News Blog for social, fiscal & national security conservatives who believe in God, family & the USA. Upholding the rights granted by God & guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, traditional family values, "republican" principles / ideals, transparent & limited "smaller" government, free markets, lower taxes, due process of law, liberty & individual freedom. Content approval rests with the ARRA News Service Editor. Opinions are those of the authors. While varied positions are reported, beliefs & principles remain fixed. No revenue is generated for or by this "Blog" - no paid ads - no payments for articles.Fair Use Doctrine is posted & used. Blogger/Editor/Founder: Bill Smith, Ph.D. [aka: OzarkGuru & 2010 AFP National Blogger of the Year] Contact: editor@arranewsservice.com (Pub. Since July, 2006)Home PageFollow @arra
One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics
is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. -- Plato
(429-347 BC)
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Gov. Beebe Reduce the Tax on Gas Now!
by John Anderson, The Citizens Journal: "Shock - Gas Prices Could Affect Sales Tax Revenue" We could take about 15 to 20 cents off each gallon of gas immediatelyif Beebe was actually trying to do something about gas prices. . . . Beebe should be pushing to reduce taxes on fuel not promoting bio-fuels which is causing the price of gas to go up, not down. It's also causing food shortages and food prices to go up likely offsetting any tax decrease we received on groceries last session. Tax decreases on fuel is something he can do right now . . . [Read More]
ARRA Editor: John makes an excellent point! Gov. Beebe has already asked the President and Congress to examine price fixing by nationally petroleum companies. But Beebe has yet to show leadership to reduce fuel taxes to help Arkansas families to have money for goods and services. He is not holding up the welcome sign to critically needed tourist dollars by evidencing cheaper gas in Arkansas. Also, has anyone else noticed that with the rising cost of oil and gas, the cost of utilities has risen and the State and local governments are getting a windfall in sales taxes due to the higher utility bills? Tags:Arkansas, fuel tax, Mike Beebe, sales tax, utility costs
NewsMax: Proposals in the U.S. Congress could lead to taxes on Internet shopping, broadband connections and even e-mail by this fall. State and local governments are lobbying Congress to gain the ability to impose the new taxes. Sen. Michael Enzi, (R-WY) has introduced a bill that would usher in mandatory sales tax collection for Internet purchases . . . the House has held a hearing to decide whether to let a temporary ban on Net access taxes lapse when it expires in November. . . . If the ban on Net access taxes is allowed to lapse, states and municipalities could impose an array of access taxes, . . . . [Read More] Tags:internet, taxes, US CongressTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
NAFTA Superhighway - Govt's never lie - just don't tell the truth
by Henry Lamb: "There is absolutely no U.S. government plan for a NAFTA superhighway of any sort," says David Bohigian, an assistant secretary of commerce, in reply to a reporter's question. The reporter's article also quotes Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., as saying that the notion of a NAFTA superhighway is based on "unfounded theories" with "no credence. "If these two gentlemen are correct, it will come as a great surprise to the North America's SuperCorridor Coalition, the Texas Department of Transportation, the City of Fort Worth and nearly two-dozen other major sponsors of a national conference: "Moving North America Forward," on "SuperCorridors" they promote . . . Of course, these two gentlemen are not correct. NASCO boasts that it received millions in grants from the federal government. And TexDOT has been notified that its federal highway funding is in jeopardy if the state Legislature's two-year moratorium on toll-road construction is not overturned. The federal government is definitely involved in the creation of NAFTA SuperCorridors, but at an arms-length, sufficient to have "plausible deniability." . . . [Read More]See also:Superhighway rumor stirring protest Tags:NAFTA, NASCO, North American Union, SuperhighwayTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Joseph Farah: The "comprehensive immigration reform plan" worked out secretly by the staff of the White House and Senate is a fraud meant to deceive the American people with an elaborate Ponzi scheme of proposals -- none of which will secure the border or deal effectively with 15 million to 20 million illegal aliens who are already inside the country. It's a daunting task even to know where to begin in dissecting this bill, which I have actually taken the trouble to read -- something I doubt most members of the Senate have done, including those endorsing it . . . [Read More] Tags:illegal immigrants, immigration reform, Joseph FarahTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
The Real Ronald Reagan Once again, the Gipper’s spirit has triumphed.
by Michael Reagan: Once again, the left-leaning mainstream media have egg all over their faces thanks to the voice of my dad, Ronald Reagan, speaking from his eternal resting place. Over the past week, since the Reagan Diaries were released, the media have focused on everything except what to me is the most the significant result of their publication: the self-portrayal that once again proves the lie in the false picture of him the media long sought to draw -- that of a less-than-intelligent former actor scarcely smart enough to remember his lines much less govern America . . . [Read More] Also:Words from the Gipper - President Ronald Reagan Tags:diary, Michael Reagan, Ronald ReaganTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Victory -- Pelosi-Murtha Preemptive Surrender Bill Stopped!
In the face of all public opposition, Democrats blinked, selling out their MoveOn buddies. Senate and House leaders caved to reality, pulled Pelosi's "Preemptive Surrender Bill", and instead passed a bill that funds the Iraq War through the end of the fiscal year and does not include a withdrawal timetable.
Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama voted against funding our troops in the field, even while most of their peers voted right.Why did they do that? Simple: they're terrified of MoveOn. They know that their far left "friends" will do all they can to ruin their Presidential hopes if they don't sell out American troops to al Qaeda. The "Blame America First" crowd's appetite for defeat is insatiable, and they have the power to pull Presidential candidates' strings.
Congress sent President Bush a new FY 2007 Iraq War emergency supplemental funding bill on May 24. This bill, unlike the vetoed version, does not contain withdrawal timetables or deadlines opposed by The American Legion. The measure does include benchmarks that the Iraqi government must meet to continue receiving non-military U.S. aid, but President Bush may waive the aid “cutoff” provision.
The Senate approved the bill by a bipartisan vote of 80 to 14 and in the House of Representatives the bill was approved by a bipartisan vote of 280 to 142. President Bush has announced he will sign the $120 billion package. This package funds the war effort until the end of the fiscal year. The bill provides around $100 billion to continue our military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill included approximately $1.8 billion for VA medical care and $3.3 billion for DOD medical care.
There is nonmilitary spending in the bill. This spending includes $6.4 billion for Gulf Coast hurricane recovery efforts and $3 billion in emergency aid to farmers, for relief from drought and other natural disasters. An additional $1 billion pays for port and mass-transit security upgrades. The bill contains children's health-care funding for $650 million plus other domestic spending such as state HIV grant programs, mine safety research, youth violence prevention activities and pandemic flu protection. About $3 billion funds the conversion of U.S. military bases that are scheduled to close. [Composed from news sources, the American Legion & TheVanguard.org] Tags:federal funding, Iraq War, support troops, US CongressTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
North American Union plan headed to Congress in fall Powerful think tank prepares report on benefits of integration between U.S., Mexico, Canada
WASHINGTON – A powerful think tank chaired by former Sen. Sam Nunn and guided by trustees including Richard Armitage, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Harold Brown, William Cohen and Henry Kissinger, is in the final stages of preparing a report to the White House and U.S. Congress on the benefits of integrating the U.S., Mexico and Canada into one political, economic and security bloc. The final report, published in English, Spanish and French, is scheduled for submission to all three governments by Sept. 30, according to the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS). CSIS boasts of playing a large role in the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994 – a treaty that set in motion a political movement many believe resembles the early stages of the European Community on its way to becoming the European Union. [Read More] Tags:Center for Strategic and International Studies, CSIS, North American Union, think tank, Itegration, U.S., Mexico, Canada
Mark Pryor & Blanche Lincoln pushing hyper-amnesty
Senators Pryor and Lincoln voted for clotureand to proceed with consideration of the hush-&-rush immigration bill. They have thereby tipped their hats on this issue, and it's time to hold their feet to the fire. We need to change the (predicted) votes of just 18 senators, and two of them are from Arkansas.
Don't fall for the "citizenship" distraction. Even now, a foreigner does not have to be a citizen to reside in the U.S. lawfully (e.g., one can be here on a visa, or be a permanent resident-- forever able to live and work here). And you can rest assured that the Kennedy / Kyl / McCain immigration bill will make the current crop of illegals 'lawful' whether or not they ever jump through some new hoops in order to become citizens. Citizenship or not, unless these lawbreakers are required to leave the country and get in line behind those who have patiently trusted justice and our rule-of-law, we will have rewarded the illegal aliens for violating our laws. That is worse than amnesty. Call Sen. Mark Pryor first-- he's up for election next year (please be cordial, and don't threaten): (202)-224-2353. Sen. Blanche Lincoln: (202)-224-4843. If you call next week, they may be in Arkansas and their in-state numbers are toll free: Sen. Pryor: 877-259-9602. Sen. Lincoln: 800-352-9364. Tags:Arkansas, Blanche Lincoln, illegal immigrants, immigration reform, Mark Pryor, US Senate
by Bay Buchanan, Tom Tancredo Campaign: The Senate sellout is a complete betrayal of the nation, guaranteeing another massive invasion across our border and destroying the very identity of our nation. Here are the most outrageous aspects of the bill.
Automatic amnesty for the 15-20 million illegal aliens living here today! All they have to do is fill out the paperwork and 24 hours later they are legal.
Cost: $2.5 trillion to the taxpayer—the bill bankrupts the nation.
Thirty to forty million new immigrants in about 8 years.
Four hundred thousand guest workers every year to enter our country, take our jobs, suppress our wages, and burden our communities (and when their visas expire do you think they might join the next wave of illegal aliens).NO back taxes for amnestied illegals.
NO English requirement for amnestied illegals.
NO medical exams for amnestied illegals
Absolutely ZERO serious provisions to upgrade border security—our elite do not intend to secure the nation. In fact, buried in the bill is language that expresses the “sense of Congress” that believes the dangerous Security and Prosperity Partnership for North America should “accelerate”! They are trading our sovereignty for the North America Union without the consent of the people.
The business community actually had the audacity to complain the bill was too burdensome on them because it required them to verify employees online! They feel no responsibility for the consequences their cheap labor has been to this nation. Maybe if the government threw a few CEOs into the slammer they’d get serious about helping their nation stop the invasion! Tags:Election 2008, immigration reform, presidential candidate, Republican, Tom Tancredo, US Senate To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Arkansans vote to keep temporary worker program in bill
WASHINGTON (AP) - Both U.S. senators from Arkansas have cast ballots in favor of keeping a proposed new temporary worker program in a broad immigration bill. An effort to remove the program failed today on a 64 to 31 vote. Voting to keep the program were 17 Democrats -- including Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor of Arkansas -- 46 Republicans and one independent. Voting to eliminate it were 28 Democrats, two Republicans and one independent. Tags:Arkansas, Blanche Lincoln, Mark Pryor, temporary worker program, US Senate
House Democratic leaders to kill funding for abstinence education
by Don Wildmon,American Family Association: Democratic leaders of the House Energy & Commerce Committee have reportedly decided to kill the abstinence education program this year in favor of so-called “comprehensive” programs that emphasize “safe sex” and contraception. Abstinence education programs have been shown to effectively reduce the risks of out-of-wedlock pregnancy and the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases. They teach teenagers that saving sex until marriage and remaining faithful afterwards is the best choice for health and happiness.
However, the Democratic leadership wants to replace that message with federally-funded contraceptive sex education programs that fail to teach young people about the dangers of STDs and extra-marital sex, as well as the inefficiency of contraception. As a result, we could end up with programs like Boulder High School in Colorado where a guest speaker told students as young as 14 to go have sex. The National Abstinence Education Association is touting a new Zogby International poll that shows American parents favor abstinence education over comprehensive sex education by a two-to-one margin. Click here for more information on the survey. Congressman Lee Terry who serves on the House Energy & Commerce Committee has written a strong letter urging his Congressional colleagues to fund abstinence education programs in their current form. Click Here To Contact Your Representative
Tags:abstinence education, American Family Association, Don Wildmon, federal fundingTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
House of Murtha - full of Murtha Approved Earmarks
Tony Perkins, FRC: Democrats last year unseated the Republican Majority in the U. S. House in part by alleging a Republican culture of corruption. New House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) pledged to transform America with the most ethical Congress this country had ever seen. Five months into her reign, you can add that pledge to a list of broken promises. First, Pelosi tried to place a man under investigation for corruption, Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA), on the Homeland Security Committee. (You might remember Jefferson for stashing $90,000 of "cold cash" in his freezer). After that debacle, she put Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV), who has been accused by the F.B.I. of misusing federal funds, in charge of the committee that oversees the investigative agenda. Now comes word her consigliere, Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), has used his position to break the rules in securing millions of taxpayer dollars in an earmark for the National Drug Intelligence Center--a building both the Government Reform Committee and GAO say is unnecessary. When confronted about his impropriety, Murtha threatened Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) with a cut-off of federal funds to his district. These abuses were brought to the attention of House leadership, but liberals refused to reprimand their colleagues, telling the GOP to "grow up." I was criticized by some on the right for challenging the Republican Majority on their failure to adequately address cases of corruption and scandals like former Rep. Mark Foley. No doubt I'll now be criticized by some on the left for pointing out that Speaker Pelosi is no Mrs. Clean. If she wants the most ethical Congress in history, she'd better roll up her sleeves and start cleaning house. Additional Resources Murtha Survives Reprimand Vote Tags:Congressional Pork, corruption, Democrat, earmarks, FRC, John Murtha, pork-barrel spenders, Tony PerkinsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Bush grants presidency extraordinary powers -- Orders for emergencies apparently gives authority without congressional oversight
WorldNetDaily: President Bush has signed an executive order granting extraordinary powers to the office of the president in the event of a declared national emergency, apparently without congressional approval or oversight. The order was signed May 9. It was issued with the dual designation of NSPD-51, as a National Security Presidential Directive, and HSPD-20, as a Homeland Security Presidential Directive. The directive establishes under the office of the president a new national continuity coordinator whose job is to make plans for "National Essential Functions" of all federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments, as well as private sector organizations to continue functioning under the president's directives in the event of a national emergency. The directive says the assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, currently Frances Fragos Townsend, would be designated as the national continuity coordinator. . . [Read More] See also:Bush makes power grab & The Terror Consigliere: Frances Fragos Townsend Tags:extraordinary powers, Francis Fragos Townsend, Homeland Security, HSPD-20, NSPD-51, President, George W. Bush, presidential directive
Amnesty Fraud - Political solution destined to create bigger problems.
by Thomas Sowell: Nothing is more common than political "solutions" to immediate problems which create much bigger problems down the road. The current immigration bill in the Senate is a classic example. The big talking point of those who want to legalize the illegal immigrants currently in the United States is to say that it is "unrealistic" to round up and deport 12 million people . . . [Read More]See also:Amnesty by another name (Cal Thomas) Congressman issues dire warning about amnesty fallout (OneNewsNow) Path to national suicide (Pat Buchanan)Tags:amnesty, illegal immigrants, Thomas SowellTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Senator Martinez Addresses The Republican National Committee
Last Friday, Republican Party General Chairman Mel Martinez addressed members of the RNC at the annual State Chairmen's Meeting. General Chairman Martinez talked about the optimistic Republican vision for the future, a future in which lower taxes keep the economy growing, in which America stays on the offense in the War on Terror, and a future in which we secure our borders and reform our broken immigration laws. To read a transcript of General Chairman Martinez's speech, click here. Or to see a video of the speech, click here Tags:Mel Martinez, Republican National Committee, RNCTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Boozman Amendment to Prevent Illegal Immigrants From Receiving Federal Low-income Housing Benefits
An amendment by U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR) to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving low-income housing benefits was passed as part of the final vote on H.R. 1427, the “Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2007.” The legislation creates a new regulatory system over federal home finance programs like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as an Affordable Housing Fund for extremely low and very-low income families. The amendment would require any homebuyer who makes a purchase with money from the Affordable Housing Fund, or receiving down payment or other assistance from the fund, to demonstrate they are in the country legally. The legislation passed, 313-104.Tags:Arkansas, federal housing, illegal immigrants, John Boozman, US House
Summary: What others are saying about Illegal Immigration legislation
By Any Other Name, Amnesty Bill Still Stinks! 5/22/2007 -- by Chuck Baldwin:One of Shakespeare's most oft-quoted phrases comes from Romeo and Juliet, where Juliet asks Romeo: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Accordingly, President Bush and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid can call their immigration bill by any name they want to, but it is still amnesty, and it still stinks!
State Legislators to Push for True Immigration Reform, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: 5/21/2007 -- by Brad Bumsted: "Since Washington, D.C., remains AWOL on fulfilling its Constitutional responsibilities to secure our nation's borders against foreign invaders, it is not only incumbent, but the obligation of state lawmakers to step up and do the job that our federal government refuses to do," said Republican state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe. "State Legislators for Legal Immigration" will be nationwide coalition aimed at ending the "illegal alien invasion. The group will push for legislation in states and work to oppose federal bills, such as one pending in Congress to provide amnesty to illegal aliens already in the United States."
Immigration Bill To Collect American Info, The Raleigh Chronicle (N.C.): 5/18/2007 -- by Elliott West: "The System shall collect and maintain only the minimum data necessary to facilitate the successful operation of the System," says the bill's text. "Nothing...may be construed to limit the collection, maintenance, or use of data by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue or the Commissioner of Social Security as provided by law," says the proposed law. "If the bill passes, the most basic and private personal information about where American citizens work, their past work history, their birthdays and social security numbers will be called in to the government every time they apply for a job." Caucus criticizes plan for 'amnesty', The Washington Times: 5/21/2007 -- by Jerry Seper: "The compromise ... will reward 12 million illegal immigrants with a path to citizenship -- what part of 'illegal' does the Senate not understand?" asked Rep. Brian P. Bilbray, California Republican and caucus chairman. "Any plan that rewards illegal behavior is amnesty. "You would think the Senate would have learned their lesson after the 1986 amnesty debacle, but it looks like their idea of a compromise is to repeat the failed policies of the past," he said. Rep. Lamar Smith, Texas Republican and ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, said the proposed compromise would "do lasting damage to the country, American workers and the rule of law." He said amnesty puts lawbreakers ahead of those legally seeking citizenship, puts foreign workers ahead of U.S. workers and encourages more illegal immigration.
The Immigration Debacle, Human Events: 5/22/2007 -- by David Limbaugh: But I would argue that those insisting it is amnesty are, in a sense, understating their case. In certain respects it's worse than amnesty. Not only will criminal violators of the immigration laws receive a mere wrist-slap for their infractions; they will be rewarded for them.By contrast, millions of illegal immigrants under the bill would not be sent back home but would become legal permanent residents of this country. By being allowed to stay, they would be, in effect, keeping the fruits of their crime. More importantly, many of them would become recipients of federal government largesse via a smorgasbord of entitlements. As reported in the Washington Times, the Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector calculates that during their lifetimes, they will likely receive "$2.5 trillion more in government services than they will pay in taxes." Among those benefits are Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SSI, public housing, subsidized college education and Social Security Disability Insurance. So those persisting in challenging the amnesty characterization should be reminded that many illegals will be receiving an enormous economic windfall to accompany their anemic wrist-slapping. . . . The misguided arrogance of those playing the race card to demonize open-borders opponents is staggering. Then again, inflaming the passions against your adversaries obviates addressing the issues factually. Tags:illegal aliens, illegal immigration, immigration reformTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Legal reform ballot proposal rejected -- Casinos, Lottery & Terms Limit Changes may be on the ballot (ARRA Editor's Opinon)
AR News Bureau: The Legislature has already referred two proposed constitutional amendments for the 2008 ballot. One would allow for annual legislative sessions and the other would remove outdated language in the portion of the state constitution concerning elections and would loosen restrictions on who can serve as a poll worker.
However, for another ballot proposal to repeal the requirement that state Supreme Court justices be attorneys and to prohibit licensed attorneys from serving in the Legislature or holding a constitutional office, Attorney General McDaniel has declared it to be too ambiguous and rejected the measure's popular name and ballot title. . . .
Previously, the AG certified popular names and ballot titles for proposed constitutional amendments by Charles Ormond that would: 1) lengthen the amount of time legislators can serve: for House members from 6 to 12 consecutive years; Senators from 8 to 12 consecutive years; and to extend the terms for county officials to four years, limit state Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals judges to two six-year terms (12 years) in office.
2) create a four-member Arkansas Commission on Lotteries and Gambling Investing to regulate gambling operations in the state. The proposal also would establish a lottery and allow casinos in the state.
Ormond has until July 7, 2008, to collect the signatures 77,468 registered voters from registered voters for both measures to get them on the November 2008 general election ballot. [Read More]
ARRA News Editor's Opinion: Before signing one of Ormond's petitions consider that Arkansans have repeatedly voted against Casinos and the Lottery. In addition, Ormond has "bunched" too many different offices into the term limit proposal in an effort to get signatures. While voters may see merit in extending their local county officials to 4 year terms, they should not ignore the fact that this is lumped into his effort to extend the number of years that a state legislator may stay in office which is in opposition to the prior wishes of Arkansans who saw legislators entrenched in Little Rock. Interesting, he then tosses in the limiting of time allowed for supreme court and appellate court judges who are elected (not appointed) and unlike legislators, must give up their legal and other business practices to serve the public as judges while legislators return to their businesses and professional practices which they have in some cases surreptitiously advanced by their legislative actions. This second proposal should have been rejected by the Attorney General due to the proposal content attempt to affect too many offices which the legislators did not even try to propose. Individual ballot measures for county, state legislative positions and judges may have been proper and in the best interest of the public. Tags:Arkansas, Arkansas News Service, ARRA, ballot initiatives, constitutional amendment, gambling, lottery, term limitsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Julie Hirschfeld Davis, AP: Senate leaders agreed Monday that they would wait until June to take final action on a bipartisan plan to give millions of unlawful immigrants legal status.The measure, which also tightens border security and workplace enforcement measures, unites a group of influential liberals, centrists and conservatives and has White House backing, but it has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum. In a nod to that opposition, Senate leaders won't seek to complete it before a hoped- for Memorial Day deadline . . . [Read Full Story]See also: Few senators support illegals bill (Washington Times) Text of Bush-Kennedy bill reveals "amnesty from line 1" (Christian Newswire) Border security first, Americans tell polls (Washington Times) Tags:illegal aliens, illegal immigration, immigration reform, US SenateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Poll: Public Wants Illegals to Go Home Public Prefers Enforcement, Not Senate Legalization Approach
Contrary to the new Senate bill, most Americans want less and not more immigration. When told the number of immigrants here and the number coming, 70 percent of voters said the level is too high, 19 percent said it is about right, and 5 percent said too low. * 75% of Republicans said immigration is too high, 5% said too low. * 69% of Democrats said immigration is too high, 6% said too low . * 71% of self described moderates said immigration is too high,4% said too low.
Public prefers that illegals go home, rather than be legalized. 58 percent of voters said they wanted illegals to go home, compared to 30 percent who favored legalization. The public still overwhelmingly supported enforcement over legalization even when many conditions are imposed on illegals like paying a fine, learning English and undergoing a background check.
Americans support enforcement to make illegals go home. When presented by itself, 79 percent of the public said they supported reducing the illegal immigrant population by increasing border enforcement, penalizing employers, and increasing cooperation with local law enforcement, while 15 percent were opposed. No other proposal had near this level of support.
“Many polls give only the false choice of legalization or mass deportations. Some even give legalization as an option in isolation without other alternatives. But when given across-the-board enforcement that causes illegals to go home as an option, the public overwhelmingly supports it rather than legalization with conditions,” said Jessica Echard, Executive Director of Eagle Forum. “This poll shows why Senators who support the Kennedy-Kyl amnesty are facing such a firestorm of opposition from constituents.” [Review the Entire Poll] This National Survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC on May 15, 2007. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Pulse Opinion Research, LLC is an independent public opinion research firm using automated polling methodology and procedures licensed from Rasmussen Reports, LLCTags:amnesty, illegal aliens, illegal immigration, immigration reform, pollsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Twice in One Week, McCain Unleases Verbal Lashing - Clains Romney's Plan is to Shoot 'Guatemalans Off His Lawn'
FoxNews: Twice in the last week, Sen. John McCain has unleashed a verbal lashing against opponents of his legislative baby, an immigration reform compromise. Last week, tensions ran high among Republicans negotiating the provisions of the bill. While a McCain sighting on Capitol Hill is rare these days, he was in immigration reform bill meetings last Thursday . . . growing impatient with the presentation, (McCain) interrupted Cornyn and challenged his commitment to strike a deal, describing the delay with an expletive for chicken feces. McCain even suggested Cornyn just leave the room. An incredulous Cornyn hit back at McCain by insulting his attendance record at meetings and saying the candidate can't just "parachute" into the room, the aides recounted. According to the aides, McCain then lobbed the "F" bomb at Cornyn and said he is more of an expert on immigration than anyone in the room.
Speaking in a conference call with reporters on Monday, McCain, who has frequently said he's unapologetic about his sense of humor, took issue with criticism from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who last week strongly opposed the reform proposal. McCain lobbed a two-fer against Romney, whose campaign has tried to battle image problems that he is a flip-flopper but not really a hunter. "In the case of Governor Romney, you know, maybe I should wait a couple of weeks and see if it changes, because it's changed in less than a year from his position before. And maybe his solution will be to get out his small-varmint gun and drive those Guatemalans off his lawn. I don't know," McCain said. . . . "Governor Romney has been very clear that he opposes this immigration agreement, which clearly falls short of the American public's expectations. It seems that certain candidates who brokered this flawed plan are having a very difficult time grappling with or coming to terms with the political fallout that has ensued in a substantive manner." The slam on his 2008 primary opponent is the second such shot across the bow for McCain when it comes to his immigration credentials. . . . [Read More] Tags:Election 2008, Fox News, illegal aliens, immigration reform, John McCain, Mitt Romney, presidential candidate, Republican, verbal abuseTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
AR Democrat Gazette Editor Disputes Carter's Statement
KATV7: Little Rock - Former President Jimmy Carter says his critical comments of the current Bush administration in a recent interview with the Arkansas Democrat Gazette were "perhaps careless or misinterpreted." In the article, published Saturday, Carter said Bush's foreign policy is one of the worst in history. . . .Meanwhile, the former president Carter on Monday appeared to retract his comments, "I did comment on the fact the Iraqi war and lack of progress in the middle east caused me to put this administration below Richard Nixon. You didn't say worst in history? Not intentionally." However, Arkansas Democrat Gazette managing editor David Bailey responded in a statement, saying "we certainly didn't misinterpret the comments. There's an audio recording of the interview online. Anyone can listen to the interview and judge for themselves."[Read More]See Also- AR Democrat Gazette's "Carter calls Bush administration worst ever" Clip from Carter Interview
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Tags: Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Jimmy Carter, KATV7, President George Bush
by James A. Smith Sr., FL Baptist Witness: Mike Huckabee, Republican presidential candidate and former governor of Arkansas, has withdrawn from the New Baptist Covenant Celebration planned for next January in Atlanta in protest of former President Jimmy Carter's labeling of the Bush administration's foreign policy as "the worst in history." Huckabee, who told the Florida Baptist Witness of his decision to drop out of the Baptist gathering in an exclusive telephone interview May 21, also said the roster of speakers "does seem to tilt left," which gave him concern about participating. Huckabee called Carter's comments an "unprecedented personal attack."
The New Baptist Covenant Celebration is being organized by Carter and Mercer University President Bill Underwood under the umbrella of the North American Baptist Fellowship -– a division of the Baptist World Alliance -– to bring Baptists together to work on social concerns and improve what they regard as the judgmental image of Baptists, according to Associated Baptist Press. Also involved in the Jan 30-Feb. 1 meeting will be former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore. Like Carter, Clinton and Gore are Baptists who have been very critical of the Southern Baptist Convention. . . .
Huckabee cited the involvement of the "very, very liberal" Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children's Defense Fund, as an example of the liberal leaning of the gathering."Had I spoken (at the New Baptist Covenant Celebration) they would have heard a very conservative message which would be unapologetically pro-life, pro-family and by some definitions, fundamentalist in theology," Huckabee said. "But I'm a conservative who's not mad at anyone else and would not want to knowingly participate in a program if the focus was to tear down others instead of to lift Christ up." . . . [Read More] Tags:Arkansas, Baptists, GOP, Mike Huckabee, presidential candidate, Republican
New RPA Rules for Delegates to the Republican National Convention
Saturday at a special session of the Republican Party of Arkansas, the delegates voted to change its rules for selecting at-large delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention. Under the new rules, each presidential candidate receiving at least 10 percent of the statewide vote will be allocated one at-large delegate and one alternate. The rules previously entitled only candidates receiving at least 20 percent of the vote to receive at-large delegates. Tags:Arkansas Republican Party, delegates, Republican National Convention, RNC, RPATo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Dennis Milligan Elected New Arkansas Republican Party Chairman
Yesterday (Saturday 5/19), in Little Rock, delegates and officers of the Arkansas Republican Party elected Dennis Milligan (R-Bryant), Saline County Republican Chair, to lead the Arkansas Republican Party as its new chairman. Milligan, a 49-year-old businessman, was the only candidate nominated as the successor to State Sen. Gilbert Baker (R-Conway), who announced his resignation last month. Milligan was elected with an unanimous voice vote.
Speaking to about 150 delegates to the special RPA session, Milligan said,
"For many of you that just think I will be a caretaker, someone who will warm the seat until someone better can come along, I'd like to assure you very much that won't be the case. Right now we need to realize that as a party we are in a unique position. After 10 years with a Republican governor, we have hundreds of people who have and are serving on state boards and commissions. These people are the farm team for us to have for these entry-level positions. . . . A wise man once said, 'When you lose, don't lose the lesson.' That lesson is that we need to return to our core values, and that's what I'm going to do as your new chairman. It's time for a rediscovery of our values and our common sense."
Milligan identified that he will call together Republican legislators and other leaders to develop "THE (Taxes, Highways and Education) Plan." The goals of the plan will be stopping any new tax increases, finding ways to improve roads without raising taxes and finding ways to spend education dollars wisely, he said. Milligan said Republican losses in November occurred because "we lost our way and focused on power instead of our values - less government, more freedom and a belief that there is a right and wrong. We departed from the things that make the Republican party great."
Milligan prior to his election as chairman was the party's treasurer. Larry Tate, assistant treasurer, will serve as acting treasurer until a new treasurer is elected. Tags:Arkansas, Arkansas Republican Party, Dennis Milligan, RPATo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Saber Point: Former President Jimmy Carter, quite possibly the worst president in American history, has a new candidate for Carter's crown: President George W. Bush. Carter stated that Bush is the worst president in history (Read AP Article) . . . Jimmy Carter's latest jaw-flapping only serves to reinforce his role as America's worst president. Yes, Carter retains that crown after all these years. He will always be remembered as our double-digit inflation, moribund economy president who did little to nothing when Iran invaded our embassy and took our ambassador and staff hostage for over 400 days. Carter is a bad memory that most of us would just as soon forget. . . . [Read More] See also:Bush White House fires back at Jimmy Carter(Washington Post) Tags:Jimmy Carter, Kyoto Protocol, President, George Bush
Fred Thompson wins Georgia GOP Convention Straw Poll in Landslide
by Chris Farris, on Peach Pundit: The poll, conducted by theRepublican Liberty Caucus of Georgia and the Georgia Young Republicans came out as follows: Fred Thompson - 44% Newt Gingrich - 18% Rudy Giuliani - 15% Mitt Romney - 9% Mike Huckabee - 4% John McCain - 2% Duncan Hunter - 2% Ron Paul - 2% Tommy Thompson - 1%
Tom Tancredo, Sam Brownback, John Cox, Jim Gilmore - 1%
These results are all the more amazing considering that Mitt Romney attended the convention and had an event here last night. Newt Gingrich was the convention’s keynote speaker. Fred Thompson’s only presence was a group of volunteer supporters from Georgians for Fred Thompson. At the convention, it was also announced that more than forty current and former elected officials, including a former US Senator and the top two Republicans in the State Senate, were endorsing Fred Thompson. [post reference] Tags:Fred Thompson, Georgia, presidential candidate, Republicans, straw pollTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Presidential Candidate McCain Goes Nuts In Meeting at the Capitol
NewsMax: Sen. John McCain (R-AR) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) launched into a shouting match during a Thursday Capitol Hill meeting, where reportedly the presidential candidate dropped the "F” word and more. According to reports in the Washington Post and the New York Post, Cornyn apparently got the former POW’s attention when he raised the issue about the number of judicial appeals that illegal immigrants could receive.
In a meeting room just off the Senate floor, McCain opined that Cornyn was purposely raising petty objections to a compromise plan then being hammered out between Senate Republicans and Democrats and the White House. "This is chickens--- stuff," McCain fired at Cornyn, according to the news reports. "You've always been against this bill, and you're just trying to derail it."
Not to be outdone, Cornyn accused McCain of being too occupied campaigning for president to take part in the negotiations. "Wait a second here," Cornyn said to McCain. "I've been sitting in here for all of these negotiations and you just parachute in here on the last day. You're out of line."
"F--- you! I know more about this than anyone else in the room," McCain reportedly rejoined. McCain, who has missed 42 votes this year, hasn't been intimately involved in the comprehensive immigration reform debate for months. . . . [Read More] Tags:GOP, illegal immigrants, John Cornyn, John McCain, presidential candidate, Election 2008, RepublicanTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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by John Anderson, The Citizens Journal: "Shock - Gas Prices Could Affect Sales Tax Revenue" We could take about 15 to 20 cents off each gallon of gas immediately if Beebe was actually trying to do something about gas prices. . . . Beebe should be pushing to reduce taxes on fuel not promoting bio-fuels which is causing the price of gas to go up, not down. It's also causing food shortages and food prices to go up likely offsetting any tax decrease we received on groceries last session. Tax decreases on fuel is something he can do right now . . . [Read More]
