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, February 09, 2008
Paul Vows to Remain a Republican
Rep. Ron Paul: With Romney gone, the chances of a brokered convention are nearly zero. But that does not affect my determination to fight on, in every caucus and primary remaining, and at the convention for our ideas, with just as many delegates as I can get. But with so many primaries and caucuses now over, we do not now need so big a national campaign staff, and so I am making it leaner and tighter. Of course, I am committed to fighting for our ideas within the Republican party, so there will be no third party run. I do not denigrate third parties -- just the opposite, and I have long worked to remove the ballot-access restrictions on them. But I am a Republican, and I will remain a Republican.
I also have another priority. I have constituents in my home district that I must serve. I cannot and will not let them down. And I have another battle I must face here as well. If I were to lose the primary for my congressional seat, all our opponents would react with glee, and pretend it was a rejection of our ideas. I cannot and will not let that happen. Tags:presidential candidate, Republican, Ron PaulTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Fred Thompson, a former Republican presidential candidate, endorsed Sen. John McCain Friday, calling on the party to "close ranks" behind the presumed nominee."This is no longer about past preferences or differences. It is about what is best for our country and for me that means that Republican should close ranks behind John McCain," Thompson said in a statement reported by the Associated Press. Tags:endorsement, Fred Thompson, John McCainTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Rice joins calls to save student sentenced to death
Sayed Parwiz Kambakhsh, an Afghan student journalist, was sentenced to death for downloading material on women's rights from the internet. An Afghanistan Islamic court deemed his action "blasphemous" to Islam. The story has vanished from the American press. It is still very much in the news in the UK where The Independent reports that our Secretary of State has publicly promised to talk to the Afghan president about the matter. Why is this not news in the United States?
Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State, promised yesterday to raise his case personally with the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, which would significantly raise the international pressure for his release. Rice, who was in London for talks with Gordon Brown and David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, on the West's Afghanistan strategy said: "I do think that the Afghans understand that there are some international norms that need to be respected. Of course, one has national laws and they're national laws that are in accordance with traditions and religious practice. But there are international norms, and I'll certainly talk to President Karzai about this case."
Kambaksh's position remains as precarious as ever because Karzai is under considerable pressure from inside Afghanistan, where the limits of free speech are defined within Sharia law. Under Afghanistan's new constitution, the President is able to pardon condemned prisoners if their sentence is upheld by the Supreme Court. But privately, government sources have hinted that President Karzai would prefer to see the verdict overruled by an appeal court before it reaches his office. Life in jail is hell, day after day . . . [Read More] Tags:Afghanistan, Condoleezza Rice, death sentence, free speech, journalism, Sharia lawTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
William J. Murray, Religious Freedom Coalition: The Presidents' Emergency Program For Aids Relief (PEPFAR) has increasingly morphed into a bill that provides funding for groups that view prostitution as just another business, despite AIDS related issues. Some of the groups are brutally honest in saying that an aborted baby can't catch AIDS from the mother. Chairman Lantos' Democrat controlled committee has distorted PEPFAR, which up to now supported the highly successful ABC approach to stopping AIDS in Africa. A - Stay abstinent, B- If you can't be abstinent ,be faithful. C - If you can't stay faithful, use a condom. Under PERFAR the A and B would be forgotten and condoms and abortion pills would be passed out. The State Department has prepared a letter outlining the problem with the reauthorization of PEPFAR, with the changes made by Democrats. Click here to read. Tags:Africa, aids, aids relief, Religious Freedom Coalition, William J. MurrayTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Update: Senator Mrk Pryor's staff responded to our request and provided his reason for not signing this brief, "This is a separation of powers issue for Senate Pryor. He has not and will not sign on Amicus briefs to federal courts. " Please review the comments for this post to read the complete response. We were impressed by Senator Pryor's constitutional basis for his decision and will take note of his continuance of his policy in the future. Members to File Friend-of-the-Court Brief in 2nd Amendment Case Before Justices. by Robert Barnes, Washington Post: A majority of the Senate and more than half of the members of the House will file a brief today urging the Supreme Court to uphold a ruling that the District's handgun ban violates the Second Amendment. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), who led the effort to file the friend-of-the-court brief, said her staff could not find another instance in which such a large portion of Congress had taken a position on an issue before the court. "This court should give due deference to the repeated findings over different historical epochs by Congress, a co-equal branch of government, that the amendment guarantees the personal right to possess firearms," their brief contends. "The District's prohibitions on mere possession by law-abiding persons of handguns in the home and having usable firearms there are unreasonable." . . . All Senate Republicans except three . . . signed on to the brief. Nine Democratic senators . . . joined the effort. The total was 55 senators and 250 House members, 68 of whom were Democrats. . . . [Read More] See also:Names that signed the brief supporting 2nd Amendment Rights ARRA Editor's Comment: All of the Arkansas delegation signed except for Rep. Vic Snyder and Sen. Mark Pryor. Yes, Sen. Blanche Lincoln signed the brief. The absence of Sen. Mark Pryor's signature was disappointing; we hope he will comment on why he did not sign this brief. Rep. Vic Snyder's failure to sign is continued evidence of his failure to understand and represent Arkansan values. Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain signed the brief.Democrat presidential candidates Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama and the Democrat leadership in the House and Senate did NOT support individual gun owner rights.Tags:Arkansas, gun ban, gun rights, 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!
Three Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee sponsored legislation to bring earmark process to a halt and tp establish a panel to identify ways to permanently change the spending process. The reform bill was cosponsored by 129 House Republicans, including the entire House Republican leadership team. However, Speaker Nancy Pelosi declined to support the measure or the proposed earmark moratorium. On Thursday, "business as usual" House Democrats rejected Republican efforts to force an immediate vote on legislation calling for a full moratorium on all earmarks. A total of 204 Democrats voted against a Republican proposal calling for a moratorium on all earmarks and the establishment of a bipartisan, bicameral committee to fix the spending process. House Republican leaders said they are disappointed that Democrats have rejected a Republican call for an immediate moratorium on taxpayer-funded earmarks (pork-barrel projects or wasteful spending) . House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) said it's clear that Democrats lack both the will and the appetite for the earmark moratorium. "So it's incumbent upon Republicans to use every opportunity available to speak up for the millions of Americans who have had enough," Blunt said. Tags:Congressional Pork, Democrats, earmark reform, earmarks, Excessive spending, Republicans, Roy BluntTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
CBS News' Joy Lin: Just because John McCain has 700 of the 1,191 delegates needed to get the Republican nomination - and Mike Huckabee only has 163 - Huckabee says there are many reasons why it's still realistic for him to get the nomination. "Let's say we get to the convention and [Mitt] Romney releases his [158] delegates. They can come towards me. There's also a lot of factors that can happen. . . . The one thing -- I know -- isn't it a very complicated process for you to win? The answer is yes. But, you know, it's a very simple way to lose. I can just quit. I've spent my whole life fighting from the bottom. I've never been at the top. I've always started from the bottom. I know what its like to be the underdog. I still believe in the impossible. If I didn't, I wouldn't be in this race." "Six months ago, would any of you here said the two guys still on his feet in February be Mike Huckabee and John McCain?" . . . [Read More] Tags: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!
I am endorsing Gov. Mike Huckabee for President of the United States today. My decision comes in the wake of my statement on Super Tuesday that I could not vote for Sen. John McCain, even if he goes on to win the Republican nomination. His record on the institution of the family and other conservative issues makes his candidacy a matter of conscience and concern for me.
That left two pro-family candidates whom I could support, but I was reluctant to choose between them. However, the decision by Gov. Mitt Romney to put his campaign "on hold" changes the political landscape. The remaining candidate for whom I could vote is Gov. Huckabee. His unwavering positions on the social issues, notably the institution of marriage, the importance of faith and the sanctity of human life, resonate deeply with me and with many others. That is why I will support Gov. Huckabee through the remaining primaries, and will vote for him in the general election if he should get the nomination. Obviously, the governor faces an uphill struggle, given the delegates already committed to Sen. McCain. Nevertheless, I believe he is our best remaining choice for President of the United States. Tags:Election 2008, endorsement, James Dobson, Mike HuckabeeTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Bobby Eberle, GOPUSA: On Thursday, both former Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain addressed the audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). For Romney, CPAC set the stage for his emergence as a presidential candidate. At last year's CPAC, Romney came away as the winner of the presidential straw poll. This year, it was the stage for his farewell address. For McCain, who skipped last year's CPAC, Thursday's speech was his first attempt to make nice with a conservative base he will certainly need if he hopes to win in November. How did the two men do? It was a tale of two speeches -- one set a tone for what conservatism is all about, the other focused on a set of statements emphasizing that Hillary or Obama would be worse than voting Republican.
Romney's speech was a class act, and yes, I was a Romney supporter, and I am even more of one now. He pointed out the problems facing America, but also reminded the audience of the great strengths inherent in the American people. Through a firm belief in conservative ideals, America reached the summit as the lone remaining superpower. But with a new set of challenges, America must work to stay at the top, and Romney was clear in presenting the case for how America could do it.
On the flip side, McCain's speech was focused on telling the audience how conservative he really is. . . . McCain also mentioned a litany of what Hillary or Obama would do as president and a laundry list of liberal programs which McCain presented to show that he would not be as bad as they are. That is not good enough! We need someone who will fight for conservative government and ideals. Only that type of person will win our support in November. There is more I will write on that subject next week, but for now, please read the speeches . . . [Read More] Romney Speech at CPAC& McCain Speech at CPAC Tags:Bobby Eberle, CPAC, GOPUSA, John Mccain, Mitt RomneyTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
U.S. Rep.John Boozman (R-AR) today joined 255 House Members and 50 Senators in filing a friend-of-the-court brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold a lower court ruling that the ban on handguns in the District of Columbia violates the Second Amendment:
“This court should give due deference to the repeated findings over different historical epochs by Congress, a co-equal branch of government, that the amendment guarantees the personal right to possess firearms,” the amici curiae brief argues.
“I have long been a proponent of the 2nd Amendment, as it is the one which guarantees our 1st Amendment,” Boozman said. “On this very day in Washington, a homeowner can be arrested for using a gun to defend themselves from a burglar. The D.C. gun ban is an affront to the personal freedoms of Americans. According to our Constitution, the people – not the government – have rights.”
Earlier this year, Rep. Boozman joined with fellow Arkansas Congressman Mike Ross to put forward the District of Columbia Personal Protection Act, granting law-abiding residents of the District of Columbia the right to own a gun.Tags:2nd Amendment, gun ban, gun rights, John Boozman, Washington D.C.To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
On The Floor: The Senate reconvened at 9:30 AM and resumed consideration of the FISA reform bill (S. 2248). No votes on amendments to the FISA bill are expected until Tuesday. Congress will need to work quickly to pass the bill before the previous temporary FISA revision expires a week from today. If passed next Tuesday, the bill will still need to go to conference with the House-passed bill.
Yesterday, the Senate passed the economic stimulus package (H.R. 5140) by a vote of 81-16 after agreeing to an amendment by Sens. Reid and McConnell to allow disabled veterans and some seniors to receive rebate checks while preventing illegal aliens from getting them. Later, the House approved the Senate changes to the original House bill, sending it to the president for his signature. During his speech to CPAC this morning, President Bush announced he would sign the bill next week.
From Senate & News Sources: After Democrats spent days playing politics, they failed to get 60 votes for their extra spending proposals and eventually joined in a plan offered by Republicans. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had initially said there would be only one chance to amend the stimulus package-with the Democrats’ plan. The New York Times notes today, “Mr. Reid also brazenly waved off assertions by Republicans that he would ultimately relent. ‘We should go for the whole package,’ he said. ‘Wait until we have this vote and they’ll find out if I am bluffing. I am not much of a bluffer.’ In the end, Mr. Reid had bluffed . . . . Moving with uncommon speed, Congress gave final approval on Thursday to a $168 billion economic rescue package, including rebates for taxpayers and tax breaks for businesses, that lawmakers and President Bush hope will set off a rush of springtime spending and spark the slowing economy. A day after the Senate seemed mired in a partisan feud over a more expensive stimulus plan favored by Democrats, lawmakers cast that quarrel aside and approved a plan nearly identical to one the House adopted last week.” Tags:economic stimulus, FISA, 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!
3 of 3 - John McCain: Tags:2008, CPAC, Election 2008, John Mccain, presidential candidate, speechTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, (R-TX) a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced his support for the Semper Fi Act, legislation introduced by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-SC, that would send a strong message of disapproval to the City of Berkeley, Calif., for its recent decision to bar the U.S. Marine Corps from recruiting within city limits. The Semper Fi Act would rescind any earmark funding in they fiscal year 2008 spending package that would have gone to Berkeley or any entity in the city—a total of more than $2 million—and transfer those funds to the Marine Corps to be used to recruit new Marines.
“The Berkeley City Council insulted our troops and offended people across the country.If the U.S. Marines are not good enough for Berkeley, neither are taxpayer dollars Congress would have sent there this year. That city closed its doors on the same individuals taking bullets on the front lines while fighting for the safety and freedom of families in Berkeley and throughout America,” Sen. Cornyn said.
“The Semper Fi Act sends a strong message of disapproval—backed by tangible consequences—to the Berkeley City Council. It also shows support for the Marines whose selfless sacrifice is worthy of our admiration. I encourage all my Senate colleagues to support this legislation.” The Berkeley City Council passed a resolution in late January declaring that the U.S. Marine Corps “is not welcome in the city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders.” The Council went further by granting Code Pink, an anti-war group, special approval to non-violently “impede, passively or actively” the work of the Marine Corps recruiters. Tags:Berkeley, John Cornyn, Marine Corps, Marines, Senator, US SenatorTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Tags:Election 2008, endorsement, Hillary Clinton, political cartoon, Rob SmithTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Jennifer Mesko, CitizenLink: President Bush called on the U.S. Senate today to fulfill its constitutional duty to give presidential nominees a prompt vote and ensure federal courts and agencies are sufficiently staffed. There are more than 180 highly-qualified nominees — including 28 judicial nominees — awaiting a fair vote in the Senate. Of these, 30 have been waiting more than a year for a vote, and nine have been waiting more than two years.
"I have nominated skilled and faithful public servants to lead federal agencies and sit on the federal bench," Bush said at a White House briefing today. "The Constitution also gives senators an important responsibility. They must provide advice and consent by voting up or down on these nominees. Unfortunately, the Senate is not fulfilling its duty. The confirmation process has turned into a never-ending political game, where everyone loses. It is clear that the process is not working," he said. "That's no way to treat men and women who have stepped forward to serve our country, and it's got to stop."
The Senate Judiciary Committee has 28 pending nominations for federal judgeships before it. On Feb. 21, the committee will hold its first hearing for a circuit court nominee since September. "The president may be serving his last year in office, but that's no excuse for Democrats to deny action on his judicial nominees," said Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family Action. "To match President Clinton's last two years in office, the Senate would have to confirm another nine court of appeals nominees this year, even though it appears Senator Leahy is bent on doing nothing of the sort. All he seems capable of is hurling criticism at the White House. That's simply absurd."
TAKE ACTION: Ask Sens. Patrick Leahy and Harry Reid to schedule hearings for President Bush's judicial nominees. Contact senators! or find contact them through an Action Center. See Also:Judicial analyst Bruce Hausknecht's primer on obstructing a nominee Tags:federal judges, Harry Reid, nominations, Patrick Leahy, President George BushTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Former Gov. Mitt Romney suspended his bid to emerge as conservative standard bearer in the Republican party, after a disappointing showing in this week's Super Tuesday nationwide nominating clash. "This isn't an easy decision, I hate to lose," Romney said, at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), saying he felt compelled to quit to allow McCain to battle Democratic plans to "retreat" in the war on terror. "Because I love America, in this time of war I feel I have to now stand aside for our party and our country ... Barack and Hillary have made their intentions clear regarding Iraq and the war on terror. They would retreat and declare defeat ... And the consequence of that would be devastating. It would mean attacks on America, launched from safe havens that make Afghanistan under the Taliban look like child’s play. About this, I have no doubt.”
Although Romney stopped short of endorsing McCain, he praised the former Vietnam veteran's stand on Iraq, while failing to mention Huckabee. Senator McCain won nine of 21 states on offer Tuesday, giving him 720 delegates to the Republican convention, compared with 279 for Romney and 194 for Huckabee. He needs a total of 1,191 to win the nomination. Below is an excerpt of Romney's closing commentstoday:
. . . And finally, let's consider the greatest challenge facing America – and facing the entire civilized world: the threat of violent, radical Jihad. In one wing of the world of Islam, there is a conviction that all governments should be destroyed and replaced by a religious caliphate. These Jihadists will battle any form of democracy. To them, democracy is blasphemous for it says that citizens, not God shape the law. They find the idea of human equality to be offensive. They hate everything we believe about freedom just as we hate everything they believe about radical Jihad.
To battle this threat, we have sent the most courageous and brave soldiers in the world. But their numbers have been depleted by the Clinton years when troops were reduced by 500,000, when 80 ships were retired from the Navy, and when our human intelligence was slashed by 25%. We were told that we were getting a peace dividend. We got the dividend, but we didn't get the peace. In the face of evil in radical Jihad and given the inevitable military ambitions of China, we must act to rebuild our military might – raise military spending to 4% of our GDP, purchase the most modern armament, re-shape our fighting forces for the asymmetric demands we now face, and give the veterans the care they deserve.
Soon, the face of liberalism in America will have a new name. Whether it is Barack or Hillary, the result would be the same if they were to win the Presidency. The opponents of American culture would push the throttle, devising new justifications for judges to depart from the Constitution. Economic neophytes would layer heavier and heavier burdens on employers and families, slowing our economy and opening the way for foreign competition to further erode our lead.
Even though we face an uphill fight, I know that many in this room are fully behind my campaign. You are with me all the way to the convention. Fight on, just like Ronald Reagan did in 1976. But there is an important difference from 1976: today, we are a nation at war. "And Barack and Hillary have made their intentions clear regarding Iraq and the war on terror. They would retreat and declare defeat. And the consequence of that would be devastating. It would mean attacks on America, launched from safe havens that make Afghanistan under the Taliban look like child's play. About this, I have no doubt.
I disagree with Senator McCain on a number of issues, as you know. But I agree with him on doing whatever it takes to be successful in Iraq, on finding and executing Osama bin Laden, and on eliminating Al Qaeda and terror. If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.
This is not an easy decision for me. I hate to lose. My family, my friends and our supporters – many of you right here in this room – have given a great deal to get me where I have a shot at becoming President. If this were only about me, I would go on. But I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America, I feel I must now stand aside, for our party and for our country. I will continue to stand for conservative principles. I will fight alongside you for all the things we believe in. And one of those things is that we cannot allow the next President of the United States to retreat in the face evil extremism.
It is the common task of each generation – and the burden of liberty – to preserve this country, expand its freedoms and renew its spirit so that its noble past is prologue to its glorious future. To this task, accepting this burden, we are all dedicated, and I firmly believe, by the providence of the Almighty, that we will succeed beyond our fondest hope. America must remain, as it has always been, the hope of the Earth. "Thank you, and God bless America."
Tags:Election 2008, Mitt Romney, presidential candidateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
President Bush is scheduled to speak this morning on the large number of judicial, executive branch, and other nominations stalled in the Senate. The Wall Street Journalasks: "Is it too much to ask the Senate to do its job of advice and consent, and allow up-or-down votes on the more than 180 vacancies in the executive branch that remain in a state of suspended nomination? . . . There are also 28 pending nominees to federal judgeships, including key appellate courts. . . . Democrats are also using these nominees as leverage to dictate executive branch policy and score election-year political points."
On The Floor: Senate reconvenes at 10:30 AM and could resume consideration of either the economic stimulus bill (H.R. 5140) or the FISA reform bill (S. 2248). Reid said on the floor this morning that he intends to finish the FISA bill this week. An amendment to the FISA bill by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) failed to reach the required 60 votesyesterday. The Cardin amendment would have imposed a 4 year sunset on the FISA revisions. Yesterday, Democrats failed by one vote to get cloture on the Reid amendment, which would have added around $40 billion in extra spending to the stimulus package, according to The New York Times. Reid may try to force another vote on the Senate Democrats’ proposal.
From Senate & News Sources: Despite spending a week playing politics with the economic stimulus bill, Senate Democrats failed to garner enough votes for their plan in a cloture vote last night. The Senate now has the opportunity to actually pass a bill that would be acceptable to the House and the president by adopting a Republican amendment that would prevent illegal immigrants from getting rebate checks while granting them to disabled veterans and some senior citizens. The AP reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated she’s “receptive” to the Republican amendment and went on to note, “she seemed to praise McConnell's approach and was silent on Democratic add-ons . . . .”
CQ Today writes, “House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., warned the Senate not to load up the legislation with so much extra spending that President Bush would veto the package. ‘Having a veto fight with the president doesn’t enhance the American people’s confidence in our ability to get something done,’ Hoyer told reporters.” It remains to be seen whether Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will decide to work with Republicans and get something done or if he will force another vote on the Democrat package. According to Roll Call, Reid could decide to stall the bill even further in the hopes of pressuring Republicans into voting for the Democrats’ bill. Tags:economic stimulus, federal judges, FISA, nominations, President George Bush, 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!
“Super Tuesday” just SUPER for Republicans in Arkansas
Republican Party of Arkansas: “Super Tuesday” results show that Republicans in Arkansas are excited about helping send a Republican back to the White House and defeating either Barack Obama or Senator Clinton. Chairman Dennis Milligan was extremely optimistic about Super Tuesday’s results. “Tuesday’s results show that the Republican Party of Arkansas is a strong, resilient, growing party,” Milligan said. “We are working hard to recruit candidates, raise money, and grow our party at the grassroots level. Anytime that nearly 500 people vote in the Republican Primary in Chicot County, it shows that you are expanding your political base. It was a great decision to move our primary to “Super Tuesday,” and I believe last night’s results bode very well for our future success.”
Milligan also pointed out that either Barack Obama or Senator Clinton would have a difficult time carrying Arkansas in the general election. “Senator Clinton will do or say anything to get elected and Arkansans can see through that,” Milligan continued, “and Barack Obama’s experience and disavowed ties to liberal groups such as MoveOn.org do not provide the credentials to be Commander-in-Chief of our United States Armed Forces.”
According to KTHV “Your Vote 2008 Election Returns”, with 95% of the precincts reporting, 209,828 votes were cast in the Republican primary election. The Arkansas Secretary of State notes that 83% of the precincts are reporting and 142,911 votes have been cast. According to past election results, the 2008 Republican primary is the largest primary since 1992.
*All data is taken from the Arkansas Secretary of State Division of Elections.
In addition, the Arkansas GOP received a record number of delegate filings for the Republican National Convention. The total breakdown is McCain 66, Huckabee 68, Rommey 22, Paul 61, and Uncommitted 2. ARRA Note: With a filing fee of $125, the RPA benefited from over $27,000 from filing fees. Tags:GOP, presidential primary, RPA, Super Tuesday, voters, Election 2008, ArkansasTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Last week, a federal appeals court refused to uphold the parental and religious rights of two Massachusetts couples--David and Tonia Parker and Rob and Robin Wirthlin--whose young children were exposed to books that promoted homosexual "marriage" in their elementary school. I met and interviewed the Parkers and the Wirthlins for FRC's Liberty Sunday broadcast from Boston in October 2006 (and our "Critical Mass" DVD includes their stories). It's amazing how cavalierly the court's decision dismisses the evidence that school officials engaged in the deliberate indoctrination of children. The school sought to coerce its students into accepting values that are way outside the mainstream and in direct contradiction to those of their parents. Yet the same courts that are trying to reinvent the family are encouraging the public schools to act as their surrogate. A lawyer for the parents has vowed to appeal all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. They could also sue in state court, given the blatant violation of a state law which mandates that parents be notified before any discussion of "human sexuality issues." Of course, since it was Massachusetts' Supreme Court that legalized same-sex "marriage," you can imagine what the families' chances of winning would be! The federal court recommended the parents "seek recourse" through the legislative process. But that is small comfort considering that when pro-family forces do succeed, as they did in Boyd County, Kentucky, judicial activists simply rewrite the democratic decisions to suit their political agenda. When family values clash with homosexual activism in the public schools, rulings like this one prove that parents' rights continue to be wronged. See also: FRC "Critical Mass" DVD and FRC pamphlet "Homosexuality in Your Child's School"Tags:courts, DVD, FRC, liberal, Tony PerkinsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
A summary of the results for Super Tuesday presidential primary results in each state:
The number of delegates going to each candidate will not be known until later, but the numbers available are shown for both the Democrats (D) and Republicans (R). "W" applies to the GOP contest only and denotes a state where the Republican winner takes all of that state's delegates.
West Virginia caucuses - R: 18 W: Huckabee 52%; Romney 47%; McCain 1% (100% precincts) Tags:delegates, Democrat, Election 2008, presidential candidates, presidential primary, RepublicanTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
On The Floor: The Senate reconvened at 9:30 AM today and began an hour of morning business. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration the FISA reform bill (S. 2248). Votes are possible on amendments to the FISA bill today. It’s likely that the first amendments voted on would be among the 4 that will need 60 votes to be adopted. At 4:30 PM, the Senate will proceed to the economic stimulus bill (H.R. 5140). A cloture vote on the Reid amendment to the bill is scheduled at 5:45 PM. The Reid amendment includes the Finance Committee’s bill, an extra $1 billion in LIHEAP spending, and other spending proposals.
From Senate &b News Sources: It’s now been 19 days since the president first called for an economic stimulus package and the desire of Senate Democrats to play politics continues to delay passage of a bipartisan bill that has the support of the White House. Instead of working with Republicans to pass a bill with bipartisan provisions, Senate Democrats have boasted of forcing Republicans to take tough votes. According to The New York Times, “[Majority Leader Harry] Reid is hoping to strong-arm the Republicans into adopting the larger package favored by most Democrats and some moderate Republicans, or to compel them to vote against important provisions.” Reid has declared that there will be only one vote on modifying the stimulus package, which would be on an amendment that includes the Finance Committee bill and other extraneous spending, costing $40 billion more than the House package. As The Wall Street Journal reports, Republicans are hoping to block this amendment and subsequently offer an alternative amendment to make some changes, like ensuring that rebates will not go to illegal immigrants, while not increasing the overall size of the legislation. Tags:economic stimulus, FISA, 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!
by Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: Today, I'm a little late getting things reported. Will soon make posts to catch up on lasts nights “Super” Tuesday's results, etc. Yesterday, proved to be more than interesting in Baxter County, Arkansas during the last hours of voting and the processing of early and absentee voting. At 4:30 p.m., voting was going as usual. Workers were gathering at the County Court Bldg to help the Election Commissioners receive and process the voting results. We had 3 hours to go at the polling sites and all was going well. The final hours of voting, normally very busy, were lighter than regular elections. It appeared we were going to have an fairly easy evening. Everything was about to change.
Sheriff patrols reported swirling skies and tornado sirens blared. People headed to safety. By 5 p.m., the Little Rock National Weather Service reported a "good possibility" that Gassville, Arkansas had been hit by a tornado. Within minutes, we learned that Gassville had been hit. Over the next hour, many election workers at the court house (an election commissioner, paramedics and other emergency personnel) were paged out.
The Court House became an emergency shelter filled with people and pets. Local schools opened as shelters. Police, fire and first responders converged on an area strewn with rubble, twisted metal and overturned tractor-trailers. Several businesses and homes were destroyed or heavily damaged. With cell phone disrupted and regular phone lines down, we were unable to reach the Gassville and other rural polling locations.
The two remaining election officials calmly kept order, accomplish what they could and tried to call polling sites. But with communication down, we could only hope. Eventually, we began receiving reports damaged buildings near the voting site in Gassville. This intensified concern for the poll workers and voters at this site. During this period of time waiting, we could only pray forr poll workers, voters, emergency workers and affected families.
Other polling sites lost power, but the battery backup systems on the voting machines worked and voting operations continued until to the 7:30 p.m. closing time. Understandingly, there were no waiting lines at closing. Poll workers traveled, some an hour, to bring in voting machines and records. A few had to find alternative ways around the damaged area. When the Cotter’s voting marshal appeared, dripping from the rain, slightly exhausted, with her records and voting machine, we were excited to learn everyone was safe and the Cotter polling site was not damaged. With Cotter under a state of emergency, the police had ordered the polls closed and escorted her out of the damaged area.
Around 11 pm., our fellow election workers returned and we learned of the damage and stories of assistance rendered. Being glad everyone was back safe, we returned to processing the election. This morning at 2:30 a.m., we finished the election processing. I followed home one of the election commissioners who had worked 20 hours. She is rather special election commissioner -- at least to me. I've been married to her for 42 years. With a half hour drive to our home on curving Ozark roads, we both wondered what we would find. Thankfully, all was well.
Another election was over. We were thankful for the safety of poll workers and voters at the polls. Our hearts turned to prayers for the victims of the Tornado not knowing yet about the devastation yet to be reported in other locations in Arkansas and across the Southern states. See also: Storm rips through GassvilleTags:Arkansas, elections, Gassville, Mountain Home, presidential primary, Tornado, Bill SmithTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Gary Bauer: We live in a time when major public figures berate President Bush for refusing to negotiate with some of America's worst enemies, a time when some of America's leaders would have the president sit down with the likes of the Holocaust-denying Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the terrorist groups that do his bidding. It's clear to me that such thinking is the natural result of a sometimes-willful misunderstanding about the nature of the enemy we face, and confusion about why negotiating with evil does not work.
We know the terrorists have used children and even babies as vehicles for their attacks. But the terrorists put a wicked twist on their devilish deeds last Friday when they used two women with Down Syndrome as homicide bombers. The two women were strapped with explosives and sent separately into two crowded markets in Baghdad. Iraqi military officials said the women were apparently unaware of what they were doing. The explosives were then detonated by remote control by al Qaeda terrorists too cowardly to do their own morally bankrupt bidding. The separate explosions killed nearly 80 people and injured another 200.
The exploitation of the developmentally disabled should not surprise us (though it should never cease to anger us). We are, after all, at war with an enemy that worships death. But we must remember that even in our own society it is legal to take the lives of innocent disabled human beings. In fact, studies show 9 out of 10 Down Syndrome babies are aborted once their disability is detected. This realization should re-affirm in us the courage and determination to defeat the culture of death at home and the culture of death abroad, the two battles for our existence whose outcomes will determine America's future.
Recently, over 300 evangelical, mainline Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christian leaders sponsored a letter seeking "reconciliation" and "common ground" with Islam. The letter, "Loving God and Neighbor Together," was issued as a response to a similar letter written to Christians by 138 Muslim leaders last fall. Sadly, the Christian letter expressed regrets for excesses of the "war on terror," acknowledged Allah as the God of the Bible and insisted that, "without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world." In Can Christians and Muslims Reconcile? in Human Events, I caution against the false hope of letters like "Loving God and Neighbor Together." At the end of the day, an enemy committed to the total destruction of western civilization must be defeated. It is essential that Christians recognize that any attempts at finding "common ground" or "mutual understanding" with Muslims will be fruitless unless and until Muslims stand up to confront their co-religionists' use of faith to justify violence and the annihilation of the west. Tags:Christian Faith, Gary Bauer, Human Events, Islam, Muslim, terroristsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
West Virginia Republican Party selected its delegates by convention today. Mitt Romney led in the vote for delegates after the first round of voting. When John McCain realized he was not going to win, he encouraged his supporters to vote for Mike Huckabee. With this swing vote, Huckabee won receiving 18 delegates.
Romney for President Campaign Manager Beth Myers issued the following statement regarding the outcome of West Virginia's Republican Party convention: "Unfortunately, this is what Senator McCain's inside Washington ways look like: he cut a backroom deal with the tax-and-spend candidate he thought could best stop Governor Romney's campaign of conservative change. "Governor Romney had enough respect for the Republican voters of West Virginia to make an appeal to them about the future of the party based on issues. This is why he led on today's first ballot. Sadly, Senator McCain cut a Washington backroom deal in a way that once again underscores his legacy of working against Republicans who are interested in championing conservative policies.Tags:delegates, GOP, John McCain, Maine, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Huckabee wins, West Virginia primary, Election 2008To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
A statement by Dr. James Dobson delivered today by Laura Ingraham on her show: "But what a sad and melancholy decision this is for me and many other conservatives. Should Sen. McCain capture the nomination as many assume, I believe this general election will offer the worst choices for president in my lifetime. I certainly can't vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama based on their virulently anti-family policy positions. If these are the nominees in November, I simply will not cast a ballot for president for the first time in my life. These decisions are my personal views and do not represent the organization with which I am affiliated. They do reflect my deeply held convictions about the institution of the family, about moral and spiritual beliefs, and about the welfare of our country."
Tags:James Dobson, John McCain, Laura Ingraham, videoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
No "tax rebate checks" for illegal aliens... PERIOD!
by Jeff Mazzella, Center for Individual Freedom - [Extracted portions]: Will illegal aliens still receive rebate checks from the federal government as part of the so-called stimulus plan presently being debated in Congress? [Update: The bill passed the House and is in the Senate]
According to Congressman John Shadegg who was one of the few Republicans in the House of Representatives with the courage to vote against this stimulus package:
"The reason that illegal aliens will nonetheless receive rebate checks is that under the terms of the bill, checks are to be automatically sent to all people who filed a tax return and earned the requisite $3000. Because tax returns do not disclose a taxpayer's legal status, rebate checks will automatically be sent to all illegal aliens who filed a tax return.
It's a little like going out on Halloween and telling your babysitter that she should only give out candy to kids from your neighborhood. But, she has no way of knowing which kids are from your neighborhood and which are from somewhere else, so she just gives it to all the kids who come to your house. Simply put, the IRS has no way to know whether the individual who filed the tax return is an illegal alien or not. As a result, it will issue checks to all illegal aliens who filed a return."
Of course Shadegg made these comments in reference to the bill as it originally passed the House, which made those who filed tax returns using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) eligible for refunds. Days later Senator John Ensign proposed a measure that supposedly fixed this loophole by stipulating that only those with valid Social Security numbers --and not ITINs --would be eligible for checks.
But will that stop illegals from receiving checks? According to Mark Krikorian, director of the Center for Immigration Studies, the answer is still "NO" because there is a: "lack of coordination between the IRS and immigration enforcement agencies.... If the IRS was cooperating with Social Security or DHS... they would know who the illegal immigrants are who file tax returns." In fact, according to government estimates, the buying and selling of fraudulent Social Security numbers is a $50 Billion (that's BILLION) a year business! And that's a problem!
When first word got out that illegal aliens who filed tax returns using ITINs would be receiving "rebate checks," what did our elected leaders in Congress initially do? They denied it! . . . But then, last Wednesday, Members of the Senate Finance Committee proposed a "fix" to the problem. But did the Senate Finance Committee actually "fix" the bill? According to Rep. Tom Tancredo, the answer is still "NO!" Tancredo said on Fox News:
"Whether the total amount of checks cut to illegal aliens from the U.S. Treasury amounts to $600 or $6 billion, I do not believe the American public supports a stimulus package that reinforces the idea that there is really no difference between illegal aliens and American citizens. Worse, given the well documented tendency of illegal aliens to send large portions of their earnings back to relatives in their home country, it is quite possible that the lion's share of any payments sent to illegal aliens will simply be sent abroad -- stimulating a foreign economy rather than our own. . . . The fact that we know that Social Security numbers are compromised, the fact that thousands of people, maybe millions of people, we don't know for sure how many people, filed an income tax form with a fake Social Security number. We also know that there's absolutely no communication between the IRS and Social Security Administration."
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that illegal aliens who are using fraudulent Social Security numbers will not be deterred from collecting rebate checks from a government that is already giving them a ton of freebies and is laissez-faire when it comes to enforcing immigration laws in the first place! Simply put, that means a lot of illegal aliens are going to get a lot of government checks . . . Courtesy of U.S. Taxpaying Citizens! Amazing, isn't it! When it comes to building a fence to stop people from breaking the law, our government leaders stall. When it comes to giving money away to lawbreakers, they can't move fast enough! Let's show them we can move quickly too. Let's send them a simple message: No rebate checks for illegal aliens... PERIOD! . . . [Read More] ARRA Note: you may pay send a fax blast Congress via CFIF at the link above or you may call Contact your senators! or representatives! The economic stimulus bill passed the house and is in the Senate being at the moment loaded with pork spending projects.
Tags:economic stimulus, fraud, illegal aliens, taxesTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
On The Floor: The Senate reconvened at 10 AM today and began an hour of morning business. Senate will resume post-cloture consideration of the motion to proceed to the economic stimulus bill (H.R. 5140). Yesterday, the Senate voted to take up the House-passed economic stimulus package. However, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid abruptly changed the amendments Democrats were offering to the bill before Republicans had a chance to read them. Republicans demanded time to study the new proposals, and Reid delayed votes on the package until Wednesday to wait for Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to fly back from the campaign trail.
After getting the Senate to vote to move from the FISA bill (S. 2248) to the stimulus bill, Reid said last night that he may try to reach an agreement to move back to the FISA bill today. hile Democrats prepare political votes and extra spending proposals, the FISA reform bill remains unfinished and the latest FISA extension will expire on February 15th. This extension was supposed to give Congress plenty of time to finish the bill, and yet again Congress is looking at the FISA extension expiring at the end of next week.
From Senate & News Sources: As the Senate began its business this morning, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell lamented the Senate’s delay in completing its work on the economic stimulus package because of Senate Democrats’ eagerness to play politics:
When it got right down to it, Senate Democrats couldn’t do what House Democrats had done. They couldn’t resist — just once — a chance to play politics. If Americans are wondering why their checks aren’t in the mail, they can find it in last week’s news clips. Of particular interest is an AP story entitled ‘Politics Creeps into Stimulus Package.’ Democrats are holding onto the stimulus bill, the article said, not to speed up the rebate checks, but to try to make Republicans look bad in November. We could have disposed of this stimulus package a week ago. But our Democratic colleagues wanted, as they said, to put their ‘stamp’ on it.
Putting a Democrat stamp on the stimulus bill apparently involves adding billions in extra spending to the bipartisan House package. According to The New York Times, “The Senate plan would cost about $204 billion over two years, $40 billion more than the House plan.” Tags:economic stimulus, FISA, 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!
From Hope to Betrayal: Huckabee can talk all he wants but his record is what it is
The following was a guest article published by the Northwest Arkansas Times, Jan 18, 2008. Senator Jim Holt sent us the article by email and asked that we share it. Former Sen. Holt from Springdale served in the Arkansas Senate and was a consistent voice for conservative family values. He ran for Lt. Governor in 2006. Sen. Holt is also a member of the Arkansas Republican Assembly.
by Senator Jim Holt:If I told you that Mike Huckabee has raised more taxes, grown more government, supported more bureaucratic control of our schools, pardoned more criminals, helped bring in more illegal immigrants, and been more duplicitous in 10 years than Bill Clinton was in 12, would you feel betrayed. He can talk all he wants, but his record is who he is.
If Mike Huckabee does not practice what he preaches, does he betray himself, the denomination of GOP conservatism, and us? But evangelicals seem to love him. Home-schoolers flock to work for him. One foolishly said, “He’s a Baptist minister; you don’t need to ask what he stands for." ”Or is it OK because he’s entertaining?" Shouldn’t we analyze his record to see if it matches his rhetoric? We seem to want the sizzle rather than the steak. But some lose consciousness when a politician states, “Hey, I’m a Christian, too.”
Let’s look at Huckabee’s so-called ‘Reagan-Republican, Christian record’ — because facts are stubborn little things. Is Huckabee pro-home-school, as home-schoolers claim? The media has reported the reason Huckabee does so well, with so little money, is because home-schoolers empower him. Surely not. I’m a home-schooler, and I know Huckabee actually signed Act 1117 in 1999. This law made Arkansas the first state in the nation to strengthen homeschool laws, empowering the state over the parents. After all, children DO belong to the state. Don’t they? Huckabee claims that it was a welcomed compromise. Not true. He could’ve vetoed it. But he caved to institutional pressure.
Did Huckabee favor illegal immigrants over our soldiers? In 2005, Huckabee said my bill, which would have protected citizens’ welfare benefits and voting privileges from being given to illegal immigrants, was, “un-American and... unchristian.” He even stated that, “I drink a different kind of Jesus juice.” Don’t some say that’s using God’s name in vain? Can you see your pastor saying that?
Simultaneously, Huckabee supported a bill that offered illegal immigrants college scholarships and in-state tuition. (No, that’s not a typo.) My wife and I met with Huckabee. I questioned him if it was even constitutional to give scholarships. If he wanted to grant scholarships, they should go to veterans (I am a veteran) or members of our National Guard who were returning from Iraq. Huckabee fell silent. He was stunned. I then asked him what I’ve said countless times: If a citizen and an illegal are both in college, on scholarship, and a draft is initiated because of war, who gets drafted? Our children! The illegals stay in class on your dime. Our children may have to give their lives for our country. An illegal never has that responsibility.
I left his office knowing I would take him to the mat on this. Huckabee continued to push hard the entire session for that bill. He never offered our troops what he tried to give to illegals. In my mind, he betrayed our country and our soldiers. And now he wants to be our commander in chief? No thanks. When a person manipulates things for his own pride, does he betray his own conscience and lose his reasoning? Huckabee continues to say to this day, “We shouldn’t punish the children for the crimes of their parents.” Where does this guy get his logic ? One-Liners Are Us?
So, if you don’t give me something, you’re punishing me? Can you say, “Nanny state mentality,” boys and girls? Even if a parent gets a $200 speeding ticket, the children suffer. That money could be used for college or food. The prisons are full of parents whose children are paying the price. What about members of our military that lost their lives overseas? Shouldn’t their children receive a chance at a scholarship before an illegal alien?
Huckabee’s supposed to be a preacher, but what he’s speaking isn’t the truth. What does he do with Exodus 20:5: “... visiting the iniquity of the fathers, upon the children, unto the third and fourth generations?” Or Daniel 6:24, where all the men who falsely accused Daniel had all their families — yes, including their children — thrown into the lion’s den?
And now we’re supposed to believe Huckabee when he tells us he will be tough on illegals? Who is he kidding? He can’t even be tough on rapists. There is a Republican in this state who once stated on the radio that she was raped. She went on to say that Mike Huckabee was the best governor we’ve ever had. What? If Bill Clinton had let her rapist go, as Huckabee advocated Wayne Dumond’s release, she would be screaming foul. Once paroled, Dumond went to Missouri and raped again. He also murdered the girl.
When we betray our principles, do we really betray ourselves? Republicans, home-schoolers and evangelicals better start policing their own, or they may never win another election. If you have great principles, then stick to them no matter what. The electorate is much more forgiving if you do. And besides, you will sleep better at night.
When our words don’t match our actions, do we betray our integrity? Samuel Adams, one of our Founding Fathers, said it this way: “He who is void of virtuous attachments in private life is, or very soon will be, void of all regard for his country. There is seldom an instance of a man guilty of betraying his country who had not before lost the feeling of moral obligations in his private connections.” At least there is one area where Huckabee is consistent. He is expecting people to pardon his betrayals as freely as he does criminals.
Republican Candidates / RNC Delegates
John McCain 102 [IA 5, NH 7, MI 7, SC 18, NV 4*, FL 57, ME 4*]
Mitt Romney 69 [IA 10, WY 8*, NH 4, MI 20, NV 17*, ME 10*]
Mike Huckabee 27 [IA 13, NH 1, MI 3, SC 6, NV 3*, ME 1*]
Ron Paul 11 [IA 4, NV 4*, ME 3*]
Fred Thompson 11 [IA 5, WY 3*, NV 3*] {Withdrew}
Uncommitted 9 [IA 3, NV 3*, ME 3]
Duncan Hunter 1 [WY 1*] {Withdrawn} GOP Needed to Nominate 1,191 (available) 2,159 Based on Soft Delegates
GOP Needed to Nominate 1,259 (available) 2,179 if Unsactioned Alternates are later Sanctioned
Democrat Candidates / DNC Delegates Barack Obama 63 [IA 16*, NH 9, NV13*, SC 25*]
Hillary Clinton 48 [IA 15*, NH 9, NV 12*, SC 12*]
John Edwards 26 [IA 14, NH 4, SC 8*] {Suspended Campaign}
Uncommitted 19 [IA 8*, NV 5*, SC 6*] ***
No Delgates Awarded for Michigan or Florida! Also:
Pledged" Primary/ Caucus Delegate Votes (FL, MI sanctioned) (available) 3,116
*** Other Delegates: Total 796: "Unpledged" (FL, MI sanctioned) (available) 502; Pledged: Clinton 190; Obama 104; Total Delegates: Hillary 238; Obama 167 Needed to Nominate 2,025 (available) 3,618 "Soft" (Pledged + Unpledged) Delegate Votes (FL, MI sanctioned)
* Delegates are Soft Totals; Adjustment may be made by the Parties. Editor's Comment:The number of delegates awarded to candidate may be more or less than the number reported by the news during the early reporting of the primary /caucus winner. The "real" number of delegates is determined by the respective state party procedure after they finalize the results. For example, in Iowa, Mike Huckabee was reported to have received 17 delegates; however, actual delegates awarded were 13. In Wyoming, Mitt Romney was reported to have received 8 delegates; however, actual delegates awarded were 12. See Also:State 2008 Presidential Primary and Caucus DatesTags:2008, delegates, Democrat National Convention, DNC plan, presidential candidate, Republican National Convention, RNCTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Bill Clinton Says McCain & Hillary "Are Very Close"
While stumping for his wife, Bill Clinton describes the cordial relationship between his wife and Sen. McCain. Hear for yourself - no humor here! See the issues on which they are the same!
1st Video: "She and John McCain are very close," [President Bill] Clinton said. "They always laugh that if they wound up being the nominees of their party, it would be the most civilized election in American history, and they're afraid they'd put the voters to sleep because they like and respect each other." 2nd Video: "Is John McCain really the heart and soul of the Republican Party? "Imagine a debate between McCain and Hillary Clinton. "On amnesty for illegal immigrants, they agree. "On voting against President Bush's tax cuts, they agree. "On imposing an additional 50 cents a gallon cost on gasoline, they agree. "On blocking conservative judges, they agree.
Even FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON says: "'She and John McCain are very close.'" "Don't we need a leader who agrees with conservatives?"
See also: McCain vs. Hillary? -- America deserves better Tags:Bill Clinton, Election 2008, Hillary Clinton, John Mccain, presidential candidatesTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
It was previously reported on ABC's "Good Morning America (3/10/04) that Sen. McCain publicly said he would entertain the idea of running with Kerry on the Democrat ticket. Now we have quoted excerpts from a March 2007 report by Bob Cusack in a paper read by Washington elites. Cusack wrote his report a year before John McCain became a "real" GOP contender and identified McCain's willingness to leave the GOP as far back as 2001. Conservative Republicans have known that McCain's actions in the Senate have leaned liberal and can well understand why Democrats hope to have two liberal choices in November and hope Republicans have no real conservative choice.
Sources quoted excerpts from a March 29, 2007 article by Bob Cusack: "Democrats Say McCain Nearly Abandoned GOP," The Hill:
Sen. McCain Also Considered Leaving The Republican Party In 2001:
"Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was close to leaving the Republican Party in 2001, weeks before then-Sen. Jim Jeffords (VT) famously announced his decision to become an Independent, according to former Democratic lawmakers who say they were involved in the discussions."
"McCain consistently shot down the rumors, though Weaver [John Weaver, McCain's top political advisor] acknowledged this week that the senator did talk to Democrats about leaving the GOP."
"In one article, Marshall Wittman, a McCain loyalist and strategist six years ago, put the odds of McCain leaving the Republican Party at '50-50.'"
Sen. McCain Reached Out To Democrats:
"Democrats had contacted Jeffords and then-Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) in the early months of 2001 about switching parties, but in McCain's case, they said, it was McCain's top strategist who came to them."
"At the end of their March 31, 2001 lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Bethesda, Md., Downey said Weaver asked why Democrats hadn't asked McCain to switch parties."
Weaver: "Well, If The Right People Asked Him."
Calls Were Immediately Placed To Powerful Democrats. "Within seconds' of arriving home from his lunch with Weaver, Downey said he was on the phone to the most powerful Democrats in town. One of the first calls he made was to then-Senate Minority Leader Daschle." . . . "I did take the call from Tom [Downey],' Daschle said in an interview. 'It was Weaver's comment' to Downey that started the McCain talks, he added." Downey And Weaver Spoke Weekly. "Downey said he talked to Weaver at least once a week during McCain's discussions with Democrats, asking him questions like, 'What is the state of play?' and 'Where are we?'"
Downey: "I Actually Thought During The Initial Stages Of This That [McCain Leaving The Republican Party] Was Almost A Certain Deal." . . . "Weaver Was Very Active In This." . . . "None Of This Happens Without Weaver." Influential Democrats Talked To McCain About Leaving The Party:
"In interviews with The Hill this month, former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) and ex-Rep. Tom Downey (D-NY) said there were nearly two months of talks with the maverick lawmaker following an approach by John Weaver, McCain's chief political strategist."
"Daschle said that throughout April and May of 2001, he and McCain 'had meetings and conversations on the floor and in his office, I think in mine as well, about how we would do it, what the conditions would be. We talked about committees and his seniority … [A lot of issues] were on the table.'"
"Other senators who played major roles in the intense recruiting effort, according to Democrats, were then-Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) as well as Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Harry Reid (D-NV)."
'"John [Edwards] at that time was working with McCain on a couple things and there was a sense that because of his relationship that he might be a good person to talk to him,' Daschle said. 'He was clearly one of those that we thought could be helpful.'''
Daschle Thought Sen. McCain Was The Democrats' "Best Opportunity." "Daschle, however, said the talks went much further, claiming that there were times that he and Democratic leaders thought McCain 'might be our best opportunity.'"
Tags:Election 2008, Democrat, John Cusack, John McCain, presidential candidate, RepublicanTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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Rep. Ron Paul: With Romney gone, the chances of a brokered convention are nearly zero. But that does not affect my determination to fight on, in every caucus and primary remaining, and at the convention for our ideas, with just as many delegates as I can get. But with so many primaries and caucuses now over, we do not now need so big a national campaign staff, and so I am making it leaner and tighter. Of course, I am committed to fighting for our ideas within the Republican party, so there will be no third party run. I do not denigrate third parties -- just the opposite, and I have long worked to remove the ballot-access restrictions on them. But I am a Republican, and I will remain a Republican.
