912 Patriots of Lower Bucks - Your Daily Updates ALL in ONE Place!
May 2, 2013
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The possible involvement of a Saudi in the Boston terror attacks is being curiously ignored or downplayed by most of the mainstream media. Steve Emerson, Glenn Beck, and others have pressed for answers, however. Beck has issued a full report with updates on the controversy.
When Rep. Jeff Duncan, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, questionedHomeland Security Department Secretary Janet Napolitano on the matter, she claimed his questions were "not worthy of an answer" and that much of the reporting has been "wrong." She later said the Saudi was on a watch list but had no involvement.
Saudi Ambassador to the United States Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir issued a statement condemning the bombings in Boston and offering his condolences to the families of the victims.
On Twitter, according to one report from Ahmed Al Omran, a Saudi blogger and journalist, "many Saudis expressed their fear that one of their countrymen could be involved in the bombings. According to the Saudi cultural attaché in the US, there are more than 1,000 Saudi students going to school in Boston." Al Omran graduated with a Master's degree from the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University.
The reason for the sensitivity may be that the Obama Administration has been working with Saudi Arabia in "counterterrorism," and that the country has served as a base for Obama's drone attacks on al-Qaeda leaders he wants eliminated. This fact was covered up by our major newspapers, including The Washington Post and New York Times, for over a year.
The Post finally blew the whistle on its own cover-up, acknowledging that "an informal arrangement among several news organizations" had been in existence to protect the Saudi role in the drone attacks.
The paper said that it "had refrained from disclosing the location at the request of the administration, which cited concern that exposing the facility would undermine operations against an al-Qaeda affiliate regarded as the network's most potent threat to the United States, as well as potentially damage counterterrorism collaboration with Saudi Arabia."
The Pentagon has released a statement confirming that soldiers could be prosecuted for promoting their faith: "Religious proselytization is not permitted within the Department of Defense...Court martials and non-judicial punishments are decided on a case-by-case basis...".
The statement, released to Fox News, follows a Breitbart News report on Obama administration Pentagon appointees meeting with anti-Christian extremist Mikey Weinstein to develop court-martial procedures to punish Christians in the military who express or share their faith.
(From our earlier report: Weinstein is the head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and says Christians--including chaplains--sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in the military are guilty of "treason," and of committing an act of "spiritual rape" as serious a crime as "sexual assault." He also asserted that Christians sharing their faith in the military are "enemies of the Constitution.")
Being convicted in a court martial means that a soldier has committed a crime under federal military law. Punishment for a court martial can include imprisonment and being dishonorably discharged from the military.
So President Barack Obama's civilian appointees who lead the Pentagon are confirming that the military will make it a crime--possibly resulting in imprisonment--for those in uniform to share their faith. This would include chaplains-military officers who are ordained clergymen of their faith (mostly Christian pastors or priests, or Jewish rabbis)--whose duty since the founding of the U.S. military under George Washington is to teach their faith and minister to the spiritual needs of troops who come to them for counsel, instruction, or comfort.
Here's a guide to the 'National Day of Prayer' events in your area
"Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord" - Psalm 33:12
April 30, 2013
Once again, AFA is joining the National Day of Prayer Task Force for the 61st annual observance of the National Day of Prayer this Thursday, May 2, 2013, where you and I join with government leaders and people in communities all around the country to lift our needs and concerns for America before the Lord.
Now more than ever before, it is imperative that we as God's people remain on our knees for our nation and fellow citizens. The critical challenges facing the United States and the culture at large call for faithful, persevering intercession - not only on the National Day of Prayer, but throughout the year.
Visit www.NationalDayofPrayer.org to find an event in your area, or to learn more about National Day of Prayer.
Be Sure To Tune In Thurdsday Night!
AFR.net will carry the One Cry National Prayer summit on the radio, sanctioned by the National Day of Prayer committee, from 7-9 pm central. This is the radio broadcast outreach of the One Cry movement and the National Prayer Movement.
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
CCG Patriots,
If you care about the future of America, you must be informed on Common Core Standards and take action to fight it. If you missed our April meeting or thought of friends or family who need to hear Peg's message, bring them and join our fellow patriots at UNITE PA for this event.....CARPOOL ANYONE (about a 2 hour drive)?
UNITEPA presents....
COMMON CORE: WHY IT'S BAD FOR AMERICA
Emmet McGroarty (The American Principles Project) and Dr. Peg Luksik (FoundedonTruth.com)
Friday, May 10, 6:30-9pm
Grace Church, 300 Willow Valley Square, Willow Valley, PA (to MapQuest use "Lancaster" for city)
Call your State Senator and ask them to attend the May 15th hearing of the State Senate Education Committee (chaired by Sen. Mike Folmer) on Common Core.
Call, email, or write State Rep. Paul Clymer (chair of the House Education Committee) to schedule hearings on Common Core asap. Ask that he invite Peg Luksik (phone #814-244-8948) and consult with her on the timing of the hearing. Harrisburg #717-783-3154 Perkasie#215-257-0279 FAX 717-705-1854 EMAIL pclymer@pahousegop.com
Call your own State Representative and ask that he/she work with Clymer to get these hearings started.
Call Governor Corbett and ask that he stop any promotion of Common Core until the concerns are thoroughly addressed through the Education Committees. Phone #717-787-2500 EMAIL governor@pa.gov
Inform yourself at foundedontruth.com and nopacommoncore.com. Pass on substantiated information from sources these legislators would find credible.
Contact us if you wish to join us to meet with these legislators and/or join a CCG Education Committee that will organize CCG's action to fight Common Core.
Our next CCG meeting on May 14th will bring in a leader in the state effort to organize opposition to Common Core to help us organize and take action to expose this federal grab for our children. Watch your email for updates and join us at the Qtown Library. For liberty, Jaime
Shalom ZOA Members, Friends and Supporters of Israel,
Philadelphia is having a parade to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Israel's re-establishment on May 19 and ZOA will be one of the groups taking part.
March with ZOA through the streets of Philadelphia. Display your Israel pride and ZOA pride. We will have special T-shirts for the occasion.
The parade will wend its way through the heart of Center City from the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, stepping off at 11 a.m.
This is a great opportunity for young and old - and all of those in between - to come out to celebrate Israel.
If you've always wanted to take part in a parade but never had an opportunity, this is your chance! Let's show Philadelphia that support for Israel is stronger than ever!
The annual Israel Independence Day Festival will take place after the parade inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center at 11th and Arch Sts. ZOA will have a booth at the festival, and we will need volunteers to help us.
Please RSVP about participating in the parade either by email or phone - 610-660-9466.
If you are able to volunteer during the festival from noon to 5 p.m. (for all or part of the afternoon) please let us know as well.
Thank you.
See you on May 19!
$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.
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
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.
The critically-acclaimed film, The Third Jihad - Radical Islam's Vision for America educates about the nature of radical Islamic ideology. Law enforcement agencies across the country have used the film in their counter-terror training.
Understanding the threats of terror is the first step in preventing deadly attacks.
Please consider supporting our efforts
"This fantastic documentary is both entertaining and educational" - Dove Foundation
Rev. C.L. Bryant's documentary Runaway Slave has been a runaway hit! The film recently won the Crystal Dove Seal, and has been making waves across the country.
Runaway Slave is the story of C.L. Bryant, a former NAACP Chapter president who realized that the Democrat Party and progressive movement was hurting Africa-Americans and keeping them stuck on the government dole. Rev. Bryant discusses the impact of progressivism on the African-American community and how freedom works with a host of leaders including Dr. Alveda King, Herman Cain, Allen West, Dr. Thomas Sowell, and many others.
The Crystal Dove Seal award is given to films that are family-friendly and provide wholesome, educational content. Runaway Slave is an important movie for all audiences, and it has a message that should be heard if we want to achieve a society where character is king.
Congratulations to Rev. C.L. Bryant and the Runaway Slave team on their achievement!
You can tell the conservatives liberals fear most because they start being automatically referred to as "discredited." Ask Sen. Ted Cruz. But no one is called "discredited" by liberals more often than the inestimable economist John Lott, author of the groundbreaking book More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws.
Lott's economic analysis of the effect of concealed-carry laws on violent crime is the most thoroughly vetted study in the history of economics, perhaps in the history of the world.
The Politico is reporting (read: let's wait for a second source to confirm it) that the RNC, well, "[t]he Republican National Committee has chosen a Karl Rove-linked voter data project called Liberty Works to help it compete with Democrats in the digital arena. Liberty Works will team up with Data Trust, whose chairman of the board is former RNC Chairman Mike Duncan, committee spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski confirmed to Politico."
This is deeply troubling, if accurate, because I maintain the GOP must distance itself from the Bush administration players to start being successful again. Further, for all of Karl Rove's fine attributes, he is also largely a direct mail guy who learned at the foot of Lee Atwater and never really learned anything after Atwater passed. I'm just not sure, after the 2012 race, that this is a wise investment. Direct mail guys believe the data is the value and what Team Obama discovered is that the tools to analyze the data are the value.
This concerns me. As a friend said on twitter yesterday, the GOP motto for fixing itself seems to be "incest is best."
I've been on the road the last two days. In finally getting to emails this morning, I see a lot of people have emailed about Joe Scarborough taking on Ted Cruz. The Senator's crime? Daring to explain to his Texas constituents that there are a number of Republicans in Washington who aren't too pleased with Mike Lee, Rand Paul, and him.
Cruz had gone back to Texas and told some activists at a Freedomworks conference that Mike, Rand and Ted were constantly being yelled at by fellow Republicans. It's a true statement verified by other Senators. These Republican conference meetings leak all the time. Reporters hover outside the door waiting to talk to these Senators. But Ted dared tell just how scared some of his colleagues are that they are being exposed as not quite the conservatives they campaigned as being.
In the Senate Republican Conference, one is seemingly only allowed to leak when bashing the conservative trio.
Cruz's statement is newsworthy. Does anyone doubt that? There have been dozens of articles, shows, and blog posts attacking these guys - especially by self-annointed "conservatives" in the media. Heck, even the Wall Street Journal editorial board was aghast that Cruz, Lee and Paul would take on the blind hawks over drones, or dare to say the F-word - "filibuster" - of legislation attacking gun rights.
The anger generated over Ted Cruz's statement to Freedomworks is straight forward. The Senate Republican Conference wants to be able to attack conservatives and opposes those same conservatives responding. They just aren't used to having more than one Jim DeMint willing to fight back. And now they have three with Ted Cruz more and more filling the void Jim DeMint left with his departure. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
3.Hitting The Brakes on Foxx as Transportation Secretary
Last Sunday's news of Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx's nomination as the next transportation secretary came without much ado.However, for those who live around the Charlotte area and know the history of local public transportation, the pick of Foxx at the very least deserves some consideration. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
4.No truce with the Kermit Gosnells.
There can be no truce with Kermit Gosnell. Kermit Gosnell is intolerable, and the conditions of institutional neglect and hyper-ideological blinkers that allowed him to murder babies and collect their hands and feet as trophies is likewise intolerable. Pro-lifers were told that imposing abortion via judicial fiat would not lead to The House of Horrors; we are fully cognizant of the fact that we were lied to, and we do not trust pro-abortion advocates to not lie to us again. We have every right to distrust pro-abortion advocates, too. And note the difference there between "pro-choice" and "pro-abortion:" it is clear that there is a contingent out there desperate to keep abortions operating at their current levels, and you can usually tell who they are by the fact that they're trying to stop pro-lifers from demanding the imposition of basic sanitary conditions at abortion clinics.. . . please click here for the rest of the post →
5.Capitalism and community
Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) recently gave an address to the Heritage Foundation entitled "What Conservatives are For."I think he intended a double meaning with the title, as he addressed both the purpose of conservatism, and the positions conservatives should support.
I heard a bit of this speech on the Rush Limbaugh show Wednesday afternoon, and my interest was piqued, so I found the full transcript and video at Senator Lee's official website. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
6.Swinging Colorado Back
"Colorado is no longer politically purple. Nope. These days it's somewhere between Air Force and Midnight on the blue scale."
Curtis Hubbard, editor of the editorial page for the Denver Post, declared the above earlier this year in an article detailing the success of progressive Democrats in legislating restrictions on the 2nd Amendment, providing in-state tuition to illegal immigrants, and enshrining into law the long sought after civil unions.
Hubbard goes on to brush off the potential for pushback from the state's conservative voters due to Democratic overreach by making the claim, sans any evidence, that these policies enjoy "wide public support." This comes as no surprise, the Denver bubble is thick enough to protect against a nuclear attack from North Korea, if only they could find Denver on a map.. . . please click here for the rest of the post →
7.It's Time to Codify the Hastert Rule
Over the past few months, we have witnessed a dynamic in Washington in which House leadership is passing liberal legislation with support from the Democrat caucus.Instead of using their unfettered control over the House to advance conservative legislation and jam the Senate with popular bills, they are playing defense on Senate-passed legislation.On other occasions, they have wasted valuable legislative days on suspension bills that grow government.
One for the Citizens J.R. Dunn Before we get too far away from the Marathon bombing, it needs to be acknowledged: The average American, the man and woman in the street, have once again proven to be the most effective force in the struggle against Jihadi terror. More
The She-Pope of Carnegie Mellon Jeannie DeAngelis The war against the Catholic Church's teachings on sexuality has a new heroine. Move over, Sandra Fluke. More
Doctor vs. Patient in Texas Keith Riler Mercy killing threatens to take root in about the last place anyone would expect. More
Islamic Humiliation and the West Ryan Dreher Islamic obession with shame and honor have been geenrally overlooked as a cause of Jihadi violence. More
The Turkish Role in the Syrian Civil War Gregory Gounev Tukey is the key factor in controlling inevitable Middle East turmoil in the wake of Syria's collapse -- whether or not the Obama administraiton realizes it. More
The Great Reversal May 2, 2013 The whole "gay marriage," and "gay athlete" progression is entirely about turning the tables on traditional values and especially Christian belief More
'Any race except Caucasian' May 1, 2013 Oops! A casting call accidentally told the truth, when it specified "any race except Caucasian." See for yourself: More
New video out of Egypt shows Christians being attacked at the country's biggest church. The footage appears to show police officers standing by as several attackers launch a deadly assault on worshipers. In different video of the same incident, a police officer appears to be helping a man who prepares to attack a courtyard full of mourners.
After a reporter recapped the President's many second term failures, Obama responded by saying, "Well when you put it like that, maybe I should just pack up and go home."
Watch this clip and then share your thoughts in the comment section. Tell us what you think of Obama's failures and when you'd like him to leave office.
On the one-year anniversary of student debt hitting one trillion dollars, Campus Reform hit the streets to ask current and former students who is to blame.
You might not believe this unless you see and hear it yourself... Tell us what you think and then share this video page so that others can witness the 'debate' on college campuses and in DC.
This act of terrorism could have been prevented, if the FBI and other government investigators had been permitted to do their jobs and catch the two terrorists before they set off their bombs.
The Tsarnaev family, including the suspected terrorists and their parents, benefited from more than $100,000 in taxpayer-funded assistance - a bonanza ranging from cash and food stamps to Section 8 housing.
Masked gunmen of the Yemen-based al-Qaeda affiliate attacked a high-ranking military intelligence official and shot him to death in Yemeni province of Hadramout on early Sunday morning.
Today, the list includes 31 individuals, all of them male and with a single exception (Daniel Andreas San Diego, an animal rights extremist), all of them Muslim.
On Monday, May 13th, 2013 the London Center for Policy Research will inaugurate its activities with a dinner honoring Norman Podhoretz and Midge Decter.
"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
Family Security Foundation, Inc. 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., #298 Washington, D.C. 20006
Mark Levin: Obama Plays Rope-A-Dope With Fox's Ed Henry On Benghazi
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
To: Friends & Supporters
From: Gary L. Bauer
Too Radical For The Saudis? But OK For Us
How "jihadist crazy" were the Tsarnaev brothers? So crazy even the Saudi fanatics wanted nothing to do with them.
England's Daily Mail reports that Saudi Arabia "sent a written warning" specifically naming Tsarnaev as an extremist in 2012 based on "human intelligence developed independently in Yemen." The Saudis were so concerned about Tsarnaev that they reportedly denied him a visa to travel to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage.
Not surprisingly, the Saudi embassy in Washington, D.C., is denying the Daily Mail report. But if it is accurate, it would be further evidence of the Obama Administration's incompetence or worse.
Today, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, announced that he would be holding hearings on the Boston bombings next week. These revelations about multiple warnings should be a topic of major discussion, if not the focus of an entirely separate hearing.
But why are we reading about this only in foreign media? When it comes to the immigration debate, we often hear that illegal immigrants come to the United States to do the jobs Americans won't do. Now, all too often, foreign journalists are doing the job the American press refuses to do when it comes to investigating Obama's failures.
News broke just hours ago that three more suspects were taken into custody this morning. They are university students who may have helped the Tsarnaev brothers destroy evidence and escape capture.
Obamacare On Life Support
Public support for Obamacare has fallen to its lowest level in years, according to a new Kaiser Health poll. Just 35% of Americans approve of the law.
Unbelievably, 42% of Americans did not know that Obamacare was on the books as the law of the land. Seven percent thought the Supreme Court struck it down, and 12% of Americans thought Congress had repealed it!
It's no surprise that support for Obamacare has tanked. It is hurting economic growth. Moody's economist Mark Zandi said today, "Nearly every industry has seen slower growth since the beginning of the year. Smaller businesses are experiencing much weaker growth." Why might that be? Zandi added, "The data seems to be suggesting healthcare is having an impact."
It's beyond "suggesting." As we have often documented, major companies have explicitly stated that they are cutting back on hours and investment because of Obamacare. And the worst is yet to come. As this column suggests, tens of millions of Americans have yet to experience the coming price shock that will accompany Obamacare's formal rollout.
During his reelection campaign, a lot was written about Obama's outreach to young, single women. This week, the Obama Administration launched a major outreach effort to young, teenage men. The Food and Drug Administration has issued new regulations allowing the sale of the abortifacient drug Plan B to 15 year-old girls.
Fifteen year-old boys all over America are giving each other high fives. And 20 year-old serial predators now have one more tool to use in seducing your daughter. "You won't get pregnant, sweetie -- I have a pill for you!"
Nevertheless, these new, loose regulations are still too restrictive for the pro-abortion radicals. Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said, "...it does nothing to address the significant barriers that far too many women of all ages will still find if they arrive at the drugstore without identification."
Since when were 15 year-old girls considered "women"? Legally, persons under the age of 18 are minors under the care of adults. Obamacare wants to treat 26 year-old adults as children, allowing them to stay on their parents' insurance policies.
The American people know better. A recent Rasmussen poll found that just 33% of Americans think teenage girls should be allowed to buy "emergency contraception" over the counter without a prescription, while 57% opposed it. But, once again, the Obama Administration is siding with a radical vocal minority.
The State Of Our Culture
Monday a Washington Wizards basketball player, Jason Collins, announced he is a homosexual. This "breaking news" resulted in a phone call from President Obama to Collins. Obama told him, "I couldn't be prouder."
At his White House press conference yesterday, after discussing issues like the Boston Marathon bombing, chemical weapons in Syria and health care, the president felt it was really important to tell the American people how proud he was that Jason Collins likes to have sex with men.
It is hard to imagine the dignity of the presidency falling any further, but Obama has three and a half more years to go, so fasten your seatbelts.
For some reason, Collins' coming out has been big news. He has been hailed as a hero. Yet for years the homosexual rights movement has claimed that what two people do in the privacy of their own bedroom is nobody's business. So why should anyone care about Jason Collins?
But while discussing the "news" and the importance of genuine tolerance, ESPN commentator Chris Broussard dared to cite his Christian faith and stated that, in his view, homosexuality AND adultery and premarital heterosexual sex are sins.
Predictably, the left showed zero tolerance for Broussard's faith. ESPN issued an apology, saying, "We regret that a respectful discussion of personal viewpoints became a distraction from today's news. ESPN is fully committed to diversity and welcomes Jason Collins' announcement."
So let me get this straight: Christianity is frowned upon as a "distraction," while homosexuality is "welcome news"?
Meanwhile, Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin, III is once again causing controversy. He tweeted yesterday, "In a land of freedom we are held hostage by the tyranny of political correctness."
It's not entirely clear what Griffin was referring to, but a lot of liberals took offense. One "hit man" for the left-wing "hit squad" known as Media Matters tweeted a warning back, "Don't do this."
Griffin is also a Christian. Even worse, there is speculation he may be a -- gasp!-- a conservative, even a Republican! No doubt that is why he is being watched -- and warned -- by the thought police at Media Matters.
TAKE ACTION: Contact ESPN. Use this link to send them an email or call 1-888-549-3776 (ESPN). Tell ESPN that you support Chris Broussard and that he should not face any repercussions for speaking honestly about his faith.
And for Redskins fans, you can show your support for RGIII by going online and purchasing merchandise promoting him so the team knows he has a loyal following.
Analysis: Americans building Mideast coalition to assist them in case they will have to act in Iran or Syria
Published:
04.28.13
The Middle Eastern arms deal announced by the New York Times last week is not the largest the US has ever signed with the region's countries - in terms of money, the amount of weapons and the different kinds of weapons involved. But this deal, in the framework of which Israel is expected to purchase advanced refueling tanker planes, a number of V-22 Osprey troop transport aircraft, radars for fighter jets and missiles designed to take out air-defense radars, is by far the deal which is the hardest to implement, politically speaking, for any American government, and particularly for the Obamaadministration.
This deal gives the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates the ability to attack targets on the ground from a great distance and with great precision. In the past the Americans vowed never to provide such capabilities to oil-rich Arab states which foster radical Islam. But in this deal they are doing precisely that - big time. Two years ago the US signed a deal with Saudi Arabia worth more than $80 billion for the supply of F-15 jets. Now these warplanes will also have the ability to attack targets on the ground from dozens of kilometers away - perhaps more than 100 kilometers away. Such targets exist in Iran - but also in Israel.
Congress would never have approved such a deal because Saudi Arabia - whereOsama bin Laden was born - is the birthplace of radical Islam, and also because these weapons may fall into the hands of Jihadists or Salafists in the event of a revolution. The danger to Israel and American interests in the region should such advanced weapons end up in the hands of extremist Islamic elements requires no further explanation.
The Boston Marathon Bombing, where 3 were killed and 264 wounded, many with legs or feet blown off, continues to be a big media story, but we are still waiting for answers to many questions. How did our government miss so many clues that the Tsarnaev brothers were a deadly danger to Americans?
It seemed as though no one in the mainstream media dared even suggest the possibility that the Bostom Marathon bombings had been the work of Muslim jihadists, this despite the near-universal suspicion outside their little bubble that they were. How comforting it must be, in places like Salon and The Atlantic, to be so insulated from the perils of the real world that one can sit at a computer and produce articles in which the reader is asked to join the writer in the delusion that those perils do not exist.
The vast majority of terrorists on American soil are not homegrown. Ask yourself the obvious question: how did they go bad? From JFK's assassin to the Fort Hood killer, most of them found meaning in life in violent ideologies that turned them against their countrymen and, profoundly, took them away from home.
Celebrities including Michael J. Fox, Matthew Perry, and Tim Daly answered questions from PJ Media about the political process at the White House Correspondents' Dinner over the weekend.
With 100 of the 166 inmates at Guantanamo Bay in the 12th week of a hunger strike, the long-forgotten vow of a novice senator aiming for the Oval Office was bound to rear its head during a press conference marking 100 days into President Obama's second term. Obama pinned the blame for the camp still being open on the same hill where he pins most blame.
On the eve of the decision in Dr. Shakil Afridi's appeal in Pakistan, the U.S. State Department has reiterated its position that he should never have been convicted for his role in helping the U.S. find Osama bin Laden.
"We believe that the prosecution and conviction of Dr. Afridi sends the wrong message about the importance of our shared interest in taking down one of the world's most notorious terrorists which was clearly in Pakistan's interests as well as ours and the rest of the world," a State Department official told Breitbart News.
Kerry: State Dept Blocking Benghazi Whistleblowers A Myth More
WEDNESDAY CHRONICLE
Terrorists on the Dole
May 1, 2013
The Foundation
"Foreign influence is truly the Grecian horse to a republic. We cannot be too careful to exclude its influence." --Alexander Hamilton
Editorial Exegesis
"The Boston Marathon bombers hated America, but they loved the American dole. The suspects in the scheme to murder and maim innocent men, women and children were living off the generosity of the American taxpayers they hated. The Boston Herald reports that the 'brains' of the operation, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was on the Massachusetts dole with his wife, Katherine, and their 3-year-old daughter, Zahara. The parents of the Tsarnaev brothers received welfare and the accused brother, Dzhokhar, received benefits when he was a child. Taxpayer generosity to the Tsarnaev family did not end there. The city of Cambridge awarded Dzhokhar a $2,500 scholarship toward his education at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. ... Taxpayers are even paying for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's lawyer. Congress turns now to immigration reform, and the Tsarnaev case raises important issues about the high price of certain public policies under consideration. ... [Republican Sen. Jeff] Sessions observes that the Department of Homeland Security has been ignoring a 100-year-old law that requires that the government consider, before admitting an immigrant, the likelihood that he will become a 'public charge,' who will eventually be permanently dependent on public welfare. Less than 1 percent of visa applications were denied on these grounds in 2011, despite a growing number of undocumented residents who live on food stamps and other welfare programs. The Tsarnaev brothers were granted political asylum because they were Muslims from Chechnya. ... The immigration debate gives Congress a chance to re-evaluate the wisdom of sacrificing Americans for political correctness by sending invitations to prospective citizens in parts of the world where nearly everybody hates America and all it stands for. This phenomenon illustrates the need for vigilance, to make sure immigrants will become productive, prosperous Americans. Sadly, it seems the primary motivation of the president and his party on immigration reform is to create 11 million new Democratic voters with an amnesty, and hang the cost." --The Washington Times
Upright
"[T]he administration of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick stonewalled efforts by the Boston Herald to determine the extent of government benefits provided to the Tsarnaev brothers, particularly attack mastermind Tamerlan Tsarnaev. The Patrick administration's absurd stance, with its preoccupation with the 'privacy rights' of non-citizen Tamerlan -- an alien terrorist -- is a reflection of the kind of inept leadership and dogmatic thinking that led to the success of the attack in the first place. The egregious intelligence failures and uniform chorus of jihad denial following the attack have left little question that leftist political establishment, from state agencies to the Oval Office, does not recognize the true nature of the threats America faces. Nor does it take them seriously." --columnist Arnold Ahlert
First, Obama demonstrates that the term "game change" is now the most useless buzzword since "value-added":
THE PRESIDENT: If I can establish in a way that not only the United States but also the international community feel confident is the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime, then that is a game-changer because what that portends is potentially even more devastating attacks on civilians, and it raises the strong possibility that those chemical weapons can fall into the wrong hands and get disseminated in ways that would threaten U.S. security or the security of our allies.
Q By game-changer you mean U.S. military action?
THE PRESIDENT: By game-changer I mean that we would have to rethink the range of options that are available to us.
Watch your rear, Assad, or we might have to rethink the range of options.
In Syria and all of the world's trouble spots, the American people are going to resist intervening internationally until they're confronted with something more horrible than the loss of blood and treasure spent in the war in Iraq. Right now, Americans aren't convinced that anything can happen overseas that is so bad, so consequential and horrific, they'll wish they had sent their sons and daughters and neighbors to go fight and die for something. For now, they're right; they will probably be wrong someday.
Secondly, examine Obama's reaction to Jessica Yellin's question:
YELLIN: Lindsey Graham, who is a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, has said that Benghazi and Boston are both examples of the U.S. going backwards on national security. Is he right? And did our intelligence miss something?
The President: No, Mr. Graham is not right on this issue, although I'm sure generated some headlines.
I think that what we saw in Boston was state, local, federal officials, every agency rallying around a city that had been attacked -- identifying the perpetrators just hours after the scene had been examined. We now have one individual deceased, one in custody. Charges have been brought.
I think that all our law enforcement officials performed in an exemplary fashion after the bombing had taken place. And we should be very proud of their work, as obviously we're proud of the people of Boston and all the first responders and the medical personnel that helped save lives.
Notice the sneer that Graham merely wants to "generate headlines" with his statement, as if it's outlandish to argue that a terrorist murdering our ambassador or a terrorist bombing on the streets of Boston constitute "going backwards on national security."
Then notice that Yellin asks about the intelligence before the bombing, and Obama responds by citing the work of law enforcement after the bombing.
Thirdly, Obama declared about his signature health-care reform, "A huge chunk of it has already been implemented. And for the 85 to 90 percent of Americans who already have health insurance, they're already experiencing most of the benefits of the Affordable Care Act even if they don't know it. Their insurance is more secure."
Jonathan Weisman of the New York Timesresponded, "Obama's claim that folks who have insurance now have already gone through the ACA implementation is just not right. Lots of issues left."
The tax penalty for not having insurance isn't in effect yet. Businesses may still decide to drop coverage and pay the fines (for some companies, it may actually be cheaper to pay the fines). We're seeing companies try to shift as many employees as possible to less than 30 hours a week. As Inc. put it:
The law's new mandates -- such as requiring insurers to cover preventive care at 100 percent -- could drive rates higher. And small employers that buy insurance through the newly created Small Business Health Options Programs, or SHOP exchanges, may find higher costs once they are lumped in with a general-population risk pool.
And as for that claim that your health insurance is "stronger," perhaps the president meant, "more expensive": "Premiums could increase by an average of 30 percent for higher-income people in California who are now insured and do not qualify for federal insurance subsidies, the study said."
One Big Reason America Is Ready to Ignore the Muslim World for a Long While
Yes, the world has many wonderful Muslims in it. But it's time for all of us to stop pretending that the basic teachings of the faith don't frequently bring its practitioners into direct, often violent conflict with some of the basic concepts of Western liberty. For example, let this chart from The Economist depress the heck out of you:
The freedom to choose your faith, and leave one you no longer find to be true or speaking to your soul, is a fundamental one -- and more than 70 percent of Muslims in Pakistan, Jordan, Afghanistan, and Egypt believe it should be legal to kill you for leaving Islam.
That might be one more reason that Americans are ready to wash their hands of the Muslim world and let those countries' inhabitants tear themselves apart.
Sonny Bunch examines the Marvel movies and the studio's choice of directors, and notes, about Iron Man 2:
Marvel's higher ups decided to sacrifice the coherence of that story in order to introduce a couple of different gags that would tie together Iron Man with Thor and Captain America. Here's Cinemablend:
If you've seen Iron Man 2 then you noticed that it wasn't quite the movie we'd all hoped for. Actually it wasn't very good. Part of the problem was the movie seemed wrapped around an odd, Avengers-focused, subplot which never really fit into the story. Jon Favreau may not have liked it any more than you or I do.
Our source says Iron Man 2 wasn't the movie Jon Favreau wanted to make. Marvel interfered heavily with his work on the movie and turned the project into an infomercial for The Avengers. Favreau felt the movie was rushed into production (and if you followed the development process you know it was) and they pushed him into making it without a fully realized script. Iron Man 2 wasn't the movie he wanted to make and because of that, if there's an Iron Man 3, there's every reason to think he won't be back. Marvel doesn't want to pay him and Favreau may not want to deal with more Marvel interference.
I watched Iron Man 2 a second time on cable a few weeks ago, and it's better than I remembered. It's got a nice emotional note when we learn that a big reason Tony Stark turned into a borderline unstable addictive personality is his fear that his father didn't love him, and there's a nice scene when the elder Stark "talks" to his son through an old filmstrip. The two big action sequences work quite well, and the early congressional-hearing scene is about one step removed from Ayn Rand:
I'm your nuclear deterrent! It's working. We're safe. America is secure. You want myoperty? You can't have it! But I did you a big favor: I've successfully privatized world peace!
Yes, part of the problem is that what is supposedly an Iron Man movie features the Black Widow, and Nick Fury in more than a cameo, and Captain America's shield, and Agent Coulson running off to chase Thor's Hammer, in addition to the traditional storyline of Tony Stark getting a little too big for his britches and being caught off-guard by new foes.
But I think a big stumbling block was the recasting of "Rhodey" with Don Cheadle, after Terrence Howard had a contract dispute with Marvel. Theoblem is not that Don Cheadle is a bad actor. It's just that a big emotional component of the first movie was the notion that Rhodey was Tony's conscience/big brother, and the sense that he would be a key figure helping steer him towards the path of being a better man/hero. In Iron Man 2, the chemistry between the two actors is different, and this new face arrives just as the plot requires Rhodey to do things the audience won't like -- i.e., fight with Tony, steal one of his suits, turn it over to the U.S. military, and nearly become an unwitting pawn of the villain.
Speaking of villains, the Iron Man movies haven't quite had their marquee villain yet, and hopefully Ben Kingsley's Mandarin will fill that bill in the third movie. The first Iron Man began with the "warlords of the Ten Rings organization in Afghanistan," but who are we kidding? They looked, acted, and sounded like al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
Then the main villain was revealed to be Jeff Bridges, whose imposing physical presence basically screams "I'm the real villain" from the first frame, and he becomes a quickly introduced, fairly generic, "Iron Monger" villain just in time for the big climax.
Iron Man 2 takes the same basic villain and splits him in two -- Sam Rockwell's defense-industry mogul Justin Hammer and Mickey Rourke's Russian lunatic Whiplash. The two characters go to extremes and neither one comes across as a proper equal to our hero; Hammer is too sniveling, too flamboyant, and Rourke comes across as way too thuggish, an improbable genius physicist/inventor of super suits of armor that can go toe to toe with Iron Man.
Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark isobably the most enjoyable recurring character on the silver screen in recent years, constantly wise-cracking, unpredictable, resourceful, the action hero and comic relief rolled into one. So he needs someone to play off of and antagonize -- think of how much The Avengers relied on Stark bickering or butting heads with Agent Coulson, Thor, Captain America, Nick Fury, and then finally Loki.
ADDENDUM: Another Senate race is underway: "Gabriel E. Gomez, a 47-year-old son of immigrants who became a Navy pilot and SEAL before becoming a private equity investor, won the Republican nomination tonight for the US Senate special election to replace John F. Kerry, bringing a fresh face to a race that had drawn little interest from an electorate distracted by the Boston Marathon bombings. Meanwhile, veteran US Representative Edward J. Markey beat fellow Representative Stephen F. Lynch in the race for the Democratic nod."
Obama's trying to drown out the Benghazi Whistleblowers the way he drowned out the cries for help from the Americans who died there. Read More » | Comments
Israeli Jets reportedly entered Syrian airspace and bombed a chemical weapons compound near Damascus this morning. The UPI reported:
The Free Syrian Army says Israeli air force jets flew over President Bashar Assad's palace and bombed a chemical weapons site near Damascus, Maariv reported.
The report said Israeli jets entered Syrian airspace close to 6 a.m Saturday and flew over Assad's palace in Damascus and other security facilities before striking a chemical weapons compound near the city.
The Hebrew language daily said a Syrian army air defense battery positioned in the city fired at the Israeli jets, but the aircraft left Syrian airspace unscathed. FSA rebels posted a video showing smoke rising from the headquarters for chemical weapons.
There were no reports of the extent of damage or casualties.
Neither Damascus nor Jerusalem responded to the report.
Here's another photo from the IDF drills near the Lebanon border today.
A source within Iran's Revolutionary Guard intelligence unit says President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been arrested by forces within his own country, disarmed and interrogated.
LibertyNEWS TV - ObamaCare Train Wreck...Only "Glitches & Bumps"?
Dear Friends,
Congress is at it again. Sadly too many in Washington expect taxpayers to "do as I say but not as I do." Let me be clear: my family and I are not enrolled in the health care coverage provided to Members of Congress. And I will never vote to exempt Members of Congress from the Affordable Care Act unless it is to fully repeal the law and exempt every American from its misguided mandates.
Members of Congress should have to share the consequences of the Affordable Care Act alongside their constituents. It's shameful that there are some members within the Congress who want to do otherwise.
Please send me your thoughts on this issue, I read them. Just visit my website here to send me a message:
Thanks again for your continued interest in my efforts.
Sincerely,
Mike Fitzpatrick
Video: "Christian Monsters"
May 01, 2013 01:30 pm
Obama strikes again at American people of faith... Related posts: Fischer: Obama's Christian Faith Is A "Total Sham" Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association is not convinced by... Leftists Beware-The Christian Revolutionaries Are Coming Your Way On the heels of the tragic massacre in Norway, the...
May 01, 2013 01:26 pm According to Obama's advisor on religious tolerance within the U.S. military, Christians sharing their faith, including chaplains, present "... a national security threat. What is happening [aside from sexual assault] is spiritual rape. And what the Pentagon needs is to understand is that it is sedition and treason. It should be punished." "Criminalize Christianity" as an [...]
How can one NOT refer to Obama as a dictator? Related posts: Barack Obama: 'Turn In Your Guns, America!' It always happens the same way. There is some horrific... Americans To Obama: 'Come And Take Our Guns If You Can!' If Obama thinks he's going to disarm Americans without a...
'Obamabots' Going Crazy Over Birth Certificate Announcement!
May 01, 2013 01:15 pm From PPSIMMONS - our latest post on the Obama Fraud case (http://www.ppsimmons.blogspot.com/2013/04/latest-4-29-13-more-vips-on-board-with.html) has caused quite a stir among the Obamabots. They are leaving tons of comments under the post, but we are simply deleting them. Why? Because the comments are inane and the Obamabots are simply attempting to gather supporters to their forums by riding [...]
"Cowboy Joe": We will save the country from you, "President Jihad." Related posts: Allen West: Military Infiltration Part Of "Stealth Jihad" Allen West expounds upon the threat of terrorists infiltrating the... Allen West: Stealth Jihad In America Rep. Allen West weighs in on the stealth jihad threat...
May 01, 2013 01:00 pm Barack Obama is called a pure Communist by the Russian Press and many in Russia are making that statement. Maybe that is why the Boston Bombers could get away with what they did. It seems that Russia knew that the older brother was one to watch and they informed our intelligence community of it, yet [...]
May 01, 2013 12:59 pm Republicans will never win Hispanic votes. The sooner the Grand Old Party establishment (GOPe) acknowledges this, the better off this country will be. The gulf between how Republicans think Hispanics see the world and how Hispanics actually do see the world is much too large. The only areas of general agreement between the GOPe and [...]
May 01, 2013 12:57 pm The Saudi embassy in Washington, D.C. today denied its government warned the U.S. about accused Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev. According to a highly placed source who spoke to MailOnline, the Saudis sent a written warning about Tsarnaev to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2012. That was long before pressure-cooker blasts killed three and [...]
Video: Obama Lamenting His Diminished Status In Second Term
May 01, 2013 12:53 pm
On MSNBC, Chuck Todd, Kristin Welker, and Nia-Malika Henderson discuss Obama's diminished status and lack of influence heading into the second term... Related posts: What Would Obama's Second Term Look Like? Author Aaron Klein appeared on Fox and Friends the other... Romney Ups Criticism Of Obama's Second-Term Plans DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (Official Wire) - Heading [...]
The Left Continues To Push For Government Childcare
May 01, 2013 12:48 pm Leaving aside the glaring problem of fiscal sustainability, the prospect of government-run childcare should send shivers down the spine of any traditional parent. Admittedly, this is not a new idea on the left. To be sure, virtually the entire progressive platform in modern America consists of rehashed policies embraced by ideological forebears. When describing the [...]
Video: Obama "Barely Keeping His Head Above Water" In Second Term
May 01, 2013 12:46 pm
Bloomberg's Al Hunt said so on MSNBC this morning... Related posts: Obama SBA Head Hasn't Heard Of ObamaCare Impacting One Small Business On "Morning Joe", the head of the Small Business Administration,... Head Of Obama's Jobs Council: 'State-Run Communism' Actually 'Works' Appearing Monday morning on CBS, Obama's jobs council head and...
May 01, 2013 12:44 pm President Obama's new "religious tolerance" consultant to the Pentagon, Mikey Weinstein, wants Christian military service members who openly talk about their faith in uniform to be charged with treason, which is a crime punishable by death according to military law. By employing his consulting services, and as Commander-in-Chief, President Obama is effectively endorsing Weinstein's recently [...]
Video: Eyewitnesses Will Testify Next Week On Benghazi Massacre!
May 01, 2013 12:34 pm
Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) spilled the beans last night on the Benghazi hearings scheduled for May 8th. Related posts: Congressman Wants Petraeus To Testify One Way Or The Other Rep. Trey Gowdy told Greta Van Susteren last night that... GOP: Susan Rice Must Testify About Benghazi Attack WASHINGTON - Two prominent Republican lawmakers, John McCain [...]
May 01, 2013 12:30 pm Freshman senator Ted Cruz is considering a presidential run, according to his friends and confidants. Cruz won't talk about it publicly, and even privately he's cagey about revealing too much of his thought process or intentions. But his interest is undeniable. "If you don't think this is real, then you're not paying attention," says a [...]
May 01, 2013 12:20 pm I suppose Monday, April 29, 2013 will go down in history as a great day for America. Jason Collins (right in above picture) came out of the closet to announce to the world that he is a homosexual. He has been depicted as a "hero," a "trailblazer," and as "our Jackie Robinson". Kobe Bryant was [...]
Video: Michael Savage Attacks Gun Grabbing Congresswoman
May 01, 2013 12:20 pm
"I guess you could say under this administration, lead is the new gold" Related posts: Michael Savage Attacks Leftist Actor Specifically, he attacks Ben Affleck, who directed the award-winning Jimmy... Michael Savage: They're Not Liberals! They're Bolsheviks! Michael Savage has some harsh words for liberals...... Continue to...
May 01, 2013 12:17 pm WASHINGTON - Congressional Republicans are continuing to pepper the Obama administration with questions about last year's deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. An independent review board has blamed inadequate security at the compound on senior management and leadership failures at the State Department. Yet GOP lawmakers have suggested that [...]
Video: FDA Oks "Morning-After Pill" For Ages 15 And Up
May 01, 2013 12:16 pm
And to top it off, girls no longer need parental consent... Related posts: Judge Promotes Morning After Pill A judge orders the FDA to make the "morning after... Darrell Issa's Fast And Furious Rebuke Of Eric Holder Is One For The Ages Upon being proven to have perjured himself before the House...
May 01, 2013 12:09 pm WASHINGTON - Republican governors are often seen as innovative policymakers and potential presidential candidates, but a few are struggling with political or ethical problems that might crimp their ambitions. Two governors eyeing possible White House bids - Bob McDonnell of Virginia and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana - suddenly find themselves fending off critics and trying [...]
May 01, 2013 12:04 pm The New York Times released a major 5,000 word investigative report exposing Obama administration appointees' abuse of a federal program to compensate farmers who had faced discrimination. Back in 2010, however, the Times had urged for faster compensation and less bureaucratic roadblocks for the "Pigford" defendants: The compensation effort sprang from a desire to redress what [...]
Obama Marriage Collapsing As Michelle Rages? America's Conservative News The tabloids are at it again and are now declaring that the Obama marriage is collapsing and the "first couple" are essentially living separate lives.
Prosecutor To Gosnell: 'Are You Human?' By Elizabeth Harrington CNSNews.com "Are you human?" Assistant District Attorney Ed Cameron asked Kermit Gosnell during closing arguments in the abortionist's trial on Monday.
Are They "For Real" Or Making It Up As They Go Along? Either Way ...
The Jay-Z Illuminati Conspiracy: Are Beyonce And Jay-Z Seducing Our Kids Into The Occult? By American Dream RightSideNews.com Why are Jay-Z, Beyonce and many of the other artists that they work with (such as Rihanna) so obsessed with the Illuminati?
Passive Drenching In Manufactured Drama Lulling US
It's A Great Day In America By Dr. Ileana Johnson Paugh CanadaFreePress.com "It's a great day in America." The atheist left is rejoicing that an NBA player is out of the closet and Tim Tebow, "the often-polarizing quarterback," as the Washington Post describes him, is gone.
Republicans will never win Hispanic votes. The sooner the Grand Old Party establishment (GOPe) acknowledges this the better off this country will be.
The gulf between how Republicans think Hispanics see the world; and how Hispanics actually do see the world is much too large.
The only areas of general agreement between the GOPe and Hispanics are their shared disapproval of Gay "marriage" and abortion. But since these issues are about as important as whether Arbor Day will be celebrated this year, there isn't much mileage to be gained from these small agreements.
The media fueled mantra of "faith and Family" as the core of the Hispanic community is as specious as the myth of the "conservative Black family."
Both are false hopes offered by the Left to a Republican establishment eager to find a way to sell illegal alien amnesty and a larger "social safety net" to its base.
We have had an overwhelming response to our petition allowing people of faith to register their opposition to Amnesty, but we need you!
We plan to present the petition to legislators on Capitol Hill and at meetings with other faith based groups. Faith leaders who are advocating for amnesty claim to represent hundreds of thousands of members, so we need as many people as possible to respectfully register their disagreement with these leaders.
Take Action!
Please *sign the petition* today so we can deliver it to legislators and faith-leaders on Capitol Hill. They need to know that Americans of strong faith demand real reform and sound policy, not political payoffs and broken promises.
Every week, we go to coalition meetings comprised of outside organizations and Congressional staff. Some leaders of the faith community have been saying that people of strong faith should support Amnesty, claiming it is a biblical mandate.
We respect many of these leaders and work with them closely to protect life, traditional marriage, religious freedom, and other vital issues. However, we respectfully disagree with their stance on Amnesty.
Scripture is clear on many things, but a sovereign nation's immigration policy is not one of them.
There is no biblical mandate for mass Amnesty for illegal aliens. Make no mistake, the current Senate proposal allows all illegal aliens to come forward to receive "Registered Provisional Immigrant" (RPI) legal status within six months after President Obama signs the bill. That is Amnesty.
Scripture clearly commands individuals and the Body of Christ to show kindness and compassion to "strangers" or "sojourners," terms that imply a person is in a foreign land temporarily. However, that is not a command to the government. Government is charged with protecting its own citizens and administering justice so its citizens remain free to exercise compassion and generosity.
America was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. The individual exercise of compassion and generosity are an integral part of the American dream. In order to protect the American Dream for everyone who seeks it, we must implement sound policy. Amnesty is not sound policy.
We are saddened that people of strong faith have been called nasty names (racist, isolationist, nativist, and xenophobic) for demanding that our government institute policies that keep us safe, protect jobs for law-abiding citizens and immigrants, stop adding pressure to an already crumbling economy, and stop adding dependents to a welfare system which is already unable to keep the promises already made.
It is not racist, isolationist, nativist, or xenophobic to demand the rule of law and to demand that government obey the immigration laws that have already been passed.
Tell Your Senators to Read the Gang of Eight Bill!
Dear FAIR Supporter,
Two days after the massive 844-page Gang of Eight bill was released, the Senate Judiciary Committee started to hold hearings on the legislation and wrapped up this critical process less than one week later. The only promise the Gang of Eight has kept regarding this bill is the pledge to rush it through the Senate!
This week, the U.S. Senate is in recess, so we need your help in contacting your members while they are at home. Make a call today and ask your Senator to slow down the process and read S. 744, the Gang of Eight bill!
Next Thursday, the Judiciary Committee plans to start amending the bill while most members have yet to read it! Once the bill is amended through the committee process, Senate leadership plans on rushing the bill through the chamber as quickly as possible.
Members of the Gang of Eight are deceiving the American people by calling their bill the "toughest border security and enforcement measures in U.S. history," and by claiming it is "not a special path" to citizenship. Consider what the Gang of Eight is attempting to hide by moving so quickly. The bill:
1.Grants amnesty to illegal aliens simply after the Secretary of Homeland Security submits plans to secure the border;
2.Grants amnesty to criminals and gang members;
3.Does not require amnestied illegal aliens to pay back-taxes;
4.Does not require amnestied illegal aliens to learn English;
5.Allows illegal aliens to sue the government for amnesty;
6.Allows the open borders and pro-amnesty lobbies to sue to prevent enforcement measures from taking place before illegal aliens can receive green cards;
7.Requires taxpayers foot the bill for illegal aliens to fight deportations at the Attorney General's sole and unreviewable discretion;
8.Requires only 3 of 9 southern border sectors to have a 90% apprehension rate, leaving the rest in the porous status quo;
9.Grants green cards and citizenship after 5 years to illegal aliens claiming to have come to the U.S. before the age of 16 who meet certain criteria; and
10.Effectively halts all deportations for years by requiring Homeland Security to allow every illegal alien its agents intercept to apply for amnesty and prohibiting agents from deporting them until the illegal alien's application is adjudicated.
Have your Senators had time to read the bill yet? Let them know the American people will not be fooled by fast-talking inside the beltway rhetoric of "earned paths to citizenship" and "tough enforcement."
FAIR is a non-partisan, non-discriminatory non-profit organization dedicated to securing our borders, ending illegal immigration and promoting immigration levels consistent with the national interest. FAIR relies solely on the tax-deductible contributions of citizens and philanthropic foundations. Click here to visit FAIR's website.
Boehner Must Impanel Special Committee to Investigate Benghazi By Terence P. Jeffrey No congressional committee taken testimony from the five State Department Diplomatic Security officers who were in Benghazi with Ambassador Chris Stevens on Sept. 11, 2012. Why not? These are American heroes. Why can't America hear their stories? House Speaker John Boehner must impanel a special investigative committee so it can compel the Obama administration to tell the full truth about Benghazi.
Skipping 'Controversial Stings' of the Left By L. Brent Bozell III The networks adore hidden-camera stories when the targets are conservative. But undercover videos by conservatives? Those don't deserve the light of day.
The Camp Bastion Cover-Up By Michelle Malkin Do you remember what happened last year on 9/14? Where are the White House phone calls for the families who continue to grieve? What is being done to prevent another fatal attack like the one on 9/14? And why is the full truth being withheld from the American public?
The Day Distance Disappeared By Rich Galen On April 30, 1993, CERN -- a lab near Geneva -- published a paper essentially giving the World Wide Web to ... the world. For free. As you sit at your desk, or check your email, or browse through your Twitter feeds, or sneak a peak at YouTube remember that it all started 20 years ago today.
Post-May-Day depression is a growing malady that affects progressives each year, usually beginning late in the afternoon on May 1 and continuing until the morning of the next May Day.
For some, it is simply a result of too much sign-making and short-range marching with very few people giving a damn; for many others the causes range from substance abuse to the frustration over their inability to force the wonderful progressive world order on the unenlightened by government mandate. While most left-wing agitators in the U.S. and other free nations experience mild symptoms, some others are subjected to an almost paralyzing agony.
These helpful tips explain how dejected collectivists around the world can combat May Day depression by just taking a few simple precautions.
There was an amazing string of stories in the news yesterday. From the government snatching babies to schools forcing 13-year-olds to pretend they are lesbian lovers (without parental permission) - it was a crazy day. Glenn's monologue on last night's TV show explains the common thread all of these stories share: control. WATCH
Three more arrested in connection with Boston Marathon bombings
There is breaking news today out of Boston as the Boston Police Department announced the arrest of three more suspects in connection to the Marathon bombing. The suspects were arraigned on a variety of charges - including visa violations. Could this attack have been prevented? Get Glenn's response and the latest details HERE.
Middle school girls forced to ask for "lesbian kiss" in anti-bullying presentation...and it only gets worse from there
A very disturbing story coming out of New York this week exposes a school that took its anti-bullying demonstration just a tad too far. They covered a wide range of controversial sexual issues, forced 13-year-old girls to pretend to be lesbian lovers, advised boys to always carry a condom, and gave tips on how to spot 'sluts'. Glenn reacts on radio today.
Glenn interviews parents of baby taken by police, reacts on radio
Yesterday, TheBlaze brought you the heartbreaking story of a couple who appear to be great parents trying to care for their child, but CPS forcibly removed their son from the home. Glenn interviewed the couple on TV last night - check out the interview and Glenn's thoughts about the situation. WATCH
New report says Saudi Arabia warned U.S. of Tamerlan Tsarnaev
According to a new report, Saudi Arabia warned the U.S. and Great Britain about Tamerlan Tsarnaev. They were so concerned about him they didn't even allow him to enter their country. America on the other hand - we not only let him in, we gave him and his family over $100,000 in welfare. Glenn has more on radio.
It's not about guns, it's about control History has proven that guns are essential to self-defense, community protection and liberty - but tragedy is a powerful force and has led many to believe that guns are the enemy, that the Second Amendment is outdated, and that more restrictions or outright bans on firearms are the solution. They're wrong. In CONTROL, Glenn presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn't really about controlling guns at all. It's about controlling us. Reclaim the debate today - pick up a copy of CONTROL in bookstores nationwide or order a copy online today.
Obama touts Jason Collins at Benghazi presser
You've seen it a million times before -- a President wraps up a press conference and all the reporters yell questions in desperate hope of an answer as he walks off. The President never obliges, except this time, President Obama did. After finishing his press conference on Benghazi and walking away, Obama stopped, turned around, and returned to the podium to say how proud he is of Jason Collins. Glenn reacts to the moment on radio.
You've asked, we've listened! Read & share news from TheBlaze.com directly in TheBlaze App!
TheBlaze iOS App is your direct portal into "the network that YOU are building". Get access to live and on demand video from TheBlaze TV, listen to TheBlaze Radio Network, and much more! Plus, with the new TheBlaze newsreader, access to breaking news from TheBlaze.com is easier than ever! Download TheBlaze iOS App HERE.
Glenn meets another star athlete he has no clue about
It is a well known fact that Glenn Beck knows absolutely nothing about sports. He is the least athletic man in the history of mankind. When he met future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, he had no idea who he was. Yesterday, Glenn met one of the best defensive players in NFL history - find out who HERE.
Listen to TheBlaze Radio Network all week for your chance to win a copy of Glenn's new book, CONTROL. Just listen to The Morning Blaze with Doc Thompson from 6-9am ET & Jay Severin between 2-5pm ET for your chance to win! You can listen to TheBlaze Radio Network for free online and on your mobile device with TheBlaze App & iHeartRadio App.
Tonight's primetime lineup on TheBlaze TV
5pm ET -The Glenn Beck Program: Glenn takes a closer look at the Saudi Arabia and our relationship with the oil-rich kingdom.
6pm ET -Real News: Saudi Arabia: friend, enemy, or frenemy?
7pm ET -Wilkow!: Immigration fraud is apparently very easy. Learn just how simple it can be to defraud the U.S. government.
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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 
Post-May-Day depression is a growing malady that affects progressives each year, usually beginning late in the afternoon on May 1 and continuing until the morning of the next May Day. 
It's all about control 
