompanies those single-parent households greatly increases their chances of experiencing poverty.
Very little information is available to at-risk communities on the benefits of matrimony. Rector suggested that community leaders and policymakers correct this "information deficit" by promoting the social and economic benefits of marriage in schools, reducing marriage penalties in welfare programs, and promoting life-planning and healthy relationship programs to those in communities where healthy marriage has almost disappeared.
Effectively addressing decades of social breakdown can't happen overnight-and it won't happen without the important work of families, churches, and civic organizations. That's why Georgia Family Council introduced a new initiative yesterday that will combine both effective public policy and community-based solutions to relieve suffering and promote human thriving. "We want more Georgians doing well," Randy Hicks, President of Georgia Family Council, explained, "and we believe there's a way to get there."
He outlined the multi-year Breakthrough Georgiainitiative that will identify and develop specific policy proposals and grassroots solutions to overcoming the barriers to human flourishing in the state. Specifically, Breakthrough Georgia will produce policy and community recommendations that will "reflect the dignity and personal responsibility of the individual, promote family formation and self-sufficiency, and respect and protect the role of community and faith-based groups in meeting the needs of people."
The challenges created by social breakdown and the collapse of marriage are great; but the promise of effective policies and community-based solutions to alleviate suffering, promote wellbeing, and foster self-sufficiency is even greater.
The legendary community organizer Lisa Fithian has long operated in the world of anarchists, antiwar protesters, and union thugs. Thus she feels right at home in her current role as OWS's leading street-level organizer.
Bang for your buck: that's what the Freedom Center provides. Ammunition for the culture war against the Left: that's what your contribution buys. So please act now and help us in the fight we are waging on many fronts for America's future. America is under assault from within and without. There is no time to lose.
WES VERNON, RA ANALYST - Not a single vote has been cast in the Republican presidential primary. Not one. Yet, the Republican Party establishment has decided for us that Mitt Romney is the 2012 anointed one. Why? Well, he's a veteran campaigner, or he has become a household name. Or some variation that leads to the bottom-line rationale that "It's his turn"... (more)
ASSOCIATED PRESS - The Republican presidential candidates tore into each other as never before in their latest debate, mindful that voting starts within 11 weeks and many GOP voters remain up for grabs... (more)
NEWSMAX - Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney had his "worst debate" of the campaign Tuesday night, while Texas Gov. Rick Perry appeared more "energetic and passionate" than ever, Sean Hannity said on his radio show today... (more)
WASHINGTON EXAMINER - President Obama is a bailout-backer who set records for raising cash from the financial sector. During his administration the revolving door between Wall Street and the government has spun as fast as ever... (more)
NEWSMAX - The GOP could face a revolt from within its tea party grassroots base if it nominates an establishment candidate without true conservative, anti-big government values, one of America's leading conservative pundits tells Newsmax.TV in an exclusive interview... (more)
JOSEPH FARAH - I don't always agree with Pat Buchanan, but his new book, "Suicide of a Superpower," is 100 percent spot on. It should be the wake-up call Americans need to understand that the nation and civilization they have lived in all their lives is rapidly crumbling and simply won't be there for their children and grandchildren unless measures are taken immediately to reverse the destructive trends... (more)
ANN COULTER - The worst thing about Occupy Wall Street is that it's ruining a good cause: hating Wall Street. Just when opposing Wall Street was gaining momentum, these brain-dead zombies are forcing us to choose between thieving bankers and them... (more)
MICHELLE MALKIN - One of my son's Suzuki violin teachers had a wise twist on an old saying: "If at first you don't succeed, try something else." The corollary? "When you do succeed, don't stop. Do it again." The White House could use some remedial Suzuki lessons in economics. They've got everything completely bass-ackward... (more)
NEWSMAX - The GOP debate in Las Vegas turned into the verbal equivalent of a bare-knuckled brawl Tuesday, as candidates jettisoned the 11th commandment against attacking a fellow Republican... (more)
ASSOCIATED PRESS - An Oklahoma judge Wednesday temporarily blocked from taking effect a new law designed to reduce the number of abortions performed in the state by restricting the ways in which doctors can treat women with abortion-inducing drugs... (more)
JOHN STOSSEL - What's there to say about Occupy Wall Street? The answer isn't so simple. Some complain about taxpayer bailouts of businesses. Good for them. In a true free market, failing firms would go out of business. They couldn't turn to Washington for help. But many protesters say they're against capitalism. Now things get confusing. What do they mean?... (more)
CNSNEWS.COM - For the second straight week, President Barack Obama's job approval has dropped to a new low among blacks, according to the Gallup poll. In the week that ended on Oct. 16, Obama's approval was 79 percent among blacks. That was down from the previous low of 80 percent in the week that ended on Oct. 9... (more)
NEWSMAX - Donald Trump recalls with chagrin that he supported Barack Obama for president in 2008, but says he now realizes that those moving hope-and-change speeches were nothing more than rhetoric. "I was his biggest cheerleader," the multibillionaire businessman told Sean Hannity on his Fox TV show Tuesday night... (more)
NEWSMAX - America is in the middle of the most dangerous presidency the country has ever seen, conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly warns in a wide-ranging, exclusive Newsmax.TV interview to mark the first 1,000 days of Barack Obama administration... (more)
EMILY MILLER - President Obama is taking a mulligan after the Democratic-controlled Senate decided not to pass his American Jobs Act last week. The commander in chief hit the campaign trail Monday in his taxpayer-funded luxury bus to drum up support for what he thinks will be a more palatable package... (more)
DAVID LIMBAUGH - President Obama acts as though he merely sympathizes with the Wall Street occupiers' "broad-based frustration" about how America's financial system works, but he's doing a lot more than sympathizing... (more)
CHUCK NORRIS - As I recently tweeted (@chucknorris), I read through the book "The Miracle of Freedom: Seven Tipping Points that Saved the World," by Chris and Ted Stewart. I highly recommend it. Immediately afterward, I started reading their other book, "Seven Miracles That Saved America," and I have been equally inspired by it. But it has prompted me to wonder: Is there an eighth miracle coming and needed to save our republic again?... (more)
WES VERNON, RA ANALYST - Herman Cain has had little money and almost no organization. That may change since his "breakout from the pack" drive for the Republican presidential nomination has gained traction. The candidate sees three kinds of people in the world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who say "What the heck happened?"... (more)
DAVID LIMBAUGH - If it's not narcissism, what explains President Obama's habit of demanding something against the people's will, being rejected, refusing to take no for an answer and berating the public he is pretending to represent? We saw it over and over with ObamaCare. By now, it's part of our national lore that he delivered some 54 speeches to sell the public on his scheme yet never made a dent in the public approval numbers... (more)
Since 1964, our nation's senior citizens have relied on Medicare to ensure access to healthcare. Now the program is going broke -- and it is going broke fast.
It began spending its reserves in 2008 when payouts exceeded dollars collected for the program. [cite]
Predictions for exhaustion of the reserve vary, with 2024 identified by the Social Security Administration in the Trustees 2011 report. [cite]
The Democrat response is to reduce the amount Medicare reimburses physicians for their services. [cite]
This will result in fewer participating physicians and the physicians continuing in the program seeing fewer Medicare patients.
Patients will wait longer and have fewer choices in seeing a doctor.
If this makes access to care sufficiently untenable, or if Medicare does not get on viable financial footing, it will be administered through ObamaCare[cite].
This would include cost controls by a 15-member board of bureaucrats deciding wich treatments, drugs, and surgeries patients can receive.
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget, has a plan which saves Medicare with no disruption to today's seniors and reasonable changes for future retirees.
The Ryan Plan is widely misunderstood and misrepresented. The future of our seniors' healthcare is too important to be decided on misinformation. Here are the facts about Medicare and the Ryan Plan.
The Ryan Plan in a Nutshell
Those currently retired and those close to retirement (55 and over) will see no change from the existing Medicare system. Existing physician reimbursement flaws will be corrected to encourage physicians to continue participating in the system.[cite]
On retirement, those currently under 55 will be provided vouchers from the government to help pay for health insurance. Voucher amounts will be based in part on income, with wealthier individuals receiving less assistance. Risk pools [cite] will be created to ensure that insurance companies will provide coverage to seniors, despite their generally higher use of medical care.
The result is retirees will have a system that gives them options, similar to that which members of Congress use and which will include options similar to Medicare Advantage, the popular plan eliminated by Obamacare. [cite]
The Ryan Plan Incorporates These Important Points
It is important that we
Plan now for changes, to avoid chaos later
The medicare system is running out of money. Change is coming, one way or another.
Pretending we can continue as we are is not an option, it is a recipe for disaster. The longer we wait to make changes, the greater the disruption to current and future retires, the more abruptly the changes will have to be implemented, and the fewer options we will have.
By implementing the Ryan Plan now, we will
maintain the existing system for current retirees and for individuals 55 and over
provide a sustainable, quality system for future retirees.
It is important that we...
Preserve the existing system, unchanged, for current retirees and workers 55 and older
This bears repeating:
Under the Ryan Plan, if you are retired, your Medicare coverage will not change.
If you are over 55, Medicare as it exists today will be there for you when you retire.
And the Ryan Plan provides for quality health insurance coverage upon retirement for those currently under 55.
It is important that we...
Maintain availability of insurance coverage for future retirees
Since individuals generally require more medical care as they age, it tends to be difficult for older individuals to find private health insurance that will cover them. That is one reason our existing Medicare system is considered so important for many. The Ryan Plan creates risk pools which encourage multiple insurance companies to offer health coverage to those of retirement age.
It is important that we...
Maintain affordability
Individuals have paid into the Medicare system with the promise that coverage will be there for them when they retire. Unfortunately, we are facing an economic crisis in this country and Medicare is a significant part of the problem. To save the system for everyone and to avert broader economic calamity, in the future wealthier Americans will have to bear a greater portion of their healthcare burden.
It is important that we...
Make it feasible for doctors to participate in Medicare
Currently in many areas of the country physicans are reimbursed for Medicare patients at a rate that does not cover their expenses. Recent changes put forth by the Democrats further reduce reimbursement. [cite] This is not sustainable for any business and as a result increasing numbers of physicians are discontinuing their participation in the Medcare program. Patients are finding that their physician is no longer a Medicare provider and when they look for another physician it is increasingly difficult for them to find a Medicare provider who is accepting new patients and can see them in a reasonable time. [cite]. The Ryan plan fixes the reimbursement problem, making it feasible for physicians to continue participating in Medicare.
It is important that we...
Keep medical decisions between patients and doctors, not remote government panels
The Ryan plan harnesses the free market and puts choice in the hands of the patient. Retirees will be able to pick the insurance plan that best meets their needs, applying government vouchers toward premium costs. Medical decisions would be made in consultation with their personal physician, based on the individual's situation and preferences.
References
October 20, 2011
On Today's Program
Tonight's show on GBTV is FREE! For the first time since its launch, GBTV will be 100% free tonight for everyone. The show is all about your kids & how they are under attack from every angle. We'll show you what they are facing and how to fight back with Richard Paul Evans, bestselling author of MICHAEL VEY. It's our very first family book club night - email your questions to Bookclub@glennbeck.com or you can join the conversation on Twitter using #MichaelVey. Grab your family and make sure you tune in to GBTV - live at 5 pm ET. This special broadcast will also be available for free on demand. DETAILS
This is what democracy looks like!
Footage reportedly of a near dead and dead Muammar Gaddafi are making the rounds on the internet and on multiple news sources. The videos are somewhat strange as the ravenous group of rebels cheer wildly as Gaddafi clings to life and later as they drag his dead body down the road. Is this what Democracy looks like? Doesn't seem like Libyans have all that much cause for hope when dead bodies are being paraded around. Obama commented on the death of Gaddafi today -- check out the videos and get the latest updates HERE.
Glenn Beck agrees with...Alec Baldwin?
What could Alec Baldwin possibly say about Occupation Wall Street that Glenn agrees with? In a shocking series of comments Alec Baldwin actually sounded sane for a few moments. No yelling, no wild talk about big government - just actual common sense. There has to be a catch, right? Glenn has the audio and reaction on radio today. WATCH
Today's Markdown will make you love mornings again. Get the high quality Red Fusion coffee maker and toaster set for just $39.99. That's 50% off the regular price. Visit Markdown.com for details.
Suicide of a Superpower
In his new book, Suicide of a Superpower, Pat Buchanan argues that America is turning the knife on itself and argues America is disintegrating and could be gone forever in just a few short decades. The book describes the governments fruitless pursuits of things such as 'equal rewards' and claims our once celebrated unity as a 'melting pot' uniting under the American flag is giving way to the failed policies of 'multiculturalism' tried in Europe. Glenn talks with Pat Buchanan on radio today -- WATCH.
NYT runs one of the most "bigoted" "anti-religion" articles EVER
In case you were wondering when the media would finally take the mask off and reveal their true bigotry, today would be that today. The New York Times ran a piece from Maureen Dowd that quite honestly would be a fireable offense if it were about any other religion than Mormonism. Dowd dives directly to the bottom of the barrel and unleashes a series of unfounded, false and just plain bigoted attacks on Mormons. Will this open the floodgates of anti-Mormon sentiment? Glenn reacts to the column on radio today. WATCH
GBTV is now on Boxee! A new way to watch all your GBTV programming live or on demand right on your TV. Enter to win a FREE Boxee Box and a 1 year GBTV Plus subscription - get all the details HERE.
'Don't screw with me' Joe Biden keeps playing the rape card (video)
Jason Mattera has made a habit of doing what journalists should be doing but don't - ask the tough questions. Mattera's latest video is a question he was able to pose to the Vice President about his recent accusation that if the GOP doesn't pass the jobs bill rapes will rise. Biden's defense is quite comical as he basically says 'hey, I didn't say that. Here's what I said' and then repeats what he says he didn't say. Follow? Watch Biden play the rape card HERE.
Glenn Beck interview: Check out Glenn's interview with Fox News host Judge Andrew Napolitano HERE.
Is Glenn coming to your city? Glenn will be making stops in Columbus, OH; Knoxville and Jackson, TN; New Orleans and San Antonio beginning next Thursday, October 27th. Get the details on all the events HERE.
Death of A HeroBy Ben Shapiro Some people allow the world to change them. Some people change the world and don't let any obstacle stand in their way. The world needs more Jack Slomovics.
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Linda Rosen 9/12 Patriots of Lower Buck County 215-274-5415
January 14, 2012. 10a-6p
On Today's Program
