Quote: 

Read more: 

Economic Terrorism: Was the 2008 Collapse Intentional? 

The 2008 financial crisis was one of the worst the U.S. has ever seen. It was the culmination of several factors including poor investments, government intervention and crony capitalism. However, the confluence of these events has prompted some analysts to ask, "Was the 2008 collapse intentional?"

"The Pentagon released information that they had received a report - right after 2008 - that [the collapse] may be 'economic terrorism,'" Glenn Beck said on his radio show.

GOP Officials: Santorum Finished Ahead in Iowa After All 

Rick Santorum

COLUMBIA, S.C. (The Blaze/AP) - Republican officials say the final count of the Iowa caucuses puts Rick Santorum ahead of Mitt Romney by 34 votes, but no winner will be declared because votes from eight precincts are missing.

Romney, the front-runner in the race for the GOP presidential nomination, initially had been considered the winner by 8 votes in the event's closest finish ever.

Iowa Republicans are to announce the tally Thursday morning.

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)

Video: Watch the full Fox News South Carolina GOP debate 

Posted: 17 Jan 2012 05:14 AM PST

Monday evening marked the first time we were down to just five GOP candidates on the debate stage, this time in South Carolina. The debate was sponsored by Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and the South Carolina Republican Party. This event took place at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

PENNSYLVANIA GOP SENATORIAL DEBATE

THURSDAY JANUARY 19, 2012

THE MOOSE LODGE

127 EAST STATE STREET

DOYLESTOWN, PA 18901

MODERATOR: DAVID PATTI, PRESIDENT AND CEO PENNSYLVANIA BUSINESS COUNCIL

PARTICIPANTS:

TOM SMITH

SAM ROHRER

ROBERT MANSFIELD

STEVEN WELCH

LAUREEN CUMMINGS

MARC SCARINGI

DAVID CHRISTIAN

TIM BURNS

Dear Patriot,

Two event updates...

1.        This Thursday, January 19^th, 7pm, we are co-sponsoring the Pennsylvania US Senate Debate with the Kitchen Table Patriots.  Please arrive promptly and join us at the Moose, 127 East State Street, Doylestown, PA.  If you would like to submit questions for the debate, please reply to this email no later than 4pm today. 

2.        Next TJC meeting, Sunday, February 12^th, 7pm at the Temperance House, 5 South State Street, Newtown, PA.  We are having this meeting on Sunday due to our speaker's travel schedule.  We are very pleased to present Belgian and European Member of Parliament Filip Dewiner.  Mr. Dewinter is the leader of the Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) Party in Belgium.  A champion of freedom, sovereignty and national self-determination, Mr. Dewinter will present on the "Defense of the West" and what this means for both Europe and the United States. 

I hope to see many of you Thursday at the debate!

All the best,

Jeff McGeary

Hey All,

Please spread the word on this panel discussion and consider attending.  As per earlier emails, implementing an exchange in PA is de-facto acceptance of ObamaCare. Other states have refused to implement the exchanges in keeping with the spirit of total resistance.  Nick Pandelides is leading the fight for our side and is on the panel.

There will be more coming out shortly on next steps that individuals and groups can do lobby Harrisburg and exert public pressure to have Pennsylvania's collaboration with ObamaCare ended.  You can follow developments on the following facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/stopobamacarepa

The Lehigh Valley COALITION for Health Care Reform presents:

Everything You Wanted to Know About: 

Creating a Health Insurance Exchange in PA

(but didn't know who to ask) 

WHAT:  Debate on the Creation of a Health Care Exchange in PA,                

as mandated by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)   

WHEN:  6:30 - 8 p.m., Wednesday, February 1, 2012  

WHERE:  Ground Floor Meeting Room, Bethlehem Area Public Library

                11 W. Church St., Bethlehem, PA 18018  

WHO:  Panelists include:  

Nick Pandelides, M.D., Vice President, PA Chapter, Docs 4 Patient Care            

Ralph Schmeltz, M.D., Immediate Past President, Pennsylvania Medical Society             

(Additional panelists may participate.)  

ADMISSION:  Free, but space is limited, so please RSVP.  

RSVP:  register at:   www.Meetup.com/Lehigh-Valley-Coalition-for-Health-Care-Reform  

LIVE STREAMING VIDEO: www.ustream.tv/channel/coalition-for-health-care-reform   

THE ISSUE:  The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act mandates that small businesses and individuals must purchase health insurance and obtain government insurance subsidies through state-based federally regulated health insurance exchanges beginning in 2014.  States which do not design and administer federally compliant exchanges will default to a federal system.  A recent PA Insurance Department announcement that a state-based exchange will be created in PA has generated controversy.  Supporters say an exchange designed and administered in PA will serve Pennsylvanians better than one controlled by the federal government.   Opponents say it is inconsistent for the Commonwealth to institute provisions of the PPACA while engaged in the constitutional challenge against the law.  Our experts will present both sides and answer questions to help YOU decide.

The Lehigh Valley COALITION for Health Care Reform is a non-profit, non-partisan grassroots coalition of concerned citizens and health care professionals committed to educating the public about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and other measures and policies impacting America's health.

http://www.meetup.com/Lehigh-Valley-Coalition-for-Health-Care-Reform

Weekly News From Philadelphia ZOA

Shabbat Shalom!

Please join us for our next Quarterly Meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 29, at 7:30 p.m., at Temple Beth Hillel/Beth El, 1001 Remington Rd., Wynnewood, PA. Guest  speaker to be announced. The meeting is free and open to the public.

*             *             *

We are thrilled to be able to bring to Philadelphia Pamela Geller, a modern-day Jewish superheroine who via her Web site, "Atlas Shrugs" (http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/); speeches; articles; and books alerts us about the dangers of militant Islam and its accomplices who threaten the U.S., Israel and Western Civilization - and she fights back. Come hear her no-nonsense observations and advice. Her topic: "The March of Muslim Extremists:  Implications for America, Israel and the West and How To Stop It In Its Tracks." Geller's talk will take place on Monday, March 19, at 6:45 p.m., at the Jewish Community Services Building, 2100 Arch Street, Philadelphia. Tickets are $10, free for students. Call us at 215-338-9188 or email us at zoa@netreach.net for tickets.

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 

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 !!!

The 2012 election is one of the most important in the history of the USA. Two contests which are very important are the Presidential race and the election of a Senator from PA. In order to allow our membership to learn more about those competing to replace Senator Bob Casey.

The Valley Forge Patriots are hosting a

US Senate Candidate Forum on Feb.3^rd 2012

The participants will be Sam Rohrer, Marc Scaringi, Tom Smith and Steve Welch

The forum will be held at the Franklin Commons on 400 Franklin Ave.in Phoenixville from 6:00PM to 8:00 PM. There is plenty of free parking. Food (pizza, chili, etc) and soft drinks will be available. Food service will start at 5:30PM. Attendance is free (donations welcome).

Please RSVP to www.meetup.com/VFP-TeaParty09/ 

For more information www.vfpatriots.com/ 

Nullify Now! Philadelphia

LISTEN LIVE TO REPATRIOT RADIO

"BETTER THAN EVER"

(all times are eastern)

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

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

This bill will play an important role in preventing voter fraud this year. DO NOT DELAY; CALL THESE FOLKS. Be polite, but also insist on knowing what's stalling it! And who!

Thanks to Central Montgomery County Tea Party Patriots for this updated info.

Lou

Don't forget to call these people in the PA Senate about HB 934, the Voter ID bill. After passing the PA House, it went to PA State Govt Committee, on which Sen. Corman sits. He voted no, but it passed out of that committee into the Appropriations committee, which Corman chairs! He appears to be stonewalling this bill; it's sat in his Appropriations committee since Dec 14. Please urge him to vote it out of committee and onto the Senate floor. (After that, we'll need to urge our PA senators to vote yes. Keep track here and on our Forum).

Sen. Jake Corman
Senate Box 203034
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3034
Room: 281 Main Capitol
(717) 787-1377       

(Local)
236 Match Factory Place
Bellefonte, PA 16823
(814) 355-0477  

Sen. Pileggi, who as the Senate Majority Leader, could help push this bill forward. Please encourage him to do so.

Sen. Dominic Pileggi
350 Main Capitol
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Office: 717-787-4712
Fax: 717-783-7490

(Local)
415 Avenue of the States
Chester, PA 19013
Office: 610-447-5845
Fax: 610-447-5848

Action asap!

This is from our dear friends of The West Chester Tea Party. If you have questions about it, contact Joanne at jyychem@yahoo.com

Lou

Call to Action to Urge PA Senate to Pass HB 934 (Voter Photo ID Bill)

HB 934, the Photo ID Bill that requires that all individuals produce a valid photo ID before voting, was passed in June of 2011 by the PA House of Representatives; it currently is stalled in the Senate. There is no excuse for such inaction by PA's Republican-controlled Senate. It is essential that concerned citizens contact senators to request that they make passage of HB 934 their top priority when they reconvene on January 17, 2012.

If we want our elections to be fair, honest and devoid of fraud, the VOTER ID BILL MUST be passed ASAP so it can be implemented by the November 6, 2012 presidential election.

Ask yourself the following questions and then take a few minutes to ACT!

•         Why is it mostly Democrats who are so opposed to its passage?
•         Do we want another four years of the "change" imposed on us by this current administration?

What YOU Can Do...

After familiarizing yourself with information provided below regarding HB 934, contact the following senators by E-MAIL and a PHONE CALL and request that "HB 934 be moved to the Senate floor for a vote without further amendments." Time is of the essence since the Senate will only be in session for a short time.

1. Senator Jake Corman (Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee)

E-Mail: http://www.jakecorman.com/contact.htm

Phone: (717) 787-1377; (814) 355-0477

2. Senator Dominic Pileggi (Senate Majority Leader)

E-Mail:dpileggi@pasen.gov

Phone:(717) 787-4712; (610) 358-5183

3. Your Own Senator:

E-Mail: To obtain the E-Mail address for any senator, go to this link

INFORMATION AND TALKING POINTS FOR HB 934

•         The PA House passed HB 934 on 6/23/2011; it is currently stalled in the Appropriations Committee of the PA Senate. The current version of the bill can be read on this web site.
•         Governor Corbett's administration has publicly announced its support of HB 934. (reference)
•         HB 934 is modeled after Indiana's photo ID law, which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. (reference)
•         Currently, 31 states require some type of ID each time a voter casts a ballot; PA is not one of these 31. (reference and tabulation of states)
•         PA's current law only requires voters to show ID when voting in a polling place for the first time. (SB 824, Act of Dec. 9, 2002, P.L. 1246, No. 150)
•         It often takes years to remove those who have moved to other locations and also deceased voters from voter rolls. This can contribute to voter fraud. HB 934 will help maintain electoral integrity by preventing the multiple types of voter fraud that have been practiced by organized groups such as ACORN in past elections. Fraudulent votes must not be allowed to nullify legitimate ones.
•         "Notable Quotable" from Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler), a sponsor of HB934: "Currently in Pennsylvania, it is impossible to board a commercial airplane, cash a paycheck, operate a motor vehicle or even purchase a season pass to an amusement park without displaying valid photo ID. Guaranteeing the integrity of our state's election process deserves no less than equal protection under the law."

Federal Legislative Update

For the week of January 17th

I hope everyone is excited for a productive second session of the 112^th Congress! This week's edition will be short due to limited legislative business, but I wanted to begin by reminding everyone that we recently released our Mid-Term Review Legislative Scorecard for Members of Congress, which can be viewed here.

In Focus: Congress Back in Session, But Slow to Start-Up New Legislative Business

• The House is back in session this week, and the Senate reconvenes at the beginning of next week, but legislative business will be light to begin the year due to a number of other items on the schedule. The House, for example, meets for official business in only 5 days in the next two weeks, with interruptions coming for the State of the Union address and the respective Republican and Democratic issues planning conferences.
• Expect to see relatively few substantive votes in the next two weeks.
• The first major order of business for the year will be a debate over how to pay for an extension of the Social Security payroll tax cut, the Medicare "doc fix," and long-term unemployment benefits for the rest of the year. The temporary two-month extension for these programs, passed just before lawmakers left town for the holiday break, expires on February 29. Select members from the House and the Senate will be meeting behind the closed doors of a "conference committee" to iron out the differences between the two bodies in the coming weeks.

Highlights for This Week:

House

• The national debt has now climbed to over $15 trillion, and the House will vote today on a resolution disapproving of the President's request to raise the debt ceiling by another $1.2 trillion. According to the debt-limit deal that was reached last summer, unless the resolution passes with veto-proof majorities in each chamber, the nation's debt limit will automatically rise to $16.4 trillion in the coming days. As Phil Kerpen points out in a FoxNews.com column today, the vote is merely "cheap political theater" that acts as cover for Republicans who supported the "McConnell Plan" and will do nothing to rein in spending in Washington.

Senate

• The Senate will reconvene for legislative business on January 23^rd.

Recent AFP Key Votes and Letters of Support (Full List)

No Key Votes or Letters of Support in the last month.

Current Action Alerts (Full List)

• Obama's Green Energy Scam, Part II 

Recent "Need to Know" Memos from AFPF (Full List)

• Number 27 - Sarbanes-Oxley 
• Number 26 - Earmarks 
• Number 25 - The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 

Katy Abram

Pennsylvania Director of Legislative Policy

Americans for Prosperity

www.americansforprosperity.org/pennsylvania

Phone: 717.575.6093

Email: KAbram@afphq.org

Twitter: @afppennsylvania

RedState Morning Briefing

For January 19, 2012

1. Hero or Spoiler: Rick Perry Will Quit. The Question is as What.

Yesterday, I argued that Rick Perry should leave the GOP primary in advance of Saturday's election and endorse Newt Gingrich, who is the most logical fit in the existing field for a Perry endorsement.

The Perry campaign responded that the race would be decided by voters, not pundits behind a computer.

Fair enough. Rick Perry does not want to be seen as a quitter. But quit he will. I do not want him to quit. I urged him to stay in the race. But sadly his campaign has been unable to get the second look I thought it deserved. Now, at this point, he and I both know he is going to quit the race. The only question is whether he quits now and saves us from Romney or quits Sunday and ensures us Romney.

It may suck, but it is reality. And we are forced at times like this to deal with reality. The reality is that Rick Perry will be quitting the race, but he is not quitting the fight, which has always been more important. We started campaign season with candidates asking what Washington can do for America. Through his singlehanded, tireless, and unfailing efforts, Rick Perry has managed to steer the conversation to what Washington cannot do for America and what Americans can do themselves if Washington just gets the hell out of the way.

2. Again, Conservatives Were Right

On and on it goes.

Republicans in Congress cut deals with Democrats. The Republicans' favorite reporters and pundits tell us just how awesome those deals are. Then those deals blow up in our faces.

More tragically, then the same Republican leaders who negotiated those deals go back and negotiate the next deals and the same reporters and pundits at the same publications who told the last ones were so awesome tell us these are so awesome and then these deals too blow up in our faces. Conservatives always raise the alarm. The Republicans always run to the usual suspects to spin their way out of the mess.

On Facebook yesterday, Senator Jim DeMint noted this folly. Republicans were supposed to have big wins on the debt ceiling and on the Keystone XL Pipeline. They told us they had played the Democrats. Instead, we played ourselves.

3. The Budget Out-of-Control Act in Numbers

The House voted to disapprove of Obama's request for an additional $1.2 trillion increase in the debt ceiling. Needless to say, they failed to garner the requisite two-thirds majority to preclude Obama from issuing more debt. The total federal debt will inexorably rise to at least $16.4 trillion by the end of the year.

But wait. Didn't we pass a Budget Control Act to usher in a new era of budget austerity?

On August 1, the total federal debt stood at $14,342,358,440,969.10. Today, it stands at $15,236,288,061,558.65. That's an increase of $894 billion.

4. Obama Kills 20,000 Keystone XL Jobs, Laborers' Union Vows Not To Forget

Heritage Hotsheet

Experts on the Day's Hottest News

Items for January 15, 2012

Quote with appropriate reverence and non-judgmental, multicultural appreciation the great Iranian religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini:  

To marry a girl before she begins menstruating is "a divine blessing." If your liberal friend starts sputtering, cheerfully inquire, "Who are you to judge another culture-you're not Islamophobic, are you?"  

Fact Check: Why Rick Perry is Right About Turkey

Fact checkers and truth squads are the media's latest tool for blurring the line between the editorial page and the new page. The ubiquitous fact checks are editorializing dressed up as verification. While on some occasions there are actual facts to verify, for the most part the fact checks defend a partisan liberal viewpoint on a particular issue. 

 

So no sooner did Rick Perry suggest that Turkey had no place in NATO and that some perceive its government to be run by Islamic terrorists than the media rolled out its fact checks. In the spirit of fact checking the fact checkers, let's have a fact check of our own.

CNN Statement: "Turkey is not ruled by Islamic terrorists. It is led by a party with Islamist roots, the Justice and Freedom Party, or AKP."

Those are the facts according to CNN's Truth Squad, which took its name from a certain book by George Orwell. But let's look at the actual facts.

The Facts: The AKP emerged out of a series of banned Islamist political movements. CNN's Lie Squad mentions that the AKP's current leader of Turkey Erdogan was banned for reading an Islamic poem in public. It neglects to mention the content of the poem.

"The minarets are our bayonets; the domes are our helmets. Mosques are our barracks, the believers are soldiers. This holy army guards my religion. Almighty, Our journey is our destiny, the end is martyrdom."

It also neglects to mention the context in which it was read, at protests that were being conducted by Islamists after their Welfare Party was disqualified. Erdogan was not jailed for reading an Islamic poem, he was jailed for reading a poem calling for a violent Islamic overthrow of the government.

Erdogan was specifically convicted of "inciting hatred based on religious differences." There's quite a difference between noting that Erdogan was convicted of Islamic bigotry and just writing that he was convicted for reading an Islamic poem. Would CNN write equally vaguely that David Irving was put on trial for writing a book?
 

Iran, the U.S. and the Strait of Hormuz Crisis
Jan 18, 2012 11:38 am

Edible Microchips, Biometric Identity Systems And Mind Reading Computers
Jan 18, 2012 11:15 am

Allen West to President Obama: Please Don't Play the Race Card in 2012
Jan 18, 2012 10:27 am

Oil and Gas Services Avoid Geopolitical Risk: John Stephenson
Jan 18, 2012 10:05 am

Fact Check: Why Rick Perry is Right About Turkey
Jan 18, 2012 05:18 am

The Cancellation of a U.S.-Israeli Drill
Jan 18, 2012 05:09 am

Beware of The Islamization of Africa
Jan 18, 2012 05:00 am

MLK's Public Philosophy of Freedom
Jan 18, 2012 04:59 am

International Freedom Organizations Unite to Create Stop Islamization of Nations (SION)
Jan 17, 2012 09:29 pm

Defend Threatened Muslim Moderates: Save Husain Haqqani
Jan 17, 2012 09:15 pm

U. S. Legislative Immigration Update January 17, 2012
Jan 17, 2012 07:08 pm

The Palestinian Big Lie Revisited
Jan 17, 2012 02:56 pm

The Hyphen that Destroyed a Nation
Jan 17, 2012 02:02 pm

Capitalism vs. Socialism - The Real Story
Jan 17, 2012 12:43 pm

Mark Levin's Ameritopia Shows Us the Way Out of the Dark
Jan 17, 2012 12:00 pm



 

Joint US-Israel drill called off by Netanyahu, to Washington's surprise

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report January 17, 2012,

debkafile's sources disclose exclusively that, contrary to recent reports published in Washington, Jerusalem - and this site too - it was Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, not the Obama administration, who decided to call off the biggest ever joint US-Israeli military exercise Austere Challenge 12 scheduled for April 2012.

Washington was taken aback by the decision. It was perceived as a mark of Israel's disapproval for the administration's apparent hesitancy in going through with the only tough sanctions with any chance of working against Iran's nuclear weapon program: penalizing its central bank and blocking payments for its petroleum exports.
This was the first time Israel had ever postponed a joint military exercise; it generated a seismic moment in relations between the US and Israel at a time when Iran has never been so close to producing a nuclear weapon.

This week, Netanyahu...

Read the whole entry »

USA; The Center-Right Nation

By Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, "Israel Hayom"

Grasping the American state of mind constitutes a prerequisite for a proper assessment of US domestic politics in general and the November 2012 presidential and congressional races in particular.

Recent public opinion polls reaffirm that the US is a center-right nation, and that "Micropolitan America," Main Street, K-Mart, Fox News, radio talk show hosts, the Wall Street Journal and the local "Gazettes" are as important - in shaping the US political scene - as are "Metropolitan America," Wall Street, K Street, CNN and the three major networks, NPR radio and the New York Times.

Notwithstanding the uninspiring slate of Republican candidates, and the self-destruct Republican presidential primaries, recent public opinion polls highlight the uphill challenge facing President Obama's reelection campaign and the Democratic Party's attempt to sustain its Senate majority and regain the...

Read the whole entry »

Euro Taking E.U. Down With It

France On The Way To Financial Self-Destruction

by Peter Martino, STONEGATE INSTITUTE

Last Friday's downgrading of France and Austria by credit rating agency Standard & Poor's has left the eurozone, the group of 17 European countries using the euro as their currency, with just four countries with a triple A rating. Of these four Germany is the only one that was not given a negative outlook. Indeed, S&P thinks that the Netherlands, Finland and Luxemburg risk a further downgrade this year or next year.

This is bad news for the euro. The creditworthiness of the euro bailout fund, EFSF, depends on the ability of eurozone countries with the top rating to provide enough money to bail out eurozone countries in financial difficulties. With France, the eurozone's second largest economy, out of the top league the pressure on the four remaining countries rises. This explains why the Netherlands, Finland and Luxemburg were given a negative outlook. If these countries...

Read the whole entry »

Ban Ki Moon is a liar

Salomon Benzimra writes to Ban Ki-Moon

In your latest speech in Beirut on January 15, 2012, you declared that "Settlements, new and old, are illegal."  This is not new, as you expressed a similar opinion at a press conference at the UN in December, 2010, where you condemned "all settlement construction, including construction in East Jerusalem."

Repetition of a falsehood does not make it true.  Of all institutions, the United Nations should be particularly aware of the legacy of past agreements enshrined in international law and of the immutable acquired rights of peoples, as spelled out in the UN Charter.  By condemning specifically the construction of Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria - a territory commonly known by its unfortunate misnomer, "the West Bank" - you are advocating a return to the untenable ethnic cleansing that prevailed prior to 1967.

Besides, this is not the first time where you brandish, rather thoughtlessly, the illegality of an action...

Read the whole entry »

Chronicle · January 18, 2012

The Foundation

"It is necessary for every American, with becoming energy to endeavor to stop the dissemination of principles evidently destructive of the cause for which they have bled. It must be the combined virtue of the rulers and of the people to do this, and to rescue and save their civil and religious rights from the outstretched arm of tyranny, which may appear under any mode or form of government." --Mercy Warren

Editorial Exegesis

Reid vows more obstruction

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has a novel conception of his job priorities. One recent day, the Nevada Democrat took it upon himself to lecture Republicans on how they should conduct their business. Claiming Republicans practiced 'obstructionism on steroids' in 2011, Reid said he hoped 'that they understand that everything doesn't have to be a fight. Legislation is an art of working together, building consensus, compromise. And I hope that the Tea Party doesn't have the influence in this next year that they had in the previous year.' ... In those same remarks, Reid offered this laugher about his party's purported efforts in 2011 to break the legislative deadlock between President Obama and Senate Democrats on one side and House Republicans on the other: 'I don't think ... anyone can question or they should question our having reached out to Republicans. We've done everything we could to work with them. We're going to continue to do that. In spite of the obstructionism, we have been able to accomplish a lot of good things in the last Congress.' Let it be noted, however, that the most prominent missing item among those 'good things' Reid claims to have accomplished was fulfilling one of the Senate's most basic constitutional duties -- approving an annual federal budget. ... National Journal reports that Reid told a meeting of his Democratic colleagues earlier this week that 'the party is positioned to dictate a congressional agenda designed to get most of its congressional members -- and President Obama -- re-elected. Working with the White House, Senate Democrats are plotting a 2012 floor agenda driven by Obama's re-election campaign and the fight for control of Congress. The year will see an intensified version of the course Democrats pursued this fall through votes on the president's jobs bill.' In other words, while blasting Republican 'obstructionism,' Reid is plotting systematic obstructionism throughout the coming months. This is spelled h-y-p-o-c-r-i-s-y." --The Washington Examiner

What do you expect from congressional Democrats this year?

Upright

"[L]et us now, in full public view, credit [Barack Obama's] greatest public service as president: He is sending Americans back to the Constitution. ... Mr. Obama's overreach has provoked something unique. This is the rise of a populist movement with the historically unpopulist priorities of making the federal government smaller and insisting on its constitutional limits. ... You can say Mr. Obama probably will not like where a greater public familiarity with the Constitution is likely to take us politically. But you can't say the former University of Chicago professor hasn't made it exciting." --columnist William McGurn

"President Obama, man of the people, will deliver his presidential nomination acceptance speech at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. -- so that Democratic Party fundraisers can reward big donors with skyboxes and other lavish perks. ... The self-proclaimed Party of the 99 Percent is reportedly busy creating special-access VIP packages for the 1 percent -- under the illusion of throwing open its doors to the masses. DNC officials refuse to disclose fundraising updates until after the convention, even as they champion their own 'openness and accessibility.' And no doubt, Obama will use his stadium-size pulpit to 'stand up' to the very same 'fat cats' who'll be watching him while sipping Courvoisier in their DNC-appointed luxury seats. Such is the audacity of progressive cognitive dissonance." --columnist Michelle Malkin

"One of the weirdest things about Cornell West's recent rant on Fox News was that he is one of the highest-paid professors in the humanities in the United States ... yet he damned those who, like himself, are rich. ... With recent news that Harvard, Stanford, and Berkeley professors, like the 1 Percenters at J.P. Morgan and Goldman-Sachs, were among Obama's most generous campaign contributors, I think we can discern the new three rules of fat-cattery: 1) Protestations of being liberal exempt you from the crime of being a 1 Percenter; 2) The less risk to your affluent status ... the more willing you are to put up with income-tax hikes, which renders you one of the good, blue 1 Percenters; 3) Damning Wall Street on Monday while shaking down Wall Street on Tuesday is just the way things are, whether for Barack Obama or for an Ivy League development dean." --historian Victor Davis Hanson

The Demo-gogues

Where to start with this one? "I'm not a perfect man. I'm not a perfect president, but I promise you this -- and I've kept this promise -- I will always tell you what I believe and I will always tell you where I stand. If you stick with me, we're going to finish what we started in 2008." --Barack Obama

That's the problem: "The reason I was successful was not because I was a flawless candidate or I ran a flawless campaign but it was because together we were able to give voice to this shared vision of what America should be. And I want you to know that I have kept faith with that vision all these years." -- Barack Obama

Nobody works harder than a bureaucrat: "[B]y the way, you won't meet harder working folks than some of the folks in these federal agencies -- devote countless hours to trying to make sure that they're serving the American people, but they will tell you their efforts are constantly undermined by an outdated bureaucratic maze." --Barack Obama

Belly Laugh of the Week: "As opposed to the Tea Party, which was practically a wholly owned subsidiary of the Republican Party, we don't really have much of a connection with the Occupy [protesters]. In fact, they probably have some sentiments that overlap between the two [groups]." --House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Race bait: "A white president, frankly, could be pushed a great deal more than we would push President Obama because nobody would accuse him or her of having partiality toward African-Americans. So its a tough spot -- it also means that we still have a long way to go in terms of race relations in this country and the president has, I think, moved through these troubled waters about as well as any African-American could becoming the first black president." --Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)

Essential Liberty

delivered to doorsteps via horse and wagon; slide rules were used to make calculations. Should any of these products and practices have survived, or was it OK for natural selection to consign them to the dustbin of history? Try cornering the president or his supporters, and ask them whether they believe government should ensure that the unfit survive and rather than 'you're-on-your-own economics' there should be 'you're-on-somebody-else economics.'" --economist Walter. E. Williams

Dezinformatsia

Class warfare: "Here's what I've discovered. It seems to me you have two ways of looking at wealthy people. Some of us, most of us look at people like Steve Jobs, Spielberg, Iacocca, name brands, Gates. Self-made people who deserved their wealth because they went out and swung that pick and may have failed, but they succeeded. And there's other people always looking at it this way. 'Oh he had a break. He went to Harvard, the Business School.' His old man looked out for him, he had these connections and of course he's working for Bain. How did he get that job?" --MSNBC's Chris Matthews on Mitt Romney

So under-appreciated: "When given [Obama's] education, given that he was the first to head the Harvard Law Review, he could have made millions in the private corporate world. He chose, way before anyone ever thought he would be the president, to go back to Chicago and to work as a community organizer and to serve the underserved and the ignored." --"The Reverend" Al Sharpton

In what alternate universe? "They say the stimulus didn't work. The stimulus worked. It was just too small. While we had the stimulus, employment was rising. So, you know, the president knows what to do." --Salon's Joan Walsh

Non Compos Mentis: "Why Are Obama's Critics So Dumb?" --Newsweek cover story

Race bait II: "The fact that a conversation about the attitude and disposition of Mrs. Obama remains such a hot-button topic is a major disappointment for those who thought times would change after her husband's election in 2008. Many in the African-American community were certain the mere presence of Michelle Obama on the international stage would effect perceptions of black women worldwide. Surely it would be impossible to ignore the grace, charm and intellect of the 5'11" Chicago native, with her Harvard Law degree, committed marriage, and two young daughters." --Newsweek's Allison Samuels

Newspulper Headlines:

The Real Reason Mrs. Obama Is So Angry: "Barack Obama's Got Sons?" --Washington Post website

We Blame George W. Bush: "Obama Blames Nixon for NOAA" --Politico.com

We Blame Global Warming: "CES: Why 3D TV Isn't 'Cool' This Year" --Macworld.com

News You Can Use: "How to Stay Healthy: Don't Get Old" --TheAtlantic.com

Questions Nobody Is Asking: "What Are Newspapers For?" --Washington Post website

Bottom Story of the Day: "Justice Department Backs Obama Recess Appointment" --Reuters

(Thanks to The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto)

Village Idiots

Let them eat cake: "We absolutely live in a bubble. So I have to keep my kids on track to do things that we would do as if we weren't here. Whether it's vacation or camp or taking a trip we would normally take. It's letting them get outside of the bubble, to get them to a place. That's so important and I fight for that, for them." --Michelle Obama on taking million-dollar vacations

The horror: "[L]ast year we made history together by finally passing health reform. But now there are some folks actually talking about repealing this reform. So today, we must ask ourselves, are we going to stand by and let that happen? I mean, really? Are we going to let insurance companies refuse to cover things like cancer screening, prenatal care, that don't just save money, but they save lives? Or are we going to stand up for our lives and for the lives of the people that we love?" --Michelle Obama at a fundraiser

Race bait III: "Yes, we have a great deal to celebrate [on civil rights]. But let's be clear. We have not yet reached the promised land." --Attorney General Eric Holder

Blame Republicans: "I think it's very clear that the Republicans voted against the American Jobs Act each time when the whole act was before Congress, when each component part, practically all of them, the Republicans voted against it. ... They didn't like the way we were gonna pay for it. Where we were going to have a modest tax increase on those who are the wealthiest and they oppose that. They wanted to protect the wealthiest and as a result, the direct impact is going to be all across our country we're going to see layoffs of people who provide very vital resources -- services, to our communities." --senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett

Short Cuts

"[A]ccording to the Mayan Calendar, the world is supposed to come to an apocalyptic end on December 21st. I am of two minds about the prediction. On the one hand, I'd hate to think that I might never see another Christmas or another birthday. On the other hand, if, by some awful turn of events or through some political skullduggery, Obama actually gets himself re-elected on November 6th, the end couldn't come soon enough for me." --columnist Burt Prelutsky

"Michelle Obama has recently taken issue with her critics for allegedly perpetuating the idea that she is an 'angry black woman.' ... One does not have to take a leap of faith to believe Mrs. Obama to be an 'angry black woman.' It is nothing more than a logical conclusion given the evidence she has provided." --columnist William Sullivan

"During a recent interview, Michael Moore refused to credit capitalism for his commercial success in the film industry, saying 'socialist countries' have movies too. Yes. As well as jails full of dissident filmmakers." --Fred Thompson

"President Obama reportedly agreed to give his acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention in Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium. It's sure put the convention over budget. When you're sixteen trillion dollars overdrawn Bank of America's fees really add up." --comedian Argus Hamilton

Dear RedState Reader,

This morning I noted that we should primary Senators and Representatives on the left and right who refuse to back away from SOPA and Protect IP.

Included in the list of sponsors, unfortunately, was Senator Marco Rubio. I would hate, hate, haaattttteeeee to primary such a great guy. We spent a lot of time, energy, effort, and money getting him elected. But SOPA/Protect IP is that bad.

Now, I've made clear that we wouldn't do this unless the left was on board too and I've only really heard crickets from them. But it was a threat so many of us felt needed to be made to emphasize just how bad this legislation is.

Today, about an hour ago, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida showed again why he is a real leader and listener within the conservative movement. He is dropping his co-sponsorship of Protect IP.

I hope other Republicans in the Senate follow his leadership on this issue. and please call Senator Rubio's office and thank him for his leadership. His number is (202) 224-3041. We often fight. We should also often say thanks.

Sincerely yours,

Erick Erickson
Editor, RedState.com

January 18, 2012


  WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE: BECK & COROLLA
Last night's episode of The Glenn Beck Show featured an amazing interview. Glenn spoke at length with comedian and podcast innovator Adam Corolla. Even if you are not a GBTV subscriber, you can watch these two self-made men talk about some of the very surprising things they have in common HERE.

  MEGYN KELLY BLASTS ANDREW SULLIVAN
The latest cover story from Newsweek magazine asks the question, "Why are Obama's critics so dumb?" That story and the writer, Andrew Sullivan caught the eye of Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly. Watch Ms. Kelly respond to Sullivan's Newsweek story HERE.

  SHOCKING VIDEO OF A TEEN BEING BEATEN
A 17-yr-old Chicago boy was beaten and robbed by a group of other teens, and someone recorded the horrific beating and published it online. You can see the video, but should know that it contains both graphic violence and rough language HERE.

  PREMIERE NIGHT ON GBTV, TWO NEW SHOWS DEBUTing - TONIGHT!
Of course we want you to watch every single episode of the new "Real News from The Blaze" but there is another reason to tune into GBTV tonight. "Independence USA" is the reality show featuring a family that is planning for a total collapse of society. Get a sneak preview of the new shows and find out how you can get a 14 day free trial of the channel HERE.

HERE'S YOUR WIKIPEDIA 'WORKAROUND'
Today is the day that many big websites are blocking access to their pages to protest the proposed House Bill 3261, also known as the Stop Online Piracy Act. If you absolutely must get to Wikipedia before midnight tonight, we have discovered a workaround. Find out the secret  key to access Wikipedia HERE.  

VIRAL VIDeo: snow = bad driving clips  
Winter weather provides us so many different challenges and also gives us some great video. The city of Seattle has just been hit with two inches of snow. The fluffy stuff caused some problems for the local drivers. See the first winter viral clips HERE.

Syracuse Expels Ed Student for Complaining on Facebook about Racial Comment

January 18, 2012

SYRACUSE, N.Y., January 18, 2012-Syracuse University's School of Education has effectively expelled a graduate student from its teaching program after he complained on Facebook about a racially charged comment made in his presence by a community leader. Syracuse told Matthew Werenczak that his only chance for reinstatement was to undergo a special course of diversity training and counseling for "anger management"-all because he expressed annoyance over a community leader's complaint that student teachers were coming from Syracuse rather than historically black colleges. After completing all requirements but still being denied readmission, Werenczak turned to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) for help.

"Syracuse already has a bad reputation for free speech, but kicking a student out of school for complaining on Facebook about comments he thought were racist is an outrageous new low," said FIRE President Greg Lukianoff. "Syracuse's shocking decision to punish a student for innocuous online speech is the latest betrayal of the school's promises of free expression."

---

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer


COUNTDOWN TO VICTORY: 293 DAYS TO THE 2012 ELECTIONS


Obama Says No To Canada's Oil

In a stunning development today, the Obama Administration once again rejected the Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline would have transported crude oil from the Canadian tar sands to refineries along the Gulf Coast. It would have provided more oil from a friendly ally while reducing America's dependence on imported oil from hostile regimes like Venezuela or those in the Middle East.

Today's decision is inexplicable. It defies common sense and the recommendation of Obama's own jobs council! Consider this excerpt from the 2011 year-end report issued by the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness:

"Additionally, policies that facilitate the safe, thoughtful and timely development of pipeline, transmission and distribution projects are necessary to facilitate the delivery of America's fuel and electricity and maintain the reliability of our nation's energy system."

Last month a bi-partisan majority in Congress passed legislation demanding a decision on the pipeline within 60 days. Congress took this unusual step because the Obama White House said it would wait until after the 2012 elections to make a decision. The administration now claims it is denying approval because it can't make an informed decision in 60 days. But according to the Wall Street Journal, "The U.S. government has been reviewing the 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline since 2008."

So this project has been under government review for four years -- that's 1,460 days -- and Obama still can't give us an answer? We developed the atomic bomb in less time. We built the Empire State Building in less time. The Hoover Dam took less than five years to build.

But Obama just can't bring himself to approve a pipeline that would provide America with oil from Canada and create tens of thousands of jobs in the process -- even when his own advisors recommend it. He rejects the one really "shovel ready" project on his desk while spending billions on failed alternative energy companies.

Why would Obama do this? Because the radical environmentalist movement has made the Keystone pipeline a litmus test issue. They have drawn a "line in the sand" on the use of "dirty" tar sands oil.

But the oil will be used. The pipeline will be built -- going west, instead of south, to load the oil on Chinese tankers. China desperately wants it. In fact, the Chinese are already aggressively buying up interests in Canada's tar sands and Prime Minister Harper is headed to China next month. According to Canadian news reports, "A decision by U.S. President Barack Obama to delay approval for a major pipeline expansion through the country led to Harper talk about finding other customers for Canadian oil."

By the way, petroleum analysts are warning that 2012 could be "the most painful year at the pump that we have ever seen."

My friends, let me remind you what President Obama's former National Security Advisor, Gen. Jim Jones, said last month about the failure of this administration to develop a serious energy policy:

"If we get to the point where we cannot bring ourselves to do what is in our national interest, then we are clearly in a period of decline... A nation that fails to secure the energy its citizens and its economic engine need to keep functioning leaves itself vulnerable to external contingencies in a dangerous and uncertain world and to the whims of foreign leaders and other actors who may not always have its interests at heart."

Obama: The Divider-In-Chief

Barack Obama may not be able to create jobs or run a coherent foreign policy, but the former Chicago community organizer knows how to divide people based on race, income, etc. And now that he has the bully pulpit of the presidency, it is only that much easier.

A recent Pew study did not get much attention, but it reveals the potential for division that exists, if we tolerate it. According to Pew's findings, "about two-thirds of the public (66%) believes there are 'very strong' or 'strong' conflicts between the rich and the poor. ...Not only have perceptions of class conflict grown more prevalent; so, too, has the belief that these disputes are intense."

Pew found that this intense focus on class conflict ranks ahead of concerns over race, immigration and age, and it is also relatively new. "Virtually all major demographic groups now perceive significantly more class conflict than two years ago."

The timing seems odd, doesn't it? One would have expected class conflict to peak during the Great Recession in 2009, not when things are supposedly getting better. It is ironic and unfortunate given that Obama was elected on the promise of hope and change that people now perceive more conflict. But the Obama campaign and the Occupy Wall Street movement appear determined to exploit fear and envy now in order to achieve their shared goals -- Obama's reelection and the "fundamental transformation of America."


The Debates

While I have been very critical of the GOP debate formats, the weekend debates in South Carolina have me convinced of one thing: The remaining contenders are much better debaters now than they were 90 days ago.

As you know, I have endorsed Senator Rick Santorum, and I think he did well in the last debate. I also have to tip my hat to Newt Gingrich. His performances in the debates are the main reason Gingrich remains in contention. His campaign imploded early on after a series of mishaps, culminating in the mass resignation of his entire staff. Yet Gingrich remains very much a force in this campaign.

Whoever wins the nomination should watch the tapes of the South Carolina debates to get the right sense of how best to beat Barack Obama. We win if we take the fight to him. We lose if we play defense. With your help, CWF will do everything we can to win!
 

Built on lies, CalPERS now wants to sue its way to solvency: How very Democrat!

Jan 18, 2012 05:13 am | Coach Collins

By Kevin "Coach" Collins

 This story isn't very complicated. In 1999 California's public employee unions took control of the Golden State from a weak sycophantic Democrat Governor, the now infamous Grey Davis. The unions instructed their servants in the Legislature to create the California Public Employees Retirement System known as CalPERS.

With CalPERS. Davis and his Party purchased perpetual control of California's government through never ending union support. And why not; CalPERS gives state employees lavish pay, benefits and pensions amounting to 90% of yearly salaries.

Not surprisingly Californians knew little or nothing about the dirty secret imbedded in the CalPERS bill (SB 400) which makes the taxpayers of California perpetually responsible for making up any shortfalls in funding for this scheme.

To soothe the worries of onlookers sensing the fiscal train wreck SB 400 would cause, it included "out year" (a phrase meaning 'When we'll be gone.') projected assumption of   Dow Jones levels ... Continue Reading:Built on lies, CalPERS now wants to sue its way to solvency: How very Democrat!

comments | read more

American Minute January 17

Jan 17, 2012 05:13 pm | Coach Collins

By Bill Federer, staff writer

The Battle of Cowpens, JANUARY 17, 1781, depicted in Mel Gibson's movie "The Patriot," was where American General Daniel Morgan had a line of militia fire into British General Cornwallis' and Colonel Tarleton's dragoons, regulars, Highlanders and loyalists. When the Americans retreated, the British pursued, only to be surprised by American Continentals waiting over the hill. In the confusion, the Americans killed 110 British and captured 830. Cornwallis regrouped and chased the Americans, arriving at the Catawba River just two hours after the Americans had crossed, but a storm made the river impassable. He nearly overtook them as they were getting out of the Yadkin River, but rain flooded the river. This happened again at the Dan River. British Commander Henry Clinton wrote: "Here the royal army was again stopped by a sudden rise of the waters, which had only just fallen (almost miraculously) to let the enemy over." In March of 1781, ... Continue Reading:American Minute January 17

comments | read more

Habeas Corpus Stands Firm in El Paso County, Colorado!

Jan 17, 2012 01:13 pm | Coach Collins

 By Helen Sabin, staff writer 

Utah had its Sheriff Mack.  Maricopa County, Arizona has Sheriff Joe Arpaio.  But Colorado Springs, Colorado has Terry Maketa. 

In November 2011, Sheriff Maketa of El Paso County, Colorado, along with its five County Commissioners struck a blow for freedom and the Constitutional rights of citizens.  These six signed a proclamation affirming the right to Habeas Corpus which the National Defense Authorization Bill or Senate Bill 1867 removed when it was signed into law by President Obama.

 The proclamation which has gone viral, affirms that the local sheriff, who is any county's top cop, can override actions taken by the military or the Feds to arrest someone without notification to the Sheriff.

 Under this proclamation, the Sheriff will make sure that a Miranda warning is given, the right to see a judge and the right to NOT be taken out of the county or held incommunicado without permission is upheld.   

... Continue Reading:Habeas Corpus Stands Firm in El Paso County, Colorado!

comments | read more

RUSE: Say no to Girl Scout Cookies

Left-wing political agenda undermines girls, families

Illustration by Alexander Hunter for The Washington Times

When our sweet little neighbor in her brown camp uniform came knocking on our door this year, we had to say no. I told her mother that I didn't want to hurt Katie's feelings, but I couldn't support the Girl Scout cookie sale anymore because I'd learned too much about the organizers' agenda, primarily their support for abortion and partnership with Planned Parenthood.

 

I worried that my "political" stand would cause uneasiness between us, but her response put me at ease: "Well," she said, "they do use unpaid child labor to make their sales, and the troop only gets 10 percent of the revenues anyway."

 

True. According to the Girl Scouts' website, the lion's share of the money goes not to the troop but to bureaucrats up the chain of command in multicounty councils. The national office gets a piece of the pie, too, in the form of royalties based on gross annual sales volume - about 200 million boxes per year.

 

It's a sacrifice, because I love the cookies and the cuties who sell them, but enough is enough.

Read more: 

News from The Hill:

House approves resolution opposing Obama's debt limit hike
By Pete Kasperowicz

The House on Wednesday evening approved a resolution disapproving of President Obama's request to increase the debt ceiling by another $1.2 trillion, sending it to a Senate that is expected to reject it.

The House approved the resolution in a 239-176 vote in which just one Republican voted against it, and six Democrats voted for it. But the vote fell far short of the two-thirds majority that would be needed for passage if Obama were to veto the resolution.

Read the story here.

Today's Headlines:  Wednesday, January 18, 2012

First Lady Celebrates 48th Birthday at Steakhouse; Menu Includes a $28 'Obama' Burger
  Gingrich: Reagan Began Turning Around 'Terrible Economy' He Inherited Within 3 Hours

Pat Sajak says: "For Conservatives, MRC is Google, LexisNexis and YouTube all rolled into one..." Please make a tax-deductible gift to MRC today!

State Dep't Lauds Turkey After Perry's Criticism, But Is Silent on Its Troubling Policies

Perry: 'Travesty' That U.S. Energy Security Is 'Tied to a Nation That Hates Us'

State Department: U.S. Not 'Overly Concerned' About Iraq Detaining 'A Handful of U.S. Contractors'

Rep. Wolf: Christians in Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt Worse Off Today

Rep. Frank Wolf to GOP: Reagan Championed Religious Freedom, Human Rights

Hoyer: Democrats Don't Have Enough Votes for Taxing the Rich in Payroll Tax Fight

Begin Sex Ed in Kindergarten, Says New 'National Standards' Report

Napolitano: DHS Is Working with Mexico on 'Special Interest Aliens' Threat Along U.S.- Mexican Border

850+ Orthodox Jewish Clergymen Call Romney 'A Dangerous Homosexualist'

Romney to Release 2011 Tax Return in April, But Not Records for 2010

Santorum Says the Popular Election of Senators Led to Big Government

Toddler's F-Bomb on ABC's 'Modern Family' Draws Complaints

COMMENTARY:
 
Missing From Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial: God
By Terence P. Jeffrey
The Rev. Martin Luther King was a Christian clergyman who became an American hero by standing up for the God-given rights our nation was founded to protect. It is a shame the name of God cannot be found at his memorial.

Mark Levin Deserves a Turn on TV
By L. Brent Bozell III
It's a crying shame that in today's network "news" media only books written by gabby left-wing celebrities generate interest. It's a sad indictment of the industry that serious books about ideas are rarely discussed, and if the serious book is written by a serious conservative, then rarely becomes never.

The Bank of (Democratic Party) America
By Michelle Malkin
Well, isn't this rich? And I do mean rich. President Obama, man of the people, will deliver his presidential nomination acceptance speech at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. - so that Democratic Party fundraisers can reward big donors with skyboxes and other lavish perks.

NEWSPAPER ROUNDUP:

Pelosi: 'We don't really have much of a connection with the Occupy [protesters]'
NYC police pursuing technology to scan pedestrians for guns
Obama advisers push oil pipelines for job-creation
House Republicans weigh options if Obama kills Keystone pipeline
U.S. losing high-tech manufacturing jobs to Asia
Md. Governor O'Malley's budget raises taxes on six-figure salaries
Gov. Chris Christies calls for income-tax cuts across the board
CDC: 1 in 3 adults is obese
Congress's gift shops losing money
House to take symbolic vote against debt hike
Crowd urges appeal of decision to ban prayer banner at RI high school
Strong signs Iran is supplying Syria with weapons, US says
Iraq violence up sharply since U.S. troops' exit
2 Supreme Court cases could transform Medicaid into block grant program for states

Video: White House on Lockdown After Occupiers Throw Smoke Bombs

Obama Proposes New Dept. of Corporate Welfare

Obama Plans to Limit U.S. Power in Space

Issa: Obama's Ignores Occupy DC's Rat-Infestation Out of Embarrassment

Golden Globes F-Bomb is a Symptom of a Sickening Culture

Local tea party leader: End party endorsements before primary

By TOM JOYCE
Daily Record/Sunday News

Updated: 01/16/2012

York, PA - Later this month, members of the Republican State Committee will likely endorse statewide GOP candidates at a meeting in Hershey.

And members of the York 912 Patriots object -- not to the candidates' being endorsed, necessarily, but to the endorsement process itself.

The objection, according to 912 Patriots founding member Lee Ann Burkholder, is that the committee makes its endorsements before the primary. And Burkholder says the primary should be the true test of whom the party supports because it more accurately reflects the will of party members statewide as opposed to party officials.

"It's a few people in leadership who run the entire party for the state," Burkholder said.

It's common practice for both the Republican and Democratic state committees to endorse candidates for statewide offices months in advance of the primary. Democratic state officials made their endorsements this past weekend at their meeting in State College, including one for state Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-West Manchester, as state auditor general.

Burkholder and five other members of the 912 Patriots, a local tea party group, are members of the York County delegation to the state committee.

At a Republican State Committee meeting in September, they tried to rally like-minded members to join them in opposing the endorsement process. Burkholder estimates they got about 40 members out of more than 400.

Nevertheless, they intend to try again this year, and are even purchasing radio spots encouraging registered Republicans to contact members of the Republican State Committee and urge them not to vote for the endorsement.

York County Republican Chairman Bob Wilson pointed out that the endorsement process doesn't add or remove anyone from the ballot, and the committee certainly doesn't have the authority to tell anybody how they should vote. Anyone who gets the necessary petition signatures can run, and it's up to members of the party whether to endorse them.

"It's purely used as a vetting tool," Wilson said.

York County Democratic Chairman Bob Kefauver said that's also how the Democratic State Committee approaches it.

"There are a significant number of voters who are looking for some kind of guidance, if you will," Kefauver said.

But Burkholder argues that party endorsement boosts individual campaigns so much that it amounts to a de facto selection by the state committee to be the candidate for the general election. So she and the others will attempt to fight the battle again, although they know the odds are against them.

"We're little fish in a big pond," she said.

Poll results

More than 150 people who attended the York 912 Patriots Federal Candidates' Forum on Thursday cast their votes for U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress in a straw poll after the event. The results were as follows:
U.S. Senate

Sam Rohrer: 75

Marc Scaringi: 30

Tom Smith: 25

Steve Welch: 25

Joe Vodvarka: 4

John Kensinger: 2

Tim Burns: 1
 
U.S. House of Representatives' 4th District

Ted Waga: 139

Congressman Todd Platts: 12