912 Patriots of Lower Bucks - Your Daily Updates ALL in ONE Place!
July 9, 2012
Quote:
"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it." ~ Ben Franklin
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States Should Flatly Reject ObamaCare Exchanges...Here are the reasons....
Here are just a few reasons why states should refuse to create ObamaCare Exchanges.
Jobs. Refusing to create an exchange will block Obamacare from imposing a tax on employers whose health benefits do not meet the federal government's definition of "essential" coverage. That tax can run as high as $3,000 per employee. A state that refuses to create an exchange will spare its employers from that tax, and will therefore enable them to create more jobs.
Religious freedom. In blocking that employer tax, state officials would likewise block Obamacare's effort to force religious employers to provide coverage for services they find immoral - like contraception, pharmaceutical abortions, and sterilization.
The federal debt. Refusing to create exchanges would also reduce the federal debt, because it would prevent the Obama administration from doling out billions of dollars in subsidies to private insurance companies.
The U.S. Constitution. The Obama administration has indicated that it might try to tax employers and hand out those subsidies anyway - even in states that don't create an exchange, and even though neither Obamacare nor any other federal law gives it the power to do so. If that happens, the fact that a state has refused to create an exchange would give every large employer in the state - including the state government itself - the ability to go to court to block the administration's attempt to usurp Congress's legislative powers.
A lower state tax burden. States that opt to create an exchange can expect to pay anywhere from $10 million to $100 million per year to run it. But if states refuse, Obamacare says the federal government must pay to create one. Why should states pay for something that the federal government is giving away?
Bye-bye, Obamacare. That is, if the feds can create an exchange at all. The Obama administration has admitted it doesn't have the money - and good luck getting any such funding through the GOP-controlled House. Moreover, without state-run exchanges, the feds can't subsidize private insurance companies. That by itself could cause Obamacare to collapse.
Michael F. Cannon is the director of Health Policy Studies at the Cato Institute. Video Produced by Caleb O. Brown and Austin Bragg.
States Should Flatly Reject ObamaCare Exchanges
AP: IRS to Issue 'Scary Letters & Threats' & Hire Thousands of New Employees to Enforce Health Care Mandate
The Blaze | by Billy Hallowell | Posted on July 9, 2012 at 7:53am
WASHINGTON (AP) - Can the Internal Revenue Service police President Barack Obama's health care mandate while simultaneously collecting all the taxes for running the federal government?
The question is being renewed in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision upholding most of the 2010 Affordable Care Act as a tax issue rather than one of interstate commerce.
Nearly 2 1/2 years before taxpayers will have to start providing proof on their tax returns that they have health insurance, key Republicans suspect the agency already is diverting resources from collecting taxes to gear up for becoming the government's health care cop.
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!):
On the Wednesday prior to the Obamacare announcement of the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the fate of Obamacare, there was another judicial opinion that promises to destroy many aspects of the nation's economy.
To understand the ramifications of the decision, one needs to keep in mind that the coal mining industry and coal-fired plants provide about 42% of the nation's electrical power. It used to be 50%. A successful economy requires and thrives on energy. We are decreasing ours. China is building a new coal-fired plant every month.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia threw out a pro-industry petition that challenged the Environmental Protection Agency's assertion that carbon dioxide (CO2) is a "pollutant" that endangers public health and is a factor in global warming.
It was an 81-page decision, based in part on a 2007 SCOTUS decision that ruled 5-4 that the 1970 Clean Air Act empowered the EPA to regulate C02, even though that was never the original intent of the Act.
It is a ruling that will permit the EPA to continue to wreak havoc on business and industry, large and small, based entirely on the greatest science hoax in history.
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.
Ask yourself this question everyday: "What did I do today to boot Obama and his corrupt liberal cronies out of Washington?"
Hello Tea Partiers,
A fire has been lit under conservative grassroots! Any wavering over whether or not to support Romney flew out the window last Thursday when Roberts failed the American people. Know this; it is up to us to turn this socialism around and with the help of Divine Providence we will succeed! Our mission is clear. Get out the Romney vote and once elected hold his feet to the fire!!
The last few days have been extremely busy. Lots of ideas coming at us. The following one we can do immediately. It came from TPP National and is called Operation Light the Fire Now more than ever after last week's Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare, we must hold our representatives and wanabee representatives accountable. It is up to us to defend our own liberty. Click on the link Operation: Light the Fire
Next Central Montco PTPP meeting is Thursday July 12th, 7:00 at the Rock Cafe. Topic - Tea Party Patriot strategy to take back our Country
Citizens for Constitutional Government meeting is July 10 at the Quakertown Library. The proposed agenda is as follows:
6:30 Open discussion
6:50 "Constitutional Literacy" (Michael Farris) 20 minute video
7:15-8:20 SAM ROHRER - Q&A discussion
8:20-8:30 Wrap-up: Action Points
Sam Rohrer will address questions many conservatives have been asking themselves: how can a principled conservative stay actively involved in the political process when so much of politics seems to be about compromise, connections, power, money, and downright corruption? Is there any hope to effect real change in the GOP? in Harrisburg? in D.C.? Do we just need to "throw them all out" as so many frustrated Tea Party folks exclaim?
As Promised at our June meeting; Websites with Patient centered health care reform ideas
Please take what you like and share with anyone who will listen.
Thanks for your concern, dedication and patriotism and have a great July 4th!
Pam for Jim and Tim Co coordinators of Phila Tea Party Patriots of Central Montco.
ANNOUNCING THE VALLEY FORGE PATRIOTS MONTHLY MEETING
FRIDAY, JULY 13, 6:00PM
AT THE PHOENIXVILLE COUNTRY CLUB
How well do you know our PA Constitution? Have you heard about LOST and the potential UN tax on the US? Need to know more about health care exchanges and smart meters? Please join us, be informed, learn more!
William Taylor Reil will talk to us about the "Declaration of Rights" in the Pennsylvania Constitution and the 9th and 10th amendments in our U.S. Constitution and how some in government deny us our rights.
We will be discussing the Treaty of the Sea (LOST)which, if ratified, threatens American sovereignty. On the state level, we will dig into health care exchanges that may be developed in our Commonwealth and the reasons why this is not a good idea.
There will be letters to our federal legislators asking them not to ratify the Treaty of the Sea (LOST) and letters to our state legislators asking them to NOT develop health care exchanges in support of Obamacare in PA.
This is followed by open mic so bring your thoughts and ideas.
CCG July 10th Meeting - SAM ROHRER speaks on Conservative activism in an unprincipled political world
Dear Patriots,
Please save the date for the second Tuesday in July, July 10, when Sam Rohrer will address questions many conservatives have been asking themselves: how can a principled conservative stay actively involved in the political process when so much of politics seems to be about compromise, connections, power, money, and downright corruption? Is there any hope to effect real change in the GOP? in Harrisburg? in D.C.? Do we just need to "throw them all out" as so many frustrated Tea Party folks exclaim?
Most importantly, why should and how can principled conservatives get involved in this 2012 election when the only candidates close to our position who have a prayer of winning are a Romney, a Smith, and Congressmen like Fitzpatrick or Dent - each of whom has compromised conservative principles in some areas of practice or policy? From the perspective of a man of proven conservative principles who battled these issues for 14 years from inside the Capitol in Harrisburg, a discussion of this challenging dilemma should prove interesting and enlightening.
Please bring your thoughts and questions, invite your conservative friends who are ready to "throw in the towel" and give up the fight - and join us a week from Tuesday at the Quakertown Library. The proposed agenda is as follows:
SAM ROHRER speaking on Conservative Activism in an unprincipled political world -
how do patriots of principle stay involved in a political world driven by compromise, connections, power, money, and downright corruption?
is compromise ever the principled choice for a conservative legislator?
when is the lesser of two evils the principled choice?
where do conservatives draw the line on what candidates they will actively support?
PLEASE RSVP to this event NOW !!!
Tuesday, JULY 10, 6:30-8:30pm
Quakertown Library, 401 W. Mill St., Quakertown
Bring your thoughts and questions for a Q&A Discussion following Sam's presentation
Note: To allow more discussion time on this vital topic, we will cancel our usual half-hour open discussion time and postpone our "Constitutional Literacy" video series.Our meeting will start at 6:30 promptly with some legislative updates and CCG business, followed by our speaker.
Hey, everyone,
We went to this new tea party group for YOUNG people in Conshohocken the other night and it was filled with energy! Lots of young people were there and they are psyched to stop the train wreck of socialism. If YOU are angry and feel helpless and want to do something about it in addition to praying, please get connected with this group (below) on Facebook! They are networked across the entire country with all the other tea party groups, "912 groups," and other freedom-loving people--many who have grandparents who fought and died in World War II and other battles. There are many more younger tea party groups springing up as it dawns on teens and 20-somethings that THEY will be the ones living under mandates . . . endless new mandates. We haven't even discussed the fact that we do NOT have the money to pay for ObamaCare!!!
These young people GET IT--it is them that will suffer under socialism, under the crushing debt, under devastating unemployment, and under a horrible NO-WORK ethic creeping across our country. Socialism will kill the spirit of our citizens. This group is committed to making a huge difference, right here in Montgomery County.
Also, we met Perry Bentley, the 22-year old Field Director for the MontCo Victory Center to UNELECT OBAMA. Perry said that on July 7 there is a kickoff for anyone who is interested to help in lots of ways to get rid of Obama: phone calls, door knocking, and much more. Call 717 686-2219 to sign up and help get rid of Obama. To do nothing at this point is to allow tyranny, plain and simple. The time for watching t.v. is OVER. Your future children and grandchildren will ask you: what did you do to stop tyranny?
Michele
P.S. On the Communist Party USA website today, there was an article that said: "America will accept socialism peacefully without violence." Will that be you or will you FIGHT it???
Join Us on Fridays and Take a Stand for Israel:
The Next KTP Tea Social
Monday, July 9th at 7pm
Doylestown Moose Club
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
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 2,100,000 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.
There are four stages to the Obama way of government.
Stage 1: Ignore the problem - "We're in a recovery."
Stage 2: Deny the problem - "The private sector is just fine"
Stage 3: Blame Bush - "I inherited a bad economy."
Stage 4: Cry Racism - "It's because he's black."
We are now finally reaching the third and fourth stages with Fast and Furious. There is the Blame Bush claim and the racism claims are creeping forth.
But what exactly is more racist, killing hundreds of Mexicans or criticizing a black Attorney General?
DEATH OF A MUSLIM HONOR KILLER
In 1992, Abdul Awkal, a Lebanese Muslim, met up with his wife and her brother at the Family Conciliation Office in the sprawling Lakeside Courthouse. Awkal's wife had filed for divorce after years of physical abuse and a sexually transmitted disease that she contracted from him. In response, Awkal had bought a gun and threatened to shoot her if she didn't come back to him.
On the day of the shooting, Awkal, who would base his entire twenty year defense on an insanity claim, wrote a check for most of his assets to his brother, and arrived at the courthouse with the stroller, child seat and baby food that he would need once he abducted his daughter. He met up with his wife and her brother inside the courthouse and killed them. Then he tried to use his 15 month old daughter as a human shield before being shot in the back by law enforcement.
Awkal told police that he had ordered his brother-in-law to "profess that Allah was the only God." And he had only killed him after he refused to do so.
Facing new polls that show his popularity evaporating to virtually nothing, especially among women, President Obama hopes America will bet on a whole new Barack Obama.
"I know I've been bad," announced the President at his latest campaign stop. "I know I've lied. I've been very dismissive of your wants and needs. I've blamed everyone but myself for my own failings.
"I know I've hurt you, America.
"But I've been going through a lot of soul-searching lately. I know I can be better. I want to be good. Like they say, admitting your failings is the beginning of getting better.
"This is my promise to you, America: I'm going to be a whole new president. I'm turning over a new leaf!
"From now on I'll be better. I won't be the same President you think I am. I'll get really, really serious about my faults. Because we're good together and I don't want to lose you. Please don't give up on me.
"This terrible ordeal we've been going through has affected our relationship...
Today's jobs report is a broken record, with the unemployment rate stuck at 8.2 percent. The Department of Labor reports that only 80,000 jobs were added in June-consistent with other data revealing the economy has downshifted from slow to slower. This picture is starkly different from the economy President Obama promised of a strong recovery and millions of "saved or created" jobs a few years ago.
In 2009, the President promised that his "recovery plan" composed almost entirely of government spending was the only way to stave off rising unemployment. The White House even drafted a chart showing projected unemployment with the economic stimulus plan and without it-to scare lawmakers into voting for it. According to their projections, by now, unemployment should be at 5.5 percent. Instead, of course, it's 8.2 percent-and has been above 8 percent for 41 straight months.
This jobs drought is the result of counterproductive policies, many of which could be reversed immediately. But in the meantime, employers aren't hiring because they are suffering from prolonged uncertainty, as economists readily admit.
"When we get an increase in general uncertainty, employers tend to postpone investment and hiring decisions," Michael Gapen, senior U.S. economist with Barclays, told CNNMoney.
That uncertainty, which is now made worse by the impending implementation of Obamacare, the economic meltdown in Europe, and slower growth in Asia, stems primarily from America's date with Taxmageddon on January 1, 2013. The largest tax increase in U.S. history-$494 billion in one year-will hit on that day, as a host of tax cuts expire and new tax hikes (including some of Obamacare's new taxes) take effect.
Though it doesn't officially hit until January 1, Taxmageddon is having a real effect on job creation right now. Small business owners cite taxes as their single greatest problem, even ahead of poor sales.
"Companies and households won't know what their tax liabilities are going to look like in 2013, what the regulatory or spending backdrop is. It's going to be an uncertainty which weighs on people's ability to make plans," Julia Coronado, chief North America economist at BNP Paribas in New York, told Reuters.
The President should be leading the country in the opposite direction-giving employers and individuals the assurance that these tax hikes will be prevented. Instead, in his 2013 budget submission, the President called for $2 trillion in tax increases, and he has showed no signs of saving Americans from Taxmageddon. Indeed, he's been almost silent on the impending avalanche of taxes, except to endorse higher rates for investors and business owners.
Last year, Congress prevented some tax increases just in the nick of time. The longer Congress waits to prevent Taxmageddon, the more uncertainty there will be for workers and businesses. This is an element of the economy that is actually in the complete control of American policymakers. They should act quickly to increase certainty and stability at a time when the economy greatly needs it. If the President will not lead, Congress should step up and show the public that at least one branch of government cares about creating jobs and growing the economy.
The House Rules Committee has scheduled an "emergency" meeting for Monday to consider a measure that would repeal Obamacare.
Obama Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood hailed China as a model for government efficiency this week, saying: "The Chinese are more successful [in building infrastructure] because in their country, only three people make the decision. In our country, 3,000 people do, 3 million."
New reports reveal that former Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) referred others to a secret VIP mortgage program from subprime lender Countrywide that he repeatedly denied knowledge of.
Join Heritage at noon today for our lunchtime chat with Jennifer Marshall. She will be taking your questions about what Obamacare means for religious freedom, what can be done now, and recent "Fortnight for Freedom" events.
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.
As you are waking up this morning, I have really cool news to tell you about that I only found out last night.
Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia's Attorney General and a hero to so many of us for his conservative convictions and race to the courthouse the moment Obamacare was signed to file suit against it, is going to join us at the RedState Gathering.
Yep. In fact, the home office doesn't even know yet. I only found out last night. So, note to HQ: Ken Cuccinelli will be there!! You won't want to miss him.
And if Ken Cuccinelli isn't a big enough draw, have I mentioned David Limbaugh is coming?
Time is running out to register. Heck, time is running out to get a discount on the hotel rate. You only have a few more days for that. Go to www.redstategathering.com right now to register. It'll be in Jacksonville, FL on August 2nd through the 5th.
Senator Max Baucus of Montana receives campaign donations from the parent company of Phillip Morris. Senator Baucus then puts a provision in the highway transportation bill banning roll your own cigarette operations, a business that does not exist in Montana.
Forty people in Harry Reid's Nevada and elsewhere will lose their jobs because a transportation bill actively and willfully legislated a legal business out of business by driving up the regulatory burden so excessively. Major cigarette manufacturers championed the legislation and Republicans supported it because it will increase tax revenue without them voting to raise taxes.
Put bluntly, Republicans voted to do exactly what they they accuse the Democrats of doing - shut down businesses by driving up regulatory burdens in an effort to increase taxes.
Friends, at what point do we hold our side accountable? $20 trillion in debt? $50 trillion in debt? Contrary to what some of you want to think, it was not the Democrats who got us to $16 trillion in national debt. It was bipartisan. Some of it legitimate and much of it not.
The leaders of the GOP give lip service to smaller government but shut down legitimate private businesses to feed the leviathan more tax revenue. Republicans in the House of Representatives urge candidates not to sign the ATR tax pledge and Republicans in the Senate cut deals that will boost revenue because - deficits. And still they add to the debt.
So if not now, when? Not until we're all speaking Chinese apparently.
John Mica and Sandy Adams are battling each other in the redrawn 7th Congressional District of Florida. The choice could not be clearer based on this vote.
It's the highway transportation bill. Mica voted for it. Sandy Adams voted against it.
Contained within the legislation, which Mica helped sherpa through the House by the way as Chairman of the Transportation Committee, was a provision shutting down American small businesses out west that allowed people to roll their own cigarettes. More than one woman worked in those perfectly legal, perfectly legitimate businesses.
John Mica voted knowingly and willfully to put these women and men out of work.
In 2008, the Obama campaign raised and spent more money than has ever been spent in a presidential election, coming up with the "parallel public financing" crock* to cover for reneging on an agreement with John McCain to take real public financing once they realized just how much money they could raise, both at home and abroad.
The 2012 edition of Obama for America was supposed to be a billion dollar machine that would steamroll any Republican opponent without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately for the incumbent, a funny thing happened on the way to that fundraising total: despite holding over 160 fundraisers - more than the previous five presidents combined -, the money just hasn't been there for the Democrat's campaign (perhaps because so few people have money for their own expenses these days?).
In case you missed it, the June jobs report is out, and the numbers are not good (though the Obama administration had a ready-made - and well-worn - excuse ready to go at a moment's notice; more on that below).
Mitt Romney's Time to Choose Steve McCann Is Mitt Romney running for president solely as a fulfillment of a personal or family ambition? Or because he sees the bleak future ahead for the nation and is determined to reverse its course? More
The Gathering Storm within the GOP Daren Jonescu America needs a Republican Party establishment that values the Constitution over cocktail parties. More
ObamaCare Is Shovel-Ready for You Stella Paul I've been gobbling berries like crazy ever since June 28, when Chief Justice John Roberts gifted us ObamaCare. I figure I'd better fortify my body with antioxidants before they drop all 2,000 pages of Obama's "law" on my head. More
Neo-Soviet Russia Is Another Obama Legacy Kim Zigfeld Russia is now a fully neo-Soviet state, with a KGB "president for life," and Barack Obama has actively encouraged it all. More
Roberts Among the Houyhnhnms Edward H. Stewart, Jr. Sometimes in confusing situations, the best way to find out what something is is to find out what it isn't. More
To be quoted whenever a liberal tries playing the race card about slavery:
"Blacks were not enslaved because they were black but because they were available. Slavery has existed in the world for thousands of years. Whites enslaved other whites in Europe for centuries before the first black was brought to the Western hemisphere. Asians enslaved Europeans. Asians enslaved other Asians. Africans enslaved other Africans, and indeed even today in North Africa, blacks continue to enslave blacks."-Thomas Sowell
Tell a liberal how much you admire the lofty neutrality and commitment to truth at all costs of their house journal the New York Times.
NO. 2. The Times has not endorsed a Republican presidential candidate since Dwight Eisenhower.
Please pass this to everyone!
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FOR PENNSYLVANIA TAXPAYERS
by January 1, 2013
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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.
To read some accounts of the impact of the latest Western sanctions on Iran, you'd think the ayatollahs ought to be packing their bags for exile in Paris. Today's front page feature in the New York Times about the Islamist regime using out-of-service tankers as storage facilities for all the oil they can no longer sell paints a dismal picture of the country's economy. The story spoke of the squeeze being put on Iran and the prospect that more economic pain is in the offing as the effects of the sanctions start being felt. All of which ought to presage either the collapse of the government or a decision on the part of its leaders that discretion is the better part of valor when it comes to their nuclear ambitions.
But the colorful imagery of the tankers notwithstanding there was nothing in this piece or any other that would lead one to believe that the ayatollahs are really worried. And that's a point that left-wing pundit Robert Dreyfuss makes all too clear in an article in The Diplomat. Though an Israel-hater like Dreyfuss being right about a Middle East issue is a case of the proverbial blind squirrel finding an acorn, he's right when he notes that President Obama's Iran sanctions policy has more of a feel of a ruse aimed at quieting the concerns of friends of Israel than an actual method of heading off the nuclear threat. Nobody in Washington really thinks the sanctions will work and that includes members of the administration which is touting their ability to make the Iranians give in.
It's a sad fact that although the Iranian people are in for a rough time this year, the impact of the sanctions may involve nothing more than another round of belt-tightening for a nation all too used to having to put up with hardships since it came under the thumb of Islamic theocrats.
There was another important recent judicial opinion that will destroy many aspects of the nation's economy. It will permit the EPA to continue to wreak havoc on industry, large and small, based entirely on the greatest science hoax in history.
Our air campaign has struck fear into the hearts of the enemy. Bringing to light the enemy's private fears is effective psychological warfare. Shouldn't American leaders be citing Afghan leadership's fears publicly?
Victor Perlo rebutted the idea that Oswald was a Communist. Turns out Perlo was a Communist Party USA member and Soviet agent. His daughter-in-law was CPUSA Official Joelle Fishman, currently a prominent backer of President Obama.
The UN, radical greens, Hillary Clinton and other Big Govt types say the world needs a UN-managed international agency to direct global efforts. Isn't it time to give other important voices a hearing on their own visions and guidelines?
Costs have outpaced incomes for decades, so households have been priced out of the middle class. If costs had stagnated with wages, it would be easier to maintain a middle class lifestyle. But costs for middle class essentials have skyrocketed.
Not only has President Obama and the Democrats imposed an enormously unpopular law, they have initiated a huge constitutional crisis. Will martial law be declared to enforce Obamacare since several Governors will not enforce it?
Bureau of Indigenous Muslim Affairs (BIMA), a non-profit that handles Islamic affairs, is planning "Jumah at the DNC," which is several events to happen at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) this September. The events are clearly geared toward Islamic adherents.
The Winston-Salem Journal, has reported that the group is saying, up to 20,000 Muslims will be in attendance to the celebratory happenings.
BIMA's purpose in rallying large numbers of Muslims to participate in this event, Jumah at the DNC, is to make the general public aware that the Muslim community is a healthy and vibrant component to the American society. Being that these events will occur between August 31st and September 3rd; which happens to be the Labor Day weekend, we felt that it would be most convenient for Muslims to be able to travel without being inhibited by their work schedules and other obligatory duties. Also it is the best time for Muslims to capture national and international attention.
Debt is the surest and shortest path to a global economy. Punishing all actors in local economies but those who are "too big to fail" empowers "too big to fail" systems and "too big to fail" economies. Encouraging debt and the eventual assumption of debt passed on and commodified by increasingly larger political and economic entities creates supraentities built on debt and dedicated to economic regulation.
The assumption of state debts by the Federal government was a major step in the federalization of the United States. The growing assumption of micro and macro debts by the United States government and by international bodies allows for greater macro and micro regulation of economic activities.
Rewarding and promoting irresponsible economic behavior creates debt which creates opportunities for intervention. Individuals are encouraged to engage in irresponsible day to day consumer spending and large scale home and college loans. Financial institutions package irresponsible loans into commodities of debt. Governments bail out financial institutions by amassing even more debt to pay for the bailouts.
The buck keeps getting passed on until everyone is in debt from the micro to the macro level, from the citizen who has his own debts, the annual and the lifelong, and those of the nation which he is also being taxed to repay, up to banks and governments, where the same experts move imaginary numbers around until everyone is in debt and also a debt holder and then a global state of debt has become universalized.
The universalization of debt leads to the universalization of economic authority and eventually planned economies. By indebting everyone from the individual to the government, everyone is forced to maintain a bankrupt and broken system. Debts are obligations. Obligating everyone to the same system forces everyone to comply with the system.
Interlinked economies are more unstable and require more regulation. Interlinked national economies become regional economies with common regional regulations imposed on multiple countries. And regional economies link in to a global economy which requires universal global economic regulation of all actors from the lemonade stand to the multinational bank to maintain centrally planned targets.
Growing instability is met with tighter regulation leading to the increased power of oligarchies who regulate the system and the diminishing freedom of individuals. Every action taken to create greater security and stability for the oligarchy has the net effect of subtracting from the economic freedom of all smaller actors.
31% of Americans give Obama positive grade on handling economic issues
36% of Americans, about 80 million people, believe UFO's exist.
If aliens arrived at their doorstep. 22% of that 36 percent would try to befriend the alien, 15% would run away, 13% would lock their doors, and only 2% would try to inflict bodily harm.
... the other 48 percent would vote him in as President.
MUSLIM WITCH HUNTS
While liberals complain that investigations of Islamic terrorism are a witch hunt, it's a good idea to remind them that while America doesn't hunt witches... the Muslim world does.
Congressman declares public schools should be modeled after madrassas!
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Congressman Andre Carson, speaking recently at an ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America) conference, declared that public schools should be modeled after madrassas.
No, he wasn't joking.
See the WND story (highlights added) and the short video below.
WND EXCLUSIVE LAWMAKER: MODEL PUBLIC SCHOOLS AFTER MUSLIM ONES
Praises virtues of Islamic 'madrassas,' 'where foundation is the Quran'
byCHELSEA SCHILLINGChelsea Schilling is a commentary editor and staff writer for WND, an editor of Jerome Corsi's Red Alert, and a proud homeschooling mother. Schilling joined the Army at age 17, receiving the exceptional designation of expert marksman three times. In addition to WND, Schilling has worked as a news producer at USA Radio Network and as a news reporter for the Sacramento Union.
A U.S. lawmaker - who prides himself on being only the second Muslim elected to Congress - has declared that America "needs Muslims" and U.S. public schools should be modeled after Islamic madrassas, "where the foundation is the Quran."
In a dramatic video dated May 26, U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., addressed an Islamic Circle of North America convention, saying the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was hard on Muslims and that Americans should look to Muslim schools for guidance. Carson declares:
"America will never tap into educational innovation and ingenuity without looking at the model that we have in our madrassas, in our schools, where innovation is encouraged, where the foundation is the Quran. And that model that we are pushing in some of our schools meets the multiple needs of students.
"Most of us are visual learners. Some of us are auditor learners - we learn by hearing. Many of us are kinesthetic learners. We learn by doing, touching, feeling. I have found ... that we need an educational model that is current, that meets the need of our students. America must understand that she needs Muslims."
He adds, "There are over 7 million Muslims in this country. And while we are under attack, we cannot retreat."
Carson is married to Mariama Shaheed Carson, public-school principal of Snacks Crossing Elementary School in Indianapolis, Ind.
Putin's July 4th Message
Russian nuclear-capable bombers intercepted near West Coast in second U.S. air defense zone intrusion in two weeks
BY: Bill Gertz -
Two Russian strategic nuclear bombers entered the U.S. air defense zone near the Pacific coast on Wednesday and were met by U.S. interceptor jets, defense officials told the Free Beacon.
It was the second time Moscow dispatched nuclear-capable bombers into the 200-mile zone surrounding U.S. territory in the past two weeks.
An earlier intrusion by two Tu-95 Bear H bombers took place near Alaska as part of arctic war games that a Russian military spokesman said included simulated attacks on "enemy" air defenses and strategic facilities.
A defense official said the Pacific coast intrusion came close to the U.S. coast but did not enter the 12-mile area that the U.S. military considers sovereign airspace.
The bomber flights near the Pacific and earlier flights near Alaska appear to be signs Moscow is practicing the targeting of its long-range air-launched cruise missiles on two strategic missile defense sites, one at Fort Greely, Alaska and a second site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
Five major ObamaCare taxes that will hit your wallet in 2013
By John Kartch
Published July 05, 2012
FoxNews.com
June 28, 2012: Supporters of President Barack Obama's health care law celebrate outside the Supreme Court in Washington. (AP)
While the individual mandate tax gets most of the attention, the ObamaCare law actually contains 20 new or higher taxes on the American people. These taxes are gradually phased in over the years 2010 (with its 10 percent "tanning tax") to 2018 (when the tax on comprehensive health insurance plans kicks in.)
Six months from now, in January 2013, five major ObamaCare taxes will come into force:
In my other life in Communist Romania, I managed a large intelligence organization charged with keeping alive a nationalized health care system. That system, very similar to the Affordable Health Care for America Act, continues to be a bureaucratic nightmare in the former Soviet empire.
By highlighting the numerous problems with the left's approach to the Constitution, Scott Ott's new ebook, titled "Our Fickle Constitution," actually causes us to think about the real meaning of that document.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the government can force you to buy a product as long as it's called a "tax," forging a new sword aimed directly at the heart of the Second Amendment. Here's the link between taxes and gun rights.
An East Coast upstart challenges a West Coast classic and a Texan's taste buds act as judge, jury and executioner. See Bridget Johnson's rebuttal here.
Summer Bummer: June Jobs Report Disappoints with only 80K
by Mike Flynn
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this morning that the economy added just 80k jobs in June. The economy needs to add around 150k jobs a month just to keep up with population growth. The big miss confirms that whatever economic recovery existed is gone and the economy remains stuck in a dangerous stall.
Economists had been predicting a net gain of around 100k jobs. Payroll giant ADP yesterday suggested June job growth might even come in around 176k, blowing past expectations. For a while yesterday, the media and Wall Street wondered if today's report would surprise with a strong jobs number. Alas, as with most jobs reports in recent months, it wasn't to be. After three and a half years, one would think economists would be weary of always being surprised by "unexpected" bad economic news.
At the risk of appearing sacrilegious, I here employ the phrase used by Pontius Pilate to mock Christ shortly after He had been scourged by his Roman captors. I do so not to compare the person of whom I will here speak with the Redeemer of Israel, but for the same reason Pilate employed the [...]
President Barack Hussein Obama's recent decision to grant asylum to the DREAMers, the offspring of illegal immigrants, has been termed by him as being "the right thing to do." It does not grant them "a pathway to citizenship" - or so he says-for now. As a native-born American, of legal immigrants to this country, I [...]
Of all the professions in the land (with the possible exception of politicians), lawyers are the most universally reviled. Coming from someone who has covered district courts for years as a journalist, I can say that many of the complaints are warranted. Attorneys do serve a vital role in the judicial system, though, and at [...]
There are plenty of things wrong with America. None of them will get fixed as long we deal with the symptoms and ignore the problem. Do we really know what America's problems are? Or are we just dealing with their symptoms? Alleviating the symptoms won't fix the problems. We are the problem. The symptoms are [...]
Brad Pitt's Mother Pens Anti-Obama Letter To Local Newspaper
Jul 06, 2012 01:31 pm
The verification comes amid some confusion, as the Missouri newspaper first printed an editor's note denying any relation between the letter writer and movie star. That was later replaced with a second editor's note, reading, "To clear up earlier confusion, the News-Leader has verified the letter writer is the mother of actor Brad Pitt and [...]
President Barack Obama told an Ohio campaign crowd that the outcome of the November election will determine the nation's economic future for the next 10 to 20 years. I wholeheartedly agree. If he gets elected, America's economic future will be a disaster for the next 10 or 20 years and beyond. He has disdain for [...]
Video: Solyndra Featured On "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire"
Jul 06, 2012 01:21 pm
Here, a contestant correctly identifies Solyndra as the company that caused the White House to "take heat" after it declared for bankruptcy. You know Obama is in trouble when game shows make questions out of his mistakes. Related posts: Obama Blames Bureaucracy, Bush For Solyndra Cronyism In the wake of the growing Solyndra scandal, the [...]
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Two Republican officials say GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and the Republican National Committee combined raised more than $100 million in June. It's a striking number for a presidential challenger, and it doesn't count the tens of millions that GOP outside groups have raised to help Romney defeat President Barack [...]
WOLFEBORO, N.H. (AP) - A chorus of prominent conservative voices is worrying aloud that Republican candidate Mitt Romney's play-it-safe strategy is jeopardizing his chance to win the presidency. As President Barack Obama's campaign intensifies criticism of Romney's background, influential Republicans - right-leaning leaders in business and the media - charge that Romney's message on the [...]
Axelrod Interview: Ad Spending, The Ground Game, Reaching "Persuadables"
Jul 06, 2012 01:13 pm
Reporters from several news organizations, including RealClearPolitics, interviewed Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod in Parma, Ohio, Thursday after President Obama's speech there. What's your response to the $100 million raised by Romney campaign and announced today? Congratulations, they had a good month. What about taunts on Twitter from the Romney camp today? I mean, I [...]
Industrial Policy: For a $9 billion investment, the administration created just over 900 new, permanent jobs. We could've had 20,000 jobs building a pipeline with not a dollar of taxpayer money being wasted. According to the report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which is part of the U.S. Department of Energy, Section 1503 of [...]
Bolton: Olympic Terrorists Could Be Hard To Detect
Jul 06, 2012 01:10 pm
Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton says he's concerned about the possibility of terrorists trying "to get their message across" at the Olympics and worries they could be British citizens who might be hard to detect. Appearing Thursday night on Fox News' "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren," Bolton said the arrests Thursday in London [...]
Video: Fox News' Megyn Kelly Calls Out Obama Mouthpiece On Obamacare Tax
Jul 06, 2012 01:06 pm
This bozo refuses to address evidence of Obama's flip-flop on whether Obamacare is a penalty or tax. Naturally, a frustrated Megyn Kelly refuses to let him dodge the quesstion. No related posts.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Two Republican officials say GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and the Republican National Committee combined raised more than $100 million in June. It's a striking number for a presidential challenger, and it doesn't count the tens of millions that GOP outside groups have raised to help Romney defeat President Barack [...]
The Supreme Court has green-lighted an onslaught of government regulations, new taxes, and bureaucrats who will have a profound impact of the lives of millions of Americans. One of the first casualties, however, might be the millions of Americans with individual Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). A little known regulation proposed by the Department of Health [...]
As the Supreme Court's historic decision on Obamacare was handed down, the Blaze was outside the courthouse. We asked supporters of the law two questions: "Why do you support Obamacare?" & "Do you think healthcare should be free?" See their astounding answers HERE.
A friend of DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz stepped down from her DNC post on Monday. Evelyn Garcia resigned after a series of shocking, anti-Israel emails that she sent went public. Follow the email chain HERE.
A local family court judge in Winfield, WV, lost his mind during a divorce hearing involving a local pastor. The judge accused the pastor of talking to the media after a previous hearing. That conversation, he believed, triggered unwelcome media attention to the judge and his family. At the next hearing with the pastor, the judge was irate. He let loose, threatening to incarcerate the pastor for life. Watch the video - but, if shouting bothers you, turn down your speakers before clicking HERE.
Earlier this week, Rush Limbaugh made a joke claiming that America started going downhill when women got the right to vote. The talk radio giant repeatedly made it clear to anyone listening that he was kidding. He also added that conservative commentator Ann Coulter has said that very same thing... but she is dead serious about it. Listen to the segment from Rush HERE.
At the age of 13, Jonathan Krohn wowed the crowd at CPAC with a rousing three-minute speech about the greatness of conservatism. Three years later, the young man is now a supporter of Obamacare, gay marriage, and abortion. While much in Krohn's ideology seems to have shifted to the left, not everything has. Read this fascinating interview HERE.
The latest Jobs Report was not encouraging for anyone looking for work. But did you know that with just a Bachelor's degree and no advanced degree whatsoever, there are some extremely lucrative jobs available? It's true, and you will find some of them among the "Top 15 Highest Paying Jobs In America" HERE. READ THIS |
Lillie Leonardi's story may be unbelievable to some. But the former FBI officer, who retired after suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder linked to her role in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks, continues to stick by her story. Watch Leonardi describe the event HERE.
Here are two subjects one rarely hears mentioned in the same sentence: The Holy Bible and... Zombies. Yet, these were the subjects of a recent article by Michael Gilmour, a professor of English and biblical literature at Providence University College in Canada. Check out his interesting analysis HERE.
This week, an ancient synagogue was uncovered in the Jewish village of Huqoq in Northern Israel. The structure, dated to the fourth and fifth centuries (the Talmudic and late Roman periods), includes a mosaic floor that depicts the Biblical figure Samson, women and a Hebrew inscription. See the mosaic HERE.
The controversial Westboro Baptist Church calls itself a house of worship but is regarded by most as a small, family-led cult. They originally planned to protest the funeral of Lt. Col. Roy Tisdale. But, the situation ended with a surprise that some might even say was an inspirational conclusion. See what happened HERE.
The Muslim Brotherhood has been the focus of international angst since gaining power in Egypt. To counter the growing influence that Islamists in that country will have in parliament and through the presidency, Egyptian Coptics have launched the "Christian Brotherhood." Will it work? Read the details HERE.
The Blaze's S.E. Cupp is an atheist. She doesn't exactly wear it on her sleeve but she never tries to hide from it either. Nonetheless, Ms. Cupp made a fascinating personal revelation Thursday as she spoke with her co-hosts on MSNBC's "The Cycle" about the always important role of religion in presidential elections. Find out why she would never vote for an atheist for President HERE.
Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt claimed on Thursday that the Obama administration never referred to the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate as a "tax" when it argued the bill's constitutionality before the Supreme Court. He was wrong. See sparks fly HERE.
During a Fox News special on July 4th, Rep. Allen West was put on the spot and asked about his claim that there are 80 Communists inside the House of Representatives. Watch the Congressman defend his statement HERE.
Nicole Sandler, a liberal radio host, filling in for the more identifiable liberal talk show host Randi Rhodes, recounts a tragic tale of how, while sick and worried about the costs of a visit to the doctor, she quite literally screamed, "I hate this godd**n country." Spoiler alert: Ms. Sandler HAS health insurance. Listen to the segment HERE.
Nicole DiDonato of WXMI-TV in Grand Rapids, Mich. was teasing her upcoming report when a claw appeared on her shoulder. Her eyes grew wide as the cat hoisted itself up into a perch. The very surprised DiDonato managed to finish her on-camera tease. Watch what happened, and see how it ended HERE.
The Springfield News-Leader, a newspaper in Springfield, Missouri, has confirmed that an anti-Obama, anti-gay marriage letter that urges Christians to vote for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, was penned by Pitt's mother, Jane Pitt. Read the letter HERE.
Every issue of The Blaze Magazine includes an exclusive "In the Hot Seat" interview with movers, shakers and celebrities we believe Blaze readers would like to get to know a little better. In the latest issue, David Barton, author, historian and the founder and president of WallBuilders is featured. Get a sample of the interview HERE. READ THIS |
The below information is from Steve Palmer. The Supreme Court ruling on ObamaCare is NOT the final word. The final check and balance in Federalism is the States and the People. There is strong defiance brewing as evidenced by discussions on talk radio and also principled stands to "not comply" by various religious groups. Perhaps the ruling was the catalyst that was needed. Please distribute this information to your groups and contacts. Steve will be in touch with us on next steps in PA., including broader efforts to assure that the Corbett administration does NOT implement the exchanges in PA similar to the stands being made in Louisiana, Virginia and elsewhere. Petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/pennsylvania-legislature-nullify-obamacare
ObamaCare Flatlines: ObamaCare Taxes Home Sales - Clobbers Middle-Class Americans
Posted April 8, 2010
"I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes," President Obama, September 12, 2008
Beginning January 1, 2013, ObamaCare imposes a 3.8% Medicare tax on unearned income of "high-income" taxpayers which could apply to proceeds from the sale of single family homes, townhouses, co-ops, condominiums, and even rental income, depending on your individual circumstances and any capital gains tax exclusions. Importantly, the "high income" thresholds are not indexed for inflation so will reach increasing numbers of middle-class taxpayers over time.
In February 2010, 5.02 million homes were sold, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). On any given day, the sale of a house, townhome, condominium, co-op, or income from a rental property could slam middle-income families with a new tax they can't afford.
This new ObamaCare tax is the first time the government will apply a 3.8 percent tax on unearned income. This new tax on home sales and unearned income and other Medicare taxes raise taxes more than $210 billion to pay for ObamaCare. The National Association of Realtors called this new Medicare tax on unearned income "destructive" and "ill-advised" and warned it would hurt job creation.
A Time To Fight For America
To Capture a Nation By Judi McLeod CanadaFreePress.com
Barack Hussein Obama was not born, as he once joked, in a manger. Obama wasn't as much born as he was created and perfected on paper by global elitists lusting for guaranteed, long-time power. When they drew Obama on paper, they never noticed that their candidate was also lazy, narcissistic and dull as proverbial dish water when unattached from a Teleprompter.
Has The Whole World Gone Dainty? Porciphilia Is A Protected Handicap
Feds: Airlines Must Let Passengers Fly With Pigs for 'Emotional Support' By Elizabeth Harrington CNSNews.com
Pot-bellied pigs must be granted passage on airplanes if they are used for "emotional support" by their owners, states the Department of Transportation's (DOT) draft manual on equity for the disabled in air travel.
Sign Of The Times: Everybody's Going To Bleep In A Handbasket
Politicians Take to Using Curse Words to Get Points Across AP/NewsMax.com
What the $?&(! is going on with our politicians? The mayors of New York and Philadelphia and the governor of New Jersey let loose with a few choice vulgarities in the past two weeks in otherwise G-rated public settings, including a town-hall meeting and a hot dog-eating contest.
Media Refuses to Make Obama Pay Price For Lies By John Nolte Breitbart.com
Other than his rather bizarre wistful recalling of how great things were in Nixon's America, yesterday in an off-teleprompter stump speech, President Barack Obama told two humongous whoppers. First, he distorted the Clinton years, as though those years in any way resembled, well, what the Obama years look like this very day. Secondly, he twisted his very first campaign, the most Chicago-style of Chicago-style campaigns, into some sort of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington struggle-- when he ran unopposed.Read the Full Story
It's Been Coming Like A Freight Train
Has The Normalizing Of Pedophilia Begun? By Chelsea Schilling WorldNetDaily
Do people who rape children, or fantasize about sexually abusing them, deserve sympathy--because they were born with the brains of pedophiles?
Teachers' Union Expelled from School District By John Ransom TownHall.com
The trouble with education in this country starts and ends with unions. They are out-of- touch museum relics, fitting for a day that used rotary presses to distribute the news, but wildly inappropriate for an age that's both wired and wireless.
Exclusive: Murfreesboro Mega-Mosque Proselytizing Public School Curriculum By Eric Allen Bell RightSideNews.com
Recently, I released a document wherein I leaked a "Teacher's Guide" which was put out by the Islamic Center of Murfreesbro, TN. You can read and download the entire guide by clicking here, but here were a few of the finer points which I found particularly disconcerting. Abdou Kattih of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro is ordering the taxpayer funded school conform to Islamic Law ...Read the Full Story
Alexander's Essay - July 5, 2012
The Imperial Executive
"Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it." --Declaration of Independence (1776)
This being the week designated to celebrate American Liberty, I paused to read the Declaration of Independence, as I do every anniversary of its signing. In that venerable old parchment, our Founders reduced to words the eternal source of Liberty as "endowed by our Creator," and then outlined their grievances against an imperial executive who willfully violated that endowment "which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitled them."
The Unanimous Declaration was, in the words of Thomas Jefferson, its principal author, "the declaratory charter of our rights, and the rights of man."
It opens by defining those rights, framing the relationship between the Creator and His people, the people and the government, and then listing how the executive had violated their God-given rights, "all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States."
Among those "injuries and usurpations" committed by the executive, they noted:
"He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. ... He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. ... He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. ... He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance. ... He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation."
The comparison between the imperial powers which gave rise to the American Revolution and the imperial presidency which now threatens the Essential Liberty our Founders fought for, and generations of American Patriots have since defended, is unavoidable.
Barack Hussein Obama recently lamented, "It turns out our Founders designed a system that makes it more difficult to bring about change than I would like sometimes." However, he added, "One of the things about being President is you get better as time goes on." Indeed, he has become quite better at forging ahead with his agenda to supplant Rule of Law with rule of men, in flagrant disregard of his Oath of Office.
The evidence of Obama's self-anointed imperial status is mounting.
He created swarms of "czars" unaccountable to Congress. He circumvented Congress by using the Environmental Protection Agency to implement his cap-and-trade scheme. He used the National Labor Relations Board to circumvent the Employee Free Choice Act. He used the Federal Communications Commission to circumvent the judiciary's proscription on regulating the Internet. He used the Department of Education to force national education standards.
In other cases, Obama has simply ignored the law completely.
He ordered the Department of Justice to cease enforcement of the Defense of Marriage Act. He ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to force private religious institutions to fund abortions and other measures contrary to their Biblical moral code. He ordered the Department of Homeland Security's immigration service to use "prosecutorial discretion" in order to stop the mandated deportation of illegal immigrants.
Regarding the latter, even former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales responded, "To halt through the deportation of some undocumented immigrants looks like a political calculation to win Hispanic votes, and subjects him to criticism that he is violating his oath of office by selectively failing to enforce the law."
Most recently, Obama claimed "executive privilege" to avoid further investigation into "Fast and Furious," a scheme designed to promote the administration's efforts to undermine "the palladium of all rights," our Second Amendment.
Of course, Obama's imperial ascension is fully in keeping with his narcissistic pathology, and he's made plain that he doesn't intend to be constrained by the law.
Soon after his election, his former Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, proclaimed that Obama would use "executive orders and directives to get the job done across a front of issues." And Obama himself boldly decreed earlier this year, "Whenever Congress refuses to act, Joe [Biden] and I, we're going to act. In the months to come, wherever we have an opportunity, we're going to take steps on our own [to implement my agenda]."
In the Declaration of Independence, our Founders' long list of objections to government assault on Liberty closes by condemning the executive "for altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments" and "exciting domestic insurrections amongst us," and notes, "A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people."
Today, Obama's pledge of "fundamentally transforming the United States of America" is brought about by attacking the free enterprise system, by altering our form of government in favor of Democratic Socialism, by pitting one group of Americans against another, and by justifying a domestic insurrection called "Occupy Wall Street."
The Declaration concludes, "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."
Fellow Patriots, whether by ballot or bullet box, we must pledge no less to preserve Liberty.
(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.)
OBAMA BANNED THIS VIDEO - GEE, I WONDER WHY!.flv
If you may like obama and you believe that he is a democrat and your family are democrats, and you are thinking of being a democrat; watch this and see if you still believe that this agrees with what your American Democratic views. Or if this is a marxist?
The mystery man alleged to have created President Obama's Hawaiian birth certificate has been found by Sheriff Joe Arpaio investigators who are calling him their "person of interest" as being the one who they are convinced pulled off the long form forgery according to a GLOBE world exclusive investigative report!
The Cold Case Posse's next blockbuster press conference coming soon will be SHOCKING according to lead sleuth Mike Zullo.
This monumental revelation comes on the heels of the briefing paper given to Great Britain's House of Lords by Lord Christopher Monckton declaring "Mr. Obama's legitimacy is now materially in doubt."
Calling Obama's disqualification from office a "dislocation more severe than the fall of Nixon," the author of the Hereditary Peers' Briefing Paper is predicting that the sheer enormity of the Obama eligibility issue will drive it upward in America's political agenda even in spite of ... Continue Reading:Obama's birth certificate forger has been found, now what GOP?
Hawaii became a U.S. Territory JULY 7, 1898, as President McKinley signed the Treaty of Annexation. Discovered by Captain James Cook in 1778, the islands were united by King Kamehameha. After his death in 1819, his wife and son abolished the pagan religion which practiced human sacrifice. The next year the first missionaries, led by Hiram Bingham, arrived from New England. They created a written language and translated the Bible. Hawaii's Motto, "The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness," was first uttered by Queen Ke'opuolani in 1825 as she was baptized into the Christian faith. Kawaiaha'o, one of the first Christian churches in Hawaii, was built between 1836-1842 in New England style architecture. It was called the "Westminster Abbey of Hawaii." Fourteen thousand coral slabs, quarried by hand from reefs 10 to 20 feet under water, comprise the main structure. Each slab weighed more than 1,000 pounds. On April 19, 1970, ... Continue Reading:American Minute July 7
Information provided congressional committees by ATF whistleblowers and leaks within the Department of Justice prove Eric Holder to be either criminally complicit in the Fast and Furious scheme and cover-up, or the most incompetent, congenitally comatose Attorney General in the nation's history. Though Holder is many things, he is not incompetent, at least not in the willful "execution-upon-command" of illegal and despicable enterprises; especially when those enterprises involve Administration generated murder.
"You need to know that Eric Holder...played a key role in covering up the torture-murder death of my brother, Kenneth Michael Trentadue." (1)
This is what Salt Lake City attorney Jesse Trentadue wrote in December of 2008 to prospective incoming chairman of the Senate Justice Committee, Patrick Leahy. The newly elected Barack Obama had made Holder his choice for Attorney General and Trentadue was going to do everything in his power to stop this shameful appointment going forward.
When members of the Afghanistan National Army or the Afghan police open fire on American or NATO troops the event is called "Green on Blue" Incident. Blue on Green is the war on terror's polite term for Friendly Fire, but let's be honest our soldiers are being murdered by the people we liberated. The number of Green on Blue incidents has been on the rise with at least 80 coalition troops having been killed by "friendly" Afghans since 2009. Twenty six NATO Soldiers have been killed including 13 Americans in 19 attacks so far in 2012.
Latest Incidents
Last week treacherous Afghans killed three British soldiers at a safe checkpoint in the Helmand province, The gunman was later wounded and captured by British forces. (5) According to reliable reports it is unlikely that the gunman was affiliated with the Taliban. Five Americans have been wounded after being fired upon by a member of ... Continue Reading:Green on Blue attacks making Afghanistan run red with American blood
A decade prior to the Civil War there were two major political parties in the United States: Democrats, favoring freedom of choice to own slaves; and Whigs, wanting a big tent party. In Ripon, Wisconsin, anti-slavery activists met for the first time on February 28, 1854, then held their first State Convention in Jackson, Michigan, JULY 6, 1854. This new political party believed marriage should be one man and one woman. Naming their party "Republican," their chief plank was "to prohibit...those twin relics of barbarism: polygamy and slavery." Republican President Ulysses S. Grant stated December 4, 1871: "In Utah there still remains a remnant of barbarism, repugnant to civilization, to decency, and to the laws of the United States...Neither polygamy nor any other violation of existing statutes will be permitted...They will not be permitted to violate the laws under the cloak of religion." On December 7, 1875, President Grant stated: "In nearly every ... Continue Reading:American Minute July 6
Barack Obama is lying to women with his "equal pay for equal work" message. The bottom line on White House salaries proves he pays women less than men and does so in a clever and devious way typical of Democrats.
Because Barack Obama thinks he can win Florida, the TV airwaves in the Sunshine State are filled with spots promoting him as the champion of "equal pay for equal work." The spots show a beaming Obama signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 (LLFPA2009).
When he signed it on January 29, 2009 Obama said, "I intend to send a clear message: That making our economy work means making sure it works for everyone. That there are no second class citizens in our workplaces, and that it's not just unfair and illegal - it's bad for business - to pay someone less because of their gender, or their age, race, ethnicity, religion ... Continue Reading:Just another lie: White House salaries prove Obama is conning women on the "equal pay" issue
Those who think socialized medicine is just an "all good" program that keeps you healthy while somebody else pays your medical bills ought to think again. Socialized medicine takes whatever you have; whatever it can get from you. If you have financial means it will take your money and your rights. If you have no money socialized medicine will take your rights - even your religious rights.
Recently a German court, no doubt encouraged by the European system of socialized medicine, ruled that circumcision even for (especially for?) religious reasons amounts to a bodily assault. In doing so the Cologne regional court, a creation of man supported by a secular system hostile to religion, cast aside five thousand years of Jewish tradition and practice.
One was elected the 2nd President and the other was elected the 3rd.
Once political enemies, they became close friends in later life.
An awe swept America when they both died on the same day, JULY 4, 1826, exactly 50 years since they passed the Declaration of Independence.
Their names were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
John Quincy Adams, the son of John Adams, was serving as the 6th President at the time. He told Congress, December 5, 1826:
"Since your last meeting at this place, the 50th anniversary of the day when our independence was declared...two of the principal actors in that solemn scene - the HAND that penned the ever-memorable Declaration and the VOICE that sustained it in debate -
were by one summons, at the distance of 700 miles from each other, called before ... Continue Reading:American Minute July 5
The Drudge Report carries a picture of Mitt Romney jet skiing with his wife - "Oh no that's it Barack Obama will cruise to reelection because all is lost!" A few people who we've heard of have declared Romney's campaign virtually dead because THEY don't like his response to the two worst decisions from the Supreme Court.
These comments are, of course well meaning, but they remind us of the wide gap between grass roots activist TEA party conservative voters and conservative "leaders" who now want to run in front of the parade to appear to be relevant. There is a huge surge of enthusiasm to get rid of Barack Obama that is happening in the streets and on conservative internet "meeting places" that will flush Barack Obama away in November. How can these "experts" not know this?
In the standoff with Iran, the ayatollahs have made it clear they'll block the Strait of Hormuz through which 40 percent of the world's oil trade transits if there's any attack on their nuclear facilities. And the U.S. Navy says Tehran is capable of doing it.
That's a pretty convincing hand to hold in this game of nuclear poker.
But don't count your chips just yet, Mr. Ahmedinijad ...
WASHINGTON - A brand-new book fresh off the press claims to reveal the answers to life's biggest questions, including the true meaning of life, what in the world God is actually doing with human beings and what really happens after we die, all based on many underpublicized Bible verses.
Pastor faces down ayatollahs with two little words ...
Faith isn't for sissies ... particularly when it stands up to corrupt authority holding the power of life and death.
When Jesus' prosecutors at his trial demanded, "Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!" he did not flinch. He sealed his fate with "It is as you said."
When Martin Luther was commanded to recant his teachings, he did not flinch, answering "Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God."
That unflinching faith- willing to look death in the eye and speak truth to its agents - is seen once again in Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, jailed by the ayatollahs for the past 1,000 days. Here's how he answers his accusers ...
Never one to mince words, outspoken, conservative rock-and-roll star, Ted Nugent, has let loose a tirade against Chief Justice John Roberts that leads him to ask whether America would have been better off if the South had won the Civil War.
That's WND's poll question today - read what Nugent has to say, then cast your vote ...
A Middle East analyst says those waiting for Iran to launch its missiles against Israel or for Israel to launch a pre-emptive attack against Tehran's nuclear facilities are missing the story.
War is already underway ... the attacks have already been launched ... but everyone's looking in the wrong place for the battlefield.
President Obama is guilty of "treason of the highest order" for his role in "one of the biggest government scandals I've ever witnessed in my lifetime," declares WND Editor and CEO Joseph Farah.
What does President Obama have in common with former presidential candidate Ross Perot, film director James Cameron and Google's Larry Page and Eric Schmidt?
Each one supports a highly expensive effort to land spacecraft on asteroids to mine precious metals and return them to earth.
At least the entrepreneurs are using their own money to pay for this speculative venture ... Obama wants to use yours.
Racial violence did not take a holiday this past Fourth of July.
The growing mayhem, most often associated with unsupervised black teens, spread to even more cities as most Americans were celebrating the independence and liberty ...
The last few gremlins have been removed and we now have a proper web site. Please roam around the various links to familiarize yourself with its features.
Couple of things to be aware of:
1. The history tab provides the story of General Wayne, one of many remarkable people who fought and helped establish the country that you and I are now fighting to preserve. His family's home near Paoli and their church in St. David's are well worth a visit, and, perhaps, a murmured "Thanks" for what he did.
2. You can use the Paypal link to make donations
3. The site has a page of links to the web sites of Tea Parties and related groups in this three-state region. You can copy and send any of those to people not in our territory; there are some very fine groups that will welcome new members.
I feel we have produced a web site that you can be proud of. Your contributions made it possible and you deserve a "Well Done" from every member.
Lou, Dave, Dom, Dave Berg, Mike
The General Wayne Tea Party
Serving patriots in parts of Montgomery, Chester and Berks Counties Pennsylvania
If I had to predict the outcome of this year's presidential race and could be told in advance the outcome in just one state, I'd pick Ohio. Colorado would be my second choice.
The Denver Post identifies three counties as the key to winning Colorado - Arapahoe, Jefferson and Larimer. Obama carried all three in 2008; Bush carried all three in 2004. The key in both elections was the unaffiliated voters of these counties.
This time around, according to the Denver Post, unaffiliated voters present a real problem for Obama. The main difficulty is that their top concerns are the economy and jobs, followed by the federal deficit and budget. The unemployment rate in the three counties has been slowly declining, but it is only slightly below the national percentage.
Not surprisingly, then, Obama's approval rating has suffered. An April poll had him at 42 percent in Arapahoe County and only 36 percent in Jefferson County, described by the Denver Post as "the state's quintessential bellwether."
Obama's main hope is to paint Romney as an extremist. In 2010, conservative, anti-establishment Republican Ken Buck narrowly lost the three key counties because, says the Post, Democrat Michael Bennet was able to portray Buck as "extreme."
Fortunately, Romney will be more difficult to portray this way than Buck, something of a loose cannon, was. Moreover, Bennet had more flexibility in staking out a place toward the center of the spectrum than Obama does. The image of Obama as anything other than an out-and-out leftist will not wash this year.
Romney's flexibility is also limited, as a result of his uncompromising positions on issues like abortion and immigration. But if he can come across as tonally moderate, something Buck failed to accomplish, that may be enough to satisfy the unaffiliated voters of Arapahoe, Jefferson and Larimer counties who, in the Denver Post's telling, seem ready for a change at the top.
Abe Greenwald cites a report from the Miami Herald that "the first cholera outbreak in Cuba in a century has left at least 15 dead and sent hundreds to hospitals all but sealed off by security agents bent on keeping a lid on the news." CastroCare is, Greenwald reminds us, Michael Moore's model heathcare system.
Cholera, which was supposed to have been wiped out in Cuba around 1900, is only one of many Cuban health crises. The Herald reports that "during one 24-hour period in January, three flights from Cuba to Toronto arrived with groups of passengers suffering from nausea, vomiting and fever." There's also "an acute soap shortage," and "rumors of an increase in dengue, a disease transmitted by mosquitoes that thrive during the hot and rainy months of summer."
Greenwald diagnoses the problem in his usual trenchant manner:
The people of Cuba can't get proper treatment because they are being penalized for the worst precondition going: Communism. The same pre-condition has prevented them from even speaking of their misery: "a hospital employee reported that doctors are signing death certificates saying that the victims died from 'acute respiratory insufficiency' rather than cholera."
Obamacare is not CastroCare, of course. But in arguing for overhauling our health care system, leftists like Michael Moore touted the Cuban model as superior to ours. Moore went so far as to take ailing 9/11 relief workers for treatment in a Havana hospital.
If Moore took them there now, he and his group would probably be stuck in Castro's Paradise for quite some time on health related grounds.
Today's Minneapolis Star Tribune has a featured story on the explosion in handgun carry permits that has occurred since 2003, when Minnesota joined the majority of states in requiring local authorities to issue carry permits to qualified applicants. Currently, the Strib reports, there are around 100,000 carry permit holders in Minnesota, or one in 40 adults.
The "shall issue" law was hotly debated in 2003; opponents argued that violent crime would skyrocket if more people were allowed to carry firearms. That obviously hasn't happened. The Strib stays scrupulously neutral on the effects of the legislation:
Minnesota's shall-issue law was some of the most hotly debated legislation of its era, with supporters promising it would deter crime and detractors predicting a surge in needless bloodshed. Neither prediction has come to pass.
The law "has not been a net benefit to our society in any way," said Heather Martens, executive director of Protect Minnesota - Working to End Gun Violence. "They promised that if lots of people had guns everybody would be safe. Here just [recently] we had a 5-year-old child killed while sleeping on a couch. I think we were sold a bill of goods."
Note that even the most rabid anti-gun advocates do not claim that the bloodbath they predicted in 2003 has come to pass. Ms. Martens cites a case that has been in the news lately, but two juveniles were arrested in connection with that crime. You have to be 21 years old to qualify for a carry permit in Minnesota, so the perpetrators obviously were not permit holders. That being the case, what is the point?
An obvious question is, to what extent have carry permit holders been involved in violent crimes since "shall issue" was inaugurated in 2003?
State data shows that since the law took effect, permit holders were convicted of 882 non-traffic crimes, including 66 assaults, two robberies and two killings. Many were committed with guns. Martens said it debunks the notion that all permit holders are law-abiding.
Rothman responded that permit holders commit much less than their share of crime, citing as an example that though one in seven Minnesotans has a DWI on their record, only one in 545 of the state's permit holders got one after getting a permit.
"No one ever claimed permit holders would be perfect," Rothman said, "but the numbers show (they) are consistently orders of magnitude more law abiding than the general public."
The Strib's conclusion is that from a crime standpoint, the legislation has probably been a wash:
Mona Dohman, commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, said legal carrying has proved to be "neither the problem nor the solution" when it comes to crime.
"We have observed no apparent correlation between the number of permits to carry handguns and the level of criminal of activity," Dohman said.
That conclusion isn't obviously wrong, but it certainly is questionable. You can see the data here. The most useful statistic is probably the violent crime rate per 100,000 population. Violent crime was almost non-existent in Minnesota in the early 1960s. It rose pretty steadily until it peaked in the mid-1990s. The violent crime rate was actually declining when permit laws were liberalized in 2003. Thereafter, it trended slightly upward for a few years, reaching 312 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2006. It then began to decline, falling by 32% [correction: 24%; never do math in a hurry] between 2006 and 2010, when the data end.
It would take more study to determine what influence Minnesota's gun laws had on those trends, which are not necessarily out of line with what has happened on the national level. But the numbers are susceptible to the interpretation that the steadily increasing number of citizens with carry permits has at least helped to bring down the violent crime rate in recent years. One would think that a 24% decline in violent crime in four years would at least merit mention in any discussion of the consequences of gun law liberalization.
I spent a few minutes googling to remind myself what opponents of gun rights had to say about the law back in 2003, and was reminded that Minnesota's churches were in the forefront of opposition. In fact, a group of churches sued the state, arguing that the law's requirement that they put up signs on their premises if they wanted to ban guns was unduly onerous and an infringement of their religious freedom under the Minnesota Constitution. The churches' lawsuit was enthusiastically supported by the DFL party. It is interesting to compare liberals' support for religious freedom when the issue was guns with their current demand that religious institutions violate their theological precepts-not just put up a sign-when the issue is paying for contraception and abortion.
In 2008 Barack Obama ran for president as a transcendent figure come to redeem the time. He would bring the nation together. He would slow the oceans' rise. He would heal the planet. He was something even nonbelievers - perhaps especially nonbelievers - could believe in, to paraphrase "Alfie."
He would balance the budget. He would spur economic growth. He would improve relations with countries around the world. He would talk tough and carry a big stick.
He was cool. He was young. He made the women faint, like Sam Cooke. He was black. He was white. He was the author, sort of, of not one but two memoirs. He had a nice family, even if his wife seemed to have a helluva chip on her shoulder.
Obama attacked the hapless GOP presidential candidate both from the left and from the right. He made made it all stick, in part because the will to believe among the independents who decided the election was so strong. Exhaustion with eight years of the Bush administration combined with the financial crisis of 2008 made Obama's victory inevitable.
We saw through him, of course. He was a man of the left schooled in the Alinskyite arts. He was the Democrats' leftwardmost viable candidate. He was Jeremiah Wright's faithful congregant. He was a socialist at heart. He was a carrier of the academic left's hostility to the American idea. He was an artist, alright, but of the BS variety. When he talked about specifics, he really didn't know what he was talking about.
Despite the pride and excitement that accompanies his taking office in 2009, the American people began to get Obama's number within a matter of months. He was using the economic crisis for his own narrow purposes. He forced Obamacare down our throats despite its persistent unpopularity. His vaunted oratory fell flat. He has even made his successes - he got Osama bin Laden, didn't he? - diminish him at least slightly.
Finishing out his first term in office, Obama is running for reelection as the incumbent with a weak record to defend. He is not all things to all people. He is interested in winning, but he is barely interested in governing. If things aren't great, it's not his fault!
Is he a false messiah then? What the hell was he talking about in that speech in St. Paul when he had secured the Democratic nomination. He is certainly a different man than the one who took the oath in January 2009. He is a far less appealing figure as the undisguised class warrior and whiner of 2012 than as the redeemer of 2008.
I have been walking around with the theme of Obama then and now in my head for the past few months. Today Dan Balz addresses it in the Washington Post. Jennifer Jacobs takes a look at the dawning of the light in Iowa, where Obama's rise began in 2008. Salena Zito notes how Obama is adapting.
The "real" Obama can win in 2012, but will he? He should adopt the Alfred E. Newman motto as his campaign theme: "Viva la stupidity!"
In a post about the inability of the German national soccer team to win tournaments recently, I wondered whether this failure had something to do with a change in the German ethos. But what about the American ethos? Has it changed?
Recently, Nicholas Eberstadt, a distinguished scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, gave a talk in which he suggested that the work ethic in American may be declining as we become, in his words, "a nation of takers."
Eberstadt's talk centered around a series of statistics that indicate (1) we are, indeed, becoming a nation of takers and (2) our national work ethic does seem to be on the decline.
As to the first point, Eberstadt noted that the percentage of U.S. households receiving means tested public benefits has risen from 7 percent in 1979 to slightly more than 30 percent in 2009. This jump is not the result of an increase in unemployment or in the poverty rate. From 1979 until 1992 (an era of Republican presidencies), the percentage of households receiving means tested public benefits more or less equaled the unemployment rate, except during the recessionary years of 1982-83 when the unemployment rate was slightly the higher of the two. But by 2003, the percentage of households receiving means tested benefits was four times greater than the unemployment rate (roughly 24 percent vs. 6 percent). And the ratio remains almost the same even with the unemployment rate at 8 percent.
As for the poverty rate, it fluctuated between 9 percent and 12.5 percent during this period, according to Eberstadt's statistics. It too tended to mirror the percentage of households receiving means tested benefits until around 1992. Since then there has been a growing disconnect.
What happened to America's work ethic during this period? Work ethic is difficult to measure, of course, but Eberstadt presented some very suggestive (and in my view alarming) numbers.
First, the labor force participation rate for U.S. males age 36-39 has decreased from more than 96 percent in 1979 to less than 93 percent in 2009. The decrease is not a function of the latest recession. The male labor force participation rate for this age group dipped below 93 percent in approximately 2001 and hasn't exceeded that number since. By contrast, the labor force participation rate for males age 35-39 in Greece held steady at around 97 percent throughout the same decade.
Similarly, the labor force participation rate for males as a whole declined from 80 percent in 1979 to around 73 percent in 2009. Looking further back, we find that the rate was 88 percent in 1948.
Some of this decline is, I assume, the result of women entering the workforce en masse. But now consider this statistic: the number of people receiving federal disability benefits per person age 18-64 in America grew from 0.05 in 1960, to 0.17 in 1970, to 4.6 in 2006. This huge increase occurred, moreover, in the context of an ever-healthier American workforce. During the same period, 1960-2006, the odds of dying during working ages declined by 40 percent (from 0.25 to 0.15).
Thus, even as the work force grew healthier, it became more "disabled" from working. Not only are we a nation of takers, we may increasingly be a nation of malingerers.
Eberstadt was careful to present his data as suggestive, rather than conclusive. But he expressed the concern, which I share, that the explosion in government transfer payments may be changing the concept of U.S. citizenship and transforming us into an entitlement state.
If you want to see how stark raving mad the Left has become, check out this analysis of the power outage in the DC area, and especially Pepco's perennial sluggishness in restoring power after outages in parts of DC and the Maryland suburbs (always days behind Dominion Power in Virginia): it's all the fault of Republicans, you see, for favoring the introduction of competition to electricity markets (which never really happened in Maryland). This summary is especially clueless:
So, to recap, we have have a government-subsidized, untaxed, virtually unregulated, corporate monopoly (rather than a city utility) that has no real incentive to reduce outages or downtime, because (a) there's nowhere else for its customers to go for electricity, and (b) they get paid whether they're supplying us with power or not.
And just who was it who created the business model of a government-supervised monopoly? Oh yeah, that's right-liberals (or the original "Progressives" if you prefer).
A key phrase in the passage above is "no real incentive to reduce outages or downtime." "No real incentive" applies to most government sanctioned monopolies, like the DMV, the TSA, and the public schools. Economist Arnold Kling has an answer: break up Pepco, and allow tiered reliability pricing and outage reinsurance-in other words, some real competition and market incentives.
It might be interesting to combine the approaches of tiered pricing and competition. For example, if the indemnity rate is set on the basis of Pepco's past performance, a competitor might calculate that it can earn a profit by swooping in and taking over maintenance. If the competitor is more reliable, it will enjoy the reliability premiums from tier-one customers without having the indemnity costs that Pepco would suffer.
I hope that readers understand that I am not proposing these as ideal solutions to the problem of electricity reliability regulation. The main point is that we should appreciate the economics of the situation. First, regulation is inferior to market competition as a force for driving improvements in quality. Second, when there is no market price for something of value (in this case, reliability), incentives are bound to be misaligned.
A rather appropriate topic for the Power Line blog, it seems to me.
Hillary Clinton is the latest member of the Obama administration to play the fool when it comes to dealing with Russia over Syria. She joins President Obama, who was rendered almost speechless by Vladimir Putin after the Russian strongman contemptuously rejected Obama's plea that Russia abandon its long-time ally, Bashar Assad.
Clinton, if anything, has come across as even more of a dunce than Obama. A week ago, the Washington Post reminds us, she claimed that Russia was ready to lean on Assad as part of a U.N. plan for a transitional government. "They have told me that," she said, adding (rather inelegantly) that "they've decided to get on one horse, and it's the horse that would back a transition plan that Kofi Annan would be empowered to implement."
But Russia turned out to be riding a horse of a different color. Its foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, who supposedly had given Clinton the "assurances" she cited, made it plain that Russia will not pressure Assad to give up power. Lavrov said of Clinton's claims, "this is either an unscrupulous attempt to mislead serious people who shape foreign policy or simply a misunderstanding of what is going on."
Maybe it's time to hit that reset button again.
But Clinton has instead lashed out at Russia and China, accusing them (again inelegantly) of "blockading" progress on Syria. Clinton added that this is "no longer tolerable" and that Russia and China "will pay a price. How feeble.
As the Washington Post editorial board observes, the Obama administration's Syria policy is making it look foolish as well as feckless. How can Obama or Clinton be surprised that Russia doesn't want to support a pro-Western, pro-democracy agenda at the expense of its long-time client and arms purchaser?
The Post argues that Obama and Clinton are feigning surprise. That is, they are pretending to hold onto the absurd hope of Russian assistance in order to avoid admitting that a U.N. brokered solution is a non-starter. This, in turn, reduces pressure on the administration to come up with realistic measures to deal with the situation in Syria. One such action, says the Post, is to protect a safe zone for the rebels in northern Syria. Turkey reportedly has proposed this measure, but the U.S. rejected it.
The Post may be right to view Clinton's scapegoating of Russia as a diversion. But we shouldn't rule out the possibility that the administration genuinely expected Russian help. The capacity of Obama, Clinton and company to believe in this sort of absurdity is almost limitless.
I would say that NPR's Nina Totenberg coaxed some provocative comments from Seventh Circuit Judge Richard Posner criticizing conservatives, but I don't think Totenberg had to work to hard to elicit them. Posner freely offers them up and Totenberg is almost beside herself with giddiness. An audio clip is posted with Totengerg's story at the link. Listen for yourself.
Totenberg reports:
Posner expressed admiration for President Ronald Reagan and the economist Milton Friedman, two pillars of conservatism. But over the past 10 years, Posner said, "there's been a real deterioration in conservative thinking. And that has to lead people to re-examine and modify their thinking."
"I've become less conservative since the Republican Party started becoming goofy," he said.
Totenberg offers no specifics, so it is difficult to discern Posner's frame of reference or to respond. I think most conservatives and Republicans seek to follow in the footsteps of Reagan and Friedman. Where are we straying? Perhaps Totenberg was too overcome with Schadenfreude to follow up. When the conversation descends to specifics, they do not seem to bear directly on Posner's observation. They relate to the leaks over Chief Justice Roberts's deliberation over the Obamacare case and to the conservative critiques of his opinion for the Court:
Posner...speculated that the leaks about the deliberations over the national health care law - which are apparently designed to discredit Chief Justice John Roberts' opinion upholding the law - would backfire. "I think these right-wingers who are blasting Roberts are making a very serious mistake," he said.
"Because if you put [yourself] in his position ... what's he supposed to think? That he finds his allies to be a bunch of crackpots? Does that help the conservative movement? I mean, what would you do if you were Roberts? All the sudden you find out that the people you thought were your friends have turned against you, they despise you, they mistreat you, they leak to the press. What do you do? Do you become more conservative? Or do you say, 'What am I doing with this crowd of lunatics?' Right? Maybe you have to re-examine your position."
So the conservative critiques of Roberts's opinion are the work of "crackpots." Again, it would be nice to have some idea whom he is talking about, a coherent criticism of their critiques, or a defense of Roberts's unusual opinion in substance. Instead Posner simply serves up childish name-calling.
Posner also assumes that the leaks from the Supreme Court came from conservatives at the Court. How does he know? Who are they? If Posner knows, he apparently isn't saying.
There is nothing unusual or untoward about conservative activists and legal scholars criticizing a Supreme Court opinion, even one by a conservative justice. But it is unusual for a sitting federal appellate judge to criticize his superiors, as Ponser does Justice Scalia in this recent Slate column.
Posner's implicit theory that conservatives should silently defer to Roberts's opinion lest they drive Roberts into the camp of the left is also silly, if not absurd. Moreover, it seems disrespectful of the Chief Justice of the United States to suggest that he would be driven by petty personal concerns. As Posner himself might ask, where is the evidence? And if it exists, doesn't it reflect poorly on Roberts rather than his conservative critics?
Posner's comments are not those of a crackpot, to use his language. But they nevertheless seem to me remarkably ill-considered for a man of Posner's stature.
I'm not rethinking gay marriage, and I intend to vote "yes" on the proposed constitutional amendment that will be on the ballot in Minnesota this November (along with the proposed voter id. law that I wrote about here). The amendment would define marriage in the Minnesota Constitution as between one man and one woman.
According to Ballotpedia, the amendment is intended to protect marriage from "rethinking" by the judiciary. Readers interested in a defense of marriage from such "rethinking" may want to check out the essay "What is marriage?" by Sherif Girgis, Robert George and Ryan Anderson. (The essay is also downloadable here).
Opposition to the amendment runs deep and strong among the illuminati, of course. Indeed, apart from my friend Katherine Kersten, there may be no prominent citizen or company in the state publicly supporting the amendment. The pressure on companies and other institutions to "come out" against the amendment must be intense.
General Mills, for example, has announced its opposition to the amendment. I'm not sure why General Mills felt compelled to weigh in, but the linked story offers this:
General Mills has worked "for decades" to create an inclusive culture for employees and believes Minnesota should be welcoming as well, according to company spokesman Tom Forsythe.
"We oppose the proposed constitutional amendment because we do not believe it is in the best interests of our employees or our state economy," he said.
Opponents of the amendment have a friend in Democratic Secretary of State Mark Ritchie. Backers titled it "Recognition of marriage solely between one man and one woman." Governor Dayton's veto of the proposed amendment passed by the legislature couldn't keep it off the ballot, but it gave Ritchie an opening to prescribe the title that is to appear on the ballot in November. Ritchie has prescribed this one: "Limiting the status of marriage to opposite sex couples."
That is well done. Ritchie has made the thing sound suffocating, closed-minded, retrograde - almost like limiting the franchise to citizens. You have to wonder how the citizens of the state and employees of General Mills have survived under the current regime. We shall overcome, or something.
I'm in the throes of preparing a student lecture for next week on the theme of what Churchill regarded as the central challenge of the 20th century-the problem of scale, i.e., whether events and social trends were escaping the conscious control of individuals. As he put in in The World Crisis, "One rises from the study of the causes of the Great War with a prevailing sense of the defective control of individuals upon world fortunes." (Emphasis added.) He offered a more sweeping summary in My Early Life:
The character of society, the foundations of politics, the methods of war, the outlook of youth, the scale of values, are all changed, and changed to an extent I should not have believed possible in so short a time without any violent domestic revolution. . . I wonder often whether any other generation has seen such astounding revolutions of data and values as those through which we have lived. Scarcely anything material or established which I was brought up to believe was permanent and vital, has lasted. Everything I was sure or taught to be sure was impossible, has happened.
Ex-CIA Agent Reza Kahlili says Iranian terrorist cells inside the U.S. have weapons, explosives, money and safe houses; they use contacts with Mexican and Latin American drug cartels to smuggle explosives and weapons into America. Read & Comment
Today, the Obama Administration told Americans "not to read too much into" monthly jobs reports. As it turns out, they've been encouraging Americans to do that for years. But after 41 straight months of unemployment over 8%, you don't have to read between the lines to see the truth. Read & Comment
The preponderance of evidence shows that the marriage between President Obama's father and Ann Dunham was a legal contrivance that suited both their purposes - Obama's as a means to maintain residency in the U.S. until he completed his studies, and Ann's (and maybe also her parents') to provide legitimacy to the baby's birth. In no way was this a meaningful marital relationship. Read & Comment
For the second time, the Obama administration has rejected Indiana's effort to revoke taxpayer funding for the Planned Parenthood abortion business. Read & Comment
A 22-year-old woman was arrested in London on Friday on suspicion of terrorism in an operation that saw six men detained this week. The arrests come on the seventh anniversary of the July 7, 2005, attacks, and two weeks before the Olympics start July 27 in the British capital. Read & Comment
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, who last year ran for president and for nearly a decade served in Congress representing Michigan's 11th district, resigned from the House Friday night. He recently failed to collect enough petition signatures to get on the ballot for his re-election. Read & Comment
Like the Boston patriots who made history in 1773, today's Tea Party has inspired the American people. Its efforts helped elect leaders like Rep. Allen West and Sen. Marco Rubio. Media are forced to talk about limited government. The Constitution is once again discussed at dinner tables and the workplace. As the nation prepares for a pivotal election, the Tea Party is framing the debate in ways that would make the Founding Fathers proud. Read & Comment
A jobs report showing lukewarm hiring in June is a "kick in the gut" to American workers, presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney said in New Hampshire Friday. Read & Comment
President Obama brushed past a gloomy jobs report today, saying that the economy has created 4.4 million new jobs in the past 28 months. Read & Comment
Indiana Democratic Rep. Andre Carson claimed in late May that America's schools should be modeled after Islamic madrassas in a video that recently surfaced. Read & Comment
Morgan Freeman told NPR, "America's first black president hasn't arisen yet. He's not America's first black president - he's America's first mixed-race president." Read & Comment
The Affordable Care Act will damage that most crucial of all life relationships, that between an ill person and his physician. Barack Obama's assertion that we all can keep our doctors is false. Read & Comment
Like the Boston patriots who made history in 1773, today's Tea Party has inspired the American people. Its efforts helped elect leaders like Rep. Allen West and Sen. Marco Rubio. Media are forced to talk about limited government. The Constitution is once again discussed at dinner tables and the workplace. As the nation prepares for a pivotal election, the Tea Party is framing the debate in ways that would make the Founding Fathers proud. Read & Comment
With the Supreme Court giving President Obama's new health care law a green light, federal and state officials are turning to implementation of the law - a lengthy and massive undertaking still in its early stages, but already costing money and expanding the government. Read & Comment
In the broadening fight for voters in the political middle road, a fast-growing number of Americans consider President Obama's views as extreme, especially men, Christians and older voters, according to a new Rasmussen Reports poll. Read & Comment
Tens of thousands of Americans may lose their Internet service Monday unless they do a quick check of their computers for malware that could have taken over their machines more than a year ago. Read & Comment
Addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference last February, National Rifle Association Vice President Wayne LaPierre accused President Obama of working behind the scenes with the U.N. on a "treaty that could effectively ban or severely restrict civilian ownership of firearms worldwide." Read & Comment
The U.S. State Department is investigating the shipment of computers and other sophisticated equipment to North Korea and Iran by way of an obscure United Nations agency. Read & Comment
Prize-winning writer Charlie LeDuff takes on an epic challenge of golfing his way from 8 Mile Road to Belle Isle ... literally. It's a par 3,168, 18-mile, single hole course. Read & Comment
President Obama used the White House's Independence Day celebrations to tout his June 15 amnesty for at least 800,000 illegal immigrants, and to suggest that the sweeping change is more important to the nation than compliance with the law. Read & Comment
Like the Boston patriots who made history in 1773, today's Tea Party has inspired the American people. Its efforts helped elect leaders like Rep. Allen West and Sen. Marco Rubio. Media are forced to talk about limited government. The Constitution is once again discussed at dinner tables and the workplace. As the nation prepares for a pivotal election, the Tea Party is framing the debate in ways that would make the Founding Fathers proud. Read & Comment
The June jobs report continued the trend of disappointing economic headlines. The nation's unemployment rate remains unchanged at 8.2%. Job creation in June was slightly better than May's revised figures, but 80,000 new jobs was still well below expectations, and below what is needed to lower the unemployment rate and sustain a growing economy.
According to the Associated Press, job creation in the second quarter of 2012 is just one-third of what it was in the first quarter of the year and "is also trailing last year's pace through the first six months of 2012."
Here's something else to consider. Investor's Business Daily reports that while the economy created 80,000 new jobs last month, "85,000 workers left the workforce entirely to enroll in the Social Security Disability Insurance program." The article goes on to note that this isn't just a one month aberration:
"The disability ranks have outpaced job growth throughout President Obama's economic recovery. While the economy has created 2.6 million jobs since June 2009, fully 3.1 million workers signed up for disability benefits. In other words, the number of new disability enrollees has climbed 19% faster than the number of new jobs created during the sluggish recovery."
Clearly, the Obama "recovery" is flatlining. And his only solutions -- higher taxes and bigger government -- won't help. This is a critical point, friends.
The Bush tax cuts are scheduled to expire at the end of this year just as more ObamaCare taxes kick in. The combined "double whammy" is a massive $500 billion tax increase. Some call it "Taxmageddon," while others refer to it as the "fiscal cliff."
Whatever you want to call it, it adds up to a devastating blow to an already weak economy. This is the path Obama has set us on. We must change course on November 6th.
Values Matter Too!
Barack Obama kicked off a bus tour of the key battleground states of Ohio and Pennsylvania yesterday. Here are a few observations that stood out to me.
There's no question that Ohio is a key swing state. But Obama won Pennsylvania by 10 points four years ago. I doubt Obama would be spending time in the Keystone State if his campaign's internal polls showed him up 10 points this time around.
According to various reports, Obama is not attracting the kind of crowds he did four years ago. At one Ohio stop, only 350 people turned out.
But Democrats are worried about Ohio too. Mitt Romney has been stumping for votes in heavily Democrat counties in the Mahoning Valley, where Democrats acknowledge that values issues are hurting Obama.
Dan Polivka, the Democrat Party chairman in Trumbull County, Ohio, told a local newspaper that Obama's support for abortion and same-sex "marriage" has alienated many blue-collar, Catholic Democrats. Polivka said, "I don't see the value of that. I don't think he needed to get involved in stuff like that."
While the economy is likely to remain a key concern for many voters, it is beyond Mitt Romney's control. What if the economy suddenly improves?
Meanwhile, there are millions of Americans, including many Democrats and Independents, who care deeply about America's growing virtue deficit. They are eager for someone to champion their values as aggressively as the left attacks them.
About That Crying Woman...
The left-wing media was buzzing yesterday with reports about a sobbing woman at one Ohio campaign stop. Recounting how her sister had died from colon cancer, Stephanie Miller profusely thanked Barack Obama for giving us ObamaCare. According to the Huffington Post, Miller said that ObamaCare "could have saved her sister's life."
The liberal media loved it. And, dutifully, none of them bothered to look into Ms. Miller's background. If they had, the touching story and heartstring-tugging headlines might not have happened.
As it turns out, Miller is die-hard Obamabot. Her Twitter handle is "@obamasbestfan," and her Twitter feed is full of hate aimed at Republicans and conservatives. Here are a few examples that I can reprint:
"If there ever was a valid def. why women need birth control & legalized abortion it would b ROMNEY, SANTORIUM, GINGRINCH, PAUL, & LIMBAUGH!!"
"Has the GOP all drank the kool aid??? Too bad it wasn't the Jim Jones special!!!"
Imagine if someone in tears thanked Mitt Romney. The media would immediately look into her background and if they found anything racist or mean-spirited toward Democrats, that would be the headline: "Racist/Bigot Hugs Mitt Romney."
Speaking Of Hate...
Did you enjoy your Fourth of July holiday? If so, comedian Chris Rock thinks you are a racist.
While most Americans were spending the day with friends and family, appreciating our freedoms and reflecting on our nation's history, Rock tweeted this message to America: "Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren't free but I'm sure they enjoyed fireworks."
Chris Rock enjoys an incredibly blessed life because of this country. Today we have a black president and a black Attorney General, and a black man sits on the Supreme Court. And the best thing Rock could come up with on America's birthday is a racial insult?
By the way, do you know how George W. Bush spent July 4th? He and Laura Bush volunteered at an orphanage in Zambia.
Rock's tweet is representative of the left, which finds little to appreciate in America. It is increasingly defined by its hatred of America and our Judeo-Christian values. Rather than admiring the courage, sacrifice and wisdom of our Founding Fathers, the left is bent on fundamentally transforming America into a European-style socialist welfare state, something distinctly un-American.
That Terrible 'Ted' Movie By L. Brent Bozell III Seth MacFarlane, whose $100 million contract with Fox makes him the highest paid TV writer in history, is now trying to take over the cineplex, with the same old shtick. The movie's title is "Ted." It won its opening weekend with a $54 million gross at the box office. Clearly, MacFarlane's fans cannot consume enough of his pop-culture sewage.
Why This Obsession With Iran? By Patrick J. Buchanan Where is the mortal threat to justify the U.S. preparations for war with Iran described in the national press this week? The Financial Times' Gideon Rachman argues that our obsession with Iran is obscuring a far greater potential threat. Pakistan possesses perhaps 100 nuclear bombs and is building more, and anti-Americanism there is far more rampant than in Iran.
Jobs, Taxes & Penalties By Rich Galen Whether the mandate is a tax or a penalty is a fun conversation to have on the set of CNN or MSNBC; but in Nebraska, Ohio, and the rest of the country, low job creation is raising the bar for an Obama re-election.
CINDY WILLIAMS was appointed by Obama as an Assistant Director for NATIONAL SECURITY in the Congressional Budget Office......
Military Pay
This is an Airman's response to Cindy Williams' editorial piece in the Washington Times about MILITARY PAY, it should be printed in all newspapers across America ..
Ms. Cindy William wrote a piece for the Washington Times denouncing the pay raise(s) coming service members' way this year citing that she stated a 13% wage increase was more than they deserve.
A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He ought to get a bonus for this.
"Ms Williams:
I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GI's earn enough" and I am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears every month between DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting Service) and my bank account. Checking my latest earnings statement I see that I make $1,117.80 before taxes per month. After taxes, I take home $874.20. When I run that through the calculator, I come up with an annual salary of $13,413.60 before taxes, and $10,49040 after.
I work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am part of the team responsible for a 5,000 host computer network. I am involved with infrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment. A quick check under jobs for "Network Technicians" in the Washington , D.C. area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three yearsˆ™ experience in my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 a year. No, this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per annum............. I'm sure you can draw the obvious conclusions.
Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you NEVER had the pleasure of serving your country in her armed forces.
Before you take it upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD leadership for attempting to get the families in the military's lowest pay brackets off of WIC and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group of deploying soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN ; I leave the choice of service branch up to you. Whatever choice you make though, opt for the SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the longest possible time away from your family and friends, thus giving you full "deployment experience."
As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the spouses and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care to note that several families are still unsure of how they'll be able to make ends meet while the primary breadwinner is gone. Obviously they've been squandering the "vast" piles of cash the government has been giving them.
Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving are perennial favorites.. And when you're actually over there, sitting in a foxhole, shivering against the cold desert night, and the flight sergeant tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieve you for chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE's (meal-ready-to-eat) you manage to get for the tuna noodle casserole or cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to everything. This gives some flavor.
Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won't be nearly long enough or often enough, but take what you can get and be thankful for it. You may have picked up on the fact that I disagree with most of the points you present in your open piece.
But, tomorrow from KABUL , I will defend to the death your right to say it.
You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your First Amendment right and every other right you cherish...On a daily basis, my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and people like you can thumb your collective noses at us, all on a salary that is nothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would make most people cringe. We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we can't offer the stability and pay of civilian companies.
And you, Ms.. Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we deserve?
A1C Michael Bragg,
Hill AFB AFNCC
The Navy SEALS removed one Muslim threat to America ..
It's up to the voters to remove the other !
! In GOD we trust !
July 06, 2012
On Today's Program
Countdown to Restoring Love: Restoring Courage
As the days to Restoring Love draw near, Glenn wanted to take you along with him on the journey that brought us to this crucial point in American history, a point in which the people play a critical role. Once people had looked inward and got the 'crap' out of their lives - the next obstacle to tackle was stepping out of our comfort zones and restoring courage. The courage to speak out, and the courage to stand with those being wrongfully targeted -- a prime example being Israel. Just days after Glenn announced the event, Obama made a startling declaration regarding 'peace' in the Middle East. See more as we look back at Restoring Courage HERE.
Get all the details on Restoring Love - and get INVOLVED:
Want to support the event? In support of the Restoring Love event and the mission of Mercury One, we now have merchandise available. Dog-tags, necklaces and more can be found HERE.
Why atheist SE Cupp wouldn't vote for an atheist president
One would think an atheist would be the most likely person to support an atheist candidate for President of the United States. SE Cupp shocked the panel recently with her declaration that she would not vote for an atheist. As usual, her answer was well thought out and very well reasoned. See her explanation via TheBlaze.
Join the small business movement! The goal of The Marketplace by Markdown.com is to assemble the world's finest collection of unique small businesses. The small business owners at The Marketplace are consumed by passion, integrity, hard work, and their families-entire generations of them in some cases. Learn the remarkable stories behind these small businesses by signing up for The Marketplace by Markdown newsletter today!
The video pro-choicers don't want you to see
It's also a video non-believers may find troublesome to their disbelief in a higher power. It's a time-lapsed view of a face developing in the womb, which shows that the baby doesn't just grow, instead "Their formation is a complicated ballet of growth and fusion of moving plates of tissue." Hard to believe this 'complicated ballet' was born out of primordial soup. Watch the amazing video at TheBlaze.
Fiery anti-Obama, pro-Christian, pro-Romney letter to the editor -- from Brad Pitt's mom?
Seems impossible that a Hollywood liberal like Brad Pitt would have conservative parents, but apparently that's the case. In the letter to the editor urging Christians not to disregard Romney because of his Mormon faith, she is virtually the polar opposite of everything Brad Pitt says he believes in. So, as one Blaze commenter points out, this could be called an anti-Brad Pitt letter as well. Full story via TheBlaze.
Have you read Glenn's new book COWARDS? Tell us what you think. Which chapter(s) were your favorites? What fact surprised you most? Leave Glenn a voicemail and we just might use your review on the air to help spread the word. Call: 866-734-8183. Get all the details.
Megyn Kelly calls out guest who refuses to call Obamacare a 'tax'
The Obama team is in full damage control mode after the Supreme Court of the United States declared that Obamacare was indeed a tax. Obama has sent out spinsters to try and make the case to the American people that it's a 'penalty' not a tax. Megyn Kelly called out the BS to one unfortunate surrogate who was given the task of lying to the American people. Watch the clip via TheBlaze.
The #1 NYT bestseller MICHAEL VEY is just $4.99 on e-book now through July 10th! Don't miss your chance to read (or reread) the book that electrified America last summer before the sequel hits shelves this August. Download a copy now (Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes) to read as a family and you'll be shocked at just how fast your kids put aside the TV and video games.
Silver Lining
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On the Wednesday prior to the Obamacare announcement of the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the fate of Obamacare, there was another judicial opinion that promises to destroy many aspects of the nation's economy.
Charles Jacobs at Americans for Peace and Tolerance 
Facing new polls that show his popularity evaporating to virtually nothing, especially among women, President Obama hopes America will bet on a whole new Barack Obama.
Countdown to Restoring Love: Restoring Courage
