Quote: 

        "The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them."

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 your looking for a succinct look at what the Tea Party stands for and where they are today watch this interview with Elizabeth Price Foley.  She wrote a book called The Tea Party: Three Principles. She is a constitutional professor at Florida International University, College of Law.

Activate: How to turn the 2012 election from a close call to a mandate

• I want to make sure I'm registered to vote and adopt a schlub friend. CLICK HERE
• I commit to registering FOUR schlub friends CLICK HERE
• I commit to be a part of the global Tea Party movement the week of Restoring Love: FreePac &Constitutional Conference
• I want to join a team - 9/12 Project, FreedomWorks, or a local Tea Party

Last night, Glenn focused on the importance of commitment. He was the first to admit, a lot of last night's show was something you had heard before - but it's important to start at the beginning and to make sure you know what you believe before you get put into action. And tonight, Glenn revealed ways for you to really get moving! 

Tonight, the focus of the show was "Activate" - and it was all about the election and how you can make sure that one way or another - 2012 is a year for a mandate for or against the progressives. And if you think it doesn't matter just take a look at what is happening right now in Wisconsin. Progressives and unions are doing everything they can to make sure that Walker loses. It's a microcosm to what is happening around the country, and Glenn thought it was so important that he recapped it on tonight's show (in under three minutes!):

 Government

Some Never Learn: MSNBC Caught Selectively Editing Romney Video to Make Him Seem 'Out of Touch'

• Posted on June 18, 2012 by Erica Ritz 

UPDATE: Mitchell responded to the controversy on Tuesday. Watch how she addressed it, but didn't apologize, here.

-

(Photo: AP)

After NBC was caught selectively editing the George Zimmerman police tapes to make it seem like he was volunteering racial information, MSNBC has been caught editing a clip of Mitt Romney to make him seem wildly "out of touch," when he was really just explaining the difference between the private and public sectors.

In the MSNBC clip, Romney is shown discussing Wawa's convenience stores like he has never been to one before (presumably because he is "too good" for such an establishment).

 

Introduced by Andrea Mitchell saying: "I get the feeling-take a look at this- that Mitt Romney has not been to too many Wawa's along the roadside in Pennsylvania," Romney says: "I was at Wawa's, I wanted to order a sandwich. You press the little touch tone keypad, alright, you just touch that, and you know, the sandwich comes at you, touch this, touch this, touch this, go pay the cashier, there's your sandwich. It's amazing."

 

Momentarily speechless, Mitchell repeats, "It's amazing," as her guest breaks into sharp laughter.

 

Too bad the clip was taken wildly out of context.

Read more and watch video here: 

Last-minute deal fizzles; Holder contempt vote still on tap 

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. faces a contempt of Congress hearing Wednesday after refusing a last-minute compromise offer to turn over subpoenaed documents to a House committee investigating the botched Fast and Furious gunrunning operation.

Deadlocked since October over the delivery of hundreds of pages of Justice Department documents concerning the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigation that saw more than 2,000 weapons "walked" to drug smugglers in Mexico, Mr. Holder showed up empty-handed during a 20-minute, face-to-face meeting Tuesday afternoon on Capitol Hill with House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell E. Issa.

Read More . . .  

Anti-Obama sentiment fueling Romney on campaign trail 

DAVENPORT, Iowa - Mitt Romney's six-state bus swing through small cities and towns in New England, the Rust Belt and the industrial Midwest served as a clear reminder that his biggest ally in the presidential race is also his biggest foe: President Obama.

Even among the crowds that turned out to hear the presumptive GOP nominee, it was evident that this election remains very much a referendum on Mr. Obama's first term in office.

Joseph Calasante, for instance, fought back tears when asked why he backed Mr. Romney, just minutes after the former Massachusetts governor's first stop at a picturesque farm in New Hampshire.

The biggest reason? Mr. Obama. 

Read More . . . 

LIVE SMART - NEWS TALK

Will the last conservative to leave WPHT please turn out the lights. 

Robertson, along with co-host David Toy, Jim Seigfreid, Allen and Peggy as we confront the issues of the day with Constitutional solutions to the problems we were warned about by the Founders of this, the greatest nation to ever shine a light on the world. Our guests include some of the best and the brightest commentators and Patriots around. 

www.blogtalkradio.com/teapartyorg   

Join Us on Fridays and Take a Stand for Israel:    

By allowing our attention to be focused exclusively on the danger and prevention of terrorism, we ignore the many other ways we are being attacked. Specifically, we are missing what our Islamist enemies call their 'civilization jihad' - a form of warfare that employs manipulative financial techniques, lawfare, infiltration of our civil institutions and government and insidious information dominance. Together, these have the effect of exploiting our liberties and governing structures against us, so that our leaders wind up imposing the very anti-American values that our enemies promote.

Welcome to The Muslim Brotherhood in America: The Enemy Within - a 10-part, web-based video briefing that is designed to explain why and how this is happening.

It addresses a threat most Americans are unaware even exists within our country, let alone the degree of peril it represents.
The threat is the totalitarian, supremacist Islamic doctrine its adherents call "shariah" and the organized, disciplined and increasingly successful efforts by such adherents-- most especially the Muslim Brotherhood-- to bring it here.

We are making this course available in the hope of encouraging, informing and broadening support for national efforts to defeat the insinuation into this country of shariah's anti-constitutional and seditious program.  

Muslim Brotherhood in America: The Overview

An extremely important movie is coming this summer - Dinesh D'Souza - Obama & 2016

Dinesh D'Souza is author of many New York Times best sellers.  The movie is from Gerald R. Molen, producer of Academy Award Winning Schindler's List.

It explains in plain language who Barack Obama really is, what he stands for, and the dangers of him being reelected for another four years.

Watch this short informative video preview of this movie and share it with others.  It has already been seen by over 1,250,000 people.  Within a very short time it will have been seen by millions!  After you see the preview, listen to what Dinesh has to say about Obama.  Please take the time to hear this and pass it on.

Dinesh D'Souza - Obama & 2016

"Losing our Sons": Documentary looks at domestic Islamic radicalization and jihadization

Charles Jacobs at Americans for Peace and Tolerance announced today the release of a trailer for their upcoming documentary, "Losing Our Sons", featuring Melvin Bledsoe - father of domestic terrorist Carlos Bledsoe aka Abdulhakim Mohamed who gunned down US Army recruiter Pvt. William Long at an Army-Navy recruiting center in Little Rock, Arkansas in June 2009. Melvin Bledsoe testified at the House Homeland Security Committee hearing earlier this month.

The upcoming documentary discusses how Bledsoe was radicalized by the Muslim Student Association in Tennessee and sent to terrorist training in Yemen with the written recommendation of the imam of a Nashville mosque. It also discusses how the agents of radicalization in the Nashville Muslim community have been aided by collaborators in the establishment media, politics and the so-called "interfaith" community.

The U.S. Constitution

A Reader 

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.

From July 16 through July 18, 2012, Christians United for Israel will be holding its 7th Annual Washington Summit. We're going back to stand with Israel in our nation's capital. This year - more than ever - we need you to join us!

In the coming months, critical decisions are going to be made about Iran, Israel and the world. Finally, Washington is beginning to focus on the issue of a nuclear Iran. Many of our leaders want to confront this looming threat. But others want to keep kicking the can down the road. The debate is far from over.

• We know that when thousands of CUFI activists arrive in DC and on Capitol Hill, we can change the conversation.
• We can remind our leaders that a nuclear Iran is not only a threat to Israel, but to the US as well. And we can demonstrate to our elected officials that their constituents care enough about this issue to show up at their DC offices.
• We know that we can create a sense of immediacy that's otherwise lacking.
• We know that the more of us who show up and speak out -- the louder our voice and the greater our impact.

We stand at a critical juncture in history. Don't be silent! Don't miss your chance to make a difference! Don't pass up your opportunity to defend America and bless Israel!

Our leaders need to remember that we are watching them and we need to remember that God is watching us.

FREE Training Conference Saturday, August 18, 2012 Washington Dulles Airport Marriott 45020 Aviation Drive * Dulles, Virginia * (703) 471-9500

If you are concerned about the growing threat of radical Islam and Sharia Law to our great land and you haven't seen a plan of action to meet this evil head on, here's your opportunity to join with us for real, measurable results.

Results that make a difference, not just a statement.

Our host team is working hard to deliver a day you won't forget. Plan on being there! Meet me and our growing team of professionals at the Dulles Airport Marriott on Saturday, August 18, 2012. Registration will start at 7:30 AM with the event starting at 8:30 AM and running through 5:00 PM.

Here are a few comments we have received from previous training seminars around the nation:

    You can find out more and register online by clicking here.

Call the number above to reserve your room at the Marriott if you need to spend the night.

Your early registration really helps us plan accurately for materials and supplies needed! Thank you for doing it today!

I look forward to meeting you and looking into your eyes and thanking you for taking this stand with me. We will protect this nation!

Sincerely,


Brigitte Gabriel

LISTEN LIVE TO REPATRIOT RADIO

"BETTER THAN EVER"

(all times are eastern)

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

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

Tomorrow, the United States Senate will vote on a resolution that could determine the future of energy in America.  President Obama's EPA is on the attack with a series of regulations that will significantly increase the costs of energy, which means higher prices for consumers, businesses, and producers, especially in Midwestern states where coal is used to generate electricity.   

The EPA's most recent regulation, known as the "Utility MACT" rule, is the most expensive rule ever issued by the agency.  Not only will this rule generate higher prices, it also threatens jobs and the reliability of the electricicty grid itself. 

By the EPA's own estimates, the rule's attempt to regulate toxic air pollutants will cost $10 billion per year while only generating at most $6 million in benefits-that means the ratio of costs to benefits is 1,600 to 1!   

Moreover, because of the EPA's aggressive regulations, 1.65 million jobs may be lost by 2020.

Please help put an end to job-crushing regulations and an unaccountable EPA.   Republican Senator Jim Inhofe from Oklahoma has introduced Senate Joint Resolution 37, a resolution of disapproval, which would put the brakes on the EPA's costly new rule.  Using the Congressional Review Act, only a simple majority is needed in the Senate to pass the resolution.   

Please call Sen. Rob Casey TODAY and ask him to vote yes on Sen. Inhofe's resolution of disapproval.

Sen. Rob Casey needs to know that you are counting on him to do the right thing.  Thanks for standing with us in defense of American jobs and energy. 

The vote is scheduled for this Wednesday, so please CALL TODAY and tell Sen. Casey to vote yes on Senate Joint Resolution 37.

In Liberty,

  Matt Kibbe

School Choice in D.C. Saved...For Now

President Obama has begun "evolving" his positions on various policy issues as polls show him neck and neck with Mitt Romney. His latest about-face restores a popular school voucher program for needy children in Washington, D.C.-after he had yanked its funding.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), the Obama Administration has agreed to restore funding for the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship for another year.

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP), which allows children from low-income homes to escape the underperforming D.C. public schools and attend a private school of their choice, has given scholarships to nearly 5,000 children since 2004. Although legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President last year authorized the program to continue for five years, the President's budget request for fiscal year 2013 went back on his word and eliminated the program's funding, giving what was authorized for the scholarships to the public schools instead.

In seeking to end the program, the President sided with the teachers union, which consistently opposes policies like school choice that improve student outcomes.

Yesterday, Boehner and Lieberman announced they had reached an agreement with the Administration to restore the program for at least the next school year.

"Thousands of families have taken advantage of this scholarship program to give their children an opportunity to succeed in life, and there's strong evidence that it's both effective and cost-effective," Boehner said.

The D.C. OSP has been highly successful. According to federally mandated evaluations of the program, student achievement has increased, and graduation rates of voucher students have increased significantly. Graduation rates in D.C. public schools languish (hovering around 55 percent), and the public school system ranks last in the country in terms of academic achievement. Yet, students who used a voucher to attend private school had a 91 percent graduation rate. In addition, 89 percent of OSP graduates have gone on to enroll at a 2- or 4-year college or university.

And its cost effectiveness is clear. At $8,000, the vouchers are a bargain compared to the more than $18,000 spent per child by D.C. public schools.

Even more importantly, the OSP gives freedom of choice to parents and hope to children in low-income families. Parents are able to choose a better education for their children, with the aim of lifting them out of poverty. They want schools that are safe, cultivate a positive attitude about learning, and best fit their children's abilities and interests. Only school choice can satisfy these diverse preferences and expectations, and parents in the OSP have expressed high levels of satisfaction.

For three years, President Obama fought against this and other school choice programs, and he and Education Secretary Arne Duncan may take up that fight again. But for now, as electoral pressure grew and the popularity of this program expanded, he had little choice but to keep his end of last year's agreement.

The program's restoration was welcome news to Virginia Walden Ford, who fought for school choice in Washington, D.C., for more than 10 years. She now lives in Arkansas and advocates for school choice there.

"I am excited and relieved that the Obama Administration has worked with D.C. OSP champions Senator Lieberman and Speaker Boehner to make sure the program is fully implemented," she said. "This means so much to the families who have been so concerned about the future of their children's educational journey. It is truly incredible news for all the supporters who have fought over the years to make sure all the District's children have access to a quality education."

To hear success stories directly from the children and parents who have benefited from the D.C. OSP, check out "Let Me Rise," a video produced by The Heritage Foundation.

Victory Center" on Facebook

-Gabriel Malor

Last week I had the opportunity to get a sneak-peek at the RNC's new Facebook application. Designed, in the words of one RNC staffer to "take our message where the people are," the Social Victory Center app will, among other things, hook users up with campaign news targeted based on their location and preferences (which Facebook already knows, of course), let users join volunteer efforts, distribute voter registration forms, and provide an online phone bank, all without leaving the Facebook website. It will also, if users wish, put those activities on the user's Facebook wall, letting their friends see what they're up to and, hopefully, encouraging them to join in.

It's an attempt to leverage Facebook's popularity in a new way and, at the moment, the Democrats have nothing like it. The Social Victory Center was unveiled to the public yesterday, so if you're on Facebook, check it out. As the general election ramps up, check back for volunteer activities as they're added. Also, like I did in 2008, I'll be pushing online phone banking in the final weeks of the election, only this time the RNC will have done the heavy-lifting that the McCain team wasn't too keen on.

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

RedState Morning Briefing

For June 20, 2012

1. From Senator Pat Toomey: America vs. the Sugar Lobby

It's not often conservatives and liberals, Democrats and Republicans, pro-growth conservative groups and the Teamsters agree on something. In fact, it's almost unheard of.

But when it comes to the federal government's sugar program - one of the most egregious corporate welfare handouts in a long list of wasteful programs - these strange bedfellows have found common ground.

For years, the federal government has kept the price of sugar high by capping domestic production, imposing a de facto government price floor, and mandating that USDA buy excess sugar to sell to ethanol producers at a loss. The U.S. government also places exorbitant restrictions on sugar imports. The cumulative effect of all these special protections is an artificial increase in the price of sugar for Americans relative to other countries.

2. It's On: Holder tries to play Issa on Fast and Furious, will be subject of contempt vote tomorrow

Republican members of the House Oversight and Senate Judiciary Committees have been turning up the heat on Attorney General Eric Holder over his obstructive and misleading testimony about Fast and Furious, the operation in which the ATF coerced American gun dealers into selling firearms to Mexican cartels, and then allowed them to "walk" across our southern border (all without a whisper to the Mexican government).

After being threatened with a contempt of Congress vote (scheduled for Wednesday, June 20), Holder made a last-ditch attempt to avert what he has repeatedly referred to as a "constitutional crisis," requesting a meeting with Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) to "discuss [the Department of] Justice's knowledge of the controversial 'gun walking' tactics used in Fast and Furious, including information about whistleblowers." Issa agreed to the meeting, but informed Holder that nothing less than full disclosure - including the handover of all documents related to the program, its cover-up, and the action taken against ATF whistleblowers - would be acceptable.

3. From Rep. Michele Bachmann: The Case for Medicaid Audits to Prevent Fraud

Minnesotans are proud people. We're proud to boast of our 11,842 lakes and the fact that we can survive subzero temperatures for months straight. But one thing Minnesotans can't be proud of is our state's questionable handling of Medicaid dollars.

The House Oversight Committee recently reported, "Minnesota provides a stunning example of how states are failing to properly ensure the appropriate use of taxpayer dollars spent on Medicaid managed care."

So how did Minnesota end up with this disappointing designation?

4. WaWa and Kerry: A Tale of Two Memes

Yesterday saw two trial balloons floated by the Obama campaign and its surrogates in their ongoing struggle to define Mitt Romney as someone who should not be president. The first was centered around a Romney campaign stop in Pennsylvania over the weekend, the second about an announcement, of sorts, to the media over who has been selected to act as Romney in Obama's debate rehearsals.

Let's examine them both and what they mean in the context of this presidential campaign.

5. California State Bar Recommends Law License for Illegal Immigrant

I am probably a good deal squishier than most conservatives on the immigration issue - I broadly favor a set of immigration reforms that would probably be (inaccurately) called "amnesty" by most people who read this blog. But this story right here really chaps my hide.

6. Jared Polis May Have Violated House Rules Following High Park Fire Visit

Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) may have violated House ethics rules last week when he used his official .gov website to broadcast the details of his visit to the High Park Fire Command Post, which is located outside of the congressional district Polis' currently represents. Both the House ethics and administration committees have issued clear guidance prohibiting the use of official resources for out-of-district events. The recently completed decennial redistricting process added new territory to Polis' district, but he will only represent the new areas if he is re-elected in November.

Heritage Hotsheet

Experts on the Day's Hottest News

Items for June 15, 2012

 June 20, 2012 

Prince of Handouts
J.R. Dunn
It becomes apparent what Obama's electoral strategy is going to be. He will hand out goodies to one after another interest group over the next five months -- favors intended to cement customary support or swing the undecided. More

Obama's Patriotism
Lauri B. Regan
Obama truly typifies the lack of patriotism on the left. More

Obama: Against the Law
Jeffrey Folks
You'd think that, having taught law at least part-time, President Obama would have more respect for the subject. More

Undercover Community Organizer
Scott Mayer
Watching President Obama lead this nation is like watching a reverse episode of Undercover Boss. More

Voting with My Feet in Massachusetts
T.S. Weidler
Massachusetts isn't limited to nationally known moonbats. It also hosts a wide range of locally known moonbats. More

The New York Times' Broccoli Obsession
Lester Jackson
Because, in a sense, the broccoli example is a reductio ad absurdum ridiculing ObamaCare's overreach, the Times disingenuously attempts to ridicule this legitimate ridicule. More

Why Liberals Are Selfish
Kyle Becker
It is a constant refrain on the left that conservatives are "selfish." Enough of that rubbish. More

Quote Rush Limbaugh:  

"Liberalism is hideous. It is the antithesis of being pro-human. It looks at life as a burden in and of itself to be managed, rather than as a blessing to be explored and lived to the fullest."  

Islamists Bomb Three Churches in Kaduna State, Nigeria   Jun 19, 2012 11:00 am

Blasts in two churches in Zaria, one in Kaduna city kill dozens of Christians.

JOS, Nigeria, June 17 (Compass Direct News) - Suspected Islamic extremists bombed three churches in Kaduna state this morning, the third consecutive Sunday that worship services in Nigeria have ended in lethal bloodshed.

Muslim Brotherhood Restoration Of Caliphate And New Era Of Cyber Jihad   Jun 19, 2012 10:00 am

Kuwaiti Muslim Brotherhood Leader And Director Of Saudi Al-Risala TV Tareq Al-Suwaidan Tours West, Promoting Restoration Of Caliphate And New Era Of Cyber Jihad

Why Congress Should Not Preserve Flawed Obamacare Policies   Jun 19, 2012 08:30 am

The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to rule on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as "Obamacare"). In anticipation of an unfavorable Court decision, liberals in Congress and elsewhere are arguing that a repeal of Obamacare would end reforms currently in effect and that these reforms enjoy broad popular support. But Congress should not fall into the trap of preserving bad policy.

Terror Tuesdays, Kill Lists and Drones: Has the President Become a Law Unto Himself?   Jun 19, 2012 08:15 am

"What lies at the nexus of Obama's targeted drone killings, his self-serving leaks, and his aggressive prosecution of whistleblowers is a president who believes himself above the law, and seems convinced that he alone has a preternatural ability to determine right from wrong."-Peter Van Buren, a 24-year veteran Foreign Service Officer at the State Department

Obama's Move Signals a Presidency's End   Jun 19, 2012 05:00 am

President Obama's move to provide not only ipso facto amnesty to the children of illegal immigrants but work permits as well, signals that he has come to grips with the notion that he very well may not achieve re-election. It also signals that for the remainder of his tenure he will be pushing through as many Progressive and, essentially, ideological agenda items as he can. With hyper-partisans Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer in control of the Senate, the damage could be significant.

Pretty Girls With Guns & Guitars   Jun 19, 2012 05:00 am

Our beloved Brigade Babe, Jeannie Hinck, posted this awesome photo of her and a fellow band mate and it inspired this song....which Jeannie wrote after the Gibson Guitar raid...

Conservatives for Shariah   Jun 18, 2012 04:18 pm

The rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East has caused many Americans to reflect on that group's stated ambition to impose worldwide the totalitarian,supremacist Islamic doctrine known as shariah.  Particularly unsettling is evidence of the group's goal in America, namely of "destroying Western civilization from within," as documented in the Holy Land Foundation trial in Dallas in 2008.

Mohammed Zuhdi Jasser's Koran   Jun 18, 2012 10:13 am

Ignorant or Deceitful Regarding the Koranic Doctrines of Jihad and Dhimmitude?     Mohammed Zuhdi Jasser has just released his first book with the understated title, A Battle for the Soul of Islam: An American Muslim Patriot's Fight to Save His Faith.

In yet another sign that progress is being made in the pushback against radical Islam, five Members of Congress recently sent letters to the Department of Homeland Security, Director of National Intelligence, and others, which "seek answers about the U.S. government's involvement with the Muslim Brotherhood..."

We're sure we'll hear more about this at our upcoming National Conference & Legislative Briefing!

  House Members Seek National Security Answers from Inspectors General
  http://bachmann.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=299447


Washington, Jun 13 -

Today, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (MN-06) and Congressmen Trent Franks (AZ-02), Louie Gohmert (TX-01), Tom Rooney (FL-16) and Lynn Westmoreland (GA-03) sent letters to the Inspectors General of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and the Department of State. These letters seek answers about the U.S. government's involvement with the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that calls for "civilization jihad."

In the letter, Bachmann, Franks, Gohmert, Rooney and Westmoreland questioned the Inspectors General about the direct influence within the intelligence community of Muslim Brotherhood operatives. They explained that the U.S. government in federal court has established that the group's mission in the U.S. is "destroying the Western civilization from within." The members went on to request that the respective offices of the Inspectors General conduct a formal investigation or evaluation of the extent to which Muslim Brotherhood-tied individuals or entities are involved.

"The national security of our country depends on getting straight answers from the Inspectors General to the questions we posed in these letters," said Bachmann. "The Muslim Brotherhood is not shy about their call for jihad against the United States. We seek answers through these letters because we will not tolerate this group and its affiliates holding positions of power in our government or influencing our nation's leaders."

"Evidence indicates that this administration continues to bow before groups associated with the goal of 'destroying Western civilization from within,' and about whom the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has found that there is plenty of evidence indicating that they support terrorism," said Gohmert. "For departments of this administration to continue meeting with such groups and agreeing to further blind our government agents charged with looking for enemies wanting to destroy us is at best foolhardy. At a minimum, we need an independent inspection regarding the role, the roots and the results of such destructive groups within this administration. Our enemies have been identified; now we need to know what they have done to our ability to protect ourselves."

"The Muslim Brotherhood openly calls for violence against the United States, but we're learning that this organization may be infiltrating our ranks, even within our military," said Rooney. "We need our top security agencies to investigate thoroughly the degree to which members of this organization are active in our defense and intelligence communities, and what impact that has on our national security."

"We must always stay vigilant when fighting against those who want to destroy our way of life," said Westmoreland. "The Muslim Brotherhood may not have the name recognition of al-Qaeda or the Taliban, but that does not mean they don't have the potential to be just as deadly. I'm hoping these letters will send the message to our country's intelligence, law enforcement and diplomatic agencies that we cannot ignore the Muslim Brotherhood and must look into their operations and membership with the seriousness that is necessary in order to root them out of our government."

Founded in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood's motto reads, "Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. The Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope."

Signers of the letter serve on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (Bachmann, Rooney and Westmoreland), the Armed Services Committee (Franks and Rooney) and the Judiciary Committee (Franks and Gohmert). Additionally, Gohmert is the Vice Chair of the Judiciary subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security.

Copies of the letters are available here: Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and the Department of State.
 

 Tuesday, June 19, 2012

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer


COUNTDOWN TO VICTORY: 140 DAYS TO THE 2012 ELECTIONS


Click here to listen now.


Contempt Compromise?

After 16 months, it seems that the House leadership finally has Attorney General Eric Holder's attention. Unfortunately, it took the threat of a contempt citation to get it. We likely won't know the full details until this evening, but it seems Holder may have blinked first in the standoff over Operation Fast and Furious.

With the House Government Reform Committee set to vote on a contempt citation this week, Holder sent a letter yesterday to the committee's chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa, asking for a meeting this morning. Issa counteroffered -- demanding 1,300 documents be turned over this morning and he said no meeting would take place until 5:00 PM so that his staff could review the newly released material.

Meanwhile, Holder has another headache to contend with. Yesterday, the National Border Patrol Council, the union representing 17,000 Border Patrol agents, called on Holder to resign. Shawn Moran, a union vice president, told the Arizona Daily Star, "We take the risks that are out there naturally just being in law enforcement working across from Mexico in the condition it's in right now. But what you can't accept is when your own government is allowing weapons into the hands of the people you're confronting."


Green Energy's Waste: Your Tax Dollars

Charles Lane, an editorial writer for the Washington Post, has an illuminating column today on the billions of tax dollars wasted by Obama's green energy policies.

Barack Obama often says that he wants to "double down" on green energy subsidies. But as Lane notes those subsidies have more than doubled since Obama took office: "U.S. energy subsidies -- spending, tax breaks, loan guarantees -- increased from $17.9 billion in fiscal 2007 to $37.2 billion in fiscal 2010, according to the Energy Department."

So what are we getting for it? Not much beyond "a litany of clean-energy failures, from electric cars to Solyndra." As we have repeatedly detailed in this daily report, the fundamental economics simply are not there. Now some on the left seem willing to admit it.

Lane cites a new study by three researchers from the Brookings Institution, which is generally viewed as a left-of-center think tank. They examined the rationale for green energy subsidies and were less than impressed with the results. The bottom line from Adele Morris, one of the Brookings scholar: "I'm not aware of a single peer-reviewed economic study that shows these programs create jobs in the long run, and on a net basis."

Lane adds, "Solyndra and its 1,861 vanished jobs proves [Morris'] point."


More Bad News

Here are some additional nuggets from the news confirming what we already know: Obamanomics isn't working.

New Labor Department reports indicate that job openings in April hit a five-month low and "showed their sharpest percentage decline in about seven and a half years." And the Washington Examiner reports that nearly 7 million people dropped their cable TV service last year. When asked why, more than 70% cited "cost-cutting" as the reason.

Then again, fewer people watching MSNBC is a good thing for America. Let's hope reality has set in and they will change their minds about Barack Obama if they aren't watching the left-wing media!


Questioning A Pro-Life Convert

Pro-life advocates love a good conversion story. And in recent years they have cheered as a long list of politicians, celebrities, and former abortion facility workers who have embraced the pro-life cause. Yet even in the face of Barack Obama's pro-abortion extremism, many in the pro-life community are hesitant to accept Mitt Romney as one of their own.

As I write today at FoxNews.com, Romney, like Ronald Reagan, is a contrite convert to the pro-life cause. Given that either he or Barack Obama will be president for the next four years, I believe pro-lifers should welcome Romney's change of heart. You can read more here.
   

Brief · June 18, 2012

The Foundation

"The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create whatever the form of government, a real despotism." --George Washington

Government

"With his announcement that he will, in effect, unilaterally enact a key feature of long-debated immigration reform, President Obama is doing something he has always wished to do: Get around a Congress that doesn't see the issue his way. In a speech to La Raza last July, Obama said that on the question of immigration reform, 'some people want me to bypass Congress and change the laws on my own.' Obama said he found the idea 'very tempting' but had to reject it because 'that's not how our system works.' The president was in a somewhat more combative mood last September, when he addressed the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. 'As I mentioned when I was at La Raza a few weeks back, I wish I had a magic wand and could make this all happen on my own,' Obama told the group. 'There are times where -- until Nancy Pelosi is speaker again -- I'd like to work my way around Congress.' ... At the time, Obama conceded only that really big changes require the approval of Congress. 'We live in a democracy, and at the end of the day, I can't do this all by myself under our democratic system,' he said. 'If we're going to do big things -- whether it's passing this jobs bill, or the DREAM Act, or comprehensive immigration reform -- we're going to have to get Congress to act.' Now, Obama has decided, in the words of an Associated Press report, to 'stop deporting and begin granting work permits to younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives,' a policy that 'will affect as many as 800,000 immigrants.' The action, which Republicans call amnesty and the administration calls 'deferred action,' will surely spark GOP calls to rein in the president's unilateral measures. The question will be whether any Democratic members of Congress, who might agree with Obama's policy goals, will dare express unhappiness with how he enacts them." --columnist Byron York

Political Futures

"Politically, Obama calculates that some polls showing the current likely Hispanic support for him in the high 50s or low 60s would not provide enough of a margin in critical states ... to counteract the growing slippage of the independent vote and the energy of the clinger/tea-party activists. Thus, what was not legal or advisable in 2009, 2010, or 2011, suddenly has become critical in mid-2012. ... When you collate this recent act with the class-warfare rhetoric, the 'punish our enemies' threats, the president's and Eric Holder's serial racialist statements, the huge borrowing, the national-security leaks, the takeover of health care, the push for redistributive taxes, and even the trivial appointments like a Van Jones, Anita Dunn, or Armendariz, you can fairly conclude that Obama most certainly did not like the way the United States operated for the last 30 or so years, and has tried his best, through hook or crook, to change America in ways that simply were not possible through legislative or even judicial action. Give the president credit. He has thrown down the gauntlet and essentially boasted: This is my vision of the way the new America should work -- and if you don't like it, try stopping me in November, if you dare." --historian Victor Davis Hanson

How does Obama's immigration decision affect the election?

Please Support The Patriot Post Today

So what is The Patriot Post's Brief anyway? It's possibly the most useful thing you could read on Monday.

Our team of contributors puts together Monday's Brief by sifting through dozens of opinion articles by leading conservative thinkers each week looking for the best analysis of the issues facing America. You'll find the latest on the economy, immigration and national security, as well as comments from our readers and much more!

We depend on your support to keep this priceless resource coming every Monday. Help us by making a secure online donation to The Patriot Post's 2012 Independence Day Campaign. If you prefer to support us by mail, please use our printable donor form. We still must raise $242,500 for the campaign.

Thank you!
Nate Jackson
Managing Editor

Re: The Left

"Obama's depiction of the Bush years is wrong in just about every possible way. First, Bush was hardly a deregulator. In fact, the nation's regulatory budget nearly doubled in his eight years, and regulatory staffing climbed 42%, according to an annual report on the federal regulatory state by George Mason University's Mercatus Center. Nor did Bush's tax cuts devastate the budget. In fact, revenues as a share of gross domestic product hit 18.5% in 2007, which is above the post-World War II average. And deficits fell three years in a row to a low of $160 billion. Unemployment, meanwhile, dropped to 4.4% just before the recession hit. And as we've pointed out on countless occasions, the financial crisis that caused the recession was not the result of too little government, but of far too much government intervention in the banking industry. Then again, Obama can't even keep his own complaints straight. Moments after lambasting Bush's tax-cutting, deregulating ways, he was bragging about how he's imposed fewer regulations than Bush, cut taxes more than a dozen times and how he's not a big spender. (None of that is true.) The real question before voters isn't whether they want to return to some dark, mythical past of Obama's imagination, but whether they want four more years of a dismal present characterized by stagnant growth, chronic unemployment, massive deficits and a president who is utterly clueless about how to fix any of it." --Investor's Business Daily

Essential Liberty

"The idea of human liberty and its political corollary ... is not applicable only to Americans. Rather, it is a universal principle applicable to all people. Thomas Paine famously observed that 'the cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind.' But this cause is contested today, both domestically and internationally. Domestically, the progressive administrative state continues to encroach on the republican government established by the Constitution. Abroad, tyrants and terrorists try to extinguish Lady Liberty's flame. American sovereignty is also increasingly threatened by international institutions that have little respect for human rights, the rule of law, and self-government. ... The abandonment of the nation-state system in general and the American constitutional order in particular is unnecessary and at odds with the reason and experience of our experiment in constitutional self-government. The ideas of America's founding are timeless. And yet the defense of freedom is never complete, but requires eternal vigilance -- morally, legally, and materially. Not only must the cloth and colors of the flag endure, but the liberty it represents must not perish from the earth." --Heritage Foundation's Marion Smith

For the Record

"Job growth has been slipping badly for three months. Retail sales and factory orders are down two straight months. Real incomes are flat. Household wealth is way underwater from the housing collapse, dropping nearly 40 percent in the last three measured years. And gross domestic product was an anemic 1.9 percent in the first quarter. Nearly all leading Wall Street economists are marking down their second-quarter estimates to 2 percent or less. But here's the key point: 2 percent growth is not a recovery. ... The good side of commodity deflation is that oil and retail gas prices have fallen considerably; the bad side is that manufacturers may hold back production and that debtors have to climb out of deeper holes. As someone who always touts the merits of a strong King Dollar, why am I complaining now that we have one? That's my second reason for the latest economic stall: King Dollar is not being accompanied by lower tax rates. ... [I]nstead of easier taxes, a huge tax-hike cliff looms. ... It's hard to quantify, but it's quite possible that business hiring plans and consumer-spending expectations have been put on hold until folks can figure out future tax policy. All this is why the tax-cliff problem needs to be solved immediately." --economist Lawrence Kudlow

Opinion in Brief

"While pushing Congress to pass the $831 billion stimulus package in 2009, President Obama promised that millions of jobs would be created, and or saved, and that the nation's unemployment rate would fall to less than 8.0%. Three years on, there are 23 million unemployed, or under employed, Americans, the unemployment rate is 8.2%. Final GDP numbers for 2011 show a not-too-sterling growth rate of 1.7%. ... In spite of all of this dreary economic news, President Obama actually claimed that the economy is doing 'fine,' at least in the private sector. He is also pushing for another stimulus. Given the results from the first stimulus, why would any responsible Congress critter give this president even one more dollar of American treasure to waste?" --columnist John Lillpop

The Gipper

"[G]overnment does not tax to get the money it needs; government always needs the money it gets. Now, your son can be extravagant with his allowance and you can lecture him day after day about saving money and not being extravagant, or you can solve the problem by cutting his allowance." --Ronald Reagan

Faith & Family

"Last week news spread of a unique partnership between Planned Parenthood and the Los Angeles Unified School District -- Planned Parenthood now runs a 'health' clinic on the school grounds of Roosevelt High School, serving mostly teens from low-income, Latino families. ... While the Planned Parenthood clinic apparently doesn't do abortions on school premises, it takes little imagination to envision the direction their supposedly non-judgmental counseling will take for girls who do become pregnant. ... Planned Parenthood's on-campus presence ensures a steady diet of contraceptive pills, patches, and shots delivered to teens as young as 13, without their parents' knowledge or consent. ... And parents will have no clue what's being said or delivered, and no power to prevent it. ... It's up to us to take the reins of our child's sex education, to deliver the right messages about sex. ... Sex ed is not a once-and-done plumbing lesson but an ongoing effort to provide context and moral guidance according to your child's knowledge, maturity level, and experiences. ... Don't cede control to teachers, nurses, or clinic workers who not only don't know your child but also won't provide any moral context for the sexual messages they deliver." --columnist Rebecca Hagelin

Reader Comments

"Alexander's Essay on Fatherhood is a great tribute to the full concept of 'Father,' and beautifully written. I would only add that I have always admired Tony Dungy, who from personal experience knows both the joy and the pain of being a Father. He has done so much for so many in need, which goes well beyond his success as an NFL coach. Thanks for recognizing him in this way, and Happy Father's Day!" --Jack in Fort Wayne, IN

"This seems like a good time to remember that not all dads have the ability to be with their children this weekend. For those who are thousands of miles from home, fighting for the rest of us, giving us the chance to be with our loved ones, I can only say, 'Thank you, and God bless you and your families. Please come home safely.' We can never repay all the valiant and courageous young men (and women) for their service to their country." --Susan in CA

"In response to Friday's Digest, most everything Mr. Obama says any more is surreal and cringe worthy. He sounds like a little grade school kid who thinks by telling the same lies over and over will exonerate him or, if that doesn't work, he blames everyone else. The real tragedy is not Obama or his policies, but the strange fact that someone of his ilk and incompetence could actually be elected president in the first place." --Ken in Dayton, OH

"In regards to the leaking of classified material from the White House, this is not a case of long term national security but a case of short term political expediency. Most people realize that short term expedience usually results in long term failure, but then again, our Dear Leader, the Chosen One, isn't "most people.'" --Scott in El Dorado Hills, CA

The Last Word

Editor's Note: The following is satire.

"White House sources tell me Michelle flew into a jealous rage when informed of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's decision to limit soda sizes. She immediately gathered her staff in the East Wing and began creating a new set of proposals to reduce caloric consumption nationwide. White House Dossier has obtained a copy of the proposals. We provide for your perusal here the ten most effective and innovative ideas on the first lady's list. 1. Half & Half to be changed to Three Quarters & One Quarter. 2. McDonald's employees required to apply electric shock to customers every time they say 'Supersize it.' 3. All Marijuana imported into the United States must be specially formulated so as not to induce 'the munchies.' 4. Donuts now required to have two holes. 5. Parents permitted to feed children vegetables via suppository. 6. Girl Scouts required to warn customers about the potential health risks of Girl Scout Cookies. 7. New 'extra small' sodas in movie theaters served on a washcloth and must be sucked off. 8. Frozen yogurt must actually be frozen yogurt. 9. Hostess Cupcakes to be filled with mashed potatoes. 10. Federal law now prohibits unscrewing Oreos, eating the creme filling, and throwing out the cookies. Note: Mandatory jail time for performing this act using Double Stuff Oreos." --White House Dossier's Keith Koffler

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

(To submit reader comments click here.)

(Please pray for our Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.)

Fast and Furious investigation could end today, Holder go scot free

Jun 19, 2012 06:13 am | Coach Collins

by Doug Book,  staff writer

Attorney General Eric Holder will meet with Fast and Furious nemesis Congressman Darrell Issa at 5:00 this afternoon in what could mark the end of the Congressional investigation of Barack Obama's deadly gun smuggling scheme.

Last week, House Republican leaders at last agreed to schedule a vote on the Contempt of Congress charge Issa has long sought to bring against the Attorney General for 8 months of refusing to honor Congressional subpoenas. Deputy Attorney General James Cole quickly responded with a letter to House Government Reform Committee chair Issa, requesting a meeting to discuss ways of avoiding the vote. Issa agreed to meet with the Attorney General, but only if the Justice Department were willing to "...submit a serious proposal for how it intends to alter its refusal to produce critical documents subpoenaed by the Committee..."

One day later, on June 14th, Holder answered with a two page letter ... Continue Reading:Fast and Furious investigation could end today, Holder go scot free

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American Minute June 18

Jun 18, 2012 06:13 pm | Coach Collins

 The War of 1812 began on JUNE 18, 1812.
The British captured American ships and enslaved sailors.
They incited Indians to capture Fort Mims, massacring 500 men, women and children.
They captured the Capitol, burnt the White House, bombarded Fort McHenry and attacked New Orleans. Outraged, many volunteered for the Army, including Davy Crockett.
In his Proclamation of War, President James Madison stated:
"I do moreover exhort all the good people of the United States...as they feel the wrongs which have forced on them the last resort of injured nations...to consult the best means under the blessing of Divine Providence of abridging its calamities."
In the three years of the War, President Madison, who had introduced the First Amendment in the First Session of Congress, issued Proclamations of Public Humiliation and Prayer in 1812 and 1813, followed by a Proclamation of Public Fasting in 1814, in which he stated:
"in the present ... Continue Reading:American Minute June 18

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Barack Bialystock's "Springtime For Hitler" campaign: is he TRYING to lose?

Jun 18, 2012 01:13 pm | Coach Collins

By Derrick Hollenbeck, staf writer

The plot of Mel Brooks' 1968 classic film "The Producers" revolves around a crooked Broadway producer who sells 25,000 percent of his play then HAS to make certain it flops so no one will be looking for any return on their investment. The play's name "Springtime For Hitler" is purposely selected insure its failure.

 If the play is a success Brooks' character the despicable Max Bialystock, will be seen for the crook that he is.  In 2008, like Max Bialystock, Barack Obama easily promised much much more than he could deliver. The difference between Bialystock's suckers and Obama's suckers was that Obama's should have/could have known better.

Watching Barack Obama's reelection campaign careening wildly and bouncing off walls begs the question: who are we watching Barack Obama or Max Bialystock? Could it be that Obama actually doesn't want to be President anymore and that he WANTS to lose? At this point he ... Continue Reading:Barack Bialystock's "Springtime For Hitler" campaign: is he TRYING to lose?

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Today's Headlines:  Tuesday, June 19, 2012

McCain on Obama Granting Work Permits to Illegals: He Can't Do It Because He's Not King

60 Illegals From Countries That 'Promote, Produce, or Protect' Terrorists Caught Along U.S. Coastlines

CNSNews.com has been awarded a $100,000 challenge grant! Please make a tax deductible gift today and your support will be doubled!

Obama Campaign Sends 'Dreamers' Fundraising Email Hours after Amnesty Announcement

Rubio: 'It Feels Weird to Deport a Valedictorian'

U.N. Global Environmental Program Gets a Boost at 'Rio+20' Conference

Obama Campaign Sends 'Dreamers' Fundraising Email Hours after Amnesty Announcement

JPMorgan Chase CEO: Bank Took TARP, 'Because We Were Asked to' by Treasury Secretary

Tax Foundation: Millionaire Status is Transient

GOP Senators Want IRS to Cite Legal Grounds for Demanding Donor Lists of Tea Party Groups

Michelle Obama Jokes About Solar Car Explosion at OSU Commencement

Rep. West: The Word 'Progressives' Directly Related to Term 'Communist'

U.S. Plans Significant Military Presence in Kuwait