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, June 30, 2007
Oklahoma is no longer "O.K." for illegal aliens What is Arkansas willing to do?
In May, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry (D) signed into law HB 1804 which was passed by by overwhelming majorities in both the Oklahoma House (84-14) and Senate (41-6). The bill's sponsor, Oklahoma State Rep Randy Terrill (R), says the bill has four main topical areas: it deals with identity theft; it terminates public assistance benefits to illegals; it empowers state and local police to enforce federal immigration laws; and it punishes employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens.
Terrill addressed that, "states are separate sovereigns in our federal system. Anyone who doesn't understand that needs to go back and take an American federal government class in college." As a result of that sovereignty, "we have as much right -- in fact, I would argue, a responsibility -- to protect our taxpayers against that sort of egregious waste, fraud and abuse as the federal government should have a responsibility to protect that international border, but doesn't do that." Terrill says as long as the federal government refuses to do its job of protecting the international borders of the U.S., states like Oklahoma must take action to deal with the problem. More than 100,000 illegal immigrants are estimated to live in Oklahoma. The Federation of American Immigration Reform(FAIR) has said they cost state taxpayers up to $200 million a year in public benefits, law enforcement costs and other resources.[Sources: Seaspook's Rants and Durant Daily Democrat] ARRA Editor's Question: What is Arkansas willing to do to address its project $117 million (for 2006 based on only expenditures for education, emergency medical care and incarceration) created by more than 49,000 (2005 est.) illegal immigrants living (not considering illegals transiting Arkansas)?The costs are projected to rise unless we gain control over our borders and our work sites. If a new amnesty and increases in immigrants and guest workers were enacted, as proposed by business and ethnic advocacy groups, the projected cost to Arkansas taxpayers for those same programs would rise to $202 million in 2010 and to $356 million in 2020. Tags:Arkansas, FAIR, illegal immigrants, Oklahoma, taxes
Phyllis Schlafly Reports: How can we re-motivate and reactivate the coalition of fiscal, national defense, social, and economic conservatives who gave Ronald Reagan his tremendous victories in 1980 and 1984? How can we reach out to the Middle Americans, the Reagan Democrats, who have been steadily slipping away from the conservative movement during the Bush 41 and Bush 43 administrations? We can win them back to the conservative cause by a campaign called Stand Up for America because these voters are patriotic, they love our country, and they are family oriented. Many of them come from a tradition of voting Democratic and they need powerful reasons to vote conservative Republican. Tags:American sovereignty, defense of jobs, new jobs, Phyllis Schlafly, rule of lawTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
. . . The Middle Class is hurting today because so many have lost jobs from the outsourcing of U.S. plants overseas. Some of these Americans have seen their good jobs just vanish as their plants closed. Three million good manufacturing jobs have gone to foreign countries. . . Other Americans have lost their jobs because of the insourcing of foreigners to take jobs in our country. Some jobs were taken by low-wage illegal aliens and so-called guest workers. . . The law of supply and demand really works - a bigger supply of cheap labor inevitably depresses wages.
In order to reclaim Middle America and the Reagan Democrats who are hurting badly from outsourcing and insourcing, our leaders must aggressively Stand Up for America on the patriotic and economic issues. Stand Up for America involves three types of issues: (1) the Rule of Law, (2) American sovereignty, and (3) the defense of U.S. jobs. . . [Read More] Also review: Deep-Six the Law of the Sea & The High Price of Imported Food
Barrack Obama - Condemning divisiveness by being divisive
Joseph Farah: You've got to hand it to Barack Obama. He used his presidential campaign speech to a church to call for separation of church and state and then divided himself from the "religious right" by labeling the movement "divisive." Not every rhetorician could get away with that kind of sleight of mouth. . . But Obama explained why it's OK for him to solicit votes and support in churches: "Doing the Lord's work is a thread that runs through our politics since the very beginning. It puts the lie to the notion that separation of church and state in America means faith should have no role in public life." Without missing a beat, however, Obama reassured the audience that he indeed believed in separation of church and state, a concept that appears nowhere in America's founding documents. . . Then, he attacked those in the church who actually stand upon clear, unambiguous biblical commandments and injunctions – labeling them "divisive." He denounced those "who've been all too eager to exploit what divides us." He would never do that, of course. - Obama supports abortion on demand. The Bible doesn't. - Obama supports homosexual unions. The Bible doesn't. - Obama opposes prayer in government schools. The Bible commands believers to pray unceasingly. - Obama opposes teaching the overwhelming evidence the world was created with an intelligent plan. The Bible reveals that plan. Thus, anyone who stands up for the Bible in the political realm is "divisive," according to Obama . . . [Read More] Tags:Barack Obama, Joseph Farah, separation of church and stateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Ford sponsors another gay pride festival and parade
Illinois Family Institute: Company ignores boycott, continues promotion of gay lifestyle. With sales plummeting, employees being laid off and plants being closed, Ford Motor Company has shown that it has no plans to stop promoting the homosexual lifestyle, including same-sex marriage. This past June 16, Ford helped sponsor Cleveland Lesbian-Gay-Bi-Trans Pride Parade and Festival. Ford also had a festival booth and banner to market its support for homosexual celebrations . . . [Read More] Tags:Ford Motor Company, gay agenda, homosexual activismTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Hal Lindsey: Talk radio is not news, per se, but mostly opinion. Talk-show radio personalities are not journalists in the classic sense of the word. They are commentators who entertain. If the audience doesn't like the commentary and the way it's presented, the show gets canceled. Rush Limbaugh has a brilliant mind and expresses his opinion in an entertaining way. His vast audience sticks with him because they generally agree with his analysis of the news.Al Franken is a comedian, not a journalist. He moved from comedy shows to talk radio because his material didn't appeal to a wide enough audience. But Franken failed as a talk-show host because his material wasn't interesting, and his arguments weren't convincing to that audience, either. Other liberal talk-radio hosts may be entertaining, but, apparently, their opinions aren't convincing . . . [Read More] Tags:Al Franken, free speech, Hal Linsey, liberal, talk radioTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Anti-Jesus activists on warpath against VA Hospitals & Cities
by Gordon Klingenschmitt: Anti-Jesus activists threatened lawsuits in Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio and New York this month to stop Christians from praying "in Jesus' name" or publicly expressing their faith. In Iowa, activist lawyer Mikey Weinstein declared victory over the Veterans Administration, claiming the agency caved into his demands to remove Christian symbols from the chapel in the Iowa VA hospital, and also promised to ban Christians who sing hymns (such as "The Old Rugged Cross") in the common-use area. Sadly, the VA also appears eager to silence Christian chaplains, depriving veterans who want Christian ministry in their time of need.
In North Carolina, the American Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue the town of Clayton after Councilman Bob Satterfield bravely prayed "in Jesus' name" to open a public meeting. "I know who I pray to, and if other people want to pray to that chair over there, they're welcome to. It was my turn to do the invocation, and I did it the way I know how," Satterfield said. But ACLU attorney Jennifer Rudinger fired back, threatening a lawsuit: "The law is pretty clear. The courts have ruled that it's legal to have an invocation at government functions, but it has to be non-sectarian." Actually, the courts have mandated no such thing . . . [Read More]
Tags:ACLU, anti-christian, Christian Values, Gordon Klingenschmitt, religous freedom, VA, veteransTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Press Release: Republican presidential candidate and former Massacuesetts Governor Mitt Romney issued the following statement on the United States Supreme Court decision overturning a portion of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law: "Score one for free speech. Today (Monday 6/5) the Supreme Court reaffirmed the First Amendment by rejecting a key feature of McCain-Feingold. The law trampled the basic right of the American people to participate in their democracy. It also purported to reduce the influence of money in politics, but we now know that influence is greater than ever. McCain-Feingold was a poorly-crafted bill. Today's decision restores, in part, to the American people a right critical to their freedom of political participation and expression." See also:"A Setback for the Censors" Tags:Election 2008, free speech, GOP, McCain-Feingold, Mitt Romney, presidential candidate, Republican, US Supreme Court, SCOTUSTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Eureka Springs becomes first city in Arkansas to register 'Gay Marriages'
by Don Wildmon, AFA: Eureka Springs has become the first city in Arkansas to allow homosexual couples to register as domestic partners. The City Council passed the ordinance unanimously, which basically is the equivalent of the city's leaders recognizing and forcing "gay marriage" on the city's residents. Eureka Springs is recognized as the home of "The Great Passion Play," America's #1 attended outdoor drama, but on May 14, ORDINANCE NO. 2052 - An Ordinance CREATING A DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP REGISTRY, welcomed homosexuals into the city en mass as Arkansas' "Little San Francisco."
Pastor Philip Wilson of Eureka Springs' First Christian Church is leading an effort to get the ordinance overturned. Pastor Wilson said the mayor and city council made a moral decision for the entire city. Wilson twice helped gather signatures in an attempt to bring the issue to the voters, but the petitions failed after the city clerk claimed they lacked specific wording. "My sadness is Eureka Springs is being marketed more and more as a homosexual destination," Wilson explained.
Eureka Springs has opened the door for other Arkansas mayors and city councils to adopt similar ordinances recognizing the equivalent of same-sex marriage. Please contact Eureka Springs Mayor Dani Wilson and city council members. Politely ask them to repeal this ordinance. Let them know their Domestic Partnership Registry could destroy the Eureka Springs tourist trade and hurt the local economy. Many Christian families will no doubt reconsider their plans to visit Eureka Springs, or refuse to vacation in Eureka Springs. Incidentally, Branson has become very successful by marketing to families, not special interest groups such as homosexuals.E-Mail or call Dani Wilson, Mayor Eureka Springs 44 S. MainEureka Springs, AR 72632; Primary Phone: 479-253-9703 Fax: 479-253-6967. Also contact others on the Eurika Springs City Council and the Caroll County Judge and Qourum Court. See also:Domestic Partnership Registry Passed Tags:Arkansas, Eureka Springs, homosexual activism, same-sex marriage
by Phyllis Schlafly: The globalists are making a new attempt to circumvent and weaken a right explicitly recognized in the U.S. Constitution: Americans' exclusive ownership of their own inventions. . . . Patent Reform Act of 2007 is not reform at all; it betrays both individual rights and U.S. sovereignty.
It's no accident that the United States has produced the overwhelming majority of the world's great inventions. It's because the Founding Fathers invented the world's best patent system, which was a brilliant stroke of inspired originality when the Constitution was written in 1787, and still is stunningly unique in the world. The political pressure for the new bill comes from the "world is flat" globalists who want to level the U.S. patent system with other countries. "Harmonization" is a favorite trigger word in their arguments. For example, in introducing the new bill, Rep. Howard Berman (D- CA) said it will "harmonize U.S. patent law with the patent law of most other countries." . . . Senator Leahy's office states that the bill's purpose is to eliminate "a lack of international consistency."
But since the U.S. system produces more important inventions than the rest of the world combined, why should we legislate "consistency" with inferior foreign policies? The uniqueness of the American system is that "inventors" are granted "the exclusive right" to their inventions "for limited times" (usually about 18 years) after which the invention goes into the public domain. Exclusivity was assured because our courts would uphold the inventor's patent against infringers, and the U.S. Patent Office would not disclose any information in a patent application unless and until the legal protection of a patent was granted. Rejected patent applications were returned to the applicants with their secrets intact.
The so-called patent "reform" of 1999 radically changed this to allow the U.S. Patent Office to publish the details of inventions 18 months after they are filed, unless the inventor agrees NOT to file a patent application in another country. Other countries do not respect inventors' rights granted by the U.S. Patent Office. . . . The proposed Patent Reform Act of 2007 . . . would further reduce inventors' rights. For the sake of "international consistency," it would convert the U.S. system to a "first to file" system, thereby replacing our unique and successful U.S. "first to invent" system. . . . [Read More] Tags:Eagle Forum, inventors, patent reform, Phyllis Schlafly, US SenateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Ira Teinowitz: The House of Representatives moved today to ban the Federal Communications Commission from reviving the Fairness Doctrine, which required broadcasters to offer competing viewpoints in a balanced manner when presenting controversial issues. The House inserted a ban on government spending in behalf of the doctrine into an appropriations bill, acting at the urging of GOP conservatives. Democrats charged the move was "a political stunt" aimed at quieting unwarranted conservative talk-show hosts' fears that the doctrine could return. The legislation was awaiting a final vote at press time. Democrats admitted some concern about the lack of balance on talk radio, but said there was no immediate prospect for the Fairness Doctrine's revival . . . [Read More] See also:Newt Gingrich on "Fairness Doctrine" Tags:fairness doctrine, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, free speech, Newt Gingrich, talk radioTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Fred Thompson*: For a while, it didn’t look like Washington was going to listen to us regarding real immigration reform. Thankfully, we’ve been spared a serious mistake, but I wonder if things would have turned out the way they did without the work done by the bloggers, talk radio and the American people. Rush, Hannity, Laura Ingraham, RedState, Powerline, Pajamas Media and a lot of others have done a great job. Take that, Fairness Doctrine. [Read Fred's blog article about the immigration bill (bloggers are cited) and Fidel Castro. (he also works in the Fairness Doctrine and Hugo Chavez) ] *ARRA: Hopefully Fred Thompson will soon liven up the GOP Presidential Race! Tags:Fred Thompson, GOP, presidential candidateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
ARRA Exclusive: We contacted Sen. Pryor's office for a comment about his vote against S 1639. They provided the following press release late this afternoon: by Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR): We must reform our nation’s broken immigration system with tough, fair and realistic legislation. I voted against the President’s immigration plan today because the border security and enforcement measures are inadequate and the bill fails to effectively address the individuals who are already here illegally. We should not pass a plan the Congressional Budget Office estimates will only reduce annual illegal immigration by 25 percent.
The Senate has now failed to pass immigration reform for the third time. It’s time for a new approach. I advocate that we strengthen and implement the enforcement measures in this bill and show we can fully enforce immigration laws. As the Senate works behind the scenes to draft a stronger and more sensible bill, President Bush can and should take immediate steps to enforce the laws already on the books. He can do better, and so can the Senate.
------------ ARRA Editor's Comment: We commend and thank Sen. Pryor for his vote supporting the "rule of law" which placed him at odds with the majority of Democrat Senators including Arkansas' Senator Lincoln. Although the executive branch should enforce the laws already on the books, we seek Pryor's assistance to fully fund border security and the agencies that enforce our laws. As Arkansas' former attorney general, he knows well the difficulty of enforcing laws without appropriate funding. Although the legislation has been identified with President Bush, the was drafted by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and others and was supported by a majority of Democrat senators. Kennedy after the vote today chastised the Senate and the public who opposed the bill. He ended by stating "We'll be back!" and that someday all the illegal aliens in America will be made "legal." Tags:Arkansas, border security, illegal aliens, illegal immigration, immigration reform, Mark Pryor, Senator, US SenateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
One of Own - Huckabee on Front Cover of New Man Magazine
Former Governor Mike Huckabee made the cover of the July/Aug issue of "New Man Magazine." The magazine is one of the top Christian magazines. In a feature article, "One of Our Own," Thomas Harrington and Anthony Bonna identify that "Mike Huckabee is pro-life, pro-family and a happily married father of three who is a former pastor. After being Governor of Arkansas for 10 years, he may be the best qualified candidate to become US President in 2008. . . New Man thinks he is the right man for the job. . ."
The article details Huckabee's success as Governor in Arkansas and address Huckabee as both a "man of faith" and a "man of reason." In examining the case for Huckabee for President, they detail Huckabee's communication skills, appeal to voters, his core social values, his Christian commitment. They then compared Huckabee against the other candidates (Republican and Democrat) using "three simple criteria:"
1) Must be a social conservative committed to pro-life, pro-family, pro-marriage issues
2) Must have strong moral character and good judgment exhibited by executive experience.
3) Must have excellent communication skills and ability to cast a vision.
The authors conclude that, "In the past 30 years only one president had all three qualifications - Ronald Reagan. This year, of all the candidates only Mike Huckabee meets all three criteria." Tags:Arkansas, GOP, Mike Huckabee, presidential candidate, Republican
The Unfair "Fairness" Doctrine Ban the Fairness Doctrine
by James Gattuso, The Heritage Foundation: The debate over the Fairness Doctrine has up until now had a bit of a shadow-boxing quality to it. While opposition to the FCC rule has been abundant - it’s hard to turn on the radio without hearing some discussion of the issue - actual legislative proposals to reinstate the rule have been scarce. Politics, like nature, abhors a vacuum . . . Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) has decided to take the offensive by introducing his own legislation to ban the FCC from
reinstating the rule. Specifically, Pence’s bill . . . provides that the Federal Communications Commission “shall not have the authority to prescribe any rule, regulation, policy, doctrine, standard, or other requirement that has the purpose or effect of reinstating or repromulgating” the Fairness Doctrine. While the bill’s chances for passage in the Democratic-controlled Congress are unclear, Pence’s bill is significant. First, it gives opponents of the Fairness Doctrine a clear goal around which to rally - endng the “will they or will they not” guessing game. Perhaps more importantly, the legislation potentially redefines the question at hand from “should regulation be imposed?” to “should regulation be allowed?” It’s a good question, and a debate well worth having.
by Tonny Perkins, FRC: Less than a month before the Democrats rode their tsunami-like wave into power, the leftwing radio company, Air America, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This should tell you something about the market for liberal talk radio. Rather than compete for audience share, liberals have screamed for government enforced equality. Enter the Fairness Doctrine. Issued by the FCC in 1949 and repealed in 1985, the Fairness Doctrine ordered broadcasters to give equal time to both sides of controversial issue. Rather than risk enforcement actions and wade through bureaucratic red tape, many broadcasters opted to air non-controversial material, which essentially killed healthy debate and discussion. To preempt liberals from resurrecting the Fairness Doctrine, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) has introduced the "Broadcaster Freedom Act." The bill strips the FCC of its authority to reinstitute the Fairness Doctrine, effectively codifying the status quo and protecting free speech. In Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville distinguished democracy from socialism very succinctly when he said, "Democracy extends the sphere of individual freedom, socialism restricts it... Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word: equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude." If the left wants equal time to express its views on the radio or television, they have the liberty to do so by starting their own programs and shows. In fact, in the larger media world including broadcast TV, public broadcasting, and print, the left predominates. The challenge for them is getting people to listen. To seek parity in talk radio by restraining the freedom of others is neither free, nor equal, nor fair. See also:Pence Proposes 'Broadcaster Freedom Act' to Prohibit Return of 'Fairness Doctrine' Tags:Broadcasters Freedom Act, fairness doctrine, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, Freedom Act, Mike PenceTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Boozman Applauds Senate Vote Sees new opportunity for plan which secures nation
U.S. Rep John Boozman (R-AR) today applauded the results of a cloture vote preventing the Senate Immigration Bill from a final vote on passage. The bill fell 14 votes shy of the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture and limit debate, a bipartisan group of 53 Senators voting against the motion.
“Today’s vote reflects the American people’s lack of confidence in the immigration plan offered by the Senate which was, at its foundation, a plan to give over 12 million illegal immigrants amnesty,” Boozman said. “Rewarding illegal behavior should never be the cornerstone of any plan, much less one which is supposed to lead to a more secure nation.” Earlier this week, Boozman joined a majority of House Republicans in passing a resolution which stated that the House GOP Conference disapproved of the Senate plan. “There are several opinions as to how we can adequately address the problem of illegal immigration in the United States,” Boozman said. “We all now have the opportunity to move forward and put together common-sense legislation which will secure our borders, keep employers accountable, and not grant amnesty to those who have broken the immigration laws of our nation.” [Source]Tags:amnesty, Arkansas, illegal immigrants, John Boozman, US Congress, US SenateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Victory Again - Amnesty Immigration Bill Rejected in Senate
By a vote of 46-53, the Senate majority rejected cloture today and stopped the Senate Immigration Bill (S 1639). A great victory. 40 NO votes were needed to beat this cloture vote. Instead, there were 53! 18 Senators who vote YES on amnesty cloture on Tuesday switched to NO today! Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor voted No - thank you. Unfortunately, Arkansas Senator Lincoln evidently did not wish to hear the majority voice of Arkansans and voted Yes.
USA TODAY's Kathy Kielyreported that "two cabinet secretaries -- Homeland Security's Michael Chertoff and Commerce's Carlos Gutierrez -- were posted outside the chamber and lobbying lawmakers as they went in to vote on the president's immigration proposal." However, their actions were not successful. Voting to allow the bill to proceed by ending debate were 33 Democrats, 12 Republicans and 1 independent. Voting to block the bill by not limiting debate were 37 Republicans, 15 Democrats and 1 independent. 1 member did not vote.
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Tester (D-MT)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Not Voting - 1: Johnson (D-SD)
Some comments from the senate floor before and after the vote: Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN): Americans feel they are losing their country ... to a government that has seemed to not have the competence or the ability to carry out the things that it says it will do. Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC): Many Americans "don't have confidence" that borders . . . will be significantly tightened. It's not just promises but proof that the American people want. Sen Ted Kennedy (D-MA): It is now clear that we are not going to complete our work on immigration reform. That is enormously disappointing . . . We'll be back!Tags:amnesty, 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!
Card Checkmate [Video] Arkansas Democrats Vote to Take Away Secret Ballot
Editorial, Wall Street Journal: Democrats did their duty for the AFL-CIO yesterday, offering and then quickly losing a vote on the Senate floor to eliminate secret ballots for union organizing elections. Democrats could muster only a single Republican vote -- Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania -- and so the bill went down to a GOP filibuster, 51-48. The way the vote was managed says a lot about how little Democrats really wanted to debate this "card check" legislation in public. Unions claim that it's only fair to let a union organize a work place once 50% of employees have signed a union card. But this very public process leaves workers open to union and peer intimidation, which is why U.S. labor law has allowed secret ballots for a half century. Leaving workers to fend for themselves against the gentle persuasion of, say, the Teamsters isn't a big political winner. . . [Read More]
Senate Democrats voted to eliminate workers' rights to a secret ballot and give big labor bosses exactly what they demanded as payback -- a vote on the Card Check bill. Watch the Democrats giving their thanks to union rally goers for their current majority.See also: OUTRAGE: Arkansas Senators Vote For Union Intimidation (The Truth in Arkansas Politics - Senators Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln voted for S 800 & caved to special interests of unions today to take away the right to a secret ballot for employees.)
Tags:AFL-CIO, Blanche Lincoln, civil unions, Democrats, Mark Pryor, videoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
A Strategic Vision poll was released today in Georgia showing Governor Huckabee in the margin of error with both Mitt Romney, and Georgia native Newt Gingrich: Fred Thompson 25% Rudy Giuliani 20% John McCain 11% Newt Gingrich 7% Mitt Romney 6% Mike Huckabee 5% . . . Undecided 14% Tags:Arkansas, bloggers, GOP, Mike Huckabee, polls, presidential candidate
"This Picture is worth at least 1000 words, if not 100 times that. Sad isn't it?" (words by GM Roper) Info also posted at Hugh Hewitt and Proudly Shared by: TexasFred & GM's Corner Tags:elephant, political humor, RNCTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
HotAir.com has release there 4th anti-amnesty ad: If the RNC and U.S. Senate won’t listen, we’ll have to speak its language.
There is also a blip version, in case YouTube malfunctions. Click here to read the scriptfor this Hot Air video. Thank You HotAir.com. Tags:amnesty, anti-amnesty, HotAir, refund, RNC, US Senate To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Just the "Bear" News - HSUS wants ALL Hunting Stopped!
Update 6/29: ANTI-HUNTING INSLEE-LOBIONDO POLAR BEAR AMENDMENT DEFEATED 188-242- - NRA-ILA: The Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) and other radical hunting ban organizations are attempting to capitalize on raw emotion to take a major step in Congress toward their primary goal of ending all hunting species by species. They are taking a page from the incremental playbook of the gun ban crowd. HSUS is attempting to amend HR 2643, the House Interior Appropriations Bill, to effectively prohibit Americans from hunting polar bears from healthy and sustainable populations in Canada. As all sportsmen know, hunters provide the funding and motivation for . . . the modern polar bear conservation efforts . . .
While only a small number of American hunters will ever have the opportunity to hunt polar bears, this is a critical issue for every U.S. hunter. HSUS' Wayne Pacelle said it best when he boasted, "We will take it species by species until all hunting is stopped."Today it is polar bears but they will be going after the species you hunt tomorrow. They have already campaigned to stop the hunting of doves, black bears, cougar and deer in numerous jurisdictions throughout America. The vote on this anti-hunting amendment is likely to occur within the next 24 hours. Please act now to save the future of our time honored hunting heritage. Call or email your Congressman and ask him or her to vote "NO" on the Inslee Polar Bear Amendment to H.R. 2643. Call your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121. See also:A ban on importing polar bears is silly &Just Too Many Bears Tags:anti-hunting, Bears, Human Society of United States, NRA, Wayne PacelleTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
The Boozman Blog: Food for thought, exclusively from the Washington Times. It seems some in Mexico consider the Senate plan an amnesty, as well. -The head of a Mexican forgery ring was convinced he could make phony documents that illegal aliens could use to indicate fraudulently that they were eligible for a new amnesty, says a government affidavit recounting wiretapped phone calls the man made. Julio Leija-Sanchez, who ran a $3 million-a-year forgery operation before he was arrested in April, was expecting Congress to pass a legalization program, which he called “amnesty,” and said he could forge documents to fool the U.S. government into believing illegal aliens were in the country in time to qualify for amnesty, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent said in the affidavit. [Read More]Tags:amnesty, forgery, ICE, illegal aliens, illegal immigrants, illegal immigration, immigration enforcement, immigration reform, MexicoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Eagles Screaming Names of "The Traitorous 21" Say The Game is Not Over
Yesterday, the Eagles were screaming! In a press release, Eagle Forum labeled 21 U.S. Senators as: The Traitorous 21: Bennett (R-UT), Bingaman (D-NM), Bond (R-MO), Boxer (D-CA), Brownback (R-KS), Burr (R-NC), Coleman (R-MN), Collins (R-ME), Craig (R-ID), Domenici (R-NM), Ensign (R-NV), Gregg (R-NH), Kyl (R-AZ), Lott (R-MS), McConnell (R-KY), Murkowski (R-AK), Pryor (D-AR), Snowe (R-ME), Stevens (R-AK), Warner (R-VA), Webb (D-VA)."The Traitorous 21 can no longer claim they oppose amnesty. Today they voted to bring it back from the dead. The only recourse they have is to vote against the second cloture motion (to end debate), which will take place Thursday. No Senator can hide behind procedural motions and then claim innocence by voting against the bill. We won’t buy it! A vote for cloture is a vote for amnesty! Call your Senators and tell them to vote NO on cloture! (if the phone lines are jammed, keep calling or call a local office instead) - Capitol Switchboard: (202)-224-3121. 6/28 - ARRA Editorial Note: Those in red voted for against cloture today which was the advocated position by Eagle Forum.Tags:amnesty, Eagle Forum, illegal immigration, immigration reform, Traitorous 21, US SenateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Boozman Votes Against Immigration Bill Joins House Republicans in “disapproving” amnesty plan
U.S. Rep. John Boozman (R-AR) joined with House Republicans to voice their opposition to the Senate-backed immigration plan, which Boozman described as “bad policy.” In a special meeting of the House Republican Conference, Boozman joined 114 members in passing a simple, one-sentence, resolution offered by Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI). The text: “Resolved the House GOP Conference disapproves of the Senate immigration bill.”
“The plan offered by Senate is, ultimately, a reward for illegal behavior,” Boozman, a member of the bipartisan House Immigration Reform Caucus, said. “We should not be granting a pass to millions of illegal immigrants, while others go out of their way to be in the United States legally.
On Tuesday, the Senate held a procedural vote which resurrected the immigration bill. It is expected a cloture vote will be taken on Thursday. “You can’t solve the problems of illegal immigration by making everyone legal,” Boozman added. “Leaders from both parties in the House have publicly stated their opposition to at least one major part of this plan, and I am glad to stand with my colleagues in announcing our disapproval of the Senate plan. If it comes to the House in its present form, I will vote against it.” [Source] Tags:amnesty, Arkansas, John Boozman, US House, US SenateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Update to letter:Senator Mel Martinez actions have now demonstrated that he is unable to be a consequential leader in rebuilding the Republican party. Without conservatives who believe in God, family, and country and who are working together to strengthen and to uphold moral and traditional family values and Republican principles and ideals, the Republican Party ceases in its significance. We have a RNC Chairman and the additional General Chairman position is not needed . We need an RNC that "serves" to advance the principles of the Republican party and not the dictates of the White House regardless of who occupies it. We need a RNC that unites us! Senator Martinez do the right thing and resign as General Chairman. From Dr. Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: Dear Senator Martinez, It is most disappointing when the "General Chairman" of the RNC, a spokesperson for Republicans nationwide, fails to represent the views of the majority of Republicans. As a senator, I would understand if your vote represented the majority of your Florida constituents. However, according to national polling data, you are not representing the majority of your own constituents.
It appears by your actions to date, that your loyalty does not rest with either your constituents or the Republican voters nationally in regard to supporting the Senate's "comprehensive immigration" Bill 1639. Where does your loyalty rest? Only you can answer such a question. However, to initiate the tough process of answering that, does your loyalty rest with President Bush on this bill? While President Bush is a Republican, he is not the Republican Party and on this issue the President does not represent the majority of the members of the Republican Party or the majority of American voters.
The Republican National Committee has let Republicans down by continuing to support the efforts of Sens. McCain, Kyl, Graham, and Hagel to push amnesty for illegal aliens through the Senate. As the RNC has already experienced, the grassroots of the Republican Party - who daily support and promote Republican principles - are awake and refusing to send more money to the RNC or to the other national RNC fundraising legislative groups. Republicans are not giving up on the Republican Party but they are becoming more committed to voting and supporting those who represent their principles and beliefs and not to supporting and returning incumbent Republicans to office. While grassroots Republicans may consider donating money to particular Republican candidates who denounce amnesty, they are finished donating to the National Republican Party.
It is not too late to make amends and to stop the pending train wreck. Consider the following facts put forth by various grassroots and research groups. NO funds are provided in the Senate's "comprehensive" immigration bill for the enforcement measures. We know from the Secure Fence Act what happens when things aren't paid for - NOTHING! 9/11 Families for Secure America has noted that Congress has been passing all kinds of enforcement measures through the years that never got implemented because the White House refuses to ask for funding and because the Congress routinely short-changes them. Without appropriations, none of the talk about increased enforcement means much, especially when one considers the poor track records of the last three Administrations, who all have excelled only at ignoring immigration laws.
The Heritage Foundation recently calculated that the average illegal household costs the taxpayers about $20,000 more in services and infrastructure per YEAR than it pays in taxes. And that cost is expected to be higher once the household has amnesty and easier access to services. So, the average illegal household of, say, 4 people will be paying around $2,500 per year in Z-visa fees for the right to continue collecting around $20,000 a year net taxpayer benefits. This is a great way to bankrupt America. Not only is it totally illogical to saddle us with $20,000 for each illegal household per YEAR for the rest of our/their lives, but you insult our intelligence by claiming that $5 a week is a steep penalty.
If you are looking for a bipartisan compromise to immigration reform, why not implement the recommendations of the bipartisan U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform, which concluded that: (1) annual legal immigration numbers should be reduced by eliminating chain migration; (2) illegal immigration should be substantially curbed by eliminating the job magnet; (3) illegal foreign workers already in the U.S. should be removed from our labor markets; and (4) large-scale foreign guest worker programs should be avoided. The Senate amnesty bill violates each of these recommendations.
There are millions upon millions of illegal aliens in the country. Please do not support legislation that would make them LEGAL aliens or U.S. citizens. If you continue to vote to support Senate Bill 1639, you are demonstrating to both the base of the Republican Party and to 78% of Americans who oppose this bill that you as a Senator for Florida and as the RNC Chair have decided to side with special interests, foreign nations, and big business, instead of hard working Americans.
We are looking forward to the end of this "national nightmare" where it is proposed that the lawless are rewarded by the very people that we have elected to represent the "rule of law." We look forward to our US Government Congress taking action to protect us from a hostile Southern neighboring country - a country which encourages the invasion of our sovereign borders by its own citizens and even allows non-citizens from other countries to use their country for access into our country which threatens our life, liberty and existence as a free republic.
Again, I ask (as do the majority of Republicans) that you stop supporting Senate Bill 1639 or any other replacement bill with the same intent. However, if you persist in supporting this bill, I implore you to resign as General Chairman of the RNC. Tags:ARRA News, Bill Smith, illegal immigrants, immigration reform, Mel Martinez, Open Letter, RNCTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
By Roy Beck, Director NumbersUSA: Thanks to all of you who have already responded to our nearly two dozen separate fax and phone action alerts that we've sent out in various groupings since the Senate voted mid-day to reconsider the Kennedy/Bush amnesty bill (S. 1639). Some people have been discouraged by the vote today after working so hard to kill the amnesty outright. Please do not be disheartened. Sen. DeMint (R-SC) is truly right in claiming that the momentum is with us -- it just wasn't quite strong enough today. We did much better today than in a vote a month ago that was nearly identical in its procedural purpose. Then as now, Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) brought up a cloture vote to violate Senate procedures and bring the Kennedy/Bush amnesty bill to the floor for a vote without going through a committee.
You were able to persuade only 23 Senators to vote NO in May. Today, you got 35! That's a lot of progress in just a month. We only missed killing the Kennedy/Bush amnesty outright by 5 votes today, and those 5 seem within reach. It takes 60 Senators to pass a cloture vote. The amnesty people got 64 votes today. If you switch just 5 of them, we kill the bill. It looks like we have at least 8 Senators who voted YES for the amnesty today who are saying privately that they don't like the bill and are leaning toward voting NO on the Thursday cloture vote. If you can talk 5 of those 8 (or any of the rest of the 64) into switching to NO on Thursday and persuade the 35 NO votes from today to hold, we will kill the bill.
ONE THOUSAND ACTIVISTS IN EACH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT! We issued this statement to the news media this afternoon: The insistence of Bush, Kennedy, Reid, McConnell and Lott to ignore the American people and revive this amnesty bill is causing frustration and anger in the grassroots. The American people are eager to express their displeasure over amnesty, and we at NumbersUSA see this in an accelerated and booming membership growth: This afternoon we have reached a new milestone of an average of 1,000 ACTIVIST members per congressional district -- 435,000 activist members (with a total email membership list of more than 1.5 million). We are disappointed that more Senators didn't understand that there is nothing at all that can be gained by further debating this bill under a sham amendment process. Nonetheless, we are heartened by the continuing momentum toward killing this bill later this week.
Amazingly, about 125,000 have registered on NumbersUSA and begun faxing and phoning Congress ONLY SINCE MAY 1! Now, each U.S. Representative must answer to 1,000 activists in the District, on average, and each Senator must answer to more than 8,000 activists in the average state. That's enough to make a difference if we all keep doing our part. (By the way, newcomers, about 2,000 of your fellow faxers have been fighting this battle with NumbersUSA since before the 9/11 attacks in 2001. If they've stuck with it for six years, I know the rest of you can stick with it more than six weeks.)
EXAMPLE OF WHERE OUR OPPORTUNITIES LIE Sen. Bond (R-MO) was a big disappointment today in voting YES. But on Hannity tonight he called the bill a “june bug.” The longer people look at it and see it out there, the more they will hate it. He says that was the method to his madness today. Hannity accepted his explanation but said he still wished he would have killed the bill today, once and for all. Bond said the bill has a lot of problems but he voted for “debate” because he “loves” debating legislation and he hopes it improves with his amendment. He said Thursday’s cloture vote and the budget Point of Order are the key votes, not today's cloture vote. He said the more “sunshine” shown on this bill, the better off. That’s why he voted to allow the bill to proceed.
We are hearing some of this same kind of talk out of a number of Senate offices today. They talk of respecting the institution of the Senate and not standing in the way of debate. Also, they talk of respecting their colleagues who are begging them to at least allow the debate to occur. Actually, I also have a lot of respect for that point of view. But our argument was that the Senate and the public has been disrespected by the whole way this bill has been handled and the bill was not deserving of debate. Nonetheless, you can see that there is room for you to move many of these Senators. ARRA Editor: If you are not yet involved with the above proactive team and you are frustrated with government's actions concerning immigration in any way, shape or form, go to NumbersUSA.com and join the team and become active right from your home computer!Tags:illegal immigrants, immigration reform, NumbersUSA, Roy Beck, US SenateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: In addition to writing and calling your senators to express your frustration over the Cloture vote today on the Senate's proposed amnesty bill, you may be interested in visiting one of the following sites to help express your frustration: Secure Borders Now - checkout U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe's online illegal immigration petition. NoBush Amnesty.com - review the pledge! Richard Viguerie sums it up: "The ONLY way the GOP will take us seriously is if we pledge to cut off financial support and to challenge pro-amnesty Republicans with anti-amnesty primary opponents." NumbersUSA.com - join this group -- its free and they have the tools you need to support you with suggested prepared faxes (which you can edit) and with an automated system that sends your faxes free of charge to targeted individuals including your own representatives and senators. (ARRA Editor gives NumbersUSA.com a 100% rating for effectiveness.) Remember the old saw: "It Ain't Over Until The Fat Lady Sings" or if you prefer the non-opera gender neutral version: "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over." And, the fat lady in this Senate Opera is the 78% of the tax-paying U.S. Citizens polled today that oppose the Senate's amnesty bill. We are not done singing out against this ineffectual "amnesty" bill. Tags:amnesty, Bill Smith, illegal immigrants, immigration reformTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Breaking News: Senate Votes "YES" on Cloture & on Amnesty
NumbersUSA: (June 26) By a 64-35 margin, the Senate voted to bring S. 1639, the “corrected and updated” version of S. 1348, to the floor. On this matter, a senator’s “YES” vote on cloture was equivalent to a vote for amnesty. CLICK HERE to visit the Senate Vote Day Action Center for more information on the "compromise" bill, S. 1639 (formerly S. 1348). Polls consistently show Americans oppose Senate bill[Read More]Notes: Be sure to check out the amendments being added to the bill. You should still contact your Senator today to oppose the passage of this bill although the number to pass the bill are much lower than for cloture and it appears a significant number of Senators have surrendered to pressure from the White House and a vocal leadership to pass this bill and to give it to the House of Representatives. Presidential Candidates who voted for Cloture were: Brownback (R-KS), Clinton (D-NY), McCain (R-AZ), Obama (D-IL). Both Arkansas US Senators Lincoln (D) and Pryor (D) voted for cloture.Tags:amnesty, immigration reform, US SenateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Senate to Bring Up Immigration Bill Again Today Contact Your Senators and Urge A "No" Vote on Cloture and Bill
by Steve Robertson, Director Legislative Commission, American Legion: The US Senate is again bringing up S. 1639, the “Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill” which could grant Amnesty to the 12 to 20 million people currently in the country illegally. The American Legion adamantly opposes any measures that sanction or condone coming to this country in any manner other than stipulated by existing law, whether disguised as “undocumented workers,” “guest-worker programs” or similarly worded amnesties. This is your last chance to be heard on this issue! For access to The American Legion’s official positions, click here
It takes 60 votes to invoke cloture on this bill, but only 50 to pass the bill, so the best chance to derail this bill is on the cloture vote which could transpire as early as today. Call your Senators at (202) 224-3121 and voice your concerns and urge a “No” vote on cloture. Note: The American Legion represents 3 million members -- men and women -- in nearly 15,000 American Legion Posts worldwide. In addition, the American Legion Auxillary has nearly 1 million members. Together these 4 million veterans and auxillary members do not represent a vocal minority but a majority. Join them and their families and friends to Stop Amnesty Now! Call your Senator! We should seek English language initiatives and promote good citizenship through naturalization classes for "legal" immigrants. Tags:American Legion, amnesty, border security, English, 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!
Giuliani Confronts String of Bad News Fred Thompson Waiting in the Wings
by Libby Quid, AP Writer: Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani has confronted a spate of bad news in recent days . . . . Unannounced candidate Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney outpace Giuliani in a Nevada poll released this week. Romney had the edge in Iowa and New Hampshire. Giuliani's campaign, seeking to reassure his supporters, sent out a memo Friday contending that he still is well-positioned to win the Republican nomination for president. . . . Among Giuliani's woes: - Giuliani's South Carolina chairman, state Treasurer Thomas Ravenel, was indicted on federal cocaine charges . . . Ravenel's 80-year-old father, Arthur, remains regional chairman . . .
- Giuliani drew criticism last week for failing to attend official meetings of the Iraq Study Group . . . Giuliani said he quit the panel after two months because it didn't seem that he could keep it focused on "a bipartisan, nonpolitical resolution." However, Newsday reported that instead of attending two meetings, Giuliani was at paid speaking engagements. - NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was elected in 2001 with Giuliani's support, last week switched from Republican to unaffiliated . . . a possible independent presidential bid.
- Victims' advocates called on Giuliani to fire Monsignor Alan Placa, a Catholic priest suspended from the church over abuse allegations, from Giuliani's security consulting firm. A Giuliani spokeswoman said . . . no plans to fire Placa, a childhood friend of Giuliani's.
- Former EPA chief . . . said New York City, under then-mayor Giuliani, was repeatedly told that Sept. 11 emergency workers on the debris pile should wear respirators to protect their lungs. . .
- Federal prosecutors are pursuing an investigation of Bernard Kerik, who was Giuliani's police commissioner and worked for his consulting firm.
All three leading Republicans - Giuliani, McCain and Romney - have dealt with bad news. Compounding their woes, however, is a GOP electorate hardly wowed by its choices - and Thompson waiting in the wings. [Read Full Article] Tags:Fred Thompson, GOP, presidential candidate, Rudy GiulianiTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Your doctor could put you on no-gun list Congress fast-tracks plan to let physicians ban weapons ownership
By Naomi Laine: The House of Representatives has fast-tracked new legislation to "improve" the National Instant Criminal Background Check System by allowing doctors to now decide who can own firearms. . . . The plan is the first congressional effort to curtail gun ownership rights in a decade, but by being put on the fast track was exempted from the ordinary committee hearings and public scrutiny most proposals are sent through . . . The plan allows names to be entered into the NICS system based solely on a physician's diagnosis or prescription of a medication: adults who have taken Ritalin and soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder would be classified as mentally ill and given the same opportunity to own firearms as convicted felons: None.
Gun Owners of America is one of only a few organizations alerting consumers to the implications. "Under this bill, based solely on a diagnosis of a psychiatrist, an American's name could be dumped into the National Criminal Instant Check (NICS) system," said GOA Executive Director Larry Pratt, who called the plan "conviction by diagnosis." The organization, which launched a campaign to lobby the Senate to reject the plan, said the McCarthy plan "dramatically" expands the "dragnet" used to disqualify law-abiding gun buyers. "So much so, that hundreds of thousands of honest citizens who want to buy a gun will one day walk into a gun store and be shocked when they're told they're a prohibited purchaser, having been lumped into the same category as murderers and rapists," the organization said in a statement on its website . . . [Read More] Tags:gun control, Gun Owners of America, gun rights, NICSTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Ron De Jong:On the eve of the cloture vote to reconsider the amnesty bill, grassroots organizations are united around a common message: A vote for cloture is a vote for amnesty.“ Despite all the procedural tricks being used by the Senate to resurrect the amnesty bill, the American people are not confused,” says Grassfire.org president Steve Elliott. “We understand that a ‘yes’ vote for cloture on is a ‘yes’ vote for amnesty. Any Senator who votes ‘yes’ on tomorrow’s cloture motion to proceed with this bill will forever be labeled an Amnesty Senator -- even if that Senator later votes against final passage.” Elliott says any attempt to “double cross” the American people by voting in favor of cloture but against the bill will be immediately exposed by grassroots organizations. “Grassfire is working closely with an ad-hoc coalition of groups who are 100% united on this point. There will be no place to hide for any Senator who tries to double-cross the American people on this bill. If you vote for cloture we will brand you with a modern-day ‘Scarlet A’ for Amnesty.” Grassfire.org team members have made more than 1.2 million people contacts to the Senate and the President opposing this bill since its initial announcement last month. Grassfire’s “Where’s The Fence?”™ television adshave reached more than 25 million people . . . [Read More]Tags:amnesty, Grassfire.org, immigration reformTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Liberal Partnerships No Longer in Store for Wal-Mart
Tony Perkins, FRC: For Wal-Mart executives, the most pressing issue hasn't been price wars but the broader culture war. A year after the company's failed experiment of endorsing pro-homosexual groups, the retail giant announced that it will no longer donate to "gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) organizations." The news is a significant victory for many in the pro-family movement who took part in a grassroots campaign to oppose Wal-Mart's liberal partnerships. In 2006, the company known for its Christian roots did a radical about-face, joining the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, sponsoring the "Out & Equal" convention, and selling homosexual-themed products in its retail stores. Wal-Mart's liberal transformation angered many in its customer base and prompted several groups to boycott the chain altogether. FRC distributed thousands of educational fliers warning customers that Wal-Mart was rolling back family values. In the end, the broad backlash forced the company to revoke its political agenda. Hopefully, this latest decision will signal other companies to rethink their liberal leanings. Many have tested the political waters and found that embracing the Left's agenda often means sacrificing profits and consumer confidence--a price more retailers are unwilling to pay. Tags:FRC, gay agenda, GLBT, liberal, Tony Perkins, Wal-MartTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Supreme Court Protects Political Speech but Not Student Drug Promotion
Tony Perkins, FRC: Pro-family groups got mostly good news in a trio of 5-4 decisions handed down today by the U.S. Supreme Court. In FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life, the Court ruled that public policy non-profits (like FRC and FRC Action) do not violate campaign finance laws when they run issue-oriented ads that mention an office-holder close to an election. A ruling the other way would have been a serious blow to freedom of speech, and to the ability of groups like FRC and FRC Action to mobilize public opinion in support of important policies. For now, at least, non-profits will have much wider freedom to talk about issues and legislators than BCRA, sometimes dubbed an "incumbent protection act," allowed them. In the case of Hein v. Freedom from Religion Foundation, the Court ruled that an atheist organization does not have standing to sue the government over the President's creation of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Finally, in the case of Morse v. Frederick, the Court upheld the actions of a school that suspended a student for displaying a banner with the bizarre message "BONG HITS 4 JESUS." FRC is concerned about restrictions on the free speech of students because it is often religious or conservative speech that is restricted, but in this case the Court ruled narrowly that the banner promoted illegal drug use and was therefore validly found to be disruptive. See also:Supreme Court rules in student free speech, faith-based funding, campaign finance cases Tags:FRC, free speech, Tony Perkins, US Supreme CourtTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Personal Tweets by the editor: Dr. Bill - OzarkGuru - @arra
#Christian Conservative; Retired USAF & Grad Professor. Constitution NRA ProLife schoolchoice fairtax - Editor ARRA NEWS SERVICE. THANKS FOR FOLLOWING!
To Exchange Links - Email: editor@arranewsservice.com!
Comments by contributing authors or other sources do not necessarily reflect the position the editor, other contributing authors, sources, readers, or commenters. No contributors, or editors are paid for articles, images, cartoons, etc. While having reported on and promoting principles & beleifs beliefs of other organizations, this blog/site is soley controlled and supported by the editor. This site/blog does not advertise for money or services nor does it solicit funding for its support.
Fair Use: This site/blog may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of political, human rights, economic, democracy, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as provided for in section Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the US Copyright Law. Per said section, the material on this site/blog is distributed without profit to readers to view for the expressed purpose of viewing the included information for research, educational, or satirical purposes. Any person/entity seeking to use copyrighted material shared on this site/blog for purposes that go beyond "fair use," must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
In May, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry (D) signed into law HB 1804 which was passed by by overwhelming majorities in both the Oklahoma House (84-14) and Senate (41-6). The bill's sponsor, Oklahoma State Rep Randy Terrill (R), says the bill has four main topical areas: it deals with identity theft; it terminates public assistance benefits to illegals; it empowers state and local police to enforce federal immigration laws; and it punishes employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens.
by Ron De Jong: 
