912 Patriots of Lower Bucks - Your Daily Updates ALL in ONE Place!
January 29, 2013
Quote:
*George Washington, in a letter to John Adams, stated that immigrants should be absorbed into American life so that "by an intermixture with our people, they, or their descendants, get assimilated to our customs, measures, laws: in a word soon become one people."
*1790: James Madison stated that America should welcome the immigrant who could assimilate, but exclude the immigrant who could not readily "incorporate himself into our society."
*Alexander Hamilton, 1802: "The safety of a republic depends essentially on the energy of a common national sentiment; ...on that love of country which will...be found to be closely connected with birth, education and family." He warned that the survival of the American republic, depends upon "the preservation of a national spirit & a national character."
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Upstaged: Rubio, 'Gang of Eight' Unveil Bipartisan Immigration Reform Day Before Obama Speech
by Joel B. Pollak 28 Jan 2013
A day before President Barack Obama is due to reveal his own immigration proposals in a speech in Las Vegas, NV, a bipartisan group of eight senators has announced a deal on the "outlines" of an immigration reform deal, according to Politico. The "Gang of Eight," which includes Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who has led the push from the Republican side, had been at work for weeks and unveiled its compromise on Capitol Hill today.
The deal includes several measures to improve border security, a core Republican demand, while also providing a "path to citizenship" for the 11 million illegal immigrants currently in the country, a core Democrat demand, with priority given to "Dreamers"--children who were brought to the country through no action of their own. The Senate proposal will also streamline the nation's complex and contradictory immigration laws.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who led similar bipartisan efforts from 2005 through 2007, has described the emerging deal as similar to those he forged with Democrats then. Two things have changed. One is that Republicans are more eager to compromise, after a poor showing among Hispanic voters in the 2012 election. The other is that President Obama now sees more political advantage in passing a bill than blocking one.
Tomorrow, President Obama will travel to Las Vegas to announce his plan to grant amnesty to the 11-12 million illegal aliens living in the United States. The President's speech comes only days after the President met with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus at the White House to reiterate that he intends to prioritize a mass amnesty bill, and just one day after a group of bipartisan Senators released their plan for amnesty legislation!
FAIR is urging our members, activists, and supporters to call their Representatives and Senators NOW and tell them they oppose giving amnesty to illegal aliens!
Tell them you oppose amnesty because:
Granting any legal status to illegal aliens unfairly rewards law-breaking.
Granting amnesty to illegal aliens will not "solve the problem once and for all." We learned this after the 1986 amnesty. Instead, granting amnesty will do nothing but encourage more illegal immigration. Will Congress once again be calling amnesty the solution to illegal immigration in another 10 years?
Granting amnesty to illegal aliens is fundamentally unfair to individuals all over the world who are patiently waiting in line to come to the United States legally.
Granting amnesty to illegal aliens unfairly adds millions of legal workers to the domestic workforce when 22 million Americans are either unemployed or underemployed. Moreover, those workers that are hurt the most are often legal immigrants working in low-skill, low-wage jobs.
Granting amnesty to illegal aliens will not secure our borders, will not improve national security, will not end fraud in the immigration system, and will not fix the problem of visa overstays.
Finally, tell your Representatives and Senators that you oppose amnesty because the Obama Administration has utterly failed to enforce our immigration laws. Tell them any law is worthless unless the President fulfills his constitutional duty to faithfully execute the law. To learn more about how President Obama has undermined our immigration laws, see FAIR's 2012 Report.
Amnesty advocates are already emailing their supporters, telling them to urge Congress to pass amnesty legislation. They insist that the American people want amnesty, and unless you call your Members of Congress NOW and tell them you oppose any bill that gives legal status to illegal aliens, the only voices they hear will be those who defend illegal immigration.
PLEASE ACT NOW! To find your Members of Congress, click here.
CHINA'S 'SOFT POWER' AND A REAL 'RED DAWN'
January 3, 2013 | By Toby Westerman
The most under reported, but potentially explosive story of 2013, is shaping up to be the rise of the "Soft Power" tactic currently being implemented by the Peoples Republic of China in the United States.
Because America's debt is exploding to unmanageable proportions, the United States finds itself financially dependent on China as one of its main creditors. We owe The Peoples Republic well over a trillion dollars and are going further into debt, but the Communist ruling elite in Beijing are not satisfied with having the U.S. as a virtual debtor client state. China's political elite are also using their financial power to manipulate how Americans think -- or don't think -- about China. Along with computers, electronics, and house wares, a new kind of Political Correctness is also being manufactured in China.
Since the time of Lenin, Communists have understood the value of mass propaganda through the entertainment industry. In the 1930s and early 40s, individual writers and producers in Hollywood actively towed Moscow's political line. (For instance, they were against U.S. involvement in World War II when the Soviet Union was allied with Nazi Germany, and then in favor of entering WWII when Hitler invaded the USSR).
More recently, top Hollywood figures have fawned over the tropical gulag that is Communist Cuba. China, however, is going beyond merely relying on sympathetic Hollywood stooges. Beijing is now a major financial partner in Hollywood, a place where money has always trumped art, let alone truth. Communist China will now take a direct hand in the manufacturing of what American audiences see.
The Communist elite which controls China wants Hollywood to portray the Peoples Republic in a favorable light to American audiences, while rewarding the hard Left U.S. film industry with hefty profits for their cooperation.
The main goal is to desensitize the American people to Communist China's growing military power, outright aggression against its neighbors, and the continuing brutal oppression of its own people.
13 States, and Counting, with Bills to Nullify Federal Gun "Laws
Calling all Patriots!
We have a man in Harrisburg (Daryl Metcalfe) who has the backbone to write the legislation we need and he has done this! Please note which Reps. have NOT signed on as co-sponsors of HB 357. Please use the link below to enter the Tenth Amendment Center and click on Representative Metcalfe's link, SIGN his petition, PRINT his petition for friends & family and then CALL your Rep. to either thank them or encourage them to sign on as CO-Sponsors! This is IMPORTANT! Let's support a man who is supporting us!!!
There are 13 states - and more on board soon - that are considering bills to nullify federal violations of the 2nd Amendment. TRACK THEM HERE
The Latest Updates...
Pennsylvania
HB357 - yes, 357 - is ready to roll. Support it.
The bill includes felony charges against anyone - including federal agents - who try to enforce any type of gun control restriction within state borders.
Passage would prohibit the federal government from regulating "a personal firearm, a firearm accessory or ammunition that is owned or manufactured commercially or privately in this state and that remains exclusively within the borders of this state." Felony charges for federal agents who violate the state law.
Shalom ZOA Members, Friends and Supporters of Israel,
ZOA National President Morton Klein will be speaking this Sunday, Feb. 3 at 9:45 a.m., at a Men's Club event at Temple Adath Israel, 250 N. Highland Avenue, Merion Station, PA.
Mort's talk will be on the subject: "The Arab War Against Israel - Myths and Facts." Come out to hear our nation's foremost advocate for Israel.
RSVP is required. For more information or to register, call Adath Israel at 610-934-1919.
Hello Patriots on this Day!
We need to make daily calls to Washington to stop infringement on our 2nd Amendment rights!!
Not supported by TPP - individual - Saturday, Feb. 2nd - Rally on 2nd Amendment Rights from 12-3 National Mall across from White House.- call Lil at 215/547-6136 if interested in going by car, train.
February 15 - March 27, 2013 - Debt Ceiling: Sometime in this date range we are expected to reach the debt ceiling (Technically we have already hit the debt ceiling, but this is the date range when we will reach a point where the Treasury can no longer implement "extraordinary measures" to meet our spending obligations.
February 28, 2013 - Sequestration: The "fiscal cliff" bill created a new manufactured crisis that will happen sometime at the end of February. This is when the sequestration can was kicked down the road.
March 31, 2013 - Continuing Resolution: The current Continuing Resolution that the government is operating under expires on March 31. This means that they will have to pass a CR between now and then.
April 15, 2013 - Budget Resolution: This is the date by law in which both Houses should have a budget resolution passed. We are already hearing that the President is late in submitting his budget, the House is reporting that they will not meet their deadline for a budget, and the Senate... well they haven't passed a budget in over 1,350 days.
Any questions, holler.
Lil
Rob Boysen Lil Boysen Bill Harper
Tea Party Patriots PA State Coordinator, S.E. Region Co-Coordinator Co-Coordinator
Philadelphia Tea Party Patriots Group Coordinator Communications Coordinator, Philadelphia Tea Party Patriots-Lower Bucks
The major political battles of 2013 are about to commence.
Last year, the Association successfully lobbied against the phony "school choice" bill, SB 1, and supported HB 1330--the budget neutral expansion of the EITC scholarship fund . A version of HB 1330 was attached to another bill, approved by the Assembly, and signed into law by Governor Tom Corbett.
In addition, very early on, the Association backed the PA Voter ID bill--which also passed the Assembly and was signed into law.
Finally, the Association successfully lobbied the respective Governors of NJ and PA, Chris Christie and Tom Corbett, against establishing state health insurance exchanges--a fundamental requirement of ObamaCare.
This year, the Association will focus its limited funding, energy, and resources on a handful state and federal issues.
In this letter, we will emphasize important state battles shaping up in Harrisburg, Trenton, and Dover.
Harrisburg
Pennsylvania Right to Work is topic #1 as State Rep. Darryl Metcalfe and other legislators announce the reintroduction of aRight to Work bill during today's 11 AM Harrisburg Presser (details below).
Next on the agenda is State Rep. Matt Baker's Opt Out of ObamaCare legislation. This bill cleared the House Health Committee last session--only to whither on the vine. We must pass the bill in this session and persuade Gov. Corbett to sign it into law.
Also, we have been working behind the scenes with State Reps. Stephen Barrar and Darryl Metcalfe to enact legislation allowing any registered Pennsylvania voter to poll watch at any precinct within the boundaries of the Commonwealth.
Trenton
In New Jersey, we will press Governor Christie to veto proposed bills seeking to increase the minimum wage and restrict 2nd Amendment Rights.
Dover
In Delaware, we will join efforts to stop the numerous gun control bills that have been introduced in the state legislature.
In the coming days, there will be plenty of opportunities for us to demonstrate our commitment to conservative values.
From tomorrow's Right to Work press conference to Dom Giordano's Salute Our Troops (Presidents Day, February 18), there are two terrific events being hosted by four great organizations.
1. Right to Keep & Bear Arms--A Peaceful Demonstration
When: Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, 10 AM
Where: State Capitol, 125 West State Street, Trenton, NJ
Sponsored by the New Jersey Second Amendment Society
2. 2nd Annual Salute Our Troops! Live Broadcast and Luncheon
When: Presidents Day, Monday, February 18, 2013, 11 AM
Where: Crowne Plaza Valley Forge, 260 Mall Blvd, King of Prussia, PA
Before signing-off, I would like to acknowledge one of the saddest anniversary dates in our nation's history.
Forty years ago today, Roe v. Wade became the law of land--overturning some form of legal protection for unborn children in every state in the union.
Since that tragic day, it is estimated that well over 50 million lives have been ended through the controversial practice of abortion.
Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, as a conservative, you must
recognize the disastrous legal consequences of the US Supreme Court's decision which made a mockery of states rights.
We can all agree that the Warren Court's decision demonstrated a virulent contempt for the US Constitution and its 10th Amendment.
We can also agree that taxpayer funded abortion is a grave moral affront to those among us who believe that the sanctity of innocent human life is paramount.
On behalf of the Association Board of Directors,
Teri Adams
The Independence Hall Tea Party Association formed after historic February 28 and April 18, 2009 Tea Parties on Independence Mall. It is the oldest and largest independent grassroots Tea Party organization in the tri-state (DE, NJ, PA) region and encompasses the 5th leading media market in the United States.
Metcalfe Seeks to Make Federal Gun-Grabbing A Criminal Offense in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG - State Representative Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) today announced his legislation that would make any new federal gun control laws unenforceable within the Commonwealth.
"Passage of my legislation will send the message that there will never be additional gun control, anywhere in Pennsylvania," said Metcalfe. "Whether by White House executive orders, congressional fiat, or judicial activism, we will never allow the left to benefit from the wicked acts of murderers in order advance their senseless gun-grabbing agenda which would only succeed in replacing one of our most sacred personal liberties with the chains of government tyranny."
Similar to legislation most recently introduced in Wyoming and Texas, Metcalfe's Right to Bear Arms Protection Act (House Bill 357) would:
Prohibit enforcement of any new federal registration, restriction or prohibition requirement for privately owned firearms, magazines and ammunition.
Require the state of Pennsylvania, including the Office of Attorney General, to intercede on behalf of Commonwealth citizens against any federal attempt to register, restrict or ban the purchase or ownership of firearms and firearms accessories which are currently legal products.
Final enactment of Metcalfe's Right to Bear Arms Protection Act would mean that anyone - even federal agents - who try to enforce any type of gun control restriction within state borders would face arrest and being charged with a felony offense.
"The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned," said Metcalfe. "Article 1, Section 21 of the Pennsylvania Constitution makes it crystal clear that no level of government, especially the federal government, has any authority whatsoever to impose senseless restrictions on law-abiding firearms owners, or worse, the confiscation of legally owned firearms. The purpose of my legislation is to force any gun-grabbing federal official to count the costs of unconstitutionally disarming or denying Pennsylvania citizens their God-given right to keep and bear arms."
Metcalfe is also calling on all Pennsylvania citizens who support Constitutional liberty to attend Pennsylvania's annual Second Amendment Action Day on Tuesday, April 23, beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the State Capitol Rotunda, and to sign the all-new Armed Pennsylvania: Say to No Gun Control petition by visiting RepMetcalfe.com.
Representative Daryl Metcalfe 12th District Pennsylvania House of Representatives Media Contact: Ty McCauslin 717.772.9979
E15, a higher blend of ethanol and gasoline, has rolled out in a handful of states. But its use in older vehicles is generating warnings from AAA, which says E15 could be harmful to pre-2012 vehicles.
The AAA says the Environmental Protection Agency and gasoline retailers should halt the sale of E15, a new ethanol blend that could damage millions of vehicles and void car warranties.
AAA, which issued its warning Friday, says just 12 million of more than 240 million cars, trucks and SUVs now in use have manufacturers' approval for E15. Flex-fuel vehicles, 2012 and newer General Motors vehicles, 2013 Fords and 2001 and later model Porsches are the exceptions, according to AAA, the nation's largest motorist group, with 53.5 million members.
"It is clear that millions of Americans are unfamiliar with E15, which means there is a strong possibility that many may improperly fill up using this gasoline and damage their vehicle," AAA President and CEO Robert Darbelnet tells USA TODAY. "Bringing E15 to the market without adequate safeguards does not responsibly meet the needs of consumers."
On Monday, President Barack Obama nominated former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel to be his next Secretary of Defense in succession to Leon Panetta. Chuck Hagel's record is one of being a frightening and dangerous apologist for terrorist groups like Hamas and Hizballah, as well as for the Iranian terrorist regime, while being arguably one of the most vicious and hostile critics of Israel. The ZOA believes that appointing Chuck Hagel as Defense Secretary would also serve to confirm the fears that many have that President Obama is no friend of Israel and is not serious about stopping Iran's nuclear program.
ACTION:
Please call your U.S. Senators to urge President Obama not to nominate Chuck Hagel and to vote against his appointment if Hagel's name goes forward for Secretary of Defense. You can reach all U.S. Senators through the Capitol Hill switchboard: 202-224-3121.
Call Sen. Casey 202-224-6324
Call Sen. Toomey 202-224-4254
New Jersey:
Call Sen. Lautenberg 202-224-3224
Call Sen. Menendez 202-224-4744
Delaware:
Call Sen. Carper 202-224-2441
Call Sen. Coons 202-224-5042
BACKGROUND:
In 2009, Hagel signed a letter urging President Obama to begin direct negotiations with Hamas, a U.S. designated terrorist group committed in its Charter to the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews, a position President Obama has not taken up.
In a 2006 interview with former Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller, Hagel said that "the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people" on Capitol Hill ('Hagel named to intelligence board,' Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 29, 2009).
In July 2006, at the outbreak of the Lebanon war, Hagel argued against giving Israel the time to break Hizballah, urging instead an immediate ceasefire ('Key Republican breaks with Bush on Mideast,' CNN.com, July 31, 2006).
December 2005: Hagel was one of only 27 senators who refused to sign a letter to President Bush urging him to pressure the Palestinian Authority (PA) to ban terrorist groups from participating in Palestinian legislative elections.
June 2004, Hagel refused to sign a letter urging President Bush to highlight Iran's nuclear program at the G-8 summit and was one of only two senators in to vote against renewal of the Libya-Iran sanctions act.
November 2001: Hagel was one of only 11 senators who refused to sign a letter urging President Bush not to meet with the late Yasser Arafat until his forces ended the violence against Israel.
In July 2001, Hagel was one of only two senators to vote against extending the original Iranian sanctions bill.
October 2000: Hagel was one of only four senators who refused to sign a Senate letter in support of Israel.
If you want to understand what is happening to our beloved country please watch this important movie. Please share it with everyone.
Yes, it's true: You can support ACT! for America-at no cost to you!An important message from Guy Rodgers, Executive Director
The next time you make an online purchase of almost anything, you could be helping ACT! for America-at no cost to you.
Sound too good to be true? It isn't.
All you have to do is sign up for "iGive"-a program that's been around since 1997.
The concept is as powerful as it is simple.
Every time an iGive member makes an online purchase at over 1,000 brand-name stores, a percentage of that purchase is donated to that person's charity of choice.
And with the holidays just around the corner, you could be helping ACT! for America with every gift you buy!
The concept isn't new. In the mid-1990s many supporters of non-profit organizations signed up with long distance telephone programs where a percentage of their bill was donated to their charity of choice.
But our investigation of iGive has convinced us that this program has an ease of use and sophistication that we find remarkable.
Imagine booking a hotel room on Orbitz-and having 1.6% of that purchase price donated to ACT! for America.
Or buying an Xbox at Best Buy-and having 1.2% of the purchase price donated to ACT! for America.
The same goes for buying merchandise at Amazon, Bath and Body Works, Advance Auto Parts, Game Stop, Kmart, Home Depot, Holiday Inn, Old Navy, NASCAR Superstore, Overstock.com, Mattel, J.C. Penney, Office Max, QVC, Radio Shack, Shoe Carnival, Pottery Barn-and on and on the list goes.
In other words, every time you make a purchase of merchandise you would buy anyway, you would be financially supporting ACT! for America!
All you have to do is log on below and follow the directions to create your account and download the iGive "button." (Note: downloading the "button" is key).
When I was first informed of iGive, I was skeptical. I've seen these ideas come and go. Often, they're too good to be true. Or there are all kinds of glitches and problems.
So I spent hours researching.
I looked at online customer reviews (which were very good). I read all of iGive's fine print, such as Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. I signed up and even emailed two tech support questions to see how good their tech support was.
And the more I dug, the more I liked what I saw. For instance, both of my tech support questions were responded to within 60 minutes. How often does THAT happen?
As you know from our Patriot Partner program, we're all about encouraging a lot of people to each do a little-to do something. When everyone does a little, together we accomplish a lot.
So consider what could happen.
If just 1% of ACT! for America members each purchased just $400 in merchandise in 2013, from all the available outlets, and the average percentage donated to ACT! was 1.5%, the total amount donated back to ACT! for America would be...
...$15,000. That's a lot of money, wouldn't you agree?
And if you were one of those ACT! for America members, it wouldn't cost you one thin dime to help ACT! for America receive $15,000.
If this idea really caught on, and eventually 5% of our members made purchases with iGive, that $15,000 could explode to $50,000, $75,000 or more!
What's more, that 1.5% figure might be low. Many of the merchants offer percentage donations that are much higher. One printer inkjet company I looked at offered 13%!
Every merchant website you visit tells you right at the top what percentage of your purchase price will be donated to ACT! for America.
Just think what we could accomplish with an extra $15,000, $50,000 or $75,000 in our fight against radical Islam!
One of the things I most wanted to know was their Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Check it out for yourself. I confirmed the terms with a company representative. And I like what I learned. As security-conscious as I am, I have no hesitation using the service-and I'm already doing so.
I know there are many people out there who would love to support ACT! for America, or give more than they're giving, but in these tough economic times they simply can't.
Well, here's a way that everyone who believes in our mission can easily support what we're doing-at no cost to them.
It doesn't get any better than that.
There are already chapter leaders who have signed up for the program, and the feedback I have been getting from them has been all positive. They love the idea and many of them are already using it.
So please, join me and these ACT! for America chapter leaders who are already signed up and using the iGive service.
Yours for a safe and free America
Guy Rodgers
Dear Fellow Conservative,
Registration for CPAC 2013 is now open! The American Conservative Union's legendary annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is scheduled for March 14-16, 2013 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center.
Register Now for CPAC 2013 Don't miss your chance to help take our country back to the right. To register now and reserve your space, visit conservative.org.
Join the Celebration In honor of CPAC's 40th Anniversary, we look forward to joining conservatives from across the nation for CPAC 2013, celebrating the accomplishments of the movement while also energizing the next generation of conservatives.
New Location CPAC 2013 boasts a new location at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. Complimentary CPAC shuttle busses to and from the Gaylord Center will be available at convenient locations across the National Capitol Region. Details will be released in the coming weeks; please visit conservative.org for updates.
CPAC Past & Present The ACU has hosted CPAC in the Nation's Capital since 1973, and it now stands as the largest annual gathering of conservatives in the country. Additionally, the ACU this year hosted two regional CPACs designed to energize and mobilize Midwest and Mountain West conservatives, giving them the tools needed to defeat the liberal agenda in 2012 while also highlighting rising conservative stars and issues in the region. Stay tuned for details on 2013 regional CPAC locations!
Interested in Sponsoring CPAC 2013? National and local partners are critical to achieving a successful event. CPAC 2013 provides an excellent platform to promote your message and network with the leaders and activists who are on the frontlines of the conservative movement. We invite you to review the special opportunities available to join the action at CPAC 2013 by visiting conservative.org.
This email was sent by: American Conservative Union 1331 H. St., NW Washington, DC, 20005,
Individuals sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood's sinister agenda have infiltrated the Obama Administration.
Brainwashed by the Muslim Students Association and then propelled in to the position of Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the David Horowitz Freedom Center tracks the path of Huma Abedin and other Muslim sympathizers who have navigated their way into positions of great influence in the Obama Administration. Everything is revealed in the explosive new Freedom Center pamphlet, "The Muslim Brotherhood in the Obama Administration," written by Frank Gaffney, national security expert who served as Assistant Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan.
The David Horowitz Freedom Center is committed to educating the public on the Muslim Brotherhood's sinister Agenda. That is why we are giving away this pamphlet for FREE.
This is a major push forward for APC in the battle to stop Agenda 21, and I need you to look it over and sign your approval to it.
Let me explain this vital project.
Across the nation, individuals and local activists have been working to stop the ravages of Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development. And we have won some astounding victories.
We've made Agenda 21 a major issue.
But we are vastly outgunned by the Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are pushing this agenda from the UN all the way to your city council.
They are flooding state capitals with lobbyists, money, and a flood of issue documents. They are rich, powerful and well organized.
We aren't. We are a rag tag band of dedicated activists with passion for the cause of freedom and little else.
That has got to change.
Our activists need the tools necessary to win.
That's just what my "Stop Agenda 21" project is designed to provide.
NATHAN HARDEN is editor of The College Fix, a higher education news website, and blogs about higher education for National Review Online. A 2009 graduate of Yale, he has written for numerous publications, including National Review, The Weekly Standard, The American Spectator, The New York Post, and The Washington Times. He was a 2011 Robert Novak Fellow at the Phillips Foundation, a 2010 Publius Fellow at the Claremont Institute, and is author of the recent book Sex and God at Yale: Porn, Political Correctness, and a Good Education Gone Bad.
The following is adapted from a speech delivered at Hillsdale College on September 20, 2012.
In 1951, William F. Buckley, Jr., a graduate of Yale the year before, published his first book, God & Man at Yale. In the preface, he described two ideas that he had brought with him to Yale and that governed his view of the world:
"I had always been taught, and experience had fortified the teachings, that an active faith in God and a rigid adherence to Christian principles are the most powerful influences toward the good life. I also believed, with only a scanty knowledge of economics, that free enterprise and limited government had served this country well and would probably continue to do so in the future."
The body of the book provided evidence that the academic agenda at Yale was openly antagonistic to those two ideas-that Buckley had encountered a teaching and a culture that were hostile to religious faith and that promoted collectivism over free market individualism. Rather than functioning as an open forum for ideas, his book argued, Yale was waging open war upon the faith and principles of its alumni and parents.
The Boy Scouts of America is expected to lift its longstanding ban on gay Scouts and troop leaders.
The reversal of the decades-old policy is expected to be approved by the organization's national board next week, both USA Today and NBC News reports.
"The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue," Deron Smith, a Boy Scouts spokesman, told USA Today.
After a two-year examination of the issue, the Boy Scouts affirmed its ban on gays just seven months ago. The volunteer review committee was convened by national leaders of the Boy Scouts of America.
But several local chapters and some members of the national board, including corporate CEO Randall Stephenson of AT&T and James Turley of the Ernst & Young accounting firm, called for a reconsideration, USA Today reports.
Under the proposed change, decisions on membership and leadership would be decided by the organization's 290 local governing councils and 116,000 sponsoring religious and civic groups.
"Scouting has always been in an ongoing dialogue with the scouting family to determine what is in the best interest of the organization and the young people we serve," Smith told USA Today.
"The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members or parents," he said. "Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization's mission, principles or religious beliefs."
A number of Miami residents have been startled to see military helicopters buzzing above their heads throughout the past week. The helicopters have been seen circling the skies, soldier-like figures have apparently been repelling onto rooftops, and some have even reported hearing what sounds like gunfire. So what's going on?
According to officials, there's nothing to be concerned about. But that hasn't stopped a number of local residents from raising concern.
The Miami Herald related about a week ago, before the drills started:
Miami-Dade police sent out a warning [last] Monday that multiple police agencies would be providing support for a joint military training exercise somewhere over Miami and elsewhere in the county. The exercise will include the use of military helicopters.
1.Regarding Immigration Proposals, Beware of Your Opponents' Motivation
The subject of immigration (and evidently, illegal immigration) has proven to be a divisive issue for conservatives.There are divergent opinions as to which policies should be pursued vis-ŕ-vis the 12 million illegal immigrants who reside in the country.However, as conservatives, there are certain fundamental goals and red lines that we should all unite behind as we commence debate on this issue.Any so-called comprehensive immigration reform proposal that is worth more than a bucket of spit must ensure the following:
we are not saddled with 12 million new consumers of the welfare state;
we don't have 12 million new Democrat voters;
those receiving the amnesty will not have the ability to spawn chain migration;
before any amnesty is implemented, there is a complete establishment of visa tracking, border control, and mandatory E-verify to ensure that this won't create another 'Charlie Brown with the football' scenario of more waves of illegal immigration;
our legal immigration system move towards a merit-based process that favors high-skill immigrants instead of the current "Kennedy" system that is random and tendentious towards low-skilled immigrants.
Undoubtedly, Republican negotiators of reform proposals, like Marco Rubio, are well-intentioned in their desire to solve a serious problem with thoughtful solutions.However, if they are really committed to advancing conservative solutions and addressing conservative concerns about the immigration system, they must understand the adversity we all face with our Democrat opponents on this issue.Their proposals must be crafted to work not just in a world full of Marco Rubios and Paul Ryans, but in a political system full of Luis Gutierrezs and a judicial sphere full of ACLU and MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund)types.Hence, when proposing immigration bills, to know thy enemy is key.. . . please click here for the rest of the post →
2.So, Unions Mislead About Income Effects Of Right-To-Work States? Shocking!
When it comes to getting the truth about anything these days, it is hard to even consider today's unions as a source. As usual, when examining a union's claim, one must always dig deeper. Such is the case when it comes to the union claim that Right-to-Work means Right-to-Work for less.
I've recently been reading a fair amount on the American Revolution, especially David McCullough's 1776 (which should be required reading for every American).* The more you read of the Revolutionary War, the more there is to learn, especially about the vital question of how the colonists pulled off their victory over the vastly wealthier and more powerful Great Britain. The standard narrative of the American Revolution taught in schools and retained in our popular imagination today overlooks a lot of lessons worth remembering about where our country came from. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
4.Sen. Ron Johnson the Winner of the Week in Washington
Sometimes a citizen lawmaker dares to exercise such candor that the inside-the-Beltway crowd recoils in horror at the blatant honesty. Such was the case with Wisconsin's own Senator Ron Johnson (R) this past week. Johnson captured attention with his tough questioning of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to finally answer questions about the Benghazi disaster of last September.
Clinton, demonstrating the cunning political acumen that propelled her and her husband so far on the national political stage, weaved a range of emotions into her carefully prepared opening statement. With her final months as Secretary of State clouded by the death of an American ambassador and a subsequent lack of honesty in dealing with the situation during a political campaign, Clinton had to present a strong showing to maintain future political opportunities.
William A. Levinson The instant people wake up to the fact that you are lying to them and manipulating them, they will turn on you with no less enthusiasm than that with which they once followed you. More
Dial 911 and Die Michael Geer From American Police Beat website: the average of seven same-sized city police response to a High-Priority 911 call is a staggering 11 minutes, 11 seconds. More
The Political Gospel of Pain Glenn Fairman Focus and tenacity are levers to move the world. In contradistinction, hysteria and emotionality are the provenance of the Progressive caste. More
The Hippocritic Oaths Mike Razar Do the oaths sworn by the president and member of Congress really mean anything? More
Drunk and Defenseless Ronald Kimmons My right to own a gun helps to protect me from others with guns, while my right to buy whiskey does not protect me at all from drunk drivers and snookered hooligans. More
Conservatism is More Than Growth and Opportunity Christopher Chantrill Most men vote on principle and most women vote for their children. So how does the GOP persuade women that voting for more free stuff is bad for their children? More
A Shameless Media Jim O'Sullivan The media's lack of interest in the failings of Obama's first term leads to two obvious questions; first, why? ...and second, will this pattern of behavior change in his second term? More
Japan cuts dole to ensure work pays better than welfare January 28, 2013 Japan distinguishes itself from the other economically advanced countries by caring for the principle that people who work should have more stuff than people who go on the welfare rolls. More
Dianne Feinstein's Stunning Ignorance January 28, 2013 The only people who will be affected by Senator Feinstein's proposed legislation are law-abiding citizens. More
A Muslim who raped a 13-year-old girl he groomed on Facebook has been spared a prison sentence after a judge heard he went to an Islamic faith school where he was taught that women are worthless.
Fanatic Muslims consist of approximately 120 million followers of Islam world-wide. Many of their religious leaders advocate killing apostates in accordance with verses in the Quran...
A federal appeals court on Friday overturned President Obama's controversial recess appointments from last year, ruling he abused his powers and acted when the Senate was not actually in a recess.
An explosion deep within Iran's Fordow nuclear facility has destroyed much of the installation and trapped about 240 personnel deep underground, according to a former intelligence officer of the Islamic regime.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." ~ Ronald Reagan
Posted byDaniel Greenfield @ the Sultan Knish blog
There have been suggestions floating around that some of the bigger donors should buy a newspaper, a television network or a women's magazine to counter the media's grip. There was a time when a powerful media outlet could be bought or created by conservative owners and function and wield influence over national policy. Time Magazine in the Luce era is one example. But that was when the media was a patchwork of publications and radio stations where powerful owners often set the tone.
Today the media is more of an integrated beast that is mostly localized on the internet. It's a giant echo chamber for talking points developed by left-wing think tanks and memes popularized by social media mobs.
NBC News these days is less relevant than Buzzfeed. You could buy NBC News, but then what would you have? A white elephant operation whose dwindling viewers are older and either share its biases or don't care. If it shifted to the right, it would have exactly the same image as FOX does, no matter what its standard of programming was. If it tried to be genuinely non-partisan, there would be the difficult task of finding staff who are honestly non-partisan. And its image would constantly be under attack by the left every time it dissented on a major story.
Imagine if Donald Trump bought the New York Times. The New York Times doesn't derive its influence from the quality of its content, but from the quantity and scope of it. That quantity and scope seem dizzying to those who don't know any better, much like Thomas Friedman's familiar mentions of three countries and their airports in one paragraph makes him seem like a man of the world who must know what he's talking about because he has been to so many countries.
The New York Times influences other papers and outlets to adopt its tone on a variety of topics from musicals to foreign affairs. That makes them, in current ad jargon, Thought Leaders, which is just as Orwellian as it sounds. That cements the Times' place in the culture. But it's a position that would vanish in a second if Donald Trump took over and began influencing content. All that would be left is an expensive and unprofitable white elephant without any of the influence.
What we think of as the mainstream media is an integrated whole. It's not really a series of outlets, but a culture of left-wing activists and more mainstream liberal reporters and pundits who provide content to those outlets. Buying one of the outlets would punch a hole in their content network, but only a partial hole because the outlet would still likely be reliant on wire services and would mostly cover the same stories that are driven by that same network, but occasionally from a conservative angle. It would essentially be another FOX News.
An update on the Chuck Hagel nomination for RJC Members.
Hagel Nomination Goes to Senate Committee This Week
The RJC is bringing you this special update because the Senate Armed Services Committee will consider President Obama's nomination of Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense on January 31. As you know, the RJC has been in the forefront of the coalition opposing the Hagel nomination.
Keep reading for the latest on what prominent elected officials have to say about Hagel's troubling views and record and to learn how you can speak out on this issue.
RJC Ad Gets Attention
The RJC web ad opposing Chuck Hagel's nomination for Secretary of Defense is getting noticed in the Jewish and general media. If you haven't seen it yet, click here to watch the video - and don't forget to share it on your social networks and via email!
Make Your Voice Heard!
Does your Senator sit on the Armed Services Committee? These are the people who need to hear from you, their constituents, about Chuck Hagel's record and views.
Assuming that committee Democrats stick with the President, the committee will approve Hagel's nomination and send it to the full Senate for its consideration and vote as soon as next week! Please contact your Senators and urge them to vote "no" on Hagel.
Information about how to contact your U.S. Senators can be found HERE or by calling 202-224-3121.
Vitter to Hagel: "I am offended by the suggestion that my support of Israel is somehow contrary to my Constitutional oath."
In a January 24th letter to Chuck Hagel, Senator David Vitter (R-LA) challenged Hagel's views on Iran, particularly his views on sanctions and on whether the U.S. needs a credible military threat to deter Iran from pursuing its nuclear ambitions. He also criticized Hagel's record regarding Hezbollah.
But Vitter's sharpest criticism was on Hagel's use of the phrase "Jewish lobby" and Hagel's comment that he was a U.S. Senator, not a Senator for Israel. Vitter wrote:
I am concerned by the way you attempt to explain your much-reported comments regarding a 'Jewish lobby' and your oath to the United States Constitution rather than to Israel," writes Vitter. "As a non-Jewish Senator who strongly supports the State of Israel, let me assure you that my support is rooted in the shared values of our two democracies. Let me further assure you that as a supporter of Israel who took the oath of office, I am offended by the suggestion that my support of Israel is somehow contrary to my Constitutional oath.
But more importantly, given the past weeks of back and forth, I do not believe you fully understand why your comments were so offensive to Jews and Gentiles alike. Your comments do not get any better if you merely substitute 'Israel lobby' for 'Jewish lobby.' Your statements clearly suggested the existence of a Jewish or Israel lobby that 'intimidates' American leaders into supporting a foreign government's interests over our own. Whether they were intentional or not, your public comments echoed centuries-old anti-Semitic conspiracy theories of influence in government and dual loyalty. Therefore, I urge you to publicly apologize for the totality of your comments.
Inhofe Says Hagel is the "Wrong Man" for Defense Secretary
In an op-ed published in the Washington Post on January 25, Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK), the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote:
Whether he is the right person to lead the Defense Department should be determined by his judgment, his fundamental view of America's role in the world and his assessment of the military required to support this role.
After carefully reviewing his record from this perspective, I am unable to support his nomination.
...And on many of the security challenges facing U.S. interests around the world, Hagel's record is deeply troubling. Too often, it seems, he is willing to subscribe to a worldview that is predicated on appeasing our adversaries while shunning our friends.
In 2000, when nearly every senator joined a letter to President Bill Clinton affirming U.S. solidarity with Israel in the face of Palestinian aggression, Hagel was one of just four who refused to sign. In 2001, he was one of just two senators who voted against a bill extending harsh sanctions against Iran.
A year later, he urged the Bush administration to support Iran's membership in the World Trade Organization. On multiple occasions, including in his 2008 book, he has advocated direct negotiations with Iran, a country using multiple means to foment regional instability and threaten the security of Israel.
Hagel has also been an outspoken supporter of nuclear disarmament and the Global Zero Movement, which seeks a world free of nuclear weapons. At a time when North Korea's belligerent actions threaten our allies and Iran's pursuit of a nuclear-weapons capability risks the stability of the Middle East, the security of our nation and that of our allies require the United States to be vigilant with our nuclear weapons and defense systems.
Barrasso: We Need Strong Leadership and Sound Judgement in our Secretary of Defense
Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) writes in the Wall Street Journal about Chuck Hagel's troubling record and finds that he is not the kind of leader we need at the helm of the Defense Department in these dangerous times:
Since Chuck Hagel, a former Republican senator, was nominated to be the next defense secretary, there is new attention on his many controversial statements. One of them, his remark that "the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people" on Capitol Hill, I found to be particularly offensive and wrong.
As a senator required to provide "advice and consent" on his appointment, I recently asked Mr. Hagel about his comment. He apologized for it and explained that he was only commenting on the strength of the lobby. While I respect his apology, I can't respect his explanation. My national-security votes are based on America's national security-not lobbyists' issues, interests or intimidation.
While Mr. Hagel's troublesome and insulting words matter, his policy positions matter even more. He has a record of votes and decisions that are far outside the mainstream of foreign policy supported by both Republicans and Democrats.
...Since President Obama was inaugurated, Iran has moved four years closer to a nuclear weapon. The intelligence community confirmed in 2009 that Iran had been building a covert uranium enrichment facility for years-and there is no indication that the regime in Tehran can be talked out of its illicit nuclear program or its support for terrorists.
It would be incredibly naďve for anyone-much less our secretary of defense-to believe that a nuclear Iran would act responsibly. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has threatened to "wipe Israel off the map" and has supplied sophisticated weapons to insurgents who killed American troops in Iraq. This is a realistic view of the world as it is; it is not a view forced upon our elected officials by intimidating lobbyists.
On the issue of nuclear weapons, the candidate for U.S. secretary of defense actually seems more focused on eliminating American nuclear arms than eliminating the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.
...During my recent trip to Afghanistan, I saw that we cannot afford to pull out our troops entirely, an option the White House is reportedly considering. As secretary of defense, Mr. Hagel would advise Mr. Obama on American troop levels in Afghanistan after combat operations cease in 2014. Based on his poor judgment about troop deployments in Iraq, can we trust that he would give sound military advice on Afghanistan?
Quite apart from any particular conflict or hot spot, the Pentagon's greatest challenge may be how to protect our nation in a time of tighter budgets. On March 1, the sequester will kick in and over the next decade cut the defense budget by half a trillion dollars. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has insisted these cuts would be "devastating" and would inflict "severe damage on our national defense." Mr. Hagel, on the other hand, said in 2011 that the Pentagon is "bloated" and "needs to be pared down."
The president seems to want to install Mr. Hagel at the Pentagon so Democrats can slash the military budget and have someone else's fingerprints on the machete. Congress needs to know that it is dealing with a defense secretary who will stand strong against reckless cuts that could harm national security.
Adam Kredo at the Washington Free Beacon reports that a group, on whose board Hagel sits, has donated $2.1 million to pro-Hagel organizations and media outlets in the battle for Hagel's nomination, including many pro-Iran groups:
Secretary of defense nominee Chuck Hagel is deeply embedded with a network of pro-Iran foreign policy groups that have lobbied to lift economic sanctions and boost U.S. engagement with Tehran.
Hagel sits on the board of Ploughshares Fund, a progressive foundation that has granted more than $2 million to organizations that employ some of Hagel's most outspoken advocates, who favor lifting sanctions on Iran, oppose military action against its nuclear program, and hope to weaken the U.S.-Israel alliance.
Organizations that have received donations from Ploughshares include the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), the Center for American Progress (CAP), J Street, the National Security Network (NSN), and the Truman National Security Project, among others.
These individuals and organizations have worked closely with Hagel, a former Republican Nebraska senator, to oppose military action against Iran and to undermine pro-Israel initiatives aimed at bolstering the security of the Jewish state.
These same groups are now waging a media campaign to ensure their long time ally becomes the Pentagon's top official, a posting that would put Hagel in charge of developing plans for a possible military strike on Iran's nuclear weapons program.
Carl from Jerusalem, who blogs at Israel Matzav, comments on a recent profile of Chuck Hagel in the Washington Post, noting that Hagel has drawn the wrong lessons from a critical incident in the history of U.S.-Israel relations, to Israel's detriment:
WaPo's David Ignatius reports that Chuck Hagel is a big fan of Dwight Eisenhower, and particularly of Eisenhower's handling of the 1956 Suez crisis (known here as the Sinai campaign). [Editor's note: Eisenhower pulled out all the diplomatic stops to pressure the Israelis into withdrawing from the Sinai, which they did.]
Peter Golden in his "authorized biography" of Max M. Fisher "Quiet Diplomat" (1992) relates that in October 1965 Fisher met with President Eisenhower in Gettysburg to get agreement to accept the U.J.A. medal for his role in the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps twenty years earlier. French General Pierre Keonig leader of the French Resistance and British Field Marshall Alexander were also to be honored.
Golden reports that toward the end of the visit Eisenhower "wistfully commented 'You know, Max, looking back at Suez, I regret what I did. I never should have pressured Israel to evacuate the Sinai'" (all references are to pages xvii and xvix). Eisenhower's remark astonished Fisher
Fisher was not the only one who was told of Eisenhower's change of mind. Nixon told Golden: "Eisenhower...in the 1960s told me -- and I am sure he told others -- that he thought the action that was taken (at Suez) was one he regretted. He thought it was a mistake."
...Golden relates that Eisenhower "almost as an afterthought" as they started to depart said: "Max, if I had a Jewish advisor working for me, I doubt I would have handled the situation the same way. I would not have forced the Israelis back." Fisher was "struck...with the impact of epiphany. If Fisher had been unsure of the of the extent of power an unofficial advisor could wield with a president, he now had his answer, and from an unimpeachable source: the influence exerted could be decisive. It was exactly the role Fisher hoped to play."
Max M. Fisher went on to become an advisor to every subsequent Republican president, earning the title of "quiet diplomat" and "dean of the American Jewish community." In 1985, Fisher and a small group of Jewish Republican activists from around the country founded what is now the Republican Jewish Coalition.
Monday, January 28, 2013
To: Friends & Supporters
From: Gary L. Bauer
Sending Women To War
The Pentagon made history last week when Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced that he was lifting the ban on women serving in frontline, combat positions. The new policy is not going into effect immediately. It will be phased in, and the services will be permitted to request exemptions for specific posts such as elite units like Navy SEALs or Army Rangers.
Many on the left hailed the decision, saying equality demands equal opportunity for women in the military. President Obama offered his "strong support for this decision," which he described as "another step toward fulfilling our nation's founding ideals of fairness and equality." He went on to say that "every American can be proud that our military will grow even stronger with our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters playing a greater role in protecting this country we love."
Polling suggests overwhelming public support for the idea. A Gallup poll released Friday found that nearly three-quarters of the public would vote for a law allowing women to serve in combat. But I wonder how many Americans have really given the idea much thought and serious consideration.
For example, every teenage man must register with the Selective Service within 30 days of his 18th birthday. It is doubtful that a draft is coming. After 9/11 the nation fought wars in Afghanistan and Iraq without a draft. But the law requires that all of our sons register just in case of some catastrophic emergency. The world is a very unpredictable place and becomes more dangerous every day.
If women will now be in frontline combat, is registering our daughters and granddaughters for the draft next? After all, that would be the "equality" that Obama and the feminists say they want. But I doubt if modern feminists and large swaths of the public will be very pleased when their daughters come of age and have to give their contact information to Uncle Sam.
Obama's Bizarro World
Obama's world is a strange place indeed. Over the weekend, the president, who just hailed your daughter's right to engage in combat, said that if he had a son he would be reluctant to let him play football -- because he might get hurt.
Speaking of the strange world the president occupies... Because he is so concerned about guns getting into the wrong hands, the president spent the past week building pressure to make it as hard as possible for law-abiding citizens to purchase certain firearms. And in the same week, he authorized the transfer of F-16 fighter jets and Abrams tanks to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, who under any measurement should qualify as the wrong people! Obama wants to limit guns to average Americans but give weapons of mass destruction to jihadists!
Media Still Shielding Obama
Barack Obama has given two major interviews in recent days -- one print (The New Republic) and one television (60 Minutes). With all the news of recent days, either interview would have been a terrific opportunity for a journalist to ask the president of the United States serious questions about important issues.
That did not happen. As it turns out, both interviews were almost entirely devoid of substance. That is a damning indictment of the left-wing bias of Big Media.
Consider the much-hyped Obama/Clinton interview with "60 Minutes," which bills itself as America's leading investigative journalism show. But the hardnosed "60 Minutes" team got all tingly when it came to questioning the two gods of American liberalism.
If you didn't watch it, Yahoo News has a column identifying the "five takeways" from the interview:
The 2008 Clinton/Obama feud is over.
Obama is happy with Clinton's loyal performance.
Some think Obama is "anointing" Hillary for 2016.
CBS was happy to be used by Obama to boost its ratings.
And, lastly, Hillary is feeling better since her fall and concussion.
That sums it up pretty well. Dan Gainor of the Media Research Center blasted CBS reporter Steve Kroft for wasting so much of his precious time on softball questions. "Kroft's questions weren't just softballs," Gainor wrote. "More than half resulted in laughter from Obama or Clinton and sometimes both. A couple were so bad that even Kroft laughed as well." The left is in a happy mood, even though a majority of the country is fearful about the future.
The New Republic interview wasn't much better. The most pressing issue for the left-wing publication appeared to be Obama's inability to get the GOP to cave in more often. Consider this question: "Are there any forces for reform within the Republican Party, people you've been able to establish some sort of working relationship with?"
Obama responded by saying that while he, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi want to work with congressional Republicans, it doesn't happen because Fox News and Rush Limbaugh are "punishing" Republicans for "working with a Democrat on a bill of common interest."
Rush Limbaugh said today that this latest attack by Obama against him and Fox News is the kind of tactic you would expect in a dictatorship. He is right. Even though the media overwhelmingly favor Obama, any dissent is too much for "O."
January 28, 2013
Breaking the back of OPEC: A national security imperative
If you follow our email alerts you know that last year we actively supported a bill called The Open Fuel Standard Act. Simply put, this bill would break up the liquid fuel monopoly that now exists. This monopoly guarantees that the only fuel you can buy for your car or truck is gasoline (or, at most, gasoline containing a small percentage of ethanol).
If we are to ever really break the back of the OPEC price-fixing cartel, we must break the gasoline monopoly. The first step is ensuring that cars can actually run on other fuels such as methanol, which can be made from natural gas, coal, even waste such as grass clippings.
Did you know that, with just a few minor alterations to your car, it's possible to run it on methanol-at a significant savings over the cost of gas?
Anne Korin and Gal Luft make a very persuasive argument in their new book, Petropoly, that the most influential free market advocates have always been in favor of one particular use of government: To prevent or break monopolies so free markets and competition could occur.
Many people are in favor of fuel competition but think the Open Fuel Standard is an overreach of government. Korin and Luft's arguments make it clear that nothing could be further from the truth.
Many people believe that the reason other fuels don't compete with gasoline is because they can't - they're too expensive. But this is not so. Ethanol and methanol can both be sold today for less money per mile than gasoline. The only reason people don't use them is because their cars are not warranted to burn them. The engines themselves could burn the fuel. But the cars are warranted to burn one fuel only, regardless of how easy and inexpensive it is to make them capable of burning all three. And that's the only reason fuels are not competing today.
What we have is a virtual monopoly. And since transportation underpins our economy, this monopoly rules our most economically important commodity. What would Nobel Laureate (in Economics) Friedrich August Hayek think should be done about this? He was, as Korin and Luft put it, "One of the greatest economists and political philosophers of the 20th century and the world's leading free market proponent...In 1945, Hayek published his triumphantly successful book The Road to Serfdom, a manifest in defense of markets and competition which made him the darling of conservative parties and leaders all over the world, including Margaret Thatcher."
Hayek said that you can't rigidly stick to rules with regard to free markets, and he named especially laissez-faire as one of those rules you should not be inflexible about. Hayek believed that the government should function as "a counterweight to monopolistic coercion" as Luft and Korin put it. That's exactly what we have in the transportation sector. "Cars that block competing fuels," they write, "are a barrier to the development of a free market in fuels."
Because we don't have any other attractive options for breaking OPEC's monopolistic coercion of our economy, Hayek would probably have wholeheartedly supported the Open Fuel Standard Act.
Another important and influential free market advocate was also a Nobel Laureate in Economics - Milton Friedman. He wrote that "the first and most urgent necessity in the area of government policy is the elimination of those measures which directly support monopoly."
What is something within our borders that directly supports the petroleum monopoly? The petroleum-only vehicle.
What could eliminate that monopoly? The Open Fuel Standard.
Many people are understandably angry at our government's constant interference and meddling in the free market. But freeing markets from a monopoly's dominance of an important commodity is one of the few good reasons our government should intervene. Let's hope this understanding reaches enough people in time.
After a short sham trial, Iran has convicted American Pastor Saeed Abedini - a U.S. citizen - and sentenced him to eight years in one of Iran's most brutal and deadly prisons - merely because he is a Christian.
Iran has violated Pastor Saeed's human rights, violated its own constitution, and violated multiple international treaties and covenants that it voluntarily and willingly signed.
At the ACLJ, we are mobilizing a domestic and international effort to pressure Iran to abide by its treaties and agreements. We are calling on the United Nations and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights to directly intervene and demand Pastor Saeed's release.
More than 250,000 of you signed our petition to ask the Obama Administration to intervene, and the White House and State Department responded. Take action. Sign this new petition to mobilize the international community.
If you're in the Washington, D.C., area, I hope you had a chance to stop by the National Review Institute Summit; turnout was high. This one seemed bigger and busier, and I suspect you'll see it on the same scale in years to come. I don't think the aim is to displace the traditional January Washington-area gathering of righties, the Conservative Political Action Conference (moved to March this year) but to complement it. (I do think CPAC outgrew its venues in recent years, and I'm glad to see they're moving to a new, hopefully roomier venue, the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.)
(Don't let the suits know I told you this, but I'll bet the summit is a good way to get an experience roughly akin to the sessions of a National Review cruise, without the cruise. They even had a Night Owl session with Mark Steyn, Jonah Goldberg, and Rob Long.)
Some of the highlights can be found over in the Corner, some of the audio for other sessions can be found at Ricochet, and most of the policymakers' speeches can be found on C-SPAN.
My role was to moderate a debate between Hugh Hewitt and Mark Krikorian on the topic of immigration; it was a pretty ideal setup because (a) it's an issue most folks on the right have an opinion about, oftentimes strong opinions and (b) Mark and Hugh like and have great respect for each other, yet both think the other's approach to the issue is spectacularly wrongheaded and disastrous for the causes they hold dear.
From my notes:
This afternoon we'll be discussing the passion-stirring topic of immigration; while you are free to applaud, laugh, scoff and sneer as you wish, please hold all screaming and hurling of produce until the end.
If you are with the organization Code Pink, and plan on interrupting today's proceedings, please pause and quietly contemplate how your life has gone so wrong so quickly.
And for those of you thinking, "Ah, an immigration-restriction advocate with the last name Krikorian, I guess your folks came over on the Mayflower," I estimate he's heard that joke roughly 80 million times.
It was here that proud Armenian-American Krikorian noted that some Armenian settlers actually came over with the Jamestown settlement in Virginia, so they actually beat the Mayflower!
Also joining us today is Hugh Hewitt, former executive director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, a professor of Constitutional Law at Chapman University School of Law, and author of ten books, including The Brief Against Obama.
But you know him best as a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host carried on about 75 stations as part of the Salem Radio Network, where he is immensely popular and influential. I would add he also used to have terrific taste in guest hosts.
I am proud to call Hugh a friend and I am immensely impressed with all he has accomplished in his life considering a rare and painful condition he has endured for most of his life; that condition is being a Cleveland Browns fan . . . and apparently it's worst in the autumn and winter months.
I know, I know, a Jets fan shouldn't throw stones.
The format for our discussion will be relatively informal, there will be no time limits or buzzers or dings and at no point will John King ask you whether you prefer Dancing with the Stars or American Idol.
I'm just going to throw out topics of the current immigration debate and let each of you chew them over. Please hold off throwing punches until 5 p.m.
First to Mark, and then to Hugh for response, how much of the GOP's poor showing in 2012 is the result of the way they handled the immigration issue? I note that earlier today, Senator Ted Cruz said that the polling he saw indicated that only 5 percent saw immigration as a top issue, and that the "47 percent" comment was a much bigger deal . . .
I'm going to ask both of you what you think of the immigration-reform proposals from Marco Rubio. The senator has discussed his plan but not yet introduced it, so a couple of parts we know:
Rubio said that any broad immigration legislation should create a nationwide exit system to check foreigners out of the country, to confirm that they left before their visas expired. He noted that at least 40 percent of an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the country came on legal visas but then overstayed.
a nationwide program for employers to verify the legal authorization of new workers, although he did not specify whether he would favor an expansion of an existing federal electronic worker-verification program or seek to create a new one.
A temporary "nonimmigrant visa" to illegal immigrants, which would allow them to remain and work in the United States. They would have to wait a "significant but reasonable" period of time before they could apply to become legal permanent residents, going to the back of the line in the existing system. Once they became residents, they could go on like other legal immigrants to naturalize as citizens.
According to current federal visa rosters, most Mexican-born immigrants applying to become permanent residents now face a wait of at least 17 years to receive their document -- known as a green card -- even if they followed the rules and were approved. Mr. Rubio's proposal could add 7 million more Mexican immigrants to those backlogs. The path to citizenship he proposes for illegal immigrants could be several decades long.
In the Wall Street Journal recently, Jeb Bush and Clint Bolick wrote, "The only tried-and-true method of reducing illegal immigration is a bad economy." So maybe President Obama deserves a lot more credit than we've been giving him on reducing illegal immigration. With unemployment at 7.8 percent, and so many Americans having dropped out of the workforce . . .
. . . Hugh, what does it mean that this issue has gotten so wrapped up in the rhetoric of caring vs. not caring, that Rick Perry -- who had cultivated an image of one tough hombre, with no gooey soft sentiment in him -- characterized those who don't think children of illegal immigrants should pay in-state college tuition, as you'll recall he said they "don't have a heart." I mean, if I want somebody to talk to me like that, I'll tune in to MSNBC.
. . . I'm going to share one anecdote; some of you know I spent a few years living in Ankara, Turkey, and I had a friend who worked on the visa line. And they said that when they turned down Turks who wanted to come to the United States, they would sometimes cry and scream and get angry, and security would have to remove them. Their previous post had been at the U.S. embassy in Mexico City, and they said that when you turned down a Mexican visa applicant, they just shrugged and left, knowing they could just cross the border illegally.
Isn't a big part of this equation the average Mexican in Mexico has no real economic opportunity, so that even the worst jobs in America look better? And do we have any ability to influence Mexico?
At this point we'll take some questions, please show the staff your proof of citizenship before stepping up to the microphone.
President Not Sure He Would Allow Hypothetical Son to Play Football
Okay, show of hands. Is there any father of sons out there, who likes football, who isn't feeling a little wary of having our sons play full-contact football?
I'm a big football fan, but I have to tell you if I had a son, I'd have to think long and hard before I let him play football. And I think that those of us who love the sport are going to have to wrestle with the fact that it will probably change gradually to try to reduce some of the violence. In some cases, that may make it a little bit less exciting, but it will be a whole lot better for the players, and those of us who are fans maybe won't have to examine our consciences quite as much.
I tend to be more worried about college players than NFL players in the sense that the NFL players have a union, they're grown men, they can make some of these decisions on their own, and most of them are well-compensated for the violence they do to their bodies. You read some of these stories about college players who undergo some of these same problems with concussions and so forth and then have nothing to fall back on. That's something that I'd like to see the NCAA think about.
I don't disagree with Obama on this, but I think the problem is the helmets. The helmets allow defensive players to use their heads as battering rams, with the sense of invincibility they appear to provide. Even running backs dip their heads when attempting to run through a defender; we saw that play in the AFC championship, where the Patriots running back fumbled the ball after sustaining a concussion, a turnover that all but ensured the Ravens' victory. Maybe it's time to go back to leather helmets, perhaps in the NCAA especially, in order to remind players that they aren't guided missiles. Rugby players don't use helmets, and I don't think they sustain nearly the kind of head injuries seen in the NFL.
It's not as completely counter-intuitive as it may sound; human behavior tends to become more careful as safety efforts are removed. One of my favorite examples:
Two years ago, Gary Toth and several other staffers from the Project for Public Spaces traveled to the Netherlands to look at intersections. A handful of towns there have embraced a radical idea, originally the brainchild of the late Dutch traffic engineer Hans Monderman: Remove all the traffic lights, signs, curbs and lane markings from roads, and people will share them more effectively.
Drivers, bikers and pedestrians will make eye contact with one another. They'll cooperate. They'll move through public space with a greater sense of its communal utility. In Europe, the result has proven to be safer and more efficient -- and more social -- for everyone involved.
This concept, known as Shared Spaces, contradicts pretty much all conventional thinking about traffic engineering, and partly for that reason, it has never caught on in the United States. Slowly, though, a growing cast of advocates like Toth, a 34-year veteran of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, want to seed it here.
"If you put stripes on the roadway, speed limit signs, stop signs, crosswalks, and tell everybody what to do, then you've removed the responsibility from the human beings who are moving around that space, they have no responsibility for their actions any more," Toth said, channeling Monderman's philosophy. "The light turns green, I go. The sign says I go 25, I go 25. The crosswalk says I walk here. [Shared Spaces is] saying you've got to put responsibility back on people, not on the government."
The Weirdest Story on the White House Beat
Remember when Vice President Biden's motorcade kept having a series of weird accidents, including one fatal one?
Vice President Biden's motorcade has been involved in three accidents, one of them fatal, in the last three months -- but the Secret Service says it views the close string of collisions as "separate" and notes that Secret Service personnel were driving in only one of them.
The latest mishap occurred Sunday in Vancouver. Figure skating legend Peggy Fleming and former bobsled champion Vonetta Flowers, who were riding in the vice president's motorcade, suffered minor injuries when the van they were riding in apparently was rear-ended en route to a hockey game. Biden was in a different vehicle at the time.
The advanced security detail for Vice President Joe Biden was involved in a car crash in New York today.
According to NBC New York, three advance NYPD vehicles "were moving down 49th Street near 10th Avenue when they slammed into the back of a livery cab."
Reports vary on whether Biden was in the motorcade at the time, with the New York Post claiming he was and NBC New York reporting that he was not.
Reached for comment, an NYPD detective said that three people were injured in the collision.
This is the third car accident involving Biden's motorcade or security detail in less than a week. On November 11th, a pedestrian was struck and killed by two Secret Service employees in Temple Hills, MD. In another incident yesterday, a sheriff's deputy was hit by a car while escorting Biden's motorcade in New Mexico.
A Secret Service dog died in New Orleans Saturday night when it fell from a parking garage during a sweep for an event featuring Vice President Biden, the Secret Service said Sunday.
The dog fell from a parking garage at the New Orleans Ritz-Carlton, where Biden was speaking at a fundraiser for Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) Saturday night.
Now, read no sinister subtext into all of this; Biden wasn't even there for most of these incidents. But . . . really, why do these awful events keep occurring with Biden's Secret Service detail?
ADDENDUM: Josh Greenman offers an "Idea for how to make the Pro Bowl more dramatic: all losing players from animal mascot teams fed to their respective mascots."
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Senate Gang of Eight Releases Amnesty Plan
In anticipation of the President's speech on immigration tomorrow in Las Vegas, a group of eight Senators released their proposal for amnesty legislation today. The proposal, remarkably similar to the failed amnesty bill of 2007 (S.1639), is only in outline form at this time; no legislative language was released with it.
On Friday, the White House announced President Obama will be unveiling his comprehensive immigration reform proposal, which includes a "path to earned citizenship" for illegal aliens, during a speech scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada Tuesday.
Last week, the Montana House of Representatives passed House Bill 50 (HB 50) which prohibits local governments from enacting or enforcing sanctuary policies. A sanctuary policy bars local police from asking suspects about their immigration status or reporting them to immigration authorities. HB 50 now moves on to the Senate for consideration.
Congressional Leaders Voice their Support for Amnesty
Pro-amnesty congressional leaders, such-as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senator Marco Rubio, House Speaker John Boehner, Rep. Paul Ryan and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy-continue to echo President Obama's calls for comprehensive immigration reform legislation that includes amnesty for illegal aliens.
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was reintroduced last week in both chambers of Congress. Notably, with regard to immigration, the new bills do not include language increasing the number of U-visas.
Video: Sheriff To America: 'Forget 911-Arm Yourselves Against Criminals!'
Jan 28, 2013 01:30 pm
Due to budget cuts and lack of police officers on the streets, a Milwaukee sheriff is telling his constituents to forget about calling 911, and instead take a gun training course and arm themselves against criminals. Related posts: Sheriff Joe Arpaio: Crime And Punishment Sheriff Joe Arpaio doesn't allow criminals in his jails to... We [...]
Jan 28, 2013 01:25 pm Lies and half-truths is all that we seem to be getting from the government these days. The latest lie is that military-style guns have no legitimate purpose in the hands of civilians. Of course the media is in on it. The government can't really do anything without the media. The media is the machine that [...]
Video: Americans To Obama: 'Come And Take Our Guns If You Can!'
Jan 28, 2013 01:20 pm If Obama thinks he's going to disarm Americans without a fight, he's dead wrong. Related posts: Americans Arming Themselves With Coming Ban On Guns In 1833, thirty-four year member of the Supreme Court Joseph... Three Good Reasons Americans Need Their Guns SOURCE: The Truth Is Viral We live in a violent...
Video: Indiana County Fights Obama's Unconstitutional Gun Grab
Jan 28, 2013 01:10 pm
Franklin County, Indiana council members and sheriff are up in arms about Obama's "assault" weapons ban, and plan on fighting it tooth and nail, passing what is called the Second Amendment Preservation Act. Will other counties throughout the United States follow suit against Obama's unconstitutional power grab? We shall have to wait and see. Related [...]
Clinton On Benghazi: 'What Difference Does It Make?'-A Lot, Madame Secretary
Jan 28, 2013 01:05 pm What difference does it make? Well, Madam Secretary - a big one. When Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, sat before the Senate Foreign Relation Committee hearing on the Benghazi attacks, her conviction on the matter was certainly not in question. The questions came hard and fast and her answers escalated in kind with frustration. Eerily [...]
Do we have a one-party system? Are the Republicans in bed with the Democrats? Everyone knows Obama engaged in massive voter fraud, so why are not the Republicans investigating this? It's a good question. Related posts: No Evidence Of Voter Fraud? Except In NY, NJ, MD And MASS! The Democrats-especially Eric Holder-love to tell us [...]
The Left weeps loudly for the dead children massacred at the Sandy Hook Elementary school, but then dance on the graves of millions of children murdered by Planned Parenthood. Their proposed assault weapons ban has nothing to do with protecting children and everything to do with disarming Americans in order to set up a totalitarian [...]
Video: New York Pastor: Obama First President With A Hidden Past
Jan 28, 2013 12:40 pm
A New York pastor states what everyone else has been thinking for years: Why has Obama hidden his past, his records, his college transcripts? What exactly is Obama hiding? Related posts: Globalist Cover-up Hiding Obama's Past? Barack Obama has spent (or had spent for him) between... New Documentary Explores President Obama's Past New York Times [...]
Video: Obama Is An Illegitimate President Says Attorney
Jan 28, 2013 12:35 pm
The rundown on our Impostor-in-Chief, Barack Hussein Obama. Related posts: Memo To The Media - There Are No Illegitimate Kids, Just Illegitimate Parents My adoptive parents told me I was "chosen," but the... Obama Attorney Knows Eligibility Hearing Was Disaster For The President Though we'll not know the outcome of the Georgia hearing...
Regarding Immigration Proposals, Beware Of Your Opponents' Motivation
Jan 28, 2013 12:30 pm The subject of immigration (and evidently, illegal immigration) has proven to be a divisive issue for conservatives. There are divergent opinions as to which policies should be pursued vis-ŕ-vis the 12 million illegal immigrants who reside in the country. However, as conservatives, there are certain fundamental goals and red lines that we should all unite [...]
Regarding Immigration Proposals, Beware Of Your Opponents' Motivation
Jan 28, 2013 12:30 pm The subject of immigration (and evidently, illegal immigration) has proven to be a divisive issue for conservatives. There are divergent opinions as to which policies should be pursued vis-ŕ-vis the 12 million illegal immigrants who reside in the country. However, as conservatives, there are certain fundamental goals and red lines that we should all unite [...]
Christian Companies, Tax Exemptions, AND Obamacare
Jan 28, 2013 12:25 pm Hobby Lobby and other Christian-owned businesses face heavy penalties if they don't comply with ObamaCare mandates that violate their religious beliefs. But a Texas lawmaker is gaining support for what he believes will be helpful and send a message to Washington. State Representative Jonathan Stickland (R), who believes the fines associated with the mandates are [...]
Sen. Ted Cruz To House GOP: 'Stop Reading The New York Times'
Jan 28, 2013 12:20 pm (CNSNews.com) - Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has a message for House Republicans: "Stop reading the New York Times." Speaking Saturday at the conservative National Review Institute summit, Cruz said, "Let me give three concrete bits of advice to conservatives in Washington, and in particular let me address this to our friends in the House of [...]
Jan 28, 2013 12:15 pm An immigration enforcement activist doesn't believe a new poll that shows a majority of Americans now favor amnesty for illegal aliens. According to the Associated Press-GfK poll, more than 60 percent of Americans now favor a pathway to citizenship for the illegal immigrants already in the country. That is a significantly higher number than last [...]
ABC Gives Sen. Menendez Six Minute Interview With No Questions About FBI's Hooker Investigation
Jan 28, 2013 12:10 pm On Friday it was revealed that the FBI is investigating Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) for allegedly sleeping with underage prostitutes in the Dominican Republic. Despite this, when Menendez was given a six-minute interview with Martha Raddatz on ABC's This Week Sunday, he was not asked one question about the investigation or the allegations (commentary follows [...]
Mark Levin makes a lot of great points here!! Related posts: Mark Levin: Background Check Needed For Barack Obama Mark Levin is calling for background checks for all politicians,... Mark Levin: Why I Cannot Vote For Ron Paul Mark Levin explains why most conservatives prefer Newt Gingrich over...
Jan 26, 2013 07:11 pm Obama isn't the mere beneficiary of a national, secular cult of personality, like Stalin or China's Mao Zedong. That's for his more rational liberal lemmings. Their high water mark ends with him being the so-called greatest political leader of all time, which is bad enough. In American socialism's servant quarters, American Blacks embraced him full [...]
Pro-abortion Writer On Death Of Children: "So What?"
Jan 26, 2013 07:05 pm Amid the ongoing gun control debate, leftists universally want Americans to believe their only concern is the well-being and safety of our children. Despite the obvious fallacy of their argument, one can appreciate that at least some actually believe gun-grabbing legislation is a step toward protecting the next generation. "If it saves only one life," [...]
Jan 26, 2013 07:00 pm Historically, Presidential Inaugural Addresses have sought to inspire and unite the nation and provide directional leadership for the next presidential term. Perhaps to some, Monday's speech did that. But to adherents of American exceptionalism, it was disconcerting. The president's speech was laced with references to our founding principles; but their meanings were twisted, misrepresented, and [...]
Video: Sandy Victim Blasts Obama For Going On Vacation While He Suffers
Jan 26, 2013 06:56 pm
I don't blame him for being angry at Obama. Related posts: Hurricane Sandy Relief Victim Slams Obama, Calls Him A Phony And A Liar Hurricane Sandy victim Scott McGrath of Staten Island gives his... Giuliani Blasts Obama Over Hurricane Sandy Relief Mayor Rudy Giuliani really BLASTS President Obama for his Hurricane...
Jan 26, 2013 06:52 pm Barack Hussein Obama as president is as mythological as Zeus, Odin, and other nostalgic god folklore. His tenure serves only to serve those who control his strings, proven by his inactions after Benghazi, his inability to effectually pass gun control legislation because he didn't have the votes in his own party, and his ineptness in [...]
Video: Numerous State Sheriffs Support The Second Amendment
Jan 26, 2013 06:42 pm
That's great news all by itself. However, the Governors of those states have to do the same. Related posts: 2nd Amendment Still MIA In Maryland As Federal Judge Refuses To Support His Own Ruling In early March, Federal Judge Benson Legg ruled unconstitutional the... Arizona Secretary Of State Ken Bennett May Not Allow Obama On [...]
Jan 26, 2013 06:34 pm A humorous look at what's really going on behind all the ceremony: The inauguration is over. But our reporter, Eliza Snoop, was able to catch an interesting private conversation between President Obama and Joe Biden, since she was able to disguise herself as a fly and enter the presidential limo. "A stirring speech, Mr. Presisent," [...]
Video: Liberal Kucinich Defends Gun Rights On Fox News
Jan 26, 2013 06:23 pm
I don't agree with former Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich on everything, but I respect his honesty and sincerity. Here, he surprised me to be honest. Related posts: Infamous Rolling Stone Journalist Admits ALL Journalists Are Liberal This honesty is refreshing. I wish more would just be... Massacre Survivor Defends Gun Rights What's the best protection [...]
Newsman Publicly Thanks God Ex-girlfriend Had Abortion
Jan 26, 2013 06:23 pm There are plenty of negative traits one can ascribe to MSNBC host Toure - a penchant for making irrationally racist comments, for instance - but recent comments about the prenatal death of his child show callousness not often broadcast to the public. In a disturbing celebration of Roe V. Wade's 40th anniversary, Toure shared a personal experience from [...]
The Problems Of Women In Combat - From A Female Combat Vet
Jan 26, 2013 06:19 pm It's not all about qualification. I'm speaking as a female Marine Iraq war vet who did serve in the combat zone doing entry checkpoint duty in Fallujah, and we worked with the grunts daily for that time. All the branches still have different standards for females and males. Why? Because most women wouldn't even qualify [...]
Video: SC Sheriff Schools CNN's Costello On The Constitution
Jan 26, 2013 06:10 pm Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon is refusing to enforce federal gun laws he feels are unconstitutional. He butted heads with CNN's Carol Costello in a heated segment... Related posts: An Open Letter To Sheriff Joe Arpaio Dear Sheriff Arpaio: In a recent interview with Mike Broomhead... Ky. Sheriff: You're Never Going To Pull Guns Out [...]
When Politicians Demand Gun Control, Remember Our Founders
Jan 26, 2013 05:57 pm Many are asking the question "Why should we allow guns?" Those who want gun control at the levels that Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has put forth have the idea that citizens do not need certain types of weapons. However, those same people will be very quick to say that our government will never turn on the very people they intend on [...]
Major Court Defeat for Obama: "Recess" Appointments Unconstitutional
This column by ACRU Senior Legal Analyst Ken Klukowski was published on January 25, 2013 on Breitbart.com.
President Barack Obama just suffered a humiliating defeat in federal court. A top federal appeals court has removed three presidential appointees from power, and invalidated all actions they've taken over the past twelve months.
One year ago, Obama filled three seats on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)--an essential power center for Obama's labor-union allies--with recess appointments, claiming that the U.S. Senate was in recess even though the Senate was still in session.
This column by ACRU Senior Fellow Robert Knight was published January 25, 2013 on The Washington Times website.
In a victory for religious freedom, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) won't be able to make Catholic agencies fund abortions for sex-trafficking victims after all. A three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a complaint by the ACLU's Massachusetts chapter over federal funding of a program run by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The ACLU had said that funding for the program from the Department of Health and Human Services was an establishment of religion because the bishops' Migration and Refugee Services Department would not provide abortions and contraceptives to foreign-born trafficking victims. In March, U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns agreed.
This column by ACRU General Counsel and Senior Fellow for the Carleson Center for Public Policy (CCPP) Peter Ferrara was published January 23, 2013 on The American Spectator website.
As if to prove it can do a better job making up the news than reporting the news, the Washington Post reported on President Obama's Inaugural Address with the sweeping 24-point bold headline, "'We Must Act,"' and subhead, "SECOND TERM BEGINS WITH SWEEPING AGENDA FOR EQUALITY."
Please find the transcript online, print it out, and show me the agenda, any agenda, let alone a "sweeping" agenda for equality. The President did not present to the nation any agenda in his Inaugural Address.
40 Years of Roe v. Wade: What Happened? And What Comes Next?
This column by ACRU Senior Legal Analyst Ken Klukowski was published on January 22, 2013 on Breitbart.com.
Today marks the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, where the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution provides a right to have an abortion in one of its most controversial decisions in history. More than 50 million unborn children have been aborted since Roe was decided on Jan. 22, 1973.
Polls provide conflicting data as to where Americans stand on this issue, largely because many Americans don't understand Roe or what overruling it would mean. Many young people are not even familiar with the name Roe v. Wade, though everyone knows what abortion is. But many who know Roe's name misunderstand what it provides, or why overruling it would restore democratic control on this hot-button issue.
To guarantee the will of the people would decide who would govern us our Founding Fathers gave each state has the right to apportion its Electoral College votes (ECVs) as it wished.
Democrats don't really like this because it opens the door to changes that would give people more of a voice in the selection of our presidents. Throughout the last two hundred years, they have often relied on voter fraud to win presidential elections.
This is why they are gearing up to fight a new plan for awarding ECVs being considered in six states totally controlled Republicans. Barack Obama won all six.
The plan calls for an ECV to be awarded to a candidate for each Congressional District he/she wins thus ending the "winner take all" system which invites fraud in a few districts which is so rampant as to smother the honest votes throughout a state.
Here is the transcript of a speech I gave at the Roanoke Conference -- the annual gathering of Washington state Republicans -- on January 25, 2013. This speech examines the subject of political change -- including my own evolution from standard issue Hollywood lefty to the right-wing and often libertarian co-founder of PJ Media I am today.
NY Democrats have tipped their hand on their gun-control agenda, revealing to citizens that confiscatory disarmament of the civilian population is their goal, and that the "slippery slope" is no fable. They grossly miscalculated the public's acceptance of their assault on the Second Amendment. What that means for the future in New York remains to be seen.
Former Congressman and Lt. Col Allen West explains the importance of the Next Generation project, and why he is personally invested in it. Tune in to hear why he wants to deliver fiscal and economic freedom to his daughters, and to future generations.
It breaks my heart that some want to take us back to the antiquated concept of polygamy. Why, in the name of "rights" and "equality," would our country ever consider going back to a system sanctioned by some of the most brutal regimes in the world, and one that human rights activists want to end in the name of women's rights? It seems unthinkable.
President Obama�s White House has a troubled history with conservative and/or right-leaning media. Mr. Obama�s latest anti-Fox News comment, made in an interview with the liberal magazine The New Republic has triggered a reaction from one prominent Fox host. See the comment and find out who respondedHERE.
Troubling reports of a rise in starvation � and cannibalism � have emerged inside of a nation that continues to be intensely-secretive and shut off from the wider global community. Stay updated on this storyHERE.
Last week, Twitter launched a mobile app for Apple products that allows users to share 6-second, real-time video clips (as of this writing, it�s currently number seven in the �free� section of the app store). �Vine� has already been hailed as cool and addictive with loads of potential. But it also has a big problem. See the issue that is concerning many people HERE.
Is your city �Bible-minded?� It�s an interesting question � especially in a day-and-age when faith in the public sphere, by many accounts, is under siege. According to the survey cited in this story, the South still corners the market when it comes to the cities that revere the Bible most fervently. See where your city standsHERE.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and in Iran, a handful of fingers for the charge of robbery and adultery. According to one of the country's official news outlets, the Sharia-guided regime has rolled out a machine with which to mete out the gruesome punishment, according to one of the country�s official news outlets. You can see the machine and some very gruesome photos (graphic content warning)HERE.
When it comes to gun control, Japan differs greatly from the United States. To begin, handguns are banned in the East Asian nation and heavy restrictions are imposed on other weapons. See the vast difference between the laws of two countriesHERE.
How do you feel about the U.S. military's shift towards allowing women to fight on the front lines? Take our Blaze Poll on the subject of women in combat and the draft. You can also submit a question of your own on these topics HERE.
Perhaps you are aware of Johnny Manziel's amazing football skills. If not, take five minutes to enjoy the Heisman winner �shooting� clay pigeons with a football, popping balloons off a goal post, and then the incredible feat of sinking a football thru a basketball hoop from the top of a stadium. Watch the jaw-dropping clipsHERE.
In tough economic times and in an increasingly competitive job market, having a r�sum� that stands out among the rest is of the utmost importance. A French web product manager has taken his r�sum� to the next level and the Internet is loving it. Check out his creative workHERE.
The Department of Homeland Security is seeking to acquire 7,000 5.56x45mm NATO "personal defense weapons" (PDW) - also known as "assault weapons" when owned by civilians. The solicitation, originally posted on June 7, 2012, comes to light as the Obama administration is calling for...(more)
In a sycophantic interview with The New Republic, conducted by former campaign staffer Chris Hughes and leftist writer Franklin Foer, President Obama suggested that he had all the answers to the pressing issues facing America and therefore no compromise was necessary...(more)
You've heard the famous saying from Monty Python, "I'm not dead yet!" But in the case of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, is it just possible that he's actually dead already? Check this out.
Just days ago, WND brought you the exclusive report about an explosion at one of Iran's nuclear facilities. Look what's taking place now across the globe in the wake of the stunning news.
The third annual National School Choice Week is officially underway. Once again, school choice advocates-including parents, teachers, schoolchildren and administrators, and many others-will come together to promote educational choice, with more than 3,600 events taking place nationwide.
School choice is something to celebrate, because it gives families the power to choose the best schools for their children-helping children to improve educational outcomes and increasing overall parental satisfaction.
Similarly, research reveals that students who participate in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP)-the nation's longest running school choice program-for all four of their high school years had a 94 percent graduation rate, compared to a 75 percent graduation rate for their peers who attended four years of public high school.
School Choice Means Academic Gains
Research also shows that students who participate in school choice programs do better in school. In a review of all the "gold standard" evaluations of school choice programs in the United States, researchers found that nine of the 10 studies revealed positive, albeit generally modest, academic improvement for school choice students.
Parents Are More Satisfied with their Child's Academic Experience
Parents of school choice students also report high levels of satisfaction with their children's schools. In Florida, 93 percent of parents whose children participate in the McKay Scholarship Program-a voucher program for special-needs students-report being satisfied with their child's school, compared to just 33 percent of parents whose special-needs children were enrolled in public schools. DCOSP parents are also more likely to report satisfaction with their children's schools and are more likely to describe their schools as safe. And Milwaukee school choice parents also report high satisfaction rates with the schools their children attend.
Education comes in many forms-from private school choice to online learning, to charter schools and public schools and home schooling. Parents should be empowered to give their children the education that best meets their child's unique learning needs. School choice makes this possible by giving families from every background the ability to set the course for the brightest educational future for their children.
Rachel Sheffield is a research associate in the DeVos Center for Religion & Civil Society at The Heritage Foundation.
It's School Choice Week
By Rachel Sheffield
The third annual National School Choice Week is officially underway. Once again, school choice advocates-including parents, teachers, schoolchildren and administrators, and many others-will come together to promote educational choice, with more than 3,600 events taking place nationwide.
School choice is something to celebrate, because it gives families the power to choose the best schools for their children-helping children to improve educational outcomes and increasing overall parental satisfaction.
Some things to remember about school choice:
School Choice Students Graduate at Higher Rates
School Choice Means Academic Gains
Parents Are More Satisfied with their Child's Academic Experience
Mississippi, which currently only has an "in name only" charter school law and no charter schools, may be on its way to opening the door to greater educational opportunity.
Number of the Week
255,000
Students nationwide are currently participating in private school choice programs.
Today, 21 states offer some form of private school choice, either via tax credits, scholarships, or innovative education savings accounts.
"[National School Choice] Week provides an opportunity to celebrate school choice where it exists, and demand it where it does not. National School Choice Week believes that parents should be empowered to choose the best educational environments for their children...It is a time for the media and the public to hear our resounding message and a time to bring new voices into the chorus."
Michelle Malkin makes the case in her two part series (here and here) that Common Core national education standards are "rotten to the core."
National School Choice Week is planning "the first-ever nationwide, whistle-stop train tour in support of school choice." Check it out here!
About The Heritage Foundation Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institute -- a think tank -- whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.
In "Iran: Nuke notes, &c.," I took note of the uncorroborated report that something seriously bad happened last week at Iran's underground nuclear facility at Fordo. In "Israel shores up its defense, while Iran remains quiet," Lee Smith reads the tea leaves to suggest that an Israeli operation at Fordo may have succeeded. Smith's analysis is worth a look.
Mackubin Thomas Owens served as an infantry platoon leader in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart. Mac now teaches on the faculty of the Naval War College as Professor of National Security Affairs. He is also a senior fellow at the Program on National Security of the Foreign Policy Research Institute while serving as editor of its journal, Orbis. He is a long-time student of civil-military relations as well as of the issues related to women in combat. [STEVE adds: Guess what else? Mac is a devoted Power Line reader. See below.]
In the current issue of the Weekly Standard, Mac draws on his long study of the issues bearing on women in combat for his article "Coed combat units." I call the Obama administration's order lifting restrictions on women in combat an act of wanton destruction. In an email message today Mac puts it this way: "The third shoe drops." In his message he writes:
Here's my take on women in the infantry. It remains a bad idea.
I call this "the third shoe drops." Hagel: yes man as hatchet man to do his worst at DoD. Mattis: get rid of generals who provide advice forcefully - in other words, do what they are supposed to do. Women in the infantry: with a SecDef who doesn't care and generals who will now think it in their best interest to keep quiet, the "diversity crowd" can run wild. I have been making this argument for two decades. The fact that it's old doesn't make it wrong.
I will have more to say about the immigration deal that supposedly has been agreed upon by a bipartisan group of eight Senators-the latest "Gang," apparently-tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime, this photo of two of the senators conferring, which comes from the New York Times, is a very bad omen indeed:
A deal on which Chuck Schumer and Lindsey Graham agree-what could possibly go wrong?
Edward Jay Epstein is a gifted writer and investigative journalist who has been at it now for nearly 50 years. I hope to have something on his forthcoming book - The Annals of Unsolved Crime - when it is to be published by Melville House next month.
I have been a fan of Ed's since I read Legend: The Secret World of Lee Harvey Oswald when it was published in 1978. Legend derived from Ed's interest in Lee Harvey Oswald. In the course of his research for the book, Ed developed a relationship with the legendary CIA counterintelligence chief, James Jesus Angleton, who familiarized Ed with the pitched battle over the authenticity of a key KGB defector. Ed's book Deception: The Invisible War Between the KGB and the CIA (1989) also benefited from Ed's relationship with Angleton.
I bought and read Deception when it was published in 1989. Although it is a terrific book, it quickly dropped from sight, only to reemerge this year - in China. What's going on? Ed writes:
Up until it was published in China this year, I had assumed events had long since bypassed my 1989 book Deception: The Invisible War Between the KGB and the CIA. After all it had been written during the Cold War as a warning about the KGB's well-honed use of deception as a means of winning without fighting, and, literally on the eve of its publication, the Berlin Wall came down, and the Cold War ended. The concepts in it, such as disinformation, moles, and strategic intelligence manipulation, seemed an outdated anachronism of a war that ended.
So I asked: why the renewed interest in China? I believe there are three reasons:
1) Deception at its core is about the vulnerability of US intelligence to self-deception and, as Benghazi demonstrates, that is still relevant. 2) The KGB has been reconstituted as the powerful master class of Russia. 3) The US has continued to transform the CIA from an intelligence service, which values counterintelligence, to a paramilitary covert action organization.
Given the renewed interest in Deception, Ed has republished it as an ebook that is available via Amazon at the link.
One of the themes of my Age of Reagan books is that to a certain extent Reagan's administration represented a coalition government, as he had a number of prominent Democrats or ex-Democrats (like Minnesota's Jeane Kirkpatrick) serving in senior posts. One of the most significant was Minnesota's Max Kampelman, who passed away last Friday at the age of 92.
Kampelman had been very close to Hubert Humphrey, and in fact was widely thought to have been slated to be secretary of state if Humphrey had won the 1968 election. It is a measure of how far to the left the Democratic Party moved in the late 1960s and 1970s that Kampelman felt more at home serving Ronald Reagan by the time 1980 rolled around. Even while serving in the Carter administration as a human rights negotiator at the Madrid meetings that were established by the Helsinki Accords, Kampelman reached out to Reagan in 1979 to express his agreement with Reagan's position on the proposed SALT II treaty. Here's my account from Age of Reagan I:
[Scoop] Jackson and [Pat] Moynihan were not the only Democrats with whom Reagan found common cause on SALT. Reagan had received a letter months earlier from attorney and long-time Democratic Party wise man Max Kampelman. . . telling Reagan that "One of the great problems we face in the country now is that of SALT, and it is my impression that we may find ourselves on the same side of that debate."
Reagan responded enthusiastically to Kampelman's letter (as he had also done with Jeane Kirkpatrick's famous "Dictatorships and Double Standards" article in Commentary) and was so favorably impressed with Kampelman's work at the Madrid meetings (Kampelman routinely got under the Soviets' skin with specific human rights charges), that Reagan asked Kampelman to stay on at the Madrid post after Reagan entered the White House, and later he elevated Kampelman to key roles in the arms control negotiating unit. Kampelman was one of the only holdovers from the otherwise dolorous Carter staff.
Footnote: I was told second-hand once that Kampelman, who started work for Humphrey in 1946, had seen a letter to Humphrey in 1948 praising Humphrey's famous pro-civil rights speech at the 1948 Democratic National Convention. The writer? Hollywood actor Ronald Reagan. I've never had time to try to chase down the letter, which may not exist in the Reagan archives in Simi Valley.
The Most Important Amendment By Rich Galen When it comes down to it, the most important Amendment in the Bill of Rights is any Amendment with which you, or I disagree. That means someone else's rights are being protected - against you or me.
President Obama said in an interview recently that he goes skeet shooting all the time...right...we're all taking that claim really seriously. The only photographic evidence of Obama holding a firearm is in a picture where he's holding a water gun. Not exactly the firearm of a "man". This president has so many non-manly traits it seems rather unlikely that one of his hobbies is blasting targets on the weekend with a rifle. Has Glenn finally found a man more girly than he? Find out HERE.
Feel good video of the week
Have a case of the Mondays? This awesome video is guaranteed to be the cure. WATCH
Stephen King, massive hypocrite
Notorious horror author Stephen King has apparently decided to publicly bash the NRA for "promoting violence". He says they should be the ones who have to clean up the blood and guts after the next shooting. For a supposedly brilliant author, it's quite difficult to understand how he doesn't see the hypocrisy in his statement...has he ever read one of his own books? Glenn responds on radio today.
LAST DAY: Get AGENDA 21 for only $4.99!
Today is the LAST DAY that Glenn's latest thriller novel AGENDA 21 is available for only $4.99 on e-book! Order a copy before this deal ends!
Why are Nestlé's "green" water bottle caps the worst?
In an effort to allegedly be more "green," Nestlé has produced a water bottle with a smaller cap. The smaller cap is not only a child safety concern, but when you consider Nestlé is packing water you can get right out of your kitchen sink and shipping it in planes and trucks all over the world, they're not really helping the environment at all. Glenn reacts on radio.
Since moving to Texas, Glenn has spent a lot of time discussing the importance of community and moving to a city where you're surrounded by like-minded people. A new study just released reveals which cities have the highest population of Bible-minded people. Some of the results are surprising, while others confirm what we already know. Find out how your city ranks HERE.
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5pm ET -The Glenn Beck Program: Sick of hearing that Americans don't "need" guns and that firearms are only for sport? You do not want to miss tonight's show.
6pm ET -Real News: Is the GOP caving on immigration?
7pm ET -Wilkow!: Planned inefficiency or managed decline? No matter what you call it, progressives are transforming the U.S.
The B.S. of A's politically correct "snowperson"WATCH
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Obama more of a girly man that Glenn?
