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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
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!):
WASHINGTON - Federal agent John Dodson says what he was asked to do was beyond belief.
He was intentionally letting guns go to Mexico?
"Yes ma'am," Dodson told CBS News. "The agency was."
An Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms senior agent assigned to the Phoenix office in 2010, Dodson's job is to stop gun trafficking across the border. Instead, he says he was ordered to sit by and watch it happen.
Investigators call the tactic letting guns "walk." In this case, walking into the hands of criminals who would use them in Mexico and the United States.
Dodson's bosses say that never happened. Now, he's risking his job to go public.
"I'm boots on the ground in Phoenix, telling you we've been doing it every day since I've been here," he said. "Here I am. Tell me I didn't do the things that I did. Tell me you didn't order me to do the things I did. Tell me it didn't happen. Now you have a name on it. You have a face to put with it. Here I am. Someone now, tell me it didn't happen."
Agent Dodson and other sources say the gun walking strategy was approved all the way up to the Justice Department. The idea was to see where the guns ended up, build a big case and take down a cartel. And it was all kept secret from Mexico.
ATF named the case "Fast and Furious."
Surveillance video obtained by CBS News shows suspected drug cartel suppliers carrying boxes of weapons to their cars at a Phoenix gun shop. The long boxes shown in the video being loaded in were AK-47-type assault rifles.
So it turns out ATF not only allowed it - they videotaped it.
Documents show the inevitable result: The guns that ATF let go began showing up at crime scenes in Mexico. And as ATF stood by watching thousands of weapons hit the streets... the Fast and Furious group supervisor noted the escalating Mexican violence.
One e-mail noted, "958 killed in March 2010 ... most violent month since 2005." The same e-mail notes: "Our subjects purchased 359 firearms during March alone," including "numerous Barrett .50 caliber rifles."
Dodson feels that ATF was partly to blame for the escalating violence in Mexico and on the border. "I even asked them if they could see the correlation between the two," he said. "The more our guys buy, the more violence we're having down there."
Senior agents including Dodson told CBS News they confronted their supervisors over and over.
Their answer, according to Dodson, was, "If you're going to make an omelette, you've got to break some eggs."
There was so much opposition to the gun walking, that an ATF supervisor issued an e-mail noting a "schism" among the agents. "Whether you care or not people of rank and authority at HQ are paying close attention to this case...we are doing what they envisioned.... If you don't think this is fun you're in the wrong line of work... Maybe the Maricopa County jail is hiring detention officers and you can get $30,000 ... to serve lunch to inmates..."
"We just knew it wasn't going to end well. There's just no way it could," Dodson said.
According to Dodson, "They said, 'Did you hear about the border patrol agent?' And I said, 'Yeah.' And they said 'Well it was one of the Fast and Furious guns.' There's not really much you can say after that."
Two assault rifles ATF had let go nearly a year before were found at Terry's murder.
Dodson said, "I felt guilty. I mean it's crushing. I don't know how to explain it."
Sen. Grassley began investigating after his office spoke to Dodson and a dozen other ATF sources -- all telling the same story.
The response was "practically zilch," Grassley said. "From the standpoint that documents we want - we have not gotten them. I think it's a case of stonewalling."
Dodson said he hopes that speaking out helps Terry's family. They haven't been told much of anything about his murder - or where the bullet came from.
"First of all, I'd tell them that I'm sorry. Second of all, I'd tell them I've done everything that I can for them to get the truth," Dodson said. "After this, I don't know what else I can do. But I hope they get it."
Dodson said they never did take down a drug cartels. However, he said thousands of Fast and Furious weapons are still out there and will be claiming victims on both sides of the border for years to come.
Late tonight, the ATF said it will convene a panel to look into its national firearms trafficking strategy. But it refused to comment specifically on Sharyl's report.
Statement from Kenneth E. Melson, Acting Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives:
"The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will ask a multi-disciplinary panel of law enforcement professionals to review the bureau's current firearms trafficking strategies employed by field division managers and special agents. This review will enable ATF to maximize its effectiveness when undertaking complex firearms trafficking investigations and prosecutions. It will support the goals of ATF to stem the illegal flow of firearms to Mexico and combat firearms trafficking in the United States."
WASHINGTON The Supreme Court says a union must give nonmembers an immediate chance to object to unexpected fee increases that all workers are required to pay in closed-shop situations.
The court on Thursday ruled for Dianne Knox and other nonmembers of the Service Employees International Union's Local 1000, who wanted to object and opt out of a $12 million special assessment the union required from its California public sector members. Knox and others said the union did not give them a legally required notice that the increase was coming.
The union, and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, said the annual notice that the union gives was sufficient. The high court disagreed in a 7-2 judgment written by Justice Samuel Alito.
Judiciary
Supreme Court delivers blow to public sector union fee hikes
By:Hope Hodge 6/21/2012
The Supreme Court dealt a chastening blow to the liberal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and organized labor Thursday, ruling 7-2 to reverse a decision that would force nonmembers of public-sector unions in California to pay a fee that would help to finance the unions' activities.
Associate Justice Samuel Alito, a George W. Bush nominee, delivered the opinion of the court, with a concurring opinion by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and dissent were given by Justices Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan.
The case centered on a California regulation that allowed unions to charge employees in a particular "agency shop" annual fees to pay for union activities, even if the employees opted not to join the union.
In June 2005, a local branch of the Service Employees International Union sent out a notice telling employees in its shop what the monthly dues for the year would be, but also gave notice that the fee could be increased at any time without additional notice. Shortly after, SEIU would propose a temporary increase of 25 percent in employee fees in order to fund a pro-union political campaign.
Welcome to the fortress of free speech. The New IQ 106.9 FM is the Delaware Valley's new ho me for Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck. Hidden beyond the reach of big government and corporate media in an abandoned power plant in Fishtown, IQ 106.9 is fair and balanced, not live and liberal.
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.
Glenn heard your requests and decided to make the GBTV documentary, Rumors of War III: Target U.S., available on DVD! As a GBTV Plus subscriber you can watch this stunning documentary on demand. Glenn said this is one of the most important hours of television he has been a part of yet - now you have the chance to own the DVD and share it with your friends and family.
America is under attack and the enemy isn't an ocean away, it's much closer than you think. The problem is 99% of Americans don't know it. This documentary brings you THE TRUTH about what's really happening on our borders. The connections revealed between the Muslim Brotherhood and top ranking positions in our government are unbelievable. The War on Terror is NOT over.We can't rely on "honest" journalists to get this information to the public, so we are counting on YOU.
All GBTV subscribers receive an exclusive discount on this DVD. If you are a GBTV subscriber, CLICK HERE to learn how to take advantage of this exclusive discount.
June 18, 2012, 10:30 PM
Dear Members and Friends,
To help raise money for our American Exceptionalism July 4th Tea Party, we are raffling off a pair of tickets to one of the hottest events this summer--Dom Giordano Welcomes Marco Rubio at the National Constitution Center.
The event has been sold out for days.
Each chance cost $5. All you have to do is hit the donate button (below)
and contribute $5 for 1 chance, $10 for 2 chances, $15 for 3 chances.... up to $50 for 10 chances.
We will enter a piece of paper with your name on it into a hat for each chance that you purchase. We will pick a winner by 9 AM Wednesday and immediately notify that individual by email.
A reminder--each ticket includes a copy of Marco Rubio's new book.
Good luck to all participants!
On behalf of the Association Board of Directors,
Teri Adams, 215.663.1983
The Independence Hall Tea Party Association formed after historic February 28 and April 18, 2009 Tea Parties on Independence Mall. It is the oldest and largest independent grassroots Tea Party organization in the tri-state (DE, NJ, PA) region and encompasses the 5th leading media market in the United States.
This fall, I am launching the Chester County Veterans ID & Discount Program which will provide Chester County's military veterans with a veterans photo ID when they record their military discharge with my office. I am asking businesses to support our veterans by offering a discount when they show this special ID card at the time of purchase.
If you have a business, please consider participating in this program. I have attached a link at the bottom with more information and the discountsign-up form. If you know of a business who might be interested in participating in thediscount program, please forward this email to them. It is a great opportunity to show our appreciation for our veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country. I hope you will join me!
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Rick Loughery
Recorder of Deeds
County of Chester, PA
Please click on link below for more information and the business discount application.
Tom Smith's background is a common one in Pennsylvania and across the country, but one that is all too rare in the United States Senate-which may explain a great deal about how our country came to this point in our history.
Tom still lives on the farm in Armstrong County where he grew up. After graduating from Elderton High School in 1965, he postponed college to help his father tend that farm and supplemented his income by driving a school bus. Before too long, Tom had married his high school sweetheart, Saundy, started a family, and went to work in a local surface coal mine.
In 1989, Tom entered the coal business himself, mortgaging everything he had in the hope that he could build a better life for himself and his family. He succeeded, building a series of companies in a highly regulated industry through some tough economic times. When he sold the companies in 2010, they were mining more than a million tons of coal a year and employed over one-hundred people.
Let's get together and talk about our next steps as we get ready to take out Barack Obama and Bob Casey this Fall! After a very well attended Get Out The Vote training day in Bucks County in early June, we are now ready to put into practice all the tools we learned from FreedomWorks.
We all came together back in 2009 because we were outraged by the election of Barack Obama, the passage of Obamacare and the direction of our country financially and ideologically. The time has come, perhaps our last chance to truly make a stance, for us to unite and work to defeat the progressive agenda which has already infiltrated us so deeply. The first step towards a big win in November starts now! So, we, at The Kitchen Table Patriots, urge you to come out to make a difference, we can plug you in where you are needed.
This is where you can make a difference that really matters!
Cost: ................ Free (buy your own drink downstairs)
Where: ............. The Loyal Order of the Moose
127 East State Street, Doylestown, PA 18901
School Choice is Back
Please call your legislators today
and ask them to vote YES on HB 2468
Jan Murphy, Harrisburg Patriot-News
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
While plans for school vouchers remain mired in the General Assembly, some lawmakers are supporting a new idea to help kids in failing schools. Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver, is introducing a bill that would create a $100 million tax credit program aimed at children in poor-performing schools. The bill to create the new Educational Improvement Scholarship Credit will be introduced today in the House of Representatives. The program would try to build on the state's $75 million Educational Improvement Tax Credit program. That program grants tax credit to companies that donate to preschool and K-12 scholarships to students or to innovative public education programs. Tax credits for this program typically are spoken for in a matter of days after they become available. The new tax credit program would be limited to companies donating to organizations that provide scholarships to students in the state's worst-performing schools. In Christiana's plan as well as the existing EITC program, businesses donating to scholarship organizations could cut their state taxes by up to 90 cents on every dollar donated to education. The goal of Christiana's plan is to generate enough money to provide an escape for 30,000 low- and middle-income students in failing public schools. His plan would provide scholarships of up to $8,500 for a regular education student and up to $15,000 for a special-needs student. "I think it is a very attractive program to those that want to help these kids get out of the violent underperforming schools," Christiana said. Support for a new education tax credit is evolving among House Republican leaders. "I think it's definitely something we should do," said House Majority Whip Stan Saylor, R-York.
Privatization of Liquor Stores
The time has come, once and for all, to give Pennsylvanians the freedom to choose their own wine and spirits -- without the government's monopoly of mediocrity. Government in the booze business has always been a lose business. Let's give our legislators a final push to let them know the time is now to get government out of the booze business! Currently, this issue is stalled in the House of Representatives so your phone calls, emails and faxes can have a positive effect in getting this to a vote before the Legislators leave Harrisburg for the Summer.
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
U.N. Me Official Theatrical Trailer
U.N. Me will launch June 1st in select theaters and nationwide through video on demand!
For more info: facebook.com/unmemovie www.theunmovie.com
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 WinningSchindler'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.
Featuring 113 primary source documents, The U.S. Constitution: A Reader was developed for teaching the core course on the U.S. Constitution at Hillsdale College.
Divided into eleven sections with introductions by members of Hillsdale's Politics Department faculty, readings cover the principles of the American founding, the framing and structure of the Constitution, the secession crisis and the Civil War, the Progressive rejection of the Constitution, and the building of the administrative state based on Progressive principles.
Hillsdale College is a private, coeducational, residential, liberal arts college with approximately 1,400 students. Founded in 1844, the College remains, in the words of its Articles of Association, "grateful to God for the inestimable blessings resulting from the presence of civil and religious liberty and intelligent piety" in our nation, and dedicated to "the diffusion of sound learning" that is "essential to the perpetuity of these blessings."
Hillsdale College is distinguished by its rigorous core curriculum, by its principled rejection of federal and state taxpayer funding, and by the pledge of its Board of Trustees to resists any attempts by the government to regulate its internal affairs.
Hillsdale College promotes the principles of liberty nationwide through its national speech digest, Imprimis, which has a monthly circulation of over 2 million, and through several outreach programs. In 2008, Hillsdale launched its Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship in Washington, D.C. The College will also launch the Hillsdale Graduate School of Statesmanship in fall 2012.
As a trusted reader of New Common Sense, the weekly e-mail from The Heritage Foundation, we wanted you to be the first to know about our new website ConstitutionOnline.com.
From the preamble to the 27
th
Amendment -- The Heritage Guide to the Constitution Online is a completely searchable reference tool with leading expert analysis of the Constitution. The site features clause by clause analysis of our timeless reference book, links to essays, as well as a teaching companion.
ConstitutionOnline.com provides clear, concise analysis for users who are trying to further their understanding of the Constitution.
No document is more central to securing "the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity" than the United States Constitution, and no website is more thorough than ConstitutionOnline.com.
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.
Tonight, Sunday June 3rd, CUFI Founder and Chairman, Pastor John Hagee, will be announcing an exciting new CUFI initiative. You can click here to watch it live at 7:30 PM Eastern (6:30 PM Central, 5:30 PM Mountain, 4:30 PM Pacific). This link will not be live until 7:30 PM Eastern (6:30 PM Central, 5:30 PM Mountain, 4:30 PM Pacific) tonight.
Tonight, Pastor Hagee will be announcing the creation of the Israel Defense Fund. This emergency fund will enable CUFI to meet the major challenges we anticipate in the coming months.
CUFI has accomplished great things for Israel. But the times in which we live demand that we do even more -- and do so now!
We need to do more to defend Israel in the public square and in the media. The Israel Defense Fund will enable us to purchase more pro-Israel billboards across America as well as full-page newspaper ads as circumstances demand.
We need to do more to defend Israel on our college campuses. The Israel Defense Fund will enable us to train even more students and hold even more pro-Israel events on campuses across the country.
We need to do more to defend Israel before our leaders. The Israel Defense Fund will enable us to be more active than ever in educating our nation's leaders about the justice of Israel's cause.
Even if you can't watch the broadcast, don't miss out on the opportunity to be part of the Israel Defense Fund! Click here now to contribute.
We will not be silent. Together, we will do more than ever to stand up and speak up for Israel.
May God Bless You and Those that You Love,
David Brog Executive Director CUFI
FREE Training Conference
Saturday, August 18, 2012 Washington Dulles Airport Marriott 45020 Aviation Drive * Dulles, Virginia * (703) 471-9500
Brigitte Gabriel and our National Staff want to personally invest our time with you and have worked hard to provide a FREE training for our members in the region around D.C.!
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:
"...After 8 hours in that chair ............. I was ready for another 8 hours - it seemed to end too soon..."
"I was literally stunned. Wow! Brigitte Gabriel has assembled an incredible team to support her message of action and hope!"
"...As much as the issue depresses me, and I could cry every time I think about what is happening to the West, I left yesterday's conference energized and inspired. The day reminded me that I am *not* alone, after all, in trying to resist the dangerous absurdity of radical Islam that is being forced on us. I'm in desperate need of such reminders, as I'm sure most of us are. Whenever I'm close to despair, I remind myself of Brigitte's message. Thank you so much for this incredible training day!"
"...What an amazing seminar!"
"...I have never spent a better $45, 104 miles and 12 hours!" (Previous pricing for a similar event. We're wanting to involve as many as possible from this region, so for this event only, it's free!)
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)
Monday 3-4pm "Bordering on Insanity" - Sue Payne and Frosty Wooldridge
The Case Against Obamacare: Health Care Policy Series for the 112th Congress
A Health Care Policy Series for the 112th Congress
Building on decades of Heritage research, The Case Against Obamacare: A Health Care Policy Series for the 112th Congress examines 15 key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Each report:
Cites specific sections of the 2,700-page health care law
Provides detailed analysis of specific Obamacare provisions
Identifies key principles for a better way to reform health care
The unmistakable conclusion of this series is that Obamacare must be fully repealed. Congress cannot build sound market-based health care reform on the flawed foundation of this health care law. Until it can be repealed, Congress must employ its full powers authorized by the Constitution to:
For Tea Parties, this can be used as basic ammunition for letters to the editor, columns for your local news outlet, handouts at public events, emailing the pdf to our elected reps as well as to members, friends and neighbors.
This appears to be an excellent resource; let's make use of it.
Lou Flanagan
The General Wayne Tea Party
By revealing the Nazi and Marxist origins of groups such as the Muslim Students Association and Students for Justice in Palestine and the connections between these organizations and terrorist activities around the globe, Muslim Hate Groups on Campus sheds light on the dark undercurrent of anti-Semitism which flows unobstructed through our most prestigious institutions of higher education.
The press is labeling it as a Constitutional crisis. A committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has charged Attorney General Eric Holder with Contempt of Congress for refusing to provide documents on "Operation Fast and Furious" an ill fated gun walking operation that cost the lives of several U.S. Border Patrol agents, and an uncounted number of Mexican nationals.
It has already been established that Holder has lied to the committee about several aspects of the case and now he has refused to turn over documents that have been lawfully subpoenaed by Congress. The White House has gotten involved claiming that these documents are protected by "Executive privilege," despite the fact that they don't fall under the definition of that term as put forth by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of United States v. Nixon. The Court found that even though it was not in the Constitution, such a privilege did exist, but it was very limited.
So, is Eric Holder guilty of contempt of Congress? I would say absolutely since the legal definition of contempt is: "The willful defiance, disregard, or disrespect of judicial or legislative authority or dignity, especially any disobedience of an order or any conduct that disrupts, obstructs, or interferes with the administration or procedures of a court or legislature." That is certainly what is happening here.
However, I would take it a step further and suggest that Eric Holder and his boss Barack Obama are both guilty of far more.
The United States was born when rebellious colonists declared their independence from an imperial ruler who had vastly overstepped his bounds. "The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States," they wrote in their Declaration of Independence.
Today's presidency lacks the regal air of George III. But imperialism is back, in a big way.
Last week, the Obama Administration's Department of Homeland Security issued a memorandum instructing U.S. immigration officials to use their "prosecutorial discretion" to create a policy scheme contrary to existing law, designed to implement legislation that Congress hasn't passed.
The President himself has admitted he doesn't have the authority to do this. "The idea of doing things on my own is very tempting, I promise you, not just on immigration reform. But that's not how our system works," he told Hispanic activists last year. "That's not how our democracy functions."
Indeed.
We can now see before us a persistent pattern of disregard for the powers of the legislative branch in favor of administrative decision-making without-and often in spite of-congressional action. This violates the spirit-and potentially the letter-of the Constitution's separation of the legislative and executive powers of Congress and the President.
Examples abound:
Even though the Democrat-controlled Senate rejected the President's cap-and-trade plan, his Environmental Protection Agency classified carbon dioxide, the compound that sustains vegetative life, as a pollutant so that it could regulate it under the Clean Air Act.
After the Employee Free Choice Act-designed to bolster labor unions' dwindling membership rolls-was defeated by Congress, the National Labor Relations Board announced a rule that would implement "snap elections" for union representation, limiting employers' abilities to make their case to workers and virtually guaranteeing a higher rate of unionization at the expense of workplace democracy.
After an Internet regulation proposal failed to make it through Congress, the Federal Communications Commission announced that it would regulate the Web anyway, even despite a federal court's ruling that it had no authority to do so.
Although Congress consistently has barred the Department of Education from getting involved in curriculum matters, the Administration has offered waivers for the No Child Left Behind law in exchange for states adopting national education standards, all without congressional authorization.
Likewise, the Administration has often simply refused to enforce laws duly enacted by Congress:
Since it objects to existing federal immigration laws, the Administration has decided to apply those laws selectively and actively prevent the state (like Arizona) from enforcing those laws themselves.
Rather than push Congress to repeal federal laws against marijuana use, the Department of Justice (DOJ) simply decided it would no longer enforce those laws.
DOJ also has announced that it would stop enforcing the Defense of Marriage Act or defending it from legal challenge rather than seeking legislative recourse.
On Tuesday, the President invoked executive privilege to avoid handing over some 1,300 documents in an ongoing Congressional investigation. The Supreme Court has held that executive privilege cannot be invoked to shield wrongdoing. Is that what's happening in this case? "Congress needs to get to the bottom of that question to prevent an illegal invocation of executive privilege and further abuses of power. That will require an index of the withheld documents and an explanation of why each of them is covered by executive privilege-and more," Heritage legal scholar Todd Gaziano writes.
Earlier this year the President crossed the threshold of constitutionality when he gave "recess appointments" to four officials who were subject to Senate confirmation, even though the Senate wasn't in recess. Gaziano wrote at the time that such appointments "would render the Senate's advice and consent role to normal appointments almost meaningless. It is a grave constitutional wrong."
There is no telling where such disregard may go next, but the trend is clear, and it leads further and further away from the constitutional rule of law.
The President has unique and powerful responsibilities in our constitutional system as chief executive officer, head of state, and commander in chief. Those powers do not include the authority to make laws or to decide which laws to enforce and which to ignore. The President - like judges or Members of Congress - takes an oath to uphold the Constitution in carrying out the responsibilities of his office.
Indeed, the President takes a unique oath, pledging he "shall faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States" and "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." We don't need a new Declaration of Independence, but we do need a President who will defend and vigorously exert his or her legitimate powers, recognizing that those powers are not arbitrary or unlimited.
Dr. Matthew Spalding is the Vice President for American Studies and Director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics at The Heritage Foundation. He is also the author of We Still Hold These Truths.
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 appwill, 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.
Over the past few months, there has been a daily trickle of establishment Republicans coming out before the media in hostage style confession statements to declare that they would accept tax increases as part of a "grand bargain" to cut the deficit. The latest member was Lindsey Graham, who stated his newfound opposition to the taxpayer pledge of Americans for Tax Reform, which he considered to be too ideologically intransigent. Tom Coburn continues to work with the "Gang of 6" in an effort to "raise revenue."
The media has extrapolated on Graham's narrative, suggesting that Republicans are too unyielding to compromise and that they would even chase Reagan out of the party if he'd be president today. Buttressed by Jeb Bush's comments concerning Reagan's place in today's Republican Party, the media is chastising us for being so stridently opposed to tax increases - even in the event of a "grand bargain" of $10 of spending cuts per $1 of tax increases.
The problem with this narrative of the grand bargain is that no such agreement exists. Nor will it ever materialize.
The very short version: President Barack Obama is scheduled to make a campaign speech on Monday, in the town of Durham, NH. This will cost the town an estimated sixteen to thirty thousand dollars in additional overtime for cops and fire officials and whatnot. The town is taking the position that while they'd be happy to eat the cost for a Presidential visit, a campaign stop by the President is a different story; the town also claims that they've asked previous campaigns to foot the bill for overtime/costs. Obama for America has declined to do this, claiming that the Secret Service wants the extra security in place (this is fast becoming OfA's favorite excuse for bad visuals); the town is now contemplating symbolically dis-inviting the President. If passed, then hi-jinks will then presumably ensue.
Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Josh Fox, he of the burning water tap, loves to scare people with the provocative word "fracking" and misleading images and claims of its potential to damage the environment, specifically groundwater.
To wit, this screenshot of a cute little animated .gif at Fox's website gaslandthemovie.com.
It clearly depicts fractures from a horizontal gas well invading a freshwater aquifer. Scary! Now, consider the detail of that portion of the cartoon which depicts the fractures extending vertically up into the shallow water-bearing zone.
Because we're getting quite a list going of Democrats who are too frightened of being associated with the President to want to go to an Obama-dominated convention (or, as Michelle Malkin rather elegantly put it, the upcoming "Tarheel trainwreck"). So far...
The Fairness Card Cindy Simpson While the Race Card and the Bush Card tend to be the most oft-used defensive tactics, the most effective offensive card in the Obama campaign's hand is the Fairness Card. More
Euro Crisis and the Twilight of Sovereignty Steve McCann The global economy and capital markets are rapidly approaching the point where they will be beyond the control of national governments, leaving the people and the nations of the world powerless to control what happens within their borders. More
Romney Is Mr. Normal Jeffrey Folks The desire for normalcy is understandable following one of the most unhinged periods in American history. More
SCOTUS Derails the Democrats' SEIU Gravy Train Edward H. Stewart, Jr. Last Thursday was a day of reckoning for the Service Employees International Union and the Democratic politicians they use our tax dollars to buy and pay for. Some days, things just work out right. More
Another Devaluation of Paul Krugman's credibility James Eaves Krugman's credibility is face-down in the mud, yet he continues to scream at it and whip it to help the left justify growing government even further. More
25% of registered voters undecided? June 25, 2012 What the poll reflects more than anything is a dissatisfaction with the candidates and the political process More
NY Times mollycoddles terrorists firing rockets at Israel June 24, 2012 What mainly -- almost entirely -- commands the Times' attention is any harm inflicted on Palestinians from Israeli counter-strikes. The pain, horror and terror suffered by Israelis is buried. More
Plain incompetence? June 24, 2012 Law authorities and major media, including Fox News, are apparently shocked at TSA agent Alija Abdul Majed's "stunning error" committed while manning his metal detector More
New York Times ponders the decline of NBC News June 24, 2012 Focusing on the personality deck chairs of the broadcast Titanic, the New York Times is clueless about the bias iceberg that is causing it to take on so much water, too. More
Wrong-foot a liberal by appearing to agree with him on George W. Bush.
"Yeah I can't stand the guy either. Why the guy was almost as big a socialist as your Barack Obama. What kind of a conservative president allows the federal budget to grow on his watch from $1.2 trillion to $2.9 trillion? No kind of conservative president worthy of the name, that's for sure."
Defend Israel.
LIBERAL MYTH NO. 4: "Israel was built by immigrants from European countries: they could 'go home' by going back to Germany, Austria, and Poland."
REFUTATION: Baloney. More than half of Israel's Jewish population is of Arab stock and came to Israel when forced to leave Arab/Muslim countries like Morocco, Libya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
Bang for your buck: that's what the Freedom Center provides. Ammunition for the culture war against the Left: that's what your contribution buys. So please act now and help us in the fight we are waging on many fronts for America's future. America is under assault from within and without. There is no time to lose.
"The decision to invoke executive privilege is an admission that White House officials were involved in decisions that misled the Congress and have covered up the truth," Boehner told reporters. "So what is the Obama administration hiding in Fast and Furious?"
Agenda 21 and the sustainability paradigm reject that mankind's natural tendency toward self-interest, profit and self-improvement results in greater prosperity, opportunity, health, welfare and justice for all. Beware!
As the Catholic Church was preparing to begin a nationwide two-week protest against what it considers federal threats to religious liberty-especially the Obamacare regulation that requires virtually all health insurance plans to cover sterilizations, artificial contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs--Michelle Obama boasted in two different speeches that her husband's health care plan will require insurance plans to provide "preventive services," including contraception, free.
Why anyone still believes anything the UN Environmental Program and its Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has to say is one of those great imponderable questions. Here are just a few of their totally idiotic predictions: ignore all of them.
The Washington, D.C. area is doing just fine economically, due to the rest of the country paying through the nose to support those who live there. Is it any wonder Washingtonians are clueless about America's 'For Sale' signs popping up like daisies?
Despite the incentives to buy now - namely that average rates on a 30-year mortgages are now 3.7% - sales of single-family existing homes slipped 1.5% in May from a month earlier, according to data released today by the National Association of Realtors.
The U.S. military is guilty of political correctness toward domestic Islamic terror, according to a congressional report made public Wednesday that concludes al Qaeda is using U.S.-based Muslim radicals to plan mass casualty attacks.
The remarkably courageous Mosab Hassan Yousef, the eldest son of Hamas cofounder and a former Hamas activist himself, served time on several occasions in Israeli prison. Yousef is also known as "the Green Prince," his code name per the Shin Bet, with whom he later collaborated for a decade to thwart numerous terrorist attacks during the second intifada, sparing hundreds of Israeli lives.
Allegations of corruption in a Michigan school district
Richard Thompson, the President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center (TMLC), is one of our featured speakers at next week's National Conference and Legislative Briefing.
Check out the explosive allegations in a recent news release put out by TMLC (highlights added).
THOMAS MORE LAW CENTER NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release: June 19, 2012 Ties to Terrorism? Grand Jury Sought to Investigate Allegations of Corruption Involving Farmington Public Schools and Islamic Cultural Association
ANN ARBOR, MI - The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, announced today that it submitted a letter to Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette asking that he conduct a grand jury investigation into the Farmington Public Schools sale of Eagle Elementary School to the Islamic Cultural Association (ICA), which has ties to terrorist organizations.
The Law Center informed Attorney General Schuette that "a fog of corruption has indeed enveloped the Farmington Public Schools relating to its 2011 agreement to sell Eagle Elementary School to the Islamic Cultural Association, and that this fog of corruption can only be pierced by a grand jury investigation and the use of other investigative tools in the law enforcement arsenal of the Attorney General's Office." [Click here to read entire letter]
Richard Thompson, President and Chief Council of the Thomas More Law Center, commented, "By agreeing to sell Eagle Elementary to the ICA under these suspicious circumstances, Farmington Schools sacrificed the interest of their children and taxpayers to bring into their community an organization with ties to terrorist organizations."
According to the real estate broker who represented ICA in the purchase of Eagle Elementary, ICA owns and operates the HUDA, an Islamic school in the Village of Franklin, Michigan. The Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan, reports that ICA shares direct ties to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (hereinafter "CAIR") and the North American Islamic Trust, Inc. (hereinafter "NAIT"), both of which were named as unindicted co-conspirators/joint venturers in U.S. v. Holy Land Found. for Relief & Dev. ("HLF"), the largest terrorism funding trial in U.S. history. Federal prosecutors proved that HLF worked closely with the U.S. designated terrorist organization Hamas to fund terrorist activities.
Moreover, during the HLF trial, several FBI agents testified to the unmistakable financial connections and dealings between HLF, CAIR, and NAIT. After the trial, the FBI severed ties with CAIR and NAIT due to their status as unsuitable liaison partners. Steven Pomerantz, the FBI's former chief of counterterrorism, even noted that "CAIR, its leaders, and its activities effectively give aid to international terrorist groups."
Organizations such as CAIR and NAIT defend such criticism by diverting attention away from their misdeeds and financial ties to Islamic terrorism through accusing those who criticize their associations and actions as being "Muslim bashers" or "Islamophobes."
Dawud Walid, Executive Director of CAIR-Michigan, testified in support of ICA during the Farmington Public Schools board meeting relating to the purchase of Eagle Elementary.
The interconnected relationships of ICA, CAIR and NAIT serve as a partial backdrop for the real estate transactions orchestrated by Farmington Public Schools.
The June 13, 2012 Thomas More Law Center letter to the Attorney General letter with 442 pages of exhibits was written on behalf of concerned citizens from West Bloomfield, Farmington and Farmington Hills. According to the letter, these concerned citizens have information, which supports claims of bribery, illegal campaign contributions, and violations of the Open Meetings Act and governmental practices dealing with the sale of public property. [Click here to read the 22-page Summary of Allegations]
In creating a new Public Integrity Unit last year, Attorney General Schuette stated: "[e]nriching yourself at public expense is not only shameful, but compromises the integrity of government and violates the public trust. Weeding out corruption is top priority." Information compiled through various sources indicates that the Farmington Public Schools (FPS) secretly negotiated a No-Bid, below-market, sale of valuable district property against the recommendations of its legal counsel, a specially-convened internal committee, and district residents. [Click here to see video clips of residents addressing FPS Board]
While the District repeatedly rebuffed parties interested in purchasing the vacant elementary school telling them it was not for sale, FPS was exclusively negotiating behind closed doors in apparent violation of the Open Meetings Act, for many months with their favored buyer, the Islamic Cultural Association.
Not only did FPS conceal its dealings from the public, it apparently misrepresented the status of the property to municipal officials from Farmington and Farmington Hills. On May 3, 2011, less than three weeks before it would publicly announce the Islamic Cultural Association's offer to purchase Eagle Elementary, in a joint meeting with Farmington and Farmington Hills City Councils, FPS represented that Eagle was slated for demolition.
On October 16, 2011, two days prior to FPS's determinative vote on whether to extend the expiration date of the purchase agreement for the ICA to obtain Eagle Elementary, Dr Nabil Suliman, who does not reside in the Farmington School district nor does he have any children in Farmington Public Schools, contributed $2,000 ($1,000 over the legal limit) to FPS Board member Karen Bolsen.
Concluded Thompson, "Our letter to the Attorney General focused on a catalog of suspicious circumstances dealing with corruption that can best be resolved by a citizens grand jury. A grand jury with the power to subpoena witnesses and compel testimony would insure that the guilty are brought to justice and the innocent exonerated."
While Egyptians inside Egypt were split in their vote in their recent election, Egyptians living in the West were overwhelmingly in support of the Islamist candidate. Indeed, many Egyptian Americans who have dual citizenship and are living in America voted at Egyptian consulates throughout the United States. They did so both in the primary Egyptian elections, which occurred a few weeks ago, and now in the recent final elections for president of Egypt between the Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Mursi and the former Prime Minister, Ahmed Shafiq.
Both Alarabiya TV and Egyptian national TV reported that Egyptian immigrants voted 75% in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood candidate in the primary. Now in the final elections, again Egyptian immigrants voted over 75% for Mursi. If we consider the Christian Egyptian Americans who voted for the former prime minister of Egypt, the percentage of Muslim Egyptian Americans who voted for Islamists could have reached over 95%.
While voters inside Egypt are almost equally split 50/50 between Sharia and no-Sharia, we find the votes of American Egyptian Muslims reflecting an unprecedented level of radicalization that surpasses most Muslim countries. This should be very troubling to Americans, especially to those who care about Homeland Security.
The Los Angeles Timesreports that the Obama administration is "deeply concerned" by the Egyptian military regime's having seized powers so as to prevent a Muslim Brotherhood takeover of the country.
Pentagon press secretary George Little said that "We...urge the [military] to relinquish power to civilian-elected authorities...." State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that "We are particularly concerned by decisions that appear to prolong the military's hold on power."
As the report notes, the military regime's move is aimed at preventing the Brotherhood's presidential candidate Mohamed Morsi-if he has indeed been elected-from "declaring war without the agreement of the ruling generals."
In other words, it's a move aimed at preventing an Egyptian attack on Israel, the total collapse of Israeli-Egyptian peace, and a drastic regional destabilization.
The generals are not acting against the Islamists because they're wonderful people who love Israel and the West. They are, however, sane pragmatists who do not want Egypt, with its severe economic problems, to be dragged into a ruinous conflict.
And for their efforts, the generals have the Obama administration up in arms and crying foul.
How differently the situation is viewed in Israel is revealed by, for instance, veteran military analyst Alex Fishman, who wrote: "This is no longer the same Egypt. It is no longer the same border, the peace treaty is dying, and we better start to change our way of thinking."
Fishman was referring to how much the situation has already deteriorated since the fall of Hosni Mubarak-hailed at the time by the likes of Obama and Thomas Friedman-in February last year. He was also referring to a military flare-up over the past few days that has seen scores of rockets fired into Israel from Gaza.
he Left's flagship publication, the Nation, has devoted its latest issue to "Islamophobia," demonstrating yet again the lengths to which American "progressives" will go in order to run interference for their Islamic supremacist charges.
The Nation's fondness for the enemies of America and the West is nothing new. Over a period of fifty years, its record is consistent: The Nation supported Communism through the Stalin and post-Stalin eras, and even offered comradely support to Maoism and Castroism. Thus its new role as shill for Islamic supremacists and the Muslim Brotherhood is really not new at all. Throughout its post-World War II history, the Nation has always had a soft spot for totalitarians who trample on human rights, while claiming to be the foremost defender of those rights.
On the other hand, the Nation is a Johnny-come-lately to the "Islamophobia" game. Its special issue is preceded by the smearing of critics of Islamic supremacism by Hamas-linked CAIR, the Marxist retreads at FAIR, and the Islamic supremacist-infiltrated Center for American Progress. The only innovation in the Nation's gutter attack on those who have had the temerity to stand up for the human rights trampled on in the Islamic world is the new low achieved by Max Blumenthal in his hit piece on philanthropist Nina Rosenwald, who has given a large part of her fortune to efforts to defend freedom.
Meanwhile, Islamic jihadists continue to penetrate our borders and operate in the United States.
Recent jihad plotters include Naser Abdo, the would-be second Fort Hood jihad mass murderer; Khalid Aldawsari, the would-be jihad mass murderer in Lubbock, Texas; Muhammad Hussain, the would-be jihad bomber in Baltimore; Mohamed Mohamud, the would-be jihad bomber in Portland; Nidal Hasan, the successful Fort Hood jihad mass-murderer; Faisal Shahzad, the would-be Times Square jihad mass-murderer; Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, the Arkansas military recruiting station jihad murderer; Naveed Haq, the jihad mass murderer at the Jewish Community Center in Seattle; Mohammed Reza Taheri-Azar, the would-be jihad mass murderer in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Ahmed Ferhani and Mohamed Mamdouh, who hatched a jihad plot to blow up a Manhattan synagogue; and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the would-be Christmas airplane jihad bomber.
ALERT! Legislation would block Obama's backdoor amnesty!
Two separate bills have been introduced into the House of Representatives to overturn President Obama's executive order implementing much of the DREAM Act amnesty. HR 5957, by Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), and HR5953, by Rep. Ben Quayle (R-AZ), would block the Secretary of Homeland Security from deferring deportations or from limiting the enforcement of our immigration laws.
This executive amnesty could cover at least two million illegal aliens. The order not only suspends deportations, but also authorizes the issuance of work permits, even as 20 million Americans cannot find full-time work.
Columnist Andrew McCarthy gives us what probably is the most important question regarding the upcoming presidential election....
".....if Mitt wins the nomination, as seems very likely, I will enthusiastically support his candidacy. For my friends who have hesitation on that score, I'd just ask you to keep four things in mind:
1.. Justice Scalia just turned 78
2.. Justice Kennedy will turn 78 later this year
3.. Justice Breyer will be 76 in August
4.. Justice Ginsburg turned 81 about a week ago.
We wish them all well, of course, but the brute fact is that whoever we elect as president in November is almost certainly going to choose at least one and maybe more new members of the Supreme Court - in addition to hundreds of other life-tenured federal judges, all of whom will be making momentous decisions about our lives for decades to come.
If you don't think it matters whether the guy making those calls is Mitt Romney or Barack Obama, I think you're smokin' something funky...."
So for anybody who is thinking of not voting because your favorite didn't get nominated, or writing in a candidate who can't win...
Imagine this: SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ERIC HOLDER
Dems Admit Obama's Not Eligible
Jun 23, 2012 02:24 pm
Weary of defending in court the Constitutional eligibility of their man at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the Democrat Party has finally admitted Barack Obama is not qualified to be president of the United States- and that it doesn't matter. According to a motion filed by Party attorneys in a Tennessee eligibility lawsuit, "...Defendants [the Tennessee Democrat
Operation Fast and Furious has been painted as a rogue program out of the ATF Phoenix Office, with no orchestration at the Department of Justice or White House. When it was revealed that Eric Holder had received memos discussing Fast and Furious, Holder denied reading them. When wiretap applications discussing Fast and Furious approved by [...]
With all of the "Fast and Furious" hearings gearing up again, and Obama declaring executive privilege, I decided to do a little bit of digging through my archives. First, I found an old link to Floyd Reports discussing Obama's conversation with Sarah Brady. Then there is this little gem that I discovered on the Department [...]
Video: Proof Obama Knew About Fast And Furious In March 2009
Jun 23, 2012 02:09 pm
This video consists of footage from a press conference over three years ago. Please share this with as many people as you can. Related posts: Holder Goes In Circles On When He Knew About "Fast And Furious" Around and around we go. Holder is lying is all... Sheriff Joe Arpaio March 31 Press Conference - [...]
What Happened At Obama's Eligibility Hearing?-Part 2
Jun 23, 2012 02:07 pm
During the hearing Monday in front of Judge Terry Lewis, the defense argued their motion to dismiss. Mark Herron for Obama stated that since he ran unopposed that he was not in "fact" nominated and would not be Florida's nominee until the Democratic national convention in September. It was ironic however, that he cited Florida [...]
Barack Obama is often compared to Jimmy Carter in regards to weakness on the world's stage (Carter's signature event of course being the Iran Hostage Crisis.) Obama has literally bowed to Arab leaders and abjectly went around the world apologizing for America, with his apology to Hamid Karzai for the accidental Koran burnings being the [...]
Video: Obama Reminds Himself Why He Violated The Constitution
Jun 23, 2012 01:53 pm
Here is an interesting video of Obama contradicting himself. Related posts: Video: Legal Analyst, Obama's Violating The Constitution ... Continue to Post... NDAA, The US Constitution And Mitt Romney NDAA has many of us concerned because it weakens the...
University Exposes Community To White Guilt Propaganda
Jun 23, 2012 01:44 pm
The so-called "Unfair Campaign" sponsored by the (obviously) liberal University of Minnesota-Duluth has recently rolled out a series of ads emphasizing the many ways it says white citizens enjoy too many benefits because of their skin pigmentation. Using Caucasian pawns with messages scribbled across their faces, the campaign tries to promulgate the tired narrative that [...]
Rush correctly argues also that Obama has written off the American mainstream. Related posts: Rush's I-Phone Says "Obama's Minions Are Taking Over, And There's Nothing You Can Do About It" I know that this is a longer video than we... Rush Limbaugh: Obama Has Announced He Will Be Running For President As A Socialist Rush [...]
When Will "Experts" Stop Expecting Positive Jobs Numbers?
Jun 23, 2012 01:10 pm
It seems that every week, we are confronted with rampant spin by desperate reporters and White House surrogates (as if there's a distinction between the two) telling us unemployment claims rose "unexpectedly" or the number of new jobs did not meet "expectations." I'm no financial expert, as a perfunctory review of my bank statement would [...]
Christof Heyns, a United Nations investigator, has accused the United States of targeted killing of Al-Qaeda terrorists using unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), thereby violating International Law, (and in some cases committing war crimes.) Mr. Heyns' biggest concern is that successful use of drones to kill terrorists would encourage nations to acquire and use armed drones to target [...]
LOS ANGELES (Official Wire) - The nation's largest union of government workers has chosen a new leader as its members grapple with efforts around the country to weaken labor rights or cut public employee pensions and benefits. Lee Saunders was elected president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. He had been [...]
WASHINGTON (Official Wire) - The author of an anti-tax increase pledge signed by nearly every Republican in Congress says he's not hurting the GOP's election chances this fall. Anti-tax activist Grover Norquist is frequently vilified by Democrats as the reason it's been so hard for Washington to reach a bipartisan deficit-cutting deal. Norquist met privately [...]
Video: Congressman Scott On Fast And Furious And Executive Privilege
Jun 23, 2012 12:41 pm
Congressman Tim Scott of South Carolina appeared on Fox News yesterday to discuss Fast and Furious. Related posts: Republican Congressman On Fast And Furious: "Obama Must Be Stopped" Radio host Cam Edwards talks to Congressman Blake Farenthold with... Wiretaps A Smoking Gun In Fast & Furious? Congressman Darrell Issa appeared on Fox News the other [...]
In a jaw-dropping move, Barack Obama put the brakes on justice, on behalf of the Justice Department's top man Eric Holder, by means of that god-like power we have granted our presidents known as 'executive privilege.' Trying to understand why Mr. Obama would insert himself into the investigation of the botched gun-walking operation, now infamously [...]
The all-consuming hunt for donors has led President Barack Obama's campaign to England. And France. And China. Obama is tapping the network of American citizens living outside the 50 states more than any other presidential campaign has before, with more than a dozen bundlers who have pledged to raise as much as $4.5 million. The president's overseas [...]
Gay Activists Make Obscene Gesture At Reagan White House Portrait
Jun 23, 2012 12:14 pm
The White House expressed disapproval Friday of photographs showing gay-rights activists, guests of President Obama, making obscene gestures at the portrait of President Reagan during a gay-pride reception at the White House last week. "While the White House does not control the conduct of guests at receptions, we certainly expect that all attendees conduct themselves in a respectful manner," said White House spokesman Shin Inouye. "Most [...]
Writing for Hot Air's Green Room last week, Patrick Ishmael declared that nullification was unconstitutional and cited a number of columns from organizations such as The Heartlander and The Heritage Foundation as proof. Ishmael's post was mostly a continuation of a discussion, as he calls it, between him and David Roland, of the Freedom Center of Missouri, regarding a bill in the Missouri house [...]
Republicans are using their weekly radio address to reiterate their promise to repeal President Obama's healthcare law. The address is timed for this week's decision by the Supreme Court, which is set to announce its ruling on the controversial law as early as Monday. The justices could uphold the law, they could throw it out, [...]
Every day brings more and more evidence that Obamanomics is failing in Europe. I wrote some "Observations on the European Farce" last week, but the news this morning is even more surreal. Let's start with France, where I endorsed the explicit socialist over theimplicit socialist precisely because of a morbid desire to see a nation commit faster economic [...]
PC Police Trump NC Police With "Secular Prayer" Rule
Jun 22, 2012 02:32 pm
A Charlotte, N.C., police chaplain recently received some ridiculous news after seven years of serving local officers and the community in that capacity. Though he is also the pastor of a Christian church (keyword: Christian), Terry Sartain and his fellow chaplains are no longer allowed to mention the name of Jesus during public invocations. In [...]
Mark has a lot to say about Nancy Pelosi shooting her mouth-accusing the GOP of attacking Holder over trying to stop "voter suppression". Related posts: Jack Cafferty On Nancy Pelosi: 'She's A Horrible Woman' CNN's Jack Cafferty on Tuesday called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi... Yes, Nancy Pelosi, We're Serious: On The Constitutionality Of Obamacare America [...]
Video: Obama's Executive-Privilege "Last Gasp Of A Cover Up"
Jun 22, 2012 02:15 pm
NRA Vice-President and CEO Wayne LaPierre talks about the U.S. House Committee resolution recommending that the House find Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress. He makes some really good points of Obama's outright cowardice on this front. Related posts: Flashback: Obama Criticized Hiding Behind Executive Privilege Barack Obama in 2007 told CNN that Executive [...]
Video: Brian Terry's Parents Speak Out For The First Time
Jun 22, 2012 02:03 pm
Last night, the parents of slain Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry spoke out in their first television interview, given to Sean Hannity. It is important that we pray for Mr. Terry's parents and that they find closure in dealing with this terrible tragedy. No related posts.
The two most important words in the current Obama administration scandal aren't "Fast" or "Furious." They are "Brian Terry." In December 2010, Brian Terry - a former Marine and police officer turned Border Patrol agent - was working in Arizona, 11 miles from the Mexican border. He was killed in a gunfight with Mexican drug [...]
The United States was born when rebellious colonists declared their independence from an imperial ruler who had vastly overstepped his bounds. "The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States," they wrote in [...]
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the Spanish-speaking son of Cuban immigrants and a rising star in the Republican ranks, is generating more excitement and controversy - and potentially some hard feelings - inside the party than likely GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney has been able to create this year. But while many in the party see [...]
WASHINGTON - Secret negotiations involving dozens of countries preparing for a United Nations summit on international telecommunications could lead to changes in a global treaty that would diminish the Internet's role in economic growth and restrict the free flow of information. The U.S. delegation to the World Conference on International Telecommunications to be held in [...]
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Declaring immigration reform a "moral imperative," Mitt Romney on Thursday laid out a broad vision for increasing legal immigration both for businesses and for family reunification, but also vowed to step up border enforcement and complete "a high-tech fence" along the U.S.-Mexico border. Mr. Romney again refused to say whether [...]
Romney Closing The Election Gap With Focus On The Economy
Jun 22, 2012 12:43 pm
New polls released this week reveal President Obama holds a very tight lead over Mitt Romney, but that the GOP nominee is closing the gap by focusing on economic issues. According to a Pew Research poll released Thursday, 50 percent of registered voters support or lean toward supporting Obama, while 46 percent support or lean [...]
Video: Van Jones' Take On Singing 'America The Beautiful'
Jun 22, 2012 12:36 pm
Mr. Jones thinks that singing "America The Beautiful" is "cheap patriotism" unless you are an environmentalist. Good grief. Related posts: Van Jones: Occupy Movement Has "Matured" Van Jones, the former Obama Green Jobs Czar, told Keith... VAN JONES GOES ON NPR TO PROMOTE HIS ANTI-TEA PARTY GROUP Far-left activist Van Jones has found a new [...]
Moody's Downgrades 15 Major Global Banks AP/NewsMax.com
Moody's Investors Service lowered the credit ratings of 15 major banks Thursday, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, saying their long-term prospects for profitability and growth are shrinking.
SCOTUS: Unions Can't Take Non-Members' Money to Fund Their Politics By Matt Cover CNSNews.com
In a 7-2 ruling issued Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that labor unions may not take non-members money to fund their political activities without the consent of those non-members. Doing so violates the First Amendment protection against compelled speech, the justices said.
SHOCK: Sharpton Blames Holder Contempt Charge On Racism By Larry O'Connor Breitbart.com
How easy it must be to live your life as Al Sharpton does. Only the race-baiting NBC News star can look at the tragic events of the Fast and Furious scandal that ended with the death of a border patrol agent and see Attorney General Eric Holder as the real victim.
When The Worldwide Food Crisis Hits America, Will You Be Prepared?
And Yet ...
The Immigration Bombshell: Naked Lawlessness By Charles Krauthammer HumanEvents.com
"With respect to the notion that I can just suspend deportations [of immigrants brought here illegally as children] through executive order, that's just not the case, because there are laws on the books that Congress has passed." ~ President Obama, March 28, 2011
Those laws remain on the books. They have not changed. Yet Obama last week suspended these very deportations -- granting infinitely renewable "deferred action" with attendant work permits -- thereby unilaterally rewriting the law. And doing precisely what he himself admits he is barred from doing. Read the Full Story
Medical Operation that Could End Abortion in America
posted on by Gary DeMar
I love science. I always have. I always will. Science is a window into God's creation. The more we learn about the created order, the more we understood that none of what we see is here by accident. William Cowper (1731-1800) was right when he wrote that "God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform." This is true in the operating room as doctors operate on babies while they are still in the sanctuary of their mother's womb.
The latest example is the story of 20-month old Lyna Gonzalez. During her mother's pregnancy, doctors discovered a benign tumor the size of a tennis ball growing on her unborn baby's mouth. Doctors told Tammy there was little chance her daughter would survive birth - and if she did, she would require an immediate tracheotomy in order to breath and have multiple surgeries thereafter.
Dr. Ruben Quintero, a pioneer in fetal medicine, has treated many birth defects and high risk conditions while the baby is still in the womb. Quintero and Dr. Eftichia Kontopoulos operated on Tammy's baby in utero. Using an endoscope guided by ultrasound they performed a first of its kind surgery and removed the tumor from the fetus' mouth.
Leyna Mykaella Gonzalez was born healthy. The only sign of the surgery is a tiny scar on her mouth.
For the second time in two days, the Washington Post has given a new Obama campaign ad the rating of "Four Pinocchios." (That means it is full of lies.) Find out which ads won these not-so-coveted awards HERE.
There are plenty of objects that shouldn't be placed in the same vicinity as the President of the United States. Guns, for instance, or knives (at least, the kind that are at least as sharp as steak knives). But silverware? Read which lunchoen guests were required to fork over their forks before the President entered the room HERE.
The President's campaign sent out an email on Friday that is generating a lot of material for comedians and late-night television hosts. The mass mailing actually suggested that people who are getting married (or are about to celebrate an anniversary or birthday) should escew gifts and ask their friends and family to instead donate to Obama's re-election campaign. See the invitation HERE.
Kibbe is a best-selling author and a respected national policy expert. The Blaze Contributors section has an excerpt from Matt's new book, 'Hostile Takeover'. Get a free sample of this just-released book HERE.
It may seem difficult to believe, but the city of San Juan Capistrano in California actually fined a couple for holding a weekly Bible study inside their home. The story of the fines went national and sparked a movement to change the local zoning laws. We are pleased to report that the laws have been changed and a bit of "retroactive justice" was also applied. Get the full story HERE. READ THIS |
Friday night's entire Glenn Beck television program was dedicated to exposing the U.N. plan to create a global form of socialism through environmentalism. Watch a segment from this viral episode HERE.
A day after Nancy Pelosi tried to claim that the GOP's push for the truth on Fast & Furious was just part of some "voter suppression" plan, SC Rep Trey Gowdy responded with great clarity. Watch his answer to the former Speaker HERE.
Fox News was called on the carpet by Obama's Press Secretary after the cable channel's morning show ran a four-minute video that was seen as more of an attack ad than news reporting. Find out what the Times claims happened HERE.
Moody's Investors Service lowered the credit ratings of 15 the world's largest banks late Thursday, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Goldman Sachs, saying their long-term prospects for profitability and growth are shrinking. What does the downgrade mean to the hopes for the future of the economy? Find out HERE.
Gay activists from Philadelphia were visiting the White House and took pictures under the official portrait of former President Ronald Reagan. However, instead of smiling and posing respectfully like most people do, they were photographed giving Reagan the finger and making out. See the pictures causing considerable outrage HERE.
Now you can play the Electoral College game just like the network news talking heads. The website 270towin.com allows you to select a variety of "starting views," including the results from the 2008 election, 2012 toss up states, or simply a blank map. Find out more HERE.
Now that the dust has settled, what are the political and legal ramifications of both the move towards contempt and the president's use of the suspicious executive action? Watch a clip from Thursday's eiposde of "Real News," discussing the fallout from Wednesday's vote on the Justice Department cooperation in the investigation of Operatian Fast and Furious HERE.
Companies and search engines want to learn as much about you as possible, so they try to track your every move online. Which is why many people believe that privacy no longer exists on the Internet. That's not quite true. Find out how you can search the web without being tracked HERE. READ THIS |
The likelihood that America can survive four more years with President Obama in charge as a place where the rule of law and the Constitution have any enduring meaning is very slim.
Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi is an Anglo-Iraqi political analyst who has published widely on Iraqi politics and other contemporary Middle East issues. He was interviewed by PJ Media Middle East Editor Barry Rubin.
Desperation: Obama Surrogate Calls to Make Voting Mandatory
by Ben Shapiro
Peter Orszag, former head of the Obama Office of Management and Budget, is desperate. With even Roll Callrecognizing that President Obama is fighting an uphill battle for re-election, Orszag is floating a trial balloon: mandatory voting. His call for forced voting comes in an op/ed for Bloomberg News:
The U.S. prides itself as the beacon of democracy, but it's very likely no U.S. president has ever been elected by a majority of American adults.
Gowdy Strikes Again: Pelosi 'Mind-Numbingly Stupid' More
Contempt for Rule of Law
"Let justice be done though the heavens should fall." --John Adams
Since at least April, the economic "recovery," such as it was, has nearly ground to a halt. But Barack Obama doesn't want to talk about that. Instead, his politically adept administration is working overtime to come up with as many distractions as possible to keep voters' minds off of the economy. Caveat emptor. Such is the backdrop for this week's events, albeit with a scandal that is far more than mere distraction.
From 2009 to 2011, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) ran Operation Fast and Furious (a.k.a. Project Gunrunner), ostensibly a program to track U.S.-purchased firearms headed to Mexican drug cartels. Our readers know the history well -- thousands of guns "walked" across the border, and hundreds of lives were lost. The real purpose, of course, was to undermine the Second Amendment by vilifying gun owners and sellers, followed by instituting tougher gun control.
While most of the Leftmedia did their best to ignore the story, recent events forced even the networks to grudgingly acknowledge it as an issue worth coverage. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted 23-17 along party lines Wednesday to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for his lies, inconsistencies and lack of cooperation during the investigation of Fast and Furious. The whole House will vote next week on the matter, and a contempt citation could lead to a civil lawsuit since Holder obviously wouldn't pursue a suit with a U.S. attorney. Holder called the contempt vote "unwarranted, unnecessary and unprecedented," a characterization that better describes Fast and Furious itself.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), chairman of the House committee, requested that the Justice Department release thousands of documents related to the inner workings of Fast and Furious, including details about the deaths of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Jaime Zapata at the hands of murderers wielding weapons obtained through the ill-conceived operation. DoJ released some 7,000 documents to date, but that's a fraction of what Issa requested, and most of the paperwork handed over is only tangentially related to what the committee is seeking.
On Feb. 4, 2011, the Justice Department sent a letter to Congress denying the operation even existed. Ten months later, Justice retracted the letter. Holder insisted that the buck stopped with him, and he halted the program when he became aware of it. This week, Holder claimed that former Bush Attorney General Michael Mukasey knew about it, which is impossible given that it didn't begin until after the Obama administration took office. Challenged on this, Holder retracted his claim, though White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, who couldn't remember Agent Terry's name, made the same absurd claim Thursday.
Then the administration moved to solidify its stone wall. Knowing full well the political consequences, Barack Obama claimed executive privilege, theoretically putting the documents out of Congress's reach, and escalating the not-the-economy debate. By claiming executive privilege, the president is implicitly admitting his own knowledge of or involvement in Fast and Furious, even though he has heretofore disavowed any advance knowledge. How then can executive privilege apply to something with no White House involvement? Either Obama was involved or he's making the bizarre claim that the Justice Department, which was not created by the Constitution but by Congress, is not, in fact, accountable to Congress.
Obama is overreaching, and his actions highlight his hypocrisy. As a senator in 2007 criticizing George W. Bush's White House, Obama expressed the view that executive privilege is really just a tool presidents use to hide inconvenient truths that they don't want to face. In fact, in seeking the cover of executive privilege from Obama, Holder cited Bush administration arguments regarding the firing of several U.S. attorneys -- the very episode Obama criticized in 2007, though in reality completely different from the one at hand.
Nevertheless, the facts here are so inconvenient as to merit Obama's spending his own political capital to bail out Holder and the Justice Department. Or worse, Obama is bailing himself out. Surely, Hispanic voters wouldn't take kindly to an Obama program that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Hispanics.
The bottom line, however, is that the crimes committed are far worse than the stonewalling and cover-up. Fast and Furious was a deadly disaster in conception and execution, and the White House and Justice Department must be held accountable.
"Contempt of Congress? Contempt of Congress? To frivolously use that really important vehicle to undermine the person who's assigned to stop the voter suppression in our country -- I'm telling you, this is connected. It is no accident. It is a decision, and it is uh, uh, as clear as can be. It's not only to monopolize [Attorney General Eric Holder's] time, it's to undermine his name, to undermine his name, to undermine his name as he goes forward to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." --House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi
"I could have arrested Karl Rove on any given day. I'm not kidding. ... If we had spotted him in the Capitol, we could have arrested him. ... [T]here were some specific [grounds] for his being in contempt of Congress. But we didn't." --Nancy Pelosi
Help Us Hold Obama Accountable
We work tirelessly to promote Essential Liberty, and a big part of that mission is to hold Barack Obama and his ilk accountable for violating that Liberty and its enshrinement in our Constitution. But in order to keep the president's feet to the fire, we need your help to sustain us through Election Day and beyond.
We still must raise $226,000, and we remain almost 50 percent short of where we should be at this point in our Independence Day campaign. Please, if you're able, make a secure online donation to The Patriot Post today. If you prefer to support us by mail, please send your check with our printable donor form.
Thank you! Nate Jackson Managing Editor
Government & Politics
Judicial Benchmarks: End-of-Term Court Rulings
The U.S. Supreme Court didn't issue its ruling on ObamaCare this week, meaning that next week -- the last before the Court adjourns for the summer -- is guaranteed to be interesting. The Court did rule on a few cases, though, including one case involving dues to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). As happens all too frequently, the Ninth Circuit Court was overturned in the process. The Associated Press reports, "The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that unions must give nonmembers an immediate chance to object to unexpected fee increases or special assessments that all workers are required to pay in closed-shop situations." The Ninth Circuit found that SEIU's annual notice was sufficient for Dianne Knox and other nonmembers, but the Supreme Court disagreed in its 7-2 ruling. Score another big defeat for Big Labor.
In another ruling, the AP reports, "The Supreme Court has thrown out fines and sanctions against broadcasters who violated the Federal Communications Commission policy regulating curse words and nudity on broadcast television." The 8-0 decision did not include any finding on the constitutionality of the FCC's policy, only that broadcasters couldn't have anticipated that profanity uttered during an awards show or "fleeting" nudity during a prime time show would result in sanctions.
Hope 'n' Change: Catholic Group Rejects Contraception 'Compromise'
The Catholic Health Association, once a supporter of ObamaCare, announced this week that the health law's supposed compromise on the contraception mandate is unworkable. The CHA, which represents more than 600 Catholic hospitals as well as other related health care facilities, initially supported ObamaCare and its rule that forced employers to provide free birth control and sterilization services. When the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops challenged the mandate as a violation of religious freedom, the CHA publicly split with the organization. In February, the group's president, Sister Carol Keehan, announced support of the White House "accommodation," which stated that religious organizations would not have to pay for contraceptive services, but they would still be required to provide them.
Then Keehan and her colleagues began a months-long review of the "accommodation" and determined that it was "unlikely to adequately meet the religious liberty concerns" of its members. If any element of ObamaCare survives the Supreme Court's impending ruling, the Catholic Church is sure to pursue a vigorous legal challenge of the law. With the CHA back on the right side, the litigious possibilities will surely increase.
News From the Swamp: Even Democrats Reticent to Raise Taxes
At least seven Senate Democrats facing 2012 election battles are on record stating they won't support any tax hikes without a comprehensive tax reform plan. Senators John Tester (MT), Joe Manchin (WV), Jim Webb (VA), Claire McCaskill (MO), and others have aligned with Republicans who claim that raising any taxes in the current economic climate would be disastrous for the country. This is not good news for Barack Obama, who is pushing for tax hikes on higher incomes as part of his overall class warfare campaign. He can't reverse himself at this point without giving Mitt Romney a huge advantage, but he's also unlikely to have comprehensive tax reform passed in the remaining months before the election. Perhaps he should have listened to his own tax panel members Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles when he had the chance last year.
New & Notable Legislation
The Senate passed a trillion-dollar, 10-year farm bill Thursday, by a vote of 64-35. Senators and some in the media hailed the wondrous bipartisan agreement on the monstrosity, and marveled at how it will "cut the deficit" by nearly $24 billion. However, we in our humble shop are still unclear how spending almost $1 trillion -- three-quarters of which will be for food stamps -- represents any "savings" whatsoever. The House still must consider the legislation, and its future there is unclear.
Apparently looking for things to pass the time between budgets, Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Harry Reid (D-NV) plan to introduce legislation to create a United States Boxing Commission that would oversee all fights and work with the various local and regional commissions, promoters, boxers and managers. The call for a new boxing commission comes after a controversial split decision in a high-profile June 9 welterweight fight in Las Vegas that some claim was rigged. There are already numerous boxing commissions that oversee the sport, and, though they don't have the greatest reputations, adding government regulation to the mix won't guarantee any improvement.
Economy
Federal Reserve Downgrades Outlook
The Federal Reserve issued its latest report for 2012 economic and job growth and there is cause for worry. The Fed lowered the outlook for 2012 GDP growth to a range of 1.9 to 2.4 percent, while in April, the Fed was predicting still-anemic 2.4 to 2.9 percent growth. Indeed, beginning in April, markets began to look increasingly fragile, particularly as Europe deteriorated. The Fed also lowered its expectations for unemployment, now predicting 8 to 8.2 percent in the fourth quarter, whereas previous predictions were 7.8 to 8 percent. Looking ahead, the Fed expects unemployment to remain well above 7 percent through 2014.
Not to worry, though. Barack Obama's Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, says the U.S. economy has "obviously turned the corner," and things are looking up. The economy may have turned a corner, but it's a hard left and the bridge ahead is out.
And as for unemployment, we understand that the Obama campaign is hiring hecklers to follow Mitt Romney's campaign. Given the things they're shouting, we would definitely call these "shovel ready jobs."
Income Redistribution: Putting Drunken Sailors to Shame
Sometimes it seems as if Uncle Sam spends money just because he can. A prime example is the admission by a Congressional Research Service "expert" that the federal government spent $10 billion in stimulus money to create 355 permanent "green" jobs as part of the Department of Energy's 1603 renewable energy grant program. DoE defended the program, saying it "played a critical role in the dramatic expansion of America's renewable energy industry [by] leveraging more than $25 billion in private-sector investments." If individuals want to be foolish enough to chase these boondoggles, that's one thing, but taxpayers didn't ask for this waste.
From spending almost $60 million for loan guarantees to sweeten the deal for a Louisiana plant to create bio-based chemicals -- compounds that are already readily available -- to losing more than $250 million on failing battery maker A123, it seems as if the Obama administration has no problem throwing billions at the wall and seeing what, if anything, sticks.
Even the numbering system the government uses to identify contractors is under question. Dun & Bradstreet developed the current system three decades ago, and its nine-digit identifier, called the DUNS number, has been in use ever since. At a cost of $19 million a year, the government is now pondering how to improve the system, but chances are it won't be cheaper as federal officials will only add more complexity to the system.
Regulatory Commissars: Canadians Move Ahead With Pipeline
Because Barack Obama dragged his feet on approving the Canadian connection of the Keystone XL pipeline, the Canadian government is considering other options for selling its oil, including building a pipeline to the Pacific Ocean and allowing export to energy-hungry China. More important, though, the Conservative Canadian government is pulling out all the stops to get this infrastructure built, including streamlining the approval process and cracking down on the excesses of environmental groups that hold up progress.
By pandering to environmentalists, another Democrat constituency was thrown under the bus by Obama's actions: Labor unions haven't had the opportunity to start the Keystone pipeline, losing out on tens of thousands of jobs.
Study: Fracking Doesn't Increase Earthquake Risk
This probably could have easily fallen under the category of common sense, but a study by the National Research Council confirmed that hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, "does not pose a high risk for inducing felt seismic events." The study further concedes that even the wastewater injection process, which does slightly increase seismic risk, has created few incidents when compared to the sheer number of wells in place.
The finding isn't going to stop radical environmentalists, though. The Sierra Club is still pressing on with an initiative called "Beyond Natural Gas," in which the goal is to prevent, by any means necessary, new natural gas power plants from being built. Just a few short years ago environmentalists hailed natural gas as a clean energy alternative to coal; that is, until it became significantly cheaper to produce domestically through processes such as fracking. They're also aghast that improvements in the technology of hydraulic fracturing led to the creation of thousands of jobs that don't meet their idea of green employment.
Since the price is right and more are employed in the industry, natural gas is now a dirty word to the Sierra Club. They must really hate the smell of progress in the morning.
Security
Immigration Front: An Executive Power Grab
Last Friday, we noted a brand new immigration policy issued by Barack Obama. By executive order, he more or less enacted parts of the DREAM Act, which has yet to pass Congress. Specifically, for the next two years, Obama's Department of Homeland Security will no longer enforce deportation law on the children of illegal aliens, and those who are old enough to work will be granted work authorizations. To qualify, one must have been in the country for five years, have no criminal record and be enrolled in high school, college or the military.
The administration insists it is exercising "prosecutorial discretion," not legislating from the Oval Office. It is true that law enforcement officers, lawyers and judges have some discretion in enforcing and prosecuting laws, but it appears in this case that the administration will make the exception the rule. It's one thing to prioritize enforcement; it's another thing to issue a blanket exemption from the law for an entire class of people.
Even Obama admitted to a Hispanic crowd last year that he doesn't have the authority he just commandeered: "The idea of doing things on my own is very tempting, I promise you, not just on immigration reform. But that's not how our system works." In another instance, he said, "America is a nation of laws, which means I, as the president, am obligated to enforce the law."
In yet another case, Obama was even more explicit. "With respect to the notion that I can just suspend deportations through executive order, that's just not the case," he explained, "because there are laws on the books that Congress has passed. And ... you know that we've got three branches of government. Congress passes the law. The executive branch's job is to enforce and implement those laws. And then the judiciary has to interpret the laws." All that just went out the window.
There are other implications here, as well. First, between 800,000 and 1.4 million illegal aliens are affected by this policy change. With headline unemployment at 8.2 percent and un/underemployment at 14.6 percent, what will an influx of a million people do to the job market? What will it do to the education system?
Second, Obama's action killed any hope of immigration reform in the near future. Sens. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) cosponsored a version of the DREAM Act that Kyl said would be greeted with "tolerance by our most conservative friends, and enthusiasm from the rest." That, of course, is debatable, as immigration is a contentious topic, but all the same, the legislative branch is now robbed of its ability to work out a compromise. Rubio lamented, "People are going to say to me, 'Why are we going to need to do anything on this now. It has been dealt with. We can wait until after the election.' ... And it is going to be hard to argue against that."
It's pretty clear that Obama deliberately derailed congressional action. After all, one of his mantras is running against the "do-nothing Congress," and he can now say he was prodded to action because they wouldn't do anything. More fundamental, though, is the utter contempt for Rule of Law that is the hallmark of this administration.
The more things change in the Middle East, the more they stay the same. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee recently examined U.S. relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes the petroleum-rich countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, and the committee didn't like what it found. In just two days this week, Kuwait suspended its parliament for a month due to growing internal political strife, and Saudi Arabia named Defense Minister Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud successor to the throne after the weekend death of Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. Toss in the continuing uncertainty of the Arab Spring, chaos in Syria and the rise of radical Islamists in Egypt, the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq and, finally, Iran's nuclear program with the existential threat it poses to Israel, and one can't help but think the region is fast approaching a tipping point.
With this in mind, the U.S. is planning a significant and continuing military presence of 13,500 troops in Kuwait in order to have the flexibility to respond to unexpected contingencies in the region. Several members of Congress wanted a core U.S. force to remain in Iraq, but the two countries couldn't come to terms. Instead, this U.S. force in Kuwait preserves the so-called "lily pad" basing that allows U.S. forces to move and strike quickly in the region.
Also this week, the societal sickness that plagues the Muslim world showed itself again in Pakistan, as Taliban commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur announced a ban on polio vaccines for children as long as the U.S. continues drone strikes in Pakistan, one of only three countries that have not yet eradicated polio. Bahadur commands Taliban forces based in North Waziristan, which is one of the main safe havens for terrorists fueling the Afghan insurgency that has been pounded by drone strikes. What more need be said about a culture that uses the threat of inflicting injury on its own children as a weapon of war?
Culture
Second Amendment: It's Not a Gun Problem
In yet another attempt to blame everyone except the perpetrator of gun-related crimes, a New Hampshire gun owner may be found liable for the murders of three people killed when his grandson stole and then used his firearm. A federal judge earlier ruled that the owner was not responsible, but attorneys for the opposing side disagreed, and now the case rests in the hands of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Never mind that the killer broke into the owner's cabin and stole the gun (a real crime) and then used it to kill three people (also a real crime). Now the owner may share the blame for not "properly" securing the gun. We wonder if the locksmith who outfitted the cabin will also be held liable for installing a lock that was too easy to breach.
Speaking of ineffective gun policies, the city of Chicago is holding its annual Gun-Turn-In (GTI) event this weekend. In exchange for a ceded firearm, the city will hand over a $100 gift card, no questions asked. The city says that in the past six years, GTI has yielded more than 23,000 guns. What a relief. It's great to see such good ideas contributing to a safer Chicago. Oh, wait -- violent crime costs Chicago $5.3 billon annually, because, we would argue, its law-abiding citizens are deprived of their Second Amendment rights.
Village Academic Curriculum: For the Children?
It's been a rough couple of weeks for unions. First, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker resoundingly foiled their attempt to remove him from office, and now the teachers' unions in Washington, DC, and Chicago are learning the limits of their own power.
The DC Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP), which assists children from low-income homes to attend the private school of their choice, was until recently in danger of being axed by the Obama administration. The OSP has helped thousands of families since 2004, and has been highly effective in increasing student achievement and graduation rates, especially when compared to the horrific 55 percent graduation rate at DC public schools. Obama originally sided with the teachers union and threatened to cut the program's funding, but he changed his mind after accounting for political ramifications. His performance ratings on the economy as well as the combined efforts of House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) to save OSP make it difficult for Obama to dispute the program's cost effectiveness: $8,000 for the vouchers, compared to $18,000 per child for the failing public schools.
The Chicago teachers' union also reared its ugly head once again. In a recent vote, more than 90 percent of union members voted to strike if the school district doesn't meet their demand for a 30 percent pay increase over the next two years. Chicago teachers are already among the highest paid in the nation, earning an average of $75,000 a year -- 50 percent more than the city's median family income. But this isn't enough, apparently. To his credit, Democrat Mayor Rahm Emanuel isn't backing down. Instead, he's offering a 2 percent pay raise next year while he attempts to close the school system's $700 million deficit. He also wants to extend Chicago's shortest-in-the-nation school day by 90 minutes (keep the kids in bad schools longer -- that'll fix it) and implement a merit program to reward good teachers.
Non Compos Mentis: Children Heckled for Singing Patriotic Tune
Last week, we noted the case of some New York City school kids barred from singing Lee Greenwood's patriotic hit, "God Bless the USA," for their kindergarten graduation. Unbelievably, the story grew a bit worse this week. Since the children couldn't express their love of America in their school, they gathered at a nearby playground to sing and wave American flags. But that's when a group of adults showed up and started heckling the children. "You Republicans come go to a Republican area and do that, we don't do that here," one of the hecklers shouted. "This is ridiculous, this is sad. This is so crazy. This is sad." The kids chanted "USA! USA!" to try to drown out the hecklers, but it's a real shame it came to that. The "adults" should know better, but, being Democrats, they've never learned their manners.
A man recently discovered that his ATM allowed him to make unlimited withdrawals. Despite having a small balance in the bank, he filled his pockets with more than $1.5 million in cash he didn't have, and proceeded to lose it all gambling. The bank eventually discovered the problem and put a hold on the account. The man did his best to stimulate the economy with his cash infusion, but the prosecution isn't going easy on him. For his part, he's blaming the bank for allowing him to withdraw the money in the first place. We should stop here and clarify that the suspect is not Barack Obama. No, the man in question is likely headed to prison, while Obama is running for re-election based upon robbing the national ATM. Only in America.
Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis! Nate Jackson for The Patriot Post Editorial Team
(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.)
Could an American President offer a prayer on behalf of all Americans today?
WASHINGTON -- Warren Kozak, the author of LeMay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis LeMay, wrote a memorable piece in the Wall Street Journal on June 6, 2012, that cries out for comment. On the 68th anniversary of the Allies' invasion of Europe over the bloody beaches of Normandy, he reminds us of an unthinkable act by President Franklin Roosevelt on that day. At least it is an unthinkable act today. The President did not call a press conference to notify Americans huddled before their radios of what our military was doing. They already knew from news reports, though they might have learned even more from their president. Nor did President Roosevelt boast of how he had marshaled our troops and given the order to action, as the present occupier of his office is prone to do.
Instead, Roosevelt offered a prayer, a prayer of unthinkable dimensions nowadays. I suspect if I were of voting age in 1944 I would have been a Republican. Yet, as President Roosevelt spoke he would have spoken for me. Transported back to the battle of Normandy, I would have taken heart in his words. Would a Barack Obama, similarly transported back across the decades, have taken heart? Or would he and millions of other miraculously transported Americans from the present have squirmed? Would they have filed lawsuits through the American Civil Liberties Union? Is this not another of those church and state conundrums that we conjure up today?
Horrific brutality is being done by the Obama Administration's U.S. Bankruptcy Court to a cancer ridden, helpless 89 year old World War II veteran who received two bronze stars involving the incredible rescue of 2,000 U.S. Prisoners of War from vicious Japanese guards at the Los Banos Internment Camp in Luzon, Philippines in 1945. (1)
Montana's Warren C. Bodeker is being tossed out of his Plains, MT home by Christy Brandon, a Montana Federal Bankruptcy Trustee, practicing in Bigfork, Mt. She refused to continue a capacity hearing even as he was suffering in a Helena VA Hospital from advanced stage prostate cancer spreading throughout his body. The bulletin CIR received contained the following update: "But despite the well established fact that Mr. Bodeker was in the hospital, the trustee, Christy Brandon, opposed the motion to continue the hearing. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Honorable Ralph B. Kirscher denied (this) motion; Brandon then Emailed Mr. ... Continue Reading:Obama officials' brutal mistreatment of dying WW II hero
Indians along the Delaware River called themselves "Lenape," meaning in Algonquin "the people," and were in three clans: Turtle, Wolf and Turkey. William Penn, called "Miquon" meaning quill, made a peace treaty with Tamanend, chief of the Turtle clan, on JUNE 23, 1683, under an elm tree in what was to become Philadelphia. The Peace Treaty with the peaceful Quakers lasted over 70 years. In 1697, Tamanend's last message before he died was: "We and Christians of this river have always had a free roadway to one another, and though sometimes a tree has fallen cross the road, yet we have removed it again and kept the path clear." During the French & Indian War, the Turkey clan attacked English settlers. In 1778, Turtle clan Chief Gelelemend signed the first Indian treaty ever with the U.S. Government and later was converted to Christianity by German Moravian missionaries. ... Continue Reading:American Minute June 23
Weary of defending in court the Constitutional eligibility of their boy at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the Democrat Party has finally admitted Barack Obama is not qualified to be president of the United States- and that it doesn't matter.
According to a motion filed by Party attorneys in a Tennessee eligibility lawsuit, "...Defendants [the Tennessee Democrat Party and the Democrat National Committee] assert that the Tennessee Democrat Party has the right to nominate whoever it chooses to run as a candidate, including someone who is not qualified for the office." (1)
In numerous previous lawsuits questioning the Constitutional eligibility of Barack Hussein Obama, Democrats have maintained that voters, not the Constitution, should be the final arbiters of presidential eligibility. Though a disgraceful assertion on its face, such mindless rambling was about all desperate Democrat attorneys had in their arsenals, apart from the perpetually employed "plaintiffs lack standing" defense.
Christof Heyns, a United Nations investigator has accused the United States of targeted killing of Al-Qaeda terrorists using unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) thereby violating International Law, and in some cases, committing war crimes. Mr. Heyns' biggest concern that successful use of drones to kill terrorists would encourage nations to acquire and use armed drones to target innocent civilians. International concerns over the use of armed drones came to the fore earlier this week when China and Russia complained to the UN Human Rights Council demanding it condemn drone attacks. These countries are condemning Armed UAV out of concerns that drone strikes could damage their assets in Syria.
The use of drones to track and kill terrorists in Pakistan have raised concerns they could be used to target terrorists outside of a war zones, where they run and hide to escape reprisal. Under the banner of "Human Rights" this leftist along with the ACLU ... Continue Reading:Drone Threats: an issue we have to answer
In Medieval Europe, most countries had only one person vote - the king. In colonial America only landowners voted, then those owning a certain amount of personal property. After the Revolution, States gradually let those without land vote if they paid taxes, but many States continued religious and literacy tests. In 1870, the 15th Amendment let former slaves vote. In 1920, the 19th Amendment let women vote. In 1924, American Indians could vote in Federal Elections. In 1961, the 23rd Amendment let District of Columbia residents vote in Federal Elections. In 1964, the 24th Amendment let vote those who could not pay a poll tax. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act removed literacy tests. On JUNE 22, 1970, President Nixon extended the Voting Rights Act to let 18-year-olds vote. The Supreme Court, in Oregon v Mitchell, limited this right so the 26th Amendment ... Continue Reading:American Minute June 22
All Gay, All the Time is sweeping the country like never before since Barack Obama became president, and many are starting to push back on what is coming off as an attack on White Christian Males. Talk host Michael Savage told listeners recently that every day men tell him the onslaught is devastating. He has put up an 18 minute audio presentation that speaks to this attack on our men. A frightening drop in male sperm count documented in a British medical journal shows that from l940 to l990 the average sperm count dropped over 50% and the low sperm count tripled in that same time period. "It's like standing in front of a wide open fire hose every day," Savage says as he describes what's being done to especially the white American male. (1)
Our national debt has risen more than $5 trillion dollars during Obama's administration, more than what it increased under all previous 41 presidents combined.
The number of Americans on Food Stamps has risen from 32 million to over 46.4 million in Obama's three years in office.
At $3.59 the average price of gasoline is $ 1.74 MORE than it was the day Barack Obama was sworn in.
Twenty two percent of American children live in poverty; the highest level in 30years.
For forty straight months, every single full month of Obama's reign, unemployment has been 8%.
The U.S. Constitution went into effect JUNE 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratified it. The 55 writers of the U.S. Constitution consisted of: 26 Episcopalian Christians, 11 Presbyterian Christians, 7 Congregationalist Christians, 2 Lutheran Christians, 2 Dutch Reformed Christians, 2 Methodist Christians, 2 Quaker Christians, 2 Roman Catholic Christians, and Dr. Franklin, who called for prayer during the Constitutional Convention, June 28, 1787: "God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that 'except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.'... I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the ... Continue Reading:American Minute June 21
In the days immediately after Barack Obama decreed an amnesty for 800,000 illegal aliens the Democrat cheerleaders in the media have been giddily claiming it has ignited Hispanic enthusiasm to vote for Obama. According to Obama's steno pool this decree solved a problem that has been plaguing Obama's reelection campaign plans for months.
A Latino Decisions and America's Voice survey found "registered voters" are "very enthusiastic" about Barack Obama's announcement granting amnesty to these 800,000 people. Aside from the fact that there is a difference between enthusiasm for a policy and enthusiasm to vote for Obama, the "new surge of enthusiasm" only bringing Hispanics' desire to vote roughly in line with that found among Blacks and young voters.
Enthusiasm among none of these groups stands above 48%. Numbers like this will not get Obama reelected.
You already know how accurate the Bible is about predicting the future, but did Holy Scripture actually pinpoint the precise date for the formation of the modern state of Israel?
Fed-up Christians go to war against this food giant ...
Some Christians are finally putting their money where there mouth is, launching a major boycott against one of America's best-known food giants, all because of what they believe is something repulsive to God in heaven ...
The tale of high-sea pirates, kidnappers, protesters, saboteurs and multinational oil-theft gangs might sound exciting ...
Until you realize it's not a movie or a novel, but the real life story of how our energy supplies are being undermined and threatened around the world.
Do these clothes I stole from Nordstroms during a mob-and-rob make me look fat?
The epidemic of crowds of young blacks rushing into stores, intimidating employees and customers and taking whatever they can grab has gone upscale. Movin' on up ...
And you thought you could avoid it by not shopping at those other stores, didn't you?
DOJ targets 'cult' for 'running' southwestern towns
Uh-oh ... Waco.
The U.S. Department of Justice is claiming a Mormon "cult" leader is running two Southwestern towns, giving orders to police and municipal officials to intimidate nonbelievers.
Elections chief: Obama 'fibbing' about Kenya birth
A chief elections officer has announced why he believes Barack Obama might have lied about his birth being in Kenya. What would cause Obama "fib" about his birth country?
In an explosive video dated more than three years ago, former Deputy Attorney General David Ogden talked about Barack Obama's orders to "fight" the Mexican drug cartels, using "Operation Fast & Furious." Could Attorney General Eric Holder possibly have not been listening to what his own aide was explaining to the American public?
Why make special effort to celebrate religious freedom now? Because religious freedom is a key pillar of the kind of life we enjoy in America, recognizing the dignity of human persons and our obligations to a higher power than civil government. This is why the Founders embraced freedom of religion as an essential condition of a free and democratic society.
Religious liberty means we can worship freely without fear of the government raiding our homes, threatening our loved ones, or otherwise penalizing us for our beliefs. In America, we can enter and leave faith communities without fear of violent persecution.
More than just being free to worship, though, religious liberty means we can practice our faith publicly in numerous ways, many of which we often take for granted. Regardless of our religious affiliation, we're free to make arguments in the public square and to run for political office. We're free to operate businesses according to our deepest convictions. And we're free to support charitable causes and organizations that are motivated and guided by religious commitments.
If you appreciate the ability to worship freely where you choose, to teach your children what you think is true, and to remain true to your convictions in your place of work, you have reason to celebrate the Fortnight for Freedom.
The mandate upsets the kind of freedoms that Americans enjoy. It imposes a fine on faith by penalizing employers who choose to follow certain teachings of their church. Even though half of Americans report being pro-life, the mandate would punish employers who refuse to provide group health insurance covering abortion-inducing drugs.
Policies like the mandate imperil religious identity; they encourage individuals and organizations to suppress who they are and what they stand for. By threatening their core sense of identity and inspiration, such policies undermine the ability to serve God and others freely and effectively. After all, it's often a group's faith that makes it so effective in serving people in need.
Moreover, the mandate sets a bad precedent with the narrowest definition in federal law to date of what groups qualify for a religious exemption. To qualify, an organization must hire and serve only members of its own faith. This means that most churches are protected, but religious hospitals, schools, soup kitchens, and other ministries are not.
Finally, the anti-conscience mandate attempts to remake civil society-including religious institutions-in the government's image by forcing them to adopt its values. By exercising this kind of role, the Administration places the federal government at the center of society's focus and expectations. It claims responsibility for more and more of Americans' needs, and it (indeed demands) more and more from citizens-including money, authority, and trust. In so doing, the HHS mandate, and Obamacare in general, directs to Caesar that which belongs to God.
It's not too late to talk to your pastor about the Fortnight for Freedom. See the Heritage Factsheet on this issue for more information on how you can "let religious freedom ring" - including joining hundreds of congregations nationwide by ringing a church bell (or hand bells) on July 4 at noon Eastern time.
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DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society at The Heritage Foundation
Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is the nation's most broadly supported public policy organization. Heritage established the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society in 2004 to educate government officials, the media and the public about the role religion, family, and civil society play in sustaining freedom and the common good.
A House committee voted this week to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over documents about the Operation Fast and Furious scandal, in which federal agents smuggled untraceable firearms to Mexican drug cartels.
Attorney General Eric Holder has stonewalled Congress in its attempts to find these answers. Yesterday, President Obama joined this stonewalling effort, asserting executive privilege over many of the documents about the operation that Congress had subpoenaed but still had not received.
As a strong defender of executive power (when properly exercised) and executive privilege (when properly invoked), I am concerned when claims of executive power or privilege are abused for any reason-especially if they are invoked to shield potential wrongdoing. In addition to shielding the wrongdoing, it jeopardizes the very executive power that the President is entrusted with when Congress and the courts react-as they did in the post-Watergate era-to the abuse of power.
It is also time for the media to begin responsibly covering this scandal. For more than 16 months, only a handful of reporters have appropriately researched the facts and sought answers. Most members of the national media would not even acknowledge the existence of the scandal. Reportedly, NBC Nightly News ran its first story on the scandal just this past Tuesday.
The national media must now follow the lead of their colleagues CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson or Townhall's Katie Pavlich and investigate the specific facts and details of the operation and administration involvement. Attkisson, as you may remember, was screamed and cussed at by White House spokesman Eric Schultz in October for asking questions about Operation Fast and Furious.
The Obama administration has been working to eliminate an effective joint state and federal program to control illegal immigration, Heritage Foundation expert Matt Mayer argues.
Since Congress created the so-called 287(g) program in 1996, 120,000 illegal immigrants have been deported under its auspices. But the executive branch has disrespected legislative authority by seeking to unilaterally end the program.
The Senate passed a farm bill which will cut spending by $2 billion a year by reducing farm subsidies. The current program, which gives handouts to farmers and also covers food stamps and similar welfare programs, costs taxpayers $80 billion a year
The Supreme Court ruled on narrow grounds that fines against broadcast companies who violated the Federal Communications Commission's indecency policy should be thrown out. The justices ruled that the FCC improperly enforced its rules retroactively.
Homosexual Activists Demean Reagan; Defile White House
The White House is a place where Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and others made the most monumental decisions about war and peace. The Oval Office became a sexual playground when Bill Clinton frolicked there with a White House intern. And now the White House has been defiled by homosexual supporters of Barack Obama.
A Philadelphia columnist has broken a story [WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE], now picked up by Drudge, that attendees at last week's White House Gay Pride reception used the event as an opportunity to pose for photos under the portrait of Ronald Reagan, in which they displayed their hatred for him.
They gave Reagan "the finger," and then proudly posted these pictures on their Facebook pages. A lesbian couple thought it was really cute to make out under Reagan's portrait. All this took place while the Marine Corps Band, under order from the Obama White House, played Barbara Streisand songs popular in the so-called "homosexual community."
Ronald Reagan was one of the most decent men I have known in my entire life. He was a strong conservative who battled the left. But he never allowed his strong convictions to lead him to hate or disrespect his opposition.
Reagan had such reverence for the White House that he always wore his jacket in the Oval Office. In his White House, any group of conservatives or anyone else who demeaned a previous president with obscene gestures or any other unacceptable behavior would have been escorted out immediately!
Trust me, my friends. There would have been plenty of White House staff in the area where this disgusting display of hatred toward one of our finest presidents took place. No one was asked to leave, and I have no doubt there was plenty of laughter.
I saw Michelle Obama on "Jeopardy" this week bragging that under the leadership of her husband the White House has truly become "the people's house." It's become some kind of a house, but I doubt if the people would want their name on it.
Barack Obama should immediately apologize to the American people for the inexcusable behavior of his "guests," and he should denounce the vitriol and hatred of his militant homosexual supporters. But I doubt he will. Some "spinner" at the White House is probably trying to figure out some way to blame the conduct on Bush!
I don't think this latest outrage is going to play well in Middle America. I doubt if "swing voters" will find this incident to be the kind of hope and change for which they were hoping. Sure the election is about the economy, and on that issue alone Obama should be fired by the voters.
But the election is also about our values and our increasingly defiled culture. From top to bottom the Obama White House should be ashamed.
President Obama on Friday bashed Republicans for blocking immigration reform and took a victory lap in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., before a national conference of Hispanic politicians. Read & Comment
The Democrat Party asserts that it "has the right to nominate whoever it chooses to run as a candidate, including someone who is not qualified for the office." Read & Comment
The White House says former National Security staffer Kevin O'Reilly, who communicated with the ATF's special agent in charge of Fast and Furious, cannot be interviewed by congressional investigators. Read & Comment
NBC News, once a dominating force in network television, has fallen on hard times. The network is looking to replace Ann Curry on the "Today" show, which until recently enjoyed a 16-year streak as TV's top morning program, and "NBC Nightly News" and "Meet the Press" have lost ground to rivals. Read & Comment
Despite there being no real effort by Congress, U.S. carbon dioxide emissions are falling. Right now, fracking is doing more to control carbon emissions than all the efforts of all the greens in the world. Read & Comment
Abu Hammam al Zarqawi, the nephew of former al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi, was killed in a drone strike earlier this year, according to a martyrdom statement that was released by a jihadist. Read & Comment
President Obama once said he couldn't "just change the laws unilaterally." He doesn't act like it. He has sidestepped Congress repeatedly, most notably with his edict to selectively enforce federal immigration laws. Phrases like "we can't wait" are indicative of a man whose fidelity to the Constitution disappears when given a chance to expand the administrative state. Read & Comment
Obama asks supporters who are getting married to ask for a donation to his campaign instead of a wedding gift. You can even register your wedding on his campaign website. Read & Comment
The parents of murdered border agent Brian Terry told Fox News' Sean Hannity on Thursday that they think Attorney General Eric Holder and other Justice Department officials are "hiding something" in their response to the botched anti-gunrunning operation Fast and Furious. Read & Comment
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., thinks that President Obama should unilaterally eliminate the debt ceiling rather than negotiate with Congress to spend more money when the United States hits the debt ceiling later this year. Read & Comment
The uncertainty caused by Taxmageddon - the one-year $494 billion tax increase that looms on January 1, 2013 - is strong enough to slow the economy months before it actually strikes. In fact, it is already doing so. Read & Comment
I went to a conference of liberal activists this week hoping to find out who the party's activist base sees as its up-and-coming stars. Nearly every answer I got began with a blank stare or incredulous laugh, followed by some fumbling around, followed by "Elizabeth Warren." Read & Comment
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out at the world powers for their wrong policies, and reiterated his call for the establishment of a new world order based on justice and friendship. Read & Comment
President Obama's campaign issued an attack video Friday ripping Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for evading the media's immigration-related questions. Read & Comment
President Obama once said he couldn't "just change the laws unilaterally." He doesn't act like it. He has sidestepped Congress repeatedly, most notably with his edict to selectively enforce federal immigration laws. Phrases like "we can't wait" are indicative of a man whose fidelity to the Constitution disappears when given a chance to expand the administrative state. Read & Comment
Moody's Investors Service cut the credit ratings of 15 of the world's biggest banks on Thursday in an expected move that was part of a broad review of major financial institutions. Read & Comment
If the Supreme Court rules against President Barack Obama's health care law next week, Speaker John Boehner doesn't want House Republicans "spiking...the ball." Read & Comment
President Obama channeled his inner Richard Nixon with his exercise of executive privilege to shield Attorney General Eric Holder from transparency. Whether the assertion is valid is a question to be resolved between Congress and the president, this authority is something that can be waived by the president if he desires transparency. Read & Comment
Pakistani government harassment and obstruction of U.S. diplomats is increasing dramatically, reaching the point where it is "significantly impairing" the work of the American embassy and consulates there, the State Department's internal watchdog said Thursday. Read & Comment
A new Louisiana law requires sex offenders and child predators to state their criminal status on their Facebook or other social networking page, with the law's author saying the bill is the first of its kind in the nation. Read & Comment
The Obama administration's commitment to environmental justice may seem honorable at first glance, but the marriage of environmentalism and civil rights has created a perfect storm of regulatory power that has the potential to control or kill any project anywhere in the United States. Read & Comment
Repeal Pres. Obama's Amnesty & Work Permits; Pennsylvania needs those jobs
With more Americans unemployed at any time since the Great Depression, President Obama is making it easier for illegal aliens to take American jobs. That's right: With 20 million Americans having trouble finding work, President Obama's bypassed Congress to unilaterally give amnesty and work permits to 2-3 million illegal aliens currently in the United States. It means more job competition and wage depression for working class and fewer jobs for returning veterans and recent graduates.
If that's not bad enough, President Obama's amnesty and work permit incentivizes more illegal aliens to quickly cross the border into this country in the hopes of qualifying for the next amnesty, too. And, of course, it means rewarding those who broke the law. It all adds up to a desperate move by the President to get votes in an election year, despite the cost to the American worker.
The good news is that our democracy has checks and balance. President Obama's policy can be repealed if enough of us voice our concerns. Two of those check and balances are right here in Pennsylvania. They're our Senators. Please send our Senators the message below right now. They can repeal President Obama's amnesty and work permits for millions of illegal aliens. And save jobs for unemployed Americans, right here in Pennsylvania. This is a completely free service. There is no cost to you.
As you know, our nation is experiencing its most trying economic times since the Great Depression. Twenty million Americans are having trouble finding jobs and putting food on the table, many right here in Pennsylvania. That's why I was so confounded to recently hear that President Obama's bypassed Congress to unilaterally award amnesty and work permits to 2-3 million illegal aliens.
His unprecedented abuse of executive privilege will make it harder for people right here in Pennsylvania to find jobs. Recent college grads can't find jobs. Immigrants who settled here last year can't find jobs. So, why would the President want to make it easier for people here illegally to take American jobs? Why would we reward lawbreakers and incentivize more illegal immigration? The answer is simple and predictable: It's election year politics at its worst.
The United States gives new work permits to 1.5 million immigrants and other foreign workers each year--not including the illegal aliens. When our nation is trillions in debt and has a shortage of millions of jobs, there is simply no way to justify these numbers. Taxpayers end up subsidizing the Americans who lose their jobs because of immigration.
It has been said that during bad times, 'we the people' find out what kind of leaders we've elected. Here's your chance to show us your leadership skills. Please, take immediate action to repeal President Obama's amnesty and work permits for millions of illegal aliens. Unemployed Americans desperately need jobs, and they're depending on you.
NumbersUSA, America's largest-member immigration-reduction organization. We are non-profit and non-partisan.
Dan Stein: Block This De-Facto AmnestyThe problem is that in taking this political step, the president is making an end-run around Congress, which has sole constitutional authority to make immigration policy, while at the same time harming the interests of millions of Americans. Full Story
Obama Amnesty Plan Fallout ContinuesThe announcement, made five months before the presidential election, was strongly questioned by critics of Obama who believe the policy change should have been debated on Capitol Hill. Full Story
Rubio Calls off DREAM Act, For NowSen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) told reporters that he no longer planned on introducing his version of the DREAM Act. At least not until after the November elections. Full Story
Amnesty Plan Bad News for the Unemployed?Depending on how you look at it, President Barack Obama's executive order on immigration is either good news for young illegal immigrants who can now apply for work permits, or bad news for the nation's unemployed workers who now face more competition for jobs. Full Story
The Constitution? Are You Serious?The lead-up to President Obama's announcement that he would implement the DREAM Act amnesty, even though it had been repeatedly rejected by Congress, was accompanied by an elaborate and well-orchestrated public relations effort. Full Story
Pathetic Dan Savage By L. Brent Bozell III Savage isn't hiding his agenda: Hey, hey, ho, ho, the Holy Bible has got to go. Hollywood has made this view "more mainstream than ever," and he knows it. This man not only hates Christians, he despises Christianity itself.
Behind the Crack-up of the Right By Patrick J. Buchanan In introducing his new book, "Leo Strauss and the Conservative Movement in America," Paul Gottfried identifies a fundamental divide between neoconservatives and the traditional right. The divide is over the question: What is this nation, America?
The Coming DNC Disaster By Michelle Malkin In September, the campaigner-in-chief will travel to Charlotte for his party's presidential nominating convention. Obama's stage managers envision a triumphant, unifying coronation reminiscent of their 2008 DNC production in Denver. But the southern swing state is turning into a Democratic disaster zone.
Heat's On In Washington By Rich Galen Conservatives are making a big deal about the fact that White House Press Secretary Jay Carney couldn't remember the name of the Agent that was killed in the operation. I don't see that as Carney, or the White House, dissing Agent Terry. I see it as another example of how inept this White House is.
"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indespensible 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 connections with private and public felicity. ... [L]et us with caution indulge the opposition, 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." --George Washington (1796)
Just when you thought the Left's campaign of cultural degradation couldn't become any worse, Barack Hussein Obama, ostensibly the Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces, sent down a decree that the Service Branches must celebrate "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month." The purpose of this mandate is to affirm the minuscule number of homosexuals (2-3 percent) serving in the military ranks -- mostly in rear echelon positions.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta dutifully carried out the order, saying, "During Pride Month, and every month, let us celebrate our rich diversity and renew our enduring commitment to equality for all."
Obama's declaration came during the same week the DoD announced it would comply with atheist group demands that all military editions of the Bible be removed from Base Exchange centers. The complainant had prepped a lawsuit based on the errant notion that "separation of church and state" is enshrined in our Constitution. Naturally, the Obama administration accepted their objection without a fight, based upon the Left's adherence to a so-called "living constitution."
Apparently, Panetta's "enduring commitment to equality for all" applies to sexual preference but not faith. Oh, wait ... maybe it doesn't even apply to sexual preference. After all, when was the last time any Leftist celebrated "Heterosexual Pride Month"?
Make no mistake, Obama's Gay Political Play is a keystone in the Left's macro agenda to undermine the most critical pillar of Liberty, the family. However, there's nothing "gay" about Gender-Disorientation Pathology, and "affirming homosexuals" in any context not only poses a threat to natural families and good military order, but disregards the welfare of millions who manifest this destructive pathology -- merely using them as political pawns.
Rather than provide one lone opinion about Obama's military "Gay Pride Month" mandate, I asked 20 career military officers, five from each of the service branches, to give me their opinions about this mandate. While I value the opinions of many young friends who are among the enlisted ranks, I chose to ask officers, in order to provide a more strategic perspective on this issue.
The responses I received came from those who ranked from O-2 to O-9. Each reported that their sentiments were echoed by virtually all of their colleagues. Each agreed to provide their "personal perspective" without attribution, because the military PC police (Lefty lawyers in the JAG and IG offices) are very persistent at prosecuting Obama dissenters, and these respondents expressed an interest in completing their military careers, abiding by their oaths as military officers, and endeavoring to maintain history's best fighting force in defense of Liberty -- despite assaults from the CinC to the contrary.
What follows are representative amalgamations of comments from members in each service branch, all of whom are combat veterans.
USA:
Clinton accelerated the practice of using the military as a political test platform for social policy, pandering to its electoral constituencies. The Obama regime put it in warp speed. ... I will retire soon, and it pains me to see this political crap manifest itself in the ranks of fine young men and women. ... Military service requires a solid foundation in moral virtue because war destroys the societal safeguards that aid civilized society and civilized people in staying grounded. When we remove morality from military service, such as the moral imperatives behind the UCMJ regulations against homosexual behavior and adultery, we risk dislodging the moral compass from its true north bearing. ... This has nothing to do with military readiness and everything to do with political expedience. ... The requirement for even more "sensitivity training," which we already endure for Equal Opportunity (EO) and Sexual Harassment, Assault, and Rape Prevention (SHARP), and resulting UCMJ changes, all detract from the real aim and purpose of training our soldiers to fight and win, wasting his most precious resource, time. ... This mandate is irresponsible and rains down from politicos who are not even remotely acquainted with the reality of ground combat.
USN:
I have had to do few things more distasteful in my 36 years than train (read "indoctrinate") my unit members on the new post-Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell (DADT) rules. ... Those of us who have been brought up with legitimate, closely held religious convictions have to bite our tongues and accept the unacceptable. ... We all know it's a load of horse dung, and are just holding our breath for a real CinC to replace the phony one now at the head of the table. ... If being a Christian makes me a bigot, as our Commander-in-Chief indicated (in his reference to people "clinging to their guns and Bibles",) then I willingly wear that title. ... Next up will no doubt be affirmative action for homosexuals to increase their numbers in our ranks. ... When one group, for whatever reason, is given preferential treatment over another, it is ultimately destructive to the command, or the service, or the military writ large. ... Yet to meet one in the fighter community! ... When you consider that the average junior sailor (E6 and below) lives separated from family and friends for months at a time and in worse conditions than the majority of our federal prisoners in order to serve and protect our nation, you'd think that they would be the last people who would have these political mandates imposed upon them by our civilian "leaders." ... Typical of an administration that can't differentiate between equality and Liberty!
USAF:
There is no evidence that decisively links genetics to homosexuality -- and this lack of a genetic link totally separates this issue from race and gender ... except for political expedience. ... When will the pandering politicians please get their social agenda out of my way so we can do the job we came here to do? ... Everyone who has candidly spoken to me about the issue thinks the DoD's policy towards homosexual conduct is wrong, period, and contributes to a degradation of unit cohesion and effectiveness. The fact that the DoD would then not only allow the conduct, but now endorse it is absolute anathema to anyone with a moral compass. ... Now that we've opened Pandora's box by legalizing homosexual behavior, we are now challenged to figure out exactly what kind of status and rights we are going to bestow on it. As a commander, I would be content if we could simply acknowledge it as a permissible lifestyle and not celebrate it as some kind of panacea that will give our military a tipping-point advantage that will allow us to defeat our enemies. ... Despite the "re-education classes," I will likely continue to hear humorous comments loaded with gay innuendo, all followed by the standard disclaimer, "not that there's anything wrong with that!"
USMC:
I read Panetta's order ... and it sickened me. Panetta is not part of the "military ranks." Unfortunately his "leadership" of the DoD defines, in part, where the military ranks are, and where we will go. ... I'm not a fan of Hispanic Heritage Month, African-American Whatever, Women's History Month, etc. The posters produced, ceremonies, seminars and luncheons held, and messages that are promulgated are presented under the guise of bringing us all together when, in fact, they mostly define and divide by differences. ... Celebrating one's heritage or behavior is fine as long as it's your celebration, not the DoD's, or the Nation's. ... Lord, please send us a real CinC! ... In my opinion DADT was a very workable solution. If folks did their job and kept their homosexual behavior a private matter, I was OK with that. ... I knew fellow Marines who cheated on their wives, who lied and who stole, but I was never required to celebrate those sins. I could still voice my rejection of those behaviors, and get my fellow Marines to straighten up and fly right. But now I would be dishonorably discharged for such action. ... Numerous studies/surveys of our Marines conclude that the youngsters, who almost exclusively make up front-line combat troops, don't fight for God or country or freedom. They fight for the guys on their left and right. By dividing along the lines of our differences, we erode the foundation of military success. ... Contrary to Panetta's statement, the military doesn't exist to provide opportunities or make people feel good.
Unit Cohesion?
Two comments really sum up the thousands of words I received in response to the Obama "GLBT" mandate.
The first is from Col. Ron Crews, USA retired (emphasis added), who is now director of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty: "By openly affirming bisexual and homosexual behavior, military leadership is coming into direct conflict with the morals and standards held almost universally by chaplains and service members of virtually every major faith group in the military. This blatant attempt to 'celebrate' a minority view of political correctness will not endear military families to the military. I want the American public to see just where the current administration is leading our military. They have turned our Armed Forces into a social experiment at the cost of military readiness."
The second is from a Marine: "When I volunteered for the Marine Corps, the military expelled homosexuals. A decade later, Bill Clinton ordered that we ignore homosexuals as long as they kept their sexual preferences a private matter (Don't Ask, Don't Tell). That was OK because few if any of them were in combat units. Last year, Obama and his Leftist congressional cadres obliged the military to endorse open homosexuality (Do Ask, Do Tell). This decision had nothing to do with military readiness and everything to do with political pandering to a loud special interest group. This week, Barack Obama decreed that my Marine Corps would officially 'celebrate Gay Pride Month.' The next step will be to set quotas for homosexuals in the ranks, and to offer marriages and same-sex benefits. I'm preparing for retirement after more than 30 years of service to my country, and more than a few scars to prove it. It grieves me to leave my beloved Corps in such a state, being used as a political crap pot for Obama and his socialist administrators. I have honored my oath. They have deserted theirs. Do citizens give a s--t anymore? Time to wake up. God Bless America! S/F."
When Obama repealed DADT in December 2010, he said, "We are not a nation that says, 'don't ask, don't tell.' We are a nation that says, 'Out of many, we are one.'" But Obama's invocation of "E Pluribus Unum," the national motto proposed by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson in 1776, as the basis for his social agenda to normalize homosexual deviance, is anathema to its definition. That is because Obama's objective is not to unite, but to divide (and conquer) under the pretense of uniting.
George Washington once called on the nation to determine whether we would be united or divided: "We are either a United people, or we are not. If the former, let us, in all matters of general concern act as a nation, which have national objects to promote, and a national character to support. If we are not, let us no longer act a farce by pretending to it."
Indeed, Obama in his capacity as President and CinC, is a monumental farce.
Pro Deo et Constitutione - Libertas aut Mors Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis Mark Alexander Publisher, The Patriot Post
June 22, 2012
On Today's Program700-3? Join Glenn in predicting a Romney victory in November By all accounts November's election is going to be a close one. A toss up state here or there might make all the difference. Well, Glenn has a slightly different take on things (Hint: Mexico and Canada vote in Romney's favor). Find out which states Glenn has going to Romney.
Gay activists visiting the White House flip off Reagan portrait A series of photos reveal several gay activists who visited the White House flipping the bird at the portrait of President Reagan. The stereotypical view of Reagan is that he was anti-gay when the reality was the exact opposite. The Blaze has more on the story HERE.
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Were the kids on the bus "dead inside"? Caller takes serious issue with Glenn's comments Glenn talks more about the story that's grabbed America's attention - the bus monitor who was ruthlessly mocked by a pack of horrific teenagers. There were 30 other kids on the bus -- Glenn's question is simple: what was their deal? Not one of them said anything? Glenn reacts on radio.
Throwing money at the problem? Abused bus monitor's fund grows to over $450k The other big part of the bus driver story is the massive amount of money that's been raised. By mid-day she had nearly half a million dollars. The debate on radio today was about that huge amount - should she donate it? Will it solve anything? WATCH
STUTISTICS: Just how wrong could one climate scientist be? Watch the new episode of Stutistics today on GBTV at 5pm ET (or on demand) to find out! Be sure to follow @Stutistics for all episode updates.
Family Fridays from The Marketplace featuring Slotto and Bouncing Berry Farms! Entertain the entire family with the notched wooden pieces of the creative children's toy - Slotto! You'll also fall in love with the family business and farm fresh taste of Bouncing Berry Farms! Check them both out today at The Marketplace!
Monica Crowley: Tea Party not a response to progressives, but to failures by the GOP On radio this morning, Glenn interviewed conservative commentator and writer Monica Crowley. They discussed her new book, What the Bleep Just Happened: The Happy Warrior's Guide to a Great American Comeback, as well as the damage President Obama has done in his first three and a half years. Watch the entire interview HERE.
And the biggest coward is....? The MAINSTREAM MEDIA! It's hardly shocking that the mainstream media is the BIG winner of Glenn's 100 Years of Cowards tournament. After all, they're the shill for most of the cowards in the public eye. Glenn's new book COWARDS doesn't just expose the liars and deceivers in the mainstream media, it also shows you how new media is changing the world. Pick up a copy of COWARDS today to get back what the media fails to give you, the facts!
4th Hour: Today on "As Seen on The 4th Hour" a brave fan let Stu cut her hair with the infomercial classic, The Flowbee. Watch to see how Stu did, (It isn't pretty).
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