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)
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
House Passes ENDA - An “Anti-discrimination” bill that's discriminatory to religion
Update:Roll Call Voteavailable for all US Reprentatives on ENDA. As for Arkansas, John Boozman (R), Marion Berry (D) and Mike Ross (D) vote NO. However, Vic Snyder (D) voted for the bill. Vic Snyder remains out of touch with main stream Arkansans. The “Employment Non-Discrimination Act,” H.R.3685, offered by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), passed the House, 235-184. U.S. Rep John Boozman (R-AR) today voted to protect the religious freedoms of Americans by voting against legislation which will open up expressions of religious belief in the workplace to legal attack. “This legislation does not grant equal protection. Rather, it grants special protections to one group of people at the expense of the religious freedoms of others,” Boozman said. “This bill will put the beliefs, and the right to believe, of millions of Americans in the hands of judges who can read what they want into the law and hand down a ruling. This is a cleverly named anti-discrimination bill which actually discriminates against religion.”
A Republican Motion to Recommit was offered which stated that nothing in the proposed legislation “may be construed to modify, limit, restrict, or in any way overturn any State or Federal definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, including the use of this Act as a legal predicate in litigation on the issue of marriage.” The motion failed on a mainly party-line vote, with few members crossing the aisle. Boozman voted for this motion to protect marriage and said, “With the activism we’ve seen by some judges across the nation, it is important that this language should have been included in this bill, By adding specific language which protects the institution of marriage, we take out any ambiguity that could have been used to attack it and give activist judges an opening to rule on what they believe, as opposed to what is the law.” Tags:Arkansas, Barney Frank, discrimination, Employment Non-Discrimination Act, ENDA, John Boozman, religous freedom, US HouseTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Arkansas GOP chairman says Huckabee endorsement personal
by John Lyon, Arkansas News Bureau: State Republican Party chairman Dennis Milligan said Tuesday his endorsement of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee for president does not constitute an endorsement by the state GOP. Huckabee's campaign named his "Arkansas GOP leadership team," a list of 45 prominent Republicans in the state who support Huckabee's bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Milligan's name appears near the top of the list. "That's a personal endorsement*, if you will, and in no way reflects the party's view with respect to him or any other candidate," Milligan said in an interview with the Arkansas News Bureau. The state party has not endorsed any presidential candidate, Milligan said. . . .
Others on Huckabee's list of supporters include U.S. Rep. John Boozman; former U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins; former congressman and Dept of Homeland Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson; former U.S. Reps. John Paul Hammerschmidt and Jay Dickey; former U.S. Sen. Tim Hutchinson; and former Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Betty Dickey. Twelve of the 33 Republicans currently serving in the state Legislature are on the list, though conspicuously absent are most GOP legislators from Northwest Arkansas, traditionally a Republican stronghold. . . . [Read More] * State Party Rule - Article I, Section 5.A.1 reads as follows: "Except for support of candidates in a presidential primary, the State Chairman, National Committeeman, National Committeewoman, County Chairmen, County Election Commissioners, County Committees and State Party employees shall not endorse or otherwise publicly show favoritism to one Republican candidate over another prior to the Republican nominee being selected." The State Chairman, or any of the above, may endorse a candidate in a presidential primary. This is the only exception permitted. However, ARRA could not locate anyone who recalls the State Chairman endorsing a candidate in a presidential primary. Tags:Arkansas, Dennis Milligan, Election 2008, Mike Huckabee, presidential candidateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Liz Sidoti, AP Writer: Sam Brownback, a Kansas conservative and favorite of evangelical Christians, endorsed his former Republican presidential rival John McCain on Wednesday, calling him a friend and a hero. The nod could provide a much-needed boost, particularly in Iowa, for the Arizona senator and one-time presumed GOP front-runner whose bid faltered and who now is looking for a comeback.
Brownback announced his support for McCain in Dubuque, Iowa, and was traveling with the candidate to campaign in two other cities in the state.
"John McCain is the only candidate who can rally the Reagan coalition of conservatives, independents and conservative Democrats needed to defeat Hillary Clinton or any other Democrat in the general election next year," Brownback said in a statement. He praised McCain for spending a lifetime "standing up for human rights around the world, including a consistent 24-year pro-life record of protecting the rights of the unborn." . . . [Read More]See also:Other News Stories in Brownback Endorses McCain
Tags:Election 2008, John McCain, presidential candidates, Sam BrownbackTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Just 5-Miles Of Double-Layer Fencing Built In First Year Of Secure Fence Act
Grassroots Question GAO Report and Claims Of Progress On The Border Maxwell, IA—Grassfire.orgresearchers have discovered that just five miles of double-layer fencing have been built in the first year of implementation of the Secure Fence Act—despite the Act’s specific mandate of 854 miles of double-layer fencing. “The GAO and Department of Homeland Security are playing games with the American people,” said Steve Elliott, President of Grassfire.org.
“There is no real accountability on the border to oversee what kind of fencing is built, or independent assessment. They wrongly assumed the American people would be satisfied.” Although the government claims 70 miles of fence has been built, it’s not the double-layered fencing that was promised and funded in the Secure Fence Act of 2007. “The report claims 73 miles of fencing was erected in the past year, meeting its goal,” says Elliott. “But the GAO report didn’t indicate that the vast majority of fencing wasn’t double-layered. The truth is, the American people are being scammed.”
Though claiming success, it is clear that the DHS goals have little—if anything to do with the text of the Secure Fence Act. In addition, most of the “progress” toward meeting the DHS’s own goal of 70 miles of fencing in fiscal year 2007 apparently was met in the final 60 days of the fiscal year. The latest reports indicate that fence construction has since slowed to a standstill--giving way to speculation that most of the “progress” was simply to meet the fiscal year deadline. Tags:border fence, Grassfire.org, Ron De Jong, Steve Elliot, Where's the FenceTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Arkansas Republican Assembly Endorses Fred Thompson
Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: Delegates from across Arkansas participated in a special Arkansas Republican Assembly (ARRA) Endorsement Convention. They considered 9 Republican presidential candidates. Unlike the Republican Party of Arkansas (RPA), who may not endorse a candidate before the primary, the ARRA may endorse candidates. While all the members of the ARRA are Republicans, the ARRA is an independent caucus made up of social, moral, and fiscal Conservative Arkansans who believe in God, family, and country and who work together in County Republican Assemblies in Arkansas to strengthen and to uphold moral and traditional family values and Republican principles and ideals.
An endorsement convention can be long and tedious. For a candidate to receive an endorsement, two-thirds (66.7%) of the ARRA delegates have to cast their ballots for that candidate. If a candidate achieves this percentage, voting ceases and the candidate is considered endorsed. At this years Endorsement convention, at the completion of the initial balloting, 80 percent of the delegates voted to endorse Fred Thompson. Balloting ceased.
The ARRA is pleased to announce its endorsement of former Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee as the Republican Candidate for President. Earlier at its 10th annual state convention on Saturday, July 21, 2007 in Clarksville, Arkansas, the ARRA held a straw poll and Fred Thompson won the unofficial straw poll.
In summary, the endorsement convention delegates voted as follows: Fred Thompson 80%; Rudy Giuliani 6.67%; Ron Paul 4.44%; Mike Huckabee 4.44%; Mitt Romney 2.22%, Duncan Hunter 2.22%; John McCain, Tom Tancredo and Allan Keys 0%.
The ARRA was chartered Aug. 9, 1997 under the National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA), which has a 70 year history of success as a true grassroots organization. The NFRA is our nation's oldest and largest Republican volunteer organization. ARRA is presently chartering county chapters and serving as a gathering point for fiscal and social conservatives. Tags:Arkansas Republican Assembly, ARRA, Bill Smith, conservative, Election 2008, endorsement, Fred Thompson, NFRA, presidential candidate, RepublicanTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
At his press conference yesterday, Reid declared that prior to Thanksgiving, he would NOT be passing a “patch” to prevent 19 million taxpayers from having to pay the alternative minimum tax (AMT) next year . Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and IRS Commissioner Linda Stiff both wrote letters warning of the consequences of delaying an AMT patch which includes a delay in issuing around $75 billion in tax refunds. McClatchy reports on the problems that will be created when Congress misses the Nov. 16th deadline to pass an AMT patch.
The House is expected to vote on its version of a patch later this week, which includes offsetting tax hikes. CongressDaily reports today that some Democrats are considering removing the tax hikes in order to avoid a “130-percent tax increase.”
Democrats still have not sent a single funding bill to President Bush to sign. The Hill reports that Democrats are once again looking to debate Iraq strategy and that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi admitted that “the basis of the plan is identical to previous bills moved by the Democrat majority, such as the withdrawal plan that the House passed in July and the war supplemental that President Bush vetoed in May.” Democrats are reviving this debate completely oblivious to the positive changes occurring in Iraq.
All of this adds up to monumental mismanagement of Congress by Democrats. The Senate Republican Leadership will hold a press conference at 12:15 today to highlight all the problems Democrats have had over the past year.
On The Floor: The Senate at10:45 AM, the Senate will join the House for an address to a Joint Session of Congress by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The Senate will return at 12:15 PM and will consider the conference report on the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill (H.R. 3043), which includes the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs appropriations bill. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) will be recognized later in the day to make a point of order that the combined bill violates new rules adopted by Democrats earlier in the year which prohibit including new matters in conference reports not passed in either chamber. Senators will then vote on waiving the point of order, which takes 60 votes. Tags:AMT, Farm bill, US Congress, US House, US Senate, Washington D.C.To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Springdale, Arkansas based Tyson Foods accused of knowingly hiring illegal aliens
Hat tip to KeepArkansasLegalfor pointing to the following NW Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article by Michelle Bradford: The plaintiffs in a lawsuit accusing Tyson Foods Inc. of hiring illegal aliens to work at poultry plants are focusing on the meat producer’s relationship with the League of Latin American Citizens. The class-action suit in U. S. District Court in Eastern Tennessee claims Springdale-based Tyson Foods knowingly hired illegal aliens to work for wages below what American workers would take. It was filed in April 2002 on behalf of former Tyson workers in several states, not including Arkansas. Trial is set for March 3. (2007 - Wow 5 years to start the trial!) The plaintiffs in Trollinger v. Tyson are chicken plant workers who said they were harmed by a scheme by Tyson’s top management to depress wages, court documents state. “We believe Tyson has used its relationship with LULAC to help carry out a ‘willful blindness’ policy of hiring illegal workers,” said the plaintiffs ’ attorney, Howard W. Foster of Chicago. “Tyson is very close with LULAC, especially in Springdale, and we’re alleging that the groups have agreed not to investigate workers who are suspected illegal aliens.” . . . [Read More]Tags:Arkansas, employing illegals, illegal aliens, LULAC, Springdale, Tennessee, Tyson FoodsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
At Risk: Military Reservist & Veteran Small Business Reauthorization & Opportunity Act
Steve Robertson, Director. National Legislative Comm., American Legion: S 1784, the Military Reservist and Veteran Small Business Reauthorization and Opportunity Act of 2007, is facing the threat of being dropped from HR 1585, the Defense Authorization Bill. S 1784 makes vast improvements to the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Military Reservist Economic Disaster Loan (MREIDL) program. The MREIDL program provides funding to businesses to meet necessary expenses that they could have made, if not for the deployment of a reservist who is one of their essential employees.
Reasons to Support S 1784
S 1784 establishes a pre-application process so businesses can be prepared, in advance, to apply for an MREIDL and includes a provision allowing businesses up to 1 year, as opposed to 90 days, to apply.
The measure includes a National Reservist Enterprise Transition and Sustainability Provision, which allows the SBA to award grants to entities that assist businesses with preparing and implementing a business strategy to cover the period of time that the owner is called-up on active duty through 6 months after that owner's date of return.
The provisions of S 1784 would also allow small businesses owned and operated by veterans to extend their SBA program participation time limitations by the duration of their owner's deployment.
These veteran small business provisions are critical to the livelihoods of our veteran small business owners.The American Legion strongly endorses the provisions as presented in S 1784 to be included in HR 1585. Please call the House Armed Services Committee Members and Conferees that are listed below to express our support for S 1784.
Capitol Switchboard: 1-877-851-6437, 1-800-828-0498, or 1-800-614-2803. Ask for the office you would like to speak to. You can also request that one office transfer you to the next office. Most staff members are glad to help. Tags:American Legion, military reservist, small business, Steve Robertson, veteransTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
It's Official: Romney is the Social Conservative Alternative
by Matt Lewis on Townhall: Gary Marx, Mitt Romney's social conservative outreach director is smiling somewhere.... A day after Fred Thompson said he would not support the pro-Life plank in the Republican platform, David Brody reportsconservative leader Paul Weyrich has endorsed Mitt Romney.
To me, this endorsement is very significant for two reasons: 1. Weyrich's endorsement implies conservative leaders have finally given up hope of finding the perfect candidate, and have settled for Romney as the better alternative to Giuliani and Thompson. 2. Weyrich is a highly-respected conservative movement leader, and my guess is his endorsement will create a sort of domino effect. ... Could conservative heavy-weights like Richard Viguerie, Morton Blackwell, and Phyllis Schlafly be far behind?
Like him or not, Mitt Romney deserves kudos for pulling this endorsement off. Who would have predicted, a few years ago, that the then-pro-Choice Mormon from Massachusetts would get the endorsement of conservatives ranging from Bob Jones III to Paul Weyrich? Clearly this is a well-run campaign that has also benefitted from a weak conservative field ... See also:Paul Weyrich Talks About Why He Endorsed Romney Tags:Bob Jones III, endorsement, Mitt Romney, Paul Weyrich, TownhallTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Tony Perkins, FRC Washington Update: For the second time in six years, the Alaska Supreme Court has thrown out a state law that requires a minor girl seeking an abortion to obtain parental or judicial consent. In the 3-2 ruling, which pro-life Governor Sarah Palin (R) called "outrageous," the court decided that forcing young girls to get a parent's permission before receiving an abortion "infringes on the child's rights to reproductive freedom." These so-called "rights," which are not enshrined in the Constitution but in the feminist ideology trumpeted by powerful abortion groups, have somehow seeped into the judicial mindset at the expense of explicit constitutional guarantees like the "right to life." Although Chief Justice Dana Fabe did concede that a parental notification law "would probably be all right," her statement did little to appease Alaskan parents who rightly believe that decisions affecting their daughters' health should rest solely on them. Unfortunately, moms and dads in Florida can empathize. Their 4th District Court of Appeals ruled that a 17-year-old girl can go ahead with her abortion, despite a previous denial by a circuit court judge. The teenager testified that she's afraid of telling her parents about her pregnancy because of their standing in the local church. Although she "wouldn't have sought an abortion," she started thinking about it after her fiance's parents suggested it. The appeals court overturned the initial ruling on the grounds that her decision to seek an adult's advice showed signs of maturity. I would argue that true maturity is taking responsibility for your actions. Regardless, it should serve as an important reminder to parents who are hesitant to talk to their children about abstinence. Studies have proven that parents are the "most influential" factor in their children's sexual decision making. When it comes to honest communication about saving sex until marriage, there's no such thing as "enough said." See also:Alaska High Court Throws Out Parental-Consent Abortion LawTags:abortion, Alaska, minors, parent rights, Tony PerkinsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Ron Paul Campaign Makes History - Raises $4.3 million online in a day
by Kerri Price, Ron Paul 2008: ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA—Yesterday (Nov. 5th) , Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul beat all online primary fundraising records. In 24 hours, the Ron Paul campaign brought in over $4.3 million in online contributions, making it the largest single-day online primary fundraising effort by a presidential candidate in United States election history. Approximately 38,000 Americans made online donations. This effort surpassed John Kerry’s record $2.7 million online fundraising efforts two days after the 2004 Super Tuesday primaries, and Republican John McCain’s $1 million online following the New Hampshire primaries in 2000. Tags:campaign funds, Election 2008, fund raiser, presidential candidate, Ron Paul
From Senate sources: The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey to be attorney general today. Democrat Senators Chuck Schumer and Dianne Feinstein have said they will support Mukasey which has essentially ensured his approval by the committee. Sadly, other Judiciary Committee Democrat are expected to vote against Mukasey.
The Senate began work on the $283 billion farm bill (H.R. 2419) yesterday and it quickly became the latest show case for Democrat mismanagement of Congress. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that he would "fill the amendment tree" on the bill, which will allow him to prohibit any amendment he doesn't approve of. For the first time since 1933, the farm bill includes a tax increase. The bill is likely to be the last amendable tax vehicle this year, as floor time is at a premium. Reid's move could block attempts to extend tax cuts or prevent tax increases.
Meanwhile, Democrats are still in complete disarray over how to fund the troops. Some Democrats have proposed including bridge funding for troops in Iraq in the next continuing resolution, while others, such as House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) are still demanding withdrawal goals or requirements be attached to supplemental war funding.
On The Floor: Senate will resume consideration of the farm bill (H.R.2419). Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) has a substitute amendment (#3500) that will be the basis for debate.
CQ's Senate Watch reports on the farm bill: "Lawmakers from urban areas may offer amendments to cut some farm programs and divert the savings into programs like food stamps. And members from states where environmentalism is paramount may try to shift cash to the conservation title of the farm bill. "Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, and Byron L. Dorgan, D-N.D., have said they would offer an amendment that would cap overall farm payments at$250,000 per year for a two person farming household. Another proposal, by Sens. Richard G. Lugar, R-Ind, and Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J., would phase out most crop subsidies in favor of a stronger crop insurance program."
Congress Daily reports that a new continuing resolution to fund the government through December 14th is being prepared, though some agencies are preparing to wait until as late as February 15th for Congress to pass fiscal 2008 funding bills. Roll Call has termed the Democrats' approach to funding the government this year an "appropriations train wreck."
In the House: The House is expected to take up the conference report on the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill (H.R. 3043) which has had the Military Construction-VA appropriations bill (H.R. 2642) tacked on to it. Republican Senators have called fora stand-alone VA funding bill to be sent to the president, who has threatened to veto the combined bill. The conference report could arrive in the Senate later this week.
However, thanks to new rules Democrats passed earlier this year prohibiting new spending from being added in conference committees without approval of the House and Senate, the combined spending bill might be split by a Republican point of order against it. The addition of the VA spending bill to the Labor-HHS bill appears to violate the rule against adding new spending in conference. Tags:Farm bill, labor-HHS bill, Michael Mukasey, US Congress, US House, US Senate, VA, Washington D.C.To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Breaking News Update: NumbersUSA - AgJOBS AMNESTY AMENDMENT WILL NOT BE OFFERED TO FARM BILL Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has agreed not to offer her revised AgJOBS amendment to the Farm Bill Extension Act of 2007 as she had originally intended. As a reminder, this is the AgJOBS amnesty to reward an estimated 1.5 million illegal aliens with amnesty (plus their spouses and children which could push the total to three million or more). She is quoted on today's Congress Daily as saying: "A broad bipartisan coalition of members believe AgJobs is a necessary solution to the crisis being faced by the agricultural industry," Feinstein said. "But in this session, unfortunately, you need more than broad support -- you need the right time and opportunity to line up as well." "So when we took a clear-eyed assessment of the politics of the farm bill and the defeat of the DREAM Act (which would have allowed college-bound illegal immigrants to earn green cards) and comprehensive immigration reform, it became clear that our support could not sustain these competing forces, . . ." Unfortunately, we are not out of the woods. Capitol sources say that Sen. Feinstein may have worked a deal in which she will be able to bring up the AgJOBS amnesty as a stand-alone bill in exchange for not offering the amendment to the Farm Bill. We will keep you updated to any potential threat.
NumbersUSA Alert: Another disastrous amnesty! Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) may offer her revised AgJOBS amendment to the Farm Bill Extension Act of 2007 as early as this Week. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) is apparently trying to convince his GOP Senate colleagues that the AgJOBS amnesty has been changed enough to make it palatable to Republican Senators. By and large, however, this is the same AgJOBS amnesty proposed last year, which, if enacted, would reward an estimated 1.5 million illegal aliens with amnesty (plus their spouses and children which could push the total to three million or more). This measure also would provide amnesty for employers who broke the law by hiring illegal aliens.
WHY AG JOBS IS UNNECESSARY:
POINT #1: We don't have an epidemic of crops "rotting on the vine." A few anecdotes are often allowed by the media to create a totally false picture of the overall situation. We've heard these scare tactics from the pro-amnesty forces for years. Somehow, we never seem to run out of food. POINT #2: The federal government offers the H-2A visa which ALREADY allows farmers to import unlimited numbers of foreign ag workers for specific short-term work. If some growers lack workers, it is only because they failed to be creative enough to attract a domestic workforce or failed to use the legal foreign guestworker program that is available to them. POINT #3: Growers who refuse to use the H-2A program mainly do so because they have to pay an almost decent wage under the program, while illegal aliens are cheaper. POINT #4: If growers find the H-2A program too cumbersome, they should direct their lobbyists to support H-2A reforms instead of amnesty. MAIN POINT: Americans will do this work - at a decent wage. The Department of Labor finds that the majority of farm workers (about 55%) in the U.S. are native-born Americans! Contact your senators! or Fax your Senators via free faxes at NumbersUSA. Tags:AgJobs, amnesty, NumbersUSATo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Liz Sidoti at GOPUSA: John McCain spent months earlier this year arguing that the United States must combine border security efforts with a temporary worker program and an eventual path to citizenship for many illegal immigrants. Now, the Republican presidential candidate emphasizes securing the borders first. The rest, he says, is still needed but will have to come later. "I understand why you would call it a, quote, shift," McCain told reporters Saturday after voters questioned him on his position . . . "I say it is a lesson learned about what the American people's priorities are. And their priority is to secure the borders." . . .McCain said he listened to what the public was saying when the legislation failed -- and responded accordingly. "I said, OK. We'll secure the borders, but after we secure the borders, we'll have a temporary worker program, we'll have to address the 12 million people here illegally, and I think the best way is the proposal that we had," McCain said. "It's not a switch in position. I support the same solution. But we've got to secure the borders first," he added. . . . [Read More] Tags:border control, Election 2008, GOPUSA, illegal immigration, John Mccain, presidential candidateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Hat tip to The Influence Peddler for the lead on this story. by Toni-Lynn Robbins, Bangor Daily News: On the first day of class, associate professor Paul Grosswiler offered the credit to members of his History of Mass Communications class, according to sophomore Rebekah McDade. Disturbed by the comment, McDade dropped the class and intends to take the course again next semester with a different professor. "I was offended," McDade said Friday. "I come from a family of military men and women, and the flag and Constitution are really important symbols to me because of my family background."
In an e-mail responding to a request for comment from the Bangor Daily News on Friday, Grosswiler said he thought McDade misunderstood the class discussion, which was intended to elicit thought about the First Amendment. He said he has held this same discussion for years without incident. "I don’t intend for students to burn either the Constitution or the flag, and over the years hundreds of students have understood that," Grosswiler wrote. . . .
When Grosswiler listed the extra-credit opportunities, McDade said the class of approximately 50 students grew very quiet, and some questioned whether he was serious. At first, student Kathleen Dame said she thought Grosswiler was joking, but then he went on to explain to the class that burning the flag was not illegal. While Grosswiler approached the topic in a serious manner, Dame said she felt he used it as a tool to educate the class on the First Amendment. "It was pretty outlandish and [he was] trying to prove a point," Dame said Friday. . . . [Read More] Note:The Leadership Institute, a Virginia-based nonprofit organization has a mission to identify, recruit, train and place conservatives in politics, government and the media. A field representative met McDade when she shared her experience and expressed an interest in spearheading a group "Students for Academic Freedom." The group’s initial goal will be to convince UM to enact a "Student Bill of Rights" which would protect students from professors who treat and grade students differently based on religious or political beliefs. Tags:burning flag, education, Flag, free speech, Maine, The Leadership InsitituteTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Hat tip to HotAir for this story by Bryan: we see that Fred Thompson answers his critics. Huckabee’s statement:
“Senator Thompson’s comments on ‘Meet the Press’ were disappointing and disheartening for those who were expecting him to be a solid voice for conservatives. The marriage and life amendments are critical issues for those of us who have been on the front lines of these cultural battles. Sen. Thompson’s philosophy seems to be more ‘cut and run’ when it comes to these issues, rather than stand and lead.
Fred’s response:
Bryan says sums up his post: Thompson manages to pound Huckabee into a fine powder without ever coming across as harsh or even particularly angry. It’s as solid an appearance as I’ve seen Thompson deliver since the official announcement that he’s running. Takeaway: Don’t mess with the Fred.As identified by StoptheACLU: Thompson makes a good point about the difference between him and most of the others. Thompson: “Thats where I was yesterday, thats where I am today and thats where I’ll be tomorrow.” Fred is consistent.Tags:Election 2008, Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee, Politics, presidential candidates, videoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Hat tip to StoptheACLU for this summary: Hillary Clinton should take notes from Mr. Fred Thompson here on how to answer tough questions. One admirable trait of Fred’s is that he has never pretended to be on both sides of any issue during this election. He has always claimed a federalist view on social issues, and he’s been consistent. I am one of the most social conservative bloggers around, and I agree that most of the solution is with the people. I agree that these decisions should be made by the families and the State representing the views of its majority. Most likely, the only way abortion will ever diminish is if Roe Vs. Wade is overturned. Fred Thompson agrees that this Supreme Court decision was a bad one. It was this decision that put the issue of abortion in the Federal government hands in the first place. Liberals should remember this the next time they complain that the Federal government is trying to “trample on women’s rights’”. Whether its abortion or homosexual marraige it is best left at the State levels.
Tags:1st Amendment, abortion, Activist Judges, Election 2008, Fred Thompson, Homosexual Agenda, news, videoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Congress’s deficit spending has become a moral issue
ARRA Editor: Sen. Tom Coburn is also a physician and while quoted by the Hill reporter as stressing the importance of deficit spending as a moral issue, Dr. Coburn is not stating that abortion is not a major issue. Coburn is pro-life and has a 100% rating for 2005-2006 by the National Right to Life Committee. Mike Soraghan in The Hillreports on Sen. Tom Coburn's (R-Ok) comments about Congressional deficit spending:
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said Congress’s deficit spending has become a moral issue surpassing abortion because it saddles future generations with massive debt before they’re born. The greatest moral issue of our time isn’t abortion, it’s robbing our next generation of opportunity,” Coburn told reporters at a breakfast meeting Thursday at the National Press Club. “You’re going to save a child from being aborted so they can be born into a debtor’s prison?” . . .
Bill Smith, Editor ARRA News: Today, many congress members. including the Arkansas delegation, are quickly issuing statements about President Bush's veto of the $23 billion Water Resources Development Act (H.R. 1495) was passed in the House by a vote of 381-40, and in the Senate by 81-12. The bill was to authorize projects, studies, policies, and programs related to the Army Corps of Engineers.
Rep. John Boozman (R-AR) said, “I must respectfully disagree with President Bush’s veto of this legislation providing needed investment in flood protection, environmental restoration, and navigation improvement projects for communities in the Third District, Arkansas, and the nation. WRDA maintains our waterways as a viable means of transportation, and allows our products to compete in a global economy. It also protects our homes and businesses from floods, while enhancing our quality of life by restoring aquatic ecosystems. This bill is an investment in America which has earned wide bipartisan support." Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) played to the crowd on apress release with her usual twists said, "By vetoing the Water Resources Development Act, President Bush is attempting to prohibit much-needed investments in our water infrastructure,at a time when many regions in our country face serious threats from natural disasters caused by flooding, storm surge, and hurricanes."
Why would President Bush veto a bill when he knows his veto will be easily overridden? Mr. Bush objected to the $9billion in projects added during negotiations between the House and Senate. He hoped that his action, even though it is sure not to hold, would cast him as a friend to tax-payers who are demanding a tighter rein on federal spending. According to White House press secretary Dana Perino, President Bush vetoed the water projects bill because "it is fiscally irresponsible and is filled with hundreds of projects that lack any sense of merit." Perino says the president supports a bill that "prioritizes spending on projects with the greatest economic and environmental return to the nation." While Speaker Pelosi most Democrats jumped on the bandwagon to play to the crowd to criticize Bush veto of the WRMA, they all know that even if the bill was approved as written it only authorizes the projects; the actual funding must be approved separately.
However one voice of reason did call out from the Democrats. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-WI, not a supporter of President Bush, said, "The President's veto of the WRDA bill is a welcome opportunity for Congress to modify the flawed, bloated bill," he said. "Instead of trying to override the veto, Congress should take this opportunity to fix the bill. We must make sure that Americans' tax dollars are spent on the most important priorities, not just on members' pet projects." Sen. Feingold on Sept 24th spoke out opposing the conference report on the Water Resources Development Act. He said, "the conference report includes weak reforms. The Senate twice voted in support of strong reform language – when it passed WRDA bills earlier this year and last Congress. But the conference report we are about to vote on has been stripped of important safeguards that would ensure accountability and prevent the Corps from manipulating the process. We have compromised enough over the years. We can no longer afford a system that favors wasteful projects over the needs of the American people. . . . The final problem I want to highlight is that the conference report does not make sure that the Corps is accountable. The conference report eliminated a key provision in the Senate bill that ensured accountability."See also:Congress Set To Override Bush Water VetoRemarks of U.S. Senator Feingold on the Water Resources Development Act Tags:clean water, John Boozman, Nancy Pelosi, President George Bush, Russ Feingold, US Congress, veto, water, Water Resources Development ActTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
From Senate sources: Tomorrow, the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey to be attorney general. Democrat Senators Chuck Schumer and Dianne Feinstein have said they will support Mukasey.
Later in the week, the Senate could also take up the conference report on the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill (H.R. 3043), which now includes the Military Construction-VA appropriations bill (H.R. 2642). Republican Senators have called for a stand-alone VA funding bill to be sent to the president, who has threatened to veto the combination bill. Democrats continue to demonstrate their disarray and mismanagement on funding for the troops and on how to handle spending bills. It has been 20 years since Congress has taken this long to send even one spending bill to the president, yet Democrats persist is sending bills that they know will get vetoed.
On The Floor: Senate reconvenes at 2 PM today. Senate will take up the Farm Bill (H.R. 2419). Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said he would like to finish work on the $283 billion bill in a week but could make no guarantees about a time frame. Tags:Farm bill, labor-HHS bill, Michael Mukasey, US Congress, US House, US Senate, VA, Washington D.C.To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
ICYMI John Kerry’s Form 180 … Service Without Honor!
ICYMI - we did. John Kerry was from the minds. Anyway a hat tip toNuke's News & Views who pointed out that with the end of October the grim milestone of 1000 days passed without fanfare, without media attention, and without an announcement from the junior senator from Massachusetts….. One thousand days. And still no Form 180 from Senator John F. Kerry.
MR. RUSSERT: Many people who’ve been criticizing you have said: Senator, if you would just do one thing and that is sign Form 180, which would allow historians and journalists complete access to all your military records. Thus far, you have gotten the records, released them through your campaign. They say you should not be the filter. Sign Form 180 and let the historians…
SEN. KERRY: I’d be happy to put the records out. We put all the records out that I had been sent by the military. Then at the last moment, they sent some more stuff, which had some things that weren’t even relevant to the record. So when we get–I’m going to sit down with them and make sure that they are clear and I am clear as to what is in the record and what isn’t in the record and we’ll put it out. I have no problem with that.
MR. RUSSERT: Would you sign Form 180?
SEN. KERRY: But everything, Tim…
MR. RUSSERT: Would you sign Form 180?
SEN. KERRY: Yes, I will. But ...
What a liar! He learned well from the Senior Senator from Massachusetts. Why does Massachusetts continue to plague the rest of America with these two senators?
Tags:John Kerry, Massachusetts, Meet the Press, Tim RussertTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Update 11/5: In an article by Steve Kornacki, "Hillary's New Hampshire Strategy," The New York Observer, 11/5/07 the words of a New Hampshire State Democrat Committee Member who said, "I've Always Heard People Say That She Doesn't Answer Questions ... And Then I Listened To The Debate -- And She Doesn't Answer The Questions. ... And All Of A Sudden, It Was Like The Rosetta Stone: She Never Answers The Questions, And She Never Takes A Position. All Of A Sudden, That Just Hit Me."
RNC's newest video production exhibiting Hillary Clinton’s inability at the last debate to speak in a straightforward or honest fashion with the American voters:
Tags:Election 2008, doublespeak, Hillary Clinton, RNC, Slick Hillary, videoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Rasmussen Reports 11/03: Republican Candidates: Among "Likely" Republican voters, Rudy Giuliani is preferred by 21%; Fred Thompson: 17%; John McCain: 15%; Mitt Romney:12%; Mike Huckabee 12% and no other Republican attracting more than 3% support (see recent daily numbers). Giuliani is viewed favorably by 70% of Republican voters, Thompson by 68%, Romney by 61%, McCain by 52%, and Huckabee by 46% (see history).
Democrat Cnadidates: Hillary Clinton43% of likely Democrat voters; Barack Obama: 21%; John Edwards: 11%; Bill Richardson: 5% and no other Democrat candidate tops 3% level (Democrat numbers) (see history).
Tags:Election 2008, presidential candidates, Rasmussen Poll, Rasmussen Reports, Real Clear PoliticsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Rep. Hunter Urges Bush To ‘Fire Those Recalcitrant State Dept. Personnel’ Who Refuse To Go To Iraq
Hat Tip to Think Progress for posting the following story: The State Department has created turmoil and consternation within the agency over its plan to resolve staff shortages in Iraq by forcing foreign service officers to accept one-year postings in Baghdad. Under the order, 200 to 300 diplomats have been identified as “prime candidates” to fill 48 vacancies that will open next year at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. If those positions aren’t filled, the department will force diplomats to serve in the war zone. Not since the Vietnam War have diplomats been forced to serve abroad against their will. At a recent townhall meeting in the State Department, Jack Crotty, a 36-year member of the foreign service, called the forced deployment a “potential death sentence.”
Yesterday on the House floor, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) angrily attacked those diplomats who have expressed concern about serving in Iraq. Hunter said he had personally urged President Bush to fire the diplomats for speaking out: "I’ve recommended to the President today that we do this — that we fire those recalcitrant State Department personnel who say it’s too dangerous for them to go back to Baghdad. They want another assignment — let them leave the service." Hunter said the foreign service officers should be replaced with soldiers who have been wounded in Iraq. “Let’s go down to Walter Reed hospital and Bethesda hospital, and let’s recruit,” he said. Tags:Duncan Hunter, foreign service, Iraq War, State DepartmentTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
ARRA Comment: We post often about Mike Huckabee because he is an Arkansan. The below article is interesting because the author is an outspoken Christan pastor, writer, and speaker for conservative ideals. In full disclosure, he was a 2004 VP candidate for the Constitution Party. Comments to this post are welcome! Maybe Huckabee supporters as well as others may wish to express their opinions. by Pastor & Dr. Chuck Baldwin: With Christian conservatives trying to scramble to find a Republican presidential candidate they can support, some of them seem to be coalescing around former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee. Janet Folger, especially, seems to be trumpeting his candidacy. But is Mike Huckabee someone Christian conservatives should be supporting? Not everyone thinks so.Randy Minton, chairman of the Arkansas chapter of Phyllis Schlafly's national Eagle Forum, said, "We called him a pro-life, pro-gun liberal, when I was in the state legislature and he was governor"
Phyllis Schlafly herself was even more direct.President and Founder of Eagle Forum, Phyllis Schlafly, said this about Governor Huckabee: "He destroyed the conservative movement in Arkansas, and left the Republican Party a shambles." She went on to say, "Yet some of the same evangelicals who sold us on George W. Bush as a 'compassionate conservative' are now trying to sell us on Mike Huckabee."
Even one of Huckabee's strongest supporters within the Religious Right, Pastor Rick Scarborough, head of Vision America, admitted, "Mike has always sought the validation of elites." Of course, my question for Rick Scarborough is, With an indictment such as that, how can you continue to support Mike Huckabee?
According to an opinion piece written by John Fund in the Wall Street Journal, "Paul Pressler, a former Texas judge who led the conservative Southern Baptist revolt, told me, 'I know of no conservative he [Huckabee] appointed while he headed the Arkansas Baptist Convention.'" . . .
Mike Huckabee is also terrible on immigration. According to Jim Boulet, Jr., executive director of English First, "Rudy Giuliani spent years defending the right of New York City to remain a sanctuary for illegal aliens. Yet Giuliani was a veritable Lou Dobbs Jr. on illegal immigration in comparison to Mike Huckabee." Regarding Huckabee's stance on immigration, Mr. Minton said, "Until of late, he has been an open-borders guy on immigration — amnesty, the whole works. As governor, he wanted to give free college scholarships to all illegals." Minton's assertion is backed up by Daniel Larison at The American Conservative. He said, "Like his fellow presidential candidate [who recently dropped out of the race], Sen. Sam Brownback, Huckabee regards it as his Christian duty to help subvert and liberalize U.S. immigration laws. Together, they embrace the notion that fidelity to the Gospel requires privileging the interests of non-citizens over those of fellow citizens."
Ann Coulter agrees: "On illegal immigration, Huckabee makes George Bush sound like Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO). Huckabee has compared illegal aliens to slaves brought here in chains from Africa, saying, 'I think, frankly, the Lord is giving us a second chance to do better than we did before.'"Toward that end, when an Arkansas legislator introduced a bill that would prevent illegal aliens from voting and receiving state benefits, Huckabee denounced the bill, saying it would rile up 'those who are racist and bigots.'"He also made the insane point that companies such as Toyota would not invest in Arkansas if the state didn't allow non-citizens to vote, because it would 'send the message that, essentially, "If you don't look like us, talk like us and speak like us, we don't want you."' . . .
In spite of Huckabee's proven big-government, big-spending, and pro-amnesty record, however, some Christian conservatives are falling for his conservative rhetoric. It seems that all a Republican candidate has to do is start talking "pro-life" and "pro-marriage" and he or she will gain the support of certain Christian conservatives.First it was Bob Jones, III endorsing the liberal former governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, and now it is Janet Folger endorsing the liberal former governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee. Why any Christian leader would want to support a man with such a dubious record truly escapes me.Christians need to beware of Mike Huckabee. He is not a conservative. Even worse, he is not a constitutionalist. He is an opportunist, . . . [Read More]Tags:amnesty, Christian Conservative, Chuck Baldwin, Election 2008, illegal immigration, liberal, Mike Huckabee, presidential candidate, RepublicanTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
McDaniel approves language of lottery ballot initiative - The Battle Begins Again!
by Jason Wiest, Arkansas News Bureau: The language of Lt. Gov. Bill Halter's proposed constitutional amendment to create a state-run lottery to fund college scholarships received Attorney General Dustin McDaniel's approval Thursday. The attorney general's certification of the popular name and ballot title of the lottery proposal clears the way for supporters to begin gathering the 78,000 signatures needed to place the measure on the 2008 general election ballot. . . .
The definition of a lottery in the second version was satisfactory, but still questionable, McDaniel said."I should point out, however, an argument exists that the term 'state lotteries' in the ballot title is unclear, and that the title is incomplete for failing to reveal the amendment's full effect," McDaniel wrote in an opinion issued by his office. "Nevertheless, because the text of the amendment contains no specifics as to the term 'state lotteries,' no corresponding summary can be substituted in the ballot title."
The head of a conservative Christian group in Arkansas that opposes the proposal said Thursday that not specifically defining a state lottery would confuse voters. Jerry Cox, executive director of the Family Council, said the proposal was so broad that it could open the door for multiple state-run lotteries, instant-win tickets "or almost any game of chance in which people gamble." . . . Opponents say a state lottery would cause poor families to spend money on lottery tickets when the money would be better spent on essentials, while supporters say Arkansans are already spending money on lotteries in nearby states and that the money might as well fund scholarships in Arkansas. . . . [Read More] [ARRA Note: As noted in the past: Lt. Gov. Bill Halter's is "hell bent" on bringing sin, gambling and we expect "increased pornography" to Arkansas. So far what we predicted before he was elected is coming true. Looks like the Lt Gov.'s office has more power than people gave it credit for in the past.]Tags:Arkansas, Bill Halter, gambling, lotteryTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Gordon James Klingenschmitt:Two major victories for public prayer "in Jesus' name" were just declared in the Indiana and Ohio legislatures, but three new battles rage in Pennsylvania, Florida and North Carolina where legislators are considering banning "Jesus" prayers. In Indiana, the ACLU lost another lawsuit, when the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a bad ruling by a liberal judge who had ordered praying to Jesus was illegal on the floor of the Indiana House . . . [Read More] Tags:Gordon Klingenschmitt, Jesus Christ, prayer, religious freedomTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by John Stossel: Next Tuesday, Utah voters go to the polls to decide if their state will become the first in the nation to offer school vouchers statewide. Referendum 1 would make all public-school kids eligible for vouchers worth from $500 to $3,000 a year, depending on family income. Parents could then use the vouchers to send their children to private schools.What a great idea. Finally, parents will have choices that wealthy parents have always had. The resulting competition would create better private schools and even improve the government schools . . . <[Read More] Tags:John Stossel, school vouchers, UtahTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Christian groups claim pro-atheist 'stealth campaign' in film The Golden Compass
Fox News: A children's fantasy film that stars Nicole Kidman and features a little girl on a quest to kill God has some Christian groups upset over what they believe is a ploy to promote atheism to kids.The movie, "The Golden Compass," is adapted from the first novel in a trilogy called "His Dark Materials" by English author Philip Pullman, an outspoken atheist. Critics fear that the film, due out in December, will encourage children to read the anti-Church series . . . [Read More]See also:Christian groups claim religion-purged "Golden Compass" movie promotes pro-atheism books (Christian Post) Tags:atheism, Christianity, Fox News, Golden CompassTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Air Force Times: General Paul Tibbets, who piloted the B-29 bomber Enola Gay that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, died Thursday. He was 92 and insisted for six decades after the war that he had no regrets about the mission and slept just fine at night. Tibbets died at his Columbus home. He suffered from a variety of health problems and was in decline for two months. Tibbets had requested no funeral and no headstone, fearing it would provide his detractors with a place to protest, said Gerry Newhouse, a longtime friend.
Tibbets’ historic mission in the plane named for his mother marked the beginning of the end of World War II and eliminated the need for what military planners feared would have been an extraordinarily bloody invasion of Japan. It was the first use of a nuclear weapon in wartime. The plane and its crew of 14 dropped the 5-ton “Little Boy” bomb on the morning of Aug. 6, 1945. . . . Three days later, the U.S. dropped a second nuclear bomb on Nagasaki, Japan . . . Tibbets did not fly in that mission. The Japanese surrendered a few days later, ending the war . . .
Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. was born Feb. 23, 1915, in Quincy, Ill., and spent most of his boyhood in Miami. He was a student at the University of Cincinnati’s medical school when he decided to withdraw in 1937 to enlist in the Army Air Corps. Tibbets retired from the Air Force as a brigadier general in 1966. He later moved to Columbus, where he ran an air service until he retired in 1985.
The National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton plans a photographic tribute to Tibbets, who was inducted in 1996. “There are few in the history of mankind that have been called to figuratively carry as much weight on their shoulders as Paul Tibbets,” director Ron Kaplan said in a statement. “Even fewer were able to do so with a sense of honor and duty to their countrymen as did Paul.” . . . Tibbets is survived by his wife, Andrea, and three sons — Paul, Gene and James — as well as a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
To quoteDebbie Schlussel, "One of America's Greatest Gone: Heroic Enola Gay Pilot Paul Tibbets Saved America": Retired Brigadier General Paul Tibbets, Jr.--the heroic American serviceman who did to Hiroshima what we should have already done to Tehran . . . He saved the Western world and his life had meaning for all of us, even though most do not know his name. And he wasn't just the pilot--he basically planned the whole mission. And he flew some of the first bombing missions against the Nazis and their allies. He was bright and had just the right amount of bravado to save America.
Sadly, in later life, the State Department treated him with dishonor when India criticized his role in saving the world from Axis forces. And the military apologized to the Japanese after Tibbets re-enacted his important flight. He had it right on America's schools and distorted history: The new wave of controversy about Hiroshima "got me roused up," Tibbets told the Palm Beach Post in 2001. "Our young people don't know anything about what happened because nobody taught them and now their minds are being filled up with things that aren't true."
But even after death, he's got the last laugh. Because he did not want to give left-wing anti-war protestors any opportunities to use his death for their cause, he will have no funeral or headstone and his ashes will be scattered over the North Atlantic. There is an inspiring, extensive set of excerpts from the fantastic obit/article about this great American in the Los Angeles Times. The first three sentences say it all, and I wish we would heed it about Iran (and perhaps some of the other choice Muslim countries in the Mid-East). We need another Truman in the White House and another Paul Tibbets leading the attack. . . .
To the end of his days, Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. believed that dropping the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima was a justifiable means of shortening World War II and preserving the lives of hundreds of thousands of American servicemen who military experts said might have died in a final Allied invasion of Japan.
For Tibbets, the pilot whose bombing run unleashed the devastating explosive force and insidious nuclear radiation that leveled two-thirds of the city and killed at least 80,000 people, there was never any need to apologize. "I never lost a night's sleep over it," Tibbets said of the Aug. 6, 1945, attack.
To quote Andy Martin: THANK HEAVEN FOR GENERAL PAUL TIBBETS, WHO DROPPED THE BOMB ON HIROSHIMA. HE SAVED MY FATHER'S LIFE AND MY UNCLE'S. A SON OF ILLINOIS FLIES STRAIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF GOD . . . More than half a century later, we tend to see World War II, and war itself, in soft, sepia tones. Some people question whether bombing Japan was necessary. Pacifists condemn the United States for doing so. I do not. Bombing Japan was absolutely necessary. Japan would have never surrendered. The U. S. Marine battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima had presented graphic evidence of the bloody conflict that lay ahead. Thousands of Marines died subduing tiny islands. . . . General Tibbets saved my father's life, and my uncle's life, and the lives of hundreds of thousands of other American fathers and uncles, not to say countless of hundreds of thousands of Chinese, Koreans and others who risked savagery and death at the hands of Dai Nippon if WW II had continued. Well done, General. And Thank You.
------------
Taqs: atomic bomb, Enola Gay, General Paul Tibbets, Hiroshima, World War II
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.
Update: Roll Call Vote available for all US Reprentatives on ENDA. As for Arkansas, John Boozman (R), Marion Berry (D) and Mike Ross (D) vote NO. However, Vic Snyder (D) voted for the bill. Vic Snyder remains out of touch with main stream Arkansans.
