Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Gun Ruling Should Have Been 9-0
Subject: txt lbrty guns lgl bdd 1st hots -
You know, everybody is jumping up and down for joy over the Supreme Court Second Amendment ruling today, and perhaps rightly so. But what Americans must remember is that is was the tightest of splits on the bench: 5:4.
Four of the judges on our highest court evidently can't bring themselves to recognize the indisputable right intended by our founding fathers, meaning they don't subscribe to 'original intent' interpretation of the constitution.
This situation is dire in itself, but doubly so given that any appointee of Obama's is sure to swing the balance on the court to the revisionist camp...
[I.e., we're one seat away from abandoning the the constitution as our current working rule book - and that seat is on-deck today...]
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Kagan's Judicial Inexperience, 'Liberal' Views as Nomination Hearing Opens
Subject: txt lgl - GOP Hits
The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee voiced GOP concerns Monday over Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, telling the panel during opening testimony that her career has been "more consumed by politics" than by law.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., ranking Republican on the panel, said Kagan's record warrants close questioning as the Senate considers her appointment to the nation's highest court. (Snip)
Sessions noted that Kagan has "never tried a case before a jury" and "has associated herself with well known activist judges"...
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Serious Questions, Concerns … Ignored by the Major Media
Subject: txt hots lgl msm -
The Elena Kagan hearings began today, and few Americans are aware of her radical views on the Second Amendment, abortion, crime control, marriage rights, international law and many other critical issues.
Since predicting the Senate confirmation process of Kagan would be a “meat grinder” and a “battle,” the networks have been eerily quiet –the complete opposite of their reporting of the run-up to the confirmation hearings for Bush appointees John Roberts and Samuel Alito hearings.
The Media Research Center has just concluded an important study of the Media Blackout of the Supreme Court “Battle”, where our analysts poured over the broadcast network evening newcasts of ABC, CBS and NBC since Kagan’s May 10 nomination ..
What we discovered is a frighteningly blatant attempt by the Obama-friendly media to remain silent – offering as little information as possible on Kagan’s highly questionable qualifications and disturbing ideology...
Click here to access this exclusive MRC report.
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WaPo Applauds Obama's 'Skilled Operatives' for Not Choosing 'Outspoken Liberals' for Supreme Court
Subject: txt lgl - msm -
On the day confirmation hearings begin for Obama Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, The Washington Post stresses on the front page that Kagan has been an "elusive GOP target." The Post website summarized: "Republicans have struggled to find a compelling line of attack to take against the Supreme Court nominee. But their efforts have largely failed."
When Republicans nominate a Supreme Court justice, it's the liberal media that aids their favorite activists in creating "compelling lines of attack." But when Democrats do it, the journalists not only skip over the attacks, they also praise the Democrats for their political skills.
Post reporters Anne Kornblut and Paul Kane lauded the "skilled operatives" of Team Obama...
[I.e., another 'stealth' nominee that they know is way outside the American mainstream, so they simply provide cover.]
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Study: Media Blackout of Supreme Court 'Battle'
Subject: txt lgl msm -
A Media Research Center analysis of the ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts in the six weeks since Kagan was nominated shows the broadcast networks have failed to cover the “fight,” and have ignored most of the controversies that could lead to suspenseful hearings this week.
MRC analysts found that the broadcast network evening newscasts aired just eleven stories about Kagan since her May 10 nomination (six on CBS, three on ABC and two on NBC), plus another three brief items read by the anchor.
All but one of those stories appeared during the first week after Kagan’s selection; only the CBS Evening News, in a June 3 report, has bothered to cover any of the thousands of pages of Kagan documents released in recent weeks...
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Kagan Unqualified To Be on Court
Subject: txt lgl -
Aside from never being a judge, she has never even been a trial lawyer. She has never questioned a witness, argued a case to a jury or tried any case to any jury anywhere in the United States. Real-world experience makes a difference. Reading books about something and actually doing it are two completely different things.
People's lives and livelihoods are at stake in these courtroom decisions, particularly when they reach our highest court. Courtroom experience is fundamental to being a judge on the Supreme Court. As anyone who has been through the court system can testify, a courtroom is a whole different world.
Putting Elena Kagan on the United States Supreme Court is like putting someone in charge of a brain surgery unit who has never done an operation. She may be qualified for the classroom, but she is certainly not qualified for the courtroom. She should stay in the schoolhouse since she has never been in trial at the courthouse.
The Supreme Court is no place for on-the-job training...
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What Is He Thinking
Subject: txt hots lgl -
"Eventually, down the road, someone--or some group--is going to 'take the hit' for the crazy decisions that Kagan is bound to make."
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Military Families Caution Senators on Kagan Nomination
Subject: txt lgl -
As Supreme Court-nominee Elena Kagan undergoes her first day of hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday a military families group is raising concerns about her fitness to serve on the high court.
The group, Military Families United, sent a letter on Friday to Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking member Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) citing Kagan’s actions to block military recruiters from Harvard Law School – when she was the dean there (2003-09)
“We find Ms. Kagan’s failure to offer support to our military in a time of war, and her willingness to defy federal law as troubling and appalling,”
said the letter signed by Robert Jackson, director of government relations for Military Families United.
Military Families United, a non-partisan non-profit group, is not opposing the Kagan nomination outright.
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'Serious deficiencies' may spark Kagan filibuster
Subject: txt lgl - Sessions:
It's possible that Republicans could end up filibustering the nomination of Elena Kagan, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee said today. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said Kagan had "serious deficiencies," ...
"If things come out to indicate she's so far outside the mainstream, it's conceivable a filibuster might occur,"
Sessions told CBS's "Face the Nation."
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42% Oppose Kagan's Confirmation, 35% Favor
Subject: txt lgl poll -
Forty-two percent (42%) of U.S. voters now believe Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan should not be confirmed following the Senate hearings scheduled to begin this week.
That's up nine points from the week President Obama announced her nomination and the highest level of opposition to date in Rasmussen Reports tracking of the Kagan nomination.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters shows that 35% think Kagan should be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to the Supreme Court. Another 23% are undecided at this point...
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"OPPOSE KAGAN CONFIRMATION"
YOUR Senator: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfmCalifornians:
Barbara Boxer web mail http://boxer.senate.gov/en/contact/policycomments.cfm
Dianne Feinstein webmail
http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe
or: Speed Message them with your personal distribution list...
and as always, pass it on...
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There is nothing more important to do today than inform your senators that you want Kagan's confirmation opposed.
If the feckless Republicans are to find the spine to seriously oppose this life time appointment, they need hear from you (and everyone you know).
The time is now, today.
Re-read the first story re: how 4 of our sitting supremes can't even recognize the clarity of the 2nd amendment and consider how vitally important proper supreme court appointments are, and then please, do your duty...
"OPPOSE KAGAN CONFIRMATION"
YOUR Senator: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfmCalifornians:
Barbara Boxer web mail http://boxer.senate.gov/en/contact/policycomments.cfm
Dianne Feinstein webmail
http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe
or: Speed Message them with your personal distribution list...
and as always, pass it on...
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Friday, June 25, 2010
Judge notes that Obama admin manipulated experts’ opinions in 'report'
Subject: txt hots engry -
Judge Martin Feldman’s preliminary injunction against the deep-water drilling moratorium noted the dissents of experts who said that the Obama Administration “misrepresented” their opinions when the moratorium was announced. Feldman notes that
“[the experts] envisioned a more limited kind of moratorium, but a blanket moratorium was added after their final review, they complain, and was never agreed to by them.”
Speaking for himself and the seven other experts who disagree with the drilling moratorium, engineer Ken Arnold said that
“We believe as a group that the moratorium as written and as being implemented today actually has the effect of decreasing safety.”
The reason is that there are huge risks to shutting down deep-water wells that are currently functioning...
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Networks Ignore Misleading Obama Report on Drilling Moratorium and Opposition of Experts
Subject: txt hots msm bias - engry -
All three network news shows on Tuesday skipped a report that the majority of experts consulted by the Obama administration opposed the government's plan to halt deepwater oil drilling for six months.
Only Special Report With Bret Baier covered the story. [As usual.]
FNC reporter James Rosen noted a federal judge's decision to overturn the plan:
"The judge also rebuked the Obama administration for filing a quote 'misleading misrepresentation' in the case by suggesting an expert panel supported the moratorium when a majority of its members do not."
ABC's World News, CBS's Evening News and NBC's Nightly News (as well as Good Morning America, Early Show and Today) all highlighted the ruling, but none of them mentioned the opposition from a majority of the panel...
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FLASHBACK >
MSNBC's false narrative on Judge's offshore drilling moratorium ruling
Subject: txt engry msm -
The judge owned more stock in onshore drilling concerns that would have benefited from a moratorium...
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McChrystal Told the Truth
Subject: txt hots gwot nsec islm -
The military is finally telling the unvarnished truth about President Obama's dysfunctional national security team.
Oddly, Gen. Stanley McChrystal and his inner circle chose to dish dirt to a reporter for Rolling Stone, a decidedly left-wing publication that portrays the U.S. military negatively and knows as much about counter-insurgency as a 4th grader. The article that brought down the career special-operations soldier throws in the "F-word" several times, not as a quote, but to describe the author's own views.
Not included in the story is an ongoing dispute between the White House and its generals that shows why McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, had grown so frustrated.
The debate centers on when exactly troops will begin leaving Afghanistan. Every time a Pentagon figure, such as Gen. David Petraeus, the overall region commander, testified that Obama's July 2011 withdrawal date does not mean the U.S. is abandoning Afghanistan, there was a White House official saying the opposite.
The result is a badly mangled message to Afghan troops and villagers who think America is going to leave them to the mercies of the Taliban, which shows no mercy.
Thus, McChrystal's counter-insurgency strategy of winning over the population cannot possibly succeed as long as the White House undercuts it.
Recall, this is an administration that eschews even using the words war or victory or winning...
[Highly Recommended > ]
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Media Praise Obama's 'Brilliant' Handling of McChrystal Controversy
Subject: txt hots gwot msm -
President Obama's decision to relieve General Stanley McChrystal of command in Afghanistan and replace him with General David Petraeus was met with a chorus of praise in the media, as anchors and pundits on CBS, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC all sang in unison that it was a "brilliant" move. [Audio available here]
During live special coverage leading up to the announcement in the 1PM ET hour on CBS, White House correspondent Chip Reid proclaimed: "it sounds like a pretty brilliant decision really." At the same time on NBC, correspondent Jim Miklaszewski described it as a "stunning development" and added "at a quick glance, almost brilliant." Minutes later, White House correspondent Chuck Todd declared: "politically, in this town, it's going to be seen as a brilliant choice by the President."
Over on CNN, moments after Obama finished speaking, anchor Wolf Blitzer remarked that it was a "major moment for this president" and later observed: "a very brilliant move to tap General Petraeus."
[What 'talking points news'?]
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TWOFER:
Subject: txt hots gwot msm -
MSNBC Looks to Lefty Ed Schultz for Reaction on Obama's 'Brilliant' Firing of McChrystal
Only 70 minutes after Barack Obama explained his decision to fire General Stanley McChrystal, Wednesday, MSNBC turned to leftist host Ed Schultz for analysis. Schultz gushed that the decision proved that the President is "brilliant on the basics." He enthused,
"Well, as commander in chief, I think it's probably President Obama's finest hour," because it displayed toughness.
Host Tamron Hall knocked McChrystal, referencing his role in the investigation of Army Ranger Pat Tillman's death. She derided, "So, we know that McChrystal has a lot of, if you will, Xs on his report card."
[Is that why Obama chose him, because of such alleged 'x's'?]
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Ed Schultz Tries to Blame McChrystal, Appointed by Obama, on... Bush
Far-left MSNBC ranter Ed Schultz just can't let facts get in the way of his rank partisanship and liberal propagandizing. His latest whopper, that Gen. Stanley McChrystal was "another problem [President Obama] inherited from the Bush administration," was blatantly untrue, and just earned him a "pants on fire" rating from Politifact.com.
Politifact, which has busted up other untruths propagated by media liberals, noted a valuable lesson for liberals and Democrats: "not everything can be blamed on President Bush." Indeed.
Not only did President Obama not "inherit" McChrystal's command from the previous administration, he "effectively sacked the general in charge to create a vacancy that he then proceeded to fill with McChrystal as his fix-it man," notes Politifact.
We applaud the folks at Politifact for checking Schultz's inane rantings. Welcome to our world!
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MoveOn.org Removes 'General Betray Us' Ad From Website
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In a classic example of liberal hypocrisy, the far-left leaning, George Soros-funded group MoveOn.org has removed its controversial "General Betray Us" ad from its website.
For those that have forgotten, shortly after General David Petraeus issued his report to Congress in September 2007 concerning the condition of the war in Iraq and the success of that March's troop surge, MoveOn placed a full-page ad in the New York Times with the headline, "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?"
Now that President Obama has appointed Petraeus to replace the outgoing Gen. Stanley McChrystal to lead the war effort in Afghanistan, the folks on the far-left that castigated Petraeus when he worked for George W. Bush are praising his choice as 'brilliant'.
With that in mind, the ad, which has been at MoveOn's website for years, was unceremoniously removed on Wednesday as reported by our friends at Weasel Zippers:
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FLASHBACK >
Kucinich targets First Amendment rights of energy firm employees
Subject: txt lbrty engry bdd libs -
Evidence continues piling up that contemporary liberal Democrats have but one response to political speech with which they disagree – they seek to use government power to censor it. 
The latest example comes from Rep. Dennis “The Menace” Kucinich, D-OH, who has filed an amendment to the DISCLOSE Act being debated today in the House of Representatives to kill the First Amendment political speech rights if employees work for energy firms seeking to explore and drill for oil and natural gas in the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.
Apparently Kucinich has not read the First Amendment...
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Buying Government Dependency
Subject: txt lbrty sclm mny bbro -
"[T]he long night of rule by the most reactionary groups on the political spectrum has ended... we extended and deepened our mass connections, we contributed to the historic victory in 2008, we enhanced our presence and visibility, and we increased our membership. We didn't grow as much as we would have liked, but we have a firm foundation on which to increase our size, visibility and readership of our publications in the period ahead. Provided, of course, that we further build and unite the working class based coalition that came together to elect President Obama."Sam Webb, Chair of the Communist Party USA, June 3, 2010.
Increase in federal payments to individuals (current dollars), from 2000 to 2008:
Data source: US Statistical Abstract, Table 462.
- All payments to individuals: 73%
- Social Security old age & survivors: 44%
- Low income home energy: 78%
- Social Security disabled: 92%
- Unemployment assistance: 105%
- Veterans' education benefits: 120%
- Medicare supplementary health insurance: 165%
- Student assistance (other than veterans' ed.): 197%
- State children's health insurance: 466%
- Public assistance payment where child credit exceeds tax liability: 4,105%
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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases. "Gerald Ford, 1974 address to Congress
Dems: We’re not bound by president’s tax vow
Subject: txt mny tax econ libs crpt -
Democrats are looking at the possibility of raising taxes on families below the $250,000-a-year threshold promised by President Barack Obama during the election. The majority party on Capitol Hill does not feel bound by that pledge, saying the threshold for tax hikes will depend on several factors, such as the revenue 'differences'...
“You could go lower, too — why not $200,000?” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). “With the debt and deficit we have, you can’t make promises to people..."
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Networks Snoozing on Hoyer Suggesting Dems Won't Vote to Continue Bush Tax Cuts for Middle Class
Subject: txt tax msm -mny -
Yesterday I wrote about the Washington Post burying its story on House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer saying that congressional Democrats were not wedded to President Obama's 2008 campaign pledge to not raise taxes on anyone earning less than $250,000 per year.
Asked about those remarks at yesterday's White House press briefing, Robert Gibbs said he had not seen the comments and would "be happy to look at and try to get a response after this [briefing]."
Hours later, The Hill newspaper's Alexander Bolton filed a story that noted it's not just Hoyer who's staking out this position:
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Media-Backed Obama Mortgage Program Flops
Subject: txt mny econ tax bbro sclm msm -
Obama's home loan modification program was talked up by the bailout-friendly news media as a potential "ray of light" for struggling homeowners.
But on June 21, Associated Press reported the mortgage assistance program is "falling flat."
ABC, CBS and NBC haven't mentioned the new figures since AP reported them...
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IRS Blocks 10% of First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credits After Audits
Subject: txt bbro mny tax -
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Death tax cometh
Subject: txt bdd vals tax - libs -
The federal death tax is coming for more Americans, a well-placed Capitol Hill source tells The Post. The tax will jump to 55 percent next year on all estates [including small businesses, which frequently need be liquidated to pay the taxes] valued at $1 million and up -- unless lawmakers can reach a compromise to raise the threshold amount or cut the rate, or both.
But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is telling his Republican colleagues that he cannot support such a compromise...
[Arguably the most despicable tax we have {inarguable in itself, but we've so many other disgusting taxes...]
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CA School District Banning Teacher’s Posters
[HT:S(T)L]
Two days ago, I posted “CA Schoolboard Finds Teacher’s Pro-America Posters Offensive” — on the case of the Poway School District in San Diego asking a Math teacher in a high school to take down posters he had put up in his classroom. The posters included such offensive phrases as ”One Nation Under God” and ”In God We Trust.” Here’s the YouTube video:
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Iowa Congressman Makes No Apologies for His Comments About Obama Favoring Minorities
Subject: txt gdd vals other 2010 vals -
Iowa Rep. Steve King said he is performing a public service by accusing President Obama of favoring blacks over whites. "I'm standing up against something that is or could become racism," King told FoxNews.com on Wednesday.
The Iowa Republican said he didn't misspeak when he told a nationally syndicated radio show on Monday that President Obama favors blacks over whites.
King told the G. Gordon Liddy show that Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder repeatedly demonstrate an unjust preference toward minorities...
[Finally, spine.]
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California universities consider adopting the T-word: tuition
Subject: txt cali edu - tax -
California's public universities are now inching closer to using the word they've long viewed as taboo: tuition. Unlike schools in every other state, California's public campuses in effect have banned official use of the word -- despite that students pay most of their education costs.
The state's master plan for higher education, which in 1960 established separate roles for the University of California, California State University and the community colleges, also declared that the public institutions "shall be tuition free to all residents"...
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PAINFUL HEALTH CARE LESSONS FROM MASSACHUSETTS: HEALTH CARE EXCHANGES
Subject: txt hcare -
How did health care costs in Massachusetts get so big?
A major reason is that health care exchanges reward people for working less and earning less, says Shawn Tully, a senior editor-at-large with CNN.money.
Data is lacking on how damaging these perverse incentives are in practice. But it's clear in Massachusetts that low-to medium-earning families often suffer financially if they get a raise, work overtime, move to a higher paying job -- or if a spouse rejoins the workforce, says Tully.
For example:
- A family earning $33,000 pays no premium at all under Commonwealth Care.
- But if their pay goes to $46,000, they're obligated to contribute about $2,400.
- That's an effective tax rate of 18.5 percent on that $13,000 raise.
- A pay increase of $44,000 to $46,000 is mostly erased by higher premiums alone.
The federal bill is plagued by the same weakness. For example:
- A $55,000 earner contributes $4,400 a year towards insurance.
- At $65,000, the bill is $6,300; so the family is paying a "tax" of $1,900 or 19 percent on that $10,000 raise.
After payroll taxes, those Americans would face a marginal rate of around 35 percent, a number that's heretofore been the territory strictly for high-earners, says Tully...
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58% Favor Repeal of the Health Care Bill
Subject: txt hcare poll:
For the second week in a row, 58% of Likely U.S. Voters favor repeal of the national health care plan adopted into law by Congress in late March. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds 36% oppose repeal.
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Japanese Told More Sleep Means Less Global Warming
Subject: txt grn - fnn -
More warming madness: The Japanese government has begun urging citizens to go to bed and get up an hour earlier to reduce their carbon footprints
Now, sending couples to bed earlier under the guise of saving the planet might actually save something else entirely – Japanese culture. You see, the nation is battling a growing populace decline -- Japan's population is estimated to have shrunk by 75,000 last year, which is 1.46 times the 2008 decrease.
Then again, even were the unintended consequence of this nutty idea to be a much-needed spike in Japanese babies, government greenies would surely consider the new arrivals to be carbon-breathing, meat-eating, procreating, pet loving, shelter demanding and energy wasting parasites.
Now that’s something the people should definitely sleep on.
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[Scam: there's big bucks involved.]
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House Passes DISCLOSE Act - With Exemptions
The House has passes the campaign finance reform bill known as the DISCLOSE Act by a vote of 219 to 206. 217 Democrats and two Republicans voted for the measure.
The DISCLOSE Act, or the Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act, requires corporations to disclose top donors in their political ads - but not labor unions or political advocacy organizations...
[The added 'exemptions'.]
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The New Breed of Republican
Tim Scott, who is black, received a whopping 69% of the run off vote for representative against Paul Thurmond, the white son of the late Senator Strom Thurmond (D for most of his life-SC), a man who symbolized and represented the ugly segregationist south. Given the make up of the district he represents, according to the South Carolina Star Tribune, Scott
is now poised to become the nation's first black GOP congressman since 2003.
Scott, 44, owns an insurance business and became the first black Republican in the South Carolina Legislature in more than a century when elected two years ago. (snip)
Scott grew up in poverty in North Charleston, his parents divorcing when he was 7. His mother, Frances, worked 16 hours a day raising Scott and a brother and Scott regularly introduce her at campaign events.
Scott also credits a mentor with helping him turn around his life at a time he was in danger of flunking out of high school. He said John Moniz, a conservative entrepreneur who ran a Chick-fil-A, changed his outlook on life. (snip)
"This race is not really about winning the election," Scott told about 200 people gathered for a victory party in a North Charleston hotel. "It's about finding a way to bring us together so our country leads the world in every way possible."
And Nikki Haley, a woman whose parents emigrated from India, who won the Republican run off election for governor of South Carolina, has a good chance of besting her white male Democrat opponent in the general election.They both won their elections on the strength of their ideas which appealed to the voters, less so on their skin color/gender/ethnic backgrounds, all matters which the Democrats so consciously chose to identify candidates.
So, which attitude is more representative of this country? Hopefully, the former.
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People Trust Facebook and Google More Than They Trust The Media
A new study found significantly more people trust tech giants Apple, Google, and Microsoft than they do traditional media.
Adding insult to injury, the relatively new social networking website Facebook is even more trusted than the media which 88 percent of respondents said they had little to no trust for.
[Ouch.]
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Thursday, June 24, 2010
The War & Troops Must Come First
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House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wis., called for McChrystal to resign, saying, "If he actually said half of what is being reported, he shouldn't be in the position he is in."
Actually, McChrystal did not say half of what was reported.
An unnamed aide called National Security Adviser James Jones a "clown." A top adviser jokingly called Vice President Joe Biden "Bite Me." An unnamed aide likened Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke to "a wounded animal." Unnamed sources told freelance writer Michael Hastings that McChrystal described Obama as "uncomfortable and intimidated" at their first meeting.
McChrystal did joke about Biden -- "Who's that?" -- although the joke was not about Biden so much as McChrystal's unhappy experience after he criticized the veep's support for a "counterterrorism-plus" strategy. That earned McChrystal a private meeting -- also known as a trip to the woodshed -- with Obama in Air Force One last year.
In short, this brouhaha is not on the level of Gen. Douglas MacArthur threatening China with war and otherwise deliberately working to undermine the orders of President Truman. This dispute was not born in a calculated attempt to challenge civilian authority over military command.
Instead, it was a full-color gaffe born in the cocky badinage of men behaving like boys and trying to out-quip one another in the front of "the boss."
Of course, excessive verbal preening is not a smart idea in front of a reporter... [snip]
A year into the Obama surge and a year before the reputed July 2011 withdrawal deadline, there are some 94,000 U.S. personnel serving in Afghanistan. Their interests must come first.
They deserve the best military commander available. Really, who cares if one of McChrystal's aides called Jones a "clown"? What happens in Afghanistan is crucial. Sticks and stones are not.
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An increasingly politicized military
Subject: txt hots gwot nsec -
Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's criticism of Obama administration officials symbolizes an accelerated partisanship of the officer corps. It is tempting to compare Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's criticism of Obama administration officials to Gen. Douglas MacArthur's defiance of President Truman during the Korean War.
But something important has changed over the last 60 years. Although MacArthur challenged Truman, the larger officer corps was then thoroughly committed to principles of civilian control. But today, McChrystal's actions are symptomatic of a broader politicization of the military command...
[What's changed since Truman's time is that back then our military was respected and revered. Ever since Viet Nam the Left has increasingly voiced its disdain to the point where they're currently feeling abused by their own government ('go to school or you'll be stuck in the Iraq', remember that? (Kerry) - our soldier do).
Yes the military must answer to civilian authority - but likewise these know-nothing academics must possess at least the minimum intelligence to realize they must listen to their Generals on matter military. In their world, empty ideology quickly and literally costs lives, and THAT was McChrystal's 'problem' (and should be ours).
Consider: Truman's firing of MacArthur was the last time an American President did so. Obama has now fired two within his first year...]
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Will the White House Ever Consider the Fight Against Terror a War?
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The U.S. Supreme Court and Faisal Shahzad, the naturalized Pakistani-American who tried to blow up his SUV in Times Square earlier this year, may not agree on much. But in separate statements Monday, both seemed to come to a similar conclusion about the wave of terrorist attacks that have failed or been foiled since 9/11: the United States is locked in combat with militant foes determined to continue killing Americans until their objectives are achieved.
Therefore, the Supreme Court ruled, the U.S. government has a right to bar Americans from supporting some 45 groups that sponsor or encourage men like Faisal Shahzad.
This makes John Brennan, President Obama’s leading counter-terrorism adviser, odd man out.
In recent statements, Brennan has downplayed the struggle against terrorism by refusing to call it a war. He resists identifying America’s enemy in this struggle – militant Islamists – and has publically urged outreach to, and support for the more “moderate” of elements of such terrorist groups as Hezbollah...
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Is Illegal Immigration Raising Arizona's Crime Rate? NY Times Says No; Relevant Figures Say Yes
Subject: txt immig msm -
On Sunday, New York Times reporter Randal Archibold offered up more of his slanted reporting on Arizona's pending new immigration enforcement law, suggesting that supporters of tough immigration enforcement are fostering fear by exaggerating the problem of violent crime on the border with Mexico:
"On Border Violence, Truth Pales Compared to Ideas."
But does his evidence stand up? Two conservative writers say no, pointing to FBI statistics that show crime has increased substantially in towns outside major metropolitan areas and rural counties...
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Mexican drug cartel threatens to harm U.S. police officers who bust drug shipments while off-duty
Subject: txt immig -
Mexican cartels added a new twist to the drug war this week by threatening to kill U.S. cops who seize their goods. Nogales, Ariz., Police Chief Jeffrey Kirkham said his officers received threats a couple weeks ago after off-duty police busted a pot smuggling ring. "America is based on freedom. We're not going to be intimidated by the threats, but we are taking them seriously," Kirkham told CNN...
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Plug the Darn Hole --- In Our Border
Subject: txt immig -
At a recent town hall meeting, Sen. John Kyl of Arizona claimed that president Barack Obama said he wouldn't secure America's borders before securing Republican support for 'comprehensive' immigration reform, meaning amnesty for those here illegally .
The administration denied the charge, but Kyl's standing by his statement.
Ergo, someone is lying.
My gut reaction? The most facile liar ever to occupy the Oval Office no longer gets the benefit of the doubt...
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Obama's Open Border Plan
Subject: txt hots immig -
Yesterday, seven Republican Senators issued a letter to Barack Obama questioning a proposed executive order that could potentially not only grant mass amnesty to the nation's illegal alien population, but also allow new immigrants into the country.
Dear President Obama:
We understand that there's a push for your Administration to develop a plan to unilaterally extend either deferred action or parole to millions of illegal aliens in the United States. We understand that the Administration may include aliens who have willfully overstayed their visas or filed for benefits knowing that they will not be eligible for a status for years to come. We understand that deferred action and parole are discretionary actions reserved for individual cases that present unusual, emergent or humanitarian circumstances. Deferred action and parole were not intended to be used to confer a status or offer protection to large groups of illegal aliens, even if the agency claims that they look at each case on a "case-by-case" basis.
While we agree our immigration laws need to be fixed, we are deeply concerned about the potential expansion of deferred action or parole for a large illegal alien population. While deferred action and parole are Executive Branch authorities, they should not be used to circumvent Congress' constitutional authority to legislate immigration policy, particularly as it relates to the illegal population in the United States.
The Administration would be wise to abandon any plans for deferred action or parole for the illegal population. Such a move would further erode the American public's confidence in the federal government and its commitment to securing the borders and enforcing the laws already on the books.
We would appreciate receiving a commitment that the Administration has no plans to use either authority to change the current position of a large group of illegal aliens already in the United States, and ask that you respond to us about this matter as soon as possible.
Up until now there has been a set process for deferred action and applicants had to meet certain requirements to be granted that status. If granted, the applicant(s) would be allowed to remain in the country for an additional two year time-period.
The other status the senators discussed in the letter is parole, which has nothing to do with illegal immigrants. Parole status is actually granted to those who are applying for admission into the country, and is usually done so for humanitarian reasons.
The reason the senators are concerned is two-fold. Not only could Obama grant blanket deferred action to the illegal aliens already in the country, he could also parole any applicants who want to enter the country. Surely, illegals will advise their relatives and friends in their home country to apply for admission into the U.S., and of course liberals will argue that being with one's family is enough of a humanitarian reason to allow these people to enter the country.
Let us remember, according to Obama, our nation is not defined by our borders, but by our bonds, and it has become apparent, that what is in essence an open border policy is forthcoming, and he could make it so with the stroke of his pen...
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