Quote: 

Defiance: Russia to Reportedly Deliver Combat Jets to Syria 

MOSCOW (The Blaze/AP) - Russia has signed a contract to sell combat jets to Syria in a show of support for President Bashar Assad's regime, a newspaper reported Monday.

The business daily Kommersant said, citing an identified source close to Russia's Rosoboronexport state arms trader, that the $550-million deal envisages the delivery of 36 Yak-130 aircraft. A spokesman for Rosoboronexport refused to comment on the report.

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)

Dear Patriot,

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. 

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 

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)

Monday 3-4pm "Bordering on Insanity" - Sue Payne and Frosty Wooldridge

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

Members have been calling PA reps about Voter Photo ID Bill (HB 934). NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!  

Yesterday, Sen. Pileggi's office returned my call. He reports that the only ones holding up the Voter ID bill are the Democrats. He also claims that Pileggi "wants it enacted before the primaries".

My concern is that, even if enacted "before the primaries", there will be insufficient time to instruct the poll workers and implement the requirement.

Other members have been making calls too, including,

                   Steve P: "Just called everyone!"

                   Don U:  " I contacted Rep. Truitt to see where he stands." 

Call to Action to Urge PA Senate to Pass

HB 934 (Voter Photo ID Bill)

Thanks to Central Montgomery County Tea Party Patriots and to Joanne Yurchak for providing such useful information. See the attachments from Joanne; they are very useful.

                   It appears that special attention should be paid to Senator Corman. Let's find out what his office has to say.

Lou

"... 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

                   APPROPRIATIONS Committee Members (with selected phone numbers)

Call to Action to Urge PA Senate to Pass HB 934 and HB 42 -- ASAP

Two crucial bills - HB 934, and HB 42 - were passed months ago by the PA House of Representatives, but are currently stalled in the Senate. Brief information regarding these bills is given below; the complete text will be posted on our web site (www.delcopatriots.com) for those who wish to read them in more detail. There is no excuse for such inaction by PA's Republican-controlled Senate. Hopefully, pressure from constituents will encourage the Senate to make passage of these bills their top priority when they reconvene on January 17, 2012.

What YOU Can Do...

1) Send a Postcard to Senators: Postcards are provided that present a brief description of these bills and reasons for their prompt passage. Some of these postcards are pre-addressed to Senator Pileggi (the Senate Majority Leader) while the address on others is left blank so you can fill in that of your own specific senator. Send one to Sen. Pileggi, and also one to your own senator (if you wish).

2) Make Phone Calls to Senators: Make a separate phone call for each bill to both your own senator and also to Senator Pileggi [(610) 358-5183]. For HB 42, ask them to "take it off the table" and vote for its passage ASAP; for HB 934, ask them to "take it out of the Appropriations Committee" and vote for its passage ASAP. Give brief reasons after familiarizing yourself with the information below.

HB 934 is the photo ID bill that requires that all individuals produce a valid photo ID before voting.

• The PA House passed HB 934 on 6/23/2011; it currently resides in the Appropriations Committee of the PA Senate.
• Governor Corbett's administration has publicly announced its support of HB 934. (http://www.repmetcalfe.com/VoterID.aspx)
• HB 934 is modeled after Indiana's photo ID law, which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. (http://www.repmetcalfe.com/VoterID.aspx)
• Currently, 31 states require some type of ID each time a voter casts a ballot; PA is not one of these 31. PA's current law requires voters to show ID only when voting in a polling place for the first time.
• 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.
• Time is of the essence. For photo ID's to be implemented by the November 6, 2012 presidential election, HB 934 must be passed as soon as possible.
• "Notable Quotable" from Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler): "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."

HB 42 would remove Pennsylvanians from being required to purchase health care insurance as is mandated in Obamacare and would prohibit the Federal Government from fining those who opt not to purchase insurance under the mandates of Obamacare.

• HB 42, (AKA: "The Freedom of Choice in Healthcare Act") is intended to nullify the individual mandate of Obamacare (AKA: "The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act).
• The model legislation for HB 42 was drafted by the American Legislative Exchange Council and has been introduced in 25 states. Virginia, Missouri, Louisiana and Idaho have passed the bill into law while Oklahoma and Arizona have passed it as a constitutional amendment. (http://paindependent.com/2011/02/house-committee-moves-bill-to-block-federal-health-care-mandate/)
• Rep. Baker (R-Tioga), the bill's sponsor, has stated that this bill "protects a person's right to participate, or not, in any health care system, "and "it provides a state-level defense against the federal government's excessive power."

Letter to Editor Re: Voter Photo ID's

The PA Senate must make passage of the Voter Photo ID Bill (HB 934) its top priority when it reconvenes on January 17. HB 934 requires that voters produce a valid photo ID each time a ballot is cast. This bill was passed in June of 2011 by the PA House of Representatives and has inexcusably been stalled for six months in the PA Senate.

Rep. Daryl Metcalf (R-Butler), the bill's prime sponsor, has noted that HB 934 is modeled after Indiana's strict Photo ID law. The United States Supreme Court upheld the Indiana law in 2008 by ruling that states can require voters to produce photo ID's without violating their constitutional rights. One majority opinion stated that the (Indiana) law "is amply justified by the valid interest in protecting the integrity and reliability of the electoral process."

Currently, 31 states require that some type of ID be presented every time a voter casts a ballot. Pennsylvania's current law requires voters to show ID only when voting in a given polling place for the first time, but does not require ID subsequently at the same location. (SB 824, Act of Dec. 9, 2002, P.L. 1246, No. 150)

Attorney General Holder's U.S. "Justice" Department and a disproportionate number of Democrats oppose ID requirements, opining that those who do not possess a driver's license, such as minorities and the elderly, could be disenfranchised. The fact that Pennsylvania voters should already possess the ID that they were required to use for first-time voting in a precinct makes this argument invalid. (It should be relatively simple to convert their required first-time ID to a proper photo ID.)

One type of voter fraud is unfortunately facilitated by the fact that it often takes years to remove deceased and relocated individuals from voter rolls. HB 934 will help maintain electoral integrity by preventing, or at the very least, minimizing, 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!

It is of utmost importance that the citizens of our Commonwealth be assured that election results be fair, honest, and devoid of fraud. To that end, the PA Senate must pass HB 934 without further delay in order for Photo ID procedures to be implemented in the November 6, 2012 presidential election - the election that many of us consider to be the most important of our lifetimes.

The list of situations in which a photo ID is required is extensive and continually expanding. Interestingly enough, the first requirement on the application for food stamp disaster relief after Hurricane Irene noted that "Photo I.D. and proof of residency is REQUIRED." Daryl Metcalf accurately and succinctly expressed the sentiments of those who favor the implementation of Voter Photo ID's when he said: "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."

Joanne Yurchak

Dear Friends,

My entire career I have fought for openness and reform, and in this Senate race, that will not change.

That's why I have stated my view today that the Pennsylvania Republican Party should not make a formal endorsement before the Primary. We have launched a petition at DearMrGleason.com, asking Chairman Gleason to keep the Primary process open and fair. Will you join me and sign the petition?

A top-down endorsement process is counter-productive to defeating Sen. Casey and winning Pennsylvania for our eventual Republican nominee for President. Let me explain: after endorsing, the Pennsylvania GOP sends out a letter to all the County Chairman, and here's what they tell them:

1. Only candidates endorsed by the PA GOP should be recognized and/or allowed to speak at official events such as county dinners, endorsement meetings, candidate forums, etc. Endorsed candidates and staff should be able to attend gatherings as complimentary guests.   

2. County Chairs, county party staff, and county party members should NOT be circulating petitions for statewide candidates who have been endorsed by the PA GOP.   

3. County Chairs, county party staff, and county party members should only be distributing materials for candidates that have been endorsed by the PA GOP.   

4. County Chairs should decline any promotion materials from non-endorsed candidates.

These kinds of pressure tactics are not worthy of the Republican Party. This kind of thing will only serve to alienate the members of the Tea Party, sow division within our ranks, and make it harder to ultimately elect a Republican U.S. Senator.

We've got nothing to be afraid of from having a fair, unbiased Republican Primary in April. In fact, it will strengthen our Party and allow us to bring new people in to the process. If you agree, please go to DearMrGleason.com, and sign the petition.

When you're done, if you could forward it to your family and friends, and share it on your Facebook and Twitter pages, I'd be ever so grateful.

Pennsylvania Republicans....did you know that Pennsylvania is only one of three states in the entire country in which the GOP voters are NOT free to choose the Republican nominees in a free, fair, and open primary election??  [I didn't; as a GOP committeewoman, I was led to believe that our system of Party endorsements before the Primary was usual.]   YOU can help change this if you act NOW...please read on.

    In case you are not familiar with our system....For all candidates at each level, in our state, the Republican committee endorses the candidate it likes in January or February, well BEFORE the Primary election in the spring.  [County Executive Committeepeople vote to endorse the county-wide candidates the County Chairman supports such as Congressman, State Senator, State Representative, County officials, County Judges. State Committeepeople vote to endorse the candidates elected state-wide that the State Chairman (and Governor if a Republican) support - U.S. Senator, Governor, Lt. Governor, State Officials, State Judges. Not all these committeepeople vote as the leadership directs them to, but the pressure from above is such that dissenters are almost always a small minority. And even at the State Committee level the Party does little to insure that its members are well informed on the candidates before they cast their votes.] 

    Then the Party puts all its money and resources and manpower behind that ONE candidate's campaign, shutting out any opposing Republican candidates from any assistance at all from their party during the campaign.  A tremendous amount of money from Republican donors that could go to defeating the Democrat in the fall is squandered by the Party in fighting to defeat the unanointed Republican candidates. (Or, despite their qualifications or accomplishments, the challengers drop out in despair of ever beating the Party machine - and the voters have NO choice at the polls.)   Literature, speaking engagements, fundraisers, publicity...all of it goes to the ONE candidate.  The Party leaders will not even allow Republican challengers to speak at any GOP event - per orders from the State Committee chairman (see below...if you are freedom-loving, this will make your blood boil).    Finally, only the endorsed candidates' names appear on the GOP Sample Ballots that are handed out at the polls (which GOP Committeepeople are pressured into distributing)....and most Republican voters, uninformed and uncertain, will just vote for those names on the Sample Ballot.

     By contrast, in 47 states, in the Primary, the Republican PEOPLE, not the handful of powerful Republicans in the State Committee or the leaders of the County Committee, choose the strongest candidate to run against the Democrat in the fall. In those states, the resources of the Party are made available to ALL Republican candidates and the Party provides opportunities for the voters to inform themselves about ALL Republican candidates.  In those other 47 states, the GOP leadership trusts an informed base to choose the most electable Republican.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH PENNSYLVANIA (and New York and New Jersey) REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP that they think the Republican voters need to be told who to vote for??  

    PLEASE, PLEASE take the time to read through the email below which was shockingly eye-opening for me despite my years of involvement in the Party.  It is written by two State Committee members who believe Pennsylvania Republicans should choose their nominees and the State Committee should NOT endorse the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate this year (or any other).

    We CAN bring freedom and equality back to the Pennsylvania Republican Primary process - but we MUST ACT NOW before the State Committee Endorsement Meeting on January 27 & 28th.  PLEASE take the time to call your county's State Committeepeople (see link in first paragraph below) and ask for an OPEN PRIMARY THIS YEAR.  Use some of the info below to tell them WHY.  And keep in mind, GOP State Committeepeople are elected by the GOP voters and can be replaced if they do not represent the best interests of the Republican voters.

     PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL AND URGE YOUR CONTACTS TO CALL NOW!  For my own encouragement, please let me know when you have followed through with this and what the response was.  Thank you for doing your part for freedom,  Jaime

Are you opposed to the endorsement process? Then take a few minutes of your time to respectfully contact

the Republican State Committee members in your county and ask them not to endorse candidates.

To view the Republican State Committee contact list visit  http://www.york912patriots.com/

_________________________________________________________________

To Endorse or Not to Endorse; Is that the Question?

On January 28^th, 2012 the Pennsylvania's Republican State Committee will convene in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for their annual winter meeting.

One of the questions placed before the members will be whether or not to endorse candidates? Hopefully, committee members will carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of endorsing.

Common reasons given by Pennsylvania Republican State Committee members who support the endorsement process are:

•             
•           "It is our job as a committee person."
•          "We are vetting the candidates."
•          "The voters won't know who to vote for if we don't endorse."
•          "Some financial backers will only donate to the endorsed candidates."

Candidates who win the endorsement benefit by being able to claim that they are the "endorsed candidate" of the Republican Party.  They also benefit by gaining access to party resources such as data, professional advice and financial support.  While this is a tremendous advantage to the candidate, endorsement is not what is best for the Republican Party and the election process.

Candidates who fail to win endorsement are often, if not customarily, shunned by party leadership.  A case in point is the February 23, 2011 memorandumfrom the Republican Party of Pennsylvania which was sent to county chairs regarding county party cooperation for endorsed candidates which stated: "...As a partner in this process, the State Party counts on our county committees to assist our endorsed ticket in every way possible.... As members of the PA GOP and leaders in of county party, we request that you strictly enforce the following longstanding traditions.

•             
•          Only candidates endorsed by the PA GOP should be recognized and/or allowed to speak at official events such as county dinners, endorsement meetings, candidate forums, etc.  Endorsed candidates and staff should be able to attend gatherings as complimentary guests. (NOTE contradiction between points 1 and 2.)
•          All candidates for statewide office that attend a Republican Party function in your county should be given time to speak - if only for a brief period of time.
•          County Chairs, county party staff and county party members should only be circulating petitions for statewide candidates who have been endorsed by the PA GOP.
•          County Chairs, county party staff and county party members should only be distributing materials for candidates that   have been endorsed by the PA GOP.
•          County Chairs should decline any promotion materials from non-endorsed candidates."
•             

Such tactics nullify the concept of a free and open primary.  Furthermore, candidates who remain in the election after failing to receive endorsement are often the subject of attack ads funded by the Republican Party which are far more damaging than attacks by an opponent. This is an official denunciation by the Republican Party which should be supporting a field of qualified candidates.  Such attacks against candidates damage their chances of winning in the general election and may also damage them in future elections.  Wasn't Ronald Reagan's eleventh commandment, "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican"?

Only three states endorse candidates before the primary: Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.  One member of Pennsylvania's State committee recently interviewed political directors, state party liaisons and executive staff in other states. She inquired why their state party chose not to endorse before the primary. Some of their responses are:

•             
•          "We want to show unity at the state level."
•          "It is important that we maintain a level of trust and respect with the leadership, the rest of the party and the voters."
•          "Endorsement angers the grassroots people and we want them to be involved."
•          "If the endorsed candidate doesn't win the election, it looks bad for the leadership and hurts the party."
•          "We want to be able to support all Republicans that run for office.....when you endorse, you run the risk of turning good people away."
•          "It just isn't the right thing to do.....not the principled thing to do. The people should be able to decide, not the party. Most of the time the party leaders just pick their friends and that is not letting the people decide." 
•             

The disadvantages of the endorsement process far outweigh the benefits. Committee members are guardians of a sacred trust; elected by the citizens of their senatorial district to facilitate the political process, and to assist qualified Republican candidates, not to narrow the playing field.  Endorsements before the primary divide the party and waste precious resources. The purpose of the primary is to allow the voters to decide which candidate is worthy of running in the general election. By trying to narrow the primary contests to single candidates, the Pennsylvania GOP is subverting the primary process.  Controlled endorsements before the primary: clip the wings of fellow Republicans; frustrate the electorate; divide the party; waste precious resources; and undermine our conservative principles of equality and freedom.  This is not a game; the stakes are high.

State Committee Members,  Allegheny County, Jim and Sue Means, 3485 South Park Road, Bethel Park, PA 15102     means@thesafety.net

No candidate has won the GOP nomination for President without winning South Carolina since Ronald Reagan in 1980. But every one of those candidates who won had also won either Iowa or New Hampshire.

We're now confronted with a designated front runner, Mitt Romney, who got less votes in Iowa in 2012 than he got in 2008 and who lost South Carolina. His reason for being somehow remains that he is "electable."

If you read a lot of the Republican commentary coming out of Washington even before the polls closed, suddenly South Carolina is irrelevant and the hick rubes of the Palmetto state are just petulant children.

Actually, like with Iowa, it is a rather desperate scream to get another player on the field. It is a red flag. It is the giant "Danger" sign ahead for the general election.

Newt Gingrich's rise has a lot to do with Newt Gingrich's debate performance. But it has just as much to do with a party base in revolt against its thought and party leaders in Washington, DC. The base is revolting because they swept the GOP back into relevance in Washington just under two years ago and they have been thanked with contempt ever since.

Adding insult to injury, the party and thought leaders now try to foist on the base a milquetoast moderate from Massachusetts. Newt Gingrich can thank Mitt Romney and more for the second look he is getting. Base hostility will now be exacerbated by Mitt Romney's backers now undoubtedly making a conscious effort to prop up Rick Santorum to shut down Newt Gingrich.

Consider, before going to the full post, that this is the first time non-Romney ads against Romney have been at parity with Mitt Romney. And that parity caused a rapid erosion of support for Mitt Romney. Parity in advertising, not superiority to Romney, was all it took to begin the end of his South Carolina dominance.

Read the full analysis by clicking right here.

Sincerely yours,

Erick Erickson
Editor, RedState.com

RedState Morning Briefing

For January 23, 2012

1. Three States Down, 47 To Go

The basic dynamics of the 2012 GOP nomination battle remain unchanged: the bulk of the GOP electorate doesn't want Mitt Romney, but isn't really sold on an alternative. Iowa's voters broke late to Rick Santorum as the conservative alternative; South Carolina's broke late, and much more decisively, to Newt Gingrich. It remains up to Newt now to prove he can hold together the conservatives going forward, as Santorum was not equipped or financed well enough to do.

It's worth noting here the raw numbers. While the categories don't perfectly describe the candidates or their supporters, it has been generally true that Romney and Jon Huntsman have appealed to the more moderate Republican primary voters; Gingrich, Santorum, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann to the more conservative voters; and Ron Paul to the libertarian voters. What we see in the first three states is that in South Carolina, as in Iowa, the conservative vote was a majority:

2. Newt Gingrich Wins. What It Means.

Mitt and Newt will both have trouble beating Barack Obama. Mitt's trouble will come from Obama. Newt's trouble from himself. But right now, the base doesn't care.

3. This is a recipe for disaster

Peter Hamby from CNN notes what is going to be a recipe for disaster for Mitt Romney as he tries to relate to the Republican base.

In South Carolina exit polls, Romney wins only the "moderate or liberal", those with incomes in excess of $200,000.00, those with postgraduate education, those who oppose the tea party movement, and those who think religion does not matter at all.

A number of those have been consistent through Iowa and New Hampshire too.

Mitt Romney's exit polling reflects he can get the votes of Washington, D.C. Republicans and those who think we should leave the fate of the country in their hands. But he cannot get the votes of those who think we need to reform and reduce the power of Washington, which I venture to say is a sizable portion of the base.

4. Money for Santorum

I can confirm tonight from multiple sources that phone calls are in fact occurring between Republicans in Washington and among evangelical leaders to raise money for Rick Santorum rapidly.

The sources tell me that this is not for a Santorum win, though the evangelicals I spoke to continue to hope it is possible. This is to stop Newt Gingrich. One evangelical leader I spoke to said, "If Newt wins, we won't be able to make family values an issue in the general." One lobbyist I spoke to said, "They [the GOP leaders in DC] are really nervous about Gingrich and they think he'd be a disaster. The best way to shut him down is to prop up Rick."

Florida is going to get interesting.

5. Six House Dems Would Confiscate 'Excessive' Oil Profits

Six House Democrats, led by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D'OH), have filed a bill aimed at controlling gasoline prices. Styled the "Gas Price Spike Act", H.R. 3784 would establish a "Reasonable Profits Board" which would have the power to confiscate 100% of oil company profits above a level that they deem to be "reasonable".

 Next time you hear a reference to "America's first black president,"

counter by referring to Obama as "America's 44th white president." Explain that you're doing so on feminist grounds: "What? You're trying to tell me that his Caucasian mom's genetic input doesn't count? But that's so SEXIST!"  

Tell them you don't give a damn about the polar bears.  

And it's not because you don't like cute, fluffy, white carnivores; it's because you find it hard to accept that a species whose population has increased fivefold-from 5,000 to 25,000-in the last five decades can actually be in any kind of trouble.  

Quote the wisdom of Al "Nature Watch" Gore:  

"A zebra does not change its spots."  

By Ted Belman

I have not been a fan of the "Jordan is Palestine" option, however it was defined, because it required the consent of King Abdullah. I preferred a unilateral, made in Israel, solution.

But that was then and this is now.

Mudar Zahran, a Jordanian Palestinian exiled in London, has been communicating with me about his desire and ability to form a secular democratic government in Jordan, should fair elections take place. He is seeking my help in getting the US government to influence King Abdullah to democratize and in getting Israel to embrace the change.

Why me and how I plan to go about achieving this will be the subject of another article. But first I would like to say why I am so excited about this possibility.

Zahran advises that the Palestinians represent a large majority of all residents of Jordan and they are trending secular, and are anti the Muslim Brotherhood, King Abdullah and Mahmud Abbas. They are tired of waiting for a peace deal to emerge from the process, isn't 60 years enough, and want to take their destiny in their own hands.

They envisage a demilitarized state which is a protectorate of Israel and the US. They want full normalization and full economic relations with Israel.

They have agreed to invite all Palestinians to move to Jordan and receive full citizenship. In effect, Jordan would become Palestine, which it was once part of, according to the San Remo Resolution and the Palestine Mandate. It would mean that UNWRA would be wound up and that the West could transfer its economic assistance from the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria to the Palestinians in Jordan. The money would no longer be going down the drain in Judea and Samaria or into the pockets of the corrupt few, but instead would be used to build a stable Palestinian state in Jordan. Financial incentives would be provided to all Palestinians to move to Jordan.

It would mean the end of the Oslo Accords and the PA. Israel would exercise sovereignty of Judea and Samaria. It would truly usher in the New Middle East.

For the "peace Process", 'tis "a consummation devoutly to be wished".

TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE READ

Jordan's King and the Muslim Brotherhood: An Unholy Marriage  

Preface by Ted Belman

I have been in touch with Mudar Zahran for over a month now.  He is seeking support, of all kinds, to assist the Jordanian Palestinians in building a democratic and secular party to contest what will hopefully be the future elections in Jordan.  As the Palestinians represent the majority of the residents of Jordan, they expect to form the next government, given fair elections.  Zahran advised that they were prepared to invite all Palestinians throughout the Middle East to come to Jordan and receive full citizenship.  This would solve the Arab-Israel conflict in a blink.  In addition, he wanted my help in building a lobby to convince the U.S. administration to induce King Abdullah to democratize.  I asked him to write the following article.

By Mudar Zahran

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordon has been witnessing protests for the last ten months, though much less intense than those of the Arab Spring.  Still, the protests there are very regular, and the protesters have been upgrading their demands.  Today, most factions have come to the point of threatening that if their demands for reform are not met, they will call for deposing the king.  Some are already calling for it.  (Read more...) 

    Ted Belman
Jerusalem, Israel  972 (0)54 441 3252

The Case for a United Jerusalem

I also responded to the Seidemann article referred to below by writing If I Forget Thee O Jerusalem...   

By Nathan Diament, THE ATLANTIC 

Dividing the holy city as part of a final-status agreement between Israelis and Palestinians ignores key realities on the ground

Proponents of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict often insist that the only way to resolve competing claims over the holy city of Jerusalem is to divide it, with each half respectively serving as the capital of Israel and a future Palestinian state. Those who advocate this approach often try to make it more palatable by asserting, as Terrestrial Jerusalem founder Daniel Seidemann recently wrote in The Atlantic, that while many Israelis speak of Jerusalem being a "united" city since its eastern half came under Israeli sovereignty in 1967, such a perception is a "myth" because, in fact, Jerusalem is divided between largely homogeneous and internally contiguous Jewish and Arab...

Read the whole entry »

Militant Islamism, Islamism, Islam

By Cifford May, ISRAEL HAYOM 

U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has described the Muslim Brotherhood as "secular." Vice President Joseph Biden recently said the Taliban "is not our enemy." According to John Brennan, assistant to the president on counter-terrorism, terrorists who proclaim they are motivated by religion should not be described using "religious terms."

Where do such ideas come from? In large measure from advisers - so perhaps it would be instructive to examine more closely what those advisers are actually saying.

U.S. Navy Commander Youssef H. Aboul-Enein has, according to the jacket notes on his book, "Militant Islamist Ideology: Understanding the Global Threat," published by the Naval Institute Press, "advised at the highest levels of the defense department and the intelligence community." Raymond Ibrahim, a young analyst for whom I have great respect, recently gave the book a withering review. My reading is less...

Read the whole entry »

Comprehending the incomprehensible - Part II

By MARTIN SHERMAN, JPOST 
Why a failed policy of appeasement prevails and why the Right keeps winning elections but never gets into power.

I am absolutely astounded to find so many of your "luminaries" in the universities who are teaching the that Israel was basically born in sin. Quite a lot of the [anti-Israel] animosity in the media is fed by organizations such as the Haaretz newspaper. It is coming out from Israel academics. This cuts ground from under the feet of those who tell the truth. Somebody should be putting the truth into the public domain, and the government of Israel has not done this for many years - British columnist Melanie Phillips, IBA TV, 2011.

In the first part of this analysis, the reasons for Israel's feeble performance in the conduct of public diplomacy and in countering its accelerating international delegitimization were investigated. The causes were traced to a lack of resolve to prevail among those charged...

Read the whole entry »

January 20, 2012
  Napolitano's meeting "all flash, no substance"
   

  So writes Washington Examiner reporter Jim Kouri below (highlights added). But this isn't a surprise to anyone who has followed our emails the past year or who have watched the DVD in our "Unmasking the Enemy Among Us: Information Warfare and the Muslim Brotherhood" package.

For instance, in that DVD we point out that the Obama administration's 2009 national strategic assessment stripped out every reference to radical Islam, Islamic terrorism, jihad, and the like.

For the past three days we have highlighted our "Unmasking the Enemy Among Us" resource because it's imperative that more and more Americans come to understand how the Obama administration is jeopardizing our national security due to its stubborn refusal to identify our enemies for who and what they are.

  If you know any law enforcement officers or elected officials, this would be an EXCELLENT resource to share with them. They need to know this!

Napolitano's state, local cop meeting on extremism vague, say critics

  Napolitano's meeting with cops from across the nation was all flash, but no substance, say her critics.


Jim Kouri


Office Law Enforcement Examiner

January 18, 2012
  Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Attorney General Eric Holder and Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan today at the White House met with senior state, local and tribal law enforcement officials to discuss the President Barack Obama's Strategic Implementation Plan for Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States.

What surprised many of the attendees was the fact that not once did Napolitano mention Islamic extremism or Muslim terrorists. Many of the police commanders attending found the presentation to be a "vague and politically correct" exercise.

Those invited were sheriffs and chiefs of police from states, cities and counties throughout the U.S., including representatives from the organizations such as International Association of Chiefs of Police, Major Cities Chiefs Association, National Sheriffs' Association, National Native American Law Enforcement Association, Governors Homeland Security Advisors Council, Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council, International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, and others.

"Engaging local communities is critical to our nation's effort to counter violent extremism and violent crime, and this meeting brings together many of our partners," said Secretary Napolitano. "The Department of Homeland Security will continue to collaborate with our state and local law enforcement partners and engage the public in our efforts to combat violent extremism, while protecting civil rights and civil liberties."

But throughout the meeting, it was noticeable that was no mention of Islamic terrorists -- including homegrown radicalized American Muslims - during the Obama White House meeting.

Secretary Napolitano discussed her department's support of local communities by enhancing already existing partnerships of federal, state and local law enforcement such as joint task forces, but she neglected to discuss Joint Terrorism Task Forces, such as the successful group of New York City police officers and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

"I find it astounding how [Secretary] Napolitano could be so longwinded yet never once used the words "Islamic," "Islamists," "Muslim terrorists," or any names of known terror groups. It's as if Holder and Napolitano never read the report issued by the House Committee on Homeland Security, chaired by Congressman Peter King during 2011," said one of the attendees who requested anonymity since his superior is a Democrat mayor.

Rep. King of New York endured much criticism for holding a series of hearings as part of his probe of homegrown Islamic terrorism and so-called "lone wolf" terrorists.

Napolitano mentioned expanding government grants to counter violent extremism and violent crime regardless of ideology, but neglected to mention religious extremism as practiced by al-Qaeda, Al Shabaab, Hamas, Hezbollah, Army of Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood.

The former Arizona governor stated that "DHS is continuing to implement recommendations from the DHS Homeland Security Advisory Council Countering Violent Extremism Working Group, such as developing a curriculum for state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement focused on a community-oriented policing approach to countering violent extremism and violent crime."

Her priority however was the DHS' Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties which she said is dedicated to educating communities and state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement on cultural awareness across the nation.

"Cultural awareness? How about the fact Islamic terrorists want to murder Americans and destroy the Western world and its practice of pluralism and religious freedom?" asks attorney and political strategist Mike Baker.

During her presentation, Secretary Napolitano reiterated President Obama's call for Congress to take action to prevent layoffs of law enforcement and first responders, and keep our communities safe by passing legislation such as the American Jobs Act. The legislation would provide $5 billion in assistance to states and local communities to create or save thousands of law enforcement and first responder jobs across the country.

DHS has also collaborated with federal, state, local, and private sector partners, and the general public, to expand the "If You See Something, Say Something™" campaign. Originally implemented by New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority and now licensed to DHS for a nationwide campaign, the "If You See Something, Say Something™" campaign is a simple and effective program to engage the public to identify and report indicators of terrorism, crime and other threats to the proper transportation and law enforcement authorities, said Napolitano.

"Unfortunately, Napolitano failed to give examples of "when you see what, what do you say and to whom do you say it" in light of the Obama Administration's broad definition of 'racial profiling,'" Baker said.
 

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10. VIDEO: Will Occupiers Sign A Petition Banning 'Conservative Hate Speech'? 

News Archives Prove Gun Control Laws Will Fail

Peter Gadiel 

In Defense of Capitalism

The most virtuous economic system yet devised

Daniel Hannan 

Attacking the British Embassy, an Iranian Rite of Passage

Dr. Laina Farhat-Holzman 

How Circumstance Dictates Islamic Behavior

Preach Peace When Weak, Wage War When Strong

Raymond Ibrahim

Today's Hot Topics

We choose, you peruse.

Global Security Matters, Jan 20, 2012

Internet Radio/Podcast 

The Editor 

The New ISAF Order

Diana West 

Islam Commands Individual Jihad

Clare M. Lopez 

Mexico's Drugs War Affecting Previously Safe Areas

Immigration News Update 

Who's Really Killing Those 'Nuclear Scientists' in Tehran?

by Dr. Michael Ledeen

The Iranian regime, which usually claims to know everything about everything, has so far accused the Brits, the Americans, the MEK, and the Israelis of assassinating its scientists.

GOP Snubs Delegates in a Critical Swing State - Again!
Jan 23, 2012 12:00 pm

Destroying America by Denying Access to Energy
Jan 22, 2012 02:10 am

A Hezbollah Threat in Thailand?
Jan 21, 2012 11:01 pm

What Is The Proper Role of the Courts?
Jan 21, 2012 08:32 pm

The Lions of Allah Among the Lambs of Norway
Jan 21, 2012 08:18 pm

Egyptian Cleric Hazem Shuman: Jews Are a Cancer in the Body of Planet Earth, Getting Rid of ...
Jan 21, 2012 07:57 pm

Student Loan Bailout Drags Down Economy, Stimulates Obama Reelection Campaign
Jan 21, 2012 07:49 pm

Charles Manson Energy
Jan 21, 2012 07:38 pm

How Will The Shocking Decline Of Christianity In America Affect The Future Of This Nation?
Jan 21, 2012 07:00 pm

Romney's Tax Returns and Effective Tax Rates of the Rich
Jan 21, 2012 01:07 pm

Ohio Fire Illuminates CAIR's Inconsistency
Jan 21, 2012 12:56 pm

Muslim Hate Groups On Campus
Jan 21, 2012 12:33 pm

ACORN Group Implicated in Massive Voter Registration Fraud
Jan 21, 2012 12:14 pm

VIDEO: Internet Piracy - Who Are the Thieves?
Jan 21, 2012 11:14 am

Romney's Tax Returns and Effective Tax Rates of the Rich
Jan 21, 2012 01:07 pm

Ohio Fire Illuminates CAIR's Inconsistency
Jan 21, 2012 12:56 pm

Muslim Hate Groups On Campus
Jan 21, 2012 12:33 pm

ACORN Group Implicated in Massive Voter Registration Fraud
Jan 21, 2012 12:14 pm

VIDEO: Internet Piracy - Who Are the Thieves?
Jan 21, 2012 11:14 am

Friday Afternoon Roundup - The Survivor
Jan 21, 2012 05:00 am

Senate Moves on Bill to "Muzzle the Web"
Jan 20, 2012 10:46 am

China Failing, as Predicted?
Jan 20, 2012 10:09 am

So You Want a Revolution...
Jan 20, 2012 09:59 am

Only the U.S. Can Keep the Strait of Hormuz Open
Jan 20, 2012 08:15 am

U.S. May Release Senior Taliban Terrorists
Jan 20, 2012 08:15 am

SOPA: Why Does It Take So Long For the GOP To "Get It"?
Jan 19, 2012 06:56 pm

Ron Paul: Wrong on the Taliban
Jan 19, 2012 06:38 pm

Putting the Party Before People - Part 1
Jan 19, 2012 12:00 pm

Congressmen Call Obama's Decision on Keystone Foolish and Extreme
Jan 19, 2012 10:35 am

Obama's "Forced" Keystone Decision Rejects Jobs, Energy, and Logic
Jan 19, 2012 10:19 am

Friday Afternoon Roundup - The Survivor

 

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD

It used to be that you were supposed to win a Super Bowl before celebrating with a trip to Disney World as a public figure, but Obama can't stop doing his touchdown dances even as the country sinks faster. The similarities between Obama and Captain Francesco Schettino are a little too obvious.

The Captain ordering dinner as his ship is sinking and the elected leader of the United States partying on as the debt hits completely unsustainable levels are behaving the same way. Obama sinking the United States economy to do favors for his friends and Captain Schettino sinking a ship to wave to his buddy are the product of the same egotistical mentality.

If someone could just convince Obama that America was going down, then he would be on the first plane to wherever the good life is.

MUSLIM HATE GROUPS ON CAMPUS

My pamphlet on Muslim Brother hate groups on campus has been published and is available at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and Front Page Magazine. The campus Muslim Student Associations or MSA's are tied to a long history of Jihadist terror.

"Muslim Students Association leaders have gone on to become leading figures in terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda. Anwar al-Awlaki, for instance, was MSA president at Colorado State University before he became the leader of external operations for Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Ziyad Khaleel, was MSA president at Columbia College11 before he became Al-Qaeda's procurement agent in the United States. Abu Mansoor al-Amriki, onetime MSA president at the University of South Alabama, is now the spokesman for the Al-Qaeda affiliate in Somalia. Wa'el Hamza Julaidan was MSA president at the University of Arizona before he became a co-founder of Al-Qaeda.
 

 August 24, 2011

77% of Democrats (and Ron Paul) Voted Against Rules Of Engagement That Protect Our Troops

If your rep opposes Voter Photo ID, you can send him this:

NAACP worker sentenced to prison for voter fraud

What Wickard Has Wrought

In preparing our Amicus Brief against Obamacare, we wanted to start from the backdrop of what unfettered Congressional authority has done to our country. There were several unconstitutional expansions of Congressional limits before 1942, but the Wickard v. Filburn Supreme Court decision was truly the moment that opened the flood gates. It has simply taken 70 years for the American people to understand what really happened in 1942. The light bulb went on for many Americans with the passing of Obamacare.

Since Obamacare was enacted two years ago, we've been beating the same Wickard drum over and over so that people will understand both how we got here and how to fix it. Wickard v. Filburn removed all Constitutional limits on Congress. Reversing Wickard will put them back. That is what our Obamacare Class Action is all about - showing the Supreme Court that the only logical and Constitutional solution is to rewrite the interpretation of the Commerce Clause that was grossly misinterpreted in the 1942 ruling.

Read more: 

Will Jan. 26th be "The night the lights went out in Georgia" for Obama and his 27 SocSec numbers?

Jan 22, 2012 05:13 am | Coach Collins

By Suzanne Eovaldi, staff writer

Two days ago Georgia Judge Michael Malihi denied Barack Obama's legal schemes to suppress his original birth certificates, social security numbers school and other records in Attorney Orly Taitz's  challenge of his eligibility to run for president in 2012. Obama's attorney tried to one up the court by arguing, futilely, that Obama's duties as acting President came first.  At long last the  issue of Obama's  possible fraudulent use of a Social Security number given to a resident of Connecticut who alleged died in 1890 will be settled!

    According to a lengthy research project titled "List of Properties associated with Barack Obama and his Family," done by a highly regarded former UK detective, Sergeant Neil Sankey along with Private Investigator  Susan Daniels, Obama reportedly has 27 different social security numbers under 21 different personal and/or familial name variations in 22  states and the District of Columbia.  Sankey's research is featured in a web ... Continue Reading:Will Jan. 26th be "The night the lights went out in Georgia" for Obama and his 27 SocSec numbers?

comments | read more

American Minute January 21

Jan 21, 2012 05:13 pm | Coach Collins

By Bill Federer, staff writer

He produced epic films in Hollywood for almost five decades and started Paramount Pictures. His name was Cecil B. DeMille and he died JANUARY 21, 1959. His best-known films include: Samson and Delilah, The Ten Commandments and The Greatest Show on Earth, for which he won an Academy Award. At the opening of The Ten Commandments, 1956, Cecil B. DeMille stated: "Man has made 32 million laws since the Commandments were handed down to Moses on Mount Sinai...but he has never improved on God's law...They are the charter and guide of human liberty, for there can be no liberty without the law." President Harry S Truman stated in his address to the Attorney General's Conference, February 1950: "The fundamental basis of this nation's laws was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah and ... Continue Reading:American Minute January 21

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Mitt Romney- 2nd Amendment foe and gun rights hypocrite

Jan 21, 2012 01:13 pm | Coach Collins

by Doug Book,  staff writer

In 2006, as Mitt Romney began his run for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, he purchased a lifetime membership in the NRA. Responding to those who asked about his sudden support for the organization, Romney declared, "I'm after the NRA's endorsement. ...If I'm going to ask for their endorsement, they're going to ask for mine." (1)

It has been well documented that Mitt Romney has been on both sides of virtually every issue since his battle with John McCain for the 2008 nomination first began. So the fact that he spent a few hundred bucks in hopes of conning the NRA into providing coveted support isn't surprising.

And naturally that wanton hypocrisy and contempt for the intelligence of the American people has reached into the 2012 campaign.

But just this week, the "book" on Mitt Romney was published online, consisting of the opposition research information gathered on the New England ... Continue Reading:Mitt Romney- 2nd Amendment foe and gun rights hypocrite

comments | read more

Neville Chamberlin lives

Jan 21, 2012 05:13 am | Coach Collins

By Jim Emerson, staff writer

This week an Iranian Lawmaker released details from a letter President Barrack Obama wrote to the country's supreme leader warning against closing the Strait of Hormuz and calling for direct talks with the Islamic Republic's tyrant.

Oil

According to Iranian Lawmaker Ali Motahari the letter, sent through private channels, threatened the republic if they attempted to cut off oil from the Persian Gulf, days before rejecting the Keystone pipeline from Canada.  The Iranians are seeing the President asking for direct talks as a sign of weakness from the man responsible for the West's economic troubles. Iran has made it clear; if her oil exports are embargoed she would consider it an act of war. Eighty percent of the terrorist nation's income is from oil export.

White House denies

Who can we believe? As of this writing the White House is not confirming the existence of the letter to Iran. The Washington Post reported ... Continue Reading:Neville Chamberlin lives

comments | read more

American Minute January 20

Jan 20, 2012 05:13 pm | Coach Collins

By Bill Federer, staff writer

The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1933, changed the date of Presidential Inaugurations from March 4th to JANUARY 20th. Franklin Roosevelt stated in his Inaugural Address, 1945: "Almighty God has blessed our land." Harry S Truman, 1949: "We believe that all men are created equal because they are created in the image of God." Dwight Eisenhower, 1953: "This is the work that awaits us all, to be done with bravery, with charity, and with prayer to Almighty God." John F. Kennedy, 1961: "The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God." Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965: "The judgment of God is harshest on those who are most favored." Richard Nixon, 1969: "As all are born equal in dignity before God, all are born equal in dignity before man." Gerald Ford, 1974: "To do what is right as God gives me to see ... Continue Reading:American Minute January 20

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Newt turns media "gotcha" questioners into road kill

Jan 20, 2012 01:28 pm | Coach Collins

By Kevin "Coach" Collins

John King has joined Juan Williams as Newt Gingrich road kill.  They have both been taught a harsh lesson: Newt Gingrich will not play the "gotcha question" game and he will turn such questions into smack downs of those who insist upon asking them.  

In just over 2 minutes Gingrich took King's opening question about the charges being made by his former wife and flattened the pride of CNN to the delight of hundreds in a South Carolina auditorium and millions across the country. Newt's smack down had us banging our fists and saying "Finally! Finally somebody is punching back!"      

John King failed miserably in his attempt to destroy Newt Gingrich and put Mitt Romney, his preferred candidate, back on track. When King opened his questioning of the former Speaker with his "gotcha" question about Gingrich's marital problems, it was King who was "gotten."   

Blinded by a perceived opportunity to make Gingrich ... Continue Reading:Newt turns media "gotcha" questioners into road kill

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Obama's "approval" numbers are a bogus mirage supported by White guilt and slanted surveys

Jan 20, 2012 05:13 am | Coach Collins

By Kevin "Coach" Collins

Your nightly news won't lead with this story.

 Even at just 47%, there are no numbers to support Barack Obama's approval ratings. It is clear that those responding to questions about Obama's favorability are just not ready to say they don't approve of him because he is Black.  In any number of categories and measurements Obama has experienced sharp drops in support. These black and white bottom lines simply do not support Obama's 47% approval rating.

There are only two ways to view his near fifty percent approval rating: either a significant number of poll respondents are not admitting they don't approve of Obama or this number has become as meaningless as the "Congressional generic preference" spread.     

 It is not possible  

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll says less than 10 percent of Americans believe The Washington Post, ABC the mainstream media and the DNC's lies about the "strong economic recovery" we ... Continue Reading:Obama's "approval" numbers are a bogus mirage supported by White guilt and slanted surveys

comments | read more

American Minute January 19

Jan 19, 2012 05:13 pm | Coach Collins

By Bill Federer, staff writer

 William Orville Douglas died JANUARY 19, 1980. He was a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court for 36 years, after having taught law at Yale and Columbia University. In the 1952 case of Zorach v. Clauson, Justice Douglas wrote: "The First Amendment, however, does not say that in every and all respects there shall be a separation of Church and State...Otherwise the state and religion would be aliens to each other- hostile, suspicious, and even unfriendly..." Justice Douglas continued: "We are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being...When the state encourages religious instruction...it follows the best of our traditions. For it then respects the religious nature of our people and accommodates the public service to their spiritual needs. To hold that it may not would be to find in the Constitution a requirement that the government show a callous indifference to religious groups. That would be preferring those who believe in ... Continue Reading:American Minute January 19

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Will Republicans let Eric Holder get away with murder?

Jan 19, 2012 01:13 pm | Coach Collins

 by Doug Book,  staff writer

When Eric Holder ordered Justice Department Inspector General Cynthia Schnedar to begin an investigation of possible wrongdoing in Operation Fast and Furious it was with just one purpose in mind-enable the Attorney General and other DOJ officials to refuse to answer questions or provide documentation concerning the "gunwalking" debacle because there is an "ongoing investigation." It's a neat little legal trick the Obama Regime has pulled on more than one occasion.

But although Holder used this dodge of his own creation to keep congressional committee members at bay for nearly a year, it appears the OIG report is just about ready to make its long overdue appearance. For Holder and his DOJ minions have telegraphed the fact that they might already have, to put it discreetly, "been privy" to information contained in the document.

And the reason this is a safe bet is that "...three of the prime Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and ... Continue Reading:Will Republicans let Eric Holder get away with murder?

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Fox News Hires Soros-funded Activist

7 of the 8 Missing Iowa Precincts Voted Against Romney in 2008

Jan 20, 2012 10:40 am

GOP officials have reported that Rick Santorum won the Iowa caucuses by 34 votes. However, votes in eight precincts will not be counted - and Mitt Romney lost seven of the eight precincts in 2008. Officials say these eight districts did not report their results on the official "Form E" receipt. Several of the precincts [...]

Read More and Comment: 7 of the 8 Missing Iowa Precincts Voted Against Romney in 2008


 

Iowa Voting Irregularities Kept Santorum from Becoming the Anti-Romney Candidate

Jan 20, 2012 10:39 am

Vote irregularities in the Iowa caucuses led to Mitt Romney erroneously being declared the winner of the Iowa caucuses earlier this month, artificially giving his presidential campaign weeks of momentum and depriving Rick Santorum the opportunity to become the conservatives' alternative candidate. The original results showed Mitt Romney had won in Iowa by a margin [...]

Read More and Comment: Iowa Voting Irregularities Kept Santorum from Becoming the Anti-Romney Candidate


 

Video: Congressman, "Countries Have Been Formed in Less Time" than Report on Fast and Furious

Jan 20, 2012 10:39 am

Watch the Video and Comment: Video: Congressman, "Countries Have Been Formed in Less Time" than Report on Fast and Furious


 

Will Republicans Let Eric Holder Get Away with Murder?

Jan 20, 2012 10:36 am

When Eric Holder ordered Justice Department Inspector General Cynthia Schnedar to begin an investigation of possible wrongdoing in Operation Fast and Furious it was with just one purpose in mind-enable the Attorney General and other DOJ officials to refuse to answer questions or provide documentation concerning the "gunwalking" debacle because there is an "ongoing investigation." [...]

Read More and Comment: Will Republicans Let Eric Holder Get Away with Murder?


 

Obama Usurps Our Freedoms with the Stroke of a Pen

Jan 20, 2012 10:35 am

It's ironic that Obama-Soetoro should have put so many lumps of coal in American's Christmas stockings this year, since one of them was EPA regulations designed to kill the coal industry itself. However, that was but one of many really evil, dangerous, and destructive acts performed this year by the would-be Marxist dictator currently squatting [...]

Read More and Comment: Obama Usurps Our Freedoms with the Stroke of a Pen


 

Shocked That Obama Rejected Keystone XL Pipeline?

Jan 20, 2012 10:33 am

We're about as shocked at Obama's anti-energy decision as Claude Rains was in feigning surprise that Rick's cafe in Casablanca permitted gambling on the premises. Remember the scene: Captain Renault exclaims "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!" - and then collects his winnings from gambling. The rejection of jobs [...]

Read More and Comment: Shocked That Obama Rejected Keystone XL Pipeline?


 

Romney's Record of Judicial Capitulation

Jan 20, 2012 10:32 am

Name the last nominee to the Supreme Court by a Democratic president who turned out to be a judicial conservative. Maybe Justice Byron White, appointed by John F. Kennedy, who dissented from Roe v. Wade, but one largely draws a blank. Ask the converse, and the list is long and disheartening. Republican appointees formed the [...]

Read More and Comment: Romney's Record of Judicial Capitulation


 

Video: Was the 2008 Collapse Economic Terrorism?

Jan 20, 2012 10:30 am

Watch the Video and Comment: Video: Was the 2008 Collapse Economic Terrorism?


 

Obama's Lawyer: Proving My Eligibility is "Unreasonable"

Jan 20, 2012 10:22 am

Barack Obama has outlined a defense strategy for a multitude of state-level challenges to his candidacy on the 2012 presidential ballot in a Georgia case that is scheduled to come before a judge later this month - simply explain that states have nothing to do with the eligibility of presidential candidates. "Presidential electors and Congress, [...]

Read More and Comment: Obama's Lawyer: Proving My Eligibility is "Unreasonable"

 

The Foundation

"Public affairs go on pretty much as usual: perpetual chicanery and rather more personal abuse than there used to be." --John Adams

Government & Politics

The Campaign Trail: GOP Race Is Still a Race

For a week with no presidential primary contests so far -- South Carolina's is on Saturday -- this week sure saw a lot of action in the GOP field. Two governors dropped out, the frontrunner took a beating, and the challenger took the lead in a South Carolina poll while another woman went public with her grievances against that candidate. Oh, and we learned that certain Iowans can't count. Nothing like another week in politics.

First, the dropouts. Jon Huntsman ended his campaign for the White House on Monday, further winnowing the GOP field. Huntsman, whose most recent government gig was as Barack Obama's ambassador to China, never gained momentum despite (or rather because of) the positive attention he received from the Leftmedia. His record as Utah governor was respectably conservative, but for some reason he spent his time belittling the conservative base with various offensive remarks seemingly designed to distance him from the very voters whose support he needed. It worked, and that's why he's going home. He quickly endorsed Mitt Romney, something the latter hasn't been quick to tout.

Rick Perry added his name to the former candidate roster on Thursday, acknowledging that his dismal showings in Iowa and New Hampshire and similar prospects in South Carolina and Florida left him with "no viable path to victory," as he put it in a gracious concession speech. The conservative Texas governor threw his support behind Newt Gingrich, calling the former House speaker a "conservative visionary who can transform our country." It's not at all clear, however, that Perry's supporters will rally around Gingrich. What his pullout does is leave Gingrich and Rick Santorum battling for the same conservative votes. Ron Paul, of course, remains a factor, but Perry's withdrawal helps him least of all.

In Iowa, the vote certification process became a certified disaster. Santorum lost to Romney by eight votes on Jan. 3, but it turns out that in a district-by-district tally, he now leads Romney by 34 votes and could ultimately come out ahead. Yet the results from eight precincts are missing and will never be recovered and certified, meaning we'll never know who really won. What we do know is that this episode further highlights the absurdity of Iowa having so much weight at the beginning of the primary process. It also means that if Gingrich can pull off a win in South Carolina, Romney will have truly won only in New Hampshire.

Speaking of Gingrich, his ex-wife -- the second one -- interviewed with ABC to give her side of their divorce story. We'll spare readers the sordid he-said-she-said details here, but suffice it to say that the ugly and hypocritical picture she paints of Newt is coming from a very hurt ex-wife, who also happens to be a sympathetic figure giving a believable account happily exploited by the Leftmedia. But there is little we haven't heard before, and it remains to be seen how it will affect Gingrich's run. For his part, Rick Perry had this to say: "The fact is, there is forgiveness for those who seek God, and I believe in the power of redemption, for it is a central tenet of my own Christian faith."

Finally, the slate of candidates pursued Romney to release his tax returns. Romney says he will release them in April, and that he paid a tax rate "probably closer to the 15 percent rate than anything," because most of his income is on investments taxed as capital gains. Contrary to media mythology, however, IRS data show that's still more than 97 percent of Americans pay. Romney doesn't "owe" an explanation for the size of his fortune. However, if he wants to defeat Barack Obama's classist rhetoric, he best get this information on the table now, and frame it in the proper free-enterprise context, though he has failed to so so in any remarks or debates thus far. It creates a problem of perception for a "rich white guy" taking on the president.

That said, the administration's pre-emptive attacks on Romney's record at Bain are ringing hollow. Obama's new Office of Management and Budget director is a Bain alumnus, and Democrats are the recipients of the vast majority of donations from Bain employees.

All in all, the race appears to be more fluid this week than last, and there wasn't even a primary. It's had more than its fair share of twists and turns, so stay tuned for more.

Share your thoughts on this busy campaign week.

News From the Swamp: SOPA/PIPA Draw Big Opposition

Members of the House and Senate are looking to put the brakes on new Internet anti-piracy legislation that may do more harm than good. The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill in the House, and its Senate companion, the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), were drawn up to prevent the theft of intellectual property over the web by foreign entities. Both bills have strong backing from Hollywood and other media companies, but there is growing concern that they go too far in enforcing their mandate.

The legislation would give the government unchecked power to shut down domestic websites alleged to have committed or even enabled online piracy. The ability to illegally distribute someone else's content over the web is a genuine problem, but this legislation would change copyright law so as to hold websites accountable for third-party content posted on their sites through comment forums and the like. Think Facebook or YouTube, and you can understand that these bills are a solution worse than the problem.

In the face of widespread Internet backlash -- numerous websites "blacked out" Wednesday in protest -- several senators did an about-face. So far this week, 16 Republicans and two Democrats, including seven co-sponsors, announced new opposition. Even the Obama administration expressed reservations.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), a former cosponsor, said there are "legitimate concerns about the impact the bill could have on access to the Internet and about a potentially unreasonable expansion of the federal government's power to impact the Internet." He urged Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to "avoid rushing through a bill that could have many unintended consequences." Reid actually listened and postponed the vote. The House is doing likewise.

(For a fascinating "SOPA 101" explanation, go here.)

Hope 'n' Change: Reorganizing for Re-Election

Barack Obama launched his latest effort to bolster his re-election bid this week when he asked Congress for even greater smoke-and-mirror authority to "reorganize" the government. The would-be government organizer is seeking "consolidation authority" for six agencies related to the economy and business, including eliminating the Commerce Department and replacing it with a new unnamed department -- which doesn't get rid of anything. He also plans to make the Small Business Administration a cabinet-level agency. See, he does care about small business! Obviously, Obama realizes that his unprecedented expansion of government through the health care takeover, financial overregulation and an explosion of spending that dampened the economic recovery are contributing to his poor poll numbers, and, therefore, a little tidying up is in order. In reality, his proposal is little more than lipstick on a pig.

New & Notable Legislation

"The House voted Wednesday to reject President Barack Obama's request to raise the federal debt limit by $1.2 trillion," reports The Wall Street Journal, "a symbolic act designed to let lawmakers oppose the increase while letting it take effect." In August, the White House and Congress reached an agreement under which the debt ceiling automatically rises incrementally. The latest increase requested by the president will kick in despite the House's vote because opponents needed to reach a two-thirds majority in both houses, and failed to do so. The Senate will likely pass the increase.

From the Left: Newsweek Wonders Why You're So Dumb

The latest issue of bird-cage-liner, Newsweek magazine, features a cover story by foul-mouthed faux-conservative pundit Andrew Sullivan entitled, "Why are Obama's Critics So Dumb?" The gist of the piece is that anyone who disagrees with the president must be intellectually inferior. Readers may recall that Sullivan wrote a hit piece during the 2008 presidential campaign suggesting that Sarah Palin's son Trig was actually her daughter Bristol's baby. There was never any proof to substantiate the wild claim, but proof meant nothing to Sullivan then, and neither facts nor sound analysis are stopping him now. This time he gleefully pushes the leftist orthodoxy that Newsweek has embraced since 2008, namely that Obama is above reproach. In fact, Obama as a candidate and president has been featured so many times on the magazine's cover that people now often refer to it as "Obamaweek."

Second Amendment: The 'Fast and Furious' Excuse

More evidence that the "Fast and Furious" weapons scheme was simply a cover for more draconian gun laws came last week as a federal court upheld onerous reporting requirements imposed on nearly 9,000 firearms dealers in four states that border Mexico. These regulations went into effect last July.

We also learned that a similar operation to Fast and Furious was conducted around the same time, and with similar results -- weapons smuggled into Mexico, where the government lost track of them. Operation White Gun targeted nine members of the Sinaloa drug cartel when it was first rolled out in the fall of 2009. Despite the fact that cartel members were willing to fall into the trap set by ATF agents, however, only three arrests and convictions were made in the case and none of those convicted were among the nine original targets.

Yet the botched operations still had their intended effect of providing a perfect excuse for the new reporting requirements. On the other side, two congressional efforts were made to relieve gun shop owners, and one is still in play. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) couldn't prohibit the use of funds to enforce the reporting requirements via an appropriations amendment in the House, but Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Richard Burr (R-NC) still have a bill pending that would prohibit the Department of Justice from tracking certain gun sales. S.570 is currently languishing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by socialist Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Economy

Regulatory Commissars: Keystone Cop Out

Team Yes-We-Can said "No we can't" this week to the Keystone XL pipeline. Well, make that, they kind of, sort of did -- but more on the "no-that-means-yes-maybe" rejection in a moment. First, recall that this is a proposed $7 billion, 40,000-job-producing pipeline from Canada to Texas refineries and the Gulf of Mexico that would help reduce America's dependence on oil from our Middle East "friends." In typical parliamentary sleight-of-hand that a weary American public has seen too often, the administration through its State Department vassals kicked the can still further down the road on that application. Citing "environmental concerns" by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the rejection nonetheless permits the Canadian firm, TransCanada Pipeline, to reapply after developing alternate routing in Nebraska to remedy "sensitive-habitat" concerns.

The interesting wrinkle is that Barack Obama, still firmly beholden to envirofascists, continues proving himself greasier than even the pipeline's oil, by giving Congress the Heisman stiff-arm (more accurately, the stiff finger) on its law requiring him to make a decision on Keystone. Since the rejection is technically a "rejection," the Executive Clown Act has technically "decided," fulfilling the letter of the law. However, since the door remains open for reapplication pending development of the alternate route, the rejection is really just semantics, not substance. In other words, Obama voted "present" yet again.

Of course, this Road Runner-vs-Wile-E-Coyote escape perfectly highlights how Republican leaders in Congress continually demonstrate their keen ability to never blow an opportunity to blow an opportunity. The vain hope that caving on the 60-day "payroll tax holiday" bill in exchange for a bill provision that would force the president to make an up-or-down call on Keystone XL proved once again how pathetically malleable these "leaders" are in Obama's hands. Now if Republicans want to force Obama into a decision on the new application, they will have to do so through yet another bill -- one unlikely to pass through both chambers and be signed by the president without more concessions and unchecked Democrat spending, if history is any guide.

All of these antics have underwhelmed a nonplussed Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who will travel to China next month to discuss "Northern Gateway" options to export oil to China in light of continued U.S. stall tactics (so Canadian oil will likely end up in China rather than America). Harper noted that the U.S. should prefer to deal with a "friendly neighbor" to help meet its energy needs and to create thousands of jobs. Meanwhile, it's obvious we're in an election year, as the administration just released a report touting its ardent support for natural gas "fracking" and fossil fuels. Apparently, however, the Hope-&-Changelings have lost their fracking minds, because for the past three years they have done nothing but try to destroy these industries, from $40 billion tax hikes to EPA over-regulation and meddling to Interior Department foot-dragging on permits. In any case, one thing is for sure: this is yet another Keystone Cop Out.

How will rejecting Keystone affect jobs and energy?

Quotes of the Week

"[T]he fact is that more people have been put on food stamps by Barack Obama than any president in American history. Now, I know among the politically correct, you're not supposed to use facts that are uncomfortable. ... I believe every American of every background has been endowed by their creator with the right to pursue happiness. And if that makes liberals unhappy, I'm going to continue to find ways to help poor people learn how to get a job, learn how to get a better job and learn some day to own the job." --Newt Gingrich in the debate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Since Obama's inauguration, the food stamp rolls have increased by 18 million to a total of 46.2 million people. The annual cost in 2011 was $75.3 billion. The rolls increased dramatically under George W. Bush as well, but Obama's increase is almost four times Bush's rate. The White House characterized Gingrich's assertion as "crazy," but the culture of dependency fostered by this administration is not crazy. It's despicable.

In Thursday night's debate, Gingrich had another zinger: "Why is President Obama for young people being allowed to stay on their parents' insurance until 26? Because he can't get any jobs for them to go out and buy their own insurance. I have an offer to the parents of America: elect us, and your kids will be able to move out because they'll have work."

European Downgrade

After warning 15 of the 17 euro-zone countries of potential downgrades, last week Standard & Poor's dropped debt ratings for nine of these nations, including France, Austria, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. "In our view," S&P said, "the policy initiatives that have been taken by European policy makers in recent weeks may be insufficient to fully address ongoing systemic stresses in the euro zone." In France's case, not only does the dip from triple-A to AA+ mark the second time in fewer than six months that S&P downgraded a major triple-A nation (the U.S. in August marking the first) but it also portends poorly for the euro zone's bailout fund, which is reliant on member nations for its own triple-A rating.

French Prime Minister Francois Baroin tried to downplay the downgrade, announcing, "It is not ratings agencies that dictate French policy. It is clearly [related to] the governance of the euro zone and to its instability." Perhaps. But still, the "from each according to his abilities to each according to his needs" philosophy that's had the stronger euro zone nations propping up the weaker ones falls short when the stronger nations themselves face mounting debt. Also, as The Wall Street Journal points out, none of this is particularly shocking: "Like the U.S. downgrade last summer, the rating changes themselves don't tell the world or the markets anything they didn't already know." What the changes do tell the world, though, is that policy makers still refuse to make the budget decisions required to avoid the nosedive towards economic catastrophe.

Income Redistribution: Fed to Print Even More Money?

After two unsuccessful attempts by the Federal Reserve to revive the U.S. economy through quantitative easing -- i.e., printing more money -- there is a plan on the table to do it again. As the Fed prepares to fire up the printing presses, we are reminded of its original plan to save the housing market by keeping interest rates low. The plan was flawed in that it overlooked the sea of uncertainty surrounding the high unemployment rate, taxation and health care reform. To expect people to buy homes in such a climate, regardless of interest rates, is absurdly hopeful; yet the government is willing to continue throwing good money after bad.

Some might say that the federal government does not understand that it is hurting, not helping, Americans when it buries businesses and individuals under mountains of regulatory red tape and oppressive bureaucracy. Others, however, make the case that the current administration knows exactly what it's doing: breaking the back of free enterprise to ensure that we are more dependent on the federal government. Throwing cash at us is just another attempt to lull us into complacency.

Security

Department of Military Readiness: Stealth Space Treaty in the Works?

The Obama administration this week appeared to reverse its previous declaration that it would not enter into an EU-proposed "Code of Conduct" for outer space. Just last week Ellen Tauscher, Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, said bluntly, "We're not going along with the Code of Conduct," explaining that it was too restrictive on the United States. This week, however, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States will join the Europeans in forming a new Code of Conduct. Clinton didn't specify what changes were required before the United States would sign on, leading many to suspect a new Code of Conduct's fine print might be a backdoor to a cherished liberal dream: "de-weaponizing" space, i.e. preventing the United States from using space for any military purpose.

We are cautiously optimistic that the administration will live up to the terms of its own Space Policy, which says inter alia the United States shall: "Develop capabilities, plans, and options to deter, defend against, and, if necessary, defeat efforts to interfere with or attack U.S. or allied space systems; Maintain the capabilities to execute the space support, force enhancement, space control, and force application missions; Develop, obtain, and operate space capabilities to support strategic goals, intelligence priorities, and assigned tasks." (The full text of the 2010 Space Policy can be read here.) And we note the Senate is unlikely to ratify any treaty that might include backdoor language or loopholes that could be used to cripple the military use of space (notwithstanding its 2010 ratification of the abhorrent New Start Treaty). Nonetheless, this is an issue that requires close scrutiny, lest the Obama administration intentionally hamstring U.S. space options in the name of "peaceful use of space."

Warfront With Jihadistan: Taliban Takeout

Even as the Obama regime continues its withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, the U.S. military continues to take the fight to the jihadis. Reports surfaced this week that the Pakistani Taliban chief, Hakimullah Mehsud, may have been droned to death by a U.S. missile strike. The claim that Mehsud was sent to his virgins came from officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. They said that a number of Taliban radio conversations had been intercepted, and in a half dozen of those intercepts the jihadis openly discussed whether Mehsud was killed on Jan. 12 in the North Waziristan tribal area. In the conversations some terrorists confirmed Mehsud was dead while another criticized his comrades for talking openly about it over the radio.

This is not the first time that we have had reports of Mehsud's death. Two years ago, the U.S. believed that it had killed Mehsud in a drone strike only to have him resurface in Taliban videos in 2010 and 2011. Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told reporters that reports of Mehsud's death were false, saying, "There is no truth in reports about his death. However, he is a human being and can die any time. He is a mujahid and we wish him martyrdom." Not exactly a ringing endorsement of Mehsud's undeadness. Still, we do agree with Ehsan and truly hope that this time U.S. forces helped Mehsud attain his "martyrdom."

TSA Comes Clean ... Sort Of

Last December, we reported that an elderly woman was humiliated by TSA screeners at New York's JFK airport when they insisted that she pull down her waistband to show her colostomy bag. TSA's initial response was to deny everything but also claim that agents were just following protocol.

This week, however, the feds finally admitted that their agents went too far. Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Betsy Markey wrote to New York State Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Queens), "It is not standard operating procedure for colostomy devices to be visually inspected, and [the TSA] apologizes for this employee's action." While Markey still maintains that the agents didn't conduct a strip-search, the woman disagrees. "It's obvious that something went wrong, so its nice to see the TSA admit that their procedures were violated," Gianaris said, "but they're still falling short of admitting that these women's dignity was violated."

Share your favorite TSA experience.

Culture

Faith and Family: Roe v. Wade Turns 39

Sunday marks the 39th anniversary of the most tragic Supreme Court decision in American history, Roe v. Wade. The primary issue remains the right to life affirmed in our Declaration of Independence -- a right tragically denied to the more than 50 million unborn babies who have been sacrificed on the altar of "choice" since 1973.

It has always been evident to us, scientifically, morally and logically, that life begins at conception. For the last word on the matter, we consult our Creator's guidebook. The Psalmist wrote, "For You formed my inward parts; you wove me in my mother's womb." He then noted, "Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were written all the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them." Imago Dei!

Around the Nation: OWS Like the Rest of Us -- Broke

Just as they're exhorted to prepare for a spring series of protests of Republican-sponsored budget cuts, it seems that the 99 percenters of Occupy Wall Street are burning through their cash so quickly that they had to make cuts of their own, electing to freeze spending on new projects but continuing to pay basic expenses. In short, the Occupy movement is facing the very problem that will be vexing the legislators they're urged to protest against. Funds donated for their use, once in excess of $700,000, are now down to about $170,000.

If that isn't enough to bring a chuckle, consider this: Nancy Pelosi recently claimed "[Democrats] don't really have much of a connection with the Occupy [protesters.]" Pelosi belongs to the same group -- the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee -- that last fall urged its backers to sign a petition supporting the goals of the Occupy movement.

So in the winter of their discontent, as law enforcement across the country evicts them from their squalid encampments in public squares and cold weather drives all but the hardiest of their group indoors, the Occupy movement is also learning the hard truth that most of the rest of us already know: eventually you run out of other people's money. Using that fresh cadre of volunteers willing to spend days or weeks camping out (and doing other less savory things) is motivating groups such as the Democratic Socialists of America to figure out ways to occupy the Occupy movement and use it to hasten the statist utopia of their dreams. Act two is certain to be performed this coming spring, but time will tell if the sequel does as well as the original.

Do you buy what Nancy Pelosi is selling?

From the 'Non Compos Mentis' File: A Change to King's Legacy

Apparently the cause of civil rights is bigger than one man, except when Martin Luther King's memory is needed to bash the opposition. At an MLK celebration in Columbia, South Carolina, Attorney General Eric Holder blasted Republicans who believe that voting should be added to the list of everyday actions requiring a photo ID. Holder's Justice Department recently blocked a South Carolina law requiring ID for voters, calling it an unfair burden on minority voters. He also vowed to fight measures he deemed would make voting "less accessible."

Fellow Obama administration official Valerie Jarrett was more blunt in her criticism of the GOP -- from a church pulpit, no less -- singling out Republicans in Congress for placing the jobs of teachers, firefighters and policemen "in jeopardy." Rev. Raphael Warnock, the pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church where Jarrett spoke at the Sunday service, added that he anticipated another campaign that would feature "race baiting" by Newt Gingrich and other Republicans against Barack Obama.

Nor was the King Memorial in Washington, DC, exempt from the burnishing of King's memory. Opened in August, it came under fire for featuring a truncated quotation from its subject: "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness." In the words of one critic, that made King sound like "an arrogant twit," because the actual quote was "if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter."

Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar ordered the National Park Service to consult with the King Memorial Foundation to consider changing the memorial. However, any change will be difficult given that the quotation is chiseled into the granite monument -- a monument that cost $120 million to build. Considering the constant changes to King's legacy to suit the Left's agenda, the revised quote might be better written on a chalkboard.

And Last...

We've recounted how Barack Obama wants to increase the national debt again while feigning an attempt to organize the government more efficiently. We've told you about yet another gunrunning operation gone bad and a drastic increase in food stamp recipients since 2009. We've told you how the president's supporters think his detractors are merely dumb. The obvious conclusion is that Obama is in Fantasyland. No, literally, he's in Fantasyland at Disney World, where he gave a speech Thursday about the economy in general and tourism in particular. Adding to the image of his failing presidency, however, was that his speech in front of Cinderella's Castle prompted the closure of "Main Street USA." Our job now is to send him off to retirement, so the rest of us can live happily ever after.

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

January 20, 2012
      NEWT BLASTS CNN'S JOHN KING AT SC DEBATE
The fireworks started early in Thursday night's GOP debate hosted by CNN. Moderator John King opened the show by asking the question on almost everyone's mind. Newt's response generated a standing ovation. Watch the exchange HERE.

  DNC CHAIR FRUSTRATES FOX NEWS HOST
Congresswoman and DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz got into another terse exchange with the hosts of "Fox & Friends." Watch the mutual eye-rolling caught on camera during the segment from Friday morning's show HERE.

  SOROS-FUNDED THINK TANK IN HOT WATER
The Center for American Progress is a DC-based liberal think tank with strong ties to the Obama administration. The group also receives substantial funding from billionaire George Soros. Today we learn that CAP is under fire from Jewish organizations for using anti-Israel language. Get all the details HERE.

  DID GLENN BECK REALLY BEHEAD BARBIE DOLLS ON HIS TV SHOW? (YES, BUT WHY?)  
Last night on GBTV, Glenn Beck actually took the heads off a couple of Barbie dolls. It appeared to be a lot tougher to do than you might expect, but the real question is WHY was he doing this? Watch the segment and find out HERE.

PUPPETS COVER THE NEWS, BUT WHY?
TV cameras have been barred from covering the proceedings inside a Cleveland courthouse. But that hasn't stopped a local station from covering the high-profile corruption trail currently underway. Instead of courtroom video, WOIO has created a feature called "The Puppet's Court." Watch their latest report HERE.  

VIRAL VIDeo - 'SHARIA LAW & ORDER'
GBTV's Comedy Czar, Brian Sack is back with a second season of "The B.S. of A." premiering tonight at 8pm. We managed to get a sneak peak at one of the funniest sketches from the new show. Check out the clip HERE.

Friday, January 20, 2012

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer


COUNTDOWN TO VICTORY: 291 DAYS TO THE 2012 ELECTIONS


Last Night's Debate

Here are my thoughts on the Republican presidential primary debate in South Carolina last night.

• I think Senator Rick Santorum delivered his best performance so far in this campaign. He was more finely honed in his critique of Barack Obama. For example, during a discussion about veterans, Santorum said:

"We have a president of the United States who said he is going to cut veterans' benefits, cut our military, at a time when these folks are [serving] four, five, six, seven tours, coming back, in and out of jobs, sacrificing everything for this country, and the president of the United States can't cut one penny out of the social welfare system and he wants to cut a trillion dollars out of our military and hit our veterans. And that's disgusting.

Santorum also gave Mitt Romney a difficult time over ObamaCare. He effectively argued that Romney would be hard pressed to make the case against ObamaCare when Romney's former advisors were invited to the White House to help craft ObamaCare. Obama has said repeatedly that RomneyCare was the model he used.

• Speaking of Governor Romney, this was the second debate where he has struggled and it is showing in the polls. According to a new Gallup poll, Romney's support nationally has dropped seven points in the past five days. It is puzzling why his campaign, which has otherwise been well run, still hasn't formulated more effective answers on his tax returns, his work at Bain Capital and other issues. Obama and his liberal allies will be far more vicious than any of Romney's fellow Republicans. He says he is expecting those attacks, but if so, I would expect his responses in these GOP debates to be better. I think it is now more than likely that Romney could lose the South Carolina primary tomorrow, coming on the heels of the news that he lost Iowa too.
• This has been a frustrating campaign in many respects, including the support Ron Paul gets from many in the pro-life community. This is inexplicable to me given that, as Senator Santorum noted last night, Paul has a terrible voting record on pro-life legislation. Paul can wax eloquent about freedom and constitutional liberty, but then goes on to make the absurd claim that abortion should be a states' rights issue.
  
  Let me say this again: Federalism is an important principle for conservatives, but it is not our most important value. Either we possess a God-given right to life that should be inviolable at any level of government or we do not. National Review's Ramesh Ponnuru further dissects Paul's "nuttiness" on the sanctity of life here.
• Of course, no analysis of the debate would be complete without recognizing Newt Gingrich's command of the stage. Newt has many critics, but he understands one thing: You can't win a debate playing defense. You have to be able to take a blow to the chin and hit right back. As soon as CNN's John King hit below the belt, Gingrich went for the jugular. Fed up with the liberal media that regularly overlooks issues like Obama's past cocaine use and his 20-year attendance at a church with a racist pastor but jumps at the chance to dredge up Newt's decades-old divorce, the crowd roared its approval of Gingrich's indignation.

We will be watching the South Carolina primary tomorrow with great interest and will analyze the results on Monday. While Romney's hopes of locking up the nomination in South Carolina may not materialize, the fact remains that Romney has spent $3 million in Florida already and it has largely gone unanswered by his opponents.


Obama At Disney World

As you probably know by now, Barack Obama went to Disney World yesterday to make the case for his economic agenda. That's a very appropriate venue since most of his policies seem to be coming out of Fantasyland!

I can imagine the ads now: An Obama lookalike saying, "Unemployment is up. Gas prices are up. I've socialized the healthcare industry and turned America into Europe." "What are you going to do now, Mr. Obama?" "I'm going to Disney World!"

By the way, while Obama was making his economic pitch about how his policies would help grow the economy, did anyone compare his nose to Pinocchio's?


Alienating Allies

The fallout continues from Barack Obama's stunning decision to reject the latest permit request for the Keystone XL pipeline.

Bloomberg News reports that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed his "profound disappointment" in a phone call yesterday with Obama, and warned that "Canada will continue to work to diversify its energy exports." In other words, if Obama doesn't want Canada's oil, Harper will have no choice but to sell it to China, which desperately wants it.

The Bloomberg report notes, "Currently, 99 percent of Canada's crude exports go to the U.S." But Obama is putting all that at risk, not to mention the lost jobs, in order to appease his radical left-wing base. Meanwhile prices at the pump have doubled since Obama took office. Thanks to decisions like this and his earlier ban on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, they aren't likely to come down anytime soon.


March For Life

Monday marks the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., when pro-life activists from around the country come to our nation's capital to promote the sanctity of life. Of course most folks can't come to Washington, but many churches will observe Sanctity of Life Sunday this weekend. I encourage you to find out what is going on in your community this weekend and to be involved in the "good fight" for the right to life!

This country is a beacon of hope to millions around the world. Yet that image is tarnished by the reality that more than one million unborn children are destroyed in abortion facilities every year. We are better than that.

America was founded on the principle that everyone is created equal and endowed by our Creator with the inalienable right to life. We fought a civil war to settle the question of whether some men possessed no rights we were bound to respect. In keeping with our founding principles we rightly determined that every life has dignity and is worthy of respect.

Roe v. Wade is an injustice based on the same misguided philosophy as Dred Scott -- that some humans are not "people" for the purposes of our Constitution. But I have confidence that this good and decent land will someday once again live up to its image as a "shining city upon a hill," when every child is welcomed into the world and protected under the law.
 

Read more: 

• "North Dakota Republican Sen. John Hoeven has drafted a bill that would strip President Obama of his authority over the Keystone XL project if he decides to reject the pipeline next month," Politico reported last week, before the president's announcement.This proposal follows a recommendation from Heritage Foundation energy expert Nicolas Loris that the federal government allow the project to go forward and not dictate the pipeline's precise route. "The state of Nebraska," he writes," can handle the environmental review of the reroute, the path of which does not go beyond state borders."
• An oft-heard myth is that public school teacher salaries are abysmally low and the only way to encourage bright young minds to enter the field and keep current, effective teachers is to raise their pay. However, a November 2011 study by Heritage Foundation scholar Jason Richwine, Ph.D. and the American Enterprise Institute's Andrew Biggs, "Assessing the Compensation of Public-School Teachers," demonstrates that on average, public school teachers receive total compensation that is roughly 50 percent higher than what they would receive in private-sector employment.Read more about the study on myHeritage.
• "Official time" is the practice of federal employees doing work for government unions while on the clock for their regularly scheduled government day job. While on official time, federal employees are paid by the government to negotiate collective bargaining agreements, participate in labor discussions, lobby Congress and engage in other union related activities. At first glance, this may seem like a normal practice, common to unionized organizations. The problem with official time is that it effectively subsidizes government unions with taxpayers dollars. Heritage Foundation policy analyst James Sherk argues that taxpayers are effectively covering the cost of union salaries when the unions should be paying these costs of out of their membership dues. Find out just how much official time is costing taxpayers on myHeritage.

• After President Obama rejected the permit for construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, Canada said it would sell its oil to China.
• Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and Texas Gov. Rick Perry ended their bids for the GOP presidential nomination this week. Huntsman endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney while Perry endorsed former Speaker Newt Gingrich. Only four GOP Presidential hopefuls remain, and they duked it out last night at a debate in South Carolina.
• Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) has delayed a vote on PIPA, an onerous bill, intended to combat online piracy, that would stifle innovation and free speech. The delay comes after conservative groups, including Heritage's sister organization Heritage Action for America, joined Google and Wikipedia to lobby Congress for internet freedom.
• Existing home sales rose in December to an 11-month high while the supply of available homes dropped to a seven-year low. 

Thomas Jefferson

This is amazing.  There are two parts.  Be sure to read the 2nd part (in RED).

Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very early in life and never stopped.

At 5, began studying under his cousin's tutor.

At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.

At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.

At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.

At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.

At 23, started his own law practice.

At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.

At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British America " and retired from his law practice.

At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.

At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence.

At 33, took three years to revise Virginia's legal code and wrote a Public education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.

At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry.

At 40, served in Congress for two years.

At 41, was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.

At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.

At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.

At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions which became the basis of 'States Rights'

At 57, was elected the third president of the United States.

At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nation's size.

At 61, was elected to a second term as President.

At 65, retired to Monticello.

At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.

At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served as its first president.

At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence along with John Adams.

Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself studied the previous failed attempts at government. He understood actual history, the nature of God, his laws, and the nature of man. That happens to be way more than what most understand today. Jefferson really knew his stuff. A voice from the past to lead us in the future:

John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement: "This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."

"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe." -- Thomas Jefferson

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." -- Thomas Jefferson

"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world." -- Thomas Jefferson

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labours of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." -- Thomas Jefferson

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." -- Thomas Jefferson

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." -- Thomas Jefferson

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." -- Thomas Jefferson

"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."-- Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.

If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."

Dear Supporter,

Americans for Prosperity just released its Mid-Term Review Key Vote Scorecard grading Members of Congress on what AFP feels were the most important economic votes in 2011.

We looked at the 17 top free-market votes in the Senate and 15 in the House. The issues included votes to repeal the President's new health care law, halt the EPA's onerous greenhouse gas regulations, and cut federal spending in the budget and appropriations bills. AFP also includes signature of our No Climate Tax Pledge (http://www.noclimatetax.com/) in the scorecard.

Five senators and thirty-nine representatives earned a perfect A+ score, voting with AFP's free-market position on every issue in 2011. See how your Members of Congress voted! (http://americansforprosperity.com/scorecard)

When we were analyzing the scores, a few interesting trends emerged. First, there is a lot of work left to do to promote economic freedom. While 44 lawmakers had a perfect score, a whopping 128 of them received a score of zero, voting against AFP's position on every issue.

Second, President Obama claims that his agenda is being stifled by an intransigent and ideologically-rigid block of Republicans swept into office by the 2010 elections. However, (to our dismay) the actual voting records do not support this. Almost half of the House GOP received a B grade, failing to support the free-market position between two and four times last year. In reality, Democrats put up the most "ideologically pure" scores, especially in the House, continuing a trend reaching back to at least the 110th Congress.

We hope you find our scorecard (http://americansforprosperity.com/scorecard) to be a useful tool in holding your elected representatives accountable for their votes on economic freedom.

Sincerely,

Americans for Prosperity

Americans for Prosperity(R) (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual's right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. AFP has more than 1,800,000 members, including members in all 50 states, and 34 state chapters and affiliates. More than 90,000 Americans in all 50 states have made a financial investment in AFP or AFP Foundation. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org (http://americansforprosperity.org)

Obama Administration To Fund Murderous Research  by FPN Policy Analyst Alex Mason

The Obama administration seems bent on destroying the unborn in the name of "science."

President Obama's National Institutes of Health (NIH) director has just approved four more human embryonic stem cell lines as eligible for federal research funding. Not only is research on embryonic stem cells (i.e., their destruction) morally wrong, but it is LESS effective than using other types of stem cells.

No one would contest that reproductive science has advanced dramatically in recent years. Researchers are now aware that adult stem cells provide more scientific promise than embryonic stem cells.

Indeed, the only thing scientific about embryonic stem cell destruction is the fact that proponents call it "science." In reality, such research is a speculative and morally repugnant endeavor that can hardly be referred to as a legitimate advancement of human knowledge.

The technology used to freeze embryos has been used on more than 400,000 embryos since the 1970s. Only a depressingly tiny fraction of that number have been implanted in the wombs of women in order to develop and be born. That means hundreds of thousands of tiny humans exist in storage at fertility clinics.

There, they will either languish indefinitely or be destroyed in the pursuit of "research," which is now funded with even more of your tax dollars.

 This morning President Obama called New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan to break the news.

Secretary of Health and Human Services and pro-abortion Catholic Kathleen Sebelius just announced that the proposed mandate requiring all insurance plans to pay for contraception, sterilization and some abortion drugs is official -- and Catholics cannot escape.  
...and the fig-leaf exemption for religious groups will not be modified, apart from allowing some groups an additional year to comply.

Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan responded minutes ago, saying: "In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences."
  Beginning August 1, 2012 (less than eight months from today), the insurance premiums we pay, including the insurance premiums paid by Catholics for employees of churches and schools -- will be used to cover drugs and procedures that are in direct conflict with the teachings of our Church.

That's right. Our government will now force us to pay for insurance coverage for birth control, sterilization and even some abortion drugs.

President Obama ignored the organized efforts of Catholics across the country, including bold statements from the Bishops, university presidents (including Notre Dame's Rev. Jenkins), and even his Catholic allies like Sr. Carol Keehan.

Instead, President Obama stood with his real friends -- Planned Parenthood.

Make no mistake, this decision is a direct attack on you, our Church, and the religious liberty of all Americans.

Just yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the bishops from the United States who were completing their "Ad Limina" visit in Rome. The Holy Father specifically cited the "grave threats" to the freedom of the Church in America, and urged the Catholic community to respond, especially with "an engaged, articulate and well-formed Catholic laity."

He's talking to you and me. The Holy Father's brief address is a must read (link below).

Finally, today marks exactly one year from Inauguration Day. In exactly 12 months, America will welcome a new president, or usher in four more years of Barack Obama and his assault on our liberties. This irony is not lost on us.

We built CatholicVote into a movement to advance the cause of life, family, and freedom. Today's decision is an assault on all three. And it MUST be defeated.

You have our pledge that we will do everything possible to educate and mobilize the Catholic vote in 2012.

For on a day such as this, we realize that elections indeed have consequences.

The Catholic vote must rise up like never before. 

Sincerely,

Brian Burch, President
CatholicVote.org


U.S. Bishops Vow to Fight HHS Edict
http://email.vervemail.com/ct/24459191:5644600955:m:1:416068435:8D34602B59F3BB29CAD74CEEC1426740:r

Read the Holy Father's Address to the US Bishops:
http://email.vervemail.com/ct/24459192:5644600955:m:1:416068435:8D34602B59F3BB29CAD74CEEC1426740:r

Read the text of the HHS Announcement:
http://email.vervemail.com/ct/24459193:5644600955:m:1:416068435:8D34602B59F3BB29CAD74CEEC1426740:r

Georgia Department of Agriculture Finds Big Ag Lobby Made False Claims about HB87
New report cuts against law's critics.
Full Story

Obama Administration Slows Deportations During Amnesty Review
Enforcement takes a vacation.
Full Story

Too Miffed To Do Their Job?
Upset with Arpaio, DHS refuses custody of detainees.
Full Story

Travel Industry Lobbies To Weaken Rules
Changes would weaken screening.
Full Story

Colorado Dems Need to Brush Up on Immigration Law
Criticism of GOP candidates shows real agenda.
Full Story

Today's Headlines:  Friday, January 20, 2012

Obama Claims Success in Bringing Int'l Community Together to Isolate Iran
  CBO: Programs Like Obamacare Don't Save Money or Reduce Costs

Steve Forbes says: "The MRC is in the forefront of battling this smothering, monolithic culture. It plays a crucial, uniquely effective watchdog role in exposing media bias and partisanship." Please make a tax-deductible gift to MRC today!

Obama Administration Says No to Oil, Yes to Biofuels

Gingrich: 'Tired of the Elite Media Protecting Barack Obama by Attacking Republicans'

Santorum: 'Grandiosity Has Never Been a Problem With Newt Gingrich'

Romney on Releasing His Tax Returns: Dems Will Attack Me Because 'I Have Been Successful'

Ron Paul Campaign Criticizes GOP Opponents on National Debt and Spending

Santorum: 'We Defeated Mitt Romney in Iowa'

Nothing 'Anti-Muslim' About Gingrich's Comments on Shari'a, Says Anti-Islamist Muslim Activist

Gingrich Says He'll Need Public Support for 'Eight Years' to Fix Policies of 'Phony President'

TLC's Reality TV Duggars Family Stumps for Santorum in South Carolina

COMMENTARY:

Colbert's Egotism Isn't Fake
By L. Brent Bozell III
The media conglomerates have a glaring double standard when it comes to freedom of speech. Regulating political dissent from the super PACs of the super rich is the finest defense of democracy. But any imposition of content regulation on media companies is capricious tyranny.

The Land of Obama Make-Believe
By Michelle Malkin
This is an administration that believes lowering visa standards and risking homeland security to pump up Disney foreign tourism is a better path to economic recovery than supporting direct American job creation and enhancing energy security.

Who Wants War With Iran?
By Patrick J. Buchanan
Before some agent provocateur pushes us into war with Iran, Congress should debate the wisdom of authorizing President Obama, or anyone else, to take America into her fifth war in a generation in the Middle and Near East.

The Final South Carolina Debate
By Rich Galen
I can't imagine any votes changed as the result of this debate. Let's go back to eight people on the stage.

Herman Cain will deliver Tea Party response to the State of the Union
Gov. Mitch Daniels will give official GOP response