Quote: 

If you see a story that you believe would be useful and important to our readers, simply respond to this email with a link and a brief description of why it is important.  (Even if it may be obvious)

Senator: White House Providing Us Memos to Justify Drone Use

U.S. Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan, nominated by U.S. President Barack Obama to be the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee February 7, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Getty Images)

 

Editor's note: TheBlaze's Billy Hallowell has published a follow-up post with stunning revelations on the U.S. drone program obtained by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY). 

Click here to read the entire story.  

-

(TheBlaze/AP) - The Senate Intelligence Committee is scheduled to vote on President Barack Obama's pick to lead the CIA after weeks of wrangling with the White House over access to top-secret information about the use of lethal drone strikes against terror suspects, and the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.

On Tuesday, Feinstein announced that the White House is providing the panel with all of the top-secret Justice Department memos that justify the use of lethal drone strikes against terror suspects- including American citizens.

But Glenn Beck said on his radio program Tuesday that Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) could break previously-unheard information about the American drone program later in the day.

 

Beck said of the potential announcement: "If this is true, which Rand says it is, I think - maybe the biggest story in our lifetime?"

 

Neither gave specifics about what that information might be.

Brennan so far has escaped the harsh treatment that former Sen. Chuck Hagel, even though Brennan is one of Obama's most important national security aides and the White House official who oversees the drone program.

Read More . . . 

It is being reported by the media that Gov. Tom Corbett is pondering a flip-flop on Obamacare. Specifically, Gov. Corbett is considering a reversal of his initial decision to reject Obamacare's expansion of Medicaid to Pennsylvanians with incomes of up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level. Currently, the eligibility threshold is 100% of the Federal Poverty Level.  

This flip-flop would be financially and economically catastrophic for Pennsylvania. Here's why:

Medicaid costs are already spiraling out of control, presently consuming 30 cents out of every tax dollar spent by Harrisburg.   The disheartening reality is that Medicaid is our state's largest expenditure, dwarfing public education. In 2001, three Pennsylvanians were working for every individual getting welfare benefits; today, the ratio has dropped to two to one. The Obamacare expansion would add 800,000 more Pennsylvanians to Medicaid, bringing our state's Medicaid enrollment to three million people, approximately one-fourth of our population.  

The cost of the Obamacare expansion would be in excess of an additional $5 billion over eight years. While President Obama claims the federal government will cover the cost of Medicaid expansion, it would be unwise to rely financially on an entity that is $16 trillion in debt and has another $80 trillion in unfunded liabilities. When it comes to government, there is no free lunch; it will only be a matter of time before the heavy cost of expansion would be transferred to the Commonwealth.  

Ed Haislmaier of the Heritage Foundation astutely noted that "a core principle of welfare policy should be that able-bodied, non-elderly adults receive public assistance only if they are working, preparing for work or actively seeking work. There is no such requirement in the Medicaid expansion. In fact, 82% of the individuals eligible for coverage under the expansion are working-age adults without dependent children. To expand welfarelike benefits with no work or behavioral requirements to a population of primarily young, childless adults is simply a prescription for achieving Western European levels of social and economic atrophy."

Why is Gov. Corbett wavering? It's hard to know for sure, but Gov. Corbett raised eyebrows two weeks ago when, as reported by the media, he traveled to Philadelphia to receive $200,000 in fundraising and an endorsement from David Cohen. Mr. Cohen is a Democrat power player who raised $1.2 million for Barack Obama's election. The media also reported that Gov. Corbett is going to aggressively court labor union support. With only 45 percent of Republicans supporting Gov. Corbett for re-election, perhaps he has decided to secure his political fortunes by appeasing Democrats instead of sticking to Republican principles.    

Whatever the reason for Gov. Corbett's sudden wavering, we must urge him to stand by his decision to reject the Obamacare Medicaid expansion - as several other Republican governors have done - and instead push for a voucher program for Medicaid recipients to purchase private insurance from an array of health care providers. Florida implemented such a voucher program to give its Medicaid recipients a broad choice of private insurance, and today the Sunshine State spends one-third less on Medicaid than Pennsylvania does.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

I wrote a letter to Gov. Corbett urging him not to flip-flop, and I ask that you email or call his office and do the same. His phone number is 717-787-2500 and his email address is governor@pa.gov.

The Blaze | Jason Howerton | Mar. 5, 2013 7:30pm  

The death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has unsurprisingly elicited strong opinions from many Americans, including several members of Congress who see his death as an opportunity for Venezuela to rise above his regime.

However, shortly after Chavez's death was confirmed, Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) took to Twitter to pay his respects to the controversial and notorious leader.

"Hugo Chavez was a leader that understood the needs of the poor. He was committed to empowering the powerless. R.I.P. Mr. President," he wrote.

The Blaze | Jason Howerton | Mar. 5, 2013 11:21pm  

Appearing on Fox News Tuesday night, Democratic Strategist Zerlina Maxwell argued that preventing rape should start by simply "telling men not to rape women." She was arguing against women using guns as a means of self-defense when she made the questionable remarks.

Host Sean Hannity began by slamming the "ignorant politicians" in Colorado for trying to remove a woman's right to use a firearm to defend herself against an attacker via gun control legislation.

(Related: Colorado Dem to Rape Survivor: A Gun Wouldn't Have Helped You Against Rapist Because 'Statistics Are Not on Your Side')

"I don't think that we should be telling women anything," Maxwell said. "I think we should be telling men not to rape women and start the conversation there."

Glenn: Help us get in millions of home

Why should you support the "Get TheBlaze" movement to get TheBlaze in millions of homes across the country? For starters, how about a network that will cancel out the damage Al-Jazeera will be doing in America as it replaces Current in your lineup? Check out Glenn's "why" in this exclusive letter HERE.

ATTENTION: Are you a Verizon FiOS Subscriber?
They've created a new form for you to fill out to request TheBlaze! You can complete the form HERE. And don't forget to make your request public by posting on their Facebook page. Thank you for supporting us!     

What Is the Constitutional Role of the County Sheriff?

Citizens for Constitutional Government (CCG) is holding a   

Constitutional Sheriffs forum on Tuesday, March 12, 2013, 6:30 p.m., at the Quakertown Free Library

PLEASE SAVE THIS DATE AND INVITE YOUR COUNTY SHERIFF TO THIS FORUM. We want to meet and hear from as many sheriffs from surrounding counties as possible so please call or visit yours to invite him/her personally (contact info below). And ask your friends to visit with you or call on their own; the more constituents ask the sheriff to come, the more likely he'll show up. HE NEEDS TO HEAR what the Constitution says about his role and YOU NEED TO HEAR FROM HIM to know whether he'll protect your Constitutional rights (like the right to bear arms).  Suggestions for your conversation with your Sheriff are at the end of this email.

Note: Be sure to let your sheriff know that, if he desires it, we will give him 5-10 minutes to speak to his constituents about his perspective on his role and authority. Please let me know if and when you have contacted your sheriff and his/her response. I need to know asap which sheriffs are coming. thanks, Jaime

BUCKS COUNTY Sheriff Duke Donnelly, Bucks Courthouse, 1st floor, 55 E. Court St, Doylestown 215-348-6124 

MONTGOMERY COUNTY Sheriff Eileen Behr, Montgomery Courthouse, 1st floor, E. Airy and Swede Streets, Norristown 610-278-3331 sheriffoffice@montcopa.org 

LEHIGH COUNTY Sheriff Ronald Rossi, Lehigh Courthouse, Room 253, 455 W. Hamilton St., Allentown, 215-782-3175 

BERKS COUNTY Sheriff Erik Weaknecht, Berks Courthouse, 3rd floor, 633 Court St., Reading 610-478-6240 sheriff@countyofberks.com 

DELAWARE COUNTY Sheriff Joseph McGinn, Delaware Courthouse, Room 101, 201 W. Front St, Media 610-891-4296 

CHESTER COUNTY Sheriff Bunny Welsh, 201 W. Market St, West Chester 610-388-0240 sheriffbunny@comcast.net [Interested but will be out of town that day]

SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUR VISIT WITH YOUR SHERIFF

• Provide information re. the constitutional role of the sheriff from www.sheriffbrigadesofpenn.com 
• Recommend the Sheriff Brigades of Pennsylvania website
• Ask your Sheriff to join the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association
• Ask for a public statement of commitment to keep his constitutional oath and protect his citizens Second Amendment rights  (offer him a copy of Chester County Sheriff Welsh's statement -
• Invite your Sheriff to attend our March 12 CCG Constitutional Sheriffs Forum and speak briefly about his perspective on his role

13 States, and Counting, with Bills to Nullify Federal Gun "Laws  

Return Petitions to Representative Daryl Metcalfe's office:

P.O Box 202012, Harrisburg, PA 17120-2012  

PA Liquor Sales Privatization  

What is going on with PA Liquor privatization?

PA House majority leader Turzai will introduce a House Bill on March 4. The bill number is HB 790. This bill is supported by Governor Corbett and will essentially privatize liquor sales in Pennsylvania. With control of both the Senate and the House in the control of Republicans, this bill should "sail through" both chambers and be signed by the Governor.

The problem is that not all Republicans are on the same page. Rep. John Taylor, the lone Republican House member from Philadelphia is the Chair of the House Liquor Control Committee. He has previously gutted privatization bills. He has stated that he "wants to slow things down" and "avoid the chaotic process that other states have experienced."

Therefore, we need citizens to email and call members of the committee and ask them to support privatization now.

Example:
Dear Representative ________
I urge you to support HB 790 to privatize the PA State Stores. Please do not allow special interest amendments to slow the process down with partial privatization over time. It is time to quit talking and take the action supported by the citizens of the state and Governor Corbett. It is time to get the Commonwealth to get out of the booze business and focused on its regulatory responsibilities.

Thank you.

Who are the members of this committee? If your representative is on this committee organize an email and phone call operation NOW.

Republican Members:
Taylor, John, Chair
Miccarelli, Nicholas A, III, Secretary
Mustio, Mark, Subcommittee Chair on Marketing
Payne, John D., Subcommittee Chair on Licensing
Delozier, Sheryl M., Ellis, Brian L., Kampf, Warren, Killion, Thomas H., Krieger, Timothy
Lawrence, John A., Masser, Kurt A., Petri, Scott A., Reese, Mike, Regan, Mike, Sonney, Curtis G.

Democrat Members:
Costa, Paul, Chair
Davis, Tina M., Democratic Secretary
Kotik, Nick, Subcommittee Democratic Chair on Licensing
Mahoney, Tim, Subcommittee Democratic Chair on Marketing

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

Email:        Lil:    patriot1944@gmail.com 

                   Rob: freedomwatcher1949@comcast.net 

                   Bill:   uspatriot741776@yahoo.com 

Twitter:        Rob: @pennpatriot1949

                     Lil:    @gypsypatriot

Rob & Lil Home:               215-547-6136

Rob's Cell:                         267-278-0827

Lil's Cell:                            267-278-1656

Bill's Cell:                           215-431-8438

GOP Backtracking? Medicaid Expansion & Liquor Freedom
Corbett Considering Expansion of Medicaid

Stand against ObamaCare's Medicaid expansion
Now is the time to urge Gov. Corbett (717-787-2500) to stand by his decision not to expand Medicaid to accommodate ObamaCare.

Although the governor continues to express concerns about the costs of an expanded Medicaid program being unsustainable, the surrender of other Republican governors to pressure from the federal government and special interests apparently has caused him to reconsider. The governor has spoken to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and has agreed to discuss a Medicaid expansion in the future.

Dr. Nick Pandelidis, Pennsylvania Vice President of Docs4PatientCare, writes that Medicaid expansion makes a terrible national fiscal situation worse and fails to provide quality care to the poor while other more affordable approaches are available.

Americans for Prosperity is encouraging people to register on its website to take specific actions this week to ensure that a ruinous expansion of Medicaid is not brought to Pennsylvania.

Liquor Privatization
The Commonwealth Foundation reported today that the Chairman of the PA House Liquor Control Committee, Rep. John Taylor, has proposed an amendment to the Governor's liquor store privatization plan that guts true privatization plans.

Contact Chairman Taylor to let him know that you support free market reforms for PA's Liquor stores:
jtaylor@pahousegop.com.
The phone numbers are: 717-787-3179 ---- Harrisburg office ----- 215-560=3996 Philadelphia

"Chairman Taylor's proposed amendment to HB 790 falls short in providing what the citizens of Pennsylvania demand: convenience, choices, and limiting the PLCB to its proper role as regulator.
There are several reasons why the proposal fails to meet the demands of the most important stakeholders in this debate - consumers and taxpayers:

• The proposal maintains the government's monopoly of the wholesale and distribution system for wine and spirits. This ensures government bureaucrats retain the power to choose which wines and spirits can and cannot be sold in Pennsylvania.
• The proposal keeps the government in the business of selling wine and spirits. Pennsylvanians want the ease of purchasing alcohol in grocery stores and convenience stores - the same conveniences afforded to the citizens in most states.
• The proposal maintains the PLCB's conflict of interest. The PLCB should serve as the regulator of wine and spirits, not the purveyor. Pennsylvanians do not believe that the sale of alcohol is a core function of government.

Hello Patriots on this Day!

We need to make daily calls to Washington to stop infringement on our 2nd Amendment rights!!

Senator Casey 1-866-802-2833 www.casey.senate.gov/contact

Rep. Fitzpatrick (R-8) 215-579-8102 www.fitzpatrick.house.gov

Rep. Meehan (R-7) 610-690-7323 www.meehan.house.gov

Rep. Schwartz (D-13) 215-517-6572 www.schwartz.house.gov

Rep. Chaka Fattah 215-871-4455

Rep. Bob Brady 610-874-7094

Important Dates:

• 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

Email:        Lil:    patriot1944@gmail.com

                   Rob: freedomwatcher1949@comcast.net

                   Bill:   uspatriot741776@yahoo.com

Twitter:        Rob: @pennpatriot1949

                     Lil:    @gypsypatriot

Rob & Lil Home:               215-547-6136

Rob's Cell:                         267-278-0827

Lil's Cell:                            267-278-1656

Bill's Cell:                           215-431-8438

Dear Patriots:

We're looking to increase our group!  Join us...bring a friend or two.

An invitation has gone out to Concerned Gun Owners of Bucks County to speak at our meeting.  The 2nd Amendment must be a concern of all law-abiding citizens.  We CANNOT let the opposition infringe upon our God given rights.

Mike Henry was hired as the Philadelphia Regional Coordinator for Heritage Action.  Mike will be speaking to our group at the meeting. He joined Heritage Action after successfully  running a local outreach campaign as an intern for American Majority Action in southeastern Pennsylvania. During the campaign, he worked closely with local tea party groups to organize their canvassing efforts. He is an alumnus of Archmere Academy, in Claymont, Delaware, and will be a 2013 graduate from Pennsylvania State University.  Heritage Action is the Pennsylvania think tank of Heritage Foundation which is being led by former Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC).

We have persons within our group who give a short summary of what is happening in their community.   

What are the hot issues in Harrisburg? How do you feel about Governor Corbett's budget?  liquor privatization?  Agenda 21?   

 Why is Penn State on the New Drone Authorization List?  Who is funding these drones?

How do you feel about Immigration?  the "No Labels" group in Congress?    and lots more discussion.

Lil Boysen, Co Coordinator

We would like to clarifiy the Prothonotary candidates for the upcoming Republican Primary are Michelle Christian (not Diane) and Pat Bachtle. It does not change a call for an open primary in this race.

Why all the fuss about a Prothonotary race?

If you have wondered what a Prothonotary is, you are not alone. In addition, whoever thought that it would be the focus of a power struggle within the Bucks County GOP for the 2013 elections?

There are two people running for Prothonotary this May. Pat Bachtle a long time incumbent and a newcomer Diane Christian. On paper this looks ok, but when you take a closer look, more questions than answers arise.

The Tea Party should be happy to see a newcomer on the ticket. Right?

We should be happy to see the incumbent challenged by a newcomer. Right? Except this newcomer was hand selected by Bucks County GOP Chairwoman Pat Poprik.

Do you remember the countless "newcomers" who have tried to run for office in the past few years? They were handily dismissed by the party leadership and told that positions only go to those who have worked hard for the party over several years. Pat Bachtle is the incumbent Prothonotary and has worked for the party for many years. Now Pat Poprik is embracing a newcomer that she has hand selected with no prior experience or record. There is clearly a double standard.

One does not have to think too hard to figure out what the reaction would be to an unknown Tea Party candidate running against an established incumbent. Remember when the GOP called the Constables to intervene against non-endorsed GOP candidates in 2010?

Why is the party chair deciding to pick this fight when Bucks County is becoming more liberal? This has the potential to leave the seat wide open for a Democrat grab. Bucks County GOP money should not be spent in a primary for a Prothonotary seat. This is foolish and wasteful use of resources.

We at The Kitchen Table Patriots

If you are a registered Republican and live in Bucks County Pennsylvania we are urging you to contact your local committee person and ask them to vote for no endorsement. If you do not know who you committee person is than call the Bucks County Republican Headquarters at 215-345-8811

CALLING ALL PATRIOTS!  JOIN US AT THE VALLEY FORGE PATRIOTS MARCH 8^TH MEETING.

FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2013 AT THE PHOENIXVILLE COUNTRY CLUB, 6PM.

Our main speaker will be Matt Brouillette, Director of the Commonwealth Foundation in Harrisburg.

Matt will discuss Governor Corbett's new budget and the major issues in it including privatization

of liquor stores, pension reform, Medicade stabilization, and lowering the corporate income tax.

All of these issues are of great importance to the citizens of PA.

Also joining us will be Matt Hissey of Americans for Prosperity who will update us on the near term activities of AFP.

One of their recent successful projects was working to stop healthcare exchanges in PA that many of us helped with.

And very important, will be an open mic' discussion of VFP's focus for 2013. Please give this some serious thought and bring your ideas to the meeting. One big issue is Voter Fraud and how and with whom we should address this. Some members have signed up to work with True the Vote as well as Club for Growth who helped elect Senator Toomey.

We look forward to seeing you all on March 8^th.

From your Steering Committee, Joe Panas, Jeff Morgan, Mark Driver, Betty Dunkel

Fellow Conservatives,

Have you registered for CPAC 2013, the 40th annual political action conference March 14-16, 2013, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center? Grab your friends, spread the word, and don't miss your chance to be present and be involved in making a difference for our country's future! Register TODAY at conservative.org/cpac2013.

With a renewed focus on engaging our country's youth and empowering this next generation of shining conservative stars, you won't want to miss this historic event! You, too, can join national and regional conservative leaders, including Governors Scott Walker and Jeb Bush, Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, and U.S. Representative Paul Ryan, along with thousands of patriots and conservatives from across the country. This must-attend event offers three full days of blockbuster speeches, policy discussions and networking opportunities - all celebrating the shared principles of smaller government, a strong national defense and traditional American values.

This year, on CPAC's 40th anniversary, we are placing a renewed focus on engaging our country's youth and empowering the next generation of shining conservative stars. The CPAC 2013 theme, America's Future: The Next Generation of Conservatives, and tagline, New Challenges, Timeless Principles, reflects a bright outlook for growth in our movement.

Recognizing CPAC as America's largest gathering of conservative leaders and activists, ACU is also pleased to announce some exciting opportunities to help you enjoy your time at CPAC even more this year!

• For the first time in our 40 years, we will be offering a free shuttle bus service to and from CPAC.
• Stay tuned for the cutting-edge CPAC App, sponsored by The Washington Examiner. At your fingertips you will have the latest speaker updates, straw poll results and more.

For more information about CPAC 2013 and our other confirmed speakers, please visit our website at conservative.org/cpac2013, or check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/CPACNews or Twitter at @cpacnews and #CPAC2013.

Don't forget, register TODAY by logging on to conservative.org/CPAC2013. We look forward to seeing you in March!

The American Conservative Union

For Tickets:  Contact Us:  215.269.6912                        

                                               

           

http://www.choiceonesupport.org

February 14, 2013

Your First Amendment right to express an opinion about Islam is under attack.

Not just from those who have no recourse but to call you an "Islamophobe."

But from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)-and our very own State Department.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/radical-islam-how-it-threatens-free-speech

& Legislative Briefing!

The National Conference & Legislative Briefing will begin on Wed. evening, June 19th, and conclude on Friday, June 21st at noon, with additional optional training sessions Friday afternoon.

Important Announcement from SFL You're probably wondering why you've been getting more emails from me and Sustainable Freedom Lab after having had next to none for quite some time. Well, the truth is that I've been very busy. As always, I spend enormous amounts of my time researching, writing, and speaking to the public about the threats of Agenda 21 and Regionalism. I've also been working on important projects behind the scenes. Now I'm finally ready to reveal the first of these "secret" projects: The DVD version of "Stopping Agenda 21 in Your Community". Like the title suggests, this DVD program offers step-by-step training on how you can fight back against those who would bring Agenda 21 into your community. The test audience who saw this program during the limited streaming we held last Fall felt it was critical viewing for anyone concerned about the erosion of our property rights. Click here to read my blog post on the SFL website about our first DVD.

Helping you fight back, John Join Our Mailing List!

If you've been wanting an interesting, clearly written, how-to-manual for identifying and fighting UN Agenda 21, here it is. Agenda 21--All the information you need to understand what is happening in your town, why it's happening, who is behind it, and what you can do to stop it. BEHIND THE GREEN MASK: U.N. Agenda 21 is 172 pages of truth. Part history, part current events, part hand-to-hand combat, and part blueprint for keeping your freedom, this is one book that you'll put to work immediately. Boots on the ground and all hands on deck is the order of the day. Awareness is the first step in the Resistance.

BEHIND THE GREEN MASK: U.N. Agenda 21 [Paperback]

 
Awareness about Agenda 21 is finally spreading throughout the country, due in no small part to your efforts. But knowing it is there isn't enough. Now we need to educate ourselves on how to combat it. That's where you come in.

American Policy Center has recently released a booklet that explains everything you need to know to start fighting back against sustainable programs both locally and nationally. The booklet is called Special Report: Agenda 21 and How to Stop It and is available in the APC store for only $5.95.

I wrote this 35 page booklet in order to give activists a succinct resource they can refer to if they suspect Agenda 21 or Sustainable Development is being implemented in their area. It includes my own research coupled with incredibly helpful graphics created by Carroll County, Maryland Commissioner Richard Rothschild.

In the booklet you will find answers to several roadblocks that grassroots anti-Agenda 21 activists often face, including a definition of property rights and "Resolution to Protect Citizens' Property Rights," which many concerned citizens are already using to tie the hands of power hungry politicians.

This booklet is a great resource for anyone interested in preserving their property rights. It includes all the information to put up a first line of defense and step by step instructions for how to proceed from there. If you face Agenda 21 or Sustainable development in your area or are simply concerned with the national fight this booklet is a must read.

Click here to order your booklet now!

In Liberty,


Tom DeWeese
President - American Policy Center

P.S. - The American Policy Center store has recently updated our inventory to include everything you need to fight back against Agenda 21. The revamped catalogue includes the "Stop Agenda 21 Action Kit", which provides users with everything they need to know about Agenda 21 in their own living room, as well as ways to share it with other concerned activists and critical knowledge on how to fight back. The store also offers DVDs of past successful conferences and symposiums, books and articles that deal with the issues of sustainability and Agenda 21 and individually packaged manuals and workbooks to aid you in your activism. You don't need to look any farther than the American Policy Center Store for everything you need to combat Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development in your area.

View our online store

ACTION CENTER

Tell lawmakers not to double down on broken Medicaid system!

Take Action (http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=duLQIaMQLhJUL9N4E&s=euIXKaPOIgLNL9MSIqF&m=mvJ0KdOYIiIUImI)

Thank Governor Corbett for also opposing the expansion!

Take Action (http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=elKSKdNUIiI1J9N0F&s=euIXKaPOIgLNL9MSIqF&m=mvJ0KdOYIiIUImI)

Seating is very limited, but as of now there are about 80 spots left. When inviting people, keep in mind that we want the most active and involved people to attend. This is a training event, so we want to train the best, brightest, and most dedicated to become Citizen Watchdogs!

In Liberty,

Matthew M. Hissey

(267) 838 2380

Grassroots Director
Americans For Prosperity Pennsylvania

Go here:  

I spoke with someone recently regarding web sites/groups and subscriptions to information/news feeds.  This is a listing of many such which may be of use to folks.

The number of emails can get overwhelming at times, so check out the sites and see what suits your need. I recommend, though to be sure to subscribe to at least #1 Tea Party Patriots and #2 Americans for Prosperity.

Groups/web sites for keeping up on issues, events, etc.

1. Tea Party Patriots (National)    http://www.teapartypatriots.org
Dot's note ► From this site, you can get to state and local group sites. Basically, this is our "Home page" for information on the national level.  Great site to keep up with issues within the "realm" of the Tea Party's core values: Fiscal Responsibility, Free Markets and constitutionally limited Government. They have many citizen journalists who contribute. Also, information on events, etc.

From the site:
ABOUT TEA PARTY PATRIOTS
The Tea Party movement spontaneously formed in 2009 from the reaction of the American people to fiscally irresponsible actions of the federal government, misguided "stimulus" spending, bailouts and takeovers of private industry. Within the first few weeks of the movement, Tea Party Patriots formed to support the millions of Americans seeking to improve our great nation through renewed support for fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free market economic policies.

Tea Party Patriots is a national grassroots organization that exists to serve and support the thousands of local organizations and millions of grassroots Patriots throughout our nation. We provide logistical, educational, networking and other support to thousands of community-based tea party groups around the country. Tea Party Patriots state and national coordinators serve your local grassroots groups, support you with the tools and technology you need to address your local issues, listen to your voices, gather your ideas, and together help shape the overall direction of our national movement. Working in a truly grassroots fashion, we have already changed the political landscape of America.
TEA PARTY PATRIOTS IS 100% GRASSROOTS, 100% OF THE TIME.
Tea Party Patriots is made up of, and funded by, millions of regular Americans just like you, who believe there is a better way forward for America. We are a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization that does not support any political party nor do we endorse candidates. If you support fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free market economic policies, we encourage you to sign up for Tea Party Patriots today.

2. Americans for Prosperity (AFP)    http://americansforprosperity.org/
Dot's note ► Great organization, super info. they sponsor/organize many events in the area and DC. Jennifer Stefano is the PA State Director. You've most likely seen her on Fox News Channel.
From the web site: OUR MISSIONS
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is committed to educating citizens about economic policy and mobilizing those citizens as advocates in the public policy process. AFP is an organization of grassroots leaders who engage citizens in the name of limited government and free markets on the local, state, and federal levels. AFP grassroots activists advocate for public policies that champion the principles of entrepreneurship and fiscal and regulatory restraint. To that end, AFP supports:
    Cutting taxes and government spending in order to halt the encroachment of government in the economic lives of citizens by fighting proposed tax increases and pointing out evidence of waste, fraud, and abuse.
    Removing unnecessary barriers to entrepreneurship and opportunity by sparking citizen involvement early in the regulatory process in order to reduce red tape.
    Restoring fairness to our judicial system.
WHO WE ARE
The heart and soul of AFP is our citizen activists. They organize events, write letters to the editor, and petition their lawmakers to uphold freedom and prosperity. Americans for Prosperity has more than 1,800,000 activists in all 50 states and 34 state chapters and affiliates. More than 90,000 Americans in all 50 states have made a financial contribution to AFP or our sister organization, AFP Foundation.
WHAT WE DO
AFP's network of organized and influential citizen leaders in a growing number of states throughout the country is working to change the nation one state at a time.
    AFP mobilizes citizens to effectively make their voices heard in public policy issue campaigns.
    AFP educates citizens about where their elected officials stand on our issues.
    AFP combines "best-in-class" capabilities built once at the national level with local knowledge from our state staff and on-the-ground grassroots to create economies of scale that win.
    AFP leverages our comparative advantages with those of other groups by building coalitions of local, state, and national grassroots organizations fighting for a common cause.

3. Freedom Connecter    http://connect.freedomworks.org/
Dot's note ► A great site to connect with others. Register, then browse for folks who are near your residence or elsewhere who share your views. I have connections in CA, NY, NC, AL, TX, MO and FL.

4. FreedomWorks for America (FWFA)     https://www.freedomworksforamerica.org/
From the web site:
FreedomWorks for America (FWFA) is focused on spearheading bottom-up grassroots campaigns on behalf of candidates who will promote economic freedom. Unlike other PACs and organizations, FreedomWorks for America will aggressively support candidates who will defend freedom, even in political primaries against establishment or incumbent Republicans. And instead of spending funds on traditional methods like TV and radio advertisements, our financial resources will primarily be spent mobilizing our over a million-strong volunteer base to promote candidates who are champions of freedom. We are the only group with the grassroots base and the campaign expertise to make a real impact on the ground in races across the country.
WHAT WE DO
FreedomWorks for America utilizes its over a million-strong grassroots volunteer base to elect candidates who fight for lower taxes, less government, and more freedom.
WHY WE DO IT
FreedomWorks for America believes individual liberty and the freedom to compete increases consumer choices and provides individuals with the greatest control over what they own and earn. FreedomWorks for America aims to elect real champions of freedom who will stand up for these principles in the face of Washington establishment pressure, and who will be standard bearers for the grassroots to rally behind.
HOW WE DO IT
FreedomWorks for America's aggressive, real-time campaigns activate a growing and permanent volunteer grassroots army to show up and demand that our elected officials stand up for freedom. Our decentralized approach means that we have the capability to directly impact elections across the country through citizen action on the local level.

5. Constitutional Organization of Liberty (COOL)    http://reclaimliberty.com/
Dot's note ► Great educational offerings. Sign up for email.
Ruth & I bumped into each other at one of these events:
From the web site:
    Liberty Breakfast
   The Liberty Breakfast is a new presentation format that allows participants to enjoy a casual meal with other like-minded individuals, and then engage in an interactive review and discussion of a specific topic related to the Constitution, the Founding Fathers or relevant historic documents.
    The Liberty Breakfast is held on a rotating basis across Pennsylvania, and topics and instructors may vary from location to location.  Participants are responsible for the cost of their meal.  (Duration: 2-3 HR)
A Project Of The Alexander Hamilton Institute For Constitutional Studies
Education is the critical service that COOL provides to participants in order to develop a more well rounded understanding of the documents critical to the founding of this nation.  Currently, COOL offers a variety of different fee-based courses and is constantly seeking out new material for presentation.
Mark Thomas, Chairman, P.O. Box 822, Lebanon, PA 17042
reclaimliberty@verizon.net
1-717-228-7524

6. The Blaze   http://www.theblaze.com/
Dot's note ► Glenn Beck's media corporation. This is news site. They send reporters out and get some good videos. Sign up for emails.
From the web site:
The Blaze is a news, information and opinion site brought to you by a dedicated team of writers, journalists & video producers.
Our goal is to post, report and analyze stories of interest on a wide range of topics from politics and culture to faith and family.
Email: contact@theblaze.com

7. PJTV  http://www.pjtv.com/
Dot's note ► Some really good interviews
From the web site:
About PJTV
    PJTV launched at the 2008 Republican National Convention, where it was the first online news organization accorded a full television booth along with the old media networks.
    Since then it has evolved into the premier center-right online news and commentary television network, broadcasting over the Internet from its headquarters in Los Angeles, CA. PJTV studios are also located in Washington, DC, New York City, Knoxville, TN & Denver, CO.
    Besides covering the political and economic issues of the day, PJTV has been covering the Tea Party movement from its inception. PJTV viewers have found a new voice in the media via opinion commentators like Glenn Reynolds, Bill Whittle, Tony Katz, Allen Barton, Joe Hicks, Andrew Klavan, Alfonzo Rachel, Al Sonja Schmidt, Stephen Kruiser, Scott Ott, Stephen Green and others.  PJTV is under the direction of PJ Media CEO Roger L. Simon.

8. The Heritage Foundation   http://www.heritage.org/
Dot's note ► Great resource for information on and analysis of issues.
From the web site:
Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institution-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.

9. Glenn Beck   http://www.glennbeck.com/
Dot's note ► Audio of radio shows and commentary. Other programs require a paid subscription.

10. National Center for Policy Analysis   http://www.ncpa.org/
From the web site:
Daily Policy Digest - NCPA's Daily Policy Digest brings you the most wide-ranging public policy findings five times a week at no charge.
12770 Coit Road, Suite 800
Dallas, TX 75251-1339
1-972.386.6272

11. PoliticsPA   www.politicspa.com
From the web site:
Online political community features news briefs, editorials, and links to sites of interest to Pennsylvania voters.
900 19th Street NW, 8th Floor
Washington, DC 20006

12. PAIndependent   http://paindependent.com/
Dot's note ► great news of PA
From the web site:
Pennsylvania Independent is a public interest journalism project dedicated to promoting open, transparent, and accountable state government by reporting on the activities of agencies, bureaucracies, and politicians in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
225 State Street, Suite 300
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Phone 717.350.0963

13. 912 Patriots of Lower Bucks  http://patriotsoflowerbucks.com
Dot's note ► MUCHO information from multiple sources!
From the web site:
Your Daily Updates ALL in ONE Place
PO Box 2122
Warminster, PA 18974
215-274-5415

14. Rasmussen Reports    http://www.rasmussenreports.com/
Dot's note ► also commentary regarding what's in the news.
From the web site:
"If it's in the News, it's in our Polls. Public opinion polling since 2003". 625 Cookman Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ 07712

15. Town Hall    http://townhall.com/                http://townhall.com/columnists/
Dot's note ► you'll recognize many of these conservative columnists. Sign up for Town Hall daily and you get, again, MUCHO commentary.
From the web site:
Townhall is the top source for conservative news, political cartoons, breaking news, election news and commentary on politics and the media culture.
Townhall Spotlight
1901 N. Moore St - Suite 701
Arlington, VA 22209

16. Tea Party Nation    http://www.teapartynation.com/
Dot's note ►  Great discussions on numerous issues.
From the web site:
A HOME FOR CONSERVATIVES!!!
Tea Party Nation is a user-driven group of like-minded people who desire our God-given individual freedoms written out by the Founding Fathers. We believe in Limited Government, Free Speech, the 2nd Amendment, our Military, Secure Borders and our Country.
Judson Phillips

17. Daily Caller    http://dailycaller.com/    http://dailycaller.com/wp-login.php?action=register
Dot's note ► Several editions including: The DC Morning and The DC Links.
From the web site:
Daily Caller is a news and opinion website based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a focus on politics, original reporting and breaking news, founded by journalist and political pundit Tucker Carlson and politician Neil Patel.

18. Cowboybyte    http://cowboybyte.com/
Dot's note ► Cowboybyte has a BITE to it as well. Most entries link to original information/articles. I really like it!
From the web site:
Ronald Reagan... John Wayne... Charlton Heston... These men were rugged individualists, conservatives, and patriotic Americans - the very qualities that make up a true Cowboy. CowboyByte.com is dedicated to bringing the cowboy out in all of us. 
While the mainstream media is lying to you and covering up the truth, CowboyByte.com will inspire and inform you. At CowboyByte.com, you'll be the first to know about any threats to our Constitutional right to bear arms. We'll tell you about the effects of bills introduced and passed regarding our air, water, and food supply. You have the right to know how your government is affecting you and our family. That's why CowboyByte.com will be there to tell you what is really going on behind the scenes.

19. Conservative Daily    http://conservative-daily.com/
Dot's note ► Good articles and links. A big part is their "action alerts". They also charge for sending faxes to Congress.
From the web site:
Conservatives Daily Alerts

20. Conservative Daily News - (different than the one above)    www.conservativedailynews.com/
From the web site:
"News for the People, By the People" - CITIZEN JOURNALISTS.
Rich Mitchell - Managing Editor
Conservative Daily News
PO Box 42
Bahama,
North Carolina 27503

21. Freedom Outpost    http://freedomoutpost.com/
Dot's note ► Good variety of articles and videos.

22. Atlas Shrugs http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/
Dot's note ► Pamela Geller pulls no punches on this site. Some somewhat incendiary articles. Pam was a speaker in DC at the Independence Hall Tea Party Association Independence Day event.

The group who was having a statewide tour selling the Agenda 21 "Smart Towns" concept...
http://www.strongtowns.org/

On our side of the Agenda 21 issue..
John Anthony - Sustainable FREEDOM Lab, L.L.C.
http://sustainablefreedomlab.org/

For ACTION in Pennsylvania....
Americans for Prosperity - Pennsylvania
http://americansforprosperity.org/pennsylvania/

The Pennsylvania version of the Drudge Report...

http://keystonereport.com/

Go around the Main Stream Media...
https://twitter.com/

--

Barbara Dahdah-Anderson

Managing Director 

Ignite, Inc.

267-291-4337

www.IgniteURCareer.biz

"God Bless America "

"Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all economic growth in the United States."

February 2013 * Volume 42, Number 2

Calvin Coolidge and the Moral Case for Economy

AMITY SHLAES is a syndicated columnist for Bloomberg, a director of the Four Percent Growth Project at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, and a member of the board of the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation. She has served as a member of the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal and as a columnist for the Financial Times, and is a recipient of the Hayek Prize and the Frederic Bastiat Prize for free-market journalism. She is the author of four books, Germany: The Empire Within, The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression, The Greedy Hand: How Taxes Drive Americans Crazy and What to Do About It, and Coolidge.

The following is adapted from a talk given at Hillsdale College on January 27, 2013, during a conference on "The Federal Income Tax: A Centenary Consideration," co-sponsored by the Center for Constructive Alternatives and the Ludwig von Mises Lecture Series.

With the Federal Debt spiraling out of control, many Americans sense an urgent need to find a political leader who is able to say "no" to spending. Yet they fear that finding such a leader is impossible. Conservatives long for another Ronald Reagan. But is Reagan the right model? He was of course a tax cutter, reducing the top marginal rate from 70 to 28 percent. But his tax cuts-which vindicated supply-side economics by vastly increasing federal revenue-were bought partly through a bargain with Democrats who were eager to spend that revenue. Reagan was no budget cutter-indeed, the federal budget rose by over a third during his administration.

An alternative model for conservatives is Calvin Coolidge. President from 1923 to 1929, Coolidge sustained a budget surplus and left office with a smaller budget than the one he inherited. Over the same period, America experienced a proliferation of jobs, a dramatic increase in the standard of living, higher wages, and three to four percent annual economic growth. And the key to this was Coolidge's penchant for saying "no." If Reagan was the Great Communicator, Coolidge was the Great Refrainer.

Read the rest of this issue...  

Morning Jolt - March 5, 2013

By Jim Geraghty

Good morning. Here's your Tuesday Morning Jolt.

Enjoy!

Jim

Who's Really Refusing to Compromise on the Sequester?

Over the weekend, Ezra Klein wrote that Obama has already made all of the concessions on entitlement programs that Republicans are looking for, and that the main problem is that congressional Republicans just haven't read Obama's proposals closely enough:

It's a continuing source of frustration among Republicans that the Obama administration, which seems so comfortable taxing the rich, isn't comfortable with "means-testing" entitlements - which is to say, asking wealthier seniors to bear a heavier burden for their health-care costs or receive less coverage from Medicare.

But on page 34 of the White House's most recent budget, President Obama proposes to do exactly that. Medicare, it's important to note, is already a partially means-tested program, with richer seniors - about 5 percent of them - paying income-related premiums for their hospital and drug insurance. Obama would increase those premiums by 15 percent, and he'd freeze the threshold such that, over the next decade or two, 25 percent of seniors were paying part of the cost of their coverage.

Monday he returned to the topic, once again contending that long-term fiscal and budgetary Nirvana would be within our reach if the Republicans weren't so darn stubborn about tax increases:

But it's unpopular for Republicans to simply say they won't agree to any compromise and there's no deal to be had - particularly since taxing the wealthy is more popular than cutting entitlements, and so their position is less popular than Obama's. That's made it important for Republicans to prove that it's the president who is somehow holding up a deal.

This had led to a lot of Republicans fanning out to explain what the president should be offering if he was serious about making a deal. Then, when it turns out that the president did offer those items, there's more furious hand-waving about how no, actually, this is what the president needs to offer to make a deal. Then, when it turns out he's offered most of that, too, the hand-waving stops and the truth comes out: Republicans won't make a deal that includes further taxes, they just want to get the White House to implement their agenda in return for nothing.

There's a fairly key point that Klein keeps glossing over: Republicans feel they just made a concession on tax hikes - gobs and gobs of them, in fact:

Tax increases the fiscal cliff deal allowed:

1. Payroll Tax: increase in the Social Security portion of the payroll tax from 4.2 percent to 6.2 percent for workers. This hits all Americans earning a paycheck-not just the "wealthy." For example, The Wall Street Journal calculated that the "typical U.S. family earning $50,000 a year" will lose "an annual income boost of $1,000."

2. Top marginal tax rate: increase from 35 percent to 39.6 percent for taxable incomes over $450,000 ($400,000 for single filers).

3. Phase out of personal exemptions for adjusted gross income (AGI) over $300,000 ($250,000 for single filers).

4. Phase down of itemized deductions for AGI over $300,000 ($250,000 for single filers).

5. Tax rates on investment: increase in the rate on dividends and capital gains from 15 percent to 20 percent for taxable incomes over $450,000 ($400,000 for single filers).

6. Death tax: increase in the rate (on estates larger than $5 million) from 35 percent to 40 percent.

7. Taxes on business investment: expiration of full expensing-the immediate deduction of capital purchases by businesses.

Obamacare tax increases that took effect:

8. Another investment tax increase: 3.8 percent surtax on investment income for taxpayers with taxable income exceeding $250,000 ($200,000 for singles).

9. Another payroll tax hike: 0.9 percent increase in the Hospital Insurance portion of the payroll tax for incomes over $250,000 ($200,000 for single filers).

10. Medical device tax: 2.3 percent excise tax paid by medical device manufacturers and importers on all their sales.

11. Reducing the income tax deduction for individuals' medical expenses.

12. Elimination of the corporate income tax deduction for expenses related to theMedicare Part D subsidy.

13. Limitation of the corporate income tax deduction for compensation that health insurance companies pay to their executives.

Some Republicans feel you should go, I don't know, at least a couple of months between tax increases.

Oh, and if you demand policy Y "in return" for enacting X, you're not really in support of X. You may be amenable to X, but you're not really helping with the lift, making the case for it to a public that remains utterly oblivious to fiscal realities. Americans want to reduce spending while increasing spending or maintain it at current levels for 18 of 19 programs. Our debt, the deficit, the long-term fiscal health of our entitlement programs - all of these would be easier to deal with if the public understood budgetary reality, instead of thinking we can solve all our problems by enacting the Buffett Rule and relishing its $3.6 billion per year in revenue. Projected deficit for 2013: $900 billion.

And when "X" is an unpopular but probably necessary reform to keep entitlement costs from exploding, I don't know how many "political courage" points you should get for declaring that you're only willing to support it if you get what you originally wanted, which is even more tax hikes.

Oh, and listing an idea as an option on page 34 of the budget report barely counts as "support," although I suppose we should be thankful it wasn't relegated to a footnote.

Obama's Cabinet: The Sky Is Falling, and It's All Sequester's Fault, Honest!

No sooner than one cabinet secretary apologizes for peddling implausible lines about the sequester's effect...

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Monday he misspoke when he recently claimed schools were already firing teachers in anticipation of sequester cuts taking effect.

"When I said 'pink slips' that was probably the wrong word," Duncan said to reporters, according to multiple reports. "Language matters, and I need to be very, very clear."

. . . than another one gets herself into trouble:

Both the Transportation Security Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection predict sequestration budget cuts will mean more time stuck in line for travelers using America's airways, but three days in, only some of those increases have materialized.

Enter your airport's information on the TSA's website for a quick listing of line times at each security checkpoint. A spokesperson at Reagan National Airport said Monday that neither Reagan nor nearby Dulles International Airport were seeing a change in wait times.

TSA's press office said on Friday that the sequester would not trigger an immediate increase in wait times, but as they put in place a hiring freeze and see staffing levels drop, peak wait times at large airports could go up to an hour or more.

A second website allows flyers to see which airports are experiencing flight delays, which can also lengthen travel time.

The only airport showing delays on the Federal Aviation Administration website Monday afternoon was San Francisco International where weather was slowing planes out of the gate.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Monday waits at Customs had already gone up by 150 to 200 percent.

Look on the bright side: We got the secretary of education to concede that "language matters."

The administration's "Washington Monument strategy" continues.

Above, the "Fallout" of the Sequester.

The Nobel Peace Prize, a Rapidly Depreciating Asset

The Nobel Peace Prize has been in a long rebuilding stretch for a while, hasn't it? The EU, President Obama, Al Gore, Jimmy Carter, Kofi Annan...

Who's feeling excited about this year's pick?

A record 259 nominations have been received for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, with candidates including a Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban and a U.S. soldier accused of leaking classified material to WikiLeaks. Fifty of the nominations were for organizations.

The secretive committee that awards the prize doesn't identify the nominees, but those with nomination rights sometimes announce their picks.

Names put forward this year include Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army private who has admitted sending hundreds of thousands of classified documents to the secrecy-busting website WikiLeaks and 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai, an education activist who was shot in the head by Taliban militants while on her way home from school in Pakistan.

Manning, huh? Who nominated him, al-Qaeda? Then there's this little detail:

Three peace prize laureates - South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mairead Maguire of Northern Ireland and Adolfo Perez Esquivel from Argentina - insisted the prize money of $1.2 million should not have been paid out in 2012 because they said the EU contradicts the prize's values because it relies on military force to ensure security.

Oh, really? How about the 2009 winner who has his own personal "kill list" and has asserted the authority to kill American citizens through a drone strike without trial? Is that really the Nobel mindset?

Of course, our Jay Nordlinger wrote the book on the Nobel and its winners...

ADDENDA: John McGuirk: "When I'm Pope, I'm going to focus on the real sins, like gluttony. I'll talk a lot about fat children. The Guardian will love me."

Reminder: Campaign Spot is the blog, @jimgeraghty is the Twitter account, and this is the Facebook page. No Pinterest account yet, I haven't finished any window treatments worth photographing.

Get all the latest news, 24/7, at www.NationalReview.com

Save 75%... Subscribe to National Review magazine today and get 75% off the newsstand price. Click here for the print edition or here for the digital.

National Review also makes a great gift! Click here to send a full-year of NR Digital or here to send the print edition to family, friends, and fellow conservatives.

Conservatives - stay healthy! Get plenty of Vitamin Sea on the next National Review cruise. Visit www.NRCruise.com for complete information.

RedState Morning Briefing

For March 6, 2013

1.  Today, House Conservatives Will Prove They Are the Problem

Yesterday, the White House announced it would stop White House tours in response to sequestration.

Congressman Louie Gohmert of Texas responded by offering an amendment to the pending continuing resolution that would prohibit federal dollars spent to cover the costs of President Obama's golf games.

Speaker John Boehner and the Republican Leaders ruled that Congressman Gohmert's amendment was not relevant to the continuing resolution and threw it out.

Today, House conservatives will join with their Republican colleagues to vote on what is called a "closed rule." This is a vote that will allow Republican leaders to bring to the floor of the House of Representatives the continuing resolution without having to deal with Congressman Gohmert's amendment.

It will also prevent Republicans from being able to defund Obamacare.

Today, House Republicans will vote on a rule in the House of Representatives that, once approved, will allow the continuing resolution to pass while enabling and funding Obamacare.

House Conservatives will make it happen. In fact, House Conservatives who vote for the rule are voting to fund Obamcare. Passing the rule then conveniently voting against the actual continuing resolution cannot be given a pass.

2.  Coin-operated government

3.  Obama's Machiavellian Sequestration Pain Game: Putting Politics Over Public Safety

I'm going to just state what is on a lot of people's minds (and lips) these days regarding the Obama Administration's handling of the sequestration cuts:

If I didn't know any better-I don't, by the way-I would wager a bet that the current occupants of the West Wing and their DNC accomplices are hoping that, as a result of certain sequestration cuts made, someone somewhere will die. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →

4.  Planned Parenthood Clinic Faces Lawsuit Claiming Negligence, Battery

5.  Medicare Trustee Cautions States on Obamacare Medicaid Expansion

Heritage Hotsheet

Experts on the Day's Hottest News

Items for March 6, 2013 

Hugo Chavez, Venezuelan President, Dead at 58

Introducing Economic Stimulus Done Right
  Prospect.org

GOP Hunts for More Cuts: 'Spending Is the Problem' - Is Medicare Solution?
  ABC News

'Falklands poll is nothing but a publicity stunt': Argentina claims
  Daily Mail Online

U.S. commander says Iran sanctions not working
  CNN

Latest Heritage Research:

ISSUE BRIEF
Research Review: Spending Cuts Are Better Than Tax Increases
March 5, 2013

ISSUE BRIEF
Why the Obamacare Medicaid Expansion Is Bad for Taxpayers and Patients
March 5, 2013

March 6, 2013   

Make Them Pay
J.T. Hatter
The want a culture war? Let's give 'em one. More

How Negative Campaigning Works
Dr. Charles T. Kenny
The record is clear: the only safe campaign strategy is to counter negatives proactively. Voters must be able to visualize the candidate in ways that contradict and transcend the negatives. More

Hangmen and Abortionists
Glenn Fairman
The "contradiction" between defending the innocent and punishing the guilty is not so evident as liberals would like to make it seem. More

When Daddy Knows Best
Arnold Cusmariu
Critics warn audiences away, yet a film becomes a hugely profitable hit. More

Sequestration: A Teaching Moment
Warren Beatty
It's called accountability. More

The Future of Private-Practice Medicine in ObamaCare
Keith R. Jackson
The diagnosis is not good. More

American Thinker Blog

Looks Like A Job For Marco Rubio
March 6, 2013
With Chavez gone, will the Castros be forced to reach out to America in order for Cuba to survive? More

It's time for Uncle Sam to eat his arugula.
March 6, 2013
Give up the Bon Bons and Twinkies. More

Hugo Chavez finally dead
March 5, 2013
The man who claimed he could smell sulfur at the UN General Assembly podium after George W. Bush, (whom he called "El Diablo") spoke may finally be getting a real dose of the smelly element. More

PJ Media's Bill Straub guests on Moran's show
March 5, 2013
The budget battles and other current events will be discussed. More

NoKo's say they'll scrap armistice if wargames continue
March 5, 2013
Bluster? Or a real threat? More

FL conservatives deal Gov. Scott's Medicaid expansion a blow
March 5, 2013
Can states trust the feds to pay the cost of expanded Medicaid? More

Celebrity is Accomplishment
March 5, 2013
Imagery has replaced measured accomplishment. More

The Terror Threat from Pop-Tarts and Hello Kitty
March 5, 2013
A few months ago, a five-year-old Pennsylvania girl was standing at a bus stop talking to her friend when she made the mistake of insisting a princess bubble blower is superior to a Hello Kitty Bubble gun. More

Towards Single Payer, Doctors Get Shafted
March 5, 2013
Removing a primary obstacle to socialized medicine More

Dennis Rodman, Obama's Madeleine Albright
March 5, 2013
A timely reminder of just how power-mad progressives really are. More

Senators reach deal to make gun trafficking a federal crime
March 5, 2013
But will it keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them? More

President Obama needs to start governing rather than whining
March 5, 2013
There are now tangible signs that carrying Obama's water may be a thing of the past. More

When AIPAC Went AWOL

by Daniel Pipes
The Washington Times
March 4, 2013

Chuck Hagel's notorious 2008 statement about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the leading institution of the pro-Israel lobby, claimed that "the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here [in Congress]. I'm a United States senator. I'm not an Israeli senator."

AIPAC logo.

Then a strange thing happened: no sooner did Barack Obama nominate Hagel for secretary of defense on Jan. 7, when AIPAC announced it would not oppose the former Republican senator from Nebraska. Indeed, so neutral did it wish to be on this delicate topic that its spokesman even avoided mentioning Hagel's name, declaring only that "AIPAC does not take positions on presidential nominations." AIPAC then kept a complete silence through Hagel's confirmation on Feb. 26. More important, it did not lift a finger to influence the vote.

AIPAC's initial logic made some sense: Obama, having just won an impressive reelection effort, had chosen his man and Republicans were likely to put up a merely token resistance to him, so why antagonize a soon-to-be very powerful figure and a principal player in the U.S.-Israel relationship? As my colleague Steven J. Rosen explained back then, "AIPAC has to work with the secretary of defense." It also did not want to antagonize increasingly skittish Democrats.

Subsequently, an intense search into Hagel's record found more ugly statements about Israel. He referred in 2006 to Israel's self-defense against Hizbullah as a "sickening slaughter." In 2007, he pronounced that "The State Department has become adjunct to the Israeli foreign minister's office." And in 2010 he was cited as warning that Israel risked "becoming an apartheid state."

Still, the senator who spoke of an intimidating "Jewish lobby" got a complete pass from that same lobby. It makes one wonder just how intimidating it is.

Other pro-Israel organizations took a different approach. The Zionist Organization of America produced 14 statements arguing against Hagel's nomination between Dec. 17 (urging Obama not to nominate the "Iran- & Terrorist-Apologist & Israel-Basher Chuck Hagel") to Feb. 22 (a listing of "Ten Important Reasons to Oppose Chuck Hagel"). Not itself primarily a lobbying organization, ZOA's calculus had less to do with the prospect of winning and more to do with taking a principled and moral stand.

Obama's Billion-Dollar Giveaway to the Muslim Brotherhood

Universal Background Check Equates to Backdoor Gun Registry

The Closing of the Liberal Mind

The Real Meaning of the New Argentina-Iran Agreement

Immigration Reform News and Impact on US Homeland Security March 4, 2013

The Racism of Gun Control

Iranian Nuclear Situation Update

Monday, March 04, 2013

Monday, March 04, 2013

The Closing of the Liberal Mind 

Posted by Daniel Greenfield @ the Sultan Knish blog 

Suppose that you are a Soviet agent in the 1950s. Your cover is that of an insurance salesman. Of your two "jobs", the Soviet agent part is more important, but you need to be a good insurance salesman to maintain your cover.

 

Being a good insurance salesman doesn't clash with being a good Communist, because your job selling life insurance allows you to pursue your real job. And you cannot conflate the two jobs. You can't sell insurance to your KGB bosses or pitch Communism to your insurance prospects. If you do that, then worlds will collide.

But if Communism is on the way up, then you can stop selling insurance and tell everyone who walks into your office that Communism is their best insurance. You are no longer a Communist who sells insurance. You are just a Communist running an insurance agent's office.

This state of affairs has applications beyond Communism and life insurance.

Suppose you are a liberal in the 1950s. You don't support some gang of reds goosestepping their way across the country and rounding up people into gulags. Nor do you want any of the revolutions that some of the radicals hanging around outside NYU sometimes recite poems about.

You believe that the best pathway to a liberal society is through liberal institutions. You disdain the Marxists with their rigid party orthodoxy for closing off their minds to open inquiry and healthy debate. 

Does it ever end? Mass. Democrats want to give PETA types standing to sue as "animal lawyers"

Mar 05, 2013 05:13 am | Coach Collins

By Kevin "Coach" Collins

There are 200 State Senators and Representatives in Massachusetts. Only 33 are Republicans; the rest are Democrats. Massachusetts sends only Democrats to represent her in the US Senate and Congress. Massachusetts obviously likes being subject to the whims of the hardcore Left which is its choice, but willfully becoming the toys of the power hungry unbalanced has its price. Whenever Democrats gain such total power they become increasingly dangerous and their lunatic streak comes bubbling to the fore.

Not surprisingly, the latest example of what Democrats will do to their subject victims comes from Massachusetts. A New Bedford Democrat has introduced a bill that would hand over the determination of what is and what is not proper and "acceptable" treatment of animals to private citizen PETA types.

As in all other states animal cruelty is already a crime in Massachusetts, but of course writing new freedom restricting laws is seen as ... Continue Reading:Does it ever end? Mass. Democrats want to give PETA types standing to sue as "animal lawyers"

comments | read more

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer

Busting 5 Myths About the Minimum Wage

When someone says "minimum wage," what comes to mind?

Do you think of teenagers flipping burgers? Or a single parent trying to feed several kids?

While President Obama and other proponents of a higher minimum wage want you to visualize that single parent, the truth is that a burger-flipping teenager or college student with a part-time job paints a much more accurate picture of the minimum wage in America.

In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for an increase in the minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 an hour. Today, Democrats in Congress are arguing that the President didn't go far enough, proposing an increase to more than $10 an hour.

Minimum-wage increases reduce the number of entry-level minimum-wage jobs available-actually hurting many of the workers proponents want to help.

And who are these workers?

The President and others keep going back to five key myths about minimum-wage workers. Heritage labor expert James Sherk has already debunked them all.

Myth #1: Hordes of Minimum-Wage Workers

Very few Americans are actually working for the federal minimum wage-it's just 2.9 percent of all workers in the United States.

In other words, 97 percent of American workers make more than minimum wage.

Myth #2: The "Working Poor" Getting By on Minimum Wage

More than half of minimum-wage workers are between the ages of 16 and 24. These young people tend to work part-time, and a majority of them are enrolled in school at the same time-so the after-school burger flipper or college student with a part-time job is the real deal. A hike in the minimum wage primarily raises pay for suburban teenagers, not the working poor.

In fact, America's poor aren't the "working poor" at all. Sherk explains that "Contrary to what many assume, low wages are not their primary problem, because most poor Americans do not work for the minimum wage. The problem is that most poor Americans do not work at all." Cutting down the number of entry-level jobs by raising the minimum wage surely isn't going to help these people who need jobs.

Myth #3: Minimum-Wage Workers Trapped in Poverty

The average family income of a minimum-wage worker is more than $53,000 a year. How is this possible at $7.25 an hour? Few workers with minimum-wage jobs are the primary earners in their families. This is also true of older minimum-wage earners. Three-fourths of workers 25 and older earning the minimum wage live above the poverty line. In fact, 62 percent have incomes over 150 percent of the poverty line.

Myth #4: Lifelong Minimum-Wage Earners

Minimum-wage earners don't stay in those jobs forever. It's easy to get the idea from politicians that "minimum-wage workers" are a permanent class of people. But in fact, two-thirds of minimum-wage workers earn a raise within a year. As they gain experience and employment skills, they become more productive and can command higher wages. Entry-level, minimum-wage jobs are the first rung on many workers' career ladders.

Myth #5: More Single Parents on Minimum Wage

Very few single parents are working full-time in minimum-wage jobs. Unfortunately, politicians overuse that example. A greater proportion of employees in the overall workforce (5.6 percent) are single parents working full-time jobs, while for minimum-wage workers that proportion is 4 percent-because so many minimum-wage workers are secondary earners.

Don't be fooled by the myths. A minimum wage increase will not reduce poverty. Instead, it will hurt many of the workers its proponents want to help. As James Sherk and Rudy Takala sum it up:

A higher minimum wage would help some workers, but few of them are poor. The larger effect is hurting the ability of potential workers living in poverty to get their foot in the door of employment. A minimum wage hike might help politicians win plaudits from the press, but it wouldn't reduce poverty rates.

Today's Headlines:  Tuesday, March 05, 2013

TSA Sealed $50-Million Sequester-Eve Deal to Buy New Uniforms

$253.5B-Obama Borrowed Nearly 6x as Much in February as Sequester Cuts All Year

James Carville as Debt Passes $16.6T: 'The Debt is Going Down'

Please support CNSNews.com to ensure you get THE TRUTH for a long time to come.

American Conservative Union Chair: Legalize Illegal Aliens

Rep. Huelskamp: 'Defund the Implementation of Obamacare'

Waxman on Keystone: 'We Don't Need this Dirty Oil'

White House: 'There is No Price to Meet with the President'

DOJ: Children Do Not Need-and Have No Right to--Mothers

Now you can access all the latest breaking news from CNSNews.com on your smartphone. Check out our mobile website today!

Kerry: 'No Guarantee' That Weapons From U.S. Allies Won't Go to Jihadists

Netanyahu Says Iran Tops the Agenda When Obama Comes to Visit

Early Results in Kenyan Election Favor Candidate Wanted by Int'l Criminal Court

COMMENTARY:

Mandated Wages and Discrimination
By Walter E. Williams
Whether support for minimum wages is motivated by good or by evil, its effect is to cut off the bottom rungs of the economic ladder for the most disadvantaged worker and lower the cost of discrimination.


NEWSPAPER ROUNDUP:

US turns away from coal as other nations embrace it as primary power source
Feds keep hiring with sequester in place: 400 jobs posted on Monday
Dems say sequester will hurt blacks, women more than others
Credit rating agencies shrug off sequester, say more cuts needed
Women's brains smaller than men's, but used more efficiently
Patrick Leahy, Susan Collins roll out bipartisan gun trafficking bill
Study: Gunshot wounds drive up government health care costs
New federal rules for school food will cost millions, group says
Egyptian Christians allege torture at hands of Libyan Islamists
Panel recommends overhauling US doctor payments
Obama's second-term Cabinet to play bigger policy role on climate change
Book: Obama described as 'dithering, controlling, risk-averse' president
Malia Obama dines on rock shrimp, edamame dumplings, lobster fried rice, noodles

Naomi Wolf to Become Al Jazeera's On-Air Jihadess 

Recognizing Naomi Wolf's past achievements in bashing Western civilization, the Qatari-owned news network Al Jazeera is now in negotiations with the renown author of The End of Americato offer her a job as an official on-air jihadess.

Al Jazeera fanatics are now invited to send tips on their next terrorist attack directly to Ms. Wolf at her contact email, so she can set up her satellite truck and report live from the scene, beating the infidel networks.

MORE >> 

The Farce Is Strong With This One

"Even though most people agree that I'm being reasonable; that most people agree I'm presenting a fair deal; the fact that [Republicans] don't take [the sequester deal] means that I should somehow do a Jedi mind-meld with these folks and convince them to do what's right." --Barack Obama, confusing Star Wars and Star Trek

Captain Picard is not amused.

---

'I Have No Idea'

Saturday Night Live hits "Obama," who admits, "I really have no idea about how money works or budgets work." Watch Video » 

---

Girl Scouts Beware

---

---

And Now For Cartoons...