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 29, 2007
Thompson & Huckabee Fire on Press
Were the candidates really firing on press? Yes - but the difference is that Huckabee erroneously fired a shotgun over the heads of the campaign press corps and Fred with a forthright friendly nature fired a friendly snowball at a reporter. The first could have resulted in the deadly end to a candidates career, whereas the second may have gained the respect of at least one reporter.
Jim Tankersley in The Swamp reported on the "Huckabee's muzzle control problem" where Huckabee accidentally fired his shotgun over the heads of reporters. A rather bad thing for any hunter let alone and "experienced one." Tankersley identifies some consequences for hunters if they had made this potential fatal error. If I had made this mistake (obviously without press) while Pheasant hunting as a teen, after a few choice words from my dad, I would have lost my my hunting privileges for a year. And if I had joked about it, the consequences would have been drastic.
In a separate incident, Fred Thompson in good natured fun defended a staffer in a snowball fight. Friendly snowball fights were always acceptable in my youth. Video below:
Tags:Election 2008, Fred Thompson, hunting, Mike Huckabee, snowballs, videoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Hat Tip to Erick at Red State: . . . Jill Lawrence, no doubt feeling slighted by the campaign for not getting a one on one with FDT, had her revenge in USA Today. She writes:
Bill Theobald of Gannett News Service … quotes [Fred Thompson] saying he doesn't like modern campaigning, isn't that interested in running for president and "will not be devastated" if he doesn't win.
After putting that up, she had to correct herself when Bill Theobald told her she got it wrong.
Bill calls to clarify that Thompson said he doesn't like the process of running for president but he does want to BE president.
Perhaps she could have gotten it right the first time. After all, it wasn't even her own first hand reporting. She was reporting on what another reporter reported. Maybe if she didn't feel her ego had been slighted by the Thompson campaign she would have tried to, you know, get it right the first time.
By the way, the Thompson camp was kind enough to send me a transcript so we can see for ourselves just how inaccurate Jill Lawrence's third hand reporting was. The question was, "Do you want to be President?" Based on the question and just the first ten words, you'd think Jill Lawrence could have gotten it right:
"The first place, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. I wouldn’t be doing this. I grew up in very modest circumstances. I left government and I and my family have made sacrifices to be sitting here today. I haven’t had any income for a long time because I figured to be clean, you’ve got to cut everything off. I was doing speaking engagements and I had a contract to do a tv show. I had a contract with ABC radio…and so forth. A man would have to be a total fool to do all those things and to be leaving his family which is not a joyful thing if he didn’’t want to do it. I am not consumed by personal ambition. I will not be devastated if I don’t do it. I want the people to have the best president they can have."
Tags:Forth Estate, Fred Thompson, media bias, Red StateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Military.com, AP: President Bush on Friday used a "pocket veto" to reject a sweeping defense bill because he dislikes a provision that would expose the Iraqi government to expensive lawsuits seeking damages from the Saddam Hussein era. In a statement, Bush said the legislation "would imperil billions of dollars of Iraqi assets at a crucial juncture in that nation's reconstruction efforts." The president's objections focused on a provision deep within legislation that sets defense policy for the coming year and approves $696 billion in spending, including $189 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also in the legislation were improved veterans benefits and tighter oversight of contractors and weapons programs. . . .
In a message to Congress, the president said he was sending the bill and his outline of objections to the House clerk "to avoid unnecessary litigation about the non-enactment of the bill that results from my withholding approval, and to leave no doubt that the bill is being vetoed." . . . The disputed section of the bill would reshape Iraq's immunity to lawsuits, exposing the new government to litigation in U.S. courts stemming from treatment of Americans in Iraq during Saddam's reign. Even cases that had once been rejected could be refiled. Bush's aides warned of a dire scenario - a rush of litigation that could freeze tens of billions of dollars in Iraqi assets being held in U.S. banks. Money at the heart of the Iraqi rebuilding effort would be tied up in court, potentially halting the very stabilization efforts that could get U.S. troops home faster, the aides said. . . . [Read More] Tags:military defense, President. George W. Bush, vetoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Update On Arkansas Delegation who were amoung the lowest users of tax money for mailings: Rep. Vic Snyder (D-AR 2nd Dist) spent more than $34,000 last year. Snyder's was 282nd lowest on the list of 436 lawmakers. Mike Ross (D-AR 4th Dist) spent about $32,800 on mailings; Marion Berry (D-AR 3rd Dist) $15,500, though he didn't send out any mass mailings to his constituents, and John Boozman (R-AR 1st Dist) spent about $13,700. Washington Post (AP): U.S. House members spent $20.3 million in tax money last year to send constituents what's often the government equivalent of junk mail — meeting announcements, tips on car care and job interviews, surveys on public policy and just plain bragging. They sent nearly 116 million pieces of mail in all, many of them glossy productions filled with flattering photos and lists of the latest roads and bridges the lawmaker has brought home to the district, an Associated Press review of public records shows. Some offered advice on topics one would more commonly expect to see in a consumer-advice column. . . . former Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-GA, who lost her primary race after a high-profile scuffle with a Capitol Hill police officer last year, sent out a taxpayer-funded newsletter a few months before the election that included this simple observation: "Convicted felons can vote," she said, if "your" prison sentence has been served, parole or probation completed and fines paid. . . . The franking privilege is one of the main cogs in Congress' PR machine." Franking, practiced since the early days of the republic, lets members of Congress send mail with just a signature where the postage would normally be affixed. . . . [Read More] Tags:Congress, mail, mailings, franking privilege, mail, US Congress, US House, Washington D.C.To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA): ...Feinstein reviewed military construction government contracts, some of which were ultimately awarded to URS Corporation and Perini, companies then owned by Feinstein's husband, Richard Blum...
Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR): ...“[Huckabee’s] career has also been colored by 14 ethics complaints and a volley of questions about his integrity, ranging from his management of campaign cash to his use of a nonprofit organization to subsidize his income to his destruction of state computer files on his way out of the governor’s office...”
Senator Barack Obama (D-IL): ...n 2007, more reports surfaced of deeper and suspicious business and political connections It was reported that just two months after he joined the Senate, Obama purchased $50,000 worth of stock in speculative companies whose major investors were his biggest campaign contributors. One of the companies was a biotech concern that benefited from legislation Obama pushed...
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): ...snuck a $25 million gift to her husband, Paul Pelosi, in a $15 billion Water Resources Development Act recently passed by Congress. The pet project involved renovating ports in Speaker Pelosi's home base of San Francisco. Pelosi just happens to own apartment buildings near the areas targeted for improvement, and will almost certainly experience a significant boost in property value as a result of his wife's earmark...
Senator Harry Reid (D-NV): ...over the last four years, Reid has used his influence in Washington to help a developer, Havey Whittemore, clear obstacles for a profitable real estate deal. As the project advanced, the Times reported, “Reid received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Whittemore.” Whittemore also hired one of Reid’s sons (Leif) as his personal lawyer...
Don't draw conclusions before reading the whole list. I've highlighted Huckabee and Obama (among presidential candidates) because their cases have received less scrutiny to date. It's worth noting however, that Mayor Giuliani and Senator Clinton earned places on the list as well. . . . Lisa Myers of NBC news looked at the Huckabee accusations. In general, they involve a failure to disclose otherwise legal gifts; the receipt by Huckabee of a large number of gifts (valued at twice his annual salary one year), and Huckabee's appointing of some gift givers to unpaid state commissions. Huckabee's defense -- both on his site and to Fox News -- is that he was being hounded by Democrats upset at having a Republican finally win a statewide office in Arkansas. One conservative critic characterized Huckabee's actions as 'Clintonesque.' . . . [Read More] Tags:Judicial Watch, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, The Weekly StandardTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Fred Thmpson Superior Understanding of Foreign Policy Issues
The following Fox News reported interview with Fred Thompson concerning the assassination of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto displayed Fred Thompson's superior understanding of foreign policy and global foreign policy issues and problems. Note also that Fred Thompson has been an outspoken advocate for taking the war against Islamic radicals serious. Today the British Telegraph reported that Pakistan has said it has proof that Benazir Bhutto was murdered by al-Qa'eda. An interior ministry spokesman, citing an intercepted phone call, said the killing had been ordered by Baitullah Mehsud, a terrorist allied to the movement.
Tags:foreign policy, Fox News, Fred Thompson, PakistanTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Hat tip to Allahpundit, Hot Air for comments on the following two video ads by Mike Huckabee:
Both solid, the second more so than the first because (a) I don’t trust him [Huckabee] on immigration, although Iowans less familiar with his record probably will, and (b) the personal aspect of the second one calls for sincerity, which Huck has an uncanny ability to project. If I were his campaign manager, I’d jettison the cookie-cutter format of these ads and simply have him give minute-long speechlets while looking into the camera. He’s that good. . . . Give the guy his own spotlight, wind him up and let him go. . . . you can’t help but find yourself looking for reasons to vote for him.
Tags:Arkansas, 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!
The ARRA News Service often has excerpts of articles written by conservative Joseph Farah. For this reason, we felt his endorsement and comments noteworthy.
Joseph Farah: Last week, Tancredo withdrew from the race and endorsed Mitt Romney for the presidency. This was a huge mistake by Tancredo. I'm sure he had his reasons. He said he wanted to find a top-tier candidate who was strongest on his pet issue. But, this is the primary season. In the primary season, Americans should pay little attention to the polls and select the very best candidate possible. Actual votes decide who is selected as the party nominees – not polls. . . .
Therefore, today I make a new, personal endorsement for the Republican nomination – Duncan Hunter. I do so with no hesitancy. I do so with great enthusiasm. In fact, I have previously made it clear just how much admiration and respect I have for Hunter.
He's my guy because on all the major issues facing this country, Hunter is right. And he is a proven leader who gets the job done.
Illegal immigration and border security: Duncan Hunter takes a backseat to no one on this issue . . . He took the initiative long ago to protect the citizens of his own San Diego area by building a virtually impenetrable fence that has cut down human trafficking in the area by nearly 100 percent.
Threat of Islamo-fascism: Hunter recognizes the gravity of the war in which America finds itself, whether we like it or not. Hunter has a strong military background and would make an effective leader in a conflict that will not go away unless we destroy the enemy.
Our cultural meltdown: Hunter rejects the madness of political correctness and multiculturalism that is ripping America apart at the seams. He is a man of God who will stand for what is morally right no matter the consequences.
The economy: Duncan Hunter will fight the mindless globalization that is destroying jobs in America and transferring them abroad – bringing in return cheap goods that are often unsafe and little more than junk. He will also cut taxes and revamp the unfair and highly intrusive tax system – both of which will stimulate the American economy.
Matters of life and death: Hunter is steadfastly and consistently pro-life – at both ends of the life spectrum.
There is much more to say about his excellent record and his fearless championing of all that is good and decent about America. The point is this: We don't have to settle for less. We don't have to settle for an imitation of the real thing. We don't have to settle for someone who is right most of the time. Duncan Hunter is the real deal. Support him now – so we don't have to compromise later.
Tags:Duncan Hunter, Election 2008, endorsement, Joseph Farah, presidential candidateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Message from AOL: Checkout the the AOL online poll "Vote Your Pick for President." AOL claims voting is "spam-proofed" -- only one vote is allowed per IP address. The poll is active until 04 January 2008. Tags:Election 2008, online polls, presidential candidates, AOLTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
CNN provides an interesting opportunity for Mike Huckabee to push for votes using dead pheasants as an illustration: "These three birds said they would not vote for me on caucus night. See what happened to them? . . . You vote for me, you live -- hum - there you go!"
Tags:CNN, Election 2008, hunting, Mike Huckabee, presidential candidate, videoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
In a significant event in just days ahead of the Iowa caucus, the Ottumwa Courier Editorial Board endorsed Fred Thompson for the Republican Caucus. The paper is an important Iowa newspaper read by both city and rural farm people. You may recall Ottumwa gained national recognition as the home of Cpl. Walter "Radar" O'Reilly (played by Gary Burghoff) on the TV series hit "MASH." In the endorsement, the Courier identified that ". . . despite the pitfalls of the rough and tumble world of politics, the Republican says Washington, D.C. needs a “consistent” conservative to lead the United States into a new direction. Thompson is unapologetic on his views and is a straight-shooter. . . " [Read More] Tags:Election 2008, endorsement, Fred Thompson, Iowa, Ottumwa, presidential candidate, RepublicanTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Patrick Oxford, Rudy Giuliani Presidential Comm.: During World War II, America's greatest generation overcame insurmountable odds to defeat Nazi tyranny in Europe and Japanese imperialism in the Pacific. Their courage, strength and perseverance demonstrated to the world the American spirit can never be broken, and when united there is nothing the American people cannot accomplish together. Now, 62 years later, America faces tyranny in a different form. Islamic extremists threaten our way of life, instilling fear throughout the world. On the day of Sept 11, 2001, al-Qaeda believed they could bring our nation to its knees. Amid the ashes of that tragedy, America stood together ready to prevail against tyranny once again.
As President, Rudy will keep America on offense in the Terrorists' War on Us. He is committed to achieving victory in Iraq and will see that the people of Afghanistan never relive the brutal oppression of the Taliban. The greatest generation taught all Americans that surrender is not an option. Below is a new television ad about the greatness of the American people called "Freedom."
Tags:campaign ad, Election 2008, Freedom, GOP, presidential candidates, Rudy Giuliani, TVTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
As reported by KeepArkansasLegal: Mexican illegal immigrant Lindi sat down with her husband Marco Antonio in the weeks before Christmas to decide when to go back to Mexico. She has spent three years working as a hairdresser in and around Phoenix, but now she figures it is time to go back to her hometown of Aguascalientes in central Mexico. "The situation has got so tough that there don't seem to be many options left for us," Lindi, who asked for her last name not to be used, told Reuters. The couple are among a growing number of illegal immigrants across the United States who are starting to pack their bags and move on as a crackdown on undocumented immigrants widens and the U.S. economy slows, turning a traditional Christmas trek home into a one-way trip. . . . [Read More]Tags:illegal immigrants, self deportingTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Dr. Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: The Daily Kos is seeking to defeat Rep John Boozman, Arkansas 3rd District U.S. Congressman. Rep. Boozman has done an excellent job as Congressman and has served both Arkansas and the 3rd District, principally a Republican district, effectively.
To initiate the controversy, Daily Kos posted an article by Democrat Drew Prittaddressing his brother Sgt Dave Pritt possible run for office. As both a former military SSgt and retired officer (Major, USAF), I commend Sgt Dave Pritt current service in Iraq. However, brother Drew presents the usual liberal tirade claiming there will be "attack pages or mercilessly talk about you on the blogs and lie....lie....lie. I also know the Republicans play dirty....dirtier than a pig....there's even a book out by a Republican operative entitled HOW TO RIG ELECTIONS." Now who is the one doing the attacks.
Even though Rep. John Boozman has supported funding and support for our troops in the fields, worked for improved veteran's benefits, addressed concerns on the war against international terrorism, and supported securing our borders (definitely not a Bush-Cheney agenda item), Drew Pritt attacks Rep. Boozman as "one of the Bush-Cheney Administration's biggest rubber stamps." Boozman currently serves on three House committees: Veterans Affairs, Transportation & Infrastructure and Foreign Affairs. In the 109th Congress, he was appointed Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee which focuses on ensuring veterans have a smooth transition to civilian life. In the 110th Congress, Boozman returned as a leader of the subcommittee, this time as the groups ranking member. These are not positions that would fall to a junior member of Congress. Drew admits he has run for many offices -- and lost! In his comments, he is letting his liberal bias taint his brother's potential run for office. His rhetoric may be one of the reasons, he lost his own party nomination in the past. If he continues, he will definitely assist Boozman on to another victory and return to Congress.
I am pleased, Drew is proud of his brother's military service in Iraq (unusual for most anti-war liberals). Sergeants perform tasks and direct the troops under them per the orders of the senior sergeants and officers. Service as an enlisted person is not a qualification for Congress especially for one returning directly from the battle field. Rep. (Dr.) John Boozman has already exhibited proven leadership representing Arkansas. Unlike, Drew Pritt who apparently does not wish well for Representative John Boozman re-election, I wish Sergeant Dave Pritt both a safe return to his family and an easy re-introduction to his community (Something Rep. Boozman has already worked diligently to support). Tags:Arkansas, DailyKos, John Boozman, liberals, US Congress, veterans
Tags:Election 2008, Larry Wright, political cartoon, Politics, presidential candidates, primaryTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Fred Thompson for President
Campaign TV Ad: "Substance"
Crunch Time in Iowa
by JP Westerberg
Tags:ad, Election 2008, Fred Thompson, Iowa, presidential candidate, substance, TVTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families: Ron Paul's performance on Meet the Press Sunday was a disaster. Host Tim Russert forced Paul to concede that he too had loaded up spending bills with "earmarks" that would benefit only his district. He then tried to argue, disingenuously in my view, that he was justified in doing so because he would later vote against the bills, knowing full well that they would pass. But this hypocrisy was the least of Paul's problems. Before the interview was over, he said he would vote against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 if it came up today, admitted that he had called Ronald Reagan, "a dramatic failure," and insisted we shut down the CIA, the Department of Homeland Security and withdraw all U.S. troops from everywhere in the world. Our enemies must be praying he wins!
But the real kicker was his attack on Abraham Lincoln - the first Republican president in our nation's history. According to Paul, Lincoln should have just bought the slaves. I can't remember the last time, if ever, a Republican presidential candidate managed to attack both Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln in one interview, but Paul managed to pull it off. The real mystery is why anyone who loved Reagan could support this guy who is the exact opposite of what Reagan stood for. Tags:Abraham Lincoln, Election 2008, Gary Bauer, Meet the Press, presidential candidate, Ron Paul, Ronald Reagan, Tim RussertTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Phyllis Schlafly, Eagle Forum: Although the next presidential election won't take place until November 2008, and the nominating conventions won't convene until next August and September, the media have been covering the candidates all through 2007 as though they were running a horse race. What is it about presidential politics that evokes horse-race metaphors? The media have designated and re-designated the Republican "front-runner": McCain, then Romney, then Giuliani, then Huckabee. The media are also speculating whether Hillary will lose her front-runner status to Obama. . . .
Early in 2007, the media were confidently announcing that the presidential nominations of both parties would be locked up in the early primaries. It now appears just as likely that the early primaries will confirm the fact that Republicans are divided. Each of the five top-tier Republican candidates has received endorsements from important Republicans, some of whom have state Republican organizations to deliver delegates, and some with large grassroots constituencies. No poll shows any of these candidates with anywhere near a majority of Republican support. . . .
A relatively new book (2003) of political history called "Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield" may provide the model. Kenneth D. Ackerman tells the fascinating story of how the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago deadlocked, with three sets of delegates unwilling to abandon their first choice, and a totally unexpected non-candidate dark horse named James A. Garfield was nominated on the 36th ballot and then elected President. . . . Could Republicans be so divided going into the 2008 Convention that a dark horse could win the nomination? . . . [Read Complete Article] Tags:dark horse, Election 2008, GOP, Phyllis Schlafly, presidential candidates, RepublicanTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
CBS News:Secretary Of State Denounces GOP Hopeful's Characterization Of Bush Foreign Policy Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee accused the Bush administration of having a "bunker mentality" concerning foreign policy. In a brief foray into politics, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday denounced comments by a leading Republican presidential candidate that the Bush administration's foreign policy is arrogant and unilateral. "The idea that somehow this is a go-it-alone policy is just simply ludicrous," she said at a State Department news conference. "One would only have to be not observing the facts, let me say that, to say that this is now a go-it-alone foreign policy."
Rice did not mention Huckabee by name in her response and at first declined to respond, saying dismissively: "Look, I don't comment on other people's comments. I don't have time, all right. I really don't have time to worry about this." But she then launched into a vigorous defense of the administration's multilateral diplomatic efforts on Afghanistan, North Korea and Iran, and pointed to improving ties with traditional allies in Europe, some of which were strained by the Iraq war. . . . [Read More]
Tags:Condoleezza Rice, 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!
We Just Want a Frontrunner [Political Cartoon by Scott Stantis]
GOP asks Santa for a Front Runner
Tags:Merry Christmas, political cartoon, Scott StantisTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.." ~ John 3:16-17 Merry Christmas from the ARRA News Service editorial staff.
Tags:Christmas, Merry Christmas, 2007To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll -- Likely Republican Primary voters nationwide for the Republican Presidential Nomination: Mike Huckabee 19%, Rudy Giuliani 16%, John McCain 15%, Mitt Romney 15%, Fred Thompson 11% and Ron Paul 6% (recent daily numbers). Republican voters viewed favorably: Thompson 67%, McCain 65%, Giuliani 65%, Huckabee 64%, Romney 59%. Among all voters, McCain has the highest favorability ratings of any candidate in either party—55%. He is viewed favorably by 43% of Democrats and 60% of those not affiliated with either major party (key stats for allRepublicancandidates). 74% of Republican voters view Giuliani as politically moderate or liberal. Most also see McCain in that light and a plurality see Romney as moderate or liberal.
Likely Democratic Primary Voters nationwide for the Democratic Presidential Nomination:, Hillary Clinton 40%, Barack Obama 24%, John Edwards 15%. Bill Richardson 3%, Joe Biden 3%, and Dennis Kucinich 3%. (recent daily numbers). Democrats seelittle ideological difference between Clinton, Obama, and Edwards. 78% of Democrat favorable opinion: Clinton 78%. Obama 66%, and Edwards 63% (key stats for all Democratic candidates). . . . [Read More] Tags:Democrat, Election 2008, presidential candidates, Rasmussen Poll, Rasmussen Reports, RepublicanTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Telemarketers beware! General population rejoice. In a press release, Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) thanked U. S. Senate colleagues last Tuesday for passing by unanimous consent his legislation, the Do Not Call Extension Act, S. 781, to keep the national Do Not Call Registry free and effective, the Arkansas senator said in a news release. The House had also passed and supported his version of the bill. "Millions of Americans have signed up for the Do Not Call registry and today can enjoy dinner without interruption from telemarketers. My bill keeps the peace for them and ensures the registry remains free and effective for consumers," Pryor said. The registry offers consumers a break from telemarketers, Pryor said in the release. More than 146 million consumers have taken advantage of the Do Not Call Registry, Pryor said.
Prior also said in his release that The Federal Trade Commission's authority to fund the program through telemarketer fees expires soon - at the end of the year - and his legislation will reauthorize the FTC's ability to collect fees from telemarketers to cover the operational costs of the program permanently. Now, telemarketers pay $ 62 for each area code, with the first five area codes free and total fees capped at $ 17, 050. They are required to search the registry every month and drop from their call lists the phone numbers of consumers who have registered. Compliance with the registry has been high, but the FTC has brought enforcement action against 52 individuals and 73 corporate defendants, Pryor said in the news release. Violating the Do Not Call Registry subjects telemarketers to civil penalties of up to $ 11, 000 per violation. Tags:Mark Pryor, telemarketer, US Congress
by Steve Tetreault and Jason C. Green, Stephens Washington Bureau: Congress passed (314-100) and the President signed into law last week legislation to promote energy efficiency and the use of ethanol fuel as a substitute for gasoline. The bill was one of the final and most far-reaching accomplishments by Congress this year.
Requires automakers to increase the fuel efficiency of cars, small trucks and SUVs by 40 percent, to an average 35 miles per gallon by 2020.
Requires fuel companies to increase their use of ethanol and other biofuels to 36 billion gallons by 2022, a fivefold increase.
Calls for the phase-out of incandescent light bulbs beginning in 2012. In the short term they may be replaced by small fluorescent bulbs now on the market that supply as much light using less energy. . . . [Read More]
Tags:biofuels, energy bill, fuel efficiency, light bulbs, US Congress, US HouseTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Hat Tip to John Anderson, The Citizen's Journal for the following story. Although the related links and information are damaging we can only "hope" that Huckabee has used better judgement.
Huckabee accepted large sums of money from pharmaceutical company engaged in embryonic stem cell research as "consulting fees"
***** NewsBusters - MSM Ignoring Story on Huckabee Accepting Stem Cell Money
***** Mike Huckabee - "I believe it is wrong to create human life for the sole purpose of research.
"***** Glenn Reynolds- "I've got no problem with taking speaking fees from stem-cell research companies -- but it contradicts Huckabee's positions, doesn't it?
"***** "this report that Novo Nordisk -- the stem-cell company -- distributed 35,000 copies of Huckabee's book, translated into Spanish, for free. No word what Huckabee was paid; possibly nothing, possibly a lot. No doubt people will be asking the campaign about it." - Glenn Reynolds
***** Huck Accepted Large Sum from Company Engaging in Embryonic Stem Cell Research - American Pundit.
***** Mike Huckabee Another Bill Clinton?
Another Huckabee flip flop. They are supposedly researching a cure for diabetes. More inconsistencies and half truths from another man from Hope.This from Bob Krumm, "On April 13, 2007 Mike Huckabee was interviewed by the Des Moines Register. Among the questions was one about stem cells. In response Huckabee said that “I don’t think that the only avenue to curing cancer and heart disease and diabetes and some of the horrible things that inflict Americans is that we have to destroy life in order to create it.” That’s not an absolute denunciation of embryonic stem cell research*, but the “destroy life” phraseology certainly gave the impression to social conservatives that he is against it.Interestingly, just one month later Mike Huckabee produced his financial disclosure statement indicating that he had been paid a $17,500 consulting fee by a leading pharmaceutical company engaged in embryonic stem cell research to find a treatment for diabetes.Obviously, this is a problem for some social conservatives. To others it is an example of the hypocrisy of Huckabee. And to all, that financial statement should raise other alarms.In addition to the payments from Novo Nordisk, Mike Huckabee took a third of a million , much of it from organizations with governmental interests, even while he was Governor of Arkansas. Included in that is a salary from Flagship Global Health. Mike Huckabee served on their board of directors, during the last year and a half of his term as Governor of Arkansas, and is still serving in that capacity."
Can we get a comment from the Huckabee campaign on this ? I'd like to hear his Clintonian answer on this one. John Anderson
Tags:Election 2008, embryonic stem cell, killing human embryos, Mike Huckabee, stem cell research, stem cellsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Senator John Ensign, NRSC Chairman, offers warm greetings for a Merry Christmas and happy holidays.
Tags:John Ensign, Merry Christmas, 2007, NRSC, videoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Practical Advice on Offering English on Latino Radio
by Muriel Schmidt, Ltr to Editor [Ms. Muriel as her friends know her is a senior Ozark Mrn resident who shares her practical advice to help resolve issues. The following is but one example.]:
Hello from the Northwest Arkansas Ozark Mountains,
I think I can give you a concrete solution that would be helpful to our English speaking language of the illegal immigrants:
there are a huge number of radio stations who are all over this nation with LATINO music.
the illegal workers tell us that they are soooo busy working 2 or 3 jobs that they CANNOT attend classes to learn to speak English.
the radio stations are on the air 24 hours, 7 days per week and they they play music and give announcements of all kinds.
because these radio stations are ON OUR AIR, courtesy of our networks. there should be an equal amount of time interpreting the music and announcements in E N G L I S H ... which would help the Latino speakers to hear the same message repeated in English and Spanish. This would be a great way for us English speakers to learn Spanish all at the same time.
There would be no charge, but there should be an obligation for any radio to be promoting the language of the country in which they are located. Tags:English, illegal immigrants, Latino, radio stationTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
To All Our Democrat Friends: Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. We also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.
To Our Republican Friends: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Tags:Christmas, Democrat, political humor, Republican, 2007To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
While other candidates have done Christmas videos, this one is different. Fred Thompson decided to do his Christmas video for the troops.
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