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, July 07, 2007
Plan to restore Fairness Doctrine
by Randy Hall: Liberal efforts to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine are "completely on track," and Democrats intend to push for the measure by linking talk radio to "hate crimes," according to a conservative media analyst. Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) has proposed an amendment to appropriations legislation to prevent the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from spending any money in 2008 to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine. The regulation that required broadcasters to present both sides of a controversial issue was enforced from 1949 to 1987, when the Reagan administration allowed it to lapse. The House voted 309 to 115 to approve the Pence amendment, but Cliff Kincaid, editor of the conservative group Accuracy in Media, said even if the Senate passes the measure, "it would do absolutely nothing to stop a Democratic president and Congress from reinstating" the regulation . . . To prevent that from happening, Kincaid urged Congress to pass the Broadcasters Freedom Act . . . [Read More] Tags:Broadcasters Freedom Act, Cliff Kincaid, fairness doctrine, free speechTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Thompson leads GOP field for Pres A non-candidate is the frontrunner
Fred Thompson, sometimes Senator and sometimes actor, leads the GOP Presidential field, topping former New York City Major Rudy Giuliani. Mitt Romney edges out John McCain for third and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee leads the also-rans with all the rest not even registering enough to be called has beens. According to Rasmussen Reports: former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson remains on top in Rasmussen Reports national polling with 27% support. That's unchanged from a week ago. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is three points behind at 24%. . . . [Read More] Tags:Fred Thompson, GOP, presidential candidate, Rasmussen Reports, Republican, Rudy GiulianiTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Why the Democrats have
such a low approval rating.
Complements of NRCC Tags:Democrats, Democrat Broken Promises, NRCCTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Arkansas Congresssional Delegation Find It Easy Being Green
by Aaron Sadler, Springfield Morning News: Arkansas' congressional delegation sees an economic incentive at home to being environmentally friendly on Capitol Hill.Lawmakers support legislation to boost biofuels research and development, with an eye on jobs in the eastern Arkansas Delta.They back measures to make buildings more energy efficient: It's a way to save money on electricity and force companies to buy newer heating and air-conditioning units like those built by Fort Smith industries.They tout initiatives that would encourage use of energy-saving lightbulbs or washing machines that use less water.And by supporting bills to reduce reliance on foreign energy sources, they seem to be joining the environmental bandwagon as they save money and save the planet . . . [Read More]Tags:Arkansas, environmentally friendly, John Boozman, Marion Berry, Mike Ross, US Congress, Vic Snyder
"Sen Mark Pryor uses a really poor requirement for appointing a federal judgeship in Arkansas. U.S. Senator Mark Pryor is urging President Bush to nominate an African-American to fill the federal judgeship in Arkansas left vacant with the death of U.S. District Judge George Howard Junior. Howard was Arkansas' first black federal judge.
I really hate it when people exhibit the "the soft bigotry of low expectations." Pryor wants a black on the court even if there are better and more qualified whites to fill the office. It is utterly ridiculous to fill an office with a black just because the previous judge was black. Actually, I think it's a big insult to Judge George Howard Junior. That the only reason he was selected as a judge was because he was black."
Also See:NAACP Head Skeptical Of Judicial Selections: The head of the Arkansas NAACP on Friday challenged 3rd District Rep. John Boozman's commitment to diversity in the judiciary after the congressman announced six candidates for a vacant federal judge position. Boozman, R-Rogers, forwarded the names of three whites and three blacks to President Bush, who will select one person from that list to replace the late U.S. District Judge George Howard, who was black. Dale Charles, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's state conference said he thought only blacks should have been on the list. . . . Boozman said he looked for the best candidates for the job, regardless of race. [What a reversal, NAACP President want to discriminate to have alleged diversity and to have only black candidates submitted while Congressman Boozman looked for the best regardless of color. 79.4 % of this judicial district is NOT black and predominantly white while 20.6 % is black. Boozman submitted three black nominees (50% of the nominations) and the NAACP objects. Anyone else see a problem with this pandering by the NCAA verses their seeking the best for its constituents by having the best qualified - regardless of race - serving on the federal bench? What if that person is Asian or Hispanic let alone Caucasian, does the NAACP wish to discriminate?] Tags:discrimination, federal judges, John Boozman, Mark Pryor, NAACP, racial quotas, Senator
Gov. Romney: Clinton Couldn't Even Get Elected In France
Gov. Romney: Clinton Couldn't Even Get Elected In France
Gov. Romney: We Cannot Take A Sharp Left Turn
Tags:Barack Obama, France, Hillary Clinton, increased taxes, Iowa, military defense, Mitt Romney, national security, republican candidatesTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
The latest Rasmussen Reports survey finds New York Senator Hillary Clinton (D) tied with former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson (R) in an Election 2008 match-up. Both candidates attract support from 45% of voters. Given a Clinton-Thompson match-up, 5% of voters say they’d pull the lever for some other candidate and 4% are not sure. The survey also found Clinton holding a four-point advantage over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (R), 46% to 42%. . . Compared to our previous survey of these matchups, conducted early in June, Clinton has lost a net five points against both Thompson and Romney. In May, Clinton led both of these GOP hopefuls by three points. [Read More] And Fred Thompson hasn't even officially declared! Tags:Election 2008, Fred Thompson, Hillary Clinton, presidential candidate, Rasmussen ReportsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Tony Perkins, FRC: Terrorism has visited us in so many unexpectedly horrible ways in recent decades that it's hard to imagine it has anything new in its repertoire. Then come the recent attacks in London and Glasgow to dispel that thought. British authorities have now arrested what a reporter has described as a "multinational circle of medical workers," all men, all Muslim, a number of them doctors in Britain's National Health Service. In a column in today's New York Sun, FRC Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment Ken Blackwell writes about a central fact of Britain's health system that foster these terrorists' entree to the country and ability to avoid suspicion. "Foreign doctors," he writes, "are given top priority and almost immediate entrance into Great Britain. In fact," he notes, "they make up nearly 40% of all British doctors." The reason for the extent of this phenomenon is that "the provision of free medical care through a government-based system has created a patient demand that exceeds the health care supply." As the United States is tempted to move toward a system of national health care, the British situation offers another example of the law of unintended consequences. As Ken argues persuasively, America will do better with alternatives that emphasize family ownership, competition among service providers, and conscience protections - with enhanced national security as a by-product. See also: Ken Blackwell: Vulnerable Here Tags:foreign doctors, FRC, Great Britian, terrorism, terrorist, Tony PerkinsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
ARRA Editor:Maybe you received an email from an "unnamed Washington DC GOP group" stating: "WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Dear Friend: As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, I want to invite you to share with us why you are Proud to be an American! ..."
They wanted you to email your comments. They also hoped you would even share this email with others. But did you understand that once you responded, you confirmed your email address which could be added to their fund raising file. You are now a potential donor -- expect more email. Many of us supported these types of Washington DC orgs until we learned that these groups sent ZERO dollars from the donations received prior to last general election to any of our Congressional candidates or to support the State GOP efforts. Many decided from that day on to to directly support our own congressional candidate and to donate to political groups with the State. Recommend, giving your political contributions to LOCAL Republican Political Action Committees in your State and directly to the candidates you support. Keep your hard earned money out of the DC "SINK tanks."
Let's do something similar to their request but with no email address required. There are thousands of reasons why we as Americans can be proud. Please take a moment now that you celebrated July 4th to think about what exactly makes you proud to be an American, and then post your comment below -- just free speech and sharing!!Tags:4th of July, 2007, campaign funds, Proud AmericanTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Huckabee's Legacy to Arkansas: Over a $1 Billion State Surplus
Dr. Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: Six months after former Arkansas Governor Huckabee left office, the financial figure are now reported. His legacy to the state, financial Independence with a revenue surplus exceeding $1 Billion. No debt! Arkansas is no longer the "poor step child." Let's see if the current administration can avoid reversing the trend. The legislature met and planned expenditures based on a projected revenue surplus. Even with approved tax cuts and larger than normal projected expenditures from the surplus and of course barring unforeseen emergency expenditures, Arkansas begins the new two-year budget cycle $112 million in the black.
Jason Wiest of the Arkansas News Bureau reported today that Arkansas' revenue surplus swelled past $1 billion by the June 30 end of the state fiscal year, the state finance office reported Tuesday. Another month of growth in June pushed the surplus $95.9 million higher than the May 2 revised forecast of $919 million, the state Department of Finance and Administration reported. Forecasters originally projected surplus of $843 million surplus for the 2007 fiscal year that ended Saturday. . . . During this year's legislative session, lawmakers made appropriations in excess of the fore casted surplus, planning on interest earnings from treasury balances, half of which go into the General Improvement Fund, to make up the difference, DF&A Director Richard Weiss said Tuesday.But the higher-than-expected surplus will leave those interest earnings untouched, with $26.9 million in surplus money to spare, Weiss said.Barring unforeseen emergency expenditures, the state begins the new two-year budget cycle roughly $112 million in the black, counting the unallocated funds and interest earnings, the state's chief fiscal officer said. . . . [Read More] Tags:Arkansas, GOP, Mike Huckabee, presidential candidate, surplus
FoxNews: Beginning in January, employers in Arizona could face having their business licenses suspended or revoked if they get caught hiring illegal immigrants. Arizona's new Republican Gov. Janet Napolitano signed the new law Monday which created the state crime of hiring illegal immigrants and requires all businesses to verify the employment eligibility of workers through a federal database. It's intended to remove the economic incentive for immigrants to sneak across the border and help lessen Arizona's role as the busiest illegal gateway into the nation. . . . [Read More] Tags:Arizona, crime, hiring illegals, illegal aliens, illegal immigrants, immigration reform, Janet NapolitanoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
GOP Congressman Asks President to Pardon Border Patrol Agents
By Melanie Hunter: With the commutation of former vice presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's sentence, a Republican congressman is again calling on President Bush to pardon two border patrol agents convicted of shooting a Mexican drug smuggler. Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) said in a letter to the president Tuesday that he is "deeply disappointed that U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean remain unjustly incarcerated for wounding a Mexican drug smuggler who brought 743 pounds of marijuana across our border. . . .
"While you have spared Mr. Libby from serving even one day of his 'excessive' 30-month prison term, agents Ramos and Compean have already served 167 days of their 11 and 12-year prison sentences. By attempting to apprehend an illegal alien drug smuggler, these agents were enforcing our laws, not breaking them. Listen to the American people and members of Congress who have called upon you to pardon these agents.
"By granting immunity and free health care to an illegal alien drug trafficker and allowing our law enforcement officers to languish in prison -- our government has told its citizens, and the world, that it does not care about protecting our borders or enforcing our laws. I urge you to correct a true injustice by immediately pardoning these two law enforcement officers." [Read More] Tags:border guards, Ignacio Ramos, Jose Compean, pardonTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Tony Perkins: Since my childhood, the Fourth of July has been one of my favorite holidays. There are parades, family picnics, cookouts, and homemade ice cream. It's a time for softball games, fireworks, and patriotic songs. It's a time to celebrate freedom; it's a day to once again proclaim our liberty. This year, it has greater poignancy. For there are those who, in the course of their duty to our nation, have willingly paid the ultimate price to preserve our liberty. Too often we neglect liberty and take freedom for granted, thinking both are synonymous with America. It is important that we understand that America did not create the blessing of freedom and liberty--freedom and liberty created America. There is a basis for that liberty and it is reflected in the words of many of our nation's founders and subsequent leaders. As Thomas Jefferson said, "Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?" This Fourth of July weekend, take a moment in the midst of your celebration to reflect on how God has blessed this nation, how the founders pursued that blessing, and how we have been entrusted with the responsibility to maintain it and pass it on to the next generation.Tags:4th of July, 2007, FRC, Tony PerkinsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Frank R Kay, Commander, Alley-White American Legion Post 52 : During the recent Red, White & Blue Parade, the American Legion Color Guard counted ONLY a half dozen people, out of the thousands who viewed the parade, who stood and saluted or otherwise showed respect to our flag. This is becoming more and more common and is unacceptable. On this 4th of July, please teach your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to respect the flag when it passes, or the national anthem when it's played. For all those who ask, "do I have to do this for evey flag that passes in a parade?"... the answer, yes, if you truely honor the flag, but at least stand up, take your hat off and place your hand over your heart for the color guard leading the parade. The American flag with the gold fringe around the edges are the 'colors' of our Great Nation and demand our respect.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!
We must never forget who gets the credit for the freedoms we Americans have, of which we should be eternally grateful. After God Almighty who leads us, it is the Veterans who served and sacrificed in the flesh. Be they past and present, dead or alive, of any race, creed, sex, religion or social standing, it is the veteran who purchased for today the freedoms we enjoy.
I watched the flag pass by one day, It fluttered in the breeze. A young Marine saluted it, And then he stood at ease.
- - - - - - - - - - I looked at him in uniform So young, so tall, so proud, With hair cut square and eyes alert He'd stand out in any crowd.
- - - - - - - - - - I thought how many men like him Had fallen through the years. How many died on foreign soil How many mothers' tears?
- - - - - - - - - - How many pilots' planes shot down? How many died at sea How many foxholes were soldiers' graves? No, freedom isn't free.
- - - - - - - - - - I heard the sound of Taps one night, When everything was still, I listened to the bugler play And felt a sudden chill.
- - - - - - - - - - I wondered just how many times That Taps had meant "Amen," When a flag had draped a coffin. Of a brother or a friend.
- - - - - - - - - - I thought of all the children, Of the mothers and the wives, Of fathers, sons and husbands With interrupted lives.
- - - - - - - - - - I thought about a graveyardAt the bottom of the sea Of unmarked graves in Arlington. No, freedom isn't free. (Author~ Unknown) Enjoy Your 4th of July, Your Freedoms & God Bless the USA & Our Troops!
Tags:4th of July, 2007, American Legion, Frank Kaye, Freedom, Pledge of Allegiance, veteransTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Huckabee says health, not health care, problem in U.S.Cedar Rapids - It's not a health care crisis that worries Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, but America's health crisis... Romney: Nation's immigration system 'a mess'Jefferson - Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on Monday gave a succinct description of the nation's immigration system... Straw poll pullout could have long-term effectsDes Moines - The withdrawal of two top Republican presidential hopefuls from the GOP straw poll in August could send ripples... Tancredo blasts Giuliani, Brownback Ames - Republican presidential hopeful Tom Tancredo criticized two of his GOP rivals on their commitment to combat illegal... Tags:Arkansas Republican Caucus, GOP, healthcare, Iowa, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, presidential candidate, Republican, Tom TancredoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
NPR Report: Wealthy homosexual donors swaying local, state elections
by Jim Brown, OneNewsNow: Peter LaBarbera says what he calls "big gay money" is becoming a huge force in state and local politics in America. The pro-family activist is urging grassroots conservatives to counter those contributions that are being used to finance the campaigns of candidates who favor same-sex "marriage." Former Washington Times reporter Peter LaBarbera says many grassroots Americans are unaware that pro-family lawmakers who support state marriage amendments are being targeted by wealthy homosexual donors. National Public Radio (NPR) reports that last year, wealthy homosexual activists "funneled millions of dollars into dozens of carefully selected campaigns." One of those donors was Denver software mogul Tim Gill, who according to NPR, targeted 70 state-level races in more than a dozen states. That report says Gill's staff confirmed his launching of an "under-the-radar political giving campaign." It also names another major contributor - philanthropist and Michigan billionaire Jon Stryker -- who was "inspired" by Gill's efforts. Their goals, says NPR, was "to elect gay-friendly governors and state lawmakers." . . . [Read More] Tags:elections, homosexual activism, homosexuality, NPR, Peter LaBarberaTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Media Research Center: This coming Saturday, July 7, NBC Universal will devote a record 75 hours of coverage to Al Gore's "Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis," to raise awareness about the alleged global warming "crisis" as defined by Gore. The coverage will air on seven NBC Universal-owned programs, and Today news anchor Ann Curry will host coverage during NBC's primetime. The 75 hours of coverage constitutes unprecedented promotion of one side of a political issue, and the largest in-kind contribution to Al Gore should he decide to run for President in 2008. . . .MRC President Brent Bozell related, “This isn’t just a big wet kiss to Al Gore and his left-wing agenda, it’s a shameless acknowledgement of NBC’s bias. Live Earth is nothing more than a photo opportunity, but this concert’s ‘historic’ status is wholly exaggerated by all the hours and hours of free publicity. “They might as well re-name it Gorestock 2007. It’s tough to deny what comes from the horse’s mouth. NBC is a self-proclaimed liberal cheerleader.” [Read More]See also: Alarmist global warming claims melt under scientific scrutiny; "Scepticism" over climate claims& Al Gore's Son Arrested on Drug Suspicion (TexasFred) Tags:Al Gore, global warming, NBCTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
ARRA Comment: This post offers insights from a alleged former radical Islamist. His words parallel those by a few blame Americans who are Muslim that are risking being shunned or even worse for speaking out concerning incorrect teachings. It it is easy to hate your enemy, maybe that is why Jesus commanded his followers to "love our enemy and pray for those who persecute us." By Hassan Butt, Daily Mail (Britain): When I was still a member of what is probably best termed the British Jihadi Network - a series of British Muslim terrorist groups linked by a single ideology - I remember how we used to laugh in celebration whenever people on TV proclaimed that the sole cause for Islamic acts of terror like 9/11, the Madrid bombings and 7/7 was Western foreign policy. By blaming the Government for our actions, those who pushed this "Blair's bombs" line did our propaganda work for us. More important, they also helped to draw away any critical examination from the real engine of our violence: Islamic theology. . . .
And though many British extremists are angered by the deaths of fellow Muslim across the world, what drove me and many others to plot acts of extreme terror within Britain and abroad was a sense that we were fighting for the creation of a revolutionary worldwide Islamic state that would dispense Islamic justice. If we were interested in justice, you may ask, how did this continuing violence come to be the means of promoting such a (flawed) Utopian goal? How do Islamic radicals justify such terror in the name of their religion? There isn't enough room to outline everything here, but the foundation of extremist reasoning rests upon a model of the world in which you are either a believer or an infidel.
. . . For centuries, the reasoning of Islamic jurists has set down rules of interaction between Dar ul-Islam (the Land of Islam) and Dar ul-Kufr (the Land of Unbelief) to cover almost every matter of trade, peace and war. . . . Along with many of my former peers, I was taught by Pakistani and British radical preachers that this reclassification of the globe as a Land of War (Dar ul-Harb) allows any Muslim to destroy the sanctity of the five rights that every human is granted under Islam: life, wealth, land, mind and belief. In Dar ul-Harb, anything goes, including the treachery and cowardice of attacking civilians . . . [Read More] Tags:Islamist, terrorism, background, radical IslamistTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
U.S. House votes for pay raise -- Arkansas House Delegation votes against the pay raise
By Tony Batt: Despite polls showing an approval rating of about 25 % for Congress, members of the House last week voted to give themselves a pay raise of about $4,400 for next year. This would increase the current annual salary of a lawmaker from $165,200 to almost $170,000. . . . Advocates of the raise said it helps retain experienced lawmakers. Without the pay raise, they said Congress might become an exclusive club for the rich. . . . Reps. Marion Berry, D-Gillett; John Boozman, R-Rogers; Mike Ross, D-Prescott; and Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock, voted against the automatic pay raise. . . . [Read More] Tags:congressional pay raises, Arkansas, Arkansas delegation votes no, increased taxes, US HouseTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by JohnAnderson, The Baxter Bulletin: Taxes don't come down as often as they go up, so customers couldn't help but smile when they talked about the three-percentage-point reduction in Arkansas' sales tax on groceries that took effect Sunday. "I guess, to a certain extent, any savings is a good thing," Stephanie Morris of Mountain Home said as she finished shopping . . . But with prices creeping up for some groceries, confounding laws on how the tax reduction is applied and a high level of skepticism on government, they'll have to be forgiven for not dancing. "It should be good," Mountain Home area resident Bob Recktenwald said, "if the grocery stores don't mark up their profits." State legislators this year responded to Gov. Mike Beebe's proposal to gradually phase out the sales tax on groceries by passing a bill that halves the state's portion of the grocery tax. Any further reductions would require another act of the legislature and are unlikely before it meets again in 2009. "It's not going to mean that much until they do away with the whole thing. Then you'll see some real savings," Recktenwald said.
. . . Beebe said last week that he still wants to push next year for a further reduction in the tax and wants to eventually eliminate it, except for a 1/8-cent sales tax for conservation that was approved by voters in 1996. He said the timing was right for the tax relief, due to the state's financial health. Arkansas in the 2006-07 fiscal year was on target to have a surplus approaching $1 billion.[Read More] ARRA Comment: again the surplus was close to $1 Billion. Remember, Gov. Beebe was forced during his campaign to acknowledge the need to reduce food tax because of the campaign plank of Asa Hutchinson and the embarrassment over the excessive surplus. However, once taking office the legislators bought his position to "phase out" the food tax. The operative missing word now for the future is "maybe." Beebe and the Democrat state leadership wants to spend and obligate the surplus; they do not want to return it to the people - or it would be done. They are going to drag out the time another two years and then "maybe" they will phase it out. It is time to end the tax on groceries! Tags:Arkansas, food tax, sales tax
If Thompson campaign flops, Gingrich will consider jumping in race
By Robert Novak: Newt Gingrich is telling Republican insiders that his decision in September on whether to run for president in 2008 depends on the progress of Fred Thompson's imminent candidacy. If Thompson runs a vigorous and effective campaign, Gingrich says privately, he probably will not get in the race. If Thompson proves a dud, however, the former House speaker will seriously consider making a run. That implies that the others in the field look to Gingrich like losers in the general election. A footnote: Gingrich has weighed in more heavily on the immigration issue than any of the major Republican presidential hopefuls. He has bombarded Republican Senate offices with material attacking the immigration bill backed by President Bush, even sending proposed talking points to senators about to meet with the president . . . [Read More] See also:Newt Gingrich May Join Presidential Campaign in August and Ever the Speaker Tags:Election 2008, Fred Thompson, GOP, Newt Gingrich, presidential candidate, Republican, Robert NovakTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Dr. Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: Most of us back home are unaware of the "not so" niceties of Capitol Hill intrigue. Thankfully, we have been advised about major topics by lobbying, watchdog groups and the press. However, even Washington insiders seek good news sources. "Roll Call" watches and reports what is going on the "Hill." It is free to congressmen and their staffers but will cost us $435 a year, a lot to "earmark" in an average family budget.
A D.C. insider sent me an article from last week's Roll Call written by Paul Singer titled "Mollohan Earmarks Nearby Land." The word "earmark" peeked my interest and provided more insight in to the "Earmark Game" played by in the U.S. House. To summarize, Singer reports:
A $1 million earmark request by Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV) would allow the Interior Department to expand a wilderness area neighboring properties the Congressman owns. Mollohan’s request for the project — contained in the Interior-environment appropriations bill passed by the House on Wednesday — was dated six days after the Dominion Post newspaper of Morgantown, W.Va., reported that the Justice Department had issued a subpoena for a witness to testify before a grand jury about Mollohan’s finances. Critics have accused Mollohan of steering earmarks to friends, business partners and contributors.
A Mollohan spokesman flatly rejected the notion that there was anything wrong with the earmark, and pointed out that conservation groups and the federal government have deemed the wilderness area a high priority project. Mollohan himself said any allegation that he is profiting from the earmark is “far-fetched to the point of absurdity. . .”
Sipping the varied viewpoints as to whether Mollohan's earmark was "good or bad," let's note the insights to the "earmark game" provided in the close of Singer's article:
The Appropriations Committee did not review each earmark request for possible ethics concerns, requiring only that the paperwork and disclosure forms be in order before the earmark was added to the bill. However, the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct ruled in May that an earmark requested by another congressman Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) for a transit station near several commercial properties he owns did not amount to a financial conflict because Calvert was not the sole beneficiary of the project and the increase in his property value was speculative. In its letter to Calvert, the committee said when determining the impact of an earmark on a Member’s real estate holding, the factors to consider include whether the real estate “would be affected uniquely or as part of a class.”
Earmark critics argued this precedent would allow Members of Congress to pursue almost any earmark, as long as it benefited other people as well as themselves.
Read More (Subscribe to Roll Call needed). Hey, maybe a congressman would insert an earmark to fund Roll Call subscriptions for average wage earning citizens next to an earmark in a Veterans Appropriation bill like past ones for construction projects that have noting to do with the VA. or veterans. Hum ... Tags:Bill Smith, earmarks, Paul Singer, Roll Call, US HouseTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Tony Perkins, FRC: Title V abstinence funding will live to see another day--95, to be exact. Last night, the Senate agreed to at least a three-month extension of the federal matching funds for state abstinence education programs. Despite the liberals' ambush on abstinence, leaders from both parties, including Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Max Baucus (D-MT), worked together to ensure that the entitlement would not expire. As we applaud our friends on the Hill for acting quickly to salvage the funds, let's remember that the battle for Title V is far from over. Although the decision has given pro-family activists a brief reprieve, it postpones what is certain to be a bitter debate for full reauthorization at the end of this fiscal year. No doubt proponents of comprehensive sex ed are salivating at the chance to eliminate the competition in September. This may be summer, but we cannot afford to take a vacation from contacting Congress. Join us in turning up the heat in support of Title V. See also:Democrats Aim To Kill Abstinence-Only Program FundingTags:abstinence education, FRC, Tony PerkinsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
What ever happened to liberals' support of free speech?
"A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people." -- JohnF. Kennedy by Gary Bauer: What ever happened to liberals' support of free speech? First, it was "lobbying reform" that targeted grassroots communications. Then it was "hate crimes" legislation that tries to figure out what we are thinking. More recently, it's "card check," payback to the big labor unions that would take away the right of employees to secret ballot elections on unionizing the workplace. Worst of all, however, have been the recent calls by liberal congressmen to re-instate the Fairness Doctrine, the ironically misnamed government regulation requiring broadcasters to present competing sides of controversial issues . . . [Read More] Tags:fairness doctrine, free speech, Gary Bauer
Fred Thompson Viewed as Most Conservative GOP Candidate
Scott Rasmussen, Rasmussen Reports: Among the major candidates seeking the GOP Presidential nomination, former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson is viewed as politically conservative by more voters than anybody else. That’s true among all voters and also among Republican voters. It’s a key factor in why Thompson is currently doing so well in the race for the Republican Presidential nomination. Thompson and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee are the only candidates seen as more conservative in this survey than before. Seen as politcally conservative by Republicans:
Thompson 49% (up from 42% a month ago)
Romney 40% (little changed from 39% a month ago)
McCain 31% (down from 41% a month ago)
Huckabee 29% (39% don’t know enough for an opinion)
Giuliani 20% (64% as a moderate; 9% as a liberal) [Read More] Tags:conservative, Fred Thompson, GOP, presidential candidate, Rasmussen Reports, RepublicanTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Brownback: Voted for it (Amnesty) before he voted against it
Dr. Bill Smith, ARRA Editor's Opinion: Generally,CNN reporting is not favorably aligned with our beliefs; but even they note hypocrisy. Although disappointed that Brownback (R-KS), who has been strongly pro-life, did not support a majority of Americans concerning the Senate's proposed inept comprehensive immigration "amnesty" plan, I am very disappointed that Brownback evidenced a double mindedness. Strike one - he supported the same type amnesty program last year, Strike two - he voted for cloture on Tuesday. Strike three - 2 days later, he voted for it before voting against it. My call - he's OUT and should stop waisting our time running the bases for the Republican nomination! He's not scoring. I'm disappointed that Brownback fell short but fortunately, Republicans have other stronger candidates who support family values, protecting our borders and the rule of law and who can represent conservative voters.
Alexander Mooney, CNN Political Ticker: (CNN) - Today’s vote on the Senate immigration bill was a tough one for Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback. The GOP presidential hopeful, who has supported the bill until now, voted yes for cloture on the measure before switching his vote fifteen minutes later to no. A vote for cloture is an indication of support for the measure. Since the bill fell 14 votes shy of the 60 required for cloture, many in Congress have pronounced the bill dead. Many conservatives - and likely GOP primary voters - have expressed ardent disapproval for the bill, claiming it amounts to amnesty. Sen. John McCain, the other GOP senator running for president and a chief sponsor of the measure, voted for cloture on the bill. Brownback’s campaign later released a statement from the Kansas Republican on his vote against cloture. “I voted against the Senate immigration bill because I am not convinced it would fix our broken immigration system and it would most likely repeat the mistakes of the 1986 reform.” [Read Source]Tags:amnesty, GOP, illegal aliens, immigration reform, presidential candidate, Republican, Sam BrownbackTo 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.
