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, December 22, 2007
NO SNOW IN BETHLEHEM?
William J. Murray, Chairman Religious Freedom Coalition: The Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the leader of the Anglican Church, said that Jesus was probably not born in a manger, that there were no animals present and there was "probably" no snow as most Nativity Scenes depict. HMMM ... The photograph at left is of my daughter Katie standing in front of the entrance to the Old City in Jerusalem. As you can see the ground is covered with snow. The day the photo was taken we were to have been in Bethlehem but could not get there because of the snow. If the good Bishop doesn't know that it snows in Bethlehem what does he know about the Nativity Scene? His comments can be found here.Tags:Jerusalem, William J. MurrayTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Tags:Election 2008, James Taranto, Mike Huckabee, presidential candidate, Wall Street JournalTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by John Gibson, Fox News: Tall-tales, exaggerations, out and out fabrications — it all opens a Pandora's box of questions from reporters . . . Mitt said, "I saw my father march with Martin Luther King." George Romney was a prominent politician during the civil rights era, and Mitt was trying to say that his family has never bought into some of the ancient texts in Mormon doctrine about black people that sound and feel very racist.
Problem is, now a Boston newspaper has figured out that George Romney did not actually march with Martin Luther King. So now Mitt is out explaining that he didn't mean he literally saw his father march with Dr. King, but that figuratively George Romney marched because he supported King and the civil rights movement. Oops. This is not an explanation you want to get into. It is convoluted and it will never placate some people, especially your opponents. So let this be a lesson. My father would have marched with Dr. King had the occasion arose, that works. But saying you saw your father march cannot be taken any other way than literally. You either saw him or you didn't see him. We're not talking the mind's eye here. . . . [Read More]See also:Did Romney's dad really march with Martin Luther King Jr.?&ROMNEY DEFENDS MLK MARCH REMARK: "The reference of seeing my father lead in civil rights," he said, "and seeing my father march with Martin Luther King is in the sense of this figurative awareness of and recognition of his leadership." "I've tried to be as accurate as I can be," he continued, smiling firmly. "If you look at the literature or look at the dictionary, the term 'saw' includes being aware of -- in the sense I've described." Tags:Election 2008, George Romney, Martin Luther King Jr, Mitt Romney, presidential candidate, prevaricationTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Josh Gerstein, The New York Sun: The National Archives is withholding from the public about 2,600 pages of records at President Clinton's direction, despite a public assurance by one of his top aides last month that Mr. Clinton "has not blocked the release of a single document." . . . An official who oversees the presidential libraries operated by the federal government, Susan Fawcett, said in a recent interview that the records were withheld in accordance with a letter Mr. Clinton wrote in 1994 exercising his right to hold back certain types of files and another letter in 2002 about narrowing the scope of his earlier instructions. Asked by National Journal whether Mr. Clinton had "total control" over the closure of records under the confidential-advice provisions of the law, Ms. Fawcett said he did.
At a presidential debate in October, Mrs. Clinton was questioned about language in the 2002 letter that discussed the possibility of withholding some records about the former first lady. Mr. Clinton later called the questions "breathtakingly misleading" and complained bitterly that his wife had been sandbagged. . . . Ms. Cooper said the 2,600 pages of advice are part of about 24,000 pages of closed Clinton White House records. The bulk of the closures likely involve records found in domestic policy and health care files that Mr. Clinton authorized for processing before the library began accepting record requests from the public in 2006. . . . [Read More] Tags:Clinton Library, Arkansas, freedom of information, Hillary ClintonTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
"A Reading Program's Powerful Patron" by James V. Grimaldi, Washington Post: When Congress decided to appropriate $2 million in fall 2001 to help D.C. kindergartners and first-graders learn to read, city school officials were told that the money could be spent only on the Voyager Expanded Learning literacy program, a new product with virtually no track record. They had just picked a different reading curriculum, and "we didn't want to be guinea pigs," recalled Mary Gill, then the system's chief academic officer.
School leaders did not know that the $2 million was an earmark that had been guided into law by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) just after she had received more than $30,000 in campaign contributions at a fundraiser held by Voyager's founder and chairman.
Landrieu's earmark illustrates the unusual role that Congress has played in shaping the District's troubled school system. No other school budget is subject to approval by Capitol Hill. . . . Landrieu, as the ranking Democrat and chairwoman of the Senate's D.C. appropriations subcommittee until early this year, was a pivotal figure in school spending and policy issues. With the Voyager earmark, she intruded on a curriculum decision normally made by teachers, principals, administrators and educational advisers. "It is unclear to me why Congress thinks they're qualified to do that," said Michael Casserly, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools . . . .
Landrieu received about $80,000 from Voyager employees and lobbyists . . . . "It is not uncommon for Members of Congress to receive contributions from individuals who support their policy goals," she said in the statement to The Post, echoing a similar response she gave Education Week last year for a story on Voyager's political connections. Voyager employed lobbyists and made political contacts to obtain at least 14 earmarks over five years, worth more than $8 million . . . . Some went to other parts of the country, but most -- $5.23 million -- went to D.C. schools. . . . [Read More] Tags:bribes, campaign funds, DC, earmarks, graft, lobbyist, Mary Landrieu, schoolTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Hat tip to Okie Campaign for the following - hope you agree:
Let's have an award for someone who has actually made the world a better place. Since January of this year General Petraeus has led the greatest tango whacking mission in history. This has made it possible for Iraqis to take back their lives and start working on a civil society. The incredible change in the security situation was made possible by his strategy of Counter-Insurgency, implemented by our peerless military, and finally the long-awaited Awakening that started in Anbar. . . .
I give you the Person of the Year for those of us who prefer action against evil to bloviation against common sense. HOO-AH GENERAL PETRAEUS ! . . . [Read More] Tags:General David Petraeus, Iraq War, troop surgeTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Poll: More People trust Republicans than Democrats on Terrorism, Illegal Immigration & Moral Values
by Rachel Alexander, GOPUSA:In a recent USA Today/Gallup poll, more people said they trust Republicans over Democrats on the issues of terrorism (by 10%), illegal immigration (by 7%), and moral values (by 4%). This sends a clear message to Republicans running for office in 2008 – they need to emphasize and run on those issues. . . . The big elephant in the closet is terrorism; the Democrats’ timid approach toward terrorism takes a huge gamble that there will not be another successful terrorist attack on the U.S. before the next election. If there is an attack, the Republicans’ tough approach to terrorism will have been clearly proven to be correct, and they’ll sweep the elections. . . . [Read More] Tags:Democrats, Gallup Poll, GOPUSA, illegal immigration, moral values, poll, Republican, terrorismTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
John McCain was a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War. In October 1967, his plane was shot down and McCain was captured. McCain spent 5 1/2 years as a POW at Hua Lo prison where he was struck almost daily by a sadistic guard and sometimes subjected to torture. In "Character Is Destiny," he recalls an encounter with a prison guard one Christmas morning.
John McCain reflects: There was one other occasion during my imprisonment that moved me greatly as evidence of God's transcending love. During the time I was held in solitary, I was caught, not for the first time, communicating with my dear friend in the cell next to mine. For my transgression, I was kept overnight in a punishment cell tied very tightly in ropes...
On this particular night . . . the door suddenly opened and a young gun guard I had occasionally seen wandering around the camp entered the room. He motioned to me to remain silent by placing his finger to his lips, and then, without smiling or even looking me in the eyes, proceeded to loosen the ropes that bound me. His kind action completed, he left without uttering a word to me. As dawn approached, he returned to tighten the ropes before he finished his watch and another guard might have discovered what he had done.
In the months that followed, I occasionally saw my Good Samaritan when I was moved from one part of the prison to another. He never allowed himself a glance in my direction, much less spoke to me, until one Christmas morning, when I was briefly allowed out of my cell to stand alone in the outdoors and look up at the clear, blue sky. As I was looking at the heavens, I became aware of him as he walked near me and then, for a moment, stood very close to me. He did not speak or smile or look at me. He just stared at the ground in front of us, and then, very casually, he used his foot to draw a cross in the dirt. We both stood looking at his work for a minute until he rubbed it out and walked away.
For just that moment I forgot all my hatred for my enemies, and all the hatred most of them felt for me. I forgot about the Jerk, and the interrogators who persecuted my friends and me. I forgot about the war, and the terrible things that war does to you. I was just one Christian venerating the cross with a fellow Christian on Christmas morning. I saw him again occasionally. But he never looked at me or attempted to speak to me. We never worshiped together again.
But I have never forgotten him or the kindness he showed me as a testament to the faith we shared. That experience helped to form my lasting appreciation for my own religious faith, and it took the faith of an enemy to reveal it to me, the faith that unites and never divides, the faith that bridges unbridgeable divisions in humanity, the faith that we are all, sinners and saints alike, children of God. I became a better man, a stronger man, a more faithful man, who, for at least a moment, could love his enemies.
Tags:Christian Values, Christianity, Election 2008, John McCainTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Here is what happened to the fence! Rep. Duncan Hunter explains what happened to the fence in the Omnibus bill. After viewing video,See also:The Incredible Disappearing Border Fence
Tags:border control, border fence, Duncan Hunter, Election 2008, Glenn Beck, omnibus bill, US Congress, Where's the FenceTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Rep. Tom Tancredo ended his campaign and endorsed Gov. Mitt Romney. “Somebody’s going to win this race. It’s not going to me, so really what you’re looking for is that person you hope and pray will carry on.” Tancredo said that he had met with Mr. Romney this morning and was “convinced that he will do the things he said he will do.” And, he was confident that Mr. Romney would “go the distance.” Tancredo decided to drop out in part because of concern that he could split the vote for other candidates who have taken a hard line on immigration. "I fear remaining in this race, one which I cannot win, would contribute to the nomination of one of these candidates," he said.
Tancredo identified former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Arizona Sen. John McCain as two Republican candidates whose records indicate they wouldn't be tough enough on immigration. He said Romney has a proven record of opposing illegal immigration while governor of Massachusetts, ending driver's licenses and in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. "On the other hand, you talk about what's happened in Arkansas, it's a totally different situation, and certainly John McCain has built a career in Congress being a supporter of illegal immigration and amnesty," Tancredo said.
In an open letter and video to supporters, Rep. Tancredo said:
Dear Friends, It is with my heart full of gratitude and a touch of sadness that I write today to tell you of my intention to end my campaign for the presidency. As a loyal friend and supporter it is important to me that you understand why I am doing this, even though you may disagree.
For the past ten years I have dedicated my public life to the critical issue of illegal immigration. I believed then –as I do now—that massive uncontrolled illegal immigration threatens our survival as a nation. I could not stand by and let open border politicians and corporate lobbyists sell our country out to the highest bidder.
Then earlier this year when I feared that the issue would not be championed by any of the top candidates I threw my hat in the ring. It was the only way I could be certain that the candidates would be forced to take a stand.
Thanks to your incredible support look what we have accomplished:
Just last week Newsweek declared that “"Anti-immigrant zealot [that would be me] had already won. Now even Dems dance to his no mas salsa tune.” This month alone The Economist, the New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal and a score of other newspapers have written similar assessments, grudgingly crediting our campaign with forcing the issue of immigration to the center of the national stage and—more importantly—with forcing every presidential candidate to commit themselves to an immigration plan that calls for securing the borders, opposing amnesty and enforcing the law.
Of course, many of the candidates need to be pinned down on their understanding of the meaning of amnesty, but we have succeeded beyond my most optimistic expectations of a year ago. We even have Hillary jumping through hoops on the issue! So with so much success why drop out of the race now, you are probably asking. For one reason and one reason alone: I believe the cause demands I do so.
The presidential campaign has come down to less than a handful of viable candidates. Unfortunately several of them have abysmal records on immigration and can’t be trusted to do what is needed to preserve this country if they’re elected. My fear is that if I were to stay in this race my votes could be the factor in handing victory to a pro-amnesty politician. Friends, we have done too much, come too far and the stakes are too high to play that hand. And so I am ending my presidential campaign.
I know there are many more battles in our future and you can count on me to stay in this fight with you. We must continue to build the unquestioned momentum that is fueling our movement today. In the weeks ahead, I will write to you again to share with you my plans for the future, and for the immigration reform movement that is transforming American politics. But for now, I just wish to again express to you my deepest thanks and appreciation for your partnership with me in this historic effort. I also want to wish you a very blessed and merry Christmas!
We have come so far together, and through our efforts we have made a stunning and, I believe, permanent impact on the debate over securing our borders and preserving our nation. Not a day has gone by in this campaign that I have not thanked God for the dedication of so many Americans like you. I can promise you that as long as He gives me life and strength, I will work hard for our cause and to honor the trust you have placed in me. With sincere best wishes, Tom Tancredo
Tags:Election 2008, endorsement, Mitt Romney, Tom TancredoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Season's Earmarks by R.J. Matson [political cartoon]
Seasonal Earmarks by R.J. Matson
Hat tip to GOPUSA
for this relevant cartoon
addressing "earmarks" in
the Omnibus Bill: Tags:Congressional Pork, earmarks, GOPUSA, omnibus bill, political cartoonTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Yesterday, the Houseapproved the Senate amendment to the omnibus, which funds the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan through the spring. Despite a great deal of rhetoric on “fiscal responsibility” and “Paygo,” the House approved 352-64 the Senate-passed version of the AMT patch which does not raise taxes. The House also approved an extension of the current SCHIP program until the end of March 2009.
Yesterday, the Senate confirmed Julie L. Myers as director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, two years after President Bush appointed her to the position amid questions about her qualifications to lead the government's second-largest law enforcement agency. Myers was among more than 30 people whose appointments were approved by a voice vote of the Senate as it concluded its session.
The Democrats’ frustration is apparent in the news today. The Washington Post’s headline reads: “Key Setbacks Dim Luster of Democrats’ Year.” The AP describes this week as “a bitter finish for majority Democrats.” CNN dubs 2007 “a year of frustration for Democrats.” The Los Angeles Times described last night’s House AMT vote as Democrats “bowing to Republican demands” and “a significant defeat for congressional Democrats.” All these setbacks make it unsurprising, per yesterday’s Roll Call, that Democrats are discussing using the reconciliation process to pass some of their agenda next year. Reconciliation is supposed to be used to reduce the deficit and prevents filibusters in the Senate but the Roll Call suggests Democrats might try to use it to advance their policy preferences.
The Senate is in recess until it reconvenes for a pro forma session either Friday or Sunday. Harry Reid has again decided to hold the Senate open in a series of pro forma sessions during the Christmas break in order to prevent President Bush from making any recess appointments especially to the Federal Election Commission. The House of Representatives has adjourned and will reconvene on Jan 15th.Senate will reconvene in full session on Jan 21. Tags:AMT, omnibus bill, SCHIP, 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!
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) is the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government. Porker of the Month is a dubious honor given to lawmakers, government officials, and political candidates who have shown a blatant disregard for the interests of taxpayers.
(CAGW) named Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) December 2007 Porker of the Month for thwarting three amendments to the farm bill that would have provided some modest reform. Instead, it was a lost opportunity to fix one of the most outdated government programs. An amendment offered by Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), would have capped subsidy payments to farmers at $250,000. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) attempted to pass a measure that would have set the annual adjusted gross income (AGI) for receiving any benefits at $750,000 and Sen. Sherrod Brown’s (D-Ohio) amendment would have reformed the crop insurance program.
Sen. Lincoln, whose family received big farm subsidy payments worth $715,000 between 1995 and 2005, threatened to filibuster the bill. Because Senate Democratic leaders did not want to be blamed for further delay of the farm bill, they changed the rules to require 60 votes for passage of those three amendments . . . . [The amendments failed] After the vote . . . Sen. Lincoln said, “I’m pleased that enough of my colleagues heard my plea and realized that the payment limitation amendment would be devastating to the hardworking farm families across Arkansas and much of the South. Farm families in Arkansas should not have to sacrifice their way of life, and that’s what this proposal would have done.”
To claim that farm subsidies are needed to preserve the small family farmer is purely laughable. The money goes disproportionately to the wealthiest farmers, with little benefit to farmers most in need of help. Subsidies have proven to be very costly to both taxpayers and consumers and have undermined the rural economy. Currently, 60% of farms either receive no subsidies or less than $2,000 annually. In 2003, the top 10% of farm subsidy recipients collected 72 percent of total subsidies and the top 5% collected 55% of payments.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that 2005 crop subsidy payments to Arkansas farms totaled $425 million; 26 farms received more than $250,000. The December 14 Washington Post said that includes “farms run by the Arkansas Department of Corrections, which produces cotton and other crops using convict labor. Federal subsidies to a state plantation worked by prisoners who don't get paid: now that's enterprising.”
At a time when agricultural income is at record highs and farm commodity prices are soaring, taxpayers have been paying an average of $20 billion annually for the most expensive farm subsidy payments in history. The farm bill passed by Congress even increased subsidies for most crops, in addition to creating a costly permanent disaster assistance program. Despite this, Sen. Lincoln declared that the farm bill “includes the most significant reform in the history of any farm bill” in a December 14 press release. Critics as diverse as Bread for the World, CAGW, the EWG, Oxfam America, and the National Taxpayers Union vehemently disagree with her.
For standing in the way of farm bill reform on the back of the small family farms she claims to help, CAGW names Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) its December 2007 Porker of the Month. ARRA Note: CAGW released this dubious award before learning of the additional pork earmarks Lincoln sponsored in the Omnibus Bill that passed yesterday. Tags:Blanche Lincoln, CAGW, pork, pork-barrel spenders, porker of the month, Senator
Hat tip to one of our link partners - Saber Point- for this post: Whoops, my mistake. That bear isn't sweating, he's sporting icesickles. It seems there's a huge ice storm in the midwest that's already killed 15 people, closed highways and caused havoc.
In other words, it's freezing. The next moron who preaches global warming there should be pelted with snowballs.
ARRA Comment: How about we start by pelting Time's runner-up for "Person of the year for 2007" with a few snowballs and ice-sickles. Tags:global warming, bear sweats, Saber PointTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Its become a popular yearly tradition now to send the Anti-Christian Liars Union grinches a Christmas card. I personally think its ineffective, and that the money you waste on a stamp for the organization to toss in the shredder would be better served towards a good cause. So, I encourage you to save that money, dig a little deeper, and contribute to an organization that fights the ACLU and defends Christmas. The Alliance Defense Fund, and Liberty Counsel are both great organizations that defend Christmas each year for free! Why not help groups like that out this year?
However, from experience last year...I know that many will insist on sending the ACLU a Christmas card. After all, it is tradition. If that is how you want to make your message...we have some great greeting cards and postcards available at our online store. Plenty of other great Christmas gifts too. Send your Christmas card to the ACLU at:
ACLU, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, NY, NY 10004
Tags:ACLU, anti-christian, Christians, ChristmasTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Jeffrey Young, The Hill: . . . After coming up short in their efforts to enact a $35 billion expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) — enduring two presidential vetoes along the way — congressional Democrats signed off on Republican demands to extend the program until 2009. Rather than expiring just before the presidential and congressional elections next year, SCHIP will keep running through March 2009 under the plan originally conceived by House Republicans and hashed out by the Senate Finance Committee and Senate leaders late Monday.
The GOP stood fast against the Democratic bill, which received veto-proof margins in the Senate but came up about a dozen votes shy in the House, despite attracting some GOP support. In doing so, it also stood fast against a multifaceted public relations campaign waged by the Democrats, allied liberal organizations and practically every industry in the healthcare sector. That strategy appears to have paid off, with Democrats abandoning, for now, their plans to ramp up SCHIP.
The GOP claimed victory. “It’s certainly another example of the Democrats caving to the Republican position at the eleventh hour,” said a spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio). Not only did the GOP prevent the Democrats from expanding the program, the minority party prevented the majority party from using an SCHIP vote and veto next fall as a wedge issue just before Election Day. . . . [Read More] Tags:SCHIP, State Childrens Health Insurance Program, US CongressTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
US House today passed, 352-64, the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) patch which will for one more year ensure 20 to 25 million middle class taxpayers do not become ensnared by a tax originally designed for millionaires. The Senate has already approved it and President George W. Bush will sign the bill.
The majority Democrats lost support from "Blue Dog" fiscal conservatives in their own party because the because the Blue Dogs argued that the AMT cost $50 billion. Their reasoning is flawed in that the AMT taxes were never intended to be collected from the middle class and therefore Congress should not have planned on these funds from the AMT which should have been repealed. Inf act it would have been in during the Clinton administration but Clinton vetoes the bill that would have eliminated the AMT. As always, Democrats even "conservative" blue dogs have never met a tax they didn't like.
AMT is a parallel tax system and was enacted in 1969 to make sure rich people did not take advantage of so many breaks that they paid no income tax. The AMT that throws out most of the deductions and credits allowed by the regular income tax code. People have to calculate their taxes under the two systems and pay the higher of the two bills. However, the AMT was not index to adjust for inflation and since 1969 more middle class people have been exposed to the AMT as incomes have risen with inflation. The relief will ensure that most families earning less than $150,000 a year will not pay the tax. If Congress had failed to enact relief, families making $67,000 could have been subject to the tax. Tags:alternative minimum tax, AMT, US CongressTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Demrats vote for ‘Omnibus Bill’ that guts border fence
Hat tip to "GIJane" at the The Fox Holefor this summary: Buried in the pages of the current $516 billion ‘Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations’ Bill, is a clause that would cut 3 billion dollars from the two-tiered border security fence that Congress promised to build. The bill, which contains the annual expenditures for domestic and foreign spending in the upcoming fiscal year, included the WOT in Afghanistan, but left out funds for the WOT in Iraq. The whole thing is a ruse by the Democrats to sneak in more pork and spending for thousands of pet projects that were rejected by President Bush. They tried to rush the 3,500 page bill through with only 24 hours for the public and voting members to read what was hidden in the contents.
Washington Times: The 2006 Secure Fence Act specifically called for “two layers of reinforced fencing” and listed five specific sections of border where it should be installed. The new spending bill removes the two-tier requirement and the list of locations.
……Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the Texas Republican who has led the charge to change the 2006 law, said she wants to give Homeland Security more flexibility and wants local officials and landowners to be consulted.
……”Senator Hutchison believes that Customs and Border Protection can better decide how to utilize limited resources to secure the border than a congressman from Maine,” said Matt Mackowiak, Mrs. Hutchison’s spokesman. He said double-tier fencing has worked in San Diego, but it might not be the right solution for the entire fence.
So Hutchinson’s solution is to let the Department of Homeland Stupidity, which has failed miserably at the job of preventing illegals from getting into this country, decide whether a fence is the most effective means to secure the border?
Smooth move, Senator ExLax. I’d love to see our elected “representatives” get a good taste of the consequences of their stupidity. They need to be forced to live on the 1,951 mile stretch of border, where unimpeded throngs of illegals traipse across everyday. They should be forced to live in the neighborhoods infested with and affected by the illegal aliens committing more crimes like molestation, theft, murder, and rape. Better yet, I’d love to collect ‘em up by the truckloads and dump them on the front lawns of every Demrat and RINO who voted against the appropriation for a border fence. . . .
$3.5 million for La Raza, a radical hate group which advocates a takeover of parts of the U.S. Southwest by Mexico.
$1 million for the Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock, requested by Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, both Democrats from Arkansas;
$200,000 for the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas, requested by Rep. Shelley Berkley of Nevada;
$3.74 million for research into the Formosan Subterranean Termite, requested by Reps. Rodney Alexander and Richard Baker of Louisiana;
$750,000 for the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Library, requested by Clinton, Schumer and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid;
$3.76 million for the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library, requested by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison;
$1 million for the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library, requested by Sen. Thad Cochrane, Republican of Mississippi;
$150,000 for rodent control on the Aleutian Islands, requested by Ted Stevens of Alaska;
$250,000 to build the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center in Washington, requested by Rep. Doc Hastings.
$470,000 to study the Asian Long-Horned Beetle, requested by Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois;
$244,077 for bee research in Weslaco, Texas, requested by Rep. Chet Edwards;
$213,386 to study the Oliver Fruit Fly in Montpelier, France, requested by Mike Thompson of California;
$1.7 million for the Centers for Disease Control to fund a Hollywood liaison to advise doctor dramas;
$5.1 million for “audio and visual integration” in the CDC’s new Thomas R. Harkin communications and visitor center – and, yes, that is Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa.
. . . [Read More] Tags:Blanche Lincoln, border fence, border security, illegal aliens, Middle East, omnibus bill, Politics, terrorismTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Senate reconvened at 11:30 AM today No more roll call votes are expected in the Senate this session.
Last night, the Senate confirmed judge John Tinder of Indiana to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition, the Senate passed a $555 billion omnibus spending bill (H.R. 2764, formerly the State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill) by a vote of 76-17, after senators adopted an amendment 70-25 by Sens. McConnell and Lieberman to add $70 billion to fund the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the first vote of the evening, cloture was not invoked on the House-passed omnibus bill, which did not include Iraq funding. Prior to passing the McConnell-Lieberman amendment, the Senate rejected an amendment by Sens. Feingold and Reid to begin a withdrawal from Iraq and cut off funding for the war by a vote of 24-71. Also rejected was an amendment offered by Sen. Levin to express the sense of Congress that troops in Iraq should be transitioned “to a more limited set of missions.”
The Washington Post reported, “Democrats had vowed only weeks ago to withhold any Iraq-specific money unless strict timelines for troop withdrawal were established, but they instead chose, on a 70 to 25 vote, to remove what appeared to be the final obstacle to sending the spending bill to the White House, where Bush has indicated he will sign it.”
For the second time, the Senate rejected a patch to the alternative minimum tax that would have simultaneously raised taxes. Democrats failed to include an AMT patch coupled with tax hikes in the bill, so it is now up to the House to pass the Senate version of the patch, which prevents over 20 million taxpayers from being affected by the AMT without raising taxes.
Democrats appear to have even decided to throw in the towel on SCHIP, according to The Hill today: “After coming up short in their efforts to enact a $35 billion expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) — enduring two presidential vetoes along the way — congressional Democrats signed off on Republican demands to extend the program until 2009.” Tags:confirmed judge, John Tinder, 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, omnibus funding 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!
Richard Collins of www.StopHerNow.com reads from "'Twas The Night Before Iowa," a take off of "'Twas The Night Before Christmas"
Tags:Election 2008, Hillary Clinton, Iowa, political humor, political videoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
The Unites States, the world's most famous carbon junkie, is reducing emissions-without any new laws. Watch the below Journal Editorial Report: ---- VIDEO NO LONGER AVAILABLE!
Tags:auto emission standards, carbon dioxide, global warming, Kyoto Protocol, United States
Excerpts from article by Chuck Balwin addresses the supporters who raised over $6 million Sunday in support of presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul for the Republican nomination:
. . . if one listens to most of the political pundits in the major media, Ron Paul is some kind of "kook," and his supporters are also a bunch of "kooks." So, the question must be asked, Just who are these kooks that are supporting him, and why are they giving Ron Paul all this money? . . .
Former President Ronald Reagan said . . . , "Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country."Perhaps this helps explain why many of the "kooks" supporting Ron Paul are active-duty military personnel. In fact, Ron Paul has received more campaign contributions from active-duty military personnel than any other Presidential candidate from either party.
. . . So, who are these "kooks" who are sending Ron Paul so much money? . . . They are rank-and-file, tax-paying citizens who are sick and tired of out-of-control federal spending and deficits. They have had it with an arrogant federal government that runs roughshod over both the Constitution and the liberties of the American people. They are people who have had enough of the IRS, the BATFE, and a thousand other federal agencies that have "erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance." (Declaration of Independence)
They are people who see through the phony, disingenuous federal politicians who only want to fleece the American citizenry for the purpose of building their own personal fortunes. They have had it with the Military-Industrial complex that desires to build international empires at the expense of the blood and sacrifice of the American people. They have had it with David Rockefeller and his Council on Foreign Relations. They have had it with the arrogance of George W. Bush and Nancy Pelosi.
They are sick and tired of paying outlandish taxes for a public education system that produces high school graduates who cannot read and write. They are sick and tired of working for 30 years to pay off a mortgage, only then to be forced to pay extortion money (a.k.a. property taxes) for the rest of their lives to the feudal state. They are sick and tired of the government telling them what they can and cannot do with their own property. They are sick and tired of watching people with food stamps buy T-bone steaks and expensive Nike tennis shoes while they are forced to buy fatty hamburger and cheap sneakers.
They are sick and tired of watching their manufacturing jobs go to China and India. They have had it with money-hungry businessmen who hire illegal Mexicans at slave labor wages. They have had it with labor unions promoting politicians who support NAFTA, CAFTA, and the FTAA. They are sick and tired of being bled dry at the gas pump.
They have had it with this phony "war on terrorism" that sends trillions of dollars to nations throughout the Middle East, but refuses to close our own borders to illegal immigration. They have had it with the "war on drugs" and the "war on terror" being used as excuses to trample people's freedoms. They have it with Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderon. They have had it with Bush's North American Union. . . . In short, they have just had it! . . . This is the beginning of a movement. No matter what ultimately happens to Ron Paul's candidacy, the fight to return America to its roots of freedom and independence has started. The fire is lit. There is no putting it out. . . . . [Read More]
Tags:Chuck Baldwin, Election 2008, Ron PaulTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
ARRA: Are Democrats Preparing to Sock 23 Million Middle-Class Americans with Massive Tax Hike? Check out Rep. Steny Hoyer's comments today: by Mike Soraghan, The Hill: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) hinted Tuesday that Congress may not be able to stop a big tax increase from hitting 23 million Americans. Hoyer, pressed on whether Congress would resolve disputes over the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), said, “Maybe.” . . . Hoyer’s statement came the morning after nearly 30 conservative Blue Dog Democrats signaled their discontent with the Senate AMT plan by voting with Republicans against an adjournment resolution. . . . “There’s no deal” with the Blue Dogs. . . .
Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) [said] . . . Hoyer’s remarks “another reminder that the Democrat majority’s priorities do not reflect those of the American people.” “Democrats created the AMT, repeatedly voted against Republican efforts to abolish it entirely, and have failed to stop it’s impending assault on 23 million middle-class American taxpayers,” he said. . . . An AMT patch must be passed soon to avoid a big tax hike. By waiting as long as they have, lawmakers have already raised the risk of a tax-filing mess that could provide fodder for political attacks. The IRS says it needs seven weeks from the time the president signs the AMT patch into law to update its forms and re-program its computers. . . [Read More] Tags:alternative minimum tax, AMT, Democrats, increased taxes, US HouseTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Some months ago, a leftwing group had filed a lawsuit seeking access to White House records and Secret Service visitor logs, specifically seeking to find out how many times James Dobson, Jerry Falwell and I had met with President Bush and his top advisors. The implication was clear: that our democracy is seriously undermined when Christians speak with the president! Yesterday, a federal judge ruled in the group's favor, evidently accepting the argument that it is in the best interests of the nation to know whether Christians - gasp! -- are being let into the White House. Would they care if the president met with Reverend Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson?
Seriously, folks, can you imagine the chilling effect this case may create? Will politicians and future presidents be willing to meet with evangelical, Catholic or Jewish leaders at the risk of lawsuits from leftwing outfits seeking their records? This is just one more attempt, and part of a larger effort by the Left, to intimidate and marginalize men and women of faith - as if we had nothing to contribute to the public policy debates in America or shouldn't even be allowed to participate in the great debates of our time.
Tags:anti-christian, Christian Faith, Gary BauerTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: FairTax.org has launched an new calculator which allows users to determine their tax savings under the FairTax system. It was noted in testing the calculator that it may take more than the purported 5 minutes for those who wish to gather past tax info. But having your last years return present will speed the process. However, for a majority it will probably take less than the advertised time.
Public interest in the FairTax movement has grown because of grassroots supporters who are tired of the invasive nature of the IRS and of their labors being taxes for increasing social and entitlement programs for others while the rest of society does not bear their fair share. Also the endorsement and support by potential presidential candidates has continued to push the FairTax to the forefront. Try out the FairTax calculator at fairtax.org/calculator. Tags:calculator, FairTax Plan, savingsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by David Aikman, Suffocating the Faithful: American Christians love to hear about areas of the world where Christianity is growing by leaps and bounds. Conversions are daily statistics in many African nations, as in South America, India, and China. According to some credible estimates, China's Christian population has multiplied by an astounding 3,200% since 1949, now nearing 130 million believers. . . . However, . . .
Middle Eastern Christianity has been in steady decline for decades. In some local areas, officials record declines of 75% or more. Recent violence in the region is accelerating that decline. Some observers estimate that the region's population of 10 to 15 million Christians will continue to spiral downward during the next 50 years.
Egyptian Christians are known, have suffered from oppressive legal restrictions. 8 to 16% [are Christian]. Those few Muslims who wish to become Christians experience intense persecution. Many Christians in Egypt are seeking a new future in the West.
Until half a century ago, Lebanon was the only Middle Eastern country with a Christian majority. Now, estimated 39% (1.4 million) today. Lebanon's Christians, mostly Maronites (Eastern Rite Catholics), have been traumatized by the killings of Christian politicians and the work of the terrorist group Hezbollah, and have thus fled the country.
In Bethlehem, now under Palestinian authority, Christians have shrunk from 85% in 1948 to around 15% today. In Palestinian-controlled areas, Christians number about 60,000, less than 2% of the overall population of 3.9 million. Many live in Christian villages with debilitated economies.
Christians in Iraq are currently at the greatest risk. Under dictator Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi government protected the ancient Christian community of Chaldeans and Assyrians (1.2 million). All have suffered from the sectarian strife between Sunni and Shiite Muslims that has engulfed the country. Christians by the tens of thousands are among the 2 million Iraqi refugees in Jordan and Syria. It is one of the great unintended consequences of the war in Iraq. . . . [Read More]
Tags:Christians, Iraq War, Middle EastTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
From Senate & News Sources: Senate will take up the omnibus spending bill to fund the government passed by the House last night. Clearly, this is not a bill Republicans would have written, but as The Wall Street Journal reports today, the bill “effectively surrender[s] 80% of what Democrats once hoped to add to the president's top line. . . . lawmakers are now prepared to cut $17.5 billion from prior House-passed bills, and most domestic agencies will grow at a less-than-inflation 2% rate.” The Politico, in a story titled, “Liberals lose big time in budget battle,” notes that “Under a veto threat, Democrats removed the reversal of a long-standing anti-abortion provision, abandoned long-sought provisions that would have loosened travel and trade restrictions on Cuba and deleted a line item demanded by unions that would have required federal contractors to pay union wages in disaster areas like New Orleans.”
The House Democrat Omnibus bill (better than it could be is still terrible) is loaded with over 8000 pork funding items while it does not currently fund troops in Iraq which will have to be added. The House voted last night to include only $30 billion for Afghanistan operations but prohibited that money from being used for Iraq. The Democrat majority omnibus must include funding for the troops in Iraq. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell will offer an amendment today to strike the Democrats’ funding restrictions and replace them with a total of $70 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan, with no strings attached. The White House has said President Bush will only sign the bill if Sen. McConnell’s amendment is adopted.
Sen. Harry Reid will decide which amendments are in order and could allow Iraq withdrawal amendments to be considered in addition to the McConnell amendment. If that is the case, Senators could vote once again on something similar to the Levin amendment, which requires a withdrawal to begin with a goal to be completed by a certain date. Also possible is the Feingold amendment which requires a withdrawal and sets a deadline for completion.
On The Floor: Senate reconvened at 10 AM today and used 90 minutes for senators to pay tribute to Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) who is retiring. Later today, the Senate will take up the House-passed Omnibus appropriations bill (H.R. 2764, formerly the State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill). Yesterday, the Senate invoked cloture (76-10) on the motion to proceed to the FISA reform bill passed by the Intelligence Committee (S. 2248). However, a filibuster by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) has forced Democrats to delay further consideration of bill into January. Tags:omnibus spending 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!
Hillary Clinton has now decided the way to get our votes is to make us like her…. How that working for you the readers?
Hillary Rodham Clinton waves from a helicopter
after speaking at a campaign stop in Iowa.
But this is Hillary campaign video pushing it!
As radio host Bob Parks points out: With all this like-ability stuff being pushed on us, don't forget the "vast, right wing conspiracy" smear, and all those 900+ FBI files being hidden away in the private residence of the Clinton White House . . . . Hillary Clinton is just not that nice. If she was, she wouldn't have to throw her mother and daughter in our faces to prove it. Tags:Democrat, Election 2008, Hillary Clinton, Politics, presidential candidate, videoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Huckabee Campaign Ad: What really matters Update: Media negative on Christmas [Video]
Former Governor Huckabee in a new campaign ad shares his holiday greeting on what really matters this Christmas season.
Update: Huckabee has been accused of putting a cross in the background of his ad. The 'cross' they find offensive is nothing more than a bookcase. The critics say also the three lights stand for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! What is disappointing is that the media grabs such a concoction and makes big news out of this ad.
Tags:Christmas, Election 2008, Media, Mike Huckabee, political video, presidential candidateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Source - GOPUSA: At opposite sides of New Hampshire, John McCain faced two corporate audiences in two college towns earlier this month. Only one topic came up in both places when he starting taking questions: illegal immigration. The Republican presidential hopeful gets so many questions -- sometimes hostile -- about immigration at his town hall meetings that he quips, ''This meeting is adjourned,'' before explaining his position at length. It was the first question asked when he visited the spacious headquarters of C&S Wholesale Grocers, a multibillion-dollar grocery supplier in Keene. A day earlier, an employee at a gleaming printing press manufacturer in Durham appeared skeptical after hearing him explain his stance, which prompted McCain to give her a chance to respond. . . . [Read More] Tags:Election 2008, GOP, GOPUSA, illegal immigration, Iowa, John Mccain, New HampshireTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
"Second String Republicans": . . . Mature candidates don't fall into the same old traps and don't make the same mistakes made before. We are seeing a lot of this right now. . . . Mike Huckabee latest salvo against President Bush shows his lack of maturity. First of all, a freebie to Mike: President Bush isn't on the ballot. Let it go. Bashing Bush may make for premium media attention, as most bash him privately when they're not doing so either on print or on television. But the very issues Mike Huckabee is criticizing are the exact positions he'll be taking when going up against a potential Pelosi-led congress. Just because Mike's last name isn't Bush, doesn't mean she'll ease up on the brother.
Also, Huckabee's comment on religion and Mitt Romney's "well received" speech on the subject is also playing into the liberal bear trap. Why? Besides the "negative attacks" hurled at Obama by Clinton operatives, how many questions have Democrat candidates had to answer in debates on religion? Google "democrats religion" and you won't find any kind of faith-based answer by a Democrat. They have none, thus it's a media manufactured issue. . . . Democrats are asked questions on domestic issues they "champion", while Republicans are made to answer for issues the media deem irritating; unpopular questions about the "faltering" economy, religion, abortion, and the war. Questions designed to put our candidates on the defensive.
. . .Does anyone care about Hillary's religious views? No, because it isn't important. Republicans, like clockwork, get caught up in the family values recitation that sets us up as hypocrites because of the Mark Foleys and Larry Craigs. No Democrat candidate has been asked to seriously address the Congressional Page scandal under their watch, because Democrats don't run on values. They can't. Most of the time, they have none, thus they get the media pass.
. . . But Mike Huckabee has fallen face first in the media's attempt to maintain our dwindling interest, thus it was a dumb move on his part. It shows a lack of vision and discipline. You Republicans are running FOR President of the United States. You are not running against a particular Democrat or liberal policy. You are not running for or against the war. In fact, you are not running for any topic driven by a media that is our enemy. And you are NOT RUNNING AGAINST PRESIDENT BUSH! That should be obvious. As it is not to Mike Huckabee, his electability should be questioned. . . . [Read More]
Tags:Bob Parks, Election 2008, Outside the Wire, presidential candidates, RepublicanTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
On yesterday's Meet the Press with Tim Russert, former Gov. Mitt Romney claimed he was previously endorsed by the National Rifle Association (NRA). Such is not the case. Mitt Romney was not endorsed by the NRA. The following excerpt from Washington Post highlighted Romney's error in recalling something he did not have. He joins Huckabee in the contest of fabrications of achievements.
by Michael D. Shear, Washington Post: In answer to questions about whether he would sign an assault weapons ban, Romney said: "Just as the president said, he would have, he would have signed that bill if it came to his desk, and so would have I. And, and, and yet I also was pleased to have the support of the NRA when I ran for governor. I sought it, I seek it now. I'd love to have their support."
Later in the interview, he added the following: "I just talked about, about guns. I told you what my position was, and what I, what I did as governor; the fact that I received the endorsement of the NRA."
The problem? He was never endorsed by the NRA, and didn't have their official support during his 2002 gubernatorial campaign. The NRA declined to endorse in that race, as was acknowledged by Romney's spokesman this morning.
"The NRA did not endorse in the 2002 campaign," said spokesman Kevin Madden, when asked about Romney's comments. "Mitt Romney as a candidate received a respectable B grade rating from the NRA, and when he was governor he had the support of the NRA and the Gun Owners Action League in relaxing some of the state's burdensome licensing regulations." . . . [Read More]
The ARRA supports the election of Republicans. But we also call on the GOP presidents candidates to stop the fabrication of facts or as this editor's mother would have said: "this is not just a fabrication - this is lying - stop it right now!" Tags:Election 2008, errors, GOP, Mitt Romney, National Rifle Association, NRA, presidential candidatesTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Update: Ron Paul Campaign raises $4.5 $6 million in "1" day
Update to yesterday's report:In the last 4 1/2 hours of their fund raising, the Ron Paul campaign raised an additional $1.5 million.Result: in a 24-hour period on December 16, the campaign raised $6.026 million dollars, surpassing the one-day record of $5.7 million held by John Kerry. During the day, over 58,000 people contributed to Dr. Paul’s campaign, including 24,940 first-time donors. Over 118,000 Americans have donated to the campaign in the fourth quarter. The $6 million one-day total means the campaign has raised over $18 million this quarter, far exceeding its goal of $12 million.
For many Republicans, Ron Paul may not be their "cup of tea." But for many others as well as many libertarians, Constitution party activists and independents, he has their attention. And they are putting their money and numbers to work. Other candidates must be envious of the Ron Paul's influence and ability to raise campaign funds without even worrying about it or pleading for money Today, on a Sunday, the Ron Paul Presidential Campaign again broke another record in fund raising.
With two weeks remaining in the fourth quarter, the Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign has blown past its $12 million fourth quarter fundraising goal. As of 7:30 pm, the campaign had raised over $4.5 million today and over $16 million for the fourth quarter. The campaign had received over 41,000 donations – including over 17,000 first time donors – today, for over $4.5 million. That total beats the previous Republican one-day record set on November 5, when supporters donated $4.2 million in a 24 hour period.
With its historic fundraising day, the campaign has now received over 110,000 donations in the fourth quarter, with two weeks remaining. Live totals are available online. The one-day donation event was organized by independent supporters for the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. The Boston Tea Party signaled a revolution - is there another one in the making? We will see when the votes are in in the upcoming primaries. Tags:campaign funds, Election 2008, presidential candidate, Republican, Ron Paul
From Senate & News Sources: Congress is left with critical issuesto resolve before Christmas. Most importantly, our troops putting their lives on the line in Iraq and Afghanistan need to get the funds to properly do their jobs. In a video below, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell calls on this Congress to pass funds for the troops by Christmas.
The alternative minimum tax remains unresolved which means 23 million taxpayers could be hit with the AMT next year. The Democrats’ dithering in passing a patch has already guaranteed delays in processing $75 million in tax refunds. House Democrats initially included billions in tax hikes to offset the AMT patch but the Senate rejected that approach and sent the House a bill that included no tax increases. Sen. McConnell addresses this situation in a video below.
Senate will work on a critical FISA reform bill today. Some Democrats have objected to the inclusion of immunity protections for telecommunications companies. But Sen. Bond, Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee has pointed out that “We can’t have an effective intelligence system for electronic collection unless we have protection and cooperation of carriers.”
On The Floor: Senate reconvened at 10 AM today and resumed consideration of the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the FISA reform bill (S. 2248). A vote on the cloture motion is expected at noon. S. 2248 is the bipartisan bill passed by the Senate Intelligence Committee. The Senate Judiciary Committee will have a substitute amendment to the bill that is expected to be debated. In a Statement of Administration Policy released today, the White House wrote, “the Senate Judiciary Committee reported an amendment to the [FISA reform] bill that would have devastating consequences to the Intelligence Community’s ability to detect and prevent terrorist attacks and to protect the Nation from other national security threats.” Accordingly, the president would likely veto the bill if the Judiciary Committee language is included.
Tags:FISA reform bill, AMT, 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!
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.
William J. Murray, Chairman Religious Freedom Coalition: The Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the leader of the Anglican Church, said that Jesus was probably not born in a manger, that there were no animals present and there was "probably" no snow as most Nativity Scenes depict. HMMM ... The photograph at left is of my daughter Katie standing in front of the entrance to the Old City in Jerusalem. As you can see the ground is covered with snow. The day the photo was taken we were to have been in Bethlehem but could not get there because of the snow. If the good Bishop doesn't know that it snows in Bethlehem what does he know about the Nativity Scene? His comments can be found here.
