Quote: 

"Recession is when a neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours."

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

U.S. faces brand-new Cuban missile crisis

The Blaze | Erica Ritz | Jul. 22, 2013  

Glenn Beck returned from vacation on Monday ready to analyze the contentious aftermath of the George Zimmerman verdict, particularly President Obama's unscheduled speech on race relations.

He began by noting that the president almost never speaks without a teleprompter, and on the odd occasion the trusty device has failed, the president almost always begins to have difficulty speaking or simply refuses to continue until it is fixed.

But during his speech on Friday, Beck said, the president spoke without the aid of the electronic device.

"Why does this matter?" Beck asked.  "Well out of all of the issues you would want the president of the United States to be fluent in - economics, jobs, foreign policy, individual liberty, the Constitution, anything - this president cannot speak off the cuff without a teleprompter or notes in front of him."

He continued: "But when it comes to the police 'acting stupidly,' or anything to do with identity politics, this man is ready to roll for hours.  It's his lifelong passion.  The man who was supposed to unite the United States of America is an expert on the most divisive form of politics in existence today, that pits people against other people, placing people in little boxes and then convincing people that you're only in that box because of those people over there."

cnsnews.com | By Susan Jones | July 22, 2013  

(CNSNews.com) - To ensure that "every American is able to choose to live in a community they feel proud of," HUD has published a new fair-housing regulation intended to give people access to better neighborhoods than the ones they currently live in.

The goal is to help communities understand "fair housing barriers" and "establish clear goals" for "improving integrated living patterns and overcoming historic patterns of segregation." 

Read More . . . 

Special Operations Speaks http://www.specialoperationsspeaks.com/ has just been asked by Congressman Steve Stockman to mount an event to put pressure on the House of Representatives (and especially Speaker Boehner!) to form a select committee to investigate the tragedy that was Benghazi.

As a first step toward causing Congress to get serious about assigning responsibility for what happened at Benghazi, we are organizing a rally at Cong. Stockman's request that will be held on the steps of the US Capitol at noon, Tuesday, July 23, 2013. That rally will hear words from a number of patriots, including Cong. Stockman and Cong. Louie Gohmert, both of whom have been very supportive of our efforts to answer Hillary Clinton's heartless answer to a Senator's question about the men who died at Benghazi: "What difference does it make?"

Be with us next week as we demonstrate to Hillary and others like her "what difference it makes." Bring yourself, a carload, or a busload, but be there.

Thousands of you showed up to protect the Vietnam Wall in 2007; please help us demonstrate that we will not tolerate the murder-by-neglect of four of America's finest on September 12, 2012. Please help us send a message to our nation's leaders that we demand full accountability for this national crime.

FIRST EVER!!  KIDS PATRIOT CAMP 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31st  9:30am-12:00pm

Quakertown Memorial Park, 600 Mill St,  Quakertown

FREE!   FUN!   EDUCATIONAL!    (see flyer attached)

Needed:  

• Children who have completed grades K-5th who would like to have fun while learning about our Founding Fathers and our great country
• Parents/grandparents who would like to observe and learn with their kids/grandkids  
• Volunteers (teens-adults) who love to work with children to assist 

Register children here:    http://afpfpa-friedmanday-patriotcamp.eventbrite.com/

Volunteers contact CCG VP of Activities & Events Kathy Bessler at KEBCHICK@hotmail.com.  (First come, first served)

My 8 year old Joseph and I will be there.....hope you and your children or grandchildren will join us!  For liberty, Jaime

Here's a little more detail from AFP organizer Katy Abrams....

Ideally I am expecting about 30 or so kids.  Two hours will be various learning/activity stations and the last half hour will be snack time with a birthday cake celebrating economist Milton Friedman's 101st birthday.  The stations will be really easy to run.   I am in need of 3-4 adult/teenage volunteers to help run the various stations. 

Here are some photos from our Gettysburg camp  so you get an idea of what it is we do: http://www.flickr.com/photos/afppennsylvania/sets/72157634550317850/

In Liberty,

Katy Abram

Director of New Media

Americans for Prosperity - Pennsylvania

@KatyAbram

@AFPPennsylvania

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.

^th

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,

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

WHAT IS COMMON CORE?

Common Core, or the Common Core State Standards Initative (CCSSI), as it is known at the State and Federal level, is a set of national education standards that will fulfill the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, through a waiver system. (The NCLB Act was put into place by Congress in 2001 and signed into law by President George W. Bush). Many states were failing to meet the NCLB Act requirements and, therefore, wanted something to replace NCLB.Common Core is part of the UN's plan for complete federal control over our education systems and the "Dumbing-down" of America.

 

Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) are not state standards in the first place, and are nothing more then further federalization of our state education systems.

 

COMMON CORE IS A TROJAN HORSE AND TIED TO THE UNITED NATIONS (UN)

If you cannot see that Common Core is tied to the United Nations you have not done your homework! The major funder of the Common Core Movement is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which has pledged $60 million dollars to this effort. Bill and Melinda Gates are tied to UN through-and-through and have spent money in America and overseas for UN programs in Africa and all over the world for decades.

From the Conservative Teachers of American organization, they wrote an article entitled: "Common Core Standards and the Federalization of Education." In this article we read: "Many are concerned that the Common Core Standards, once successfully implemented, will provide unfettered access of our educational system by the United Nations. Some textbooks and curricula for our public schools have already been written by the [United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization] UNESCO and the International Baccalaureate program, that is currently in many school districts, across the United States. Grabbing additional access is a natural next step. Once they write the curricula, they must have authority to develop all testing tools."

 

The UN involvement in the American educational system has already been facilitated by treaties signed by American presidents from both parties. Those documents include but are not limited to: Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Treaty on the Rights of the Child, Civic Education: Classroom Connections, and Agenda 21.

 

The  US Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development (since 2003), is the nexus of the UNA-USA and Global Leadership Coalition at the Department of Education, which altogether leverages the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development 2005-2014.  UNESCO, the lead agency of the Decade, defines Education for Sustainable Development as "education for everyone everywhere" for the "lifelong learning" of "present and future generations".  

 

The UNA-USA sponsors Model UN across America and tailors its Global Classrooms curricula to whichever setting the kids happen to be participating.  Children are unknowingly trained to respond with prescribed consensus to the situations, simulations and stimulation's of the particular activity (Delphi Technique).  Global Kids is the CFR arm of Connect All Schools Consortium, a new Department of Education network, led by Independent Sector and The White House via United Planet Partners.  Global Kids is preparing children for Agenda 21.  

 

The White House, NSA and CIA now have website divisions aimed at kids.  The Public Education Network is a national association funded by Independent Sector donors: plus Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Department of Education

 

"Funders" of the Rockefeller Foundation-backed International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), "Members" of the the Sustainability Consortium, backed by the EPA and BSR (Rockefeller Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, State Department) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-backed International City/County Management Association (ICMA): Center for Sustainable Communities (an ICLEI "Partner") are "partnered" with local schools and governments.  

 

From the Partnership for 21st Century Skills aligning the Common Core State Standards with "professional development" content for teachers and principals and Lego Robotics curricula for students (Carnegie Mellon/Lego Education); to software curricula through websites like: cyberschoolbus.un.org, icivics.org, atomiclearning.com, renlearn.org, brainpop.com and ttl4.sunburst.com; to the weekly deliveries of Time for Kids magazine and textbook curricula into classrooms; kids are programmed with UN-defined values.  State Governors administer Federal funds to "Community-Oriented Policing" systems like Crime Stoppers (The UN, FBI and other law enforcement and corporate partners administer Crime Stoppers International), the local student-equivalent of the Department of Homeland Security's' "See Something, Say Something" campaign; whereby children see hand-drawn posters of child characters on school walls displaying "Eyes Looking", "Ears Listening", "Mouth Reporting" with a hotline to call.  Presidents Bush and Obama have personally followed the George H. W. Bush/Clinton trail of the Agenda 21/ Sustainable America megabanks-maze in "bipartisan" fashion. 

 

UNESCO PLEDGES SUPPORT OF COMMON CORE

From UNESCO's document "The Vision of Education Reform in the United States" it states: "My department has been pleased to partner with the US Agency for International Development to help ensure that our best domestic practices are shared world-wide. The United States provides over a billion dollars annually to partner countries working on educational reform. Our goal for the coming year will be to work closely with global partners, including UNESCO, to promote qualitative improvements and system strengthening....Ultimately, education is the great equalizer. It is the one force that can consistently overcome differences in background, culture, and privilege."

 

THE UN'S AGENDA 21- COMMON CORE IMPLEMENTER!

In the United Nations Agenda 21 (Guide for the 21st Century), Chapters #25 and #36 specifically talk about education of our children:

 

Principle #25- "Children and Youth in Sustainable Development." In the "Activites 25.9.d" it states: "Ensure access for all youth to all types of education, wherever appropriate, providing alternative learning structures, ensure that education reflects the economic and social needs of youth and incorporates the concepts of environmental training, implementing innovative methods aimed at increasing practical skills, such as environmental scouting."

 

Principle #36- "Promoting Education, Public Awareness and Training." In the Activities Section of this document in "36.5.g" we read: "Within two years the United Nations system should undertake a comprehensive review of its educational programmes, encompassing training and public awareness, to reassess priorites and reallocae resources. The UNESCO/UNEP International Environmental Education Programme should, in cooperation with the appropriate bodies of the United Nations system, Governments, non-governmental organizations and others, establish a porgramme within two years to integrate the decisions of the Conference into the existing United Nations framework adapted to the need of the educators at different levels and circumstances. Regional organizations and national authorities should be encouraged to elaborate similar parallel programmes and opportunies by conducting an analysis of how to mobilize different sectors of the population in order to assess and address their environmental and development education needs."

 

In the Activities Section of this document in "36.5 h" we read: "There is a need to strengthen, within five years, information exchange by enhancing technologies and capacities necessary to promote environment and development education and public awareness. Countries should cooperate with each other and with the various social sectors and population groups to prepare educational tools that include regional environment and development issues and initiatives, using learning materials and resources suited to their own requirements." Sounds just like PARCC and SLDS. ASU's Institute for Global Sustainability and their "Sustainable Cities Network" is doing a fine job "brain-washing" our students in our high schools on sustainability, global warming (aka climate change), etc. Go here to meet the ASU sustainability schools!

 

 

COMMON CORE SCIENCE STANDARDS TEACH GLOBAL WARMING!

The new Common Core Science Standards that are up for review teach Global Warming (aka Climate Change)! Here is Research and Commentary on the Common Core Science Standards" from The Heartland Institute.

Please spread the word to all AMERICAN PATRIOTS!

Reality Check.....COMMON CORE EDUCATION = COMMUNISM IN AMERICA!

Common Core Education is the INDOCTRINATION of our CHILDREN. 

DO NOT LISTEN TO THE GOP ESTABLISHMENT RHETORIC FROM MIKE HUCKABEE!!! 

The Development of Common Core, Explained by Michael Chapman

The video says this is a clip from the 1989 National Governors'Assoc conference on Education:

Sr. Director of Mid-Continental Regional Education Laboratory, Dr. Shirley McCune

 She says about education:

#1) Total transformation of our society

#2) Teaching of facts and information (knowledge) is no longer the primary purpose of education

#3) Close connection between economic (sustainable) development and human capitol (human resource labor for a planned economy)

A group that allowed this kind of rhetoric to be said at their meeting? I don't think I want them developingeducational standards!  Please read to the bottom for transcripts from the 1987 NGA meetings chaired by Bill Clinton.  These transcripts are eye-opening.  They are clearly more concerned with workers for the manufacturing.  They seem to have concerns that we have students who can't read well enough (non-English speaking especially) to function in the manufacturing plants, and then on the other end of the spectrum... too many with higher ed degrees who don't WANT to work in the manufacturing.  So... what to do about all this?  Hummm.... standards!  Make sure they read well enough to function as the industrial workers, but not so well that they don't want to!!!   This is the John D. Rockefeller goal of the early 20th century when he started pushing for compulsory government schooling and funding the building of government schools. 

NOW.... review the transcripts below of the conferences chaired by Bill Clinton: 
National Governor's Association website  (find all annual meetings here with transcriptsm- )
1986-87 NGA Chair Gov. Bill Clinton's Initiative

Making America Work: Productive People, Productive Policies

March 25, 1986

1987 Winter Meeting with Bill Clinton as chair, you will find on page 12 that the governors unanimously adopted a policy to adopt an INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY.    http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/1987NGAWinterMeeting.pdf

1987 Annual meeting.   See page 34of this document to see how those governors seem to be concerned that we aren't training our students for the "workforce." They are concerned that the professors of higher ed are telling students to strive for more than the job of working in the manufacturing plants.  On page 40 they start talking about standards needed in education.  " See page 42 with this statement by Governor Sinner (great name!) to Lee Iacoccoa: "But you also made a point about the terrific cost to industry of the disparity between states in these regulations and I wondered, with all the fuss and the furor that we make over states' rights...."  http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/1987NGAAnnualMeeting.pdf 

June 11, 2013: Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) leads the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee in a markup of the Strengthening America's Schools Act of 2013, an education initiative to replace No Child Left Behind.  http://www.c-spanvideo.org/event/220036

At the June 10 Common Core forum in Fayette County, Superintendent Barge stated over and over again that if Georgia wants to change these standards at any time, we have the ability to do so.   The testimony below contradicts this belief by Superintendent Barge and confirms that states who adopted the Common Core standards DO NOT have the ability to change the standards in any way on their own.

2:23:00 - Rep. Tim Scott discusses his amendment to Harkin's bill.  Instead of states being forced to adopt blanket standards like Common Core as a prerequisite for funding, let's put decision-making back in the hands of parents and teachers in our communities."

2:31:00 - It is admitted that states who want to change the CC standards,the Secretary of Education would have to approve it.  States DO NOT have the ultimate decision making abilities!

2:39:00 - Alexander reads page 89 of the bill stating that any changes to standards MUST go through the Secretary of Education for approval.

As are most of the amendments offered by Republicans to this education bill, the Scott Amendment is defeated 12-10.

DATA COLLECTING: Senator Burr at the 1:00:00 mark reveals information about ADDITIONAL data points that this legislation will add to the data mining.  He says that his count is now 500 data points.  

TEACHER EVALUATIONS: Senator Alexander at 2:00:00 mark discusses his amendment to end federally mandated school and teacher evaluations.  He says states had a "gun to their head" to adopt the teacher evaluations because they were desperate for NCLB waivers.   He makes the charge that the Harkin bill creates a "NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD."  The Gates Foundation involvement is mentioned frequently.  

Harkin says over and over "this is voluntary."  If states don't want to implement the programs in the bill we just don't accept the money!"    More strong evidence that our states need to "just say no" to all federal education dollars.   As is pointed out in this debate: Any private business that entered into a partnership where the partner who contributed 10% funding got 80-90% of the control (as is the case with education funding under NCLB and Common Core) the partnership is DOOMED TO FAIL!

Angela Bean
Fayetteville, GA
StopCommonCore.com 

We all know how tough it is to maintain your morals in today's media world. Here are two gifts from the AFA to you, each meant to help you navigate your way through media today:

1. Free Article: How to Watch TV Without Compromising Your Values  2. Free Guide: 300 Family Friendly Movies

The article discusses how far TV has fallen in recent years and outlines some practical steps you can take to protect your family.

And the free movie guide is a great way to find movies for family night that the whole family can enjoy.

I hope these tools are a blessing to you!

At the Boston Marathon we all witnessed what happens when people become radicalized by an extreme Islamic ideology.

IT IS TIME THAT EVERYONE GET EDUCATED ON THIS ISSUE.

Watching The Third Jihad is the ultimate way to share this knowledge with other Americans.

Share the film, the third jihad with 5 friends,
and we will send you a FREE DVD of our award-winning film Obsession - Radical Islam's War Against the West - a must-see for every American.

---

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AGENDA 21 RESOURCE PAGEs

APC Newswire

Produced by American Policy Center
Email: admin@americanpolicy.org  Website: americanpolicy.org
Tom DeWeese, President
Kathleen Marquardt, Editor

Mandatory Biometric Enrollment
Lawsuit - UPDATE
(fingerprinting, facial recognition, iris scan, DNA, etc.)
By Mark Lerner:  Co-Founder Constitutional Alliance

If you value liberty and understand how dangerous government mandated biometric ID is to our freedom, you need to read and understand every word of what I am writing about today. Something very important is happening so stay with me.
 
Over the years, the Constitutional Alliance has consistently fought against mandatory biometric ID and for the right of all citizens to be free of it.  Government mandated biometric ID is the lynchpin of the modern surveillance society.  The amount of control this system gives government over individuals is an anathema to a free society and we oppose it being imposed on anyone - period.  You cannot reconcile a free society with a surveillance society.
 
The founders of this country called religious freedom "the first freedom" because it is a precondition for other important rights..  Try to imagine the value of freedom of speech, or freedom of association without religious freedom and you will quickly see why religious freedom, also referred to as 'freedom of conscience' is so important.
 
Here is the Big News
 
This past week, 19 June 2013, a Motion for Summary Judgment was filed in Kaye Beach's lawsuit in the state of Oklahoma (You can read it here).  This is a pre-trial motion that presents the undisputed facts of her case and makes the strongest assertion based on those facts, that her rights are being violated.  The Motion for Summary Judgment asks the Judge, based on these undisputed facts, to rule in her favor.  Kaye fully expects a favorable ruling on this Motion but in the event that this doesn't happen, her lawsuit will continue on. You need only to read the first 30 pages of the Motion to understand the arguments Kaye and her attorneys have made.  If you choose to read further you can read about the answers the Department of Public Safety (the department that oversees the issuance of driver's licenses) gave to Kaye's "Discovery Motion". 
 
Kaye Beach's lawsuit, is the only substantial challenge to government mandated biometric ID, to my knowledge, that exists anywhere in our country.
 
Here is a brief recap of the issue and basis for Kaye's legal challenge;
 
Kaye is opposed to mandatory biometric identification which is required of her if she wishes to have a state issued driver's license or ID card.  As we know, the ability to drive a vehicle and also banking, many financial transactions, as well as a host of other necessary daily activities are dependent upon having a government issued photo ID most commonly presented in the form of state driver's license or ID card. Try to go without one and you will soon find (like Kaye has!) that not having a valid ID is no small matter.
 
In September, 2011 Kaye filed a lawsuit against the state of Oklahoma for the unwarranted collection of her biometrics and for violating her religious freedom, both of which are protected under Oklahoma law.  Kaye is a born again Christian.
 
Here is why this case is important for everyone 

Read more:

We must stop the call for a  Constitutional Convention! 

Article V of the Constitution:

1. Gives NO guidelines for how to conduct a Con Con. 
2. NO rules on how delegates will be eligible or selected
3. States have NO Guarantees they will even be represented
4. Con Con could result in a COMPLETE CHANGE of our way of government
5. There simply are NO controls over the delegates once selected.             

Read more:

ImmigrationCounters.com provides the key numbers and events related to illegal immigration in the United States. Using the latest government and private sources, research and analysis trending data is factored at their individual rates of increase. For information about the research behind the individual counters clickhere Data Sources.  ImmigrationCounters.com supports legal immigration and respect for all humanity yet highlights the significant impact of illegal immigration in America. 

ImmigrationCounters.com informs the public of the realities of illegal immigration while challenging the myths and misinformation surrounding it. After decades of passively watching this problem grow, most Americans are now more aware of the severity of this issue. Our government has demonstrated a complete lack of urgency to control illegal immigration both on the borders and within the interior. Because of this large failure that which traditionally had been the American way of welcoming immigration is now dividing the country because of one word, illegal. Opposing illegal immigration and wanting the laws enforced is not un-American. It is time to set the record straight on what is un-American, illegal is un-American.

The issue of illegal immigration doesn't need more laws, studies or debates, it needs leadership and enforcement. America doesn't need immigration reform, it needs leadership reform. Because our government has failed to enforce the existing immigration laws, why should anyone be confident they will do so with expanded immigration reform? Because of these failures, legislators have been addressing the problems at their local levels with bills to manage it incrementally, piece-by-piece, rather than trying to fix the national problem at once--an impossible task. What most Americans expect is to have our borders secure, enforcement of the existing laws within the interior, meaningful punishment of employers who hire illegally and removal of incentives such as birthright citizenships and public school enrollments without status verifications. We must also address the fact that we're soft on criminals caught in crimes and aren't deported. No other country would allow this to continue. 40% of them entered the country legally and overstayed their visas. Yet there's still no reliable method to verify if Visa overstays have left the country. Another incentive that must be addressed is the birthright citizenship program that has resulted in millions of children and parents receiving instant rights and benefits. Some have called them "GPS babies" and this certainly cannot be what the authors of the 14th Amendment intended to occur. Public housing and other benefits are provided for the illegal parents through their 'anchor children' while citizens are turned away because of limited resources. This antiquated program must end. Government agencies and officials at all levels must address the costs associated with this kind of abuse. Past mistakes have been made in attempts to fix illegal immigration and our communities can no longer afford these kinds of mistakes.

Read more:

MEDIA COVERS UP BLACK HATE CRIMES AGAINST WHITES

By Pete Papaherakles

Is the mainstream media deliberately fabricating a myth of white racism in America in order to cover up an epidemic of black-on-white violence? While most Americans are aware of the Trayvon Martin shooting in Sanford, Florida on February 26, 2012, very few know about the thousands of whites who have been brutally murdered, raped, beaten and robbed by blacks as the media keeps regurgitating lies about the Martin case. Are the lives of these innocent white Americans not important enough to report on, or is the media purposely inciting racial tensions for a reason?

Anyone who has paid attention to the Martin shooting knows that key information about the case has been distorted and fabricated. Evidence now shows that George Zimmerman had a broken nose, black eyes and lacerations to the back of his head. The police report stated that Zimmerman's back was wet and covered with grass clippings. On the other hand, Martin's autopsy revealed that Martin's knuckles were scraped. Even eyewitnesses saw the six-foot-three-inch Martin viciously pummeling the five-foot-nine-inch Zimmerman in the face while he had him on the ground.

While this dog-and-pony show is going on, however, the mainstream media has been totally silent on atrocious crimes that have been committed by blacks on whites since the Martin shooting. Here are a few-from among dozens of incidents-that AFP has confirmed.

MONDAY BRIEF

Racial Fiction

The Foundation

"It is not honorable to take mere legal advantage, when it happens to be contrary to justice." --Thomas Jefferson

Opinion in Brief

Editor's Note: Barack Hussein Obama walked into a White House press briefing Friday afternoon, unannounced. He used the briefing to deliver his political assessment of the Zimmerman/Martin case. Mark Alexander rebuts Obama's key points, then asks a more relevant question about the racial motivation behind the attack -- Martin's attack on Zimmerman, that is. Read Alexander's rebuttal here.

"What did President Obama intend when he surprised the White House press corps on Friday with a statement on the not-guilty verdict in the murder trial of George Zimmerman? ... Reports of protests, small-scale breakaway riots, vengeful attacks by young rioters on passers-by, were rife in the media. His Justice Department had gone out on a limb half-promising a civil-rights prosecution against Zimmerman. If violence had then become widespread, the administration would likely have been held responsible. ... His starting point was that he wanted black America to understand he shared at least some of their disquiet about the trial without improperly challenging the not-guilty verdict. ... If [Obama] respects the jury verdict as he says ... then he must realize that Zimmerman's life has been turned upside down for months and is under serious threat today for actions that were at worst foolish and/or reckless. ... The second weakness of the president's appeal for empathy is that it is too indulgent. Putting yourself in someone else's place -- which is the classic definition of empathy -- means helping that person to deal realistically with his problems more than it means hugging him. It means tough love and honest talk. It means not endorsing someone's comforting delusions out of politeness. ... In the current context it means politely but firmly correcting the malicious fiction that a major threat to young black men -- and a major anxiety for their parents -- is murder at the hands of white racists. That fiction is itself a racist one." --National Review's John O'Sullivan

RedState Morning Briefing

For July 23, 2013

1.  The RedState Gathering 2013 #RSG13

The event starts at 9am on August 2nd and runs through the early evening of the 3rd. This year I'm pleased to announce the following speakers:

Governors Bobby Jindal, Nikki Haley, and Rick Perry.

Senators Tim Scott and Ted Cruz

Congressmen Steve Scalise, Jim Bridenstine, and Mick Mulvaney

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp

Special Guests Matt Bevin, Milton Wolf, Kevin Kookogey, Bryan Smith, Art Halvorson, Rob Maness, Greg Brannon, and Jenny Beth Martin

We may even have a few surprises in store.

This will be a really exciting RedState Gathering this year as we celebrate some truly disruptive Republicans who've helped move the nation in the right direction and introduce some candidates who might join their ranks in the future.

See you in New Orleans. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →

2.  Primaries Bring Fresh Air to Foul Odor Emanating From GOP Establishment

3.  Why It's Time To Replace Mike Simpson

It's not just that Mike Simpson boasts an abysmal 58 percent on the Club for Growth's Congressional Scorecard, or that Citizens Against Government Waste has called Simpson "hostile" to the Taxpayer, or that Heritage Action for America gave Simpson a 47 percent last year. (By way of comparison, Idaho's First District Congressman Raul Labrador has a lifetime 99 percent on our Scorecard, is called a "Hero" by CAGW, and received an 87 percent from Heritage.)

It's not just that Simpson is a career politician, who has been in public office since 1984 while opposing term limits every chance he gets. Or that he voted to bail out Wall Street to the tune of $700 billion and voted to spend billions on wasteful pork projects outside of Idaho such as a Lobster Institute in Maine, new exhibits at a Jazz Museum in Kansas City, and shellfish research in New Jersey. All of which he did while voting to raise his own pay nine times. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →

4.  Spending tomorrow's money is easy

Heritage Hotsheet

Experts on the Day's Hottest News

Items for July 23, 2013 

GOP Senator Says Coalition To Block And Defund Obamacare Is Growing, Names Names   

Latest Heritage Research:

ISSUE BRIEF
Japan Should Prioritize Future Policies over Revising the Past

ISSUE BRIEF 
North Korean-Cuban Arms Shipment Shows Need to Tighten Sanctions

ISSUE BRIEF 
Hensarling Housing Finance Plan: A Welcome Step Toward Solving the Fannie and Freddie Mess

ISSUE BRIEF 
DREAM Act: Heritage Foundation Recommendations

SPECIAL REPORT 
60 Terrorist Plots Since 9/11: Continued Lessons in Domestic Counterterrorism

July 23, 2013  

Members of Congress have debated various versions of the DREAM Act more than 30 times over the past dozen years. They'll do so again today, possibly setting the stage for a backdoor path to amnesty in the U.S. House.

Although no bill text is available - and might not be until after the August recess - a Judiciary Committee panel will hold a hearing this afternoon addressing the immigration status of an estimated 2.8 million illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children.

>>> DREAM Act Hearings: 5 Questions for Congress

President Obama, as he's done often, decided to sidestep Congress last year to implement aspects of the DREAM Act using executive action. The administration deferred, for two years, the removal of certain illegal immigrants.

The issue resurfaced earlier this year in the Senate's Gang of Eight amnesty bill. And now it appears the House is preparing to introduce its own legislation as part of its piece-by-piece approach to immigration reform.

The House proposal, tentatively called the Kids Act, is the work of two Virginia Republicans: Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte. Last week, Heritage called on the lawmakers to make text of the legislation available so the public can examine it in the context of other immigration proposals. They said it wasn't written yet.

>>> DREAM Act: Heritage Foundation Recommendations

Even without legislative language, conservatives know enough about previous proposals to be skeptical. Over the past decade, both Democrats and Republicans have rejected numerous bills mirroring the DREAM Act.

Heritage's Jessica Zuckerman warned that "Any DREAM Act legislation put on the table this time around is not likely to be different from these very proposals that Congress has tried and rejected in the past."

To help members of Congress understand what's at stake, Heritage compiled recommendations and Zuckerman pinpointed five questions that must be addressed at today's committee hearing. They include:

1. Would this endanger the lives of children by encouraging greater trafficking across the increasingly dangerous U.S.-Mexico border?
2. Is the proposal fair to the estimated 4.4 million people who are waiting to come to the U.S. legally?
3. Would it promote greater family chain migration, resulting in double or triple the number of illegal aliens ultimately receiving amnesty?
4. What is to prevent DREAM Act legislation from becoming a vehicle for an amnesty like the Senate bill?
5. What would make this different from the past proposals that have been repeatedly rejected by Congress?

Conservatives should be aware that any legislation passed by the House could become a vehicle for backroom deal-making that ultimately moves the Senate's amnesty bill to Obama's desk. That includes a version of the DREAM Act being debated today.

• Which country did the United States beat for having a more positive global impact?
• A change of location may be necessary to climb the income ladder. 
• Meet the Iraqi refugee who tried to repay the $18,000 in welfare he had received.
• What do Obama and Obamacare have in common? 
• Which two states are moving away from Common Core education standards? Click here and click here to find out.
• Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) is threatening a government shutdown to block funding for Obamacare.
• These two senators are soliciting secret earmarks. 
• The truth behind the trend of breadwinner moms.

July 23, 2013   

Today's Articles:

Irrational Animal
Daren Jonescu
To define Trayvon Martin as a mere victim is to deny him his humanity. More

Obama's Dangerous Racial Hang-ups
Selwyn Duke
When Barack Obama said that if he had a son, "he'd look like Trayvon," it perhaps didn't say much for him as a parent. More

Your Place in the Database
Brae Jaeger
Don't think for a second that you're not important for the government to surveil. More

Abortion: In a Class of its Own
Carol Brown
At the age of 21, I had an abortion. But I never reflected on the actions I took that day in any deep or meaningful way until I began my journey from left to right. More

Enough of the tut-tutting on Zimmerman
Paul Green
Too many conservative writers are scapegoating George Zimmerman. More

A Teachable Moment on Recess Appointments
Edward H. Stewart, Jr.
The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals takes Obama to the woodshed over recess appointments. More

We're Done, Mr. President
Christopher Chantrill
Memo to Obama: post-racial America is here, whether you like it or not. More

Zimmerman Verdict Revives 'Grievance Guru' Industry
Taleeb Starkes
The racial Grievance Gurus are singing their old song about the Zimmerman verdict. More

American Thinker Blog

Let it Be -- a Review
July 23, 2013
The Beatles never get old. More

WaPo ignores Sharp Criticism of Kerry by Senior Palestinian Officials
July 23, 2013
Is Kerry jumping the gun? More

Let's Debate Prop 8
July 23, 2013
Contrary to what the Supreme Court may think, as a California citizen thoroughly affected by same-sex parenting, I do have standing on the Prop. 8 debate. More

Pretty-Boy Dzhokhar
July 23, 2013
If I were one of the legless victims of the Boston Marathon, I would certainly not be reading Rolling Stone. More

Obama 'Pivots' to Knox College
July 23, 2013
Never heard of Knox College? That might be the point. More

Tea Party challenger for Mitch McConnell
July 22, 2013
A long shot bid. More

Obama approval rating drops for second straight quarter
July 22, 2013
A four point drop since his re-election. More

Finally - EU puts Hezb'allah militia on terror list
July 22, 2013
A blow to Hezb'allah leader Hassan Nasrallah's efforts to try and maintain some kind of international legitimacy for the terrorist group. More

Already a 'Stop Hillary' PAC
July 22, 2013
Conservatives gearing up to oppose their nemesis. More

Another Obama 'pivot' toward the economy
July 22, 2013
The permanent campaign goes on the road again. More

If a person 'cannot stand his ground, what can he do?
July 22, 2013
Obama's Attorney General lambasts Florida's completely logical law and provides no alternative. More

Obama co-sponsored bill strengthening Illinois stand-your-ground law in 2004
July 22, 2013
Now we have proof that the current Obama-Holder campaign against stand-your-ground laws is nothing more than a pose intended to distract from their political problems More

Detroit in RUINS! (Crowder goes Ghetto)

Trayvon Protest Attacks Grandmother Trying to Rush Child to Hospital

Students ridicule conservatives as 'racist' and 'close-minded' at annual 'progress' summit

"Stupidity Should be Painful"

Obama Supporters Petition to Grant Him Immunity for All Crimes He Commits While in Office

TV Ad: Hold Obama Accountable for Benghazi Scandal

Senator Ted Cruz 'This Week' Interview Discusses Opposition to President Obama's Newtown Gun Agenda

LibertyNEWS TV - "Obama's Weapons of Mass (Constitutional/National) Destruction"

BREAKING: Kate, Duchess of Cambridge Gives Birth to A BOY

Several High-Ranking Congressmen Now Involved In Obama ID Fraud Investigation

IV Cellular presents "Freedom Isn't Free"

Daily Email - July 22, 2013
    Top Story  FBI Counterterror Ads Censored in Seattle
By Cliff Kincaid  |  July 19, 2013
The Rolling Stone cover photo of Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been the subject of countless news stories because people across the ideological spectrum have rightly objected to this magazine's glorification of the Islamist killer.
    AIM Column  How Obama Truly Was Like Trayvon Martin
By Cliff Kincaid  |  July 21, 2013
The Huffington Post has perfected the smear technique of expressing shock and anger at things that conservatives say which make complete sense and are factually based. "Hannity's Awful Reaction To Obama's Trayvon Martin Comments" was the headline over Fox News host Sean Hannity's reaction to President Obama comparing himself to Trayvon Martin. Hannity said he [...]
    From the AIM Blogs
Charles Barkley Blames Media for Giving "Racists" a "Platform" [VIDEO]
By Don Irvine  |  July 19, 2013
  Guest Column  Politics Shouldn't Force Federal Case vs. Zimmerman
By Andrew McCarthy  |  July 21, 2013
We have a Department of Justice, not a Department of Social Justice. That is an essential distinction. It is brought into sharp relief by politicized demands that George Zimmerman, having just been acquitted of murder by the state of Florida, be subjected to a second prosecution - a federal civil rights indictment - over the [...]
    AIM Newswire
China warns Japan of Aggressive Policy

Airlines offer Olive Branch to Europeans to appease Merger Deal

Britain rethinking arming Syrian rebels? Parliament questions Leaders 

When it comes to immigration, why are we insisting on security first?

U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton answers that question very well in his recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece below (highlights added).

We need to let House leaders know that there are many commonsense Americans who understand that any approach to immigration must begin with protecting our national security.

  OPINION
  Tom Cotton: It's the House Bill or Nothing on Immigration  What's to stop President Obama from refusing to enforce the Senate bill's border-security promises?
  By TOM COTTON
  America is a nation of immigrants, but we're also a nation of laws, and the U.S. immigration system should respect both traditions. Unfortunately, the Senate immigration bill undermines the rule of law without solving the country's illegal-immigration problem, and it will harm American workers. The House of Representatives will reject any proposal with the Senate bill's irreparably flawed structure, which is best described as: legalization first, enforcement later . . . maybe.

This basic design flaw repeats the mistake of the 1986 amnesty law, which, according to former Attorney General Edwin Meese, President Reagan considered the biggest mistake of his presidency. The Senate bill ensures, as did the 1986 law, that we'll have full legalization but little-to-no enforcement.

The Senate bill's advocates argue that its implementation of enforcement measures, such as extending the security fence on the border with Mexico, will precede and be a "trigger" for opening a path to citizenship. But these advocates are conflating legalization and citizenship. America has approximately 12 million illegal immigrants, who chiefly desire the right to live and work here legally. The Senate bill legalizes them a mere six months after enactment.

In the bill, legalization comes with trivial preconditions. Pay a "fine"? Yes, but it's less than $7 per month and can be waived. Pay back taxes? Only if a tax lien has already been filed, which will be rare for undocumented work. Pass a criminal-background check? Yes, with a gaping exception allowed for illegal immigrants with up to two misdemeanors-or more, if the convictions occurred on the same day-even if these were pleaded down from felony offenses and included serious offenses such as domestic violence and drunken driving.

This approach is unjust and counterproductive. We should welcome the many foreigners patiently obeying our laws and waiting overseas to immigrate legally. Instead, the Senate bill's instant, easy legalization rewards lawbreakers and thus encourages more illegal immigration.

What's worse, the bill's illusory enforcement mechanisms won't stop this illegal immigration. Effective enforcement requires a border fence, a visa-tracking system to catch visa overstayers, and a workable employment-verification system. The Senate bill fails on all three fronts.

The Secure Fence Act of 2006 mandated 700 miles of fencing, but the Senate bill merely restates this long-ignored requirement without mentioning specs or locations. It also doesn't prohibit delay-inducing lawsuits from fence opponents. Further, the bill explicitly lets the secretary of Homeland Security decline to build a fence in a specific location if she decides it's not "appropriate."

Instead, the bill throws billions of dollars at the border for new border-patrol agents (though not until 2017) and sensor technologies. These solutions are complements, not substitutes, for a fence. When I was a soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan, my units relied on guards and technology to secure our bases, but the first line of defense was always a physical perimeter.

That's because fences work. The fence built in the San Diego border sector dramatically reduced border crossings there from 100,000 per year to just 5,000 per year when it was completed in 2006, a 95% drop. Earlier this year, Israel reduced illegal crossings at its Sinai border to two per month from 2,000 per month by completing a fence. Why doesn't the Senate bill mandate an effective fence? The answer, plainly, is that the intention is not to build one.

Similarly, the Senate bill restates a 17-year-old requirement in federal law that the government have a functioning visa-tracking system. But it delays implementation for six years and increases by millions the visas available for low-skill immigrants. This will lead to more illegal immigration by visa overstayers, while depressing wages for young and lower-skill Americans. The bill also delays implementation of the employment-verification system by at least five years and doesn't require mandatory effectiveness levels for the system.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office recognizes that these enforcement measures will be largely ineffective. The CBO estimates that, even with them, annual illegal immigration will decline by only one-third to one-half compared with current projections. After 10 years, the CBO predicts, the illegal-immigrant population will have declined to only eight million from today's 12 million. So much for solving the problem. All we're doing is setting up the next amnesty.

But it's actually worse because even these modest enforcement measures likely won't happen. Any future Congress can defund these programs, as has happened too often. The bill grants enforcement discretion to the bureaucracy in hundreds of instances. Opponents can tie up the bill in court for years, which would block implementation of key enforcement measures but not the path to citizenship. This is exactly what happened with the 1986 law: legalization now and enforcement never.

And what's to stop President Obama from refusing to enforce this law? After all, he just announced he won't enforce ObamaCare's employer mandate because of complaints from big business. If that's his attitude toward his biggest legislative accomplishment, imagine what he'll do when big business complains about, say, an employment-verification system he never wanted to begin with.

If enforcement fails, what's more likely: that legalized persons won't become citizens or that future Congresses will simply relax or eliminate the required "triggers"? If past is prologue, we know the answer.

Given all this history, the American people rightly doubt that the government will finally enforce immigration laws. Thus the best solution is to abandon the Senate bill's flawed framework and proceed with an enforcement-first approach that assures Americans that the border is secure and immigration laws are being enforced. The House is already pursuing that goal with committee-approved bills such as the Legal Workforce Act, which expedites the employment-verification system, and the SAFE Act, which empowers local and state law-enforcement officers to enforce immigration laws.

If the full House approves such bills, they should be sent directly to the Senate for consideration. They should not be handed to a conference committee so that they can be reconciled with the Senate bill-the Senate and House measures are irreconcilable. Instead, the Senate must choose whether it wants common-sense, confidence-building immigration legislation this year.

If the Senate insists on the legalization-first approach, then no bill will be enacted. Meanwhile, the House will remain focused on addressing ObamaCare, the economy and the national debt-which, after all, Americans overwhelmingly regard as higher priorities than immigration reform.

Mr. Cotton is a Republican congressman from Arkansas.   

Disturbing News on the Early Opening of the NSA's Utah Datacenter and the FBI

Egyptian Army Abducts Morsi (video)

CONTRIBUTOR: Live Free or Die. According to the family of deposed Egyptian President Morsi, he has been abducted by the Egyptian Army. What are they going to do with him now? In a just and fair society, he will at least be given a trial if charged with crimes. Though I may not agree with...

Warning to All Police, Firefighters, School Teachers: Most Gov't Pensions to be Confiscated Within a Decade

CURATOR: John Rolls. Mike Adams * Natural News (NaturalNews) Last week, Detroit declared bankruptcy, becoming the largest city in U.S. history to take such drastic action in the face of financial insolvency. A declaration of bankruptcy isn't what most people think it is, though: it's not just a statement of "we're broke!"...

Long List Of Curious Coincidences In Obama's Life, which someone emailed to Ben Fulford

The Rest Of The Martin -Zimmerman Story Mainstream Media Doesn't Want You To Know (Video) (video)

50 States 'Resign' From US Corporation? (video)

CONTRIBUTOR: Live Free or Die. Have all 50 US 'states' tendered their resignation from the United States 'corporation' as this video from BackToConstitution suggests? According to the Declaration of Independence, it is not only our RIGHT, but it is our DUTY, to 'throw off' a government of despots who are committing a long train of...

NJ Supreme Court First To Order Warrants For Cell Phone Tracking ( Video )

CONTRIBUTOR: N. Morgan. Privacy advocates are celebrating a victory in the battle for piracy. New Jersey Supreme Court expanded privacy rights and in doing so, becoming the first state to require that police must first obtain a search warrant if they want to track a suspect by tracing their cell...

10 Ways That The Iron Grip Of The Big Brother Prison Grid Is Tightening On All Of Our Lives

CONTRIBUTOR: The Sleuth â€'Journal.   Do you ever feel trapped in an invisible control grid that is slowly but surely closing in all around you?  Do you ever feel like virtually everything that you do is being watched, tracked, monitored and recorded?  If so, unfortunately it is not just your imagination.  Our society is...

Journalism Down The Tubes: The Real Story Of Trayvon Martin And George Zimmerman ( Video )

CONTRIBUTOR: N. Morgan. Do you feel you have been completely informed about Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman? There are some disturbing facts that are now coming to light, after the verdict. I hope some of these facts will set some of the anger and hurt aside and shine the light on...

If This Doesn’t Wake You Up Nothing Will

Monday, July 22, 2013

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer


IRS Scandal Gets Closer To Obama

"What did the president know and when did he know it?" That has been a central question of Washington scandals ever since Tennessee Senator Howard Baker asked it during the Watergate hearings.

The evidence is now overwhelming that the IRS/Tea Party scandal was not the work of rogue agents in a remote field office. And as more evidence points toward White House involvement, Baker's famous question becomes more relevant.

We reported last week that Carter Hull, a top tax attorney at the IRS, testified that the agency's chief counsel was directly involved in targeting Tea Party groups for additional scrutiny and harassment. Peggy Noonan described Hull's testimony as a "bombshell" because "the chief counsel of the IRS is one of only two Obama political appointees in the entire agency."

In May, Obama claimed that he learned about the IRS scandal when the rest of the country did. Responding to a question during a press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron, Obama said, "I first learned about it from the same news reports that I think most people learned about this."

But White House visitor logs cast some doubt on that assertion. Consider this timeline of events from the Daily Caller:

"IRS chief counsel William Wilkins... met with Obama in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on April 23, 2012. Wilkins' boss, then-IRS commissioner Douglas Shulman, met with Obama on April 24, 2012, according to White House visitor logs.

"On April 25, 2012, Wilkins sent Hull and fellow Washington-based IRS official Lois Lerner 'additional comments on the draft guidance' for approving or denying tea party tax-exempt applications, according to the IRS' inspector general's report."

So let's get this straight: Lois Lerner, who is refusing to testify before Congress about her involvement in targeting conservative groups, received new marching orders within 48 hours of the chief counsel's (an Obama appointee) and IRS commissioner's meeting with Obama at the White House. Yet we're supposed to believe that is just a huge coincidence because Obama says he didn't know about the Tea Party scandal until a year later.

It is possible that Wilkins, Shulman and Obama were only discussing the complexities of Obamacare. But the timing of Wilkins's additional guidance to Hull and Lerner suggests other items were likely on their agenda too.


Speaking Of Obamacare...

A recent survey found widespread skepticism and uncertainty about Obamacare. That's not unusual -- Obamacare was unpopular when it passed and it remains unpopular today. What makes this survey newsworthy is that it was a poll of doctors.

According to the results, just 11% of doctors believe Obamacare's state exchanges will be up and running on time. Nearly 90% of doctors do not believe their patients have been "adequately educated" about the exchanges. But don't ask your doctors for information -- they don't know either! Consider these findings:

• 56% of doctors were "not at all familiar" with how the new exchanges will affect their business.
• 67% did not know about new coverage terms for their patients.
• 71% did not know how the claims process in the exchange will work. 
• 66% were "completely unfamiliar with what the contracted rates with payers in the exchanges will be."

The Editors' Top Picks

  Jimmy Carter Defends Snowden, Says U.S. Has No "Functioning Democracy"  "America does not have a functioning democracy at this point in time," former President Jimmy Carter said this week, according to a report in the German newspaper, Der Spiegel.
  Trayvon Martin Was No Innocent  Trayvon Martin (whom Obama said "could have been my son") was no innocent, having a background as a truant, a liar, a thief, a schoolyard bully, and a doper.
  Despite Federal Study, Fracking Safety Still in Dispute  An Energy Department study says chemicals used in oil and natural gas drilling known as "fracking" pose no threat to groundwater, despite popular claims.
  Calls for Florida Boycott Following Zimmerman Verdict  The verdict in the George Zimmerman case has provoked a campaign to encourage others to boycott the state of Florida because of Florida's "stand your ground" law.
  Pennsylvania Attorney General Refuses to Enforce State DOMA Law  Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane has issued a statement announcing her refusal to enforce Pennsylvania's Defense of Marriage law.
  Hobby Lobby: Another Major Court Win Against Contraception Mandate  Christian-based retailer Hobby Lobby has won another important court decision in its ongoing battle against the ObamaCare contraception mandate. 

Dr. James David Manning; CONFRONTATIONAL SERMON ON TRAYVON MARTIN: 'YOU SEE THE WORLD THROUGH YOUR BLACK EYES'

Trayvon Martin: Pot Smoking Gives Munchies and Makes Paranoid

Dr. James David Manning, the notoriously controversial chief pastor at the ATLAH World Missionary Church in New York City, recently delivered a bold and controversial message to his congregants about the black community's perception of the George Zimmerman trial. He urged his mostly black congregation to stop viewing the world through their "black eyes" and start looking at it through the "blood of Jesus."

If they did that, the pastor explained, there would be no denying that the verdict in the Zimmerman was the correct one. He also told those who are convinced that Zimmerman is guilty that they only believe that because they are black.

"You are focusing on the fact that Trayvon Martin is black and you believe that George Zimmerman is white, he isn't. His father is baptist, his mother, she's from Peru. He's Latin. A mix of Latin and White," Manning said. "Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and all that crowd jumped the gun, they thought he was white, but he isn't."

It should be noted that Manning is an outspoken critic of President Barack Obama (which is really an understatement as he regularly refers to the president as "long-legged mack daddy" and compares him to Hitler and Satan) and has in the past heralded the message of the "birthers." There is no denying the pastor is a colorful and controversial character, but his sermon is still bound to cause a stir.

Read more:

JULY 19, 2013 6:15 PM

The Downfall of Detroit 
It took only six decades of "progressive" policies to bring a great city to its knees. 

One of the thousands of blighted homes in Detroit.

By the time Detroit declared bankruptcy, Americans were so inured to the throbbing dirge of Motown's Greatest Hits - 40 percent of its streetlamps don't work; 210 of its 317 public parks have been permanently closed; it takes an hour for police to respond to a 9-1-1 call; only a third of its ambulances are driveable; one-third of the city has been abandoned; the local realtor offers houses on sale for a buck and still finds no takers; etc., etc. - Americans were so inured that the formal confirmation of a great city's downfall was greeted with little more than a fatalistic shrug.

But it shouldn't be. To achieve this level of devastation, you usually have to be invaded by a foreign power. In the War of 1812, when Detroit was taken by a remarkably small number of British troops without a shot being fired, Michigan's Governor Hull was said to have been panicked into surrender after drinking heavily. Two centuries later, after an almighty 50-year bender, the city surrendered to itself. The tunnel from Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit, Michigan, is now a border between the First World and the Third World - or, if you prefer, the developed world and the post-developed world. 

Read more:

Big labor finally getting the shaft from Democrat politicians

Jul 22, 2013 06:13 am | Coach Collins

by Doug Book, editor

It seems big labor is getting nervous about anticipated disastrous effects on the healthcare benefits of union membership by Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. So nervous are they in fact that James P. Hoffa and organized labor comrades Joseph Hansen and Don Taylor addressed their concerns in personal letter form to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, a clear break from the more conventional late night exchange of cash and instructions so common between labor kingpins and Democrat politicians.

"We can no longer stand silent in the face of elements of the Affordable Care Act that will destroy the very health and wellbeing of our members," wrote the 3 union bosses to leaders of the political party to which organized labor donated some $800 million in 2008 and $700 million two years later. (1) "Congress wrote this law; we voted for you. We have a problem; you need to fix it." Though Hoffa didn't specifically ... Continue Reading:Big labor finally getting the shaft from Democrat politicians

comments | read more

Morning Jolt  . . . with Jim Geraghty

July 22, 2013

Good news: The news cycles for the coming days will be devoured by another non-political story, this one much happier than the Zimmerman trial: Over in the U.K., "Duchess Kate of Cambridge is in the hospital and in the early stages of labor, Buckingham Palace confirmed early Monday."

Reminder:  If you're going on the NR cruise, you have until Friday to do the online registration through the cruise line's website. I'll be on the cruise, so no Jolt from July 30 to August 9 or so.

Everything You Need to Know about the Colorado Recall Elections

If you're a fan of the Second Amendment, and you feel that a whole bunch of lawmakers - mostly Democrats - reacted to the horror of Newtown by rushing to pass a bunch of ill-thought gun control laws that would have done nothing to prevent that tragedy, then you need to pay a lot of attention to the recall efforts against two Colorado state lawmakers.

Second Amendment advocates aim to replace Democratic senators John Morse of Colorado Springs and Angela Giron of Pueblo. (They also tried to recall Senator Evie Hudak of Westminster and Representative Mike McLachlan of Durango, but failed to collect enough signatures.)  Back in 2010, Morse won, 48.1 percent to 47.2 percent, with about 250 votes separating him from his opponent (and Libertarian Douglas Randall collected 1,258 votes). Giron won more solidly, 54.8 percent to 45.1 percent, a margin of about 4,000 votes. In that November midterm election, about 28,000 votes were cast in Morse's race, about 40,000 votes in Giron's. Of course, in a special recall election, turnout may be much lower.

The local Republican parties selected former Colorado Springs city councilman Bernie Herpin to take on John Morse and George Rivera, former deputy chief of the Pueblo police force, to take on Giron.

Here's how it works:

The ballot will include the original statement from the petitioners as to why the official in question should be recalled, as well as a no more than 300 word rebuttal from the official, if the official submits a statement.

The ballot will have two boxes, marked "Yes" approving the recall and "No" disapproving the recall. There will also be a list of candidates for whom those that voted for the recall may vote for to replace the official. In this sense, the recall election is held simultaneously with the election of the new official.

If a majority of participants vote "No" in the recall, the official whom the recall was filed against will remain in their position. If there is a majority of "Yes" votes, then the new official will be the candidate on the list with the most votes.

The election will be conducted by mail, and even more so than in regular elections, the details count in this one:

All active, registered voters in Senate district 11 will receive a mail-in ballot. Ballots will be mailed to military and overseas voters by August 9. Ballots will be mailed to local voters starting August 19.

There will be two sections on the ballot. One will ask whether or not Senator John Morse should be recalled. The second section will allow voters to choose a successor candidate.

Voters MUST answer the recall question to have their vote counted. The County Clerk and Recorder's Office says if a voter skips the recall question their ballot will be voided, even if they voted for a successor candidate.

Ballots have to be received by the Clerk and Recorder's Office by 7:00 p.m. September 10 in order to be counted. Voters can verify that their ballot was received by visiting the Go Vote Colorado website.

Herpin's pitch:

I'm running to defend our Constitutional rights and promote an environment where small businesses are free to create jobs and improve our local community.

For too long, John Morse has been more interested in doing the bidding of Big Government interests in Denver and Washington and less interested in the economic concerns and well-being of our community.

We have the opportunity to remove the president of the senate and send a strong message that we will not tolerate elected officials who disrespect our Constitutional rights and ignore their constituents.

Many in our community know about my long standing vocal and public support of our Constitutional rights.  I also have a history of serving our city and have always prided myself on being responsive to the people of Colorado Springs.

Rivera is pointing out that, separate from Giron's gun vote, she's also voted for a slew of bills he deems bad for the district:

A bill that makes it easier for water to be taken from the Arkansas River basin to be moved to Aurora and other northern Colorado cities, the bill calling for higher renewable energy standards that will make the cost of electricity rise by up to 20% for those living in the rural electric areas like Pueblo West, the bill that makes it easier for an employee that has been terminated to sue small business owners like my wife and I and to ask for punitive damages for things like "mental anguish", "inconvenience" or "loss of enjoyment of life", and the bill that completely changes our voting process to an all mail in ballot which greatly increases the risk of voter fraud.

These two state-senate districts will, in the coming six weeks, get a taste of what Wisconsin "enjoyed" recently, having lots and lots of people from outside the state taking an intense interest in their local elections:

Richard Bamberg's phone has been ringing off the hook - not literally - but three calls last week and then four Thursday have made him a little jaded by the Senate District 11 recall effort.

It's just the beginning of what may be hectic days until the Sept. 10 recall election for Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs.

"I asked to talk to their supervisor. I asked them to leave me alone," Bamberg said of the most recent caller who asked a few questions and then spoke for several minutes about positive things Morse has done as a lawmaker. "The thing I don't get is I'm not in Morse's district."

Christy Le Lait, campaign manager for A Whole Lot of People for John Morse, said the calls aren't coming from its campaign.

You Think You Treat Obama Badly? Check Out How New York's Media Elite Treated Him

 Quick observation about this anecdote from Katherine Rosman of the Wall Street Journal, spotlighted by Garance Franke-Ruta of The Atlantic:

On a warm weekday evening in 2003, a group that can fairly be described as representative of the media elite gathered at one if its favored venues: the garden behind the Manhattan apartment of journalists Tina Brown and Harold Evans.

The occasion was the publication of "The Clinton Wars," by Sidney Blumenthal, a former aide to President Bill Clinton. Editors from the New Yorker and the New York Times were in attendance along with media figures like Steven Brill and Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner. The guests mingled and sipped wine. Even Clinton showed up, instantly becoming the epicenter of attention.

I had not been invited but attended the event as the "plus one" of political columnist Eric Alterman, who wrote about the party in The Guardian on Thursday. At the time, I was a freelance journalist not yet employed by The Wall Street Journal. Eager for an opportunity to find a good story or meet an editor who might give me work, I accepted Alterman's invitation to join him at an event littered with literati.

Standing by myself I noticed, on the periphery of the party, a man looking as awkward and out-of-place as I felt. I approached him and introduced myself. He was an Illinois state senator who was running for the U.S. Senate. He was African American, one of a few black people in attendance.

We spoke at length about his campaign. He was charismatic in a quiet, solemn way. I told him I wanted to pitch a profile of him to a national magazine. (The magazine later rejected my proposal.)

The following year I watched as he gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, and then won his Senate seat that fall. On Tuesday, Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States.

But what I will always remember is as I was leaving that party in 2003, I was approached by another guest, an established author. He asked about the man I had been talking to. Sheepishly he told me he didn't know that Obama was a guest at the party, and had asked him to fetch him a drink. In less than six years, Obama has gone from being mistaken for a waiter among the New York media elite, to the president-elect.

What a country.

We don't know who that established author is. We don't know if this unidentified author was the only person who mistook Obama for a waiter at that party, or whether it occurred with embarrassing frequency. (I am told by African-American and Hispanic friends that they are mistaken for staff in stores and restaurants with infuriating regularity.)

But look at the folks mentioned as party attendees in that anecdote: Tina Brown and Harold Evans, Sidney Blumenthal, Steven Brill, Jann Wenner and Eric Alterman. Liberals all, and I'm sure that all of those folks would consider themselves not only not racist, but particularly enlightened to the plight of minorities in modern America. Maybe that party included some of the . . . er . . . conservative Manhattan media elite, but it's pretty unlikely. (It was, after all, for Blumenthal's book.)

One of the reasons that discussions about race relations in the United States are so tiresome is that the tone is often, "I'm not racist, but you people are racist, and you people are the problem." Yet here we have a gathering of some of our most prominent and influential media voices, a crowd that undoubtedly would claim to be our society's smartest, most progressive, most enlightened, most open-minded, and most free from prejudice. And a future president of the United States gets mistaken for a waiter.

 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

(Matthew 7:3-5)

Why Much Ado About Nothing Is Really Something

The next few Jolts will include some movie reviews, because we need something lighter around here.

Much Ado About Nothing

Over the weekend, Will Allen offered a review on NRO that is just way too thoughtful, rich, and insightful to be the work of an intern. Test the kid for steroids.

If I were an actor in Hollywood, I would be exceptionally envious of the Joss Whedon crew. This article gives you a sense of the friendships that Whedon has developed with some members of his casts over the years from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse - shows that ranged from brilliance to interesting, unpredictable failures. Whedon and his gang used to get together at the director's house to read Shakespeare - and from that came this project, a low-budget, filmed-in-twelve-days performance of Much Ado About Nothing.

Whether you can enjoy the film - whether you're a Shakespeare connoisseur or whether you just need a summertime date movie - will depend upon how you feel about three Whedon choices: 1) It's in black and white. 2) It's set in the modern day, with automobiles, handguns, and cell phones. 3) Despite the set, prop, and costume choices, the actors recite the original Shakespearean dialogue.

 About ten minutes in, I felt a bit of trepidation, as I understood about three-quarters of the dialogue. But it passed, because the cast did what they're supposed to do: They acted. Your eyes, ears, and mind flit over the phrases from Shakespeare's time that you don't recognize, because the meaning is clear from context and delivery.

The movie is something of a vindication for fans of the Whedon clique, as almost everybody's really likeable and the director reverse-typecasts a few roles, picking actors whose past work is nothing like what they're called upon to do in this story. He cast Fran Kranz, the rapid-quipping nerd from Dollhouse, as one of the film's romantic leads as Claudio; Nathan Fillion, formerly Captain Mal and currently the romantic lead in Castle, is the hapless, goofy comic-relief cop Dogberry; and Sean Maher, the earnest young doctor/fugitive in Firefly is the villain Don John. 

Just about everything works and you're left wondering why Hollywood couldn't make an in-color, non-Shakespearean dialogue romantic comedy that's even half as good. And all those actors you enjoyed on the old Whedon shows? I turns out they're really good, and in many cases, criminally under-employed. Sure, some Whedon alumni, like Fillion, have gone on to sizable success, and others, such as Amy Acker, work pretty regularly. But you watch this and wonder, where has Alexis Denisof been? Reed Diamond? Kranz?

You can't fool me. That's S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson, working undercover. After the credits, Samuel L. Jackson will appear and tell Benedick, "'Get thee a wife.' You think you're the only Shakespeare hero in the world? Benedick, you've just become part of a bigger universe - you just don't know it yet." And then they'll form the Globe Theater Avengers, with Hamlet, Othello, MacBeth, Romeo & Juliet . . .

ADDENDUM: Patrick Ruffini: "It's not that Obama couldn't get people to care about the sequester. It's that he didn't call it SequesterNado."

NRO Digest - July 22, 2013

Today on National Review Online . . .

Amnesty, Big Business Lobby Plans Aggressive August Push

Pro-amnesty and business lobbies have planned an aggressive campaign during Congress's annual August recess to push House Members into supporting comprehensive immigration reform.

Click here to read the full article.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

More Details Emerge on House Gang of Seven Amnesty Bill

A House aide leaked more details on the House Gang of Seven's bill to legalize the 12 million illegal aliens in the country. According to the aide, illegal aliens will have three different paths to "earn" citizenship.

Click here to read the full article.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Just like Rubio, Boehner and Ryan Reject "Special" Treatment for Illegal Aliens

As the battle over immigration heats up in the House of Representatives, leading House Members are beginning to sound more and more like Senator Marco Rubio, who disavowed any special path to citizenship for illegal aliens.

Click here to read the full article.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

North Carolina House Strips Omnibus Measure

After months of debate on an omnibus immigration bill, HB 786, known as the "RECLAIM NC" Act, the North Carolina House amended the bill to require the state Department of Public Safety to study the impact of certain immigration-related measures and their potential effects on illegal immigration in the state.

Click here to read the full article.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

True Immigration Reformers March on Capitol Hill to Fight for American Jobs, Against Amnesty

Last Monday, hundreds of activists from across the nation converged on Capitol Hill and called on lawmakers to focus on unemployed Americans rather than grant amnesty to illegal aliens.

Click here to read the full article.

Today's Headlines:  Monday, July 22, 2013

HUD's New 'Fair Housing' Rule Establishes Diversity Data on Every Neighborhood in U.S.

Boehner Says He Can't Take a Stand on the Issues Because It Makes His Job Harder

CAIR: Helen Thomas 'Will Be Fondly Remembered by the Muslim Community'

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IG: FEMA Spending $76M More on Trailers That Disaster Victims Don't Want

Rep. Franks: Capitol Steps 'Stained With the Blood of Our Own Children'

U.S. Lawmakers Urge Opening to Iran, But Supreme Leader Says U.S. Cannot be Trusted 
USDA Funds $25K Study on Whether Kids' Preference for Fat, Sugar Leads to Obesity

Obama's IRS Appointee Scheduled WH Visit 1 Day After IRS Meeting on Tea Party

Now you can access all the latest breaking news from CNSNews.com on your smartphone. Check out our mobile website today! 
U.S. Lawmakers Urge Opening to Iran, But Supreme Leader Says U.S. Cannot be Trusted

Retirees in Bankrupt Detroit Told They Will Have to Make Concessions

Injunction: Gov't Can't Enforce Sterilization-Contraception-Abortifacient Mandate Against Hobby Lobby

COMMENTARY:

Tears at the Open
By Rich Galen
The Brits claim that golf was invented there - specifically at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in Scotland - but it's not clear to me how they knew to name the place a "Golf Club" before golf was invented.

All the news you need, delivered right to the palm of your hand!

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Ken Hutcherson: "Put Jesus in front of our blackness"

WARNING: HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL OPINIONS (aka a little bit of harsh truth). The George Zimmerman trial has left a feeling of intense racial divide in America, and people like Al Sharpton are only fanning the flames. Pastor Ken Hutcherson came on the radio show today and discussed what he believes is causing people to be unable to look at the realities of the Trayvon Martin case. What are they? Find out HERE.

42% off a Man in the Moon Speaker Series from Digital Legend! Featuring two of the event's speakers, bring home a 5-piece set with free shipping at The Marketplace today.

Detroit: A hot progressive mess 

It's hardly shocking that the city of Detroit became the largest city in U.S. history to file for bankruptcy last week. In fact, it's been a long time coming. But what went wrong? Just 50 years ago, Detroit, the birthplace of the middle class, was the richest city in the country. The answer: Progressives. Once they got involved it all went downhill. Is Detroit just a few years ahead of the rest of the country if Americans don't stop electing progressives? Glenn discussed that and more on radio - WATCH. 

Man in the Moon merchandise is now available!

From the Man in the Moon DVD and official soundtrack to t-shirts and more, Man in the Moon merchandise is now available. You can find all of the great products HERE.  

  THE WALK: A SPECIAL ONE DAY OFFER!
You might remember Glenn endorsing #1 best-selling author Richard Paul Evans's THE WALK, the bestselling and award-winning series about a man who, after losing his wife, home and business, decides to walk across America searching for hope. TODAY ONLY, the Kindle version of book 1 is on sale for just $1.99. If you haven't started this remarkable series, here's your chance to try it out at a great price. Just click HERE to start your journey.

The sequel to The Overton Window has finally arrived!
Glenn's blockbuster novel from 2010 now continues with The Eye of Moloch - a thriller that's seemingly been ripped right from today's headlines. Follow Molly and her group of 'Founders Keepers' as they work to expose the secrets of a government that wants them dead. If you're looking for a summer beach read or just something to help you get even less sleep at night, The Eye of Moloch is a perfect choice. Buy a copy now and get an invite to an exclusive online event with Glenn. Get all the details HERE.

Tonight's primetime lineup on TheBlaze TV

• 5pm ET - The Glenn Beck Program: Glenn's back! And he's got a lot to talk about: Zimmerman, Detroit, Holder and more. 
• 6pm ET - Real News: Will the President's economic plans make Detroit look like child's play?
• 7pm ET - Wilkow!: While the President advocates for more spending, Detroit is filing for bankruptcy. Will the rest of the country follow suit or wise up?
• Watch live or on demand: Start your free trial now.