Quote: 

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." 

Also new at KleinOnline:

AUDIO: Aaron, audience interview cleric who wants Islam to take over U.S. - Part I:
more >>

AUDIO: Aaron, audience interview cleric who wants Islam to take over U.S. - Part II:<br more >>

AUDIO: Ex-CIA chief: Iran could target Washington monuments:  more >>

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)

---

---

 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.

Hello Friends,

I just wanted to let you know I'm going to be running buses from all over PA for rally down in DC on March 27th. That's the day the Supreme Court will be hearing OBAMACARE...and it's so important we show up.

My organization, Americans for Prosperity is providing buses. Here is the link to sign up: http://handsoffmyhealthcare.eventbrite.com/ 

I wanted to know if you guys would a.) join me on the buses and b.) send this around to your friends and bring them along.

I'm running buses in the east from the following places:

Oxford Valley Mall

Doylestown (location to be determined)

Quakertown

Allentown/Lehigh area

Philadelphia

Northeast PA (Scranton Area)

FROM CENTRAL:

Lancaster

York

Harrisburg

Berks County (Reading)

WEST:

Pittsburgh

Fayette

If you guys are interested in going or would like your group to have its own bus, please let me know. We are already working with a number of great groups across PA to provide them a bus and support in filling it and recruiting new members. Here is the link again: http://handsoffmyhealthcare.eventbrite.com/ 

We're only charging $10 for people to attend but if there are people who are having financial difficulty or need some type of assistance...please let me know. :)

Thanks, guys! Here's the link again. http://handsoffmyhealthcare.eventbrite.com/ 

In Liberty,

Jennifer Stefano

Pennsylvania State Director

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and

Americans for Prosperity Foundation (AFPF) P.O. Box 843 Washington Crossing, PA 18977

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 

Click here to register for the Hands Off My Health Care Rally now!

{ For Ticket Information } 

2012 Primary Debate Schedule

Shalom ZOA Members, Friends and Supporters of Israel,

Please join us for our next Philadelphia ZOA Quarterly Meeting (details below on the flyer).

As noted, this meeting is free and open to the public.

We will hear about Israel from the perspective of State Rep. Curt Schroderwho just returned from a Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition mission there with other lawmakers. Our other guest will be student Allie Blackwho just returned from a Birthright trip.

Please encourage your friends, neighbors, colleagues and all who care about Israel to attend.

For information, call the ZOA Office at 215-338-9188.

Nullify Now! Philadelphia

LISTEN LIVE TO REPATRIOT RADIO

"BETTER THAN EVER"

(all times are eastern)

Friday 10-11pm "Veterans' Weekly Forum" - Rich Davis and David Bellavia   

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

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

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

Lou Flanagan

The General Wayne Tea Party

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

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

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

A values voter is an informed voter.

Sincerely,

Tony Perkins
President

PA implementing ObamaCare exchanges  

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.

D4PC Exchange Testimony 

State Leg Guide to Repealing ObamaCare 

We have an amazing opportunity before us today, to score a BIG WIN for taxpayers and small businesses...but we can't do it without your help!

Please click here to send an email to your Representative and tell him or her to vote yes on the prevailing wage reform bills before the House today!

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 you please 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

Given the recent move by the House of Representatives to rework the transportation bill, Heritage Action has released the following statement from CEO Michael A. Needham:

"We are pleased that House leaders are reconsidering their five year bill. However, the devil is in the details and we will evaluate the revamped bill once details become available."

Related Links:  Key Vote Alert: "NO" on the House Transportation Bill 

If you have any additional questions, please contact Dan Holler by email (dan.holler@heritageaction.com) or by phone (202-548-5284).

RedState Morning Briefing

For February 24, 2012

1. The Elephant in the Room

He was the elephant in the room, so to speak, at the CNN Debate in Mesa, AZ. And this issue is why Campaign 2012 on the Republican side is so depressing.

The he is George W. Bush. And the issue is that Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney spent most of the debate campaigning against George W. Bush without using his name.

They went after each other on earmarks, spending, No Child Left Behind, Medicare Part D, the debt ceiling, and on and on. Santorum apologized for some votes. He defended some votes. Mitt Romney had the temerity to suggest he would have opposed some or all of that legislation even though, at the time, he was quite supportive of it all - including raising the debt ceiling. All of these were George W. Bush approved, adding also TARP and the auto bailout. They are also issues about which many conservatives and conservative organizations sold their souls to the Republican Party in the name of team work, damn the principles at stake.

Relatedly, it was entirely laughable for Rick Santorum to claim courage as the word that describes him best when he then went on to say he cast his votes against his principles because he was a team player. Just listen to the audio right here. At least he did not do what Romney did and try to claim himself an advocate of school choice, which Mitt Romney did not support as Governor of Massachusetts. Santorum, at least, is willing to recount his political sins honestly.

And that is what is so awful about this election season for so many conservatives. Santorum, Romney, and Gingrich are campaigning against major accomplishments of the Bush Administration that they, at the time, supported, and now have the audacity to lie to us - yes they are lying - and have us believe they would never have supported such big government programs.

2. Picking Back up on House and Senate Races

It is time for me to get focused again on House and Senate races. With redistricting, we've got to make some tough decisions in races where two incumbents are situated. Likewise, we've got new people running. It is time. Here's my initial list of support and focus. I'll add to it over time.

One of the big races up front is going to be Manzullo vs. Kinzinger in Illinois. We supported Adam Kinzinger in 2010. He ran as a tea party candidate. In his term so far, however, he has done nothing to distinguish himself as someone willing to stand up to House leaders. A simple review of his and Manzullo's Heritage scores make it no contest. In fact, if you have a tough time deciding who to pick in these sorts of races, the Heritage Action for America score card should be the default tool to break a tie. In the Manzullo v. Kinzinger race, there really is no contest on who is more conservative - Manzullo has an 84% score and Adam Kinzinger has a 63% score.

And if you have doubts about the Heritage Action scorecard as an arbiter for who is the better candidate, consider that Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard was reflecting the concerns of congressional Republicans as recently as December that the Heritage Action scorecard is a bad idea. But just recently even Fred Barnes admitted they were doing it the right way.

3. Politico proves Gingrich's point for him on Obama and the Born Alive Infant Protection Act.

OK, if you followed the debate in Arizona last night then you got to see Newt Gingrich consume a moderator's liver for what may be the last time. The topic? Double standards in the media, particularly when it comes to 'extremist' positions. The transcript is as follows:

GINGRICH: But I just want to point out, you did not once in the 2008 campaign, not once did anybody in the elite media ask why Barack Obama voted in favor of legalizing infanticide. OK? So let's be clear here.

(APPLAUSE)

GINGRICH: If we're going to have a debate about who the extremist is on these issues, it is President Obama who, as a state senator, voted to protect doctors who killed babies who survived the abortion. It is not the Republicans.

Note the (APPLAUSE). That's because the audience of Arizona Republicans and conservatives knew exactly what Newt Gingrich was talking about; he was talking about Obama's voting record against the Illinois version of the Born Alive Infant Protection Act (BAIPA) - which, by the way, was and is appalling of the President. As those voters know quite well, as a state senator Barack Obama voted against an Illinois state bill that would have extended legal protections to children who survived a botched abortion. An almost-identical version of the same bill passed on the federal level in 2002, and not even "FactCheck.org" can quite take seriously Obama's claim that he would have supported that bill because it was significantly different*.

4. The Right Answer on Birth Control

At the CNN GOP debate in Arizona, the candidates were asked this question:

"Since birth control is the latest hot topic, which candidate believes in birth control, and if not, why?"

The question was roundly booed by the audience. Republicans hated this line of questioning when it was aired in a debate a few weeks back by former Democratic White House Communications Director George Stephanopoulos, at a time when it seemed to have nothing at all to do with the issues in the campaign. Since then, President Obama has forced the issue into the public debate with the HHS mandate that all employers, even those with religious objections, include contraceptive coverage in employer-provided health care plans, so the subject can't be avoided entirely. And in fact, for various good reasons, Republicans will probably be talking a good deal about the assault on religious liberty in general and the Catholic Church in particular in the months to come. But there's a simpler way of framing the right answer to this in a debate.

Give them another reason why Obama has GOT to go.  

NO. 4

His speeches are SO boring. Remember all that pre-election propaganda about him being the greatest presidential orator since Abraham Lincoln? Yeah, right. Maybe on the first few listens that gravelly, ponderous, measured style might have fooled us into thinking he had something to say. But he doesn't. Just airy platitudes, colossal egoism, and fake profundity such as, "We do not have to think that human nature is perfect for us to still believe that the human condition can be perfected." Yeah, whatever, Barack. Zzzzzz.  

The U.S. Constitution

A Reader 

Editorial Note: Just received a couple of copies of the reader.   Not just a short course pamphlet this; with the heft of 'Atlas Shrugged', it is well worth getting whether or not you choose to take the course. 

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.

Audio: How The Arabs Recruit For Terror

A7 Radio's "News & Call-In with Tamar Yonah" with Tamar Yonah

Listen Now! 

Follow Israel Radio on and .

Former Arab terrorist joins Tamar and talks about the roots of today's Arab terrorist organizations, how they recruit, and what the differences are between the FATAH, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, et al. This is a fascinating show which gives the listener a unique peak into the Arab Muslim mind, culture, and value system. Walid Shoebat, is author of the book, "Why We Want to Kill You".

 

 

Tamar Yonah is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. Her father survived the Nazi brutalities and after liberation, made his way to the shores of the British Palestine Mandate, where again fighting for his survival, fought in Israel's war of Independence. This made a great impression on her life and she too has been fighting for Israel by serving in the Israeli army & air force, and afterwards by becoming an activist for Israel and the Jewish nation. She has been a vocal beacon of light since beginning a prolific career in radio. She hosts The Tamar Yonah Show - Israel's most popular English language radio talk show. She also writes a biting and sometimes humorous, award winning blog that discusses current events, religion and politics. www.israelnationalnews.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/3# You can email Tamar at: Tamar@IsraelNationalRadio.com 

February 23, 2012       It's time for a purple heart for the victims at Ft. Hood and Little Rock!       Show your support for our troops by joining us in correcting this outrageous injustice!!  

Did you know that the military victims of Islamic jihad terrorism at Ft. Hood and the Little Rock Recruitment Center are not eligible for the Purple Heart?

The reason is that our Defense Department is defining these acts as "criminal" acts rather than as acts of "war." In fact, the Ft. Hood massacre was classified as "workplace violence!"

This is in keeping with the Obama administration position that terrorists like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of 9/11, are not "enemy combatants" but "alleged criminals."

Not only do we strongly disagree with this designation, we find it outrageous and completely unacceptable that those in our armed forces killed by jihadists on our soil are not eligible for the Purple Heart.

Do you agree? Would you like to help us correct this injustice?

Then log on here and add your name to the Open Letter we will be sending to the chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.

In the letter, we urge them to pass H.R. 1142, introduced by Rep. Allen West. Here's an excerpt from this letter:

  Help us pour tens of thousands of names behind this letter into the Armed Services Committees of both the House and Senate. Let them know the American people are outraged at this injustice and that we expect action!!

This is a chance for us to do more than "honor and support our troops" with our words. It only takes moments to add your name-and you can even forward this letter to others you know.

Let's take action to correct this injustice today!!    

RUTHFULLY YOURS  

RICHARD BAEHR: POISON IVY LEAGUE

By Ruth King on February 21st, 2012

http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=1405 

For generations, Jewish parents have looked to a small collection of colleges as the tickets to success in America for their children. Foremost among the elite institutions are the eight Ivy League schools, and a handful of others, including Stanford, MIT, Duke and the University of Chicago.

Jewish students are substantially over-represented at all these schools, given that Jews make up but 2 percent of the country's population. Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Brown, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania, routinely have a 20 to 25% Jewish component, or even higher, in their entering classes. The others are in the 10 to 15% range.

Jewish philanthropy to these schools is even more disproportionate. As Jews have prospered in America, the Ivy League and elite school alumni have learned that not all their children, the "legacies," will be admitted. With many schools admitting fewer than 10% of all applicants, the competition is fierce for spots even among the alumni's children. As a result, stepping up with big gifts is a key to establishing a favored position when admissions committees look at the legacy pool.

PENNSYLVANIA: Muslim judge rules by Sharia to exonerate a Muslim who assaulted a man wearing a Zombie Muhammad costume

The defendant is an immigrant and claims he did not know his actions were illegal, or that it was legal in this country to represent Muhammad in any form. The case went to trial. The Judge, Mark Martin, who is also a Muslim, not only ruled in favor of the defendant, but called the plaintiff a name and told him that if he were in a Muslim country, he'd be put to death.

(And liberals can't understand why we are fighting to keep sharia law out of American courts? Apparently it's already here in Pennsylvania and many states)

Wanted Women: That 'Weird Virgin-Whore' Bio

Is Deborah Scroggins's new dual biography a serious attempt at scholarship or merely another tiresome, typical, predictable, uninformed leftist political screed?

by Dr. Candace de Russy

Agenda 21 Becomes a Major Issue
Feb 23, 2012 11:34 am

US Fed as Credit Card and Consumer Watch Dog!
Feb 23, 2012 10:27 am

How the Rockefeller Fund Killed Keystone
Feb 23, 2012 10:17 am

Is Sharia Law Compatible with Democracy?
Feb 23, 2012 10:07 am

The Idiot Cousin Theory of Government
Feb 23, 2012 10:00 am

Latest NC Terror Report Offers More Baseless Conclusions
Feb 22, 2012 10:30 am

BENADOR: Time of Truth: American Heroes Burn the Koran
Feb 22, 2012 10:18 am

When Positive and Negative Rights Collide
Feb 22, 2012 10:06 am

U. S. Legislative Immigration Update February 20, 2012
Feb 22, 2012 09:51 am

02/23/2012 

Obama's Crony Capitalist Trap Door 

Featured Posts 

Despotism, Thy Name Is Obamacare 

Obama Administration Errs in Pressuring Israel Rather Than Iran 

Buffalo Teachers Receive Free Plastic Surgery 

VIDEO: The Perfect Storm of Regulations on American Energy 

Washington Takes Over School Lunches and Curriculum 

QUICK HITS

Jalopnik reports that if the Tesla electric car's battery is ever discharged, the car can no longer function, without purchasing a new $40,000 battery. Tesla received $465 million in low-interest loans from the Obama Energy Department.

Tomorrow, representatives from the U.S., Europe and Arab nations will meet in Tunisia to map a road forward in Syria as the Assad regime continues to terrorize the nation.

President Obama will visit Florida today to discuss gas prices, which are nearly $6 a gallon in some parts of the state. Nationwide averages were below $2 a gallon when the president took office.

49.5 percent of the U.S. population, or 151.7 million people, did not pay income tax in 2009, the latest available year of data.

Have you watched our video on Religious Liberty? Yuval Levin says: "I'm not opposed to contraception. I'm opposed to despotism." VIDEO HERE.

The Idiot Cousin Theory of Government

The first and foremost purpose of government is to create government jobs. Going back to the early days of American history a time honored tradition of newly elected politicians was to obtain positions for their friends, their nephews and assorted cousins. In those more innocent times appointing someone an inspector of something was a cordial way of repaying a favor. But the problem with inspectors is that they inspect things.

 

There are only so many idiot cousins you can hire to stamp papers and frown at things until you have to create an entire new department and then a division and then an agency to give them something to do. And that leads to budget drains and an expansion of government authority that interferes with the lives of people who work for a living.

A few centuries later we live in a country where every place that has more than three people living within three miles of each other is overseen by a multitude of agencies with overlapping levels of authority beginning from the locals to the staties and all the way up to Washington D.C. where the swamps were paved over to construct massive buildings full of agencies all descended from the day someone's idiot cousin got a sinecure, a government horse and an inkwell in a city that no one used to take seriously.

Many of us would gladly trade off those buildings and those bureaucrats in return for a few dozen idiot cousins drinking in Washington taverns on the public's dime in a country with no income tax and no one pounding on your door every five minutes because you don't feed your kids arugula, don't recycle your trash and don't care about the latest trendy cause already being written into the state religion.

Unfortunately like rabbits, idiot cousins lead to more idiot cousins. Corruption doesn't stop at a set line, it pushes as far as it can, and when a man with some big ideas gets hold of it, then bar the door because it's DOE/EPA/HUD/DOL time.

The idiot cousins are satisfied to think small. Their ambitions reach as high as a government salary for doing nothing and a few taverns and ladies of the evening to spend it on. A hundred thousand of them can be a problem, but a million of them organized under a creed that has set out to seize power using an unelected bureaucracy is one of those moments when a society must realize that its corruption has become a liability to its own survival.

We are of course far beyond idiot cousin territory. Idiot cousin jobs were handmade, much like Solyndra or other recent examples of crony capitalism. It's mass production that turns a problem into a plague and the mass production of government jobs began around the same time that many other industries were discovering that they could make money cranking out vast numbers of identical copies of things.

The cities were the perfect mold for a new mass produced bureaucracy. Not only did they have social problems and political machines galore, but they also had massive numbers of immigrants who came up the hard way in the industrial age and wanted their kids to have something better than they did. Drop the kids into the mold, then mold them and plop them into mass produced government jobs with the mission of managing the unmanageable aspects of overcrowded cities. 

A "Positive Case For Romney"

-Ace

People say there's no positive case for Romney.

Well, apart from his high personal morality and integrity, there's also the story of how he shut down Bain to help find a partner's missing daughter.

"In July 1996, the 14-year-old daughter of Robert Gay, a partner at Bain Capital, had disappeared," the story reads. "She had attended a rave party in New York City and gotten high on ecstasy. Three days later, her distraught father had no idea where she was. Romney took immediate action. He closed down the entire firm and asked all 30 partners and employees to fly to New York to help find Gay's daughter. Romney set up a command center at the LaGuardia Marriott and hired a private detective firm to assist with the search. He established a toll-free number for tips, coordinating the effort with the NYPD, and went through his Rolodex and called everyone Bain did business with in New York and asked them to help find his friend's missing daughter. Romney's accountants at Price Waterhouse Cooper put up posters on street poles, while cashiers at a pharmacy owned by Bain put fliers in the bag of every shopper. Romney and the other Bain employees scoured every part of New York and talked with everyone they could - prostitutes, drug addicts - anyone.

"That day, their hunt made the evening news, which featured photos of the girl and the Bain employees searching for her. As a result, a teenage boy phoned in, asked if there was a reward, and then hung up abruptly. The NYPD traced the call to a home in New Jersey, where they found the girl in the basement, shivering and experiencing withdrawal symptoms from a massive ecstasy dose. Doctors later said the girl might not have survived another day. Romney's former partner credits Mitt Romney with saving his daughter's life, saying, 'It was the most amazing thing, and I'll never forget this to the day I die.'

LINK: http://ace.mu.nu/

Alexander's Essay - February 23, 2012

The Model for Presidential Character -- George Washington

The REAL President's Day

"A few short weeks will determine the political fate of America for the present generation, and probably produce no small influence on the happiness of society through a long succession of ages to come." --George Washington (1788)

George Washington's birthday (February 22, 1732) was spontaneously celebrated nationally from the date of his death in 1799 until 1879, when Congress officially established the observance. In 1971, however, the celebration was changed from the date of his birthday to the third Monday in February, and with that change arose the generic "Presidents' Day."

Consistent with the degradation of civic knowledge since then, most Americans know little about Washington beyond his standing as our first president, and his having accepted responsibility for chopping down a cherry tree when confronted by his father. Of course, that "I cannot tell a lie" cherry tree tale is a legend, but what it portrays of Washington's character is not.

Today, the once-reverent observance of George Washington has devolved into a holiday that lumps Washington together with more recent presidential featherweights like Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Hussein Obama. The comparison is laughable, but given the implications, it is also appalling.

In this election year, we Patriots should take a moment to refresh our knowledge of the character attributes we seek in a president. Moreover, as the foundation of our nation, built by Washington and our other Founders and defended by generations of American Patriots since, is being undermined by the current generation of political oppressors, I encourage you to share this knowledge with others.

Perhaps no group is more in need of a proper understanding of American Liberty than those whose civic knowledge has been severely disabled by academic oppressors.

For example, consider how intellectually disabled a generation of students mentored by Mount Holyoke "presidential historian" Joseph Ellis must be, given his assertion in Time Magazine this week that "[Washington] began the political tradition that produced a Union victory in the Civil War, the Federal Reserve Board, Social Security, Medicare, and most recently, Obamacare. He had no patience in his own time with a states' rights interpretation of the Constitution and would have found the conservative agenda of the modern Republican Party and its Tea Party allies a repudiation of all he stood for."

Of course, Time's editors failed to issue a disclaimer noting that their esteemed source is a fraud and fabricator. In 2001, the Boston Globe revealed that Ellis had been telling his spellbound young students tall tales of his involvement in the civil rights movement in the South, of his valor as a combat platoon leader in Vietnam, and of his later activities as an intrepid anti-war leader at Yale. All lies.

Setting all this aside, however, Ellis and his cadres of historical revisionists have but one goal -- to subvert our Constitution and render it nothing more than what Thomas Jefferson described as "a mere thing of wax ... which they may twist and shape into any form they please."

Post Your Opinion: What are you doing to promote civic education for young Americans?

George Washington, and every president since, has sworn to uphold our Constitution, as prescribed in Article II, Section 1, which specifies: "Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: 'I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.'"

Unfortunately for our Republic and for the future of Liberty, too many of them have forsaken that oath in exchange for partisan power.

Washington, however, was steadfast in his devotion and obedience to our Constitution, and his presidential character is a model for all generations.

He was chosen by unanimous decision of the Second Continental Congress as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in 1775, by delegates as President of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and as our first national president by the electoral colleges of 1789 and 1792.

Despite modernist revision, it is evident through his own words, and those who knew him well, that Washington was a devoted Christian and demonstrated the character and humility according to his convictions. Though he was a strong proponent of religious liberty, it is his Christian spirit, which fortified his standing as the greatest political leader in history.

After having the new Declaration of Independence read to his troops, General Washington ordered chaplains for every regiment with the prescription that "every officer and man, will endeavour so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier, defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country."

After the harsh winter of Valley Forge in 1778, he wrote, "While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian."

At the time, Reverend Henry Muhlenberg of a Lutheran church near Valley Forge wrote, "I heard a fine example today, namely, that His Excellency General Washington rode around among his army yesterday and admonished each and every one to fear God, to put away the wickedness that has set in and become so general, and to practice the Christian virtues."

At the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, George III heard that Washington was voluntarily laying down his sword to return to his beloved family and farm, and responded, "If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world." And, of course, Washington did.

In 1783, Washington wrote the 13 governors of the several states, "I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and that state over which you preside, in His holy protection; that He would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the field; and finally, that He would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose examples in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation. I have the Honor to be, with much esteem and respect, Sir, your Excellency's most obedient and most humble servant."

As president in 1789, Washington wrote, "No man who is profligate in his morals, or a bad member of the civil community, can possibly be a true Christian."

His Thanksgiving proclamation declared, "It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor."

To gain real insight into Washington as president, it would be sufficient to read his First Inaugural Address, delivered on April 30, 1789, and his Farewell Address of September 19, 1796. These two addresses embody the real George Washington, and the true spirit of a Patriot.

Post Your Opinion: What other presidents were outstanding models of national character?

In the former, he stated, "The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the republican model of government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American People."

In the latter, he wrote, "The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their Constitutions of Government. But the Constitution which at any time exists, till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people, is sacredly obligatory upon all. The very idea of the power and the right of the people to establish Government presupposes the duty of every individual to obey the established Government."

He made plain in his Farewell, "Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connexions with private and public felicity. ... Let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

As if this great man's own words weren't enough, we also know Washington's character through the words of his peers.

His confidant, Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, said of Washington in eulogy, "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in humble and enduring scenes of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate, and sincere; uniform, dignified, and commanding; his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting."

Lee, the father of another humble Christian, Robert E. Lee, also noted, "Correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence and virtue always felt his fostering hand. The purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues. ... Such was the man for whom our nation mourns. His example was as edifying to all around him, as were the effects of that example lasting."

Abigail Adams wrote, "He is polite with dignity, affable without formality, distant without haughtiness, grave without austerity; modest, wise and good."

Declaration signer Francis Hopkinson wrote, "To him the title of Excellency is applied with peculiar propriety. He is the best and the greatest man the world ever knew. In private life, he wins the hearts and wears the love of all who are so happy as to fall within the circle of his acquaintance. In his public character, he commands universal respect and admiration. Conscious that the principles on which he acts are indeed founded in virtue and truth, he steadily pursues the arduous work with a mind neither depressed by disappointment and difficulties, nor elated with temporary success. ... One age cannot do justice to his merit; but the united voices of a grateful posterity shall pay a cheerful tribute of undissembled praise to the great assertor of their country's freedom."

Thomas Jefferson noted of Washington, "He was incapable of fear, meeting personal dangers with the calmest unconcern. Perhaps the strongest feature in his character was prudence, never acting until every circumstance, every consideration, was maturely weighed; refraining if he saw a doubt, but, when once decided, going through with his purpose, whatever obstacles opposed. His integrity was most pure, his justice the most inflexible I have ever known, no motives of interest or consanguinity, of friendship or hatred, being able to bias his decision. He was, indeed, in every sense of the words, a wise, a good, and a great man."

On Washington's Birthday in 1792, Rev. Nathaniel Snowden and a group of 70 clergymen visited him at Mount Vernon. Of that visit he wrote, "I felt much impressed in his presence and reflected upon the hand and wonderful Providence of God in raising him up and qualifying him with so many rare qualities and virtues for the good of this country and the world. Washington was not only brave and talented, but a truly excellent and pious man of God and of prayer. He always retired before a battle and in any emergency for prayer and direction."

John Marshall, who fought with Washington at Valley Forge, and later was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, wrote in his extensive biography of Washington, "Without making ostentatious professions of religion, he was a sincere believer in the Christian faith, and a truly devout man."

In other words, he was known best by what he did, not what he said.

Washington exemplified the humility of a devout Christian, a humility to which all Americans should aspire. His final words were, "'Tis well."

Unfortunately, all is not well with the Republican Liberty he and his Patriot Founders bequeathed to us.

In May of 1788, ahead of Virginia's convention to ratify the Constitution, Washington said, "A few short weeks will determine the political fate of America for the present generation, and probably produce no small influence on the happiness of society through a long succession of ages to come."

The same can be said of the next presidential election in a few short months.

Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis!
Libertas aut Mortis!

Mark Alexander
Publisher, The Patriot Post

February 23, 2012  OWS FAN SAYS STORM WALL ST WITH GUNS
A Texas man took exception to USA Today's suggestion that the Occupy Wall Street movement had faded "into a whimper." The man, identified as Rich Latta, penned a letter suggesting a violent response was needed from the Occupiers. Read Latta's rantings HERE.

OBAMA'S CORP TAX CUTS 'A TOTAL BUST'
In a move that is being called more campaign posturing than anything substantive, President Obama pitched his latest plan to cut taxes on corporations. Read why the proposed changes are being referred to as a "disaster" HERE.

NEWT SLAMS MEDIA OVER DEBATE QUESTIONS

Last night's 20th and final GOP debate featured more questions about social issues than economic issues, and the audience actually booed CNN's John King as a result. Newt Gingrich was not happy about it either, and let the moderator know. See his response HERE.

BRINGING A GUN TO COURT IN NYC? BAD IDEA

New York City courtrooms are probably on top of the list of places where one should never bring a gun. Yesterday, an Occupy Wall Street protester was arrested after a handgun and bullets were found in the backpack he carried into the courthouse. Read about the odd defense that his attorney is considering HERE.  

VIRAL VID - 120 MPG WINGSUIT CRASH CLIPS  
Last month we covered the story of daredevil Jeb Corliss crashing while flying down the side of a mountain in a wingsuit. The clips from the original post were nothing when compared to the one featured here. Corliss has released a multi-camera, 2:47 video that will give you chills. Watch it HERE.

  REAL NEWS FROM THE BLAZE: eye on iran -- ARE THE U.N. INSPECTIONS EFFECTIVE?
The panel wonders, if America used Iraq's WMD program as partial justification for attacking Iraq, why are we not doing the same thing with Iran? Watch the discussion unfold HERE.

Tonight on Real News from The Blaze: While the mainstream media focuses on yet another debate, what stories were overlooked? The race to the oval office is an important one, but the GOP also has an opportunity to win the Senate and control both chambers of congress. Should the party focus shift? Real News from The Blaze will discuss all of that and more tonight at 7pm ET (or on demand) - Only on GBTV!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer


COUNTDOWN TO VICTORY: 257 DAYS TO THE 2012 ELECTIONS


20th Debate

Last night's debate in Arizona was the 20th time the GOP candidates have faced off. It was the last debate before Super Tuesday and could be the final debate of the primary. (I would not be at all surprised if an NPR-sponsored forum in Oregon next month is cancelled.)

It was also the first debate in which my candidate, Senator Rick Santorum, was in the front-runner position based on national polls. According to the RealClearPolitics.com average of polls, Santorum leads Mitt Romney 34% to 28%, followed by Gingrich at 14% and Paul at 12%.


Bizarre Moments

Last night, Santorum and Romney clashed repeatedly, resulting in some really bizarre moments. At one point, Governor Romney tried to blame Rick Santorum for ObamaCare!

Clearly stung by the comparisons between RomneyCare and ObamaCare, the Romney camp searched hard to find some way to deflect the attack. Here's what they came up with: Romney blamed Santorum for backing Arlen Specter in 2004. Five years later, Specter switched parties and ended up being a vote for ObamaCare. Thus, it's Santorum's fault. This was a huge stretch, and I'm not sure most viewers could follow that thought.

Another bizarre moment came when Congressman Ron Paul accused Santorum of being insufficiently pro-life. Excuse me? Santorum voted for major appropriations bills that included money for Planned Parenthood, therefore, according to Paul, Santorum supports Planned Parenthood. Right? Not exactly.

Rick Santorum has repeatedly fought Planned Parenthood funding. He voted for the larger bills only after the smaller fights over that specific issue were done. He has made it clear from day one of his campaign that as president he would defund Planned Parenthood.

Paul plays this game in reverse when it comes to earmarks. He routinely asks for earmarks, but then votes against the final bill knowing full well it will pass and he will still get his earmark. This way he can claim to be a champion against wasteful spending while never technically voting for the earmark he asked for!

But let's take an even deeper look at this. Who is being attacked right now by the media, Planned Parenthood and all the other pro-abortion groups? It's not Ron Paul. It's Rick Santorum, who has been savaged for the past two weeks for being too pro-life. And what is Ron Paul's record? His libertarian philosophy leads him to routinely vote against pro-life legislation. For example:

• Paul voted against the Child Custody Protect Act and similar legislation three times. These bills were intended to strengthen local parental notification laws by making it illegal to take a minor girl across state lines to get an abortion in violation of her home state's parental notification laws.
• Three times Paul voted against the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which would make it a separate crime to injure or kill an unborn child in any assault against a pregnant woman.
• Paul twice voted against the Human Cloning Prohibition Act.
• While not pro-life issues, Paul has also opposed school choice legislation, border security legislation and twice voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment.

My point is simply this: Conservatives supporting Ron Paul should understand that he is not a conservative. He is, first and foremost, a libertarian. Paul ran as the Libertarian Party's presidential nominee in 1988 and libertarianism remains his philosophical worldview today.


A Paul/Romney Alliance?

Conservative insiders in recent weeks have started to speculate about a trend in the campaign. Every time somebody emerged to challenge Romney, Ron Paul did his best to slice and dice them. First it was Michele Bachmann who found herself caught in Paul's crosshairs. Then it was Rick Perry. Then it was Newt Gingrich. Now it is Rick Santorum. Today, Rush Limbaugh said that there was something fishy going on.

It's hard to find any negative words from Ron Paul regarding Mitt Romney. When asked to describe his fellow Republicans on the Jay Leno show several months ago, Paul slandered Michele Bachmann by saying she "hates Muslims" and he attacked Santorum saying he disliked gays and Muslims.

This "alliance" has not been lost on the media. NBC's political director Chuck Todd asked yesterday: "Just what has Romney promised Ron Paul?"

There are whispers that Ron Paul is trying to pave the way for his son, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who shares many of his father's views, to be Romney's running mate, perhaps in exchange for not running as a third party candidate in November. Asked recently about running with Romney, Rand Paul said he would be "honored to be considered."

On his show today, Limbaugh also blasted Paul's "irresponsible" approach to foreign policy. In last night's debate, Paul defended the mullahs' pursuit of nuclear weapons because we were somehow threatening them! If Romney wins the nomination and selects either Paul as a running mate, I believe this could be an impossible sell because it will compromise virtually everything Romney has said about Obama's weak foreign policy.


Newt's Moment

As has often been the case during these debates, Newt Gingrich provided the most memorable moment. When CNN's John King raised the issue of contraception, Gingrich set the record straight as to why contraception has become an issue (Obama's overreach) and then blasted the media for never raising questions about Obama's extreme record of supporting infanticide. Watch it here.

Whoever wins the GOP nomination (assuming it's not Gingrich) should watch these debate tapes and learn from Newt's ability to disarm the liberal media by refocusing the debate where it belongs.


Take Away

Here is my bottom line: As I have said from the beginning, all the candidates have flaws and downsides. Ultimately, I don't think last night's debate will have much impact on the race.

But when I look at this field in search of the candidate who ably represents all three legs of the conservative Reagan coalition, who has the ability to connect with the millions of Reagan Democrats, many of whom are working class people, and has consistently lived out the values that matter to values voters -- hands down Rick Santorum is the one who stands out.


Obama Sings While America Sinks

My poor shoes got another workout last night. Not on the treadmill, but flying across the living room. I threw them at the TV again as the nightly news put another pro-Obama ad disguised as news in their evening broadcast. This time it was Obama crooning at a White House party. A few weeks ago, we saw him belting out Al Green tunes at a New York fundraiser.

Meanwhile, you're on your way to paying $4.00 or $5.00 dollars a gallon for gas. Long-term unemployment is the worst it has been since the Great Depression. Iran is marching toward nuclear weapons while promising another Holocaust. And we are marching toward the abyss of bankruptcy. But don't worry -- Obama is having a blast, partying with the likes of Mick Jagger and B.B. King.

Now just imagine for a moment how the media would have reacted if George W. Bush had been throwing regular parties in the White House in which he belted out country music songs. Do you think there would have "heart-warming" scenes of President Bush signing on the nightly news? Not on your life!

If Bush had been caught signing at such lavish events, you would have heard endless commentary by the talking heads about how tone deaf he was or how out of touch he was. I can hear it now: "Doesn't the president know there are still caskets coming home from Afghanistan? Doesn't he realize how hard it is for folks on Main Street? John Smith facing foreclosure because of Bush's bad economy doesn't have anything to sign about tonight!"

The media's double standard is disgusting, and to most conservatives it is obvious. But for many of our friends and relatives, who may not follow the issues as closely, it is not. Please share these reports with them. Help them see through the spin and bring them to our side. Working together we can take America back!   

Today's Headlines:  Thursday, February 23, 2012

All 4 GOP Candidates OK With Women in Combat

Republicans Cheered for Their Responses to 'Birth Control' Question: Obama's the 'Extremist'

Pelosi: Catholic Church 'Has Not Enforced' Its Teaching on Contraception

It's fast. It's easy. It's secure. Please support CNSNews.com today!

Obama Adviser Argued: Kids from Big Families Have Lower IQs

Romney: I 'Absolutely' Did Not Force Catholic Hospitals to Provide Abortion Pills to Rape Victims

Afghan Soldier Kills 2 U.S. Troops in Quran Rioting

Rep. Pelosi Calls for Prayer on Contraception Mandate

Federal Judge Finds 'Defense of Marriage Act' Unconstitutional 
Obama Corporate Tax Reform Still Leaves U.S. at Disadvantage, Business Groups Say 
Judge Rules State Can't Make Pharmacies Sell Plan B Contraceptives in Violation of Religious Beliefs

GOP Rep.: 'There are Better Ways to Protect the Health of Women Than by Killing Their Children'

ACLJ: Obamacare Contraceptives Rule 'Blatantly Unconstitutional' -- 70,000 Sign Petition to Reverse Reg

Obama: 'Michelle and I Honor Ash Wednesday'

U.N. Human Rights Council Losing Controversial Members, As Others Prepare to Join

Republican Says Obama Must Boycott OAS Summit If Cuba Is Invited

Help Principled Candidates Win

Campaign Training Seminar

March 16-17, 2012 ~ Harrisburg, PA

Voters today - perhaps more than at any time in recent history - are yearning for principled candidates committed to standing strong for the timeless values upon which our country was founded and standing stronger against the politics-as-usual establishment working to undermine those values.

The Winning Campaigns Training Seminar shows principled candidates, campaign staff, and grassroots activists how to run winning campaigns without compromising their values - with a special emphasis placed on running and winning primaries. You'll learn:

•   Secrets campaign pros use to develop winning strategies.
•   How to raise all the money you need to win even if you've never raised money before.
•   Keys to persuading voters in-person, through the mail, over the phone, and online.

Who should attend?
Current & future candidates, campaign staff and consultants, campaign volunteers, grassroots citizen activists.

What's the cost?
Nothing, it's free, but you must register in advance. A group of donors concerned about the political leadership in our state have generously underwritten the cost of the seminar.

You can't have it both ways 

A caller on the radio show this morning asked the greatest question ever, "If things are getting better, when will we see a corresponding decrease in government assistance?" Since the mainstream media bows down to Emperor Obama, you can probably expect a narrative that a rise in poverty is a sign that the economy is in recovery... You'd like to think 'he can't have it both ways,' but sadly, he probably can. Check out the call from radio today.