Quote: 

"If there is a form of government, then, whose principle and foundation is virtue, will not every sober man acknowledge it better calculated to promote the general happiness than any other form?" 

~ John Adams, Thoughts on Government, 1776  

Former La Raza VP Cecilia Munoz Named White House Domestic Policy Director 

President Obama announced Tuesday that Cecilia Munoz, current White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, will be the new White House Director of the Domestic Policy Council. Munoz replaces Melody Barnes, who stepped down last month.  

. . . .

What did Munoz do exactly before joining the Obama White House? She was a vice president at the National Council of La Raza, "The Race."  

Read More . . . 

The Fed Agency That Paid Out the Most in Stimulus Funds Is... 

Should it come as a surprise that the Department of Heath and Human Services (HHS) paid out $115,911,817,301 in stimulus funds, according to a recent report by Recovery.org?

The HHS's biggest expenditure was $85,958,496,780 in state grants for Medicaid, reports the Washington Examiner's Charlie Spiering. Other expenditures included multiple grants for income security, social services, and "research."

Van Jones Warns of 'Turbulent' Election Year, Invokes Martin Luther King The 'Original Occupier' 

Van Jones, former "green jobs czar" and co-founder of "Rebuild the Dream" - billed as a "progressive" Tea Party - said Martin Luther King Day will kick off what he claims will be a "turbulent, exciting" year, led by civil rights leaders pushing a new agenda of social justice.

"What are you doing this weekend for MLK Day? It's our only national holiday about social justice, yet too often, MLK Day feels like a Hallmark Card. This year, let's do it differently," Jones told supporters in an e-mail.

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)

Today, our college graduates face the highest unemployment rates in history.

American 15-year-olds rank 35th out of 57 industrialized countries in math and literacy.

Americans shouldn't rank 35th in anything!

Join Americans for Prosperity Foundation, Dick Morris and other special speakers Saturday, January 28 for a free town hall to "Restore American Exceptionalism" at 2:00 p.m. at the The Hershey Lodge (325 University Drive) in Hershey. Reserve your free tickets here (http://schoolchoicehershey.eventbrite.com/)!

Let's work together to support the future workforce of America.

Don't miss the chance to ask Dick Morris and our other speakers your questions, Saturday, January 28.

GENERAL ADMISSION IS FREE -- BUT you must reserve your free tickets here (http://schoolchoicehershey.eventbrite.com/)!

Restoring American Exceptionalism is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. It's an American issue -- our future depends on it! I hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Stefano

Pennsylvania State Director

Americans for Prosperity Foundation

www.putkidsfirst.org (http://www.putkidsfirst.org/)        

Americans for Prosperity Foundation (AFPF) is a nationwide organization of citizen-leaders committed to advancing every individual's right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFPF believes reducing the size and intrusiveness of government is the best way to promote individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFPF educates and engages citizens to support restraining state and federal government growth and returning government to its constitutional limits. AFPF is more than 1.8 million activists strong, with activists in all 50 states. AFPF has 34 state chapters and affiliates. More than 90,000 Americans in all 50 states have made a financial contribution to AFP or AFP Foundation.

For more information, visit http://www.americansforprosperityfoundation.com 

1) Letter to the Central MontCo PTPP: To those that came to, or stepped up to help at, or donated to defray costs for the David Codrea Presents Fast & Furious event on Saturday, thank you. You really can't imagine how reassured I felt when entertaining / having dinner with David and his wife, I simply trusted our team to set up the venue well. I was proud to see our involved members, and folks from other groups, and vigilant citizens, flowing into the room to become more informed by David's account when they could have stayed home for a football game or another debate. I am grateful for the kind monetary support from so many people; because of this, we will most likely break even for the event costs. We targeted our advertising to the "average person", be they attentive independent or apathetic drone - not many of them came but at least I trust you all fortified your knowledge. For a word with no aggressive denotations, "complacency" of the public is nonetheless a mighty foe. We coordinators are proud of you and are humbled by you and consider ourselves fortunate to work with you. David's compliments about the group were glowing, and even the security guard approached me afterwards and said "I've been to a lot of events, but these people were the politest and most respectful group I've ever seen". I thanked him and said I'll see him at the next tea party meeting.

We'll let you know when gunforhireradio.com posts the podcast of the event on their site, if you missed it.
We also suggest that for any firearm needs (sales, training, advice), please patronize Kevin Fialkowski's Red Eye Defensive Solutions
Of course, please stay informed with the TRUTH by visiting David Codrea's Examiner.com site, his Guns Magazine site, and his journalist partner Mike Vanderboegh's site

2) Meeting: This Thursday Jan 12 is our regular monthly meeting at the Rock Cafe/Church (857 Main Street Harleysville) from 7-9pm. Our speaker, Phil Duffy, will tell us about the events that led to this whole economic collapse, and if time permits we will go interactive and ask you to help us with 2012 election ideas.

3) Charity event: This Saturday Jan 14 is our first charity event as a group, where we will help out at the Habitat ReStore thrift store, 533 Foundry Road, West Norriton, PA 19403.
Do we just preach charity over socialism, or do we practice it? We meet in Hennings at 7:50 and leave at 8am to get there at 8:30 until about 2pm. Volunteers must be at least 14 years old. You can use the ride board on our forum (available from our website) to say if you have seats available or need a ride. If you need to leave early, I'm sure someone else will too, and it can be arranged.

Please join our forum to speak your piece in real time, available from our website.

See you Thursday,
-Jim, Pam and Tim  

On Sat, Jan 7, 2012 at 3:34 PM, WILLIAM SPICHER <billsells4u@msn.com> wrote:

Patriots,

 
Things are really  starting to heat up in this campaign to get Sam to the US Senate. We are now looking for volunteers to help us in Chester County, particularly in the northern and northeastern areas of the county. We need people to help get petitions signed, hand out literature in the neighborhoods, work the polls on election day, hold home meetings when Sam is in the area, and who knows what else will come up. Could you please send this out to your group to see if anyone would like to help. They can contact me directly either by email or by phone. Thanks for your help. Looking forward to seeing you at the victory party.

DEAR PATRIOTS,

THERE WILL BE NO JANUARY Valley Forge Patriots Tea Party MEETING !!!

MEETINGS WILL RESUME IN FEBRUARY

 3rd WITH A FORUM ON THE PA SENATE RACE TO UNSEAT BOB CASEY.  SAM ROHRER,STEVE WELSH,AND MARK SCARINGI HAS CONFIRMED  ATTENDANCE.  MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW.

Nullify Now! Philadelphia

THE INTERFAITH TASKFORCE FOR AMERICA AND ISRAEL (ITAI)

123 S. Broad Street, Suite 1832, Philadelphia, PA 19109

HOLD THE DATE

ITAI is pleased to invite you to attend our program titled "Christians in the Middle East: Endangered Species."

With Samir Asad (an Egyptian Coptic-Christian), Wafa Mikhail, and Joseph Puder, and Charles Kahn Jr.,

Our panel will discuss the current situation in Egypt, the Palestinian Authority and Gaza, and more...

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2012, 7:30PM

At

St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church

1989 Rt. 70 East, Cherry Hill, NJ

Admission is free, tax-deductible contributions to ITAI are encouraged.

LISTEN LIVE TO REPATRIOT RADIO

"BETTER THAN EVER"

(all times are eastern)

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

Remember January 3rd, 2007 The Day The Democrats Took Over!

The Case Against Obamacare: Health Care Policy Series for the 112th Congress

For Tea Parties, this can be used as basic ammunition for letters to the editor, columns for your local news outlet, handouts at public events, emailing the pdf to our elected reps as well as to members, friends and neighbors.

This appears to be an excellent resource; let's make use of it.

Lou Flanagan

The General Wayne Tea Party

The first contests in the race for the Republican nomination are just around the corner. To better inform you, we looked beyond the rhetoric to the candidates' actual records on the issues important to families.

This voter guide outlines candidate stances on issues that are important to the family. We researched the candidates' statements and votes on the ten issues that best give voters an understanding on if the candidates match your values. Please use this resource as you think about who you would like to see be the nominee to challenge President Barack Obama.

Download the free guide and be sure to share this resource with your friends and family before the 2012 primary season begins next month.

A values voter is an informed voter.

Sincerely,

Tony Perkins
President

MEDICARE PREMIUM INCREASE 

RedState Morning Briefing

For January 11, 2012

1. On Romney, Bain and Keeping Your Integrity

We're far down the rabbit hole of primary season right now, and that inevitably means that charges and counter-charges are flying so fast that the news cycle can change dramatically from morning to afternoon. Naturally, when things are moving this quickly and emotions are running high, people get carried away. This happens to everyone. A lot of people who sit on the sidelines are too quick to say, "oh, so-and-so totally lost credibility with me by making that argument." But candidates and pundits in particular are making arguments all day long, day after day; they're going to grab hold now and then of a story they should know better than to believe or an argument they should know better than to make. Like anything in life, the test of character is not the occasional stumble but the long sweep of your record over time - whether you back off when you've dug into an untenable position, whether you learn from mistakes.

This comes to mind with yesterday's confluence of attacks on Mitt Romney's business record at Bain Capital and his ill-timed quip that "I like to be able to fire people." To varying extents, the Gingrich and Perry campaigns and their supporters jumped all over him on both counts. A pro-Newt SuperPAC is rolling out a 27-minute documentary attacking Romney's Bain record; as Erick notes, Perry's campaign has been pushing a more modest line of attack against the Bain record, but still one that has something of a whiff of desperation about it. Perry's camp also pushed a downloadable ringtone of Romney's "fire" line. With time and some context, both campaigns backed off hitting Mitt on the "fire" comment: Perry's people pulled the ringtone, and Newt told Fox News that the line had been taken out of context.

The "fire" comment is the easier call. Romney was making a completely valid point: that people should be able to fire service providers like insurance companies if they're not getting good service. That's one of the pro-consumer aspects of the conservative message, and where we part company from liberals who think first of protecting entrenched interests at the expense of consumer choice. That being said, the comment fed directly into the most damaging narratives about Romney, and was emblematic of how he's much like Rick Santorum in terms of his tendency to use cringe-inducingly tin-eared language when he's making even valid points.

2. The Perry Campaign Has Reset and Refocused in South Carolina

Here's what everyone thinks about this year. If Romney sweeps Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina he wins. It is conventional wisdom and conventional wisdom is usually right.

But this year there is an anomaly. The first several rounds of primaries and caucuses are not winner take all, but proportional. In fact, as you can see from the chart below the fold, there is still a long way to go.

That is one reason Perry stayed in after finishing fifth in Iowa and expecting to finish at the bottom in New Hampshire. Not only does South Carolina not care about Iowa and New Hampshire, but they are not really relevant to South Carolina, the first Republican primary in a consistently Republican state.

But the Perry camp knows what got them to this point isn't working.

3. Illinois Can Learn From Wisconsin's Success

Some Wisconsinites have been pointing to our neighbors to the south as an example of fiscal responsibility hoping to follow their model. Those who think that Illinois is the way to go should think again and take a page out of Wisconsin's book.

The Illinois budgetary record is not pretty. Heading into 2011, Illinois faced a budget deficit of over $13 billion and passed a massive tax increase both to personal income and corporate income tax rates. They're still broke. With a pension system in shambles, Illinois also borrowed massive amounts of money to make this year's pension payment.

In September, Illinois laid off 1,900 public employees and closed seven state facilities. Also, much to the chagrin of Wisconsinites who drive to or through Illinois, toll rates in the state have increased on average by 88%.

Illinois' budgetary moves failed miserably to solve their problems and the state is still projected to end this fiscal year on June 30th with a budget gap upwards of half a billion dollars and unfunded obligations of up to $8 billion.

Always refer, in pitying, sympathetic tones,  

to the "Liberal psychopathology." This implies that liberalism is a form of mental illness. Which it is.  

Thousands of jobs had already been wiped out by Obamacare in the medical devices industry (contact me for those reports). Now the hospital employees are paying the price. And this time, crony socialism is involved

Lou Flanagan

Electronic medical records plan costing jobs?

January 9, 2012 by Jazz Shaw

Say... do you remember one part of the stimulus bill that was going to implement electronic medical record systems at health care facilities? Wasn't that supposed to create a more efficient system, less prone to errors and reduce costs for health care? I'm almost sure I read something about that someplace. So... how's that working out so far? If the University of Mississippi Medical Center is any sort of measuring stick, the law of unintended consequences may be in play. They just laid off 115 of their workers. They list several reasons and - as usual - you'll need to read well down toward the bottom of the article to find it, but it's there.

Wednesday's layoff of 115 University of Mississippi Medical Center employees and not filling another 90 positions will save $12 million annually, the vice chancellor for health affairs predicts.

UMC's finances were in the red last year, a predicament that motivated the staff reduction, Dr. James Keeton said...

Additionally, the hospital must spend $80 million over the next five years to put in place electronic health care records to comply with a federal mandate. UMC will get most of the money back from the government if the system is implemented by 2016, Keeton said. He hopes to have it in place this summer.

Getting "most of the money" back four years from now is apparently cold comfort to facilities running in the red today. And UMC isn't the only one. The Nassau University Medical Center in New York is also laying off workers. They aren't just investing in the new electronic records requirements, but eying the fact that Obamacare will be reducing their Medicare reimbursement each year going forward as their legacy public worker pension costs continue to rise.

Warner Todd Huston thinks he smells a rat in all this.

Last week, layoffs were announced in Mississ ippi at the University of Mississippi Medical Center due in part to the 80 million dollars that it will cost to implement a new computer system named EPIC Systems, Obama's newly mandated electronic medical records system.

Naturally, the system Obama is forcing on an entire nation of medical professionals and hospitals is the same system owned and operated by Judith Faulkner, one of his own big donors. Faulkner is also a big donor to the Democrat Party. Not surprisingly, besides affording her the lucrative, crony capitalist business deal, Obama also put Faulkner in a key role on the Health Information Technology Policy Committee, the committee responsible for implementing the President's e-records policy. She has become known as Obama's medical records czar.

As hospitals and doctors are forced to launch their own EPIC Systems portals, the costs are forcing hard choices for administrators. All to implement what many call a flawed system.

Most of the attention these days seems to be focused on the individual mandate and the upcoming battle in the Supreme Court. This story should highlight the fact that there are many more layers to the onion of Obamacare and government intervention in the health care system, and some of them are already producing results. Just not the results you were promised.

01/10/2012 

Obama's Arrogant Authoritarianism 

Featured Posts 

VIDEO: Charles Krauthammer Says Liberals Have No New Ideas 

Tweeting for Hearts and Minds 

Chavez Moves toward Military Dictatorship, State Sponsor of Terror Status 

Libyan Islamists Gaining Strength 

Heritage Mourns Loss of Tony Blankley 

QUICK HITS

Voters in New Hampshire head to the polls today in the "first in the nation" primary for the 2012 presidential election. A record turnout is projected.

White House chief of staff William M. Daley resigned on Monday nearly a year earlier than expected, with budget chief Jacob Lew set to fill the position. The President has had four chiefs of staff in only 16 months.

Sami Osmakac, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen from the former Yugoslavia, was arrested on Monday for planning a bombing and shooting rampage in Florida. The arrest marks the 44th known terrorist plot against the United States that has been averted.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad yesterday lashed out at the media and blamed "outside planning" for the uprising against his government. Despite an ongoing revolt, Assad vowed to continue his rule.

The NFL Players Association just came out against Indiana's proposed right-to-work law. Find out why this isn't surprising, all on Foundry.org.

One Look Inside the Tea Party Movement

Carl David Namiotka

The following article is a look inside the movement often identified by the generic term: "Tea Party."  Few articles have been written about the people from within.  Most of the information presented to the public has been through the prism of the anti-Tea Party critics.  This brief account intends to shed light upon those who believe our country needs to be restored to the principles of the Founding Fathers.

Looking for a Messiah

            Whether they like to admit it or not, this group of individuals is searching for a leader they can trust.  National figures have emerged in the political arena only to disappoint soon after.  Media personalities, such as Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh draw audiences, inform the masses, and inspire action, but none desire political office - nor would be want them to!  They have their place in our society and a step away from the microphone is a step backwards for our country.  What the Tea Party is looking for is a humble, intelligent, articulate, person of principle that has core values that cannot be shaken by the corrupt forces that will attack from all sides.  The leader must have three foundations to guide their decisions: Common sense, Faith and the Constitution.  Within the movement we have tried to fit individuals into this model but have been disappointed on many levels.

Fractured and Decentralized -- by Design

            The Tea Party Movement, to the wonderment of the liberals, has no unified structure.  There is no funding by a George Soros type figure that funnels its way down to every local meeting.  There are few big donors at all!  In the national spotlight, there exists the "Tea Party Express" and "Tea Party Patriots" organization types, but other than the major media outlets and a daily email requesting donations, none of us care one iota about what they are doing.  So why is the movement decentralized?  It is very simple.  You can't preach that smaller and local is better by imitating a structure that is national and centralized.  Lack of trust has earned an ingrained home in the Tea Party mindset.

Please Don't Bring Attention to Me!

            Tea Partiers are naturally not attention-getters.  They don't want to be noticed or identified by the general public as one of those right-wing nuts that want to take over the country.  Most find safety in numbers.  Remember, these are the people who have gone to work every day, supported their country, raised families, and never demanded anything from their government.  They never sought the spotlight and expected their representatives in government to look out for their freedom and security.  Now that it is self-evident that trust has been betrayed by both political parties, the members are venturing into unfamiliar territory out of necessity.  The Tea Party membership does not want to take over; they want leaders that do what is right.

Learn, Baby, Learn

            It is rarely acknowledged from the outside that the movement is based upon education.  This entire phenomenon is driven by individuals with a desire to learn more about their history, their government, and their elected leaders.  The Internet has provided a national network of information that is crucial to the movement.  Meetings are part edu-centric and part social.  Quality guest speakers are a prized commodity within local gatherings - as long as they do not demand a speaking fee.  A simple scan of the top selling book lists are dominated by historical and conservative topics.  The conversation buzz within the room always seems to start with the words, "Did you see the report..." or "Did you hear about..."

Sick and Tired

            The mantra the Tea Partiers are bigoted, homophobic, hate-filled Nazis has taken its toll upon the individuals within the movement.  Although one will rarely meet a kinder, generous, inclusive, and peaceful group of individuals, there is a daily struggle to dispel the myths that have been attributed to this assembly.  Whether at a large assembly or a small tavern meeting, politeness rules the atmosphere and the facility is cleaner than before the event.  Millions travelled to the Washington Monument for an all-day rally and the park never looked better - afterwards!

It's Hard to Lobby for Nothing.

            So why is it hard for the Tea Party members to gain political influence in Washington and in their own State Capitols? Simply, it is hard to ask for nothing.  The goal of the Tea Party effort is to stop the flow of wasteful spending in national and state government.  This flies directly in the face of lobbies who promise legislators donations and votes for steering funds in their direction.  It is a tough battle to face.  The recourse is to hold politicians accountable and vote accordingly.  Electors will seek out blocs of voters.  Unless the Partiers create a clearly unified voting group, the politicians will continue to shy away from any cause that may prove costly.  

Beware of the Ambitious

            Supporters of these ideals are naturally wary of individuals who have too much ambition.  Critics from within are harsher than those from the outside.  The Tea Party faithful cannibalize their own leadership and future directors.  Everyone has a strong opinion and is not afraid to politely share it.  Unfortunately, and inevitably, this has fractured many groups where unity may be necessary.  It has been a recurring theme--those who are frustrated by one group pick up their things and start a group of their own.  Those who get too close to a political party are categorized as suspicious.  Those who attempt to unify a few groups are branded as "power hungry."  The wheels will continue to spin at varying speeds, but little traction will be gained.

Excuse Me!

            This movement, as is with most groups, is full of excuse makers.  The usual 10% takes the leadership reigns and is active on a daily basis, 10% are contrarian members, and the rest act like churchgoers who put in their requisite one hour to make themselves feel good.  Many of the previously mentioned points contribute to this attitude; however, human nature proves this fact of life to be true.  Unless the 80% choose to participate in greater numbers or at least support the leadership, most of the effort is negated.  The real Tea Party occurred because individuals actually took tea and threw it into the harbor.  If the historical Tea Party of the 1700s was organized by most of today's Tea Party members, we all still would be British subjects.

Wanna-Be's

            One final observation regarding the membership of this effort should be mentioned.  Groups are filled with a plethora of desktop "wanna-be's."  The Internet has enabled armchair patriots to fill our computer inboxes with repetitive bits of information that drowns out any worthwhile reading.  Once one gets on some members email list, they are damning themselves to a cavalcade of political junk mail.  These Woodward and Bernstein's of the Internet believe they have discovered the next scandal that will change the world.  Regrettably, they are letting the world pass them by and negatively influencing any positive change.  The condition has progressed to the level that many do not even read the messages they are forwarding.

 Today's Top News 

Mitt Romney Wins New Hampshire Primary

01/11/2012 07:35 AM

by John Hayward 

Romney wins by wide margin; Paul finishes second, Huntsman captures third place.

Divide and conquer: Romney has strong path to victory in South Carolina

01/10/2012 11:45 PM

by Tony Lee 

A divided conservative field and no moderate rival may allow Romney to steal a win in a state that would seemingly be inhospitable to him.

With race still Romney's to lose, where does everyone else go after N.H.?

01/10/2012 09:31 PM

by John Gizzi 

"A win is a win is a win," went the mantra from Romney headquarters.

The Bain Capital assault

01/11/2012 03:01 AM

by John Hayward 

You can't have capitalism without capital.

Gizzi's America: Coverage of the New Hampshire GOP primary

01/10/2012 09:26 PM

by John Gizzi 

Political editor John Gizzi reports from the New Hampshire primary vote with video interviews of the candidates and campaigns.

GOP presidential platforms, timid and bold

01/10/2012 09:25 AM

by John Hayward 

Who's planning the biggest changes?

Success of anti-Romney conservative movement may be tied to Huntsman's fate

01/09/2012 08:59 PM

by Tony Lee 

Jon Huntsman frames himself as a candidate who would "always put [his] country first."

Two more GOP reps. from California leave

01/10/2012 07:20 AM

by John Gizzi 

Reps. Jerry Lewis and Wally Herger to declare that they will not be running again.

Tony Blankley will be missed

01/09/2012 04:04 PM

by Mark Steyn 

His passing comes as a shock to all who have enjoyed his company and leadership over the years.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer


COUNTDOWN TO VICTORY: 301 DAYS TO THE 2012 ELECTIONS


Suicidal Republicans?

I know how the competitive juices flow when you are in a political battle. But many GOP presidential contenders need to take a deep breath and remember that the ultimate prize is not the nomination -- it is the November election and winning the White House.

At a breakfast in Nashua, New Hampshire, yesterday, Mitt Romney, speaking about health insurers who don't provide adequate coverage, said consumers should change insurers. He put it this way: "I like being able to fire people who provide services to me." Romney was making a classic conservative point about the value of competition and the need to bring it to health care and other areas.

Unfortunately, some of his opponents, particularly Jon Huntsman, jumped on the quote, took it completely out of context and suggested that Romney likes to fire average workers. That is a cheap shot. My candidate, Senator Rick Santorum, did not pile on, but others did and they should be embarrassed.

Whoever gets the nomination will face a billion-dollar Obama attack machine that will use raw class warfare to smear him. The last thing we need is GOP candidates who are using the same tactics against each other. Fortunately, Senator Santorum is aiming his fire at Obama. His competitors should do the same.


Speaking Of Santorum...

The Wall Street Journal has examined Senator Santorum's economic agenda. You can read its analysis here.

Here are two more columns regarding Santorum's conservative philosophy and his economic agenda.


Daley Done

There was a stunning announcement in Washington yesterday: White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley has submitted his resignation after just one year on the job and will be gone by the end of the month -- a year earlier than planned. It is difficult to imagine the political atmosphere in Washington getting worse, but Daley's departure does not bode well.

Daley was Bill Clinton's Commerce Secretary and a corporate executive. He was brought into the White House to replace the hyper-partisan Rahm Emanuel and to smooth over relations with Wall Street, the business community and Capitol Hill. When his appointment was announced last January, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said:

"I frankly think it's kind of a hopeful sign. He has the business background. ...This is a guy who's actually been out in the private sector, been a part of business. Frankly, my first reaction is that it sounds like a good idea."

	NewCommon Sense Applying First Principles to the Issues of Today

Obama's Authoritarianism

Last week, President Obama cast aside the Constitution and a century of legal tradition with an unprecedented move to make "recess" appointments while the Senate was meeting in pro forma sessions. Obama asserted the authority to decide when the Senate is in recess in order to install, without the Senate's consent, three members to the National Labor Relations Board and Richard Cordray as the head of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Obama's claimed power to override the Senate reveals a worrisome disregard for the separation of powers and an equally troubling sense of imperial arrogance.

To be clear, the dispute is not over the President's authority to make recess appointments. It is whether or not the Senate was "in recess" when Obama made the "recess" appointments. Obama rejects the Senate's claim to be in session when most Senators are out-of-town.

The Constitution prohibits either house of Congress from adjourning for more than three days without the consent of the other house. Since the House did not consent to a Senate recess, the Senate must remain in session. Since the Constitution stipulates that "each House may determine the rules of its proceedings," the Senate chose to stay in session by holding pro forma sessions (very brief sessions with only a few members) every few days. This allows the Senate to remain in session formally without requiring all the Senators to return to DC. As Heritage's Todd Gaziano noted: "It does not matter a wit that most Members of Congress are not in town voting on legislation, because ending a session of Congress requires the passage of a formal resolution, which never occurred."

Thus, according to Senate rules of operation (which the Senate alone has the authority to determine), the Senate was not in recess. Obama does not deny this. Rather he asserts that pro forma sessions aren't real sessions and that the Senate was therefore "functionally" in recess.

President Obama has a clear track record of agreeing that pro forma sessions do not constitute a recess. On December 23, less than two weeks before making the appointments, Obama asked the Senate to convene a pro forma session in order to pass the payroll tax extension. The Senate did, and Obama signed the bill without any doubts about the validity of pro forma sessions.

After the 2006 elections, Senate Democrats convened pro forma sessions to block President Bush's nominees. At the time, Senate Democrats were fully confident that pro forma sessions were not a recess. Harry Reid notably explained that "I had to keep the Senate in pro forma session to block the Bradbury appointment. That necessarily meant no recess appointments could be made." This is the same Harry Reid who declared: "I support President Obama's appointment today of Richard Cordray to head the CFPB."  
Even more troubling is the imperial philosophy the argument reveals. For the executive to claim the authority to invalidate the Senate's use of pro forma sessions demonstrates a chilling disregard for the separation of powers. Sadly, this incident is merely the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of Obama's increasingly imperial presidency. Since the 2010 elections, Obama has made a very public show of his weariness to work with Congress and his willingness to bypass it whenever possible. Obama has, for example, used executive waivers to circumvent Congress in changing No Child Left Behind. Yet until now, Obama has at least claimed that he would act within his proper executive authority. As this latest incident suggests, Obama may be dropping even the pretext of adhering to the Constitution.  

Stalled Marcellus Shale oversight bill threatens jobs, affordable energy
Contact your state senator TODAY and urge them to support H.B. 1950 in its original form

Dear %%! set firstname [merge members_.FirstName] if {$firstname == ""} { return "Friend" } else { return $firstname }%%,

The fate of a comprehensive Marcellus Shale oversight bill (H.B. 1950) is in the hands of a legislative Conference Committee. Citizens to Protect PA Jobs believes that reaching an agreement soon on a responsible bill is essential to fostering the industry's growth, lowering energy costs for consumers and sustaining jobs and economic opportunities for Pennsylvanians.

Unpredictable operating environment threatens Pa. economy.

Without uniform operating rules in Pennsylvania, competing states are marketing their more competitive and predictable shale regulations in order to attract investment, resources and jobs from our state. The longer the oversight debate drags on, the less investment, jobs and energy savings will be realized in the Commonwealth. That means fewer economic benefits and fewer jobs.

Contact your lawmaker today! 

Citizens to Protect PA Jobs supports the original version of H.B. 1950, a responsible bill that contains effective protections for public health and safety in a state that already has some of the most stringent regulatory requirements in the nation. It would provide a uniform set of operating rules necessary to allow the industry to grow and thrive, and adequate revenues to address local impacts and fund certain state programs.

Urge your state lawmaker to support H.B. 1950 in its original form.

Contact your state senator and ask them to urge Senate Leadership and the Conference Committee to pass H.B. 1950 in its original form - an oversight bill that largely reflects the recommendations of Gov. Tom Corbett's Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission, which were thoroughly vetted by all key stakeholders.

Contact your state senator TODAY!

Sincerely,

Citizens to Protect PA Jobs

 

Today's Headlines:  Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Gingrich: 'Biggest Story of the Day Is Going to Be How Much Gov. Romney Falls Short'

Democrats Pounce on Romney's Comment About Firing People

27 Congressmen to Court: If Individual Mandate's Unconstitutional, Strike Down All Obamacare

Even Tom Brokaw says: "...Brent Bozell, who makes a living at, you know, taking us on every night. He's well-organized, he's got a constituency, he's got a newsletter. He can hit a button and we'll hear from him." Please make a tax-deductible gift to MRC today! 

Interior Secretary Stresses Job Creation From Tourism -- As He Bans New Uranium Mining Out West

Rep. Ron Paul Signs Personhood Pledge -- With Reservations

Appeals Court: Texas May Enforce Abortion Sonogram Law

U.S. Health Care Spending Grew in 2010 to Average of $8,402 per Person

Radio Host: Christians Must Speak Out Against Re-definition of Marriage 'Before it is Too Late'

Santorum, 'The Real Conservative,' Urges N.H Voters to 'Pull Off A Huge Surprise'

Ron Paul Says Individual Liberty Under Threat at Home

COMMENTARY:

GOP Bloodletting
By Patrick J. Buchanan
There still exists a possibility that, come Jan. 20, 2013, we could have a Republican Senate and House, and a Republican president. But there is also a possibility that a Goldwater-Rockefeller-type family bloodletting could sunder the party and kick it all away.

In Greed I Trust
By Walter E. Williams
There are many examples from around the world of how people have used legal and extralegal means to thwart people trying to get more for themselves, or what I like to call greed.

NEWSPAPER ROUNDUP:

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A New Amnesty Deal for Illegals? (Plus: Former U.S. Marine Sentenced to Death in Iran)  

 VIDEOS * TODAY'S HOT PICKS  

A Hollow US Military
Jan 10, 2012 12:07 pm

Sackett v. EPA: Supreme Court Takes Up Property Rights Case
Jan 10, 2012 11:56 am

Will Palestinian Reconciliation Lead to a Hamas Takeover of the PLO?
Jan 10, 2012 11:39 am

Top Five Defense Moves for 2012
Jan 10, 2012 11:17 am

Rubio: Our Debt "Is Like Watching A Horror Movie"
Jan 10, 2012 10:36 am

Death Toll Climbs in Islamist Attacks in Nigeria's Northeast
Jan 10, 2012 01:32 am

Terror in Tampa- CAIR Denial
Jan 10, 2012 12:48 am

Ron Paul Campaign Uses Soros-funded Research
Jan 09, 2012 08:20 pm

U. S. Legislative Immigration Update January 9, 2012
Jan 09, 2012 06:03 pm

Author's Excerpt from Book About Green Beret's Fight for Justice
Jan 09, 2012 12:00 pm

Obama's Campaign Manager Calls The Tea Party Extremists
Jan 09, 2012 11:55 am

Christianity Under Fire by Radical Islam
Jan 09, 2012 11:30 am

January 10, 2012  

On Tuesday's Program  

 Update on Glenn's back injury: Just moments before the program last night Glenn threw out his back while leaning over a table in the new studio, causing him immense pain and a trip to the hospital. Other than the back pain (herniated disc), Glenn is in good spirits but will need to rest for a day or two. He's thankful for the many prayers and can't wait to get back and cover the news as well as all that's coming up on GBTV.

GBTV Announces New Programming: Next Wednesday on January 18th, tune in for the premiere of an entire block of primetime original programming on Glenn's network GBTV. GBTV is getting bigger and better with the series premiere of the new weekly reality show "Independence U.S.A." and a new daily news series, "The Real News from The Blaze." What can you expect next Wednesday on Premiere Night? Click here for the full schedule.

Phony Mitt Romney controversy over 'I like to fire people'

Santorum defends Romney; supports capitalism

The only candidate so far to come out and defend Mitt Romney from the anti-capitalist attacks is Rick Santorum. You'd think more than one candidate would set aside liberal talking points and argue against Mitt's actual problems such as RomneyCare and tendencies towards big government spending. Santorum refuses to take the low hanging fruit and stays above the fray. Check out his response and more.

Meet the new Halliburton: Bain Capital

Now that the GOP candidates have adopted leftist anti-capitalist talking points on Bain Capital, the company is quickly becoming the new Halliburton. A company that has done nothing wrong yet is completely vilified merely for being a company that attempts to earn a profit. The Democrats have trotted out a sob story in 57-year-old Randy Johnson - how did Bain Capital and Mitt Romney ruin his life? Prepare to be underwhelmed. WATCH

Like, totally: Obama deserves 'small emoticon of privacy'