912 Patriots of Lower Bucks - Your Daily Updates ALL in ONE Place!
February 16, 2012
Quote:
"Born in other countries, yet believing you could be happy in this, our laws acknowledge, as they should do, your right to join us in society, conforming, as I doubt not you will do, to our established rules. That these rules shall be as equal as prudential considerations will admit, will certainly be the aim of our legislatures, general and particular."
~ Thomas Jefferson, letter to Hugh White, 1801
Econonomic Sabotage? A Case for the FBI? Occupy Wall Street and the Cuban Connection
February 14, 2012
Occupy Wall Street and its hundreds of offshoots, cost the U.S. hundreds of millions of dollars in a few short months. Cleanup costs, police overtime, lost and disrupted production and countless smaller issues hit cash strapped communities at a time they could least afford it.
If, as some (including myself) predict, the movement expands and becomes better organized and more violent next Spring and Summer, the costs could become astronomical.
If you were an enemy of the U.S., a hostile power intent on bringing America to its knees, would you like to see this movement grow? Maybe even help it along a little? There is some evidence that one country has been doing just that.
That country is Cuba.
The O.W.S. movement got more than a little attention at a recent Cuban sponsored convention of communist led labor unions in Tijuana, Mexico.
If you see a story that you believe would be useful and important to our readers, simply respond to this email with a link and a brief description of why it is important. (Even if it may be obvious)
If you wish to unsubscribe (and we hope you don't) please click the "safe unsubscribe" link.
The bad news is last month some well intentioned political activist announced a cut-off date for signing up co-sponsors for Rep. Rose Marie Swanger's American Law's for American Courts (HB 2029) in an effort to inject some urgency into the effort.
What it resulted in was an interruption of the campaign to encourage those Representatives not yet signed on as co-sponsors to join with those Legislators who have already recognized the death by smothering threat to our Constitution.
The good news is there is no cut-off date for adding co-sponsors and we are once again asking your readers to contact their representatives and ask they join the battle.
There are only three Representatives from Bucks who are co-sponsors, Representatives Clymer, Petri and Quinn and we thank them for showing their colors.
But that leaves seven more Representatives who appear to be still standing on the sidelines as the battle for our existence as a free people is joined.
If you're ready to help, visit www.actforamerica.org and sign on as a chapter leader. It's free and the people there are friendly and helpful. Your help is needed. Every township, every neighborhood needs an Act! for America chapter leader.
But before you do anything, if your Pennsylvania Representative has not yet ssigned on as co-sponsor, urge her/him to do so and ask what is it that prevents him/her from doing so.
Help Pennsylvania be counted among those States that have shown the courage to face off with the enemies who have plainly stated their aim is to destroy our Nation. Our laws have worked just fine since colonial times. What is needed are politicians who respect them. And you know whose job it is to remind them of that.
Resistance to a new bill aimed at limiting foreign law in Pennsylvania courts serves as a case study of how Islamists and their allies operate: peddling falsehoods about Shari'a, painting Muslims as victims, and denying that anyone seeks to institutionalize aspects of Islamic law - even as they vigorously promote that very agenda. With similar legislationbeingdebated across the U.S., understanding their tactics is critical.
At issue in Pennsylvania is House Bill (HB) 2029, which stipulates that "a tribunal shall not consider a foreign legal code or system which does not grant ... the same fundamental liberties, rights and privileges" as guaranteed by the federal and state constitutions. Introduced in November, it follows the American Laws for American Courts (ALAC) model and makes no mention of Shari'a. A preliminary memo sent to legislators last June in the name of Rep. RoseMarie Swanger, HB 2029's chief sponsor, does highlight Islamic law, but she later said that it had been circulated accidentally. Regardless, concerns about Shari'a are warranted due to its many provisions that conflict with the standards of American jurisprudence. For example, it disadvantages women in terms of inheritance, divorce, child custody, and other areas of family law. Shari'a already has shaped numerous cases nationwide, including in Pennsylvania, where one state court decided how assets should be distributed according to Islam.
Pushback against HB 2029 has been led by the Philadelphia office of the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-PA) and was punctuated by an interfaith press conference (video here) at CAIR-PA headquarters on December 14. The overall campaign reflects CAIR's usual recipe of distortion, victimology, and contradiction between words and deeds.
Attacks on bills like HB 2029 begin by sowing confusion about Shari'a. Because Islamic law encompasses virtually every facet of life - governing personal activities such as eating and worship, but also forming an oppressive social and legal structure - suit-and-tie Islamists work to emphasize its unthreatening pieces whenever possible. CAIR-PA executive director Moein Khawaja's suggestion that Shari'a should worry Pennsylvanians no more than halal gyros is a fine example of this technique.
Monday - February 20, 2012 President's Day 10 AM - 1 PM
Live broadcast and welcome home luncheon honoring American servicemen and women from the Delaware Valley who served bravely in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Plus a celebration the 71st Anniversary of the USO, providing morale and recreational services to members of the US Military since 1941.
Dom Giordano will broadcast live from the Walnut Ballroom at the Radisson Philadelphia Northeast Hotel, Route One in Trevose, from 9 AM to 12 noon, doors open to the public at 10 AM. During his radio show, Dom will welcome several on-site special guests, including many men and women who served.
Dom and WPHT will also present "The World's Largest Thank You Card" to our troops in attendance, with panels having been signed by hundreds of WPHT listeners and clients at various sponsor locations throughout the Delaware Valley.
SALUTE THE TROOPS THANK YOU CARD LOCATIONS
George's Dreshertown Shop N Bag 1650 Limekiln Pike Dresher, PA-19025 in the Dreshertown Shopping Plaza
FloorsUSA 555 South Henderson Road King of Prussia,PA19406-3587
Nissan of Turnersville 3400 Route 42 Turnersville,NJ08012
Colonial Hyundai of Downingtown 4423 West Lincoln Hwy | Downingtown, PA 19335
Advanced Vein & Vascular Center, Inc. 744 W. Lancaster Avenue, Ste. 225 Wayne, PA 19087
Constitution 101: The Meaning and History of the Constitution
Available to you, your family, your friends, and all Americans.
Over the years, many friends of Hillsdale, those who never attended college here, have said to me: "Dr. Arnn, I wish I could take Hillsdale's Constitution course!"
In response to these requests, this past year, for the first time ever, Hillsdale College offered the "Introduction to the Constitution" lecture series at no charge. Frankly, I wasn't sure what sort of a response a course like this would have.
That's why I was excited to see that YOU and almost 200,000 other people from all over the United States registered for "Introduction to the Constitution."
Thank you very much for registering and participating. I hope you learned a lot from the series.
I was thrilled, not only by the response, but at what it indicates: Americans are willing and eager learn about the Constitution and to defend the principles of liberty that made America so prosperous!
And this re-awakening of national interest in the Constitution comes not a minute too soon.
Now, for the first time ever, Hillsdale College is offering a no-cost 10-week online Constitution course based on the class Hillsdale College students must complete for graduation:
This course on the U.S. Constitution is available online at no charge to anyone who wants to understand and defend the timeless principles of liberty upon which our nation was founded!
I am proud to be teaching part of our NEW "Constitution 101"course and hope YOU will be one of my students again!
"Constitution 101" begins on February 20, 2012, and concludes the week of April 30. It will cover such topics as the Declaration of Independence and its connection to the Constitution, how the Constitution is structured to protect individual liberty and ensure good government, the crisis of constitutional government faced by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, and modern challenges to the Constitution during the "Progressive" era.
It is my honor to teach the first class, "The American Mind," and the final class, "The Recovery of the Constitution." All of the classes will be taught by Hillsdale College professors - the top teachers in their field and the same ones who instruct our students here on Hillsdale's campus.
Constitution 101 Schedule
Introduction: The American Mind Larry P. Arnn Monday, February 20
The Declaration of Independence Thomas G. West Monday, February 27
The Problem of Majority Tyranny David Bobb Monday, March 5
Separation of Powers: Preventing Tyranny Kevin Portteus Monday, March 12
Separation of Powers: Ensuring Good Government Will Morrisey Monday, March 19
Religion, Morality, and Property David Bobb Monday, March 26
Crisis of Constitutional Government Will Morrisey Monday, April 2
Abraham Lincoln and the Constitution Kevin Portteus Monday, April 9
The Progressive Rejection of the Founding Ronald J. Pestritto Monday, April 16
The Recovery of the Constitution Larry P. Arnn Monday, April 23
March 23rd, 2012, marks an important and unfortunate anniversary. It will have been exactly two years since President Obama forced his unpopular health care takeover onto the American people. Americans for Prosperity has educated the public about the dangers of government interference in the health care market for the past several years, and now the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments and make a ruling on that very issue.As you are most likely aware, the U.S. Supreme Court will be considering the constitutionality of several elements of the President's health care bill. This may be our best chance to overturn this offense against our health care freedoms. That's why Americans for Prosperity will be hosting a Hands Off My Health Care rally for free-market grassroots activists from across the country at the Supreme Court on March 27th. Details can be found below.
Americans for Prosperity - Pennsylvania will host bus rides to DC from the following locations:
The United States Supreme Court, Washington, D.C. March 27th at 1:00PM
Over the past few years, Americans for Prosperity has been the premier grassroots group educating the public on the dangers of the President's health care bill. AFP's Hands Off My Health Care Tour criss-crossed the nation in 2009 hosting over 300 events and rallies. Then, in late 2009, over 5,000 activists gathered for AFP's Code Red Rally in Washington.
We must remind the Court and all of Washington that the President's health care takeover is an affront to free-market principles and our Constitution. Not only is the individual mandate unconstitutional, but it forces consumers to enter the health insurance market against their will. Click here to read more about the individual mandate.
Jennifer Stefano State Director Americans for Prosperity - Pennsylvania
Outside Independence Hall when the Constitutional Convention of 1787 ended, Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, "A republic, if you can keep it."
SAM ROHRER
For U.S. Senate
TOWN HALL Meeting
Come hear a TRUE, PROVEN Conservative
who's Moral Compass is fixed on TRUTH
Hear Sam's criteria for voting on all bills
Hear his support for State's Rights, 2nd amendment rights,
And his message to take our country back !!!
Wednesday February 29th 7 - 9 P.M.
Moose Lodge 127 E. State St. Doylestown 18901
Contact Tom Conley at 215-262-6003 or e-mail at conleymth@aol.com for more information
Hosted by Philadelphia Tea Party Patriots of Lower Bucks
(Home 215.547.6136; Cell 267.278.0827 or 267.278.1656)
Sam Rohrer
Town Hall
March 16th 7 to 8:30 PM
Trevose United Methodist Church
4937 Church Ave & Brownsville Road
Trevose, Pennsylvania 19053
Sam is the only life-long Constitutional Republican with a consistent voting history in this race who can win. Two of the current candidates were Democrats until recently. That's not good enough.
He is a proud Reagan conservative. Sam served for 18 years in the PA House, and he has never made an unconstitutional vote. He was never afraid to stand up to leadership in Harrisburg, and that won't change when he goes to Washington.
Become educated so you can make the right decision at the polls on Primary Day, April 24th.
Limited Parking at the Church; parking on side streets. Light Refreshments will be served in the Fellowship Hall at 8:30. All are welcome!!
Sometimes when you stand up to the establishment,
it doesn't always go well.
Bunker Hill - A rabble of patriots up against the most powerful force on the planet. Yea, they lost, but they let the British know that they were a force to be reckoned with.
But that does not mean it is not worth the fight.
There are two ways of interpreting the decision by the Republican State Committee to endorse candidates on Saturday, January 28 at their winter meeting:
The State committee is completely out of touch with the Republican base and especially the grassroots activists (Tea Party) that we should have no respect for them at all.
The fact that there was even a discussion about the appropriateness of endorsing candidates for the primary and that the vote was 200 in favor and 142 against is a sign that the grassroots are beginning the process of changing the political process in Pennsylvania.
We are inclined to believe the second interpretation. As much as we would have liked to have had the PA GOP agree to not endorse and the fact that there was an effort to prevent grassroots leaders from even being in the PA GOP meeting.
There were a dozen or so stories in local media about the controversy over the endorsement process. Here are links to just a few:
There were many grassroots groups that protested the matter (A letter that was given to the Chairman of the PA GOP from these groups is available here). There was also a press conference and a demonstration at the winter meeting.
Does anyone remember anything like this when Pat Toomey ran against Arlen Specter?
We are making a difference. But in order to make a real difference, we need people to get involved in their local committees. To get on the ballot requires 10 signatures from your precinct. We can help with that process. What we need are principled people who are willing to work not only from the outside, but also from the inside where these decisions are made.
Local committee seats are filled during the primary every two years.
State committee seats are filled every four years.
Become a local committee person now ow sign up to work to get a candidate elected now.
We can build a base and run candidates in 2014 for State committee.
This is a long process. We need not only principled individuals, but those with the perseverance to hold on for the long haul.
Here is how Jaime Faucette from Citizens for Constitutional Government put it to a committee person who was thinking of resigning over the issue:
We are not defeated. This was not the war. This was only one battle. And we will persevere to fight another day, and another, and another, committee seat by committee seat, State Committee seat by State Committee seat, in each of our boroughs, townships, and counties, whittling away little by little at this mammoth power structure until in time it crumbles - IF we don't quit now.
The atmosphere is changing. YOU ARE CHANGING IT. But more change is needed.
Here is the way another tea party activist put it:
The people of the movement need to be reminded of what they worked so hard for and this is the time to stand up and "fight the system".This fight is a good thing. It demonstrates true debate and resolution (like how the framers fought over the writing of the constitution) when was the last time we saw Democrats fight over what was best for the people?
There are glimmers of hope. There is a cut in the fabric of "politics as usual".
It will take time to pull back the veil. Grab a knife and grab hold.
WE (that includes YOU) can do this.
Here is the beginning of the letter from the conservative grassroots leaders presented to Chairman Gleason:
Rob Gleason
Chairman, Republican Party of Pennsylvania
112 State Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
Friday, January 27, 2012
Chairman Gleason,
As grassroots conservative leaders, we are all united in our desire to defeat President Obama and Senator Casey. We were excited by the resounding Republican victories in 2010 and 2011 and the conservative message these candidates espoused.
We are concerned that the Republican State Committee is seeking to make an endorsement in the hotly contested U.S. Senate primary. We believe this would be a mistake as there are many strong candidates in this race.
If you are willing to stand on a street corner with a sign or go to a Townhall meeting and tell politicians how you feel, then you should consider running for your local Republican Committee NOW
The Kitchen Table Patriots is looking to help the Montgomery & Bucks County Republican Committee fill some vacant local committee seats.
These seats will be filled in the spring primary. If you are at all interested in running for any of these offices or campaigning for those that do, please reply to this email or email us directly at TheKitchenTablePatriots@GMail.comand we will work with you to understand the office and get campaign support. The committee positions are the root of the party, and who better to help out with this than the grassroots!
You can also call Anastasia Przbylski (per-BILL-ski) at (215) 534-1851 to get involved.
The Kitchen Table Patriots co-chairs and two other KTP members are running for Delegates to the Republican National Convention
Anastasia Przybylski
Ana Puig
Jack Merritt
Dan McCabe
Anastasia Przbylski, Ana Puig, Jack Merritt and Dan McCabe will be campaigning county wide. Please send them an email if you would like to help in their effort:
Here is the most up-to-date and complete schedule we have for the 2011 / 2012 Republican Primary debates. These debates are between all the Republican candidates. For the schedule of debates between the Republican nominee and President Barack Obama, see the 2012 Presidential Debate schedule page. Upcoming debates are listed at the top.
Upcoming Debates:
February 22, 2012
8pm ET on CNN (Originally Dec 1, then Nov 30) Location: Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, Arizona Sponsor: CNN and the Republican Party of Arizona Participants: TBD
March 1, 2012
8pm ET on CNN Location: Georgia Sponsor: CNN and the Georgia Republican Party Participants: TBD
March 5, 2012
Air time TBD on NBC (Cancelled) Location: Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA Sponsor: Reagan Library, NBC News and Politico Participants: TBD
March 19, 2012
Air time TBD on PBS Location: Portland, OR Sponsor: Oregon Public Broadcasting, NPR, PBS, and The Washington Times Participants: TBD
Weekly News From Philadelphia ZOA
Shabbat Shalom!
Philadelphia ZOA Quarterly Meeting
Wednesday, Feb. 29, 7:30 p.m., at Temple Beth Hillel/Beth El, 1001 Remington Rd., Wynnewood.
Our guest speaker will be State Representative Curt Schroder, who recently returned from a trip to Israel along with other lawmakers from the commonwealth on a trip sponsored and organized by the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition. Schroder, a Republican, represents the 155th District, in Chester County. He is serving his ninth term.
The meeting is free and open to the public. Please
Thomas Jefferson: "Whensoever the general government assumes undelegated powers....a nullification of the act is the rightful remedy."
But what IS nullification? How does it happen and work? Since September 2010, the Tenth Amendment Center has been hosting a national tour to educate and activate people on this topic. People are learning the constitutional basis, when it's been used in history, and how it is happening around the country and how YOU can stop DC right in your own state.
Thursday 3-4pm "America's Black Shield" - Ted Hayes and Terrance Lang
The Case Against Obamacare: Health Care Policy Series for the 112th Congress
A Health Care Policy Series for the 112th Congress
Building on decades of Heritage research, The Case Against Obamacare: A Health Care Policy Series for the 112th Congress examines 15 key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Each report:
Cites specific sections of the 2,700-page health care law
Provides detailed analysis of specific Obamacare provisions
Identifies key principles for a better way to reform health care
The unmistakable conclusion of this series is that Obamacare must be fully repealed. Congress cannot build sound market-based health care reform on the flawed foundation of this health care law. Until it can be repealed, Congress must employ its full powers authorized by the Constitution to:
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 2012 Presidential Voter Guide
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
FRC Action: 801 G Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001 P: 202/393-2100 or 877/372-2808
"My state Rep. Warren Kampf responded to my question about where the Voter ID bill stands in Harrisburg. His response appears at end of this emaiI. It seems clear that unless we apply pressure to the state senate government committee,this bill will go nowhere. My questions for them are: Where do you stand on the bill? What are you doing to move it out of committee? If you oppose it, tell me why. Who on the committee is against it, and why?
Louis: Thank you for the email regarding Voter ID (House Bill 934). The House passed Voted ID on June 23rd. I voted for this bill if you will remember. It is now the responsibility of the Senate to take action to continue to move HB 934 forward. I would advise you to contact the Senators who comprise the Senate State Government Committee, those in Senate leadership positions and your local Senator to let them know of your desire to move this forward. Also you may ask for an accounting of why this has been held up and not considered. Please let me know if I can help with other state-related matters. Warren Representative Warren Kampf PA House of Representatives 157th Legislative District Phone: 717-260-6166 E-Mail: wkampf@pahousegop.com
You know, comrades," says Stalin, "that I think in regard to this: I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is extraordinarily important is this - who will count the votes, and how. (Boris Bazhanov's Memoirs of Stalin's Former Secretary,1992, only available in Russian. Russia's Vladimir Putin is accused of voter fraud and failure to solve problems with health care availability, immigration control, and unsustainable pensions. Sound familiar? Absolutely. Will he lie? Absolutely. But unlike Obama's ACORN, he will probably admit it.
Background
There are several lines of independent evidence for cheating in the 2012 election:
a) 12/30/11, Voter ID: PA House Bill 934
Eric Holder has ordered his staff not to meddle with cases of voter fraud that involve minorities (J. Christian Adams has written widely about such cases), Salina Zito (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) predicted that PA in November '12 will go according to the Philadelphia suburbs, ACORN has both a record for voter scams and operates new sites in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, our State Attorney General is stepping aside, and there is little public information about Mayor Nutter's views on this matter. Meanwhile, there is an early February deadline from our Governor as Republicans in the PA legislature attempt to define a list of acceptable IDs and Democrats cry that minorities and old people can't handle this demand. I smell more fraud from a bunch- ACORN - already known nationally for fraud and Corbett's February deadline invites some deliberate lapse by the D's...And intrusion by Eric Holder would stall our ID program until after ACORN has done their job for BO ...
b) Jeffrey Kuhner, Washington Times: BO & Voter ID
"...South Carolina's legislation provides for free ID cards to be given to anyone who needs it. Not one person - white, black or brown - is discriminated against or discouraged from casting a vote at the ballot box. Moreover, the Supreme Court already has ruled on the issue - upholding state voter ID laws. In the 2008 Crawford v. Marion County Election Board decision, the high court held that an Indiana law mandating photo identification at the voting booth was indeed constitutional. If it is good enough for the Supreme Court and the overwhelming majority of the states, then it should be for Mr. Holder as well. "It isn't. And the reason is simple: The administration is trying to whip up minority frenzy, propagating the myth of widespread ballot suppression..."
c) Daryl Metcalf, Morning Call: Electoral Integrity (June 18, 2011)
Metcalf is a Republican from Butler County (north of Pittsburgh) "Pennsylvania has a long and ongoing history of documented voter fraud - pre-dating even the frequently forged signature of Mickey Mouse to at least the election of 1918. "Of course, no statewide analysis of voter fraud would be complete without briefly documenting the deeply rooted influence of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
d) Christopher Freind, PA Water Cooler: No ID, No Vote,... Comprende? (June 21, 2011)
"I am not wealthy, but have recently acquired twenty two domiciles throughout Philadelphia. My real estate prowess has afforded me a unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our citizens. "I can vote twenty-two times. "You see, I have staked out prime locations, from a cardboard box under the Walt Whitman Bridge to a culvert on Cobbs Creek Parkway to a burnt out shell at 7th and Diamond. Yes, technically, habitating at these locations makes me 'homeless,' but I much prefer the term 'voter-enfranchised.' When you have such a love of democracy, how can anyone have a problem with people who want to vote multiple times, especially the homeless? (Although, in fairness, dead people should only be able to vote once). http://pawatercooler.com/v3/?tag=philadelphia-voter-fraud
e) 11/7/2011, PA ACORN Lives
"Pennsylvania. ACORN PA has become Pennsylvania Communities Organizing for Change (PCOC) and Pennsylvania Neighborhoods for Social Justice (PNSJ).Both were incorporated on January 8, 2010. On July 26, 2010, PCOC filed for another name - Action United - and the organizations now operate under this name. Current board members and staff of these organizations with former ACORN affiliations include: * Lucille Prater Holliday, chair (ACORN member and Democratic state house candidate) * Pat Worrell, co-chair (Chester County, PA ACORN chairman) * Rosa Chacon, secretary/treasurer (ACORN leader in Harrisburg, PA, profiled in ACORN's 2005 annual report) * Fabrico Rodriguez, board member (executive director of Philadelphia Jobs with Justice) * Craig Robbins, executive director (ACORN regional director in Philadelphia, PA) * Maryellen Deckard, southwest regional director (head organizer for ACORN PA) * Jennifer England, communications director (Pittsburg ACORN spokesperson) Action United is located at 846 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130 and 5907 Penn Avenue, Pittsburg(h), PA 15206. The Action United website is www.actionunited.org. http://www.judicialwatch.org/files/documents/2011/acornspecialreport08222011.pdf
There is even a Secretary of State project in which leftist groups attempt to bias state elections so that "liberal" Secretaries of State are elected. http://truethevote.org/news/does-your-vote-really-count; http://truethevote.org/news/what-is-the-secretary-of-state-project. There must be some benefit to Republicans if they ignore voter fraud. For example, my acquaintance publishes lists of Republicans who take contributions from unions and refusing to vote against union interests. And conservative Lowman Henry has spoken about the legislative impasse, particularly in the State Senate, produced by about twenty-five who get their money from organized labor. Thus, Nicole Marrone's conclusion is still valid as is Christopher Freind's: "The city of Philadelphia is known for many things: The Liberty Bell, cheesesteaks, water ice, and Santa Claus-booing Eagles fans. But if research that I conducted in 2006 is still accurate today, Philadelphia should also be known for all-inclusive voting - that is, voting regardless of whether one has a pulse or is otherwise eligible to cast a vote..." http://pjmedia.com/blog/small-sample-of-philly-voter-rolls-reveals-hundreds-of-ineligible-names-pjm-exclusive/ There is a bright light on our horizon even though Salena Zito asserted that Pennsylvania electoral votes will depend on turn out in the Philadelphia suburbs:
"Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter didn't mince words after four kids were shot and three killed in Philadelphia Tuesday night. "The first way to stop this kind of stuff is for young people to be home when they're supposed to be home, and for adults not to act like idiots and assholes out in the streets of our city shooting at kids in a car," Nutter told FOX 29... A spokesperson for the mayor told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Nutter stood by his statement. "He said what he said. He was clear about it, and he meant it. He said what everybody else was thinking," said spokesman Mark McDonald..." http://dailycaller.com/2012/01/12/philly-mayor-dont-act-like-idiots-and-assholes/
What are Mayor Mike's reactions to fraud? Does he value "value" above "deals"? Meanwhile, many Pennsylvanians look to Harrisburg to pass a "Voter ID" law that requires each of us to carry a card with our photo and address on it. Our Governor also says that he needs the law in place by the first week of February if it is to be used this coming November. On the other hand, I recall my son's friends in college fattening their wallets by selling bogus photo ID to students who wanted to buy liquor. I'm sure ACORN knows how to do such things. The ID cards will make cheating a bit more difficult and more expensive for organizers and possibly, but not necessarily, less frequent. And the rest of us will pay the bills for cheaters...
Copyright (C) 2009 Dead Cats & Clippings All rights reserved.
Dear By revealing the Nazi and Marxist origins of groups such as the Muslim Students Association and Students for Justice in Palestine and the connections between these organizations and terrorist activities around the globe, Muslim Hate Groups on Campus sheds light on the dark undercurrent of anti-Semitism which flows unobstructed through our most prestigious institutions of higher education.
I wanted to update you on the exchange situation. First, unfortunately we are getting started late in the game. Having spoken with 4 different legislators (Rep Saylor, Boyd, Bear, and Sen Waugh), I believe the general sense on their part is that they want to be prepared to set up an exchange if SCOTUS doesn't declare ObamaCare unconstitutional.
Their reasoning for supporting the exchange is that PA will have more control if PA sets up the exchange rather than the feds. We have been arguing that in fact: the exchange structure and operation is dictated by the feds, through law and regulation, regardless if the state sets it up or not; that whatever little "control" a PA would have does not mitigate any of the true horrors of the law; establishing the exchange legitimizes PPACA and undercut PA's federal lawsuit against PPACA, creates more PA expense and government, scedes state sovereignty, misses an opportunity to block the law and to have standing for further legal action. (please see attached documents if you want more explanation).
We have more legislator visits planned, but it is clear to me that none of the legislators thus far will take on this fight. We must generate the grass roots response to move them to do so. It is disgusting that our Republican Governor and legislature can't pass meaningful right to work legislation, LCB reform, PA TPK Commission reform, school reform, etc but unless we respond in a big way, will make PA government bigger, make PA government poorer, harm PA citizen liberty and health by implementing an exchange.
I have contacted Campaign for Liberty to see if they are interested in coordinating efforts to stop the exchange. I will also contact the PA Manufacturer's Association and the Chamber of Commerce, both of whom support repeal of PPACA, also for potential coordination of activities.
We are working on an on-line petition rejecting PPACA and the exchanges for PA physicians to sign and ultimately deliver by several physicians to Harrisburg.
On Wednesday, I participated in a debate put on by the Lehigh Valley Coalition for Health Care Reform (Donna Rovito). Leo Knepper and I presented the anti-exchange positition while a rep from the PA Dept of Insurance and Dr Schmeltz of the PA Medical Society presented the for pro position. For what it is worth, I believe we had the more compelling argument.
I welcome any thought you all have.
This exchange is going to happen unless we act together in a big way.
At 1pm, our PA Legislators are voting to amend the prevailing wage laws that have long favored unions and hurt working families and small businesses!
Could you please email your legislator right now and ask him or her to vote YES on two prevailing wage reform bills: H.B. 1329 ("Threshold") and H.B. 1685 ("Jobs Classification")?
Our politicians must not only hear from the unions...they must hear from YOU and I...the people who bear the burden of paying for these bills!
Here's a quick overview of the bills:
The "Jobs Classification Bill" will require Pennsylvania to define job classifications on public works projects. The lack of definitions has been used by some unions to attack and file frivolous grievances against small business owners, costing Pennsylvania jobs and tax dollars.
The "threshold bill" will end the artificially low estimated cost of total project from $25,000 to conform to the Consumer Price Index of the previous calendar year. The current amount was based on the 1963 Consumer Price Index and allowed prevailing wage to kick in at too low a threshold making it a costly endeavor for school districts and municipalities to fund minor projects.
Will youplease ask your legislator to vote "YES" to H.B. 1329 ("Threshold") and H.B. 1685 ("Jobs Classification")? Don't miss this chance to score a win for the taxpayers and small businesses of Pennsylvania!
Thank you for all your hard work!
In Liberty and Solidarity,
Jennifer Stefano
PS - These two bills are going on our legislative scorecard and every Representative will be graded on their vote.
Petition Signature Roundup
Written by Keegan Gibson, Managing Editor
Harrisburg - Candidates and campaign operatives crowded the Pa. State Department's temporary office space to deliver stacks upon stacks of nomination petitions Tuesday.
Petitions were due by 5pm for President, U.S. Senate, U.S. Congress, Attorney General, Auditor General, Treasurer, and presidential delegates. Due to the chaos with legislative redistricting, State Senate and State House petitions are due at 5pm on Thursday.
President Barack Obama's campaign came in first with around 48,000 signatures.
All four Republican presidential candidates - Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum - made the ballot.
Senator Bob Casey scored around 19,000.
Sam Rohrer's vaunted grassroots network kicked into gear and delivered around 13,000 signatures for U.S. Senate.
DETAILS: Glenn to kick off "We are all Catholics now" movement
For the past few weeks Glenn has been focused on raising awareness on the persecution of Catholics being carried out by the Obama administration. According to the new healthcare laws that were a cornerstone of the Obama administration, employers affiliated with the Catholic Church will have to include free birth control in their health insurance plans, a mandate that runs contrary to both Catholic doctrine as well as religious freedoms granted by the Constitution. Today he is going a step beyond raising awareness by providing action steps for what you can do.
On radio, Glenn kicked "We are all Catholics now" movement focused on organizing people to contact their Senators and ask them to vote for a Conscience Protection measure is planned to appear as an amendment to the Highway Transportation bill. The amendment is being offered by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO).
While it's unknown exactly when the vote will occur, the plan is for it to happen this week.
So what can you do? Organize and follow the instructions below:
Call the Capitol and speak with your Senator. The numbers are: 202.224.3121; 202.225.3121; the toll free numbers for the Capitol Switchboard include: 1-866-220-0044 1-877-851-6437, 1-800-833-6354, 1-888-355-3588, 1-866-808-0065, 1-877-762-8762, 1-800-862-5530.
Call the switchboard, ask to be connected to a Senator from your specific state (it will take two calls, one for each Senator).
Whoever answers:
1. Tell them that you want to tell the Senator to vote for the Blunt conscience protection amendment. 2. Ask them if they know how the Senator will vote on that amendment 3. Tell them you want to be contacted back about how he voted (be sure to ask for accountability - they hate it, but it makes them call you back). 4. When you call, be sure to tell them "We are all Catholics now". This key phrase will let them know you are part of a larger, organized movement working in support of religious freedom.
The President's wants to end the Federal Flight Deck Officer Program (FFDO), also known as the armed pilots program. If Congress were to follow President Obama's recommendation contained in his $3.8 trillion FY2013 budget proposal, they would be making a huge mistake. This anti-terrorism program has been a success and a cost effective means to protect the cockpits of commercial aviation from 9-11 style terrorism.
The President's budget lists the FFDO program as one of the few "cuts" to federal spending. They have reduced the program from the $25 million they received this year to $12 million for FY2013. This massive cut to the program would destroy it. Consider this evidence that the Obama Administration would be more happy to rely on intrusive screening procedures being applied to toddlers, the elderly, and Senators, rather than pilots with guns to provide a last line of defense to aviation terrorism.
The Ninth Circuit's 2-1 decision last week in Perry v. Brown upheld the decision of Judge Vaughan Walker holding that the people of the State of California violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment by passing - in a statewide referendum in 2008 - Proposition 8. Prop 8 amended the California Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman, restoring the rule previously set forth in California statutory law until overturned by the California Supreme Court earlier in 2008. Prop 8 garnered over 7 million votes, two million more than John McCain in liberal California - it was the supported by 52.3% of the same electorate that broke 61-37 for Barack Obama, including 58% of black voters and 59% of Latino voters.
Despite some game efforts to meddle with the burden of proof based on the sequence of events, the core of the decision - written by veteran arch-liberal Judge Stephen Reinhardt - was the same as that of the district court: the assertion that there is no possible rational basis for distinguishing between traditional, opposite-sex marriage and same-sex marriage. More specifically, in the California context, the court found that the federal constitution gives federal judges the right to dictate the language itself, holding that California's voters were not even permitted to reserve the term marriage to opposite-sex marriage while providing effectively all the practical state-law benefits of marriage to same-sex couples through "domestic partnership."
Our voices are finally being heard - sort of. When we started voicing opposition to the highway bill there were few conservatives speaking out against it, and even fewer members of the House who were willing to oppose it. Now, there is so much opposition to the bill that John Boehner was forced to delay the vote on the highway bill, which was previously scheduled for today.
If the House highway bill is an excrement sandwich, the Senate version is...well, it's a lot worse. The one saving grace of the bill was that it supposedly did not contain any earmarks. Well, indeed there is one earmark in the bill, and it's directed to Nevada. The earmark is ensconced in the bill very cleverly.
"Social justice" is an entirely arbitrary concept that could only exist in the warped brains of bien-pensant compulsive meddlers. The correct response is "Whose social justice?" An NAACP activist's definition of "social justice" might well differ from that of a KKK member; an eco-campaigner's view of "social justice" will surely be different from that of someone from the Competitive Enterprise Institute. It is entirely typical of the sublime arrogance and blinkered bigotry of liberals that they imagine the irversion of "social justice" is the correct one. This, in itself, is more than reason enough to show why liberals should never be allowed anywhere near state office.
Next time a liberal talks about "social justice," tell him you'll take your "justice" straight up, without any prefixes, as established in a rule of law based on Christian principles in a democratic state, and see how he gets out of that.
The U.S. Constitution
A Reader
Featuring 113 primary source documents, The U.S. Constitution: A Reader was developed for teaching the core course on the U.S. Constitution at Hillsdale College.
Divided into eleven sections with introductions by members of Hillsdale's Politics Department faculty, readings cover the principles of the American founding, the framing and structure of the Constitution, the secession crisis and the Civil War, the Progressive rejection of the Constitution, and the building of the administrative state based on Progressive principles.
Hillsdale College is a private, coeducational, residential, liberal arts college with approximately 1,400 students. Founded in 1844, the College remains, in the words of its Articles of Association, "grateful to God for the inestimable blessings resulting from the presence of civil and religious liberty and intelligent piety" in our nation, and dedicated to "the diffusion of sound learning" that is "essential to the perpetuity of these blessings."
Hillsdale College is distinguished by its rigorous core curriculum, by its principled rejection of federal and state taxpayer funding, and by the pledge of its Board of Trustees to resists any attempts by the government to regulate its internal affairs.
Hillsdale College promotes the principles of liberty nationwide through its national speech digest, Imprimis, which has a monthly circulation of over 2 million, and through several outreach programs. In 2008, Hillsdale launched its Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship in Washington, D.C. The College will also launch the Hillsdale Graduate School of Statesmanship in fall 2012.
Dick Morris: Stephanopoulos 'paid Democratic hitman': ABC host has previously undisclosed connections to Obama.
Former Bill Clinton adviser Dick Morris on Monday accused ABC News commentator George Stephanopoulos of being a "paid Democratic hitman."
In a segment on Fox News's Hannity program, Morris further contended Stephanopoulos was "under orders" to question Mitt Romney about contraception during the Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire last month hosted by the ABC News personality.
Now Obama 'greening' Hamas? One hundred million dollars for 'environmentally, socially sustainable' Palestinian buildings.
Just one week after the Palestinian Authority entered into a unity government with Hamas, the U.S. announced the continuation of a $100 million, five year program to construct "environmentally and socially sustainable" buildings for the Palestinians.
The website for the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem posted the plans, which include a community center and school to be built to meet "stringent third-party-verified 'green' certification standards."
Already, the U.S. Agency for International Development, which is funding the projects, constructed the Safeer Center, a West Bank child care program, one of the first of the U.S.-funded Palestinian "green" buildings to open.
AUDIO: Shmuley Boteach on his Congressional bid: more >>
AUDIO: Parents of SEAL Operations Officer killed in Afghan chopper crash speak out:<brmore >>
AUDIO: Inhofe:Obama 'disarming' America,using economy for 'social engineering':more >>
Is Obama Mongering War Against Israel?
The Obama Administration's Anti-Israel Tenor Forces Iran And Israel Toward War By Ben Shapiro Breitbart/BigPeace.com
President Obama has made clear over and over again that he does not want Israel to strike Iran, no matter what the circumstances. Last week, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta leaked to the Washington Post that "there is a strong likelihood that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June -- before Iran enters what Israel described as a 'zone of immunity' to commence building a nuclear bomb." Now, the only reason to leak that information is to stop the attack. And that's been the Obama Administration pattern, as I wrote over at David Horowitz's FrontPageMag.com. In June 2010, the Administration leaked a secret deal between the Saudis and the Israelis that would have given Israel access to Saudi airspace for the strike. This is the pattern.
Did Romney Force Catholic Hospitals To Provide Plan B? LifeSiteNews.com
As politicians in both political parties debate Mitt Romney's role in implementing a 2005 statute requiring Catholic hospitals in Massachusetts to dispense Plan B -- an "emergency contraceptive" that studies and the pill's manufacturer have suggested can cause early abortions -- a leader in the state's pro-life movement puts the blame squarely on the former governor.
Virginia School District Considers A Ban On Cross-Dressing CNSNews.com
A Virginia school district is considering banning cross-dressing by students, out of what one board member called concerns for the safety of "several" male students who wear dresses and wigs to school, Fox News reported. If enacted, the ban would cover 19 Suffolk County public schools.
Canada In Obama's Sights For One-World Expansionist Socialist Dictatorship
Obama Includes Canada In His 'King of World' Territory By Judi McLeod CanadaFreePress.com
Canadians, watching the Fundamental Transformation of the United States of America, from the safety of over-the-border observation, consider themselves too distant from the expanding Marxist policies of the President Barack Obama regime. Read the Full Story
The Obama administration says borders are secure, yet illegals from Venezuela, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Libya, Somalia, al-Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah enter and disappear into America. Feel safe?
The liberal deconstruction of Zionism begins with the Jews as the victims and ends with the Jews as oppressors. To understand their mindset it is enough to see a protest banner of the Star of David transformed into a Swastika paralleling the journey from concentration camp victim to concentration camp guard.
There is a certain amount of historical revisionism in play here, and not just the obvious kind. The left had been calling Zionists, Fascists and later Nazis, before there was a modern State of Israel and before the left was hard at work pretending that it cared about Muslim militias and clans who would later be rebranded as the Palestinian people. A meaningless name up there with the South American people.
The reason why the left damned the Zionists as fascists had nothing to do with oppression and everything to do with the left's rejection of a unique national identity for the Jewish people. Even the left leaning Zionist movements still linked nationalism and ethnic identity in a way that the left found reactionary, at least as applied to the Jews. Had there been no Arabs in Israel, the left would still have denounced Zionism for daring to assert a national right for the Jewish people.
Peter Beinart's splashy new book, The Crisis of Zionism, follows this same tired old path, attacking Jews for acting like concentration camp victims when they really ought to own up to being concentration camp guards. Beinart and his defenders pretend that they are cutting edge provocateurs, when they are really advancing tiresome arguments that depend entirely on the postmodern left's construct of victims and oppressors.
If the world could indeed be divided into the oppressors and oppressed, a tidy line in which countries can be assigned to one category or another based on their GDP and firepower, then the worldview of the left might make sense. But oppressor is not the opposite of oppressed and power is not the opposite of weakness. And even if they were, power relationships are not so simplistic that they can reduced to an on and off switch.
In the leftsphere, the powerful have to contemplate the ethical uses of power and the powerless have to uplift themselves through resistance to the status quo. According to Beinart, Israel having become powerful can no longer act as if its concern should be the safety of its people, but must now focus on resolving the plight of the Muslim armed militias and their fictitious claims to nationhood, which they have not been able to resolve despite billions in aid and control of their own towns and cities.
By John Perazzo A recently formed activist organization, aligned with hardcore socialists, calls the U.S. "the world's greatest terrorist." Read more »
Bang for your buck: that's what the Freedom Center provides. Ammunition for the culture war against the Left: that's what your contribution buys. So please act now and help us in the fight we are waging on many fronts for America's future. America is under assault from within and without. There is no time to lose.
I am Roger Howard and I am running for State Senate because Harrisburg has lost the respect of the People. Under Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, our Senate is keeping Pennsylvania from taking on much needed legislation to restore fiscal sanity to the Commonwealth. The leadership is beholden to unions and special interests, as indicated by their most generous campaign contributors. We have been promised reforms but they have continued to conduct business as usual, which is no business at all.
I am a citizen candidate. I am not a professional politician and I am willing to take on the entrenched Republican leadership. For too long, they have promised key reforms like making PA a right to work state, pension reform, ending the prevailing wage, and giving the children of working families a way to escape failing schools. All of these reforms would rescue Pennsylvania from being one of the last in the nation for job growth and business development.
I believe in voluntary unions and know that they were an important part of the successful industrialization and growth of America. I agree with Samuel Gompers, founder of the American Federation of Labor, that "no lasting gain has ever come from compulsion." I also know that compulsory unions lead to the economic devastation we see in Detroit and Michigan.
I, like so many others, am tired of being told one thing in an election and then enduring a 'bait and switch' when it comes time to effectively govern. Should I win this fight, I will not take advantage of the citizens hard earned dollars and will refuse the State pension. To that end, I have signed a pledge with the Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania.
This is truly a David and Goliath battle. I and my team are dedicated and passionate not only for ourselves but for our children and the future of this great Commonwealth. We are working to restore the respect of the People for the Republican Party, the State Senate, and our government in Harrisburg.
My opponent has millions from his special interest supporters. Your donation will meet the critical campaign needs to make this race competitive. A donation of any size will help me stand up and give voice to the virtuous and moral people of the 9th District and of the Commonwealth in the halls of Harrisburg.
On February 7th, Coach is Right posted a story reporting John Boehner was involved in an under-the-table negotiation with Attorney General Eric Holder to arrange a "mutually acceptable conclusion" to the Congressional investigation of Operation Fast and Furious. (1)
Originally broken by Mike Vanderboegh on his Sipsey Street Irregulars website, it was reported that the Department of Justice would provide Boehner and Republicans the heads of DOJ higher-ups Lanny Breuer and Jason Weinstein along with assorted minor players and in return, the GOP would drop House and Senate committee investigations, giving Eric Holder and Barack Obama a pass on their involvement in the gunwalking scheme. (2)
Since this story first broke on February 3rd, dozens, perhaps hundreds of sites across the internet have picked up the articles originally published on Sipsey Street, Coach is Right and Western Journalism. CiR and WJ have been inundated with comments, many taking offense at the ... Continue Reading:We're watching you, Speaker Boehner and all of your friends too
In the 3rd century, Emperor Claudius II was faced with defending the Roman Empire from the invading Goths. He believed single men made better soldiers so he temporarily forbade marriage. He also forced the Senate to deify the former Emperor Gallienus, including him with the Roman gods to be worshipped. Legend has it that Valentine was a bishop in Italy who risked the Emperor's wrath by refusing to worship idols and for secretly marrying young couples. Saint Valentine was dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and have his head cut off, FEBRUARY 14, 269AD. While awaiting execution, it is said he prayed for the jailers' sick daughter, who miraculously recovered. He wrote her a note and signed it, "from your Valentine." In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius designated February 14th as "Saint Valentine's Day." The Greek name for Christ, Χριστός, begins with the letter ... Continue Reading:American Minute Feb. 14
It took five days for the news to finally get out because the leftist media didn't know how to spin it, but last Thursday gun control extremist Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer his wife and guests were robbed at machete point inside their own home.
The irony of this incident is that despite having some of the toughest and most draconian gun control laws in the Western Hemisphere since 2008 St. Kitts/Nevis has been on The State Department's travel advisory list warning Americans who must go there not to walk alone at night.
St. Kitts/Nevis a nation, whose gun control laws are the stuff of Justice Breyer's dreams come true, is a very dangerous place and its crime statistics prove its gun control laws are a crashing failure. Since 1997 when the island nation adopted the Organization of American States blatant attack on the rights of self-defense with its Inter-American ... Continue Reading:Justice Breyer had his nose rubbed in extreme gun control's failures: is machete control next?
Over a year ago, I first warned that the Obama administration adopted a policy of refusing to enforce federal laws which require states to purge dead and ineligible voters from the rolls. I discuss at length the details of this policy as revealed to me when I worked at the Justice Department in my book Injustice. Today we learn that American voter rolls are infested with millions of dead and ineligible voters heading into the presidential election.
Eric Holder and his Leftist political appointees at the Justice Department have gotten exactly what they wanted.
The Pew Center on the States estimates nearly 2,000,000 dead voters are on the rolls, and 2,800,000 people are registered in more than one state. This is precisely the mess that the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) was designed to prevent.
Last Thursday, Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, announced that it is teaming up with me and True the Vote for an election integrity project to get the voter rolls cleaned up before November. We will do what Eric Holder and Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez refuse to do.
The Justice Department refuses to enforce Section 8 of the NVRA because, as political appointee Julie Fernandes revealed in a Voting Section meeting in 2009 that I attended, removing dead people from the rolls "doesn't increase turnout. It stops people from voting." Seriously.
"We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt." --Thomas Jefferson
Editorial Exegesis
"How credible is President Obama on taxes and spending? ... [O]bama's smug White House chief of staff, Jack Lew ... went on two different Sunday news shows to talk up the president's new budget. Twice he claimed Senate Democrats haven't passed a budget in more than 1,000 days because 'you can't pass a budget in the Senate of the United States without 60 votes and you can't get 60 votes without bipartisan support....' In fact, Senate rules only require a simple majority of 51 votes to approve a budget. But wait, there's more to the Obama record of double-talk and misrepresentation about federal taxes and spending. Take his claim that his budget cuts the deficit by $4 trillion over 10 years. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is that most of Obama's deficit 'savings' come either from spending cuts already enshrined in law or money that was never requested for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bottom line: Over the next decade, Obama's budget raises taxes by $1.9 trillion, raises spending $2.7 trillion, and increases the debt $3.6 trillion. ... Less than a month after Obama was sworn into office, he hosted a 'fiscal responsibility' summit at the White House where he pledged 'to cut the deficit we inherited in half by the end of my first term in office.' ... Obama's $757 billion economic stimulus program failed to get the economy growing again. His Obamacare is driving health care costs ever higher, even before it is fully implemented. And he just 'doubled down' on throwing more tax dollars at failed green energy efforts like the Solyndra bankruptcy. The result? Now Obama asks Americans to accept a $1.33 trillion deficit in 2012 and deficits every year for the next decade averaging $1.4 trillion. What this country needs is an honest leader who will tell the truth about our entitlement spending crisis and identify real reforms." --The Washington Examiner
"Legend has it that prior to embarking on his mission to conquer the known world, Alexander the Great, who had not yet established his greatness, visited the oracle at Delphi seeking a good omen. ... When he finally found her, he forced her to accompany him to the temple. Upon arriving at the temple, in his eagerness to receive the oracle, he was literally shoving her down the ramp toward the crypt when she turned abruptly toward him and exclaimed, 'Boy, there's no resisting you.' With that, Alexander took his hands off her, stepped back and said, with great satisfaction, 'That's the only oracle I wanted to hear.' This is precisely the attitude that possesses President Obama." --columnist David Limbaugh
"The federal debt has increased by $4.47 trillion since President Barack Obama released his first federal budget on Feb. 26, 2009. That budget was entitled, 'A New Era of Responsibility.' On Feb. 26, 2009, as Obama released his budget for fiscal 2010, the national debt stood at $10.88 trillion.... At the close of business on Feb. 9, 2012, the national debt stood at $15.36 trillion.... The $4.47-trillion increase in the debt since Obama released his first budget is more than the national debt increased from President George Washington through President George H. W. Bush." --columnist Terence Jeffrey
"Over the weekend it was revealed that MIT economist Jonathan Gruber, the chief architect of ObamaCare, backtracked on the analysis he performed two years ago. He told officials in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Colorado the price of insurance premiums will 'dramatically increase' under the reforms. ... How far we have come since that day in 2009 when the president also said that 'the Congressional Budget Office ... says that as a consequence of this act, the deficit is going to be over a trillion dollars lower over the course of the next two decades than it would be if this wasn't passed.' ... Yet it is quite understandable why so many progressives, whose ideology is based on the the triumph of hope over experience, cannot understand the growing unaffordability of the misnamed Affordable Care Act. Chances are, they never will." --columnist Arnold Ahlert
"The Obama administration's ham-fisted attempt to require that contraceptives and abortifacients be offered to employees of Catholic and other religious institutions is a serious threat to our civil liberties. ... This issue was always about more than contraceptives and who pays for them. It is about individual liberty and whether the government under 'Obamacare' has the constitutional right to dictate to private businesses and church-related entities when such orders violate conscience and religious beliefs. ... If the administration can get away with this, there will be no stopping it." --columnist Cal Thomas
"Obama did not make a mistake in this mandate. It's a deliberately calculated move on his part. The Democrats realize that abortion is no longer a winner for them. ... So what they're trying to do now is replace it with contraception. ... [I]t's no coincidence, that he came out with it after Minnesota and Colorado which [were] Santorum's victories. They want to create the impression that the Republicans will ban contraception, which is totally insane, but they're floating it out and they're bringing it out there." --columnist Dick Morris
Insight
"The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions." --American statesman Daniel Webster (1782-1852)
"Well, it's fine for candidates to run their campaigns on a high plane, but it would be like me wanting to conduct this column on a strictly grammatical basis. I would like to, but I just ain't equipped for it, and that's the way they are. With politicians as the tools, you just ain't equipped to conduct anything on a high plane." --American humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935)
The Demo-gogues
Twisted logic: "Right now, we're scheduled to spend more than $1 trillion more on what was intended to be a temporary tax cut for the wealthiest two percent of Americans. We've already spent about that much. Now we're expected to spend another $1 trillion." --Barack Obama, who thinks that letting people keep their own money is a form of government spending
We don't need no budget: "The budget does one thing and really only one thing: It sets the parameters of spending and discretionary caps. Other than that, the Appropriations Committee [is] not bound by the Budget Committee's priorities.The fact is, you don't need a budget. We can adopt appropriations bills." --House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
Blame Bush: "[I]f you look back at what their estimates were in terms of how many jobs had been lost, how bad the economy had contracted when I took office, everybody underestimated it. People thought that the economy contracted 3 percent -- it turns out it contracted close to 9 percent. ... So, the die had been cast but a lot of us didn't understand at that point how bad it was gonna get. That increases the deficit because less tax revenues come in and it means that more people are getting unemployment insurance, we're helping states more so they don't lay off teachers, etc. The key though is we're setting ourselves on a path where we can get our debt under control." --Barack Obama
Blame Congress: "We've used the Internet more effectively to create more transparency so people know where their tax dollars are going. If they need a government service they don't have to navigate through 50 websites, they can go to one website. So on those fronts we've done a lot -- we've made a lot of progress. Where I have not been able to succeed so far -- but I haven't given up -- is changing the tone in Congress." --Barack Obama
Stamping out religious liberty: "The vast majority of Catholic women are on birth control, support birth control and think it should be part of their health care plan. So, it just seems striking to me that someone would say this is a risky decision because it's the right thing to do and it's mainstream." --Rep. Michael Quigley (D-IL)
Hyperbole: "In 2012, I stand here in complete amazement that in a country known for its medical breakthroughs and advancements, Republicans would have us go back to the medical dark ages." --Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Dezinformatsia
Some question: "[I]n a sense you feel that some part of this Republican opposition to an additional stimulus is just cynical. They want the economy to stay weak in an election year." --CNN's Fareed Zakaria to billionaire leftist financier George Soros
Lost in translation: "If you listen carefully to Rick Santorum, he sounds more like [Soviet dictator Joseph] Stalin than Pope Innocent III." --MSNBC's Martin Bashir
Championing abortion: "The thinking inside the Beltway seems to be that religious voters will turn against Democrats unless the White House drops the basic idea that insurance should cover contraception. Time will tell on the political impact of this fight, but the relevant political context here is more than just a 2012 measure of Catholic bishops' influence on moral issues. It's also this year's mainstream Republican embrace of an antiabortion movement that no longer just marches on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade to criminalize abortion; it now marches on the anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut, holding signs that say 'The Pill Kills.'" --MSNBC's Rachel Maddow
Feminism challenged: "I very rarely take a political position because I work for ABC News. ... [T]here was a time when feminists made the woman who stayed home and had children feel inferior. I think we are finally changing so that we realize younger ones, you can make a choice." --Barbara Walters of "The View"
Newspulper Headlines:
Mrs. Biden Is 60. What's the Issue?: "Biden 'Determined' to Work Out Birth Control Issue" --Associated Press
Too Much Information: "Obama 'Firm' on Birth Control" --News & Observer (Raleigh, NC)
So Much for the War on Drugs: "President's Convoy Stoned on Campaign Trail" --Associated Press
Or Wherever -- Just Get Him Out of D.C.!: "53% Approve of Obama in Michigan" --RasmussenReports.com
The BIG Lie: "You can't pass a budget in the Senate of the United States without 60 votes and you can't get 60 votes without bipartisan support. So ... unless Republicans are willing to work with Democrats in the Senate, [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid is not going to be able to get a budget passed." --White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew
Shut up, he explained: "The American people should be pleased that we now have a recovery that's taking root. The job growth is across all the sectors of the economy -- it's not the result of people leaving the workforce, it's the result of private sector job creation. This is good." --Jack Lew
More redistribution: "[A]s we have the Buffett Rule and the individual tax reform, we need a global minimum tax so that people have the assurance that nobody is escaping doing their fair share as part of a race to the bottom or having our tax code actually subsidized and facilitate people moving their funds to tax havens." --White House economic adviser Gene Sperling
"The president's vision for fulfilling the moral obligation to tackle the debt is contained within the budget he presented [this week]. He certainly did not mean last summer that we should contract spending in a way that threw the very fragile recovery at that point into reverse and caused further job loss and inflicted further economic pain on the American people." --White House Press Secretary Jay Carney
Utilitarian argument: "Any morally acceptable pathway to prevent catastrophic global warming includes broad access to affordable birth control for the world's women. ... Researchers have found that empowering women to reduce unplanned pregnancies is one of the most cost-effective ways to combat greenhouse pollution.... The more world leaders focus on giving women and girls the tools of empowerment -- access to family planning, education, and the political and economic system -- the better future all of us will have." --ThinkProgress's Brad Johnson
Short Cuts
"The Obama administration will continue forcing Catholic institutions to provide contraceptive services which violate church doctrine. The next step? Requiring Kosher Meals on Wheels programs to deliver ham sandwiches." --NewsBusted's Jodi Miller
"It was a bad [week] for Newt Gingrich. In terms that Newt can understand, I think the voters told him they want to start seeing other candidates. ... Have you noticed [Mitt] Romney doesn't even blow dry his hair anymore? He dries naturally from Rick Santorum breathing down his neck." --comedian Jay Leno
"President Obama's former Chrysler was put up for auction on eBay Thursday by the Illinois woman who now owns the car. You can tell that the car once belonged to the president. It starts off fast and then it stalls and starts calling for rich people to help push it." --comedian Argus Hamilton
"I don't want a lot from politics. I just don't want people dumber than me telling me what to do. I guess that's asking a lot, actually." --humorist Frank J. Fleming
Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis! Nate Jackson for The Patriot Post Editorial Team
February 15, 2012
THE LUNCH POLICE INVADE NORTH CAROLINA A mom in North Carolina is furious after the lunch she packed for her 4-year-old daughter was declared "unhealthy" by a public school lunch inspector. You didn't know that we have government oversight of kids lunches? Wait until you read the story and find out what was in the lunch and what the child was given to eat instead HERE.
WAS STEPHANOPOULIS' QUESTION A HIT JOB? A GOP debate hosted by ABC News' George Stephanopoulis a few weeks back featured a curious question about states rights and contraception. At the time, it just seemed strange. Today, that question now appears to have an agenda attached to it. Was that it part of a planned Democratic-paid hit-job? Review the timeline and the details and make your own decision HERE.
In response to the Obama Administration's controversial healthcare mandate, and the subsequent infringement on conscience rights of certain religious groups, Glenn Beck announced a movement entitled "We Are All Catholics Now." Watch as Beck made the call to people of different faiths to stand up now and tell our elected officials that we demand the protection of religious liberty HERE.
GRAPHIC VIDEO FROM PLANNED PARENTHOOD IS "HOOKING KIDS ON SEX" The video attached to this story is not family friendly. In fact, Glenn Beck suggests that you do not watch this with your kids. There is even a story about a book that teaches 10-year-old kids how to put on a condom, and much worse. Watch the video from the American Life League and be prepared to be shocked HERE.
IS RICK SANTORUM TEA PARTY FRIENDLY? An Op-Ed from the Miami Herald compared Rick Santorum's record with the basic ideals of the Tea Party. The results of this study may not be helpful to the surging Santorum. See how the numbers add up HERE.
VIRAL VID - CROWS INVADE PA TOWN! The small town of California, Pennsylvania town is experiencing a wild invasion of crows. A massive flock of birds shows up at dusk and stays until dawn. The noise and mess from these birds has caused problems like those seen in Hitchcock's classic horror movie, "The Birds." Check out the madness HERE.
The violence in Syria rages on as the world tries to decide what to do. The Real News panel talked about the dangerous combination that could develop if Al Qaeda takes control inside Syria HERE.
Tonight on Real News from The Blaze: New polling suggests most Americans do not view China as an Ally. After this week's meeting between President Obama and China's new leader, will the administration? Don't miss Real News from The Blaze, tonight at 7pm ET on GBTV
AN ATHEIST FAMILY IS SUING TO HAVE 'UNDER GOD' REMOVED FROM THE PLEDGE A Massachusetts couple is anonymously suing their local school district claiming that the words "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance discriminate against their three children. Does this suit have a snowball's chance in hell? Find out HERE.
Obama Seeks More 'Rights' For Military Gays POTUS wants military gay couples to have the same military base benefits as normal married couples. By doing so, he violates the Defense of Marriage Act.
A national debate began after a school told a 4-year-old girl her homemade lunch wasn't suitable and forced her to buy a USDA-approved meal. Today, more details emerged on America Live from the North Carolina reporter who first broke the story.
Tweet On February 7th, Coach is Right posted a story reporting that House Speaker John Boehner was involved in an under-the-table negotiation with Attorney General Eric Holder to arrange a "mutually acceptable conclusion" to the Congressional investigation of Operation Fast... Continue to Post
Issa Takes Step Toward Holding Holder In Contempt Of Congress
Feb 15, 2012 01:06 pm
Tweet On Tuesday Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House committee on Oversight and Government Reform, took a major step toward holding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for his failure to provide subpoenaed documents and other information... Continue to Post
Tweet Reports are coming in that the voter rolls have been faked. We knew that the voter rolls were padded in places like Chicago, but now we're learning that the fraud is more widespread than we ever could have imagined.... Continue to Post
Tweet We just returned from the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC. Every year it showcases the latest ideas and initiatives of the conservative movement. This year a new effort caught my eye because it has the potential to... Continue to Post
Tweet A group dedicated to reducing government secrecy is giving its annual worst performance award to the Justice Department, the agency President Barack Obama ordered in 2009 to lead his drive to open more government records to the public. The... Continue to Post
Tweet With the conclusion of the 2012 Conservative Political Action Conference, there is little doubt that the enthusiasm (which was palpable throughout last year's conference) was clearly absent. Conservatives were disappointed with Governors Haley Barbour and Mitch Daniels' decision not... Continue to Post
Tweet U.S. Sens. Harry Reid and Dean Heller are shedding political donations amid reports that a Nevada developer and lobbyist is the target of a federal campaign finance investigation. Heller's communications director said Tuesday the Republican Nevada senator will donate to charity some $26,700 he received... Continue to Post
Tweet A federal judge says a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by a former aide to Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings should only continue against the Helsinki Commission that he chaired and released the congressman from personal liability in the case. Winsome... Continue to Post
Tweet You don't need to log on to President Barack Obama's Facebook page to find out who his friends are, and you don't need to read tea leaves, gaze into a crystal ball, or consult a psychic to learn where... Continue to Post
Presenting The TSA's New Scam: Fascist And Furious
Feb 15, 2012 12:15 pm
Tweet Seldom have so many bragged so much about so little. The TSA and its flaks in the corporate media are currently shilling for the agency's "Pre√ (yes, Jargon plumbs new depths here: that cuneiform translates as 'PreCheck') Program." The... Continue to Post
Democrats In Tough Races Turn Critical Of Obama's 2013 Budget
Feb 15, 2012 12:13 pm
Tweet Democrats as a whole have commended President Obama's budget proposal for 2013, but in a few telling instances, members of the president's party are seeking a bit of distance. Those Democrats tend to come from red states where the... Continue to Post
Tweet The EPA will overregulate hydraulic fracking - and destroy jobs and a reliable source of energy. The EPA wants three times as much money as it is spending in 2012 to "study" hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The 2012 budget is... Continue to Post
US "Very Closely" Watching Syrian Chemical Weapons
Feb 15, 2012 11:21 am
Tweet The U.S. and its allies are closely monitoring Syria's stockpiles of chemical arms and portable anti-aircraft missiles, a State Department official says, amid concerns that the country's unconventional weapons could fall into the hands of terrorist or militant groups... Continue to Post
COUNTDOWN TO VICTORY: 265 DAYS TO THE 2012 ELECTIONS
Government Gone Wild
If I told you that government food inspectors would soon be checking your child's lunchbox, you probably wouldn't believe me. I wouldn't believe me either! But that is exactly what happened at West Hoke Elementary School in Raeford, North Carolina, recently.
The child's mother sent her to school with a turkey and cheese sandwich, banana, potato chips, and apple juice. Sounds good, right? Evidently, it failed the mandatory lunch inspection because the lunch did not have a vegetable. The child was then given a school lunch of chicken nuggets, milk, a fruit and a vegetable. Guess what she ate? The chicken nuggets!
According to the Carolina Journal, the mother got a note from the school, "stating that students who did not bring a 'healthy lunch' would be offered the missing portions, which could result in a fee from the cafeteria." So not only are government bureaucrats searching through your child's lunchbox, they are going to fine you for it too!
The child's mother wrote a letter to her state representative, who said he was shocked to learn this was happening. He looked into the issue and "has since learned this is a nationwide practice based on federal guidelines."
The girl's grandmother, who often makes her granddaughter's lunches, asked rhetorically, "This isn't China, is it?" Not yet, but welcome to Obama's brave new world. If the government can force us to buy specific products, force religious institutions to violate their values and send lunchbox inspectors to sort through our kids' food, Chinese-style "commissars" are in our future.
What's Next?
In a column at CNSNews.com Terry Jeffrey examines Obama's "contraception compromise" and asks the logical question, "What's next?" Consider this excerpt:
"Obama's 'solution' escalates his attack on freedom: He is now ordering private companies (in this case insurers) to provide a product for free... If Obama had the constitutional authority to tell insurance companies they must provide contraceptives and abortifacients for free, he could also tell grocers they must provide meat and bread for free. He could tell doctors they must provide abortions for free..."
Abortion coverage nearly derailed ObamaCare in Congress. Yet less than two years after he signed it into law, Obama is already trying to force religious institutions to pay for abortion-inducing drugs or insurance companies to provide them "for free." If Obama gets a second term, is it really a "bridge too far" to think that the most pro-abortion president in our history could decide that "reproductive justice" and "preventive care" necessitate free abortions under ObamaCare?
Obama Budget Director Bungles ObamaCare
Jeffrey Zients, Obama's acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, was grilled today on Capitol Hill over a key aspect of ObamaCare. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) asked Zients if Obama's budget imposed new taxes on those making less than $200,000, and Zients dutifully said no. Rep. Garrett then sprung a trap.
He asked Zients what would happen to folks who refused to purchase health insurance under ObamaCare's individual mandate. Would they pay a fine or a tax? Zients said the penalty was not a tax. If this line of questioning sounds familiar, it should.
In 2009, ABC's George Stephanopoulos confronted Barack Obama on this very point, asking whether the large penalty in ObamaCare constituted a new tax. Obama adamantly denied it was a tax. If it is a tax, then he is violating his pledge not to raise taxes on middle class families - a political disaster. As Stephanopoulos pressed the point, Obama became increasingly agitated and eventually said, "I absolutely reject that notion."
This is more than just a potential political disaster for the White House. It has repeatedly defended the constitutionality of the individual mandate in court based on Congress' power to levy -- you guessed it -- TAXES!
When Judge Roger Vinson struck down ObamaCare in 2010, he blasted the administration's misleading defense, writing: "Congress should not be permitted to secure and cast politically difficult votes on controversial legislation by deliberately calling something one thing, after which the defenders of that legislation take an 'Alice-in-Wonderland' tack and argue in court that Congress really meant something else entirely..."
In other words, Obama, Pelosi and Reid lied to the American people when they said that the individual mandate was not a new tax, and administration officials are still lying about it today!
My friends, you won't hear about this on the evening news tonight because the liberal media are in the tank for Obama. And unless you are reading this daily report or listening to Rush Limbaugh (and most Americans are not), you probably would never know that top administration officials are deliberately misleading members of Congress and the American people about ObamaCare.
Gutting Our Nuclear Deterrent
Evidently the White House is taking an "Alice-in-Wonderland" approach to national security issues too. As Iran marches toward the development of its own nuclear arsenal, there are reports today that Obama is considering massive cuts -- up to 80% -- in America's nuclear arsenal. Such cuts could give China nuclear superiority over the United States.
This makes no sense at all. There are a lot of misconceptions about nuclear weapons, but here is the basic point to keep in mind: We don't test them. As one defense expert put it, they are not like rifles where we can take them out and test fire a thousand rounds. In order to maintain an effective deterrent, our nuclear arsenal requires a tremendous amount of redundancy.
And speaking of Iran, each day the headlines demonstrate the idiocy of Ron Paul's approach to foreign policy. After assassination attempts and terrorist attacks in India, Thailand and Georgia aimed at Israeli diplomats, Mitchell Silber, director of intelligence analysis for the New York Police Department, is warning that New York City could also become a target because of its significant Jewish population.
Paul contends that if only we withdrew from the Middle East, the radical Islamists would stop hating us. Should we withdraw from New York City too? The question is as absurd as Paul's foreign policy. The Islamists call us the "Great Satan." And they won't stop hating Jews no matter where they live.
Communism by insurance mandate
Ann Coulter
One theory for why Barack Obama pushed the contraception mandate right now is that it helps Rick Santorum. Others theorize it's because Obama is an anti-religious bigot with a left-wing agenda. Reasonable minds can disagree on this.
But it may end up helping Mitt Romney by reminding people that the "individual mandate" is the least of the problems with Obamacare. (The "individual mandate" is simply the legal argument for why Obamacare is unconstitutional in a country that has accepted Social Security and Medicare as constitutional.)
This isn't a Catholic issue or even a religious issue. Conservatives are falling into the Democrats' trap by denouncing it as such. It's a freedom issue. (Or, as Democrats call it, "the F-word.")
If liberals like it, it's subsidized; if they don't, it's prohibited. And now they can impose their left-wing authoritarianism on the entire country by calling their mandates and prohibitions "insurance."
What kind of reward does a WND reporter get for exposing allegations of money laundering by a major bank? How about getting fired? Yes, fired. Seriously.
Acting OMB Director Jeff Zients is making the rounds defending President Obama's FY 2013 budget, taking flak wherever he goes. This morning he is testifying before the House Budget Committee. Chairman Paul Ryan began the hearing with this opening statement, which should be read in full:
Welcome all, to this important hearing. I'd like to thank our witness today, Mr. Zients, for coming to us under difficult circumstances.
With the departure of Mr. Lew from OMB just last month, we understand that you are testifying on short notice, and we recognize the difficulty of that.
And unfortunately, your job is even more difficult than usual - you are in the position of having to defend a budget that essentially dodges the most difficult challenges our country faces.
The New York Times has reported that this budget is, quote, "more a platform for the president's re-election campaign than a legislative proposal." After a careful review, it's hard to disagree.
The Associated Press has reported - accurately in my view - that this budget, quote, "[takes] a pass on reining in government growth."
Instead, it leaves the drivers of our debt - namely, the unsustainable growth of entitlement spending - quote, "largely unchecked."
It takes a pass on real reform, even though the looming bankruptcy of these programs threatens to end the guarantee of security they provide for our nation's seniors.
And it breaks the President's promise to cut the deficit in half by the end of his term. As ABC News reported, this budget "does not come close."
We've heard a lot of excuses from this administration for why the President broke his promise. But what we haven't heard is any semblance of accountability.
To the best of my knowledge, no one in the White House has taken responsibility for this failure.
Instead, we've gotten a blame game that doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Jack Lew, your former boss, claimed that the reason Senate Democrats haven't passed a budget in over 1,000 days is that the Republicans have threatened to filibuster.
This is simply false. As Mr. Lew surely knows, budget resolutions cannot be filibustered. They can be passed with a simple majority. The real source of dysfunction in the Senate comes from members of the President's own party, who have been unwilling - for almost three years now - to go on record in support of his budgets, or to pass budgets of their own.
More to the point, it wasn't so long ago that the President's party held total control of the White House and both branches of Congress - during which time his agenda was enacted in near totality:
* massive new spending and taxes * the creation of new, open-ended entitlements * a regulatory onslaught that hurt the economy * and trillions of dollars in new debt.
Even after all this, the new House Majority provided him with an opportunity to make good on his promise - to put aside the "chronic avoidance of tough decisions" that he once lamented.
We were - and we remain - eager to work with the President to stop spending money we don't have... to reform government programs that aren't delivering on their promises... and to enact pro-growth policies that raise revenue by getting our economy moving again.
Yet, instead of working with us, the President has demonized our ideas to save and strengthen health and retirement security programs.
He fought to keep his reckless spending spree going.
And he continues to insist on taking more money from hardworking Americans - not to reduce the debt, but to fuel his ever-higher spending.
The President's ongoing refusal to advance serious solutions to our nation's fiscal challenges represents a stunning dereliction of duty.
But I haven't given up hope. I remain committed to working with my colleagues of both parties wherever common ground can be reached.
There is a growing bipartisan consensus for the reforms that are needed. But this consensus cannot succeed as long as the President of the United States remains on the outside looking in.
Unfortunately, that's where he stands today. And my hope is that this hearing can shed some light on why.
Mr. Zients, we look forward to your testimony, but we do not envy your predicament. This unserious budget raises some very serious questions, and the American people deserve answers.
With that, I yield to the Ranking Member, Mr. Van Hollen.
Some say that America lacks leadership, but that isn't entirely correct. We have any number of excellent leaders in the public sector, among whom Paul Ryan ranks at or near the top. The problem is that our real leaders' ability to effect real change is stymied by the empty suits in locations like 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
We could fill up this space every day with new items about the latest environmental idiocy or green energy madness. I keep meaning to comment on a couple of the more notable ones, and highlight some good recent analysis on the issue from my pal Ben Zycher, but the greenfail news stacks up so fast in my in-box that I can't keep up.
But here's a few recent stories of note. First, out of California-good news! Fewer solar projects in California will fail in the future! This is chiefly because the state is simply mandating that utilities buy their power, no matter what it costs. Pretty easy for your business model to work when you have tax credits and the government mandating that people buy your product. Where can I sign up for this deal? (Oh yeah, the White House. I forgot.) Try this headline out as a thought experiment: "Fewer Oil Wells Will Lose Money." Doesn't seem too likely, does it?
Amyris had generated excitement in recent months when it announced would produce 40 to 50 million liters of farnesene in 2012, and build two plants with a total capacity of 150 million liters. . .
But now Amyris has given up on its 40 to 50 million liter prediction, and indefinitely delayed construction on the larger of the two plants it had planned. Large scale biofuels production awaits construction of facilities by the joint venture companies. That construction seems unlikely to happen in the near term in light of the difficulties Amyris is having in achieving its announced goals this year. The promise of large scale biofuels is still some time off.
Meanwhile, on the wind front, there is furious lobbying going on in Washington right now to renew wind power subsidies. Meanwhile, just reported in England, the largest 15 landowners in the UK will collect £850 million in subsidies (well over $1.3 billion) this year for hosting windmills on their property-costs that will be added to ratepayers' bills. Total subsidies to 2030 might be as high as £130 billion-a nice wealth transfer from middle class Britons to rich landowners. Meanwhile, even as Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, an aspiring candidate for president in 2016 apparently, is barreling ahead on offshore wind-the most expensive kind of windpower-a new report suggests that many offshore windmills will be blown over in a hurricane:
Stephen Rose and colleagues from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, modelled the risk hurricanes might pose to turbines at four proposed wind farm sites. They found that nearly half of the planned turbines are likely to be destroyed over the 20-year life of the farms. Turbines shut down in high winds, but hurricane-force winds can topple them.
By the way, note the 20-year projected lifespan of winds farms. No wonder wind turns out to be more expensive, even though wind is "free." Conventional power plants can last decades.
Back on the crony energy/Solyndra front (you do remember Solyndra, don't you?), as the time Solyndra went upside down the defenders of green energy downplayed it by saying it was just one loan out of $35 billion, and investments sometimes go bad, right? What's the big deal. The Obama Administration has now released a dry report saying that total taxpayer losses from bad loans in the program may reach $2.7 billion, which starts to look like real money, even if the figure is a low-ball estimate, which is likely is. The Wall Street Journal comments on the issue today.
Now, if you really want to get a fuller grasp of the whole "renewable" energy scene, you should get your hands on Ben Zycher's new short study of the issue, Renewable Electricity Generation: Economic Analysis and Outlook, just out from my peeps down the hall. It is easily digestible at just 60 pages. The takeaway: renewable energy "can be summarized as high costs combined with low reliability." There's lots of fancy charts and graphs, but that sums it up pretty well.
Below John writes about the testimony of Acting OMB Director Jeff Zients before the Senate Budget Committee yesterday. Senator Sessions manfully sought to elicit a straightforward answer to a straightforward question. Does Obama'sFY 2013 budget increase spending over the levels provided under current law?
Conn Carroll has a good account of the exchange in this Washington Examiner post. Carroll points out that Zients not only refused to answer the straightforward question about spending levels. He also evaded Senator Sessions's question whether he would consider resigning his office if the implication that spending would not increase more than current law provides proved false. You really have to see this.
What's going on here? This is a multiple choice test. (a) If Zients answers the question about spending levels, the boss will administer a cyanide capsule to him back at the office. (b) Zients really, really wants Obama's nomination as OMB Director. (c) Zients is under strict orders to protect Obama's false talking points. (d) All of the above.
The GOP Budget Committee explains: "[T]he White House has repeatedly claimed that their budget contains $2.50 in spending cuts for every $1 in tax increases. In truth, the budget plan submitted by the president would increase spending by $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years relative to current projections. Over that time, the federal government will spend a total of $47 trillion, up from $45.5 trillion projected under the already enacted Budget Control Act-producing by the president's own projections an additional $11.2 trillion in gross debt." To view a detailed breakdown of proposed spending increases using numbers from President Obama's own budget, please click here.
Today is the anniversary of the birth of Harold Arlen. Arlen may be the most underrated and innovative of the composers at the heart of the canon of American popular song. Working with a variety of lyricists, from those in whom he brought out the best, such as Yip Harburg ("Over the Rainbow") and Ted Koehler ("Stormy Weather," "I've Got the World On a String," "Let's Fall in Love," "When the Sun Comes Out"), to those who regularly scaled the heights, such as Johnny Mercer ("One for My Baby," "Accentuate the Positive," "Come Rain or Come Shine," "This Time the Dream's On Me") and Ira Gershwin ("The Man that Got Away"), Arlen supplied the haunting melodies - bluesy tunes with a jazz feeling and a Jewish heart. He wrote an absurdly large number of great songs.
The songwriter Alec Wilder devotes a fascinating chapter to Arlen in his seminal book American Popular Song: The Great Innovators: 1900-1950. Arlen seems to me to be the hero of the book. "In an appraisal of Arlen's work," Wilder writes, "I must guard against overenthusiasm."
Wilder describes the "electric shock" that Arlen's songs produced in him on first hearing in 1930. "This shock has been repeated many times in the many years since," he adds. "I sensed he lived at the heart of the matter, where the musical pulse was, and that I was an enthusiastic outsider. And I was right."
Wilder makes a point of Arlen's "personal style." He says that in Arlen's case he is "not only impressed but even exalted by his very personal point of view." Wilder makes something of an exception to this rule for "Over the Rainbow," which he deems only "a very good, well-made ballad." Wilder nevertheless concedes that "when Miss Garland sang it," he "was always deeply touched." In the video below, Arlen accompanies Garland in a live 1940 performance of the song in San Francisco. Take a moment to hear them out if you can.
People interested in a thoughtful observance of George Washington's birthday Presidents Day next Monday might want to drop in (or tune in to the live webcast) AEI's panel this Friday from noon to 1:30 (eastern) on the subject of "First Among Equals: George Washington and the American Presidency," which will feature a reading of Washington's Farewell Address from Leon Kass, and commentary from Richard Brookhiser, Diana Schaub, Harvey Mansfield, and moi, specifically on the modern presidency. (Good thing there's a new book on this theme.)
Concerning that book, here's a brief excerpt of what it says about Washington:
Americans in 1787 knew they could count on the "moderation and virtue" of this one man enough to entrust him with this brand new and undefined office. Washington knew his decisions and actions would be crucial to whether the office-and the Constitution-would succeed for the ages. "Few who are not philosophical spectators," he wrote, "can realize the difficult and delicate part which a man in my situation has to act. . . In our progress toward political happiness my station is new; and, if I may use the expression, I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent."
Meanwhile, yesterday's lunchtime book signing at Barnes & Noble at Union Station was fun, but what was more fun was noting the shelving of my books on the back wall. Because it is a smaller B & N, several categories of non-fiction books are shelved together in alphabetical order, which means, as the photo below shows, that my books are placed next to Hayek's The Constitution of Liberty. Life doesn't get much better than that.
One of the troublesome aspects of President Obama's State of the Union speech was that the much-hyped housing section was little more than a slightly revised version of a proposal from last fall.[1] While last fall's plan was limited to homeowners whose mortgages were held by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, the newly announced version allows homeowners whose mortgages are held by private-sector lenders and entities other than Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to refinance their mortgages. The new plan uses the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), an entity that is already on the verge of needing a major taxpayer bailout. All homeowners, regardless of who owns their mortgages, would have access to streamlined refinancing methods and lower fees. Like several earlier housing refinance plans that failed to work, this version is unlikely to be any more successful.
Before the speech, there had been speculation that the President would announce a program that allowed homeowners to have their lenders reduce the amount of their loans. Some speculated that this reduction would be mandatory for lenders, but after the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) noted that such a plan would cost taxpayers an additional $100 billion in subsidies to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,[2] that idea seems to have been dropped for now. The much smaller measure is simply the newest version of a poorly considered loan refinancing program.
"Affirmative Action for Vegetables", "Americans Take a Regulatory Bleating", and "More Regulatory Manure from USDA". These are just a few tales from the Tales of the Red Tape Series. >>Click Here to Read the Latest Tales
Morning Bell: Obama's Friends Win Big in Budget
Mike Brownfield
February 15, 2012
You don't need to log on to President Barack Obama's Facebook page to find out who his friends are, and you don't need to read tea leaves, gaze into a crystal ball, or consult a psychic to learn where his priorities lie. No, you only have to take a look at his 2013 budget, just released on Monday, to see what kind of company the president keeps and to what extent he will go to lend his pals a helping hand.
The folks seated at the president's head table haven't changed much in the past few years - the only difference is how much is being served up in the taxpayer-funded buffet. As in the past, the president has plenty of handouts for his big labor buddies. His budget delivers a fourth consecutive annual deficit exceeding $1 trillion - and that spending goes to yet another round of not-so-shovel-ready construction projects and government "investments" totaling $178 billion. Heritage's Patrick Knudsen writes that the spending includes the president's favored road, bridge, and school construction projects, but "then they go alarmingly beyond the usual 'infrastructure' arguments to fund teachers' pay." In other words, unions representing the construction site and the classroom win big.
Other winners in the president's budget are those who fit into the Administration's vision of a green economy that is propelled not by the market's demand, but by Obama's whim. The 2013 budget proposes to spend $310 million to make solar energy cost-competitive without subsidies by 2020, $290 million to expand R&D on energy efficient manufacturing techniques, and $421 million in fossil energy research and development. Heritage energy expert Nicolas Loris writes that the budget "rejects the notion of a market-based energy industry and wastes taxpayer dollars at a time when we desperately need to curtail out-of-control spending." In other words, he says, the president's blueprint is all wrong.
Don't Know The Difference Between Republicans and Democrats? Then Come To Detroit
by Republican Security Council on Wednesday, February 15, 2012
For 50 Years the official beginning of every Democratic Presidential campaign was on Labor Day in Detroit's Cadillac Square. With the heads of the AFL-CIO member unions behind them, the Democratic nominees would address crowds of over one million. Sen. John F. Kennedy (D-MA) is shown in Detroit on Labor Day 1960.
If anyone claims they don't know the difference between conservatives and liberals, they should visit Detroit, Michigan. It is an excellent example of what results from decades of unchallenged liberal leadership. According to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Detroit has been dubbed 'the most liberal city in America' and every 'progressive' policy is alive and well there. How have they worked out? In 1950, Detroit was the wealthiest city in America on a per capita income basis. Today, the Census Bureau reports that it is the nation's 2nd poorest major city, just 'edging out' Cleveland."
The NumbersUSA Webcast at 3:30 p.m. (Eastern) Tomorrow (Thurs.) Will Focus on Big Victories, a Big Defeat & Big Challenges In State Legislatures
Also, A Review of How Our Grassroots Campaign of Exposing Congress Immigration Grades Is Working
Plus More Inside Information . . . From Our Conference Room www.NumbersUSA.tv 3:30-4 p.m. Eastern 2:30-3 p.m. Central 1:30-2 p.m. Mountain 12:30-1 p.m. Pacific
Set your computer, phone or other hand-held device to remind you to tune in. Our webcasts routinely are being viewed (live and in replay) by 3,000 to 5,000 of our most committed activists each week.
Congress Doing Nothing to Take Jobs From Illegal Aliens and Give Them to Americans
Speaker of the House John Boehner Partners With Democrat Pelosi to Strangle Bills that Solve Immigration Problems
NumbersUSA Is Swinging Into Action--We Need Your Help
Is Speaker of the House John Boehner REALLY as bad on immigration as his predecessor, Rep. Nancy Pelosi? The unfortunate answer is "YES!"
I'm not exaggerating. Give me half a minute to tell you why I'm criticizing Boehner:
1. 125,000.
This is the number of work permits issued to new foreign workers every single month. Astounding, eh? What was the number when Boehner took up the Speaker's gavel 14 months ago? Yes, 125,000 a month. No change.
2. 20 million.
This is the number of U.S.-born Americans who can't find a full time job here in February 2012. Barely any improvement since the election. Maybe you say Boehner has little control over this situation. Read on.
3. 7 million.
This is the number of illegal aliens holding non-agricultural jobs. Same as when Boehner took over. And why is this? Keep reading.
4. $19,588 annually.
This is the net annual cost of the typical low-skilled immigrant household to American taxpayers. Yes, that does factor in the taxes illegal aliens pay in!
5. $113 billion.
This is the annual cost to American taxpayers for illegal immigration. This number continues to rise. Who is supplying this money? Mostly, it's Congress!
As you can see, America is being bled dry by illegal immigration. And we're also being flooded by over-immigration, illegal and legal. The numbers you see above are well-known and not seriously disputed.
The biggest disappointment of all, by far, is Speaker of the House John Boehner of Ohio. He's bottled up the E-Verify bill, quietly telling all who will listen that NO immigration bill will be brought to the floor for a vote this year. Anything on immigration is a political risk, he judges. Though he doesn't dare say this, we actually believe Boehner prefers Open Borders policies.
Linda, we're about to throw everything we have into a fight to make Speaker Boehner unbottle the E-Verify bill. Will you throw just $10 into this effort to pass the most important immigration bill of our time?
Boehner has made a career of criticizing Pres. Obama for a bad economy and few jobs. Well, maybe Obama deserves some or all of that. But what about Congress' part? If passed, the E-Verify bill would clear out millions of illegal aliens from U.S. jobs within a year or two, opening them up for unemployed Americans. If Americans don't have jobs, shouldn't the Speaker of the House do what he can about it?
Boehner has this E-Verify bill in the bag--if he actually wants it to pass. The House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), passed it through committee, and 74 House members have co-sponsored the bill. Yet the leadership refuses to "take it up," as they say. It would pass the House with an overwhelming bi-partisan vote.
Why wouldn't the Speaker of the House support a mandatory E-Verify bill? Could it be that he just doesn't care if Americans get the jobs or not? Looks like it to me.
We know that the former Speaker, Democrat Rep. Nancy Pelosi, did everything in her power to block good immigration bills. She cared about Big Labor, ethnic lobbies, the Left and the Mainstream Media. Not unemployed Americans. For years, she refused to bring an E-Verify bill to the floor that would have passed easily.
Now here a Republican does exactly the same thing. Are you as disappointed and disgusted as I am? Who is Boehner kowtowing to? Big Business? Doesn't really look like it. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Restaurant Association, the National Homebuilders Association, and many others have actually endorsed H.R. 2885, the mandatory E-Verify bill.
It seems John Boehner is working for . . . John Boehner. It appears to me Boehner prefers illegal aliens over Americans when it comes to employment. Or perhaps he's just a political coward.
We're fighting this. We're taking off the gloves. I can promise you, John Boehner is soon going to hear from all of us at NumbersUSA, most especially our 1,000,000 activist members.
I need your financial help today to fight back. We can't let Boehner hold 20 million unemployed and underemployed Americans hostage for his own political purposes.
But to fight, we need funding over and above our normal needs. We're about to send hundreds of thousands of faxes, unleash the phone calls. We're also going on television with targeted advertising. We're going to send a message. Please help us.
Please understand that NumbersUSA has NO OPINION on any of Speaker Boehner's policies or positions except on immigration. But on this issue, we must represent you and unemployed Americans. John Boehner doesn't have the right to keep millions of Americans out of work.
There are four ways to give:
1)On-line credit card We take all major cards. If you can, please mark the form as a NumbersUSA Action donation. You'll see how.
3)Check -- see the instructions and a form to print out and send with your check. All checks dated in 2011 will be counted as 2011.
4)Call (877) 885-7733 to arrange a wire transfer, stock donation, or to make a credit card donation over the phone. If our office is closed, please leave the time and your phone number and we will call back.
P. S.: I've expressed strong opinions in this letter. I welcome your feedback, and I'll answer your emails. Email to: jimrobb@numbersusa.com.
P. S. IMPORTANT: If you are ill, unemployed, or living on a small fixed income, please do not contribute. We only ask for help from those able to help.
Dishonorable Budget Dishonesty
This column by ACRU General Counsel and Senior Fellow for the Carleson Center for Public Policy (CCPP) Peter Ferrara was published February 15, 2012 on The American Spectator website.
You have probably heard by now the disastrous performance by new White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew on the Sunday morning talk shows last weekend. When it was noted on CNN's State of the Union that the Democrat-controlled Senate has not passed a budget for 1,019 days now, almost three years, in violation of federal law, Lew said, "You can't pass a budget in the Senate of the United States without 60 votes, and you can't get 60 votes without bipartisan support. So unless Republicans are willing to work with Democrats in the Senate, [Majority Leader] Harry Reid is not going to be able to get a budget passed."
Later that day, on NBC's Meet the Press, Lew repeated in response to the same question, "One of the things about the United States Senate that I think the American people have realized is that it takes 60, not 50, votes to pass something."
The problem is not only that it takes no more than 51 votes to pass a budget resolution under Senate rules. Indeed, it only takes a simple majority of the Senators present. The problem is that Jack Lew has served twice before as Director of OMB, so there is no doubt that he knows this.air.
This column by ACRU Policy Board Member and Professor of Economics Dr. Walter E. Williams was published February 15, 2012 on Townhall.com.
The Philadelphia Inquirer's big story Feb. 4 was about how a budget crunch at the Philadelphia School District had caused the district to lay off 91 school police officers. Over the years, there's been no discussion of what has happened to our youth that makes a school police force necessary in the first place. The Inquirer's series "Assault on Learning" (March 2011) reported that in the 2010 school year, "690 teachers were assaulted; in the last five years, 4,000 were." The newspaper reported that in Philadelphia's 268 schools, "on an average day 25 students, teachers, or other staff members were beaten, robbed, sexually assaulted, or victims of other violent crimes. That doesn't even include thousands more who are extorted, threatened, or bullied in a school year."
I graduated from Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin High School in 1954. Franklin's students were from the poorest North Philadelphia neighborhoods -- such as the Richard Allen housing project, where I lived -- but there were no policemen patrolling the hallways. There were occasional after-school fights -- rumbles, we called them -- but within the school, there was order. Students didn't use foul language to teachers, much less assault them.
This column by ACRU Senior Fellow Robert Knight was published February 13, 2012 on The Washington Times website.
Although I get a lot of news online, I love to read real newspapers. You can linger forever on a particular page without getting eye strain, or you can physically flip it with gusto to show your contempt for what some editor thought should be holding your interest.
If you're reading this online, that's great. I do a lot of that, too, even on my iPhone. But in terms of tactile satisfaction, flipping beats tapping, at least for people born before the country turned into a sex-obsessed, Tim Burton nightmare celebrity blowout.
Anyway, after consuming a couple of real newspapers (The Washington Times, the Wall Street Journal) each morning, I peruse The Washington Post, which never fails to spark spirited flipping, which also saves time.
ACRU Files Supreme Court Briefs Defending Arizona and Challenging ObamaCare
Feb. 13 -- An American Civil Rights Union brief filed today at the U.S. Supreme Court argues that Arizona has the right to enforce existing federal law regarding illegal immigrants. The Justice Department had sued Arizona over its new law directing law enforcement personnel to ask for proof of citizenship when stopping people for law violations.
The brief, authored by ACRU General Counsel Peter Ferrara, states:
"Arizona is ground zero for the illegal immigration tidal wave, with over one-third of all illegal border crossings in the nation in that state alone. This includes gang members in Mexican drug cartels and criminals fleeing their home countries south of the border...
"The Obama Administration sued the state of Arizona to enjoin the duly enacted state law on its face before it even took effect. The suit alleged the law violated the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution because its provisions were preempted by the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA"). But the INA and other federal immigration laws specifically authorize cooperative law enforcement between state and federal officials."
Josh Hamilton on GBTV TONIGHT: Texas Rangers' star player Josh Hamilton's battle against drug & alcohol addiction is well known. He relapsed a couple of weeks ago and has since avoided the media. Tonight Josh gives his first interview since the incident - live at 5pm ET (or on demand) exclusively on GBTV - start your free trial!
How can you help? Glenn announces 'We are all Catholics Now' movement as attack intensifies
The Obama administration has not backed down on its attack on faith and conscience, instead giving a non-concession concession in their push to mandate birth control & abortion coverage. Senator Roy Blunt (R) has added an amendment to the Highway Transportation bill that would allow employers to decide whether they want to cover contraception or not. What can you do? It's easy -- time to hit the switchboards. Phone numbers in the link - CLICK HERE & CALL.
GRAPHIC VIDEO: How Planned Parenthood gets kids hooked on sex
Planned Parenthood was founded by a crazy woman who believed she had the perfect way to breed the perfect race. Just stop all the 'undesirables' from breeding and kill the unborn of those who breed anyway. Now it's portrayed by the media as the shining light of humanity, the lone protector of women's rights, the only way to stop the spread of disease. That's odd because looking at their 'educational' videos it seems an awful lot like child pornography. Think grandpa could get away with showing his pre-teen kids these videos? WARNING: GRAPHIC.
More Big Brother: Lunch police remove student's turkey sandwich because it wasn't a healthy enough choice. They replaced the sandwich, obviously, with chicken nuggets - one of America's healthiest foods #not. DETAILS
Oops: Obama's new OMB declares Obamacare unconstitutional - STORY.
Save Energy, save money and stay warm! Markdown.com has a deal to provide your family with the warm and safe heat of Elite Heat while cutting your heating costs at the same time. With Elite Heat you're getting a beautiful, furniture grade wood cabinet heater with an elegant black finish. Get 46% off Elite Heat and protect yourself from winter's chill. Find all of the details at Markdown.com.
Shameful: Martin Bashir compares Santorum to Stalin in lazy, sleazy hit piece
As Stu pointed out on radio today this shouldn't be a surprise coming from the intellectual powerhouse that is Martin Bashir, but still, even for him this was quite a pathetic segment. It was so bad it actually made Rick Sanchez and his 4th grade education look genius in comparison. Glenn listens to the clip and explains what should happen to someone who has broadcasting standards this low. WATCH
What have we learned in 2,067 years? Find out HERE.
Tonight on Real News: New polling suggests most Americans do not view China as an ally. After this week's meeting between President Obama and China's new leader, will the administration? Don't miss Real News from The Blaze, tonight live at 7pm ET (or on demand) only on GBTV.
Life off the Grid: Frank decides it's time the family learns something new through the practice of an old-time trade in an all new episode of Independence USA. Watch Frank as he apprentices with two master blacksmiths. Will the family see the merit of being able to make their own metal tools? How will Frank keep his modern tools powered with or without electricity? Check out a PREVIEW and don't miss the all new episode live TONIGHT at 8pm ET (or on demand) only on GBTV Plus. Watch past episodes HERE.
Duct Tape Alert: Sheila Jackson Lee can't recall anyone ever attacking a President
Sheila Jackson Lee unleashed one of the dumber, if not the dumbest, attacks on the GOP this week when she claimed that Republicans don't want to do any work, want to help 'no one,' and of course want to take away 'love & charity' from society just for the pure satisfaction of beating Obama. She couldn't think of one time in history when a President has been criticized this much. Glenn helps refresh Lee's memory on radio today.
~ If you come across an issue or story that you think would be of interest to the group, forward it to this email address so we can include it in the daily newsletter. Please include any links to the associated story with your email so that we can source it for the newsletter. J
You have received this mailing because you subscribed to our mailing list or signed up at a meeting. If you have any problems with this mailing, please reply to this posting. Thank you for your support.
Route One in Trevose, from 9 AM to 12 noon, doors open to the public at 10 AM. During his radio show, Dom will welcome several on-site special guests, including many men and women who served.
"Constitution 101" begins on February 20, 2012, and concludes the week of April 30. It will cover such topics as the 
M
SAM
Josh Hamilton on GBTV TONIGHT: 
