912 Patriots of Lower Bucks - Your Daily Updates ALL in ONE Place!
April 18, 2013
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"What, sir, is the use of militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty... Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins."
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WND EXCLUSIVE
U.S. WAS WARNED OF TERROR ATTACKS
Source: Look for trail through Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
Although it is not known yet who is responsible for Monday's heinous bombings at the Boston Marathon that killed three and injured more than 100 people, a source within Iranian intelligence services told WND the Islamic regime was behind them and to look for trails through Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The source said the bombs were planted near the end of the race so that the horrific images of the blasts would be captured by all the media there and be replayed over and over throughout the world.
A senior commander of the Islamic regime had warned less than two months ago that terrorism was coming to America.
"If the people of America and Europe do not confront the aggressive policies of their governments, they cannot then remain far from the possible future events (terror attacks)," the regime's armed forces deputy chief of staff, Brig. Gen. Masoud Jazayeri, said in a Feb. 23 interview with Fars News Agency, a media outlet run by the Revolutionary Guards. "Al-Qaida groups and other services which operate for the interests of America (in Syria) will soon change the region of their operations and thereafter create new problems for America and Europe."
Jazayeri, objecting to U.S. involvement in the Syrian civil war, warned that explosions similar to those in Syria would take place in other countries.
The Epic Failure of the Intel Agencies on the Boston Bombing
ByPamela Geller
I find it very disconcerting that thirty-six hours (as of this writing) after the Boston terrorist bombing, law enforcement and counterterrorism officials are running hotlines and calls for "anyone seen with an unusually heavy, dark bag" in the Boston area. A $50,000 reward has been offered for clues leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator. Officials are saying that this case is "wide open."
Wide open? Really?
This is where the status of the investigation is. In Europe, and in Israel, whenever there is a terrorist attack, they have someone or some group in their sights or in custody every time. Take 3/11 in Madrid, 7/7 in London, the Glasgow jihad plot -- every jihad attack and jihad plot in Europe, European authorities are right on it, identifying and apprehending the perpetrators. They know exactly who the bad guys are. They know exactly where to go. This is a historical first: that America is not dramatically ahead of the curve, but dramatically behind the curve. So American citizens are now considered expendable, just the way our soldiers are in Afghanistan.
It should bother every American that Europe and Israel are so far ahead of us in intel that we're begging CNN and Fox for clues -- and apparently detaining people who have nothing to do with the bombing, raiding their homes, taking bagfuls of evidence out, and then saying, "Never mind."
Really? The billions that Americans spend for the CIA, FBI, DHS, NSA, JTTF, and all the other various counterterrorism agencies, and they don't have a clue? All they have for us is 1-800-CALL-FBI? This is unconscionable. If that's where we are, disband these incompetent, inane agencies that call jihad "workplace violence" and name Atlas Shrugs as a "domestic hate group," when in fact Atlas Shrugs is battling violence and mass murder across the world. How did this happen eleven years after 9/11?
We know that the bomb mimics the IEDs in Afghanistan and Iraq. We know that it is the same kind of bomb that Faisal Shahzad, the Times Square jihad car bomber, used to try to murder hundreds, if not thousands, on a crowded Saturday night in Times Square. News reports from Boston hospitals said that "patients had completely mangled and destroyed extremities." We know that the recipe for this bomb was published in the al-Qaeda four-color glossy, Inspire magazine. These bombs were designed to cut through bone and flesh and mutilate as many humans as possible. And we have nothing almost two days into the bombing? As an American, I'm ashamed.
It's unconscionable that they would allude to jihad with the taking into custody of the Saudi national, who was a devout Muslim from Medina -- and this was run not only in the New York Post, but on CBS and in mainstream media websites -- and then say, "Never mind." Of course counter-jihad websites would run these stories. It's what we do. But the last thing we want to do is smear anyone, because we have experienced the very same smear. If Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi was completely innocent of any involvement in the attacks, law enforcement officials bear a tremendous responsibility for the besmirching of his name.
Who's running the investigation? The Keystone Kops?
Egyptian Cleric: Boston Bombing Was Meant to Deliver a Message; Similar Attacks Expected in France
Obama Administration SLASHED Budget for Domestic Bombing Prevention
April 17, 2013
Barack Obama's administration has cut the budget nearly in half for preventing domestic bombings, MailOnline can reveal.
Under President George W. Bush, the Department of Homeland Security had $20 million allocated for preventing the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by terrorists working inside the United States. The current White House has cut that funding down to $11 million.
That assessment comes from Robert Liscouski, a former Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection, in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15 that killed three Americans and injured at least 173 others.
He told MailOnline that the Obama-era DHS is, on the whole, about as well-positioned as it was during the Bush administration to handle the aftermath of the April 15 bombings in Boston, 'but the Obama administration has continued to cut the budget for offices such as the Office for Bombing Prevention from $20 million started under Bush, to $11 million today.'
We need 25 more people for the bus trip next Tuesday to Harrisburg!
Your involvement and support of Concerned Gun Owners of Bucks County has made an impact both statewide and nationally. Last week we were interviewed on a nationally syndicated NPR talk show and also appeared on Channel 3 Eyewitness News.
The word is out - we are the ONLY Pennsylvania group that is focused exclusively on the Second Amendment. Nest Tuesday is our first chance to show our presence statewide at the Second Amendment Action Day sponsored by Daryl Metcalfe. We will also see Daryl a week later where is our featured speaker at our April 30th meeting at the Warminster VFW.
To make the bus trip possible so that we have a presence,we need an additional 25 people to sign up by Friday at the latest.
At the rally we will show support for Metcalf's HB 357 bill and visit key legislatures to introduce ourselves to them as the only 2nd Amendment organization in PA. We have drawn our line in the sand and refuse to give an inch in protecting the Second Amendment. The most impactful action that we can take to get politician's attention is to show a physical presence. If you are able to come, please make the trip. We will provide drinks and T-Shirts. The bus leaves promptly at 7am from the Library in Doylestown and will leave Harrisburg by 2pm. Please mail your check for $50 to arrive by Fridayto:
CGOBC PO Box 745 Doylestown PA, 18974
For further Information or to let us know that you are coming contact Steve Onufrey 215-460-8888, onufrey@verizon.net.
We look forward to see you there as we stand firm on the 2nd Amendment. We will not budge from our peaceful line in the sand!
Molon Labe
Updated PA Leadership Conference Agenda Released
The conference which will be held April 19-20, 2013 at the Radisson Penn Harris Convention Center in Camp Hill (Harrisburg), PA.
Registration includes admission to all conference functions EXCEPT the pre-dinner reception. Registration DOES include the Friday evening dinner with speaker Steve Hayes of Fox News/The Weekly Standard (do not register separately for the dinner); the Saturday breakfast with John Gizzi and Saturday lunch with pollster/commentator Scott Rasmussen. It also includes all panels, workshops and speakers. The only function NOT included in the registration fee is the pre-dinner reception with Steve Hayes, which is priced separately.
Urgent action required It is urgent that every gun owner call their Senators today and demand that they oppose the "See a Shrink, Lose your Guns" sell-out bill that is being authored by Senators Pat Toomey (R) and Joe Manchin (D) - but which also has Chuck Schumer's fingerprints all over it. Call immediately at 202-224-3121.
See a Shrink, Lose your Guns The anti-gun "ranters" have spent the last week telling us that Republican Senators can't filibuster Harry Reid's gun control bill; that they can't cut off debate to a bill they haven't seen yet. "Let the bill come up," they say. "We need to see the bill" before Senators can vote against cloture in order to proceed to it. An unintended conscequence could be people afraid to seek help for depression or anxiety for fear of loosing their right to bear arms.
Repeal of gun owner protections In addition, Toomey no doubt unintentionally agreed to repeal one of the most important protections for gun owners that was included in the 1986 McClure-Volkmer Act - the provision that would allow you to take an unloaded, locked-up gun through states like New York without being stopped. Under a new subsection (c), the Toomey-Manchin-Schumer bill would require you to "demonstrate" to the satisfaction of New York police where you were coming from and where you are going to. And, if you don't do that to their satisfaction, they can arrest you.
Nothing is this bill would actually make children safer at schools. There is nothing that will actually keep bad guys from stealing or illegally acquiring guns, but there's plenty that will threaten our gun rights!
ACTION: Click here to contact your two senators immediately. Tell them the "see a shrink; lose your guns" sellout is even worse than the Feinstein gun ban which will reportedly be on the same amendment tree with it. Distribute this alert far and wide.
Three (3) Important Dates for Your Calendar-April 2013
We need people to RSVP so we know how to plan!
Thursday, April 25th-KTP 4 Year Anniversary
(This date was changed from Friday, April 26th to the above date)
Where: The Standard Club, Doylestown (formerly The Moose) Time: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Please join us for pizza and light refreshments to see where it all began.
Speakers from our original 04/18/09 event will be there to discus where we are now and what direction we will be going forward.
We have heard back from Pat Bachtle, Candidate for Prothonotary,and Tom Lingenfelter, Candidate for Sheriff. They will talk for a few minutes and take questions from the audience.
State Representative Marguerite Quinn is Speaking as well.
We will also hear from some folks from the movement including our very own Steve Onufrey.
Depart: Doylestown Library When: 7:30 a.m. Arrive: Harrisburg, PA Depart: 2:30 p.m. Cost: $50.00 due ASAP to reserve bus(es) Includes: Shirt, Drink
This is a very important event! We need to be heard here in Pennsylvania or we will end up like New York. The Founding Fathers would be cheering us on!!! Don't forget you get a shirt and lunch with this ticket.
For more information please call or email Steve Onufrey at:
Please mail your check payable to CGOBC as follows:
CGOBC PO Box 745 Doylestown, PA 18901
Come join the Concerned Gun Owners of Bucks County (COGBC) on their bus trip to Harrisburg to promote H.B. 357. Plan on entering the capital to meet with your legislators and to support your 2nd Ammendment Right!
April 16, 2013, 8 PM
Dear Members and Friends,
As we learn the details of the 2013 Boston Massacre, we can't help but remember how important it is for law abiding citizens to be able to defend themselves.
On Tuesday, April 23, PA State Representative Daryl Metcalfe will be leading a Second Amendment Action Day in Harrisburg! We will be in attendence to lend our support.
If you are interested in joining us, we are organizing a bus trip with pick up points in Willow Grove and King of Prussia. For details, including pricing, click the link below.
As you well know, the Independence Hall Tea Party Association rarely sends out appeals to raise money for itself.
We are very sensitive to the fact that you are inundated with requests for funds from countless conservative organizations and tea party groups.
There is, however, one major difference between our organization and many others. We are an all volunteer Association. We have no six or seven-figure salaried positions. We have no salaried positions at all.
Our only goal is to effectively serve our nation with the hope of returning it to greatness.
Of course, you are the ultimate judge of whether or not we are effective.
If you think there is value in our work, we hope you'll send a contribution.
As we stated on Monday, our goal is to raise $5000.
This will help us close a small debt and plan for our 5th Annual Independence Day Celebration. The 2013 theme is "Preserving America's Heritage!"
We are grateful for contributions large and small. If each member or friend sent just
$5, we would surpass our goal many times over.
As an extra incentive:
* Those giving a $25 donation will receive an Independence Hall Tea Party
t-shirt as our thank you.
* Those giving a $50 donation will receive an Independence Hall Tea Party
golf shirt as our thank you.
* Those giving a $100 donation will receive an Independence Hall Tea Party
golf shirt and a signed copy of Amity Shlaes book, Coolidge.
Those of you who were listening Dom Giordano, yesterday, hopefully caught his interview with the charming Amity Shlaes (below), author of Coolidge and The Forgotten Man, and the scheduled keynote speaker of our 5th Annual April T.E.A. Party.
Dom will be making his 5th consecutive appearance at this traditional April event. He will speak and moderate the Q & A Session with Ms. Shlaes.
Also joining us--the magnificent 286 Band! They were with us at our very first April T.E.A. Party in 2009.
This year's event will be held Sunday, April 28, 3-5 PM, in the Ballroom of the
Independence Visitor Center. Further exciting details will soon be announced. Please save the date!
We hope to see you soon!
On behalf of the Association Board,
Teri Adams
The Independence Hall Tea Party Association is a regional, tri-state (DE, PA,NJ) grassroots organization encompassing the 5th largest media market in the United States. It officially formed in May, 2009 after holding two highly successful Tea Parties earlier that year.
Its mission is to educate the general public regarding the principles of limited government as enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. (Visit us @ www.IndependenceHallTeaParty.com.)
We are so blessed that over the last four years thousands of churches in over 60 countries have stood in solidarity with Israel through CUFI Sunday. From the largest cities to the smallest towns, from mega churches in the American heartland to underground churches in China, Christians have come together to express their love and support for Israel.
We pray that your church will participate in the fifth annual CUFI Sunday on May 5, 2013. CUFI will provide you with all the materials you need to implement a successful CUFI Sunday, including videos, literature and Pastor John Hagee's personal sermon notes for your use.
Please click hereto participate in CUFI Sunday. As you'll see, you don't have to be a pastor to ensure that your church stands with Israel on CUFI Sunday.
The date we've chosen for CUFI Sunday -- May 5th -- is close to Israeli Independence Day. As the Jewish State celebrates her 65th birthday, there is no better present we can send than the news of thousands of churches standing in solidarity with her!
We look forward to uniting in action and prayer on behalf of Israel with you and your congregation on May 5, 2013.
May God Bless You and Those that You Love,
Pastor John Hagee National Chairman
David Brog Executive Director
Brigitte Gabriel to Speak
in Baltimore, MD!
Brigitte Gabriel
Leading Global Islamic Terrorism Expert
CLICK HERE to view Brigitte's special video invitation!
It is my privilege to invite you to a special event featuring Brigitte Gabriel, Founder and President of ACT! for America. This event is free and open to the public and will be held at the following:
Central Christian
7411 Rossville Blvd. Baltimore, MD 21237
Monday, May 6th at 7 pm
Ms. Gabriel will speak on the rise of Islamic radicalism in your community and in our nation. Her story of survival as a persecuted Christian living in a bomb shelter for 7 years will have you captivated and inspired! She will share how the events of 9/11 compelled her to start ACT! for America, the largest national security grassroots organization in the U.S.
The recent assaults at our embassies have been a sobering wake-up call to America. The lesson is that we should be displaying strength to our enemies, not appeasement which only demonstrates our weakness. Without question, the threats of radical Islam to America have increased.
These are just some of the threats Brigitte will discuss:
Suppression of criticism of Islam
Homegrown jihad
Terrorists infiltrating our borders
The Muslim Brotherhood and creeping sharia law in America
Misrepresentation of history in our public education
You will hear first-hand how ACT! for America is successfully rolling back the tide of radical Islam...how we are winning legislative victories...how we don't have to live in fear or resign ourselves to the inevitability of the threats arrayed against us...and how we will prevail.
I encourage you to forward this email to everyone you know. For those who are not familiar with ACT! for America, please share this short video with them.
I know those of you who have heard Brigitte will agree, not only do you not want to miss this, but you will want to bring your relatives and friends with you. It will be an event people will be talking about for a long time to come!
Invite your friends and come join us in Baltimore, MD! We look forward to seeing you on May 6th
Guy Rodgers Executive Director
$25 OFF Bus if you register before April 22 $25 OFF Participation if you register before April 22
June 19 - 21 we will convene at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC for our fourth annual National Conference & Legislative Briefing.
And here's some really great news: This year's registration fee is only $229! Register by April 15th and you'll receive our "Early Bird" rate of just $189!
We also offer again this year special benefits for Patriot Eagle and Patriot sponsors.
We have some exciting new wrinkles planned for this year's event, and our list of confirmed speakers already includes:
Steven Emerson - Journalist, author, and the Executive Editor of the Investigative Project on Terrorism. A. M. Rosenthal, late-managing editor of The New York Times, described Emerson as "one of the nation's best national security correspondents."
John Guandolo - Former FBI agent and one of America's leading authorities on the Muslim Brotherhood and its inner workings in America. Guandolo spoke at our conference in 2011 and received rave reviews from conference attendees!
Ezra Levant - Canadian lawyer, author, newspaper columnist with Sun Media, and former publisher of the Western Standard. Hauled before a Canadian "human rights commission" because he published the Danish cartoons that satirized Muhammad, Levant's personal account of a politically correct government inquisition is something you won't want to miss!
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.
It will again feature our very popular Capitol Hill Awards Luncheon and our signature gala banquet-and of course, our Legislative Briefing, where Members of Congress will brief you on various issues and answer your questions.
So make your plans now to join us in our nation's capital for what promises to be our best National Conference & Legislative Briefing ever!
More details to come!
As Israelis celebrate their 65th Independence Day this year, we should all take time out to reflect on the miracle of Israel's independence. We must also ask ourselves the question, "What can I do to ensure that this miracle of Israel survives and thrives?"
We announced earlier this week that we'll be headed to New Orleans the first weekend in August for this year's RedState Gathering. As a member of our RedState family, we'd like to extend exclusive Early Bird registration and pricing to you (just use the promo code EARLYBIRD on the registration page).
The 2013 RedState Gathering will be held August 2-3 at the Westin Canal Place in New Orleans, LA. We'll have two full days of speakers and activities and you can expect a good mix of elected officials and potential candidates for the 2014 cycle (we'll keep you informed as additions are made).
The Gathering has always been a unique event, in that all speakers, even the most in-demand and influential, pay their own way and make their own travel arrangements. This helps keep our costs low, a savings we are happy to pass along to our conference attendees. Additionally, we strive to get you up close to the speakers, ask them to take your questions, and we take care of nearly all your meals during the conference. Bottom line: fewer frills, more thrills and access.
We are thrilled to once again be joined by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who will be hosting a reception for all attendees and appear at the Gathering podium as a keynote speaker. A huge hit in 2012, we're looking forward to Gov. Jindal playing an even larger role this year as he welcomes us to his home state.
Now, more than ever, true conservative activists must come together to exchange ideas and strategize for the future. That's what this year's Gathering is all about. We hope you'll join us.
P.S. Don't delay! You'll receive 20% off if you register today - just use the promo code EARLYBIRD. Click here.
From a trusted friend:
As some of you may know, I am associated with Coventry Christian Schools as a parent of a graduate (2010) and as member of the Board of Trustees. Last October we spent a wonderful evening honoring Mark Niehls at our revitalized Founder's Dinner and celebrated our shared heritage in the remarkable community that is Coventry Christian Schools. Our vision for future Founder's Dinners is to inspire and inform not only our alumni and current CCS families but to inspire and inform the Tri-County Area and even our region by hosting speakers and artists who can uniquely assist us in celebrating the heritage, core values, and mission of CCS while also lifting our vision for an even greater future built upon the foundation of our past. The caliber of our speakers and guest artists should provide us with wonderful opportunities to share our CCS story with new partners in Christian education. Proceeds from the dinner will be applied to our annual Coventry Kids Fund for CCS scholarships.
This year we are proud to announce that our distinguished guest and speaker is Dr. Benjamin Carson, and our dinner's theme is "Faith of Our Fathers: The Role of Faith in American Schools." Please join us as we welcome Dr. Carson to the Tri-County Area and celebrate the great things God is doing at CCS!
Dr. Carson is a highly regarded neurosurgeon and motivational speaker who has addressed various audiences across the country. He is one of the most honored and recognized physicians in the world and holds more than 60 honorary doctorate degrees along with hundreds of awards and citations. He is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. He is the author of five books and is the founder of the Carson Scholars Fund. The 2009 award-winning movie entitled Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. as Carson, premiered on TNT and is based on his memoir. Dr. Carson is an authentic disciple of Christ, has been married to his wife Candy for more than 37 years, and is the father of three sons.
The 2013 Founder's Dinner, which will once again be a part of our Homecoming festivities, will be held at the historic Sunnybrook Ballroom in Pottstown on Sunday, October 13th, 2013. Doors will open at 4:30pm, followed by dinner at 5:15. Dress will be business/professional. Tickets will be priced at $100 until May 15th, then will be $125, so reserve your tickets for the reduced price.
Due to Dr. Carson's international reputation and recent prominence in the media, including his recent speech at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, we fully anticipate that this event will sell out quickly once advertised to the public. Tickets go on sale to the public April 15. If you are interested in attending, tickets can be purchased online. I will send the link out to those who wish to go on April 15
th
. While online reservations are preferred because they facilitate efficient event planning, you may also complete a paper order form, which I can forward to you as well.
All of us at Coventry Christian Schools, look forward to sharing this very special evening with you and acquainting you with the school and its mission!
Blessings,
Christine Gordon
Sponsorships are available as well and are as follows:
Gold Sponsor $3,000
Two tickets at Speaker's Table
Two tickets at Headmaster's Table
Listed as sponsor on school website through 12 months post event
Listed as sponsor on pre-event print marketing
Mentioned by name at event
Full Page ad in Dinner Program
Silver Sponsor $1,500
Two tickets at Speaker's Table
Listed as sponsor on school website through 12 months post event
Half page ad in Dinner Program
Bronze Sponsor $500
Two tickets at Headmaster's Chairman's or Founder's Table
Listed as sponsor on school website through 12 months post event
·Quarter page ad in Dinner Program
Heritage Foundation weighs in on Common Core
By Rachel Sheffield April 11, 2013: Policy Analyst, The Heritage Foundation (courtesy of Citizens' Alliance of Pennsylvania)This coming school year, Pennsylvania public schools will begin implementing the Common Core education standards. Like many other states, Common Core standards are quickly making their way into the classroom. While proponents of the standards continue to champion their predicted benefits, there is significant cause for concern.First, the standards represent a massive federal overreach. The Obama Administration jumped on board from the get go, promoting national education standards, via policy and federal taxpayer dollars, as part of their education agenda. Billions of federal dollars have gone towards and are continuing to fund, the promotion and implementation of these standards nationwide. The federal government's involvement with the standards should be alarming. Pushing state and local leaders away from classroom curriculum is not only a breach in federalism but gives parents, teachers, and communities less say over what children learn in school. Education experts have also raised alarm over the quality of the standards. Sandra Stotsky, Professor of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas, has particularly expressed concern over the English Language Arts. Common Core's ELA standards reduce emphasis on literature by promoting the study of "informational texts." Stotsky says
, "A diminished emphasis on literature in the secondary grades makes it unlikely that American students will study a meaningful range of culturally and historically significant literary works before graduation. It also prevents students from acquiring a rich understanding and use of the English language. Perhaps of greatest concern, it may lead to a decreased capacity for analytical thinking."
Common Core goes SOCIAL MEDIA!!! Please share with everyone you know and help us make this a huge success. MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!! Not a TWITTER person.....grab a kid and have some fun.
Parent-Led Reform (@ParentLedReform) will host a Twitter Rally on April 16, 2013 which will start will go from 12:00p-2:00p (EST). We will discuss how the Common Core State Standards effect your family, community and schools? We invite you to participate.
There will be an expert panel and several organizations that will discuss#StopCommonCore. So far I know the panel will consist of:
I'll update with a live link for the Twitter Rally (or you can just follow the hashtag #StopCommonCore) and as the expert panel is finalized.
Update: Be sure to RSVP with the Facebook event invite, this will help keep you up to date with pertinent info.
The whole story on Common Core
Read the sourced and footnoted response to the National Review Online and get all the facts you need to know about Common Core HERE. Compiled by American Principles project and Glenn's research team.
Common Core is the new set of federal education standards being pushed by the Obama administration and several leftist organizations but it's even seeing some support from some conservatives.
defending Common Core, and Glenn gave the definitive response on radio today."Common Core is something that we didn't really get for quite some time and again it's something we've learned from the 9/12 project and concerned parents all around the country that have been bringing this to our attention. When we started in on this work, we thought it was pretty bad. The more we do, the worse it becomes," Glenn said.
Below are some of the points made by the National Review Online in defense of Common Core, followed by Glenn's response.
Today on radio, Glenn gave the definitive response. See that and get all the sources to back it up HERE.
Students in some Albany High School English classes were asked to participate in the unthinkable this week as part of a persuasive writing assignment. The objective? Prove why Jews are evil and convince the teacher of their loyalty to the Third Reich in five paragraphs or less. See the actual lessonHERE.
A concerned parent tipped off TheBlaze to the disturbing fact that NY public schools are teaching the U.N.'s Socialist-leaning Universal Human Rights. We also discovered that the schools are delivering this indoctrination using videos made by the Church of Scientology. Learn what our investigation revealedHERE.
TheBlaze has been at the forefront in uncovering the disturbing details of the nationalized curriculum standard known as Common Core. One of the most troubling aspects of this federal program is that government bureaucrats are currently mining sensitive and highly personal information on children through Common Core's tracking system. Watch the powerful segments from The Glenn Beck Program HERE.
Pennsylvanians Against Common Core Facebook page has nearly 450 "friends" which is 8 times that of the pro-Core Facebook page!
Pennsylvanians Against Common Core website has had incredible traffic
We have been contacted by email by many interested parties looking for help and materials in getting the word out and in fighting Common Core. Below are some items that should be of interest to you:
Speakers - Cheryl Boise of the Commonwealth Education Organization will be coordinating speakers that can be available to speak to groups around the state on the subject. You can contact her at: ceb@ceopa.org
Flyers - We have designed an informative flyer for handout at school board meetings, political events and to your friends that should be ready in 10 days. We have ordered 10,000 of these flyers and can mail them out to you upon request when received (be patient). Attached is a one page flyer for your use now that you can print out for distribution.
Suggestion on Curriculum - Many people are telling us that their legislators are arguing that Common Core does NOT control curriculum it only sets standards. We will shortly have a piece debunking that, but in order to not to get lost in a hopeless argument you may just want to call them "national standards" when writing letters to the editor or communicating with your legislator rather than stating that Common Core determines curriculum.
Rallies - Stay tuned, they will be coming at the appropriate time...
State Board of Education Meetings - Please be advised that the PA State Board of Education did hold meetings that technically were open to the public to discuss Common Core prior to voting to enact CCS, but were not well publicized and in some cases were held in buildings with restricted access.
Petition and Passion - the comments that are posted by petition signatories tell a great story of the passion generated by this usurpation of our local and states rights.
Gennell from Reading says: Our family stands firmly against Common Core. Please be advised that our votes WILL depend on your vote against this education standard that would destroy education as we know it.
Amanda from Montgomery County says: Stop this NOW!
Deborah from Dauphin County says: "Stop Common Core and let the local authorities and the PARENTS decide how to educate their children. This is morally wrong."
Susan from Mount Holly Springs says: "Governor Corbett, We do not need Common Core in our schools. Please leave the education of my children alone. "
Michael from Pittsburgh says: "This is an absolute outrage and a violation of our parental rights and state sovereignty."
John from Erie says: "Common Core secondary math education is substandard. Classical literature is being left out in a mad attempt to teach to the test."
Action items:
Contact Secretary of Education Ronald Tomalis at rtomalis@pa.gov and 717-783-6788 and ask him reconsider advancement of Common Core and to hold open well publicized meetings to discuss. Contact your legislator in the PA House and Senate Education Committees and ask them to hold hearings on CCS and to oppose. Please pass on the links to our website and Facebook page to all of your contacts Print and pass out our one page flyer to friends and at meetings. in your area
What information is being collected on your kids through Common Core?
TheBlaze TV subscribers can watch past episodes covering Common Core and CSCOPE. The March 14th episode focused on Common Core and the March 7th episode focused on CSCOPE. Not a subscriber? Sign up HERE.
Glenn has spent a lot of time over the past few weeks exposing some of the education initiatives in states across the country that are indoctrinating kids into the radical progressive agenda. Today, Glenn discussed an issue tied into Common Core that many people aren't aware of: data mining.
"We cover many important stories and topics on this program, but I don't think any could be more important than what we are covering tonight: the progressive takeover of America's schools,"
OK....when they look at you like you have a tin foil hat on your head......take some of this information with you. It is 126 pages. I have not read through the entire document (YET) but what I have read is enough to blow off the top of your head. I have highlighted some stuff. KIPP (Charter Schools) has a CHARACTER REPORT CARD on Page 39. So for now start on page 39 and work your way through to page 45. Remember FERPA laws were changed last year and I am sure not one parent is aware that permission to share information about our children no longer requires parental consent. Obama just slipped all these new changes in and I don't believe any parents were ever asked their opinions about these changes. And where was our Republican Congress when this happened???
AGENDA 21 is: The complete control and inventory of every human activity. After your friends read some of this information ask them if they still believe A21 is not real. Chapter 36 of A21 document is devoted to education.
Our government forgets there are still people alive that can think and see through their garbage.
Print this document and get a highlighter...........then start visiting your neighbors, school boards, elected officials and start screaming. GET COMMON CORE AND THE GOVERNMENT out of our class rooms. I think it is time to start a MASS movement for Home Schooling. I know Home Schooling will not be spared. This should be a movement to bring education back to the local level and DESTROY the Federal Department of Education. If our kids are not in school it will create an uprising at all levels. We should not settle for shutting down Common Core because they will masquerade it....they are already doing this in VA. VA supposedly never signed on to Common Core but GUESS WHAT........they ARE implementing Common Core and disguising it from the citizens in VA....of course they aren't doing a good job of hiding it and people in VA are catching on. Our schools have been in the process of a government take over (in earnest) for more than 20 years. If we don't shut down the Department of Education it will never stop. We have to cause a citizen uprising!!
Here is the U.S. Department of Education - Office of Educational Technology document:
"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests"- Patrick Henry
To fix "THE SYSYEM" We must become "THE SYSTEM" - k. bracken "The change we seek has always required great struggle and great sacrifice." - Barack Hussein Obama "The man who speaks to you of sacrifice, speaks of slaves and masters. And intends to be the master." - Ayn Rand
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.
Ready to take action? Click here to contact your TV provider and urge them to add TheBlaze.
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!
Sirius XM adds TheBlaze Radio News to Patriot channel
Sirius XM Radio announced today that TheBlaze, Glenn Beck's multi-platform news, information, and opinion network, will produce 24/7 hourly radio newscasts on SiriusXM Patriot, SiriusXM's conservative talk channel. DETAILS
Hi All - I just spoke w/ Lisa Lnancollas@aol.com (717 437 1327) who lives in Lewistown, Pa and is majorly involved in fighting the smart meters............and it's more than just electric, it's water, furnaces/ac's and wells too
We need to share this information. I asked her if she'd speak to groups in our area and she said yes, but would like to include Mike Reese who's written several bills that we want to get out of committee and approved:
2.signs in our yards saying NO SMART METERS......put them around like election signs
3.Let our State Reps know how you feel ie Warren Kampf....tell him you're in favor of the bills against smart meters
4.Do neighbor alerts........call your neighbors if you see trucks coming into the area
5.Write letters to the editors....remember if they get several letters, they're more likely to put at least one in.....educate the public
6.Prepare handouts
7.Send certified letter to electric company and get return receipt of name of person who signed for it
Be aware:
Water Smart Meters.........(IF YOU LET THEM IN, you're giving permission.) YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LET THEM IN
Well Smart Meters......are coming and will limit the amount of water you use.
If you get someone knocking on your door asking if you want to save money on your heat/ac, do not say yes or they'll put a clip on your unit that will limit your usage of air conditioning. The fan will work, but your usage will be CONTROLLED.
IF you get a new wall mount (thermostat & it may be required w/ a new ac unit because of the wiring) for your AC DO NOT GET ONE WITH A GPS in it........there is a cheaper model that has no GPS........ask questions BEFORE you start or consider any changes!!!!!!!!
Important Announcement from SFL
Across America, state and local officials are writing bills and resolutions to protect citizen's from Agenda 21's policies. Because many people do not recognize Agenda 21 in action, property owners still remain at risk.
To help officials recognize Agenda 21's footprint, SFL created a document in a Q&A format that answers:
How do I know Agenda 21 exists in the U.S.?
What does Agenda 21 have to do with sustainable development?
What is wrong with the Brundtland Commission's definition of sustainable development?
How do I know the UN's sustainable development is the same one in our community?
I thought sustainable development is good, what makes you think it is so bad?
How can something like this happen in America?
How will I recognize Agenda 21?
The document has a lot more information for community members and officials, including a brief history of Agenda 21 and actions to take to have safe planning without top-down intervention.
Grants issued in conjunction with government 'sustainability initiatives' contain stipulations or implementation practices that are the primary doorway for Agenda 21/sustainable development to enter your community. These stipulations often require no growth boundaries, income integration through low-income housing demands, reduced vehicle usage, healthy cities, livability principles and other forms of social engineering.
Other grants issued by non-profit groups such as the Packard, Pew or Carnegie Foundations, frequently promote Agenda 21. Often this happens when HUD or some other federal agency funds the foundation with the money they in turn offer as a sustainability-related grant.
Non-governmental organizations:
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) including ICLEI, the Nature Conservancy, American Farmland Trust and the American Planning Association have close ties to HUD-EPA-DOT sustainability initiatives and promote Agenda 21 through their regional and community work, conservation easements and funding.
Federal agencies:
Federal agency Acts including the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and Endangered Species Act have so expanded, that individual's rights are losing way to unfounded and often exaggerated endangerment findings. The solutions to their findings invariably require fines, taxes, property rights' infringements or the outright transfer of private lands to the government.
Preservation programs, National Parks, Historic Places and Byways, Heritage Sites and Legacy Forest programs have exceeded prudent land and species' protection and are now confiscating massive quantities of the U.S. land mass in alignment with Agenda 21 principles.
The planning process:
Planners' surveys - contain unfair questions that do not express all of resident's options
Consensus meetings - are conducted in ways that elicit responses that support the planner's goals rather than genuine community desires
Visioning sessions- may be over-conducted to the point that the vision belongs to the facilitator and only appears to be that of the community.
Stakeholder meetings - can produce misleading results when the stakeholders do not represent the average community member. Frequently the "stakeholders" have a financial or ideological interest in implementing the plan.
Zoning regulations - originating with the American Planning Association (and others,) contains language that establishes the legal framework to implement Agenda 21 in communities. HUD, other federal agencies and firms such as Siemens funded the development of the APA's Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook, 2nd ed. These supporters all have a stake in Agenda 21's implementation.
Conservation easements - often contain undiscussed clauses that severely restrict property owners' rights, reduce property values and favor the land trust for future contract changes.
Regionalism:
Regional councils replace much of the local officials' authority with unelected boardmembers.
As the regional council matures, local rule diminishes, leaving citizens with more distant and reduced representation.
Once a region is formed, the ability to oppose sustainable development is limited.
Generally, when the regional council accepts grant monies, all tethered communities are bound by the grant stipulations.
Regional planning often includes tax base sharing which promotes wealth transfer by forcing community members to pay for services in other locations.
Regional planning often includes "no growth boundaries" that force housing into urban and inner ring suburban areas. This reduces homebuyers' choices and artificially inflates the value of some properties, while reducing it for others.
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.
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.
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
America needs a history lesson
Sign up now for Hillsdale's newest online courses - available FREE to every American!
Did you know that over 500,000 other students have already registered for one of our free online courses?
As Ronald Reagan once said during a speech delivered on our campus in 1978, "Hillsdale deserves the appreciation of all who labor for freedom...Your creative outreach on national issues enables little Hillsdale to cast a long shadow."
As a school of only 1,400 students, we reach over 350 TIMES that number with our online courses on the Constitution and America's founding principles.
Now is your chance to join with your fellow citizens!
Register now for this free "American Heritage" online course so you can better understand - and defend - the principles of liberty. This is the type of education America's Founders thought necessary to preserve our republic. Lectures in this not-for-credit online course are delivered by members of Hillsdale's history department faculty, and readings are drawn from the American Heritage Reader used in the American Heritage core course taught on Hillsdale's campus.
Course Schedule
Approximately 40 minutes in length, lectures will be released each Monday according to the schedule below. Once available, each week's materials can be viewed at your convenience.
33 East College Street ~ Hillsdale, Michigan 49242
Gun Owners of America
We Won a Stunning Victory Today!
"Schumer's spokesman Brian Fallon took note of Gun Owners of America's role in the debate, tweeting a link to the [New York] Times profile and saying the group 'is making deal on even background checks extremely hard.'" - TPM Media, "Democrats Blame Gun Owners of America for Gun Control Setback," April 8, 2013
You guys did it. We all did it - together!
For four months, the laughing hyenas on MSNBC and in the White House have been cackling hysterically about the "bitter clingers" who actually own guns and value the Second Amendment.
Well, who's laughing now?
The TPM quote above indicated - more than a week ago - that things weren't going well for anti-gun Democrats. The New York Times also lamented on April 3 that:
The group [GOA] has already been successful in both freezing senators, particularly Republicans, who have appeared to be on the fence about supporting bills to expand background checks.
Have you ever wondered if your activism makes any difference at all? Well, today, you saw a dramatic answer to that question, as we won an incredible victory.
You guys scorched the Senate offices with phone calls. Many of you reported to us that their phones were ringing endlessly (as they were busy handling other calls) ... that in many cases your Senator's mailboxes were full ... and in some cases, that they even hung up on you.
Today was a textbook example of how grassroots activism makes a difference! But even still, you can be sure that the gun grabbers will be back soon, trying hard to resurrect this issue.
And that's why your GOA will remain ever vigilant and will alert you to any proposed infringements of your liberty.
Here are the highlights of what happened today:
(1) The most important vote was the Toomey-Manchin-Schumer national gun registry proposal. With 60 votes needed for passage, the Toomey-Manchin-Schumer amendment was shot down by a vote of 54-46.
GOA and NRA strongly opposed the Toomey-Manchin-Schumer amendment. But we were surprised to see that another gun group - not only said they supported the Toomey language, but - said they helped write the Toomey-Manchin-Schumer text. Thankfully, their support for this gun control language was not enough to get it passed.
(2) The Cornyn-Vitter-Thune amendment - pushed hard by Gun Owners of America - received a 57-43 vote (so we fell three votes short since 60 were needed). This provision would have allowed concealed carry holders and persons in constitutional carry states to carry nationwide. The overwhelming vote on this amendment sets the stage for bringing it up again and again on must-pass legislation.
(3) As predicted, the Feinstein gun ban lost by a vote of 40-60 - falling far short of a majority - and the magazine ban lost by a vote of 46-54.
Today is a day to celebrate! We thank God for all of you and for all the Help that we have received in this long struggle to stop infringements of our liberties.
Here's what is still left for tomorrow.
Harry Reid's bill (S. 649) is still on the floor of the Senate, and there are two scheduled votes that will take place tomorrow. Eventually, the Senate will vote on whether to end debate on the bill (known as cloture), but that vote won't necessarily take place tomorrow. The Senate will need 60 votes to end debate, but if they can't reach that threshold, the bill effectively dies.
So GOA is telling Senators to vote AGAINST cloture on the bill, whenever that vote comes.
ACTION: We think that we can defeat cloture on final passage of the bill. But, to be safe, GOA is encouraging activists to contact their Senators and urge them oppose cloture! You can reach them at 202-224-3121.
Amnesty Carve Out for Facebook But No Mercy for Jobless Americans!
Amnesty Carve Out for Facebook But No Mercy for Jobless Americans!
In the wee hours of the morning, the Gang of 8 released its 844-page amnesty bill, S. 744, titled "Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.'' It is being called the most sweeping piece of Amnesty legislation our nation has ever seen.
The bill allows illegal immigrants to immediately work legally in the U.S., but provides NO border security triggers. The bill only offers a plan to secure the border at some future time. According to immigration expert Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies, this bill actually weakens border enforcement.
According to Roy Beck of Numbers USA, whose office has closely monitored the drafting of the bill, "The bill reads as if the authors have been out of the country during these last five years of high unemployment. Nearly every section of the bill seems to add more foreign workers to compete with unemployed and underemployed Americans."
Additionally, the Gang of 8 continues to try to railroad the bill through the Senate without proper hearings and consideration of amendments, at the risk of not allowing the compromises necessary to secure the bill. The bill breaks all the Gang of 8's promises to protect American jobs, secure the borders, and write the bill in an open and transparent way.
It gets worse. Details are leaking of the obscene payoffs to corporations. For example, Facebook, led by 28-year-old multi-billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, managed to secure a carve out in the immigration bill that gives the company a "workaround" to evade the limit on the number of H-1B visas allowed. The bill also exempts Facebook and other high-tech companies from the requirement to make "good faith" efforts to hire Americans before getting H-1B visas to hire foreigners.
This Amnesty bill is a travesty in every regard, and it must be stopped. Call your Senators at (202) 224-3121 and get your friends and family to call and keep calling.Senators need to hearan overwhelming NO from their constituents!
The word comprehensive is usually attached to current references to immigration reform, but the Gang of Eight's bill is stumbling over reform of guestworkers. That's the biggest bone of contention between pro-amnesty and anti-amnesty folk.
I remember it so clearly - a memory you can only remember so clearly when it is from sadness. You can't let it go.
I was sitting in the mud by the rear passenger side tire of my old Acura cradling my one year old in the steady, driving rain. I was sobbing doing my best not to fall apart in front of my little girl. But the tears ran. My throat hurt as I tried to suppress the guttural cries I wanted to cry there in the mud.
RedState, which got up and running in 2004, was out of money. No one wanted to put ads on a conservative site after the Democrats had just delivered an absolute shellacking to the GOP. We were out of money. Christmas was a week away. I was out of a job.
But that was insignificant compared to where I'd been that day. I'd just left the hospital where I had the task of telling my wife she was dying and there was nothing anybody could do.
Then there I was one week before Christmas in 2006 sitting in mud, leaning up against a tire covering me in black, holding a one year old too young to know what was going on, and sobbing in the rain too shell shocked to even try to pray. Too overwhelmed to even think. Out of money, soon to be a single dad, no job, a one year old, and I was very overwhelmed. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
2.We Win. They Lose. The 2nd Amendment is Safe.
Yesterday in the Senate, a funny thing happened.
We fought on principle, and we won on principle. You know why?
Because 3 U.S. Senators didn't listen to the "do something" caucus and the hand-wringers parading as leaders in Washington. Instead, Senators Cruz, Lee and Paul circulated a warning prior to the last recess saying they would (gasp) filibuster any legislation that would undermine our God-given, fundamental right to bear arms. It just so happens that this God-given right is enshrined in the Constitution.
One of the most common bromides regurgitated by Republicans in defense of 'amnesty first, enforcement later' proposals is that we already have de facto amnesty with Obama not enforcing the laws.This was always a dubious argument even before the release of the gang bill.We should not use Obama's malevolence as a baseline from which to craft public policy.Instead of rewarding Obama for his insidious abuse of power by granting him the desired outcome, we should hammer him incessantly and fight for riders in appropriation bills to enforce the laws.
Moreover, although illegal immigrants are currently enjoying a liberal enforcement regime, they do not have a pathway to welfare and voting - something they will get with amnesty de jure.Legalization and citizenship are a lot more than amnesty.. . . please click here for the rest of the post →
4.The Stock Act: A Look into Drive-by Lawmaking
Did you know that Congress and the President quietly repealed misguided aspects of the Stock Act a few days ago?I thought not.
Late in 2011, CBS's "60 Minutes" aired a sensational news story detailing allegations that lawmakers were profiting from investments spawned by non-public information.Harry Reid seized the moment, and in a highly political calculation, brought the STOCK Act (S. 2038) to the Senate floor.The bill banned lawmakers and some aides from buying or selling stocks and other securities based on confidential information.As a means of enforcement, the bill required those effected to report stock and bond transactions within 30 days of the transaction.The bill sailed through the Senate and passed 96-3 on February 2.. . . please click here for the rest of the post →
Heritage Hotsheet
Experts on the Day's Hottest News
Items for April 2, 2013
April 18, 2013
Today's Articles:
Big Government Mind-Readers Cindy Simpson Although the prescient Orwell recognized the evil place where progressive ideology would ultimately lead, he couldn't have imagined the real technological capabilities of the Big Government of today. More
A Criminologist Questions Sandy Hook Jason Kissner Simply put: what does 30 years' worth of data on mass public shootings say about the probability that Adam Lanza, acting alone, purely privately, and possibly psychotic, killed 27 people and wounded only 2? More
John Kerry and the Great Peace Blocker Steve Apfel US Secretary of State Kerry is about to encounter the most intractable obstacle to peace in the Middle East, one which escapes the attention of most analysts. More
Why Government Bureaucrats Abuse Taxpayers Michael Bargo Jr. "Ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in a terrible destructive process." More
The U.N.'s Latest Attempt to Shackle the USA Sierra Rayne No matter what John Kerry says (and he's saying a lot), the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea is not standing up to scrutiny. More
American Thinker Blog
A 'Rag Tag Bunch' Strikes Gold April 18, 2013 Thank goodness someone is doing some respectable reporting on the Trayvon Martin case. More
Blowing up America April 17, 2013 Why do we demonize the realists and sanitize the terrorists? More
Campus Derangement Syndrome gets prof arrested April 17, 2013 A faculty member at New York State's largest public university was arrested yesterday, espousing a very peculiar interpretation of the First Amendment. More
Gosnell's 'House of Horrors'? What difference does it make? April 17, 2013 The clinic I went to 30 years ago was immaculate. The furniture was comfortable. And I am sure that my experience is exactly the same as those of the clients of Gosnell's clinic. More
Freudian Slip? Sen. Reid Calls Bill "Anti-Gun Legislation"
4th Graders Taught They Should Give Up Constitutional Rights In Exchange for Safety
Obama Supporters Petition to Repeal the FIRST AMENDMENT. Seriously! Watch!
In a Congress where gun control and immigration are king, and in an administration that hasn't issued a terror alert since replacing Bush's color-coded system.
The source said the bombs were planted near the end of the race so that the horrific images of the blasts would be captured by all the media there and be replayed over and over throughout the world.
Police and military bomb experts believe the IEDs themselves may lead to identifying the perpetrators of Monday's terrorist attack -- an attack that turned celebration and outdoor fun into a war zone on American soil.
Are you wondering how best to speak with your child about certain current events? Here is valuable information about helping children cope with the Boston Marathon Terrorist tragedy.
"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
April 16, 2013 By Daniel GreenfieldHis Facebook page identifies him as a current or former student at the New England School of English. He is believed to have entered the country on a student visa.
Jihad in Boston? By Robert SpencerThe politics of a terror attack.
April 16, 2013 By Daniel GreenfieldWhen John Atta Mills, the President of Ghana, died last year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton personally led the delegation to his funeral.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
SAUDI IN BOSTON BOMBING IS A "DEVOUT MUSLIM FROM MEDINA"
Of course we have to get this from the British papers. American media covered this same interview with the Saudi national's roommate, but left out what would be the most important piece of evidence if the Saudi national proves to be connected to the terror bombing in Boston.
"He's a quiet, devout Muslim - he couldn't do that': Neighbors' shock as police raid Boston home linked to burned Saudi student seized near race finish lineDaily Mail, April 16, 2013
Bomb squad among 20 bags of evidence removed
Saudi suspect, 20, under guard in hospital after 'acting suspiciously' in area
Police also hunting dark skinned man with hooded dark-colored sweatshirt and backpack seen trying to get into restricted area
Speculation mounts over who could be behind the attack that left three dead
Fingers point towards either Islamic militants or right-wing extremists who chose to attack on symbolic Patriot's Day
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called bombings 'cruel act of terror'
One of the bombs had been placed in a metal pressure cooker and was designed to look like a discarded item, police sources say
Suspect arrested in ricin letters case By Daniel Strauss
Law enforcement officials have arrested a suspect in connection with the ricin-filled letters sent to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and President Obama, officials confirmed to The Hill.
Mississippian Kenneth Curtis was arrested for sending the letters, according to a Secret Service official.
Second poison letter sent to White House By Justin Sink
Authorities have intercepted a letter to the White House that tested positive for ricin poison, according to multiple media reports.
The Secret Service has acknowledged the letter addressed to President Obama contained a suspicious substance but has not stated it was ricin, a deadly poison.
On Tuesday, lawmakers revealed that a letter addressed to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) had tested positive for the poison.
The Secret Service said the letter was sent to Obama on April 16 and was discovered at a remove White House mail screening facility.
"This facility routinely identifies letters or parcels that require secondary screening or scientific testing before delivery," the Secret Service said in a statement. "The Secret Service White House mail screening facility is a remote facility, not located near the White House complex, that all White House mail goes through."
Expanded background checks, the only gun control measure that had a chance of passage went down to defeat in the Senate a little while ago, falling short of the 60 votes needed for cloture on a 54-46 vote. (The measure actually had 55 Senators in favor, but Harry Reid switched his vote to preserve his ability to call the measure up again at a later date.) Democrats Max Baucus, Mark Begich, Heidi Heitkamp and Mark Pryor voted against the measure. Republicans Pat Toomey, Susan Collins, John McCain and Mark Kirk voted for it.
The Senate will vote on more gun control measures this afternoon, including bans on "assault weapons" and average-capacity magazines. These "anti-gun" proposals, as Reid termed them, will get fewer votes than the Manchin/Toomey background check plan. There will also be a couple of pro-gun votes on the agenda, including a proposal to require states to recognize other states' concealed carry permits. Under such a law, if I have a concealed carry permit in Minnesota (which I do), I can carry in all 50 states, including anti-gun bastions like New York. The vote on that measure is expected to be close. To me, however, it seems like another instance of conservatives' selective devotion to federalism. In my view, a state should be able to enforce whatever restrictions on gun use and possession within its borders that it chooses, as long as those restrictions are constitutional.
So it appears that the net effect of all the ballyhoo about gun control that we have observed for the last four months will come to nothing. And that's in the Senate: none of the anti-gun proposals would have had a chance of getting through the House.
UPDATE: More votes have been taken. The Dems' ban on "assault weapons" didn't even come close, losing 40-60. Republican-backed measures did better; the national reciprocity amendment that I mentioned above got 57 votes and a proposal to stiffen penalties for straw purchasers got 58. But it looks like nothing will pass.
It's long past time to get to Peter Schramm's place (not to say ranking, which we don't have anyway) on the Power Line 100 Best Professors in America roster. Schramm, born in Hungary, emigrated to the United States in the aftermath of the Hungarian revolution of 1956 because, his father told him at the time, "We were born American-just in the wrong place." You can read his account of the story here.
Next month Peter will step down as the director of the Ashbrook Center after 25 years, but will remain on the Ashland University faculty, which is a great thing for students. We caught up with him for a wide-ranging conversation last week about trends in higher education and what makes for good classroom teaching. Here in this first six-minute installment, he describes how he uses Xenophon's Education of Cyrus to get freshmen thinking about the fundamentals of politics. We'll have more installments in the coming days. (And by the way, nearly all of the Ashland history and government faculty deserve to be on this list, as Peter has helped build a terrific department. I'll have to figure out some kind of group listing for Moser, Sikkenga, Schwartz, Burkett, Lyons, Foster and the rest. They're like the '27 Yankees of liberal arts faculties.)
After days of predictions of mass protests, etc., nothing of the sort happened, and Margaret Thatcher's funeral was carried of with characteristic British pomp. Spectators estimated at over 100,000 paid their respects with spontaneous applause. The Telegraph describes the scene:
It seemed to come out of nowhere. No one knew who'd started it - perhaps it was purely instinctual. But as the hearse came into view, the crowds found themselves breaking into applause - applause that followed the hearse all the way along the route, until it drew up at the church of St Clement Danes. Then, once the coffin had been loaded on to the gun carriage, and the horses moved off, the applause started again - and followed the procession all the way to St Paul's.
Down the roads it spread and spread, gently rippling, a long impromptu chain of respect and appreciation.
The applause wasn't rowdy; there were no whoops or whistles. It was steady, warm, dignified. But it was also, somehow, determined. At Ludgate Circus, protesters began to boo and jeer - only to find the rest of the crowd applauding all the more loudly to drown them out.
It has often been said that Baroness Thatcher appealed to the silent majority. They weren't silent now.
The crowd packed the sidewalks as Thatcher's hearse proceeded down the street:
The coffin is carried into St. Paul's:
The interior of St. Paul's:
The Queen attended her first funeral of a Prime Minister since Winston Churchill's:
Amanda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher's granddaughter, read from Ephesians. She lives in Texas and is described as an evangelical Christian:
When the funeral was over, there was another spontaneous expression of affection for Mrs. Thatcher:
Finally, as the Queen looked on, the coffin was carried out of the cathedral by the bearer party.
Then, something remarkable. As the coffin was borne down the steps into the light of the day, the crowds outside gave three cheers. Like the applause that had followed the coffin on its journey to St Paul's, the cheers were spontaneous.
In a conference call yesterday, Marco Rubio said that his comprehensive immigration reform bill will "require a lot of communication." To that end, Rubio communicated his view about the path to citizenship provision.
Rubio argued that illegal immigrants living in the country already have a "path to citizenship." They can return home, immigrate legally back to the U.S. in ten years, and then apply for a green card, the first step to citizenship. Thus, according to Rubio, all his proposal does is make the path to a green card, and ultimately to citizenship, longer for illegal immigrants.
I think this argument fails at two levels. By voluntarily leaving the U.S., remaining outside of it for ten years, and then entering legally, an immigrant demonstrates respect for U.S. law. The case for enabling a reformed (in effect) law breaker eventually to seek citizenship through the regular process seems strong. The case in favor of a chronic and unreformed violator of our laws seems weak.
As a practical matter, moreover, few illegal immigrants "take advantage" of the "path to citizenship" available to them now. They prefer to remain in the U.S. illegally. The "bargain" they struck when they illegally entered - the ability to take advantage of life in the U.S. but without legal status or a path to citizenship - remains sufficiently attractive to keep them here.
Thus, to the extent Rubio pretends that all he proposes is to lengthen the road to citizenship for illegal aliens, he commits sophistry. In the real world, nearly all illegal aliens have no path to citizenship that is acceptable to them. Rubio proposes to change that reality.
RUSH: If It Turns Out To Be A Muslim Bomber In Boston 'The Media Will Circle The Wagons'
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
To: Friends & Supporters
From: Gary L. Bauer
Washington On Alert
The nation's capital is on edge today with reports of ricin-laced letters sent to Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and President Obama. All mail delivery to the Capitol Building has been suspended. Just before noon, two Senate office buildings were partially evacuated and locked down due to suspicious packages.
The day's events have brought back eerie memories of 9/11. Just one week after the attacks on New York and the Pentagon, letters containing anthrax were sent to Senate offices in Washington and to media outlets in New York City. One year later the metro Washington area was terrorized by the D.C. sniper, John Allen Muhammad, a radicalized Muslim convert.
The Left's Default Position -- Politicize Everything
Yesterday I told you about David Axelrod's explanation for why President Obama didn't want to use the word "terrorism." Evidently, to many liberals the word itself amounts to ethnic profiling. And since the "man-caused disaster" happened on tax day, the left assumes a Tea Party extremist must be responsible.
Before the blood had been cleaned off the sidewalks, Barney Frank used the bombing as a club to beat up conservatives who favor lower taxes and smaller government. MSNBC'sChris Matthews jumped on the bandwagon, saying, "Normally domestic terrorists ... tend to be on the far right." Really, Chris?
From the Unibomber to Joe Stack (the guy who flew his plane into an IRS building), to the environmental wackos and animal rights nuts who target scientists and burn SUVs, to a big part of the Occupy Wall Street movement -- the left is home to many violent extremists. Speaking of domestic terrorists, Obama's old friends in the Weather Underground are now members of liberal academia teaching our children.
But one of the worst examples of the media politicizing the Boston bombing came yesterday from MSNBC's Joy-Ann Reid. She praised Obama's brief statements Monday evening and Tuesday morning and then added this critique:
"Having one person communicating with you is very important. We learned after 9/11 that when George W. Bush didn't do it, Rudy Giuliani stepped in. The whole country was waiting for him to come on the television for those first couple of weeks because you didn't see the president [Bush]. President Obama has definitely learned the lesson that you have to speak early, speak often, speak confidently."
Either Ms. Reid is ignorant or she lied. President Bush addressed the nation three times on 9/11. Three days later, he made his iconic visit to Ground Zero, where he seized a bullhorn and said to the workers who couldn't hear him, "I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!"
But if you're one of the "low information voters" that Rush Limbaugh often refers to who happened to be watching MSNBC yesterday, you got one more reason to despise George W. Bush and to think that Barack Obama was the Second Coming.
The Left's Hope
In yesterday's report I wrote that the left often seems to hope that the perpetrators of terrorist acts turn out to be conservatives. Sure enough, I was right! The title of this Salon column says it all: "Let's Hope The Boston Marathon Bomber Is A White American."
Who thinks like that? Well, it's the same left-wing mindset that refers to "man-caused disasters," suggests that jihad is really a good thing and struggles mightily to avoid using the word "terrorism" at all.
Sadly, in the fevered minds of many on the left, the real enemy isn't the death-worshipping cultists, but conservative Christian capitalists.
Obama On Gosnell: No Comment
During a recent NBC interview, President Obama was asked about the trial of Kermit Gosnell, who performed gruesome late-term abortions and "snipped" the spinal cords of babies born alive. He said, "I can't comment on it because it's an active trial." White House Press Secretary Jay Carney also said he would not comment "on an ongoing legal proceeding."
I'm sure that is why Obama did not comment on the arrest of Harvard Professor Louis Henry Gates or the Trayvon Martin shooting. Oh, wait, Obama did comment on those cases, so there must be another reason for his silence other than "ongoing legal proceedings."
Senate Votes Today On Second Amendment Rights
The first votes on the gun control bill drafted by Obama's Senate allies will take place this afternoon. Nine amendments are expected to be on the floor for consideration, and they run the gamut from banning so-called assault weapons to expanding concealed-carry rights. Depending on the outcome of the votes, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said the bill "could actually expand the Second Amendment."
In a surprising development, Democrats appear to be scrambling to come up with enough votes for their ballyhooed background check legislation. This is the part of the bill that they claimed time and again had overwhelming public support. Yet, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), co-author of the compromise, said this morning that he expected it to fail.
We will give you a thorough report on the results in tomorrow's "End of Day."
"To judge from the history of mankind, we shall be compelled to conclude that the fiery and destructive passions of war reign in the human breast with much more powerful sway than the mild and beneficent sentiments of peace." --Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 34
Editorial Exegesis
Terror attack in Boston
"Regardless of whether the terrorist culprits behind the Boston Marathon bombing are foreign or domestic, the carnage has already given Americans an important reminder: Freedom is always a target. ... On a number of levels, the details are chilling. At least three were killed near the finish line of the world-famous Boston Marathon, including an 8-year-old boy watching his father compete. Over 170 were injured, including the boy's mother and sister, with numerous victims' limbs severed. On top of the obvious intentional grisliness are the facts that pressure cookers were apparently used, with gunpowder or the like as explosive, and ball bearings as shrapnel -- the latter well known to Israeli suicide bomber victims. ... The most insightful observation may have come from someone as close to 9/11 as anyone, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. The morning after the Boston attack, he told CBS, 'It's surprising there haven't been more of these since Sept. 11th.' Giuliani reminded a lulled public what many have forgotten: 'We expected many attacks like this.' ... But whoever is responsible for the terror at the marathon, even if it turns out to be another domestic mass murderer with political motives, like the Unabomber, Americans must remember that ordered liberty will always have its enemies, inside and outside. Those enemies wish to foment a bloody chaos as they weaken our national will to continue to secure the blessings of liberty for our posterity. ... Giuliani is right. What is amazing is that 'there haven't been more of these since September 11th.' Sadly, Boston may be the beginning of our way of life being attacked -- here at home -- more often." --Investor's Business Daily
Upright
"On Monday, Boston and America joined cities like Jerusalem and nations like Ireland, which have long known that safety is relative, that the danger that comes from asserting the values we hold dear is omnipresent, that life itself is a gift that can be taken not only by cancer and heart disease, but by the disease of terrorism. We are no more vulnerable today than yesterday, but we will feel more vulnerable, because we had no known hint of what was to befall us. ... Here is the irony: We are vulnerable, because we are free and strong. These qualities attract the ire of those who would have us shackled and weak, who are consumed by hatred for individual possibilities, rather than love for what a free person can dream about and strive for and accomplish." --psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow
"The smoke had yet to clear from the terrorist attack in Boston when some politicians were calling for more money to be spent on domestic surveillance and anti-terrorism programs. The United States spent well over $1 trillion on 'homeland security' in the decade after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, DC. We have passed, and renewed, the so-called Patriot Act, revised our laws regarding electronic surveillance, created the TSA (and an alphabet soup of other federal agencies) and are now prepared to fill our own skies with armed drones -- all in the name of keeping our country 'safe.' But as the attack on the Boston Marathon demonstrated, all of this may prove to be of little avail in an open and pluralistic society being attacked in what amounts to a religious war. ... Trading freedom for safety has never worked, and putting both in the hands of politicians has proven to be an extremely expensive proposition." --ConservativeHQ
"Law enforcement, big-city mayors and security experts all echoed that famous post-terrorism refrain: 'If you see something, say something.' But who really means it? In post-9/11 America, the truth is that our politically correct guardians only want you to see, say or do something if it can't be construed by grievance-mongers as racist, sexist, Islamophobic, homophobic, nativist or any other '-ist' or '-ic.' Face it: We live in a self-defeating culture that pays lip service to heroic action in times of crisis, yet brutally punishes the very kind of snap judgments and instant security profiling that make such heroism possible in the first place. ... I would rather be damned if I do than dead if I don't." --columnist Michelle Malkin
Over the weekend, we came four votes away from the United States Senate giving our Constitutional rights over to the United Nations. In a 53-46 vote, the senate narrowly passed a measure that will stop the United States from entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.
The Statement of Purpose from the bill read: To uphold Second Amendment rights and prevent the United States from entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.
The U.N. Small Arms Treaty, which has been championed by the Obama Administration, would have effectively placed a global ban on the import and export of small firearms. The ban would have affected all private gun owners in the U.S., and had language that would have implemented an international gun registry on all private guns and ammo.
Astonishingly, 46 of our United States Senators were willing to give away our Constitutional rights to a foreign power.
Here are the 46 senators that voted to give your rights to the U.N.
Posted by Daniel Greenfield @ the Sultan Knish blog
After serving a few years in prison for his role in the Munich Massacre, Willi Pohl moved to Beirut. The brief sentence was a slap in the wrist, but Pohl had still served more time in prison than the Muslim gunmen who had murdered eleven Israeli athletes and coaches during the 1972 Summer Olympics. Mohammed Safady and the Al-Gashey cousins were released after a few months by the German authorities.
They went back to Lebanon and so did he.
A decade after the attack, Willi Pohl had begun making a name for himself as a crime novelist. His first novel was Tränen Schützen Nicht vor Mord orTears Do Not Protect Against Murder.
While Pohl was penning crime novels, Israeli operatives had already absorbed the lessons of his first title. Tears, whether in 1939 or 1972, had not done anything to prevent the murder of Jews. Bullets were another matter.
The head of Black September in Rome was the first to die, followed by a string of PLO leaders across Europe. Those attacks were followed by raids on the mansions and apartments of top Fatah officials in the same city where Pohl had found temporary refuge. By the time his first book was published, hundreds of PLO terrorists and officials were dead.
European law enforcement had failed to hold even the actual perpetrators of the Munich Massacre responsible, never mind the representatives of the PLO who openly mingled with red radicals in its capitals. Israeli operatives did what the German judicial system had failed to do, putting down Safady and one of the Al-Gasheys, while the other one hid out with Colonel Gaddafi in Libya.
The Israeli raid on the PLO terrorists in Beirut's Muslim Quarter missed one important target. Arafat. And so, on another September day, some 19 years later, September 13, 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Rabin shook hands with Arafat and proclaimed, "Enough of blood and tears! Enough!" But the blood and tears had only begun, as a PLO on its last legs was revived and built its terrorist infrastructure inside Israel's borders.
By 1993, the year of the infamous Rose Garden handshake, 45 Israelis had been killed and 34 injured in Muslim terrorist attacks. A year after the handshake, the toll stood at 109 Israelis dead and 456 wounded. By 2002, the year that Israel's patience finally broke and Sharon sent forces storming into Arafat's compound, the numbers for that year were a horrifying 451 dead and 2,348 wounded.
Today, some 40 years after that September in Munich and 19 years after the even worse tragedy of that September in Washington D.C., with over 1,500 dead since that fatal handshake, there have been rivers of blood and tears. And a shortage of bullets.
Washington (CNN) -- In a critical indication of growing U.S. military involvement in the civil war in Syria, CNN has learned Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is ordering the deployment of up to 200 troops to Jordan, according to two Defense Department officials.
IT"S NOT OUR PROBLEM.............
It's only not our problem if Obama doesn't see a political advantage in it. Breaking our economy advances his political ideology.
We must get involved. Egypt and Libya turned out swell. Yep, they are pillars of freedom and democracy now !! LOL
WAY too late for SYRIA..EGYPT..and Libya was a political "MOVE' with consequences that gave us BENGHAZI but the Inept was Running for Re-election...SYRIA, NO KO and Iran will be the Legacy of his FAILURES.
Maybe we're getting somewhere in the Boston Marathon bombing investigation. Then again, maybe not.
A Boston television station is showcasing photographs that it believes depict the second bomb before it went off -- something brown within a white plastic bag, next to a mailbox. You can find the picture here; as they summarize:
In the first picture you can see a bag next to a mailbox and up against a barricade along the marathon route. In the second, which we have blurred because it is very graphic, there is no sign of the bag. The viewer who took the pictures says there may be an hour or more between when the first and second pictures were taken.
While we still don't know the identity of the perpetrator, National Journal writes up one of the thoughts that has nagged many of us since this began: If you have explosives and want to send a message to the world through terrorism, why attack the Boston Marathon? Of all possible targets, why then and there? It doesn't quite make sense if you have a grievance against the American government, which is the usual motivation of your unhinged militiamen.
"When you think about it, the target is not clear," said Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center. "What the target was not was the government, or the IRS, or a minority group-black people, gay people, Muslims, immigrants, Latinos, and so on. It wasn't targeted at any sort of specific subgroup."
Mark Pitcavage, the director of investigative research for the Anti-Defamation League, agreed, saying this target didn't feel like the work of extreme right-wing terrorists since it had no clear connection to the government.
"The bottom line is that no domestic extremist movement, just based on their ideology alone, would have a huge reason to attack the Boston Marathon," Pitcavage said. "The prominence of the event could cause anybody from a variety of movements to carry out an attack like that."
Instead of the work of organized movements, the attack could have been the work of a single person, either someone motivated by ideology or someone who is clinically insane. Eric Rudolph, an antiabortion and antigay activist, set off bombs at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta that killed three people to promote his ideology.
Now, this doesn't mean the perpetrator had to be a jihadist of some kind. But killing lots and lots of Americans, in a public place, in a way certain to be caught by television cameras, does seem to fit their modus operandi. Of course, the problem with analysis like this is that groups like al-Qaeda can't trademark a type of terror attack. Extremists of any stripe can study the way al-Qaeda gets attention, feel a pang of jealousy, and then adopt their methods.
For many journalists I've spoken with today, this ignorance is tortuous. The identification of the attacker(s) and the reasons for the attack will likely have enormous political (and potentially geopolitical) ramifications, which will vary greatly depending on whether the attacker(s) is domestic or foreign, acting alone or as part of an organization. We're standing on the verge of a very important national conversation about something, and we have no idea what it is.
Others have managed to find solace in this. Over at the American Interest, Walter Russell Mead welcomes the waiting period. "It allows us to treat the horror on its own terms, to see the pure evil of this act divorced from any rationalization or justification," he writes. "Each hour that has gone by since the blast, each new report of heroism among the survivors and responders, each new detail about the identity of the victims clarifies the essential truth of the situation: there is no cause that can justify this deed."
I agree with that last point, but find no similar solace. I want to know the cause -- not because I'm eager to politicize the tragedy, but because I want to know where our national conversation is headed. A great deal of political, financial and emotional capital depends on the answer to that question.
Our Dan Foster looks at what we know about the bombs and concludes that nothing, so far, points conclusively to either a foreign or domestic bomber.
That 'Claim of Responsibility' May Just Be in the Mail
Over at Foreign Policy, John Hudson reminds us, "If history is any guide, claims of responsibility are not immediate."
For instance, many may forget the precise sequence of events following the 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center. But Osama bin Laden didn't officially take responsibility for the attack until late October 2001 -- almost two months after the assault.
Then there's the 2009 "underwear bomb" attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. That attack occurred on Christmas Day -- a Friday -- but the message by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claiming responsibility didn't surface until Monday, three days later. (It had been originally dated Saturday but wasn't published on radical Islamic websites until Monday.)
And how about the Fort Hood shooting in 2009? It took four days for Anwar al-Awlaki to publicly praise his radicalized pupil, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, on his English-language web site for the tragic killing of 13 people in Texas.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but we're only one day out from the bombing of the Boston Marathon. It's perfectly plausible that a claim of responsibility could be forthcoming. This is not to suggest that yesterday's twin bombings weren't domestic in origin -- they may very well be the case. But it's worth acknowledging the potential time lag for claims of responsibility.
In fact, sometimes terrorist groups never claim responsibility. After the attempted Times Square bombing by Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad in May 2010, Attorney General Eric Holder declared that the "Pakistani Taliban was behind the attack. We know that they helped facilitate it. We know that they probably helped finance it and that he was working at their direction." Though independent reports have confirmed this, the Pakistan Taliban denied knowledge of the foiled bomb plot.
Contemplating the New Sanford-Weiner Era
Oh, goodness, do we need a lighter, sillier topic.
Anthony Weiner, you'll do.
As a guy who was not opposed to Mark Sanford attempting a political comeback, I suppose I should attempt to extend the same mentality to Anthony Weiner.
Anthony Weiner sounded contrite in his first TV interview in two years, as the disgraced Democrat considers whether to run for New York City mayor.
"I think I'll be spending a lot of time, here on out, saying I'm sorry," Weiner told New York 1 in an interview that aired Monday night.
Weiner's political future is now a source of fascination and speculation, following a lengthy New York Times Magazine cover story and the release of a 64-point plan to improve New York City. The Democratic primary for mayor is in September.
Weiner, 48, declined to go into detail about the sexting scandal that led him to resign from Congress in 2011. When asked by the 24-hour news cable channel to go into some of the specifics - such as how many women received lewd photos and messages from him - Weiner would only say "more than one person, several people."
"I have been excruciatingly honest, in letter by letter, detail by detail, with my wife," Weiner told New York 1. "An embarrassing amount is in the public domain. . . . But out of respect for the idea that I've laid it all out for her and out of some respect for the privacy of the people who were at the other end of these correspondences, who had their lives turned upside down, I am not going to go into the details of every bit of it."
The next twenty-four hours-even though it was Saturday of a Memorial Day weekend-were going to be critical. We knew that the organized left was going to wage war, and by the time I woke up the next day, after launching the story, I realized that the Democrat-Media Complex was playing for keeps. For starters, the Daily Kos, the proto-Huffington Post whose founder, Markos Moulitsas, is still granted Meet the Press airtime, published a post immediately declaring war on me. Without bothering to investigate the veracity of our allegations, the Kos post simply declared: "Breitbart to use SEX SMEAR on Rep. Anthony Weiner." The post was later updated to accuse me of faking the photograph. (Kos, months earlier, led the charge on another Saturday morning when he tried to blame me for the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords by the insane Jared Loughner. Within these battles against prominent Internet lefties, there are no repercussions when their side lies, cheats, and attacks. How could Kos get away with publishing a declaration of war, without having the facts, even after having been proven so egregiously wrong in trying to connect a political enemy to the despicable behavior of a lone, crazed gunman? As Dennis Prager often says, being a liberal means never having to say you're sorry.) . . .
On day two of the Weiner scandal, conspiracy theories were building steam suggesting that there had in fact been a hacker, or hackers. One such theory was that PatriotUSA76-the still-unnamed person who drew my attention to Weiner's errant re-tweeter-was the alleged hacker. The second one, which was started by the Daily Kos and took on a life of its own, became the narrative Congressman Weiner was hoping would stick-namely, that I was the alleged hacker. While I was screaming back into the phone, amid picturesque cacti and red, rocky terrain, I put the phone on mute and looked at my wife and friends and emphatically told them: "I have no choice. I apologize profusely. I'm fighting for my media life." At one point, I tried to explain to the other two husbands what was going on. "Have you ever heard of Congressman Anthony Weiner?" I asked. Both had a passing knowledge of his existence. "Well, I'm in the middle of breaking a story that will be huge, if I can just get past Memorial Day and into the real news cycle."
Affairs are bad; I think the wrongdoing is exacerbated when you attack, or let others attack, the folks who are telling the truth about you.
For contrast, once confronted with his wrongdoing, Mark Sanford didn't deny it. He laid it all out, in cringe-inducing detail, at the South Carolina State House upon his return from Argentina. In fact, within a few days, most people, left, right and center, wanted him to please stop talking about it and going into the way-too-personal details.
(I'm fascinated by which details of the Sanford story entered the national consciousness and which ones didn't; when I mention that Jenny Sanford had known about the governor's mistress in Argentina for six months before the public revelation, that the pair had begun a trial separation and that the pair had not spoken for two weeks before that day, most folks are surprised. All of these facts are written on page one of the prologue of Jenny Sanford's book, Staying True.)
Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford must appear in court two days after running for a vacant congressional seat to answer a complaint that he trespassed at his ex-wife's home, according to court documents acquired by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The complaint says Jenny Sanford confronted Sanford leaving her Sullivans Island home on Feb. 3 by a rear door, using his cell phone for a flashlight. Her attorney filed the complaint the next day and Jenny Sanford confirmed Tuesday the documents are authentic.
The couple's 2010 divorce settlement says neither may enter the other's home without permission. Mark Sanford lives about a 20-minute drive away in downtown Charleston.
Jenny Sanford said Tuesday that she has custody of the couple's four boys.
She said the complaint has nothing to do with her former husband's efforts to rebuild his career in politics. She said it was filed with the court the day after the incident and when a family court judge last month set the case for the docket, it happened to be two days after the election.
"I am doing my best not to get in the way of his race," Jenny Sanford told the AP. "I want him to sink or swim on his own. For the sake of my children I'm trying my best not to get in the way, but he makes things difficult for me when he does things like trespassing."
ADDENDUM: If the Yankees and Red Sox can stand together as one, perhaps someday there will be peace in the Middle East. Yankee Stadium Tuesday:
Today on National Review Online . . .
CHARLES C. W. COOKE: The president is using the Newtown families to making callous and manipulative emotional appeals for gun control. Don't Let Logic In.
CONRAD BLACK: The Boston bombing may be the start of a more dangerous phase. The Terrorism Era.
DANIEL FOSTER: What does the Boston bomb tells us about the bomber? Not much. Appetite for Destruction.
The 844-page immigration reform bill the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" dropped in the dead of night contains a lucrative handout that would give taxpayer-funded free cell phones to some people who live or work near the U.S. border with Mexico.
Pages 43 and 44 of the bill detail what one conservative blogger, Javier Manjarres of Shark Tank, has already described as the "ObamaPhone" from Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). That section reads:
SEC. 1107. ACCESS TO EMERGENCY PERSONNEL. (a) SOUTHWEST BORDER REGION EMERGENCY COM- MUNICATIONS GRANTS.- (1) IN GENERAL.-The Secretary, in consultation with the governors of the States in the South- west Border region, shall establish a 2-year grant program, to be administered by the Secretary, to im- prove emergency communications in the Southwest Border region. (2) ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANTS.-An individual is eligible to receive a grant under this subsection if the individual demonstrates that he or she- (A) regularly resides or works in the Southwest Border region;
(B) is at greater risk of border violence due to the lack of cellular service at his or her residence or business and his or her proximity to the Southern border. (3) USE OF GRANTS.-Grants awarded under this subsection may be used to purchase satellite telephone communications systems and service that- (A) can provide access to 9-1-1 service; and (B) are equipped with global positioning systems. (4) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.- There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the grant program established under this subsection.
On Tuesday, TheBlaze brought you the story of Army Master Sgt. C.J. Grisham being arrested by Temple, Texas police while on a 10-mile Boy Scout hike with his teenage son. Grisham called Glenn Beck's radio show to share more of his side of the story. Watch the video from Beck's showHERE.
As of 1:48 p.m. (eastern) CNN was reporting an arrest has been made in the Boston Marathon bombings case. The arrest was made based on two videos showing the suspect at the bombing site. Other networks have been disputing that report. Get the very latest updateHERE.
President Barack Obama's past policy opinions came back to haunt him earlier today when Fox News' Chief White House corespondent Ed Henry posed some tough questions to White House spokesman Jay Carney. The subject of the inquiries was post-birth abortion and the horrific murder allegations being brought against Dr. Kermit Gosnell of Philadelphia. Watch the clipHERE.
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National tragedies like Monday's Boston marathon bombing are fertile ground for conspiracy theorists, especially when information has been so scarce in the immediate aftermath. As such, it's probably no surprise that already, evidence and hypotheses are circulating among conspiratorial denizens of the internet, attempting to prove some sort of sinister government motive and/or irregularities regarding the bombing. We breakdown five of the most talked-about conspiracies HERE.
On Tuesday, a local Boston news station took to the air with a set of pictures that it says could have clues about the second bomb to go off at the Boston Marathon - pictures it says the FBI is looking at. Additionally, the outlet is showing pictures from a viewer suggesting odd behavior from someone in the crowd. See the photos and watch the news report HERE.
Let's be clear: What you're about to see may be absolutely nothing. In fact, it's likely nothing. But given the circumstances and requests by authorities in Boston regarding gathering any possible evidence, we thought it would give you a small glimpse into what the FBI is dealing with. Watch the clipHERE.
Monday, the gun control advocacy group "Moms Demand Action" launched a new ad campaign positing that the United States has banned far more benign items than guns in the past, and it only makes sense that "assault weapons" should follow suit. The ads show two children sitting side-by-side, one holding a gun and the older holding something like a book, a dodgeball, or type of candy. We invite you to take a look and share your opinionHERE.
Filmmaker Joey Shanks describes it as "magic" or a "strange material." One commenter said it's "like a constrictor consuming a rat." What is it? Magnetic putty. The putty, like the type dubbed "Super Magnetic Thinking Putty A" from Putty World, is designed to "attract one magnetic pole and repel from the other." See the mesmerizing video HERE.
Christian rapper Shai Linne has a tough-to-swallow message for some of America's most well-known preachers - and he's packaged it into a viral song that has captured the attention of believers across America. Check out "Fal$e Teacher$"HERE.
After becoming a father and reevaluating what's really important in life, Chris Holmes decided to quit his 9-to-5 job as a Border Agency official at London's Stansted Airport so he could pursue his dream job of running his own cake business. He tendered his resignation on his 31st birthday. Known to many people as "Mr. Cake," Holmes decided to resign in spectacular fashion by submitting his resignation letter written on an actual cake. See the cake and learn the rest of the storyHERE.
"To consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions [is] a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy." ~ Thomas Jefferson
Cerebral Contortionism
CNN Reporter Blames Boston Tragedy On Conservatives America's Conservative News CNN's Peter Bergen apologized after the fact but once again, the lame-stream media decided to immediately advance the false narrative that patriotic Americans are the terrorists ...
Coming Up Short On Dr. Gosnell By L. Brent Bozell III CNSNews.com The trial of notorious Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell--as close to a demonic presence as anything this country will ever see--was almost a month old when the network blackout finally ended.
Islamic Slavery and Racism By Daniel Greenfield RightSideNews.com When Tuaregs and Islamists swarmed in to seize Northern Mali, one of the old grievances animating their campaign was slavery. The Tuaregs were not former slaves, they were, and in some cases still are, slaveholders.
Internal Inconsistency The Hallmark Of Liberal Debate
If All Kids Really Belong To Everyone ... By Joseph Farah World Net Daily How can it be that individuals have the perfect right to kill preborn children (and many like her, including Barack Obama, would include post-born children as well), but their rights with regard to children end at some point thereafter--at which point they become wards of the state?
Video: 2nd Guilty Plea In Obama Petition-Forging Scandal
Apr 17, 2013 01:35 pm
Massive voter fraud has been uncovered in Indiana. But is the punishment severe enough? Find out here!! Related posts: Guilty Plea In Obama Petition-Forging Scandal! I sure hope Obama is nervous...we are uncovering his fraud... Obama Stole The Election With Massive Voter Fraud Barack Obama won the election on November 6 with massive...
The Dirty Little Trick Washington Loves To Use On You
Apr 17, 2013 01:33 pm Last week, we decoded Obama's budget proposal for you. This week, we're taking it a step further - we're going to explain the language politicians on Capitol Hill use everyday. Seriously, are you ever confused by what you hear from Washington? It's no surprise if you are. Everyone is. And it's not our fault. America is a [...]
Free Healthcare For Illegals Continues The ObamaCare Way
Apr 17, 2013 01:19 pm In 2009, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimated that the yearly cost of providing healthcare for illegal aliens was $10.7 billion. It was a difficult figure to approximate as hospitals are not permitted to ask if an emergency room patient is in the country illegally. After all, should an exact total of monies [...]
What is happening in America today? Related posts: Is The USA Breaking Up? A movement that initially consisted of a few citizens, but... Breaking: Obama Just Legalized 800,000 Illegals Today Ready to vote, illegals? This is likely a new low...
Obama Fundraising Letter Telling In Light Of Gosnell Trial
Apr 17, 2013 01:07 pm As Kermit Gosnell, the Philadelphia abortionist accused of savagely butchering countless newborns at his clinic, stands trial this week, many conservatives recall the extreme views of the Obamas on the issue of partial-birth abortion. Just as the media refuse to give the Gosnell story the attention it obviously deserves for fear of painting the sacred [...]
Turns out that law enforcement stands with the NRA and America's gun owners... Related posts: McCain: Enforcement Of Immigration Law Is Immoral Senator John McCain says Judeo-Christian morality prevents the enforcement of... ICE Reveals Shocking Details About Immigration Enforcement At a hearing yesterday in the Judiciary Committee, Chris Crane,...
Apr 17, 2013 12:54 pm After several months of speculation, The Washington Post Co. announced via an ad in the paper Monday that they are placing their longtime Washington, D.C. headquarters up for sale. The Post wouldn't say how much the building is worth, nor what they are seeking for the property, but the 465,000 sq. ft. building, along with [...]
Apr 17, 2013 12:50 pm Investigators believe they have identified a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings, a source who has been briefed on the investigation told CNN's John King exclusively. The breakthrough came from analysis of video from a department store near the site of the second explosion. Video from a Boston television station also contributed to the progress, [...]
Apr 17, 2013 12:48 pm All full of his normal bombast and bluster on 4/11/13, Bill O'Reilly once again proved he hadn't a grasp on the subject at hand: whether or not to legalize marijuana. His plan is to put responsible adults or children who smoke into the legal system, destroying them and their families. He wants to keep feeding [...]
Apr 17, 2013 12:46 pm WASHINGTON - The U.S. Secret Service says it has intercepted a letter addressed to President Barack Obama that contained a "suspicious substance." Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan says the letter was intercepted at a facility away from the White House. He says the letter was received Tuesday. Read More at OfficialWire . Related posts: Obama Secret [...]
Video: New Details In Investigation Into Boston Marathon Attack!
Apr 17, 2013 12:39 pm
Catherine Herridge reports... Related posts: Catherine Herridge: State Department Has Culpability In Ambassador's Death Catherine Herridge reports on a cable she received from a... Second Boston Marathon Explosion Caught On Tape Approximately 10 seconds after an explosion at the finish line...
Apr 17, 2013 12:31 pm "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." The other day, I found myself debating Dave, a conservative-athiest friend of mine. Dave was going on about all the suffering caused by religion (yes, that tired old argument). But after citing a few [...]
Apr 17, 2013 12:30 pm This is what it looks like when an entire political party becomes absolutely psychotic. The Democrats now respond to virtually every news event by trying to work it into their grand sequestration passion play - an overwrought dramatic production in which a tiny reduction in the rate of government growth becomes magically responsible for everything [...]
Video: Michael Savage Calls For Deportation Of Comedian
Apr 17, 2013 12:23 pm
Mr. Savage was disgusted by Louis C.K.'s recent HBO special and wants him deported as a result... Related posts: Michael Savage - Second Amendment Rights Vital To Our Survival! Michael Savage recalls a recent conversation with a friend who... Michael Savage: They're Not Liberals! They're Bolsheviks! Michael Savage has some harsh words for liberals...... Continue [...]
Apr 17, 2013 12:22 pm As of Wednesday, April 17, 2013, at least 2,070 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count. The AP count is three less than the Defense Department's tally, last updated Tuesday at 10 a.m. EDT. At [...]
The Senator from Texas talks about the Second Amendment... Related posts: Limitless: Ted Cruz Values Freedom U.S. Senator Ted Cruz recently visited California and was among... Funding Government By The Minute This video shows the problem with clarity. Too many years...
Apr 17, 2013 12:19 pm WASHINGTON- Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky says he is considering a presidential campaign in 2016 but will not make a decision before next year. Paul says at a breakfast sponsored by The Christian Science Monitor that he wants to be part of the national debate and being considered a potential candidate gives him a [...]
Video: Kids Discover Their Teacher Was Under Investigation For Wife's Murder
Apr 17, 2013 12:17 pm Internet-savvy students discover a gaping hole in a Texas school district's background check. As a result, a newly hired teacher with a past is suspended. Related posts: Teacher Pretends To Shoot Students In Bizarre Lesson Three young students were suspended in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook... Indiana Teacher Suspended Over Anti-gay Remarks FARMERSBURG, Ind.- An [...]
Apr 17, 2013 12:07 pm Imagine if, during the campaign of 2008, someone had written the following: "If Barack Obama is elected president, then each year from now on the federal budget will be a trillion dollars in the red. He will pile up in two terms more debt than all previous presidents combined. Interest rates will stay at near [...]
In 2009, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimated that the yearly cost of providing healthcare for illegal aliens was $10.7 billion. It was a difficult figure to approximate as hospitals are not permitted to ask if an emergency room patient is in the country illegally. After all, should an exact total of monies spent even on the delivery of anchor babies (about $10,000 per "anchor") become known, it would enrage an American public which Democrats especially hope to keep blissfully ignorant about one of the principle reasons for skyrocketing healthcare and health insurance prices-uncompensated costs. (1)
In 1986, EMTALA was signed into law. Part of the COBRA act, EMTALA requires hospitals to provide treatment to anyone who needs it regardless of citizenship status or ability to pay. As the government does NOT reimburse hospitals for such care, a number of hospitals nationwide were forced to close ... Continue Reading:Free healthcare for illegals continues the ObamaCare way
All full of his normal bombast and bluster, on 4/11/13, Bill O'Reilly once again proved he hadn't a grasp on the subject at hand, whether or not to legalize marijuana.
His plan is to put responsible adults or children who smoke into the legal system, destroying them and their families. He wants to keep feeding the corrupt legal system that thrives off of these "offenses/freedoms" (depending on your point of view).
He wants these draconian punishments because he feels that pot will destroy anyone trying it, a view responsible for turning more people into drug addicts than any drug. As soon as children realize we've been lying about the danger of smoking a joint, they figure we are lying about all other drugs, and go on experimenting!
Never mind that numerous Presidents or Vice Presidents, Senators and athletes at the top of their games have been pot smokers. Those people are special, you are ... Continue Reading:Bill O'Reilly NOT looking out for you-Part II
The hysterical screeching has already started. The Left is drawn to blame a terrorist attack on American soil on conservatives like a moth is drawn to a flame. They're psychopaths who only care about moving their destructive agenda forward. Liberals will say anything; they can't do otherwise. They're not bound by any restrictions of common human decency because they have none.
Despicable cancers such as Chris Matthews, Michael Moore and lunatic Cynthia McKinney have already started accusing conservatives of this ugly attack. Let them keep talking.
Either the Boston Police or the media are lying about whether or not a suspect is in custody. Betting on the media seems to be the smart move here. The Left's problem is that it doesn't know what lie to tell, so let them keep talking.
When Republicans start lying like Democrats, you can guess they are pushing an idea that's bad for America. During his William Ginsburg-like tour of the Sunday talk shows last weekend, Sen. Marco Rubio was the Mount Vesuvius of lies about his immigration bill.
Here is how Rubio explained the powerful border-enforcing mechanism in his bill on "Fox News Sunday," which he denied was merely a meaningless goal:
"Basically, Homeland Security will have five years to meet that goal. If after five years, Homeland Security has not met that number, it will trigger the Border Commission, who will then take over this issue for them."
So the water torture awaiting the Department of Homeland Security if it fails to secure the border is ... ANOTHER GOVERNMENT COMMISSION WILL BE CREATED! Take that, Homeland Security! Ha -- we have you now!
Since the tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, President Obama and many in Congress have pushed a "do something" mentality on gun control.
Heritage experts urged lawmakers to consider the host of complex factors that contribute to violent outbreaks and to steer away from untested ideas that would restrict the rights of law-abiding citizens. But the plan facing a vote in the Senate today would have much broader effects on law-abiding citizens than it would do anything to curb gun violence.
The plan, proposed by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Joe Manchin (D-WV), gives Attorney General Eric Holder the power to write countless regulations affecting gun laws. Heritage legal expert David Addington has detailed three dangers to American citizens from the Schumer-Toomey-Manchin gun control bill:
1. It sets "a trap for the innocent."
The bill's treatment of gun transfers "lets the Justice Department send people at gun shows to jail for up to five years for a crime they did not even know was a crime."
2. It allows firearms dealers to do secret background checks on job applicants.
Employers could run secret background checks on job applicants through the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) database without obtaining consent from the job applicants.
3. It "reduces existing privacy protection for mental health records relevant to background checks."
The bill would weaken existing privacy protection for mental health records in connection with the NICS system, "leaving only what privacy protection the Attorney General cares to provide," Addington explains.
These changes all affect law-abiding Americans-eating away at our civil liberties. Empowering the Attorney General to write more regulations will not avert future tragedies like we witnessed in Newtown.
As Heritage's John Malcolm and Jennifer Marshall pointed out, "Gun control laws do not correlate with decreased violence. If gun control were a panacea, then Washington, D.C., Oakland, and Chicago, which have very strict gun control laws, would be among the safest places to live rather than among the most dangerous."
We need to address the underlying problems that lead to violence and fix any outstanding issues with the current system. But encroaching on the rights of Americans and eroding privacy laws is not the way to do it.
It is time to close both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac-the government-sponsored mortgage giants. Both entities distort the country's housing finance market by issuing mortgage-backed securities with subsidized government guarantees that the mortgages will be repaid. If guarantees are necessary, they should be priced and issued by the private sector, not by the state. Financial institutions expert David C. John details specific steps to achieve this shutdown carefully and methodically without further upsetting the delicate housing market-and without making the situation worse.
President Obama's budget proposes raising the minimum wage to $9 an hour. This would hurt the very workers the President wants to help. When the price of something rises, people-both consumers and employers-purchase less of it. Americans responded to the higher cost of gas by driving less. Businesses similarly respond to higher minimum wages by hiring fewer low-skill workers. The vast majority (85 percent) of the most reliable economic studies find that raising the minimum wage reduces employment.
Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) has been a critical tool for advancing free trade and spreading its benefits to a greater number of Americans. TPA, also known as "fast track" authority, is the legislative power Congress grants to the President to negotiate reciprocal trade agreements. Provided the President observes certain statutory obligations under TPA, Congress agrees to consider implementing those trade pacts without amending them.
About The Heritage Foundation Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is the nation's most broadly supported public policy organization. Heritage created the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies in 2001 to educate government officials, the media and the public about the Constitution, legal principles and how they affect public policy.
Senate Defeats the Schumer-Toomey-Manchin Amendment
Today, the American people dealt a devastating blow to the left's attempt to undermine the Second Amendment. The Schumer-Toomey-Manchin Amendment was an ineffective Washington solution crafted behind closed doors that has no place in our political system.
This week, Heritage Action launched a $150,000 campaign in 16 states targeting nearly 3 million voters. The ads singled out "pro-gun" Senators who voted last week for the motion to proceed to the Reid gun control legislation. The ads amplified your phone calls, leading many of those Senators to change their votes and defeat this dangerous amendment.
Heritage Action will continue to oppose any bill that infringes on the constitutional rights of the American people.
Thank you for your hard work on behalf of freedom and for your support.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Needham Chief Executive Officer Heritage Action for America
APRIL 17, 2013
More Surprises in New Bill: Undercover Busts of Innocents at Gun Shows
One begins to wonder if Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY),Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Joe Manchin (D-WV) didn't just take whatever verbiage Attorney General Eric Holder's staff handed to them and put it in their gun control legislation without even reading it.
Whoever makes or attempts to make a transfer of a firearm in violation of section 922(t) . . . to a law enforcement officer, or to a person acting at the direction of, or with the approval of, a law enforcement officer authorized to investigate or prosecute violations of section 922(t), shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
It is neither surprising nor inappropriate that, in accordance with applicable law enforcement guidelines, undercover FBI or ATF agents infiltrate, or send informants to infiltrate, a gun show to see if they can catch people breaking federal firearms laws. But this new law goes overboard, by eliminating any need for a federal prosecutor to prove beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury that the individual who allegedly broke the law had any kind of criminal intent.
Congress has made gun laws so complex that even the well-meaning, law-abiding citizen who owns firearms will have a hard time learning about and complying with every firearms law and regulation on the books. It is unreasonable to assume that every person at a gun show will automatically know that it is a crime to transfer a firearm without a necessary background check. The STM bill's new undercover sting provision is a trap for the innocent.
With the STM bill, if you see an unattended gun lying on the ground at a gun show, do not pick up the gun and turn it over to somebody. The person you just transferred it to without a background check might be an undercover STM sting officer-and you just committed a federal crime!
Undercover law enforcement operations have their place in our society, but not as a trap for innocent citizens. The STM bill sets up such a trap, punishing people when neither they nor any other reasonable person would know that what they did was a crime.
Livonia v. Boeing: Claims of Trial Lawyers Don't Fly
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently sent a strong message to lawyers: Do your homework before you make assertions in court, or the court may impose sanctions against you. The court's action should make less-than-careful lawyers think twice before they make unsupported securities fraud claims in court to try to gouge settlement money out of an innocent company when the cost of a defense in court would be more than the cost to settle.
The Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation
Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is the nation's most broadly supported public policy organization. Heritage created the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies in 2001 to educate government officials, the media and the public about the Constitution, legal principles and how they affect public policy.
Coming Up Short on Dr. Gosnell By L. Brent Bozell III The abortion agenda is so fierce, so militant, so extreme within journalism ranks that anything that challenges the practice is suppressed.
America's Empty Slogan: "See Something, Say Something" By Michelle Malkin Face it: We live in a self-defeating culture that pays lip service to heroic action in times of crisis, yet brutally punishes the very kind of snap judgments and instant security profiling that make such heroism possible in the first place.
Since mid-twentieth century, [redacted] citizens have been growing more concerned about the number of [redacted] working or residing in their midst. All such [redactions] are henceforth considered 100% unexceptionable, free of any [redacted] harassment, frisking or interrogation.
Members of this sub-majoritarian community, now called [redacted] in recognition of current media sensibilities and stylebooks, have barricaded themselves in [redacted] loci...
As experts ponder the implications of America's stepping-back from world political leadership, finance professionals are openly discussing what the world will be like without the US dollar as the primary unit of international and domestic trade. In the meantime, American businesses are considering the benefits of a new economy based on food stamps.
"While the dollar's future is glum, the food stamp is on its ascendency," said a financial analyst at the non-partisan Cloward-Piven Strategy Institute in Washington, DC...
Glenn: "My job is no longer to warn. My job is to help chart a new course."
Glenn started the radio show this morning in a very different way than most fans were probably expecting. While the rest of the MSM was focused on the latest (mis)information coming out of Boston, Glenn was mentally and emotionally in a very different place. He found himself re-evaluating his role. One where he was no longer the person trying to warn people about trouble, but one where he is inspiring and uplifting Americans who are struggling during increasingly tough times so they could continue to care, to comfort, and to restore America. MORE
Press finally asks Obama about Gosnell. His answer?
So it took the media a while to even acknowledge that the Gosnell trial was going on, but it finally seems like the case is getting the attention it deserves. During an interview that aired this morning, NBC News' Savannah Guthrie asked President Obama if he was aware of the trial, while Fox News' Ed Henry pressed Jay Carney on the White House's position. How did they answer? Find out HERE.
Vet arrested in Texas after "rudely displaying" rifle, opens up to Glenn on radio
Today, TheBlaze posted the story of a Army Master Sgt. C.J. Grisham, who was arrested after being accused of "rudely displaying" his gun. Grisham was on a hike with his son in a rural Texas. The veteran had a concealed carry permit, and carrying an AR-15 and a .45 caliber pistol when a local police officer approached him and ended up placing him under arrest - all as his fifteen-year-old son filmed the incident. Grisham called into radio today and opened up to Glenn about the incident. Watch the raw footage of the arrest and check out the interview HERE.
Senate votes down background check amendment:DETAILS
Conspiracy theorists link Boston Marathon bombing to...Family Guy???
Remember the Sandy Hook truthers who all thought that those kids weren't really killed? Who thought it was staged and that parents were really just acting upset in front of the cameras? Well, they're back out in full force with the latest tragedy in Boston. Some of the leaders of the conspiracy theorists came out and claimed it was a "false flag" attack. Some are even claiming that Family Guy, a show known for crude humor and pushing the boundaries of taste, predicted the tragedy. WATCH
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AT&T U-verse has made requesting TheBlaze even easier
Wouldn't it be nice if there was more than one or two reporters who dare to ask Jay Carney or President Obama a real question? With your help, TheBlaze can make this happen. Help TheBlaze grow and get on TV's across the country by calling 1.800.996.2529. Plus, watch Glenn give the details on how AT&T has made requesting TheBlaze even easier HERE.
Heroes stand out amidst terror Sadness, anger, confusion, fear...these are all words that could describe how many Americans around the country are feeling after the horrific bombing that took place during the Boston Marathon on Monday. Reminded once more that we are not immune to the evil of this world, Americans have been walking around this week with an unsettling feeling most haven't felt for 11 years. But the fear is not what Americans will remember about Boston. They'll remember the heroes. MORE
Great news! The ninth episode in the WRATH & RIGHTEOUSNESS e-book series has been released!
Wrath & Righteousness examines the eternal battle between Light and Darkness while asking one of the fundamental questions of our existence: what is mankind's relationship to the spiritual world? Download the previous episodes HERE and get ninth episode in the 10-part series HERE. Have a question or comment about the series? Visit our newly updated FAQ page.
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OK....when they look at you like you have a tin foil hat on your head......take some of this information with you. It is 126 pages. I have not read through the entire document (YET) but what I have read is enough to blow off the top of your head. I have highlighted some stuff. KIPP (Charter Schools) has a CHARACTER REPORT CARD on Page 39. So for now start on page 39 and work your way through to page 45. Remember 
Glenn: Help us get in millions of home
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.
We Won a Stunning Victory Today!
Since mid-twentieth century, [redacted] citizens have been growing more concerned about the number of [redacted] working or residing in their midst. All such [redactions] are henceforth considered 100% unexceptionable, free of any [redacted] harassment, frisking or interrogation.
As experts ponder the implications of America's stepping-back from world political leadership, finance professionals are openly discussing what the world will be like without the US dollar as the primary unit of international and domestic trade. In the meantime, American businesses are considering the benefits of a new economy 
Glenn: "My job is no longer to warn. My job is to help chart a new course."
