Arkansas GOP Focuses on Rebuilding

Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: With week's end, Arkansas Republicans look toward the future of rebuilding. At the conclusion of Tuesday's filings, Republican Party of Arkansas (RPA) Chair Dennis Milligan admitted to the press: "I was disappointed for sure, but you plan your work and you work your plan.” Milligan said, the plan is to rebuild the party from the ground up, “We’re not focusing at this point on top-tier positions. We’re focusing on building a good, solid foundation that can withstand the load, and then being able to produce upper-echelon candidates in the future.”

RPA Executive Director Karen Ray said, "the state GOP is focused on building a brighter future. Quorum Court seats, county seats and then the legislative seats are really what we’ve focused on. We’ve had a lot of training for these folks, we’ve had information sessions. I’ve been calling JP candidates all over the state and so has Dennis Milligan.”

While almost all of Northwest Arkansas remain strongly Republicans and retained without Democrat opposition several Republican legislative and local seats, other locations are also doing well. In North Central Arkansas in Baxter County, Republicans remain strong after establishing themselves three years ago. According to Baxter County GOP Chair Gary Smith, " We had a State Senator, two county constitutional offices, seven of eleven Quorum Court positions and six Constables remain in Republican hands without opposition. Although democrats have filed against Republicans for State Representative, County Judge, County Sheriff, a Quorum Court and a Constable seat, we expect that Republicans will retain most if not all of these positions."

Then moving to Eastern Arkansas to Poinsett County, we note for the first time that Republicans have filed for office. Poinsett County GOP Chairman J.C. Lassiter said, "We’re working now on the grassroots level, and we’re trying to elect Quorum Court members. We have two Quorum Court JP candidates and a constable candidate running, and we think we’re really doing something.”

On the Arkansas legislative level, 13 Republicans are unopposed for the Arkansas House. In addition, 22 Republicans and one Independent are competing against Democrats. With only 8 of the seats having been previously Republican, the Republicans have an opportunity to gain seats in the House. In Arkansas Senate races, two Republicans are not up for re-election and 5 Republicans are unopposed. In another race, incumbent Gilbert Baker, former Republican Party of Arkansas chair is in a contested race. Although Republicans will remain significantly out numbered in the Senate, Senator Denny Altes, the Senate Republican Leader, remains and Senator Kim Hendren, the Senate Republican Whip, is unopposed for re-election. In addition, Johnny Key, the current House Republican Leader, will join them in the Senate.

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Tags: Arkansas, Baxter County, Dennis Milligan, Denny Altes, Election 2008, Gilbert Baker, House, Johnny Key, Karen Ray, Kim Hendren, Poinsett County, Senate To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

House Passes Unsuitable FISA Bill

Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: Yesterday, the US House's defiant Democrat leadership promoted a divided house that passed, 213 to 197, its version of the update to Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. The House version conflicts with a passed previous version by a significant majority (68-29) in the US Senate. The house version does not agree with the recommendations for the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee. As Reported in the Washington Post, the House version would:

[E]xpand the powers of intelligence agencies to eavesdrop on terrorism and spying suspects and keep pace with ever-changing communications technologies. But it would challenge the Bush administration on a number of fronts, by requiring upfront court approval of most wiretaps, authorizing federal inspectors general to investigate the administration's warrantless surveillance efforts, and establishing a bipartisan commission to examine the activities of intelligence agencies in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Most provocatively, the House legislation offers no legal immunity for past actions by phone companies that participated in warrantless wiretapping and are now facing about 40 lawsuits that allege they breached customers' privacy rights. Instead of granting the firms immunity, as the Senate bill would, the measure would send the issue to a secure federal court and give the companies the right to argue their case using information the administration has deemed to be state secrets.

Last month with bipartisan support, the US Senate passed (68-29) FISA with an immunity provision for companies that were asked to aid the US Government in its war on terrorism and monitoring calls from suspected international terrorists passing through or to the United States. By not granting immunity, telecommunication companies are unwilling to cooperated with Federal agencies due to trial lawyers in the U.S. seeking legal action and large settlements and due to individuals and groups trying to block all avenues of surveillance in the United States of international terrorists. It is amazing that these groups claiming to be working to protecting privacy rights are by their very actions evidencing a willingness to accept terrorist attacks on Americans, American property, and our military both in the United States and in other countries rather than to allow required surveillance of terrorist calls originating from outside the United States in an rapid and efficient manner.

With the House and Senate Democrat leadership both in agreement to oppose the President, in an election year, it is unlikely that the Senate and House will conference on FISA legislation. It is doubtful our country will see FISA reform during President Bush's remaining time in office unless he compromises his requirements for FISA reform. Although the administration still has the means of seeking warrants to wiretap, actions by the US House will most likely promote more judicial activism that will slow the process and place American, American lives, and American interest at risk both within the United States and abroad. It appears that Pelosi's Motto: "Terrorists & Trial Lawyers Win" will reign as long as liberals verses Blue Dogs democrats continue to control the Democrat leadership in the US House and US Senate.

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Tags: FISA, Nancy Pelosi, US House, US Senate To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Huckabee: No Illusions About VP Slot

CBS News: Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is keeping any future political plans under wraps. In his first public appearance since dropping a stronger-than-expected bid for the GOP nomination, Huckabee on Thursday said he is "not sitting around" expecting likely Republican nominee John McCain to tap the former Arkansas governor as his running mate. "I'm not one that has any illusions that he has some obligation to me," Huckabee told reporters before an ethics lecture at Columbia College, a small private school in central Missouri. "It's his decision to make. I'm going to support whomever he picks." . . . [Read More]

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Tags: Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, Republican To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Former Treasurer Embezzled NRCC Funds

by Ben Pershing, Washington Post: National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) officials acknowledged . . . that they have found discrepancies in their books of more than a million dollars and evidence that the NRCC's former treasurer, Christopher Ward, made "several hundred thousand dollars" worth of unauthorized wire transfers out of the committee that appear to have ended up in Ward's own bank accounts. The NRCC launched an internal probe and contacted the FBI in January after learning that Ward "apparently fabricated and submitted 2006 financial statements to the NRCC's bank," . . . . The initial dollar amounts disclosed by the NRCC today suggest that this case could be the biggest campaign swindle ever recorded.

"Based on analysis conducted to date, it appears likely that over a period of several years Ward made several hundred thousand dollars in unauthorized transfers of NRCC funds to outside committees whose bank accounts he had access to, including joint fundraising committees in which the NRCC participated," said the NRCC memo. "He also appears to have made subsequent transfers of several hundred thousand dollars in funds from those outside committees to what appears to be his personal and business bank accounts. Those unauthorized transactions date back to at least 2004." . . .

"The evidence we have today indicates we have been deceived and betrayed for a number of years by a highly respected and trusted individual," NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (Ok) said in a statement. Ward and his attorney have not spoken to the media since news of the NRCC investigation first broke. While the FBI's investigation is ongoing, the NRCC has also hired the law firm Covington & Burling to conduct an internal probe, and that firm has in turn hired PricewaterhouseCoopers to do a forensic audit of the committee's books. NRCC officials now believe the last bona fide audit of the committee took place in 2001, and that Ward submitted "bogus audits" every year from 2002 through 2006 on faked stationary from a genuine, respected accounting firm.

Rob Kelner of Covington & Burling explained to reporters today that his firm's initial probe revealed a "pattern in which Ward would wire transfer funds to other committees where he did accounting work and had signature authority." The evidence further showed transfers from those committees to Ward's bank accounts. "The exact dollar figures are currently a moving target, and as the investigation progresses, it is entirely possible that these figures will change, either by increasing or decreasing," the NRCC memo said. . . . In addition to the NRCC, Ward has served as treasurer for more than 80 other GOP fundraising committees, many of which are now concerned they may also have had money stolen. . . . [Read More]
See also: NRCC Scandal: How Did It Happen?

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Tags: Christopher Ward, embezzle, fund raising, GOP, grand theft, NRCC, Republican To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Spitzer Into The Wind & Quotes of the Week

by Bob Parks, Outside the Wire:

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McCain Votes Pro-Life -- Obama & Clinton Vote Pro-Death

by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews: Pro-abortion Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton joined a majority of the Senate Thursday night in rejecting an amendment that would offer financial support to poor pregnant women and their unborn children. Their votes contrasted with likely GOP presidential nominee John McCain. The two candidates voted against a measure by Sen. Wayne Allard of Colorado that would have included pregnant women and their unborn children in the SCHIP program. Pro-life groups strongly supported the amendment because it would help women who may otherwise have an abortion because of financial worries about affording a baby. The vote provided another clear contrast between Obama and Clinton, who support unlimited abortions funded with taxpayer dollars, and McCain, who opposes abortion and has called for reversing Roe v. Wade. . . [Read More]

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Tags: abortion, Barack Obama, Election 2008, Hillary Clinton, John Mccain, presidential candidates, pro-life, Roe vs. Wade To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Former POWs Support John McCain for Commander in Chief

Vietnam War POWs' Open Letter: March is a memorable time for the Americans who were released from captivity in North Vietnam during the month back in 1973. The pathway to freedom began in February, as the war in Vietnam was concluding for America. John McCain, one of those American heroes, returned to freedom on March 15, 1973, released from Hanoi that day along with other very happy American Prisoners of War. His journey home was the continuation of a remarkable story with chapters yet to be written. Having survived life-threatening and disabling injuries, along with the brutality of the POW experience,

Journey to Freedom

John had steadfastly resisted communist efforts to exploit him and his fellow POWs. John's homecoming began a new phase of his life. His courageous service and his political career are well known today, and now he is the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party to be the next President of the United States.

We are but representatives of over eighty former POWs who shared those heady days of freedom and those years of captivity and suffering with John McCain. Collectively, we are proudly doing all we can to help our dear friend, John McCain, become our next commander in chief. We are campaigning with him, helping him raise money, speaking on his behalf and, in constant conversations, promoting his candidacy among our friends and family all over the country. We are doing so because we believe in John McCain.

Our convictions about John's character were born in the crucible of adversity. We have witnessed his courage, integrity, character and intellect. We know and respect his sense of honor and his tenacity in the face of grave danger and prolonged hardship. These qualities, combined with his life experiences, make John ready for the enormous challenges facing the leader of our country. No one -- no one -- is more qualified to be president, to lead our country, to protect our nation and our children and grandchildren. We know him. We know his strengths, his love of country and his commitment to serve it. He has been severely tested, and we have witnessed him under pressure. We trust his judgment and his ability to lead our country in these difficult times. We are joined in that trust by over 130 retired Flag and General officers who are members of Senator McCain's Military Advisory Council. They know and have worked with John McCain over the past three decades dealing with major national security challenges. They know leadership and they know danger and challenges. They know experience. They know quality. And they chose John McCain for president.

We must elect a leader who is ready on day one for these difficult and dangerous times. We need a leader who will insist that we win in the struggle against radical Islam. John is committed to let our troops win! We need a leader who will take on the big problems that most politicians seek to avoid. Leaders take on the tough issues. John McCain is that sort of leader. He knows the American spirit -- he has lived it like no other candidate. He knows we can do better and that America's best days are ahead.
Sincerely,
Commander Everett Alvarez, USN (Ret.)POW for 8 1/2 years
Colonel Bud Day, USAF (Ret.) Medal of Honor POW Over 5 Years
Rear Admiral Robert Shumaker, USN (Ret.)POW for 8 years
Colonel Leo Thorsness, USAF (Ret.) Medal of Honor POW for 6 years
Commander Paul Galanti, USN (Ret.)POW for over 6 1/2 Years
Captain Mike Cronin, USN (Ret.)POW for over 6 years
Major General John Borling, USAF (Ret.)POW for over 6 1/2 years
Captain Richard Stratton, USN (Ret.)POW for over 6 years
Lt Colonel Orson Swindle, USMC (Ret.)POW for over 6 years.

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Tags: Election 2008, John McCain, POW, presidential candidate, Republican, Vietnam War To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Today in Washington D. C. - March 14, 2008 - Democrats Pass Higher Taxes on Middle Class

On The Floor: House will today consider the Democrats’ new FISA bill (H.R. 3773) before leaving on Easter recess. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that House Democrats are planning to do the right thing and pass the Senate’s FISA modernization bill. Instead, they are pushing a bill that cannot pass the Senate, has been deemed inadequate by the Attorney General and Director of National Intelligence, and would be vetoed by the president. Yesterday, The House passed the House Democrats’ budget, which would raise taxes by $683 billion, after rejecting a Republican budget, which would have retained the Bush tax cuts, repealed the AMT by 2013, and balanced the budget by 2012.

Senate: Yesterday after completing work on the budget, senators went home for the Easter recess, Following a vote-a-rama on budget amendments, the Senate passed the Democrats’ fiscal 2009 budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 70) on a mostly party-line vote. Earlier in the day, the Senate agreed to the Baucus amendment, which would extend a precious few of President Bush’s tax cuts, which are scheduled to expire in 2011. However, the Baucus amendment excludes many middle-class Americans, some making as little as $31,850. A similar amendment passed last year, but Democrats took no action to make the tax changes law. Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) offered an amendment for Senate Republicans that would have made all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent, but Democrats voted it down. Republicans did succeed in amending the budget to block lawsuits against employers who require workers to speak English.

Among the Republican amendments defeated last night were an amendment to raise the estate tax exemption to $5 million for small businesses, family ranches and farms (which was rejected a second time), an amendment to repeal the 1993 tax increase on Social Security benefits, an amendment to make it more difficult to raise income taxes, an amendment to means test some Medicare prescription drug benefits, an amendment to restrict federal funding to sanctuary cities, an amendment which would have lowered alternative minimum tax rates. An amendment offered by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) to impose a temporary moratorium on earmarks was unable to overcome a point of order raised against it.

From Senate & News Sources: A number of media outlets picked up on the bottom line of the budget Senate Democrats passed late last night: that Democrats “held ranks” to “saddle millions of Americans” with “big tax increases.”

The AP wrote, “Democrats in both House and Senate pressed ahead with budget plans that would saddle millions of Americans with higher tax bills in three years by allowing some or all of President Bush’s reductions to die after he leaves office.” And The Wall Street Journal observed, “Democrats showed they would rather reduce the deficit or spend money on other programs than extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.” In fact, the AP reported that the Democrats’ budget allows for tax increases “on individuals making as little as $31,850 and couples earning $63,700 or more.”

Sen. Mitch McConnell: “This debate made clear that Congressional Democrats are willing to raise taxes on middle- and lower-income families so they can spend more from Washington. Instead of working to increase the size of the family budget, Democrats once again chose to grow the government budget—raising taxes on middle-class American families by an average of $2,300 a year and refusing to reform the middle-class tax hike known as the AMT.”

Sen. Judd Gregg: also had harsh words, saying, “[F]or the second year in a row, the Democrats’ budget refuses to address the very serious problem of unfunded entitlement obligations. The fact that this $66 trillion burden of debt is simply being passed along to future generations represents an appalling lack of leadership and fiscal responsibility.”

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Tags: Democrats, earmarks, FISA, increased taxes, Republicans, tax-cuts, US Budget, 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!

Most Americans Believe in Sin

Study results from Ellison Research (Phoenix, AZ) show the vast majority of Americans (87%) believe in the concept of sin. “Sin” was defined in the research as “something that is almost always considered wrong, particularly from a religious or moral perspective.” The study asked more than 1,000 adults to decide whether 30 behaviors were sinful. The study was conducted in all 50 states. Respondents’ age, household income, geography, racial or ethnic background, and gender were carefully tracked to ensure appropriate representation and accuracy. People who believe there is such a thing as “sin” were asked whether they would personally define each of thirty different behaviors as sinful.

The behaviors a majority of all Americans describe as sinful are:

Adultery 81%

Racism 74%

Using “hard” drugs such as cocaine, heroine, meth, LSD, etc. 65%

Not saying anything if a cashier gives you too much change back 63%

Having an abortion 56%

Homosexual activity or sex 52%

Not reporting some income on your tax returns 52%

A number of other behaviors are considered sinful by a significant portion of all Americans, although not a majority. These are:

Reading or watching pornography 50%

Gossip 47%

Swearing 46%

Sex before marriage 45%

Homosexual thoughts 44%

Sexual thoughts about someone you are not married to 43%

Doing things as a consumer that harm the environment 41%

Smoking marijuana 41%

Getting drunk 41%

Not taking proper care of your body 35%

Then there are behaviors that fewer than one-third of all Americans see as sinful:

Gambling 30%

Telling a “little white lie” to avoid hurting someone’s feelings 29%

Using tobacco 23%

Not attending church or religious worship services on a regular basis 18%

Playing the lottery 18%

Watching an R-rated movie 18%

Being significantly overweight 17%

Not giving 10% of your income to a church or charity 16%

Drinking any alcohol 14%

Working on Sunday/the Sabbath 14%

Spanking your child when he/she misbehaves 7%

Making a lot of money 4%

Dancing 4%

. . . [Read More]

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Tags: American, moral values, morality, Research To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

John McCain Raises $2 Million at the Plaza in NYC

by Matt Lewis: Last night [3/11/08] at the Plaza in NYC, over $2m was raised for John McCain. . . . Senator McCain was introduced by Former NY Senator Al D’Amato. D’Amato was a little long winded but was passionate in his support of McCain. McCain spoke for about 20 minutes. Spoke of the importance of honesty. Referenced telling the folks in Iowa he did not support the Ethanol subsidy (and joked he lost the state); likewise in Michigan where the auto sector jobs are not coming back. McCain then talked about the differences between himself and his yet to be determined opponent. He is a conservative who supports lower taxes, a strong military and understands that Iraq is a key battleground in the war on terror while his opponents want higher taxes and would pull out of Iraq at a crucial time. Spoke of our brave men in uniform and how proud he is of them. . . . As McCain left the stage to shake hands secret service had their work cut out for them. There was a mad rush to the stage to meet the next President. . .

Memo from Rick Davis on the McCain Message: Why John McCain

John McCain Is Now The Republican Nominee For President. After a hard-fought contest, John McCain has secured the 1,191 delegates needed to win the Republican nomination for president.

John McCain Is The Man To Lead Our Party To Victory In November. McCain's broad electoral appeal will expand the states in play in the general election and help GOP candidates across the country.

John McCain Has The Experience, Judgment And Character To Lead America In A Dangerous World

John McCain Has The Experience, Judgment And Character To Lead As Commander In Chief From Day One. In a dangerous world, John McCain is uniquely qualified to lead America. McCain has been involved in every major national security issue over the last two decades.

McCain served for 22 years in the US Navy, including 5 years as a POW and as commander of largest attack squadron in the Navy. During his military career, McCain was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and a Distinguished Flying Cross.

McCain served 20 years in the US Senate, leading American policy on military and national security issues on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

John McCain Is Rallying Our Party Around Conservative Principles On National Security, Fiscal Responsibility, Health Care Reform And Traditional Values.

NATIONAL SECURITY: John McCain will stay on offense to defeat the threat of radical Islamic extremism. The Democrats have demonstrated no resolve to defeat this threat. McCain had the judgment and courage to call for a change in strategy in the war in Iraq -- a strategy that is now succeeding. He has vigorously supported Gen. Petraeus' successful strategy, while the Democratic candidates continue to call for retreat.

TAXES AND SPENDING: John McCain will get our economy back on track by cutting taxes, spurring investment and innovation and ending wasteful spending in Washington. McCain will cut taxes and stop the outrageous wasteful spending in Washington. McCain will make the Bush tax cuts permanent, eliminate the AMT, and cut taxes on American businesses to help our companies remain competitive. McCain will stop the wasteful and pork barrel spending and enforce the conservative vision of smaller government by vetoing any pork-barrel bill that comes across his desk.
HEALTH CARE: John McCain will reform our health care system using free market solutions to reduce the skyrocketing costs that threaten to implode the system. McCain will provide all individuals with a refundable $2,500 tax credit ($5,000 for families) as incentive to buy health insurance.

TRADITIONAL VALUES: John McCain will protect our traditional values. McCain has a consistent 24-year pro-life record, and believes that Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that should be overturned. McCain believes that the institution of marriage should be protected and defined as a union between one man and one woman. John McCain will nominate strict constructionist judges to the bench.

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Tags: Election 2008, fundraiser, John McCain, New York, presidential candidate, Republican, Why John McCain To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Republicans Respond to Gov. Bebee's Severance Tax Agreement

RPA Press Release: On Monday, Governor Mike Beebe announced that officials of the oil and gas industries and his office had come to terms with an agreement to raise the tax on natural gas by 5%. In order for this agreement to become law, it must pass both houses of the legislature by three-fourths vote.

Johnny Key (R - Mountain Home), the Arkansas House Minority Leader, issued the following statement today on the proposed settlement between the Arkansas gas companies and Governor Mike Beebe:

“I appreciate the comments of Sen. Bob Johnson concerning the so-called agreement on the severance tax. He makes a compelling case for the detrimental economic effects the Governor’s tax hike will have on the economic growth and job creation stemming from the Fayetteville Shale play. I agree with Sen. Johnson that when presented with the choice of good jobs or tax hikes, we must choose good jobs over taxing an industry just because it is successful.

Another critical issue is the absolute lack of inclusion of the General Assembly in this process. The concept that we should rubber stamp a tax hike without debate or amendments, and do it right now or else, is a slap in the face of our democratic process. I have requested that Governor Beebe delay the call for a special session until his tax hike proposal has been submitted to the Interim Revenue and Taxation Committee and any other committees deemed appropriate by Sen. Critcher and Speaker Petrus. Let these committees have until the end of May to discuss and debate the proposal, and if necessary a special session could be called for early June.”

Republican Party of Arkansas Chairman Dennis Milligan also weighed in on the proposed settlement:

“I commend Minority Leader Key and both the Republican and Democratic members of the Arkansas legislature who are diligently working to keep taxes low and our economy growing. With Arkansas’ unemployment rate at 5.6%, higher than the national average, it is critical that we take steps to ensure that we grow our job base here and protect our economic interests. These jobs won’t come to Arkansas if we drive the gas companies out, which we risk by increasing the severance tax. I see this as an opportunistic tax, and I think as Arkansans, we should not stand for it.”

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Tags: Arkansas, Dennis Milligan, employment, GOP, increased taxes, jobs, Johnny Key, natural gas, RPA, severance tax To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Gov. Bebee on Arkansas Severance Tax Agreement

Governor Mike Beebe announced today that he is contacting legislators to determine support for an agreed increase of the severance tax on natural gas in Arkansas. The agreement will create an ongoing roads program for Arkansas without increasing natural-gas rates for residential Arkansas customers. Discussions ended yesterday when representatives of the natural-gas industry agreed to Governor Beebe's proposal.

Terms of the agreement include:

• A base rate of 5% of gas-sale proceeds received by the producer.
• A reduced rate of 1.5% for the first 36 months of production on high-cost wells. Well owners who have not recovered their costs after 36 months may apply to the Department of Finance and Administration for a possible extension of up to 12 months.
• A reduced rate of 1.5% for the first 24 months of production on other wells.
• A reduced rate of 1.25% for marginal gas wells that do not meet minimum production thresholds.
• The agreement would take effect on January 1, 2009.

Ninety-five percent of the severance-tax revenue would be dedicated to Arkansas roads, utilizing the current formula of 70% to state highways, 15% to counties and 15% to cities. The other 5% would go to general revenue. By conservative estimates, the new severance-tax rate would generate about $57 million for the State in the first year, increasing each year and reaching the $100 million mark by the year 2013. Governor Beebe is now discussing the proposal with legislators and gauging their support before deciding whether to call a special session. Beebe has said that he will not call a special session unless enough votes exist to pass the proposal.

Videos of Press Event:


Prior Stories: Keeping Arkansas’ Economy Strong: Why Should We Care?
Landowners Benefit From Royalties But Arkansas Gov't Wants More Taxes From Gas Wells

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Tags: Arkansas, increased taxes, Mike Beebe, natural gas, severance tax To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Pelosi's Motto: "Terrorists & Trial Lawyers Win"

Today, The Washington Times addressed Nancy Pelosi's continued failed leadership and apparent beholding to the special interests of trial lawyers in their editorial: “Pelosi’s FISA Sabotage”:

After a brief period last week when it appeared that the House Democratic leadership might be preparing to end their obstructionism regarding the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), it's business as usual for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Today, the House is expected to consider a FISA bill crafted by senior Democrats that does not give retroactive liability protection to telecommunications companies that helped monitor the electronic communications of terrorists after September 11. Last month, the Senate voted 68-29 in favor of legislation including such protections, with 19 Democrats voted with the majority. In the House, 21 members of the Blue Dog Coalition signed a letter to Mrs. Pelosi urging passage of the bipartisan Senate bill. Mrs. Pelosi responded by sending the House on a vacation without considering the Senate bill.

More recently, however, there were indications that the Democratic leadership might be looking for a way to gracefully capitulate on FISA. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes told CNN Feb. 29 that his panel had been talking to telecommunications companies "because if we're going to give them blanket immunity, we want to know and understand what it is we're giving them immunity for. " . . . Reyes said he had an "open mind" about retroactive liability protection.

But the reaction from trial lawyers who stood to profit from lawsuits against telecommunications firms was decidedly negative and the left-wing blogosphere was downright apoplectic. Mr. Reyes appeared to have gone underground, resurfacing Tuesday with a one-paragraph statement, also signed by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, denouncing the White House as obstructionist. Meanwhile, House Democrats leaked . . . the outlines of a new proposal . . . . Rather than bar lawsuits against companies for doing their patriotic duty by helping the U.S. government prevent terrorist attacks, the Pelosi plan would ensure that they remain vulnerable to new litigation: House Democrats would create a bipartisan congressional commission with subpoena power to issue a report on U.S. terrorist surveillance programs. They would leave the issue of immunity to the federal courts — ensuring that it becomes the subject of protracted litigation that could go on for years.

Tomorrow, the speaker plans to send the House on another vacation — this one for two weeks. Her motto seems to be: It ain't over until the terrorists and trial lawyers win.

As Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) advocates in the following video the House needs to Pass Intelligence Surveillance Bill Now:

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Tags: FISA, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, House Speaker, Jon Kyl, Nancy Pelosi, US House, US Senate To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Today in Washington D. C. - March 13, 2008

On The Floor: the Senate resumes consideration of the fiscal 2009 budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 70). After a half hour of debate on the budget, the Senate will proceed to this year’s “vote-a-rama” on budget amendments around 11 AM. Currently, at least 20 amendments are pending to the budget resolution. Vote could be close today, because Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) is ill. Sens. John McCain (R-AZ), Barack Obama (D-IL), and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) are expected to be present to vote.

The House is set to vote today on its new FISA proposal, despite the fact that the Senate has already resoundingly rejected the provisions in this bill. It appears that House Democrats plan on passing their inadequate bill and then tp leave town for another two weeks. President Bush criticized the House plan this morning: “Unfortunately, instead of holding a vote on the good bipartisan bill that passed the United States Senate, [House leaders] introduced a partisan bill that would undermine America’s security. This bill is unwise. The House leaders know that the Senate will not pass it. And even if the Senate did pass it, they know I will veto it.”

From Senate & News Sources: The Washington Times attacked what it termed Speaker Nancy “Pelosi’s FISA Sabotage” in an editorial today.

With regard to the proposed US Budget, The AP reports that under the Democrats’ budget, “tax rates would increase by 3 percentage points for each of the 25%, 28% and 33% brackets. At present, the 25% bracket begins at $31,850 for individuals and $63,700 for married couples.” The AP notes, Democrat presidential candidates “Obama, D-Ill., and Clinton, D-N.Y., both promise to reverse Bush’s tax cuts for wealthier taxpayers, but the Democratic budget they'll be voting for would allow income tax rates to go up on individuals making as little as $31,850 and couples earning $63,700 or more.”

Senate Finance Comm. Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) has offered a tax amendment on behalf of Democrats designed to extend certain provisions of the 2001 tax cuts they favor (though many voted against creating at the time). Baucus claims this amendment demonstrates Democrats’ “commitment to American families.” However his proposal fails to extend tax relief for Americans in the 25% income tax bracket which leave out an awful lot of people. In contrast, Senate Republicans plan to offer an amendment that will extend all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, which gave tax relief to Americans across the board and helped fuel record job growth.

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Tags: FISA, US Budget, 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!

Arkansas Congressional Delegation Remains Unchanged

Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: With the end of the political filings for the US Senate and US Congressman from Arkansas, only the incumbents filed for office. Only Senator Mark Pryor and the four Arkansas US Congressmen were up for re-election this year. Unlike Sen. Blanche Lincoln who has generally pursued a liberal agenda and earned herself the Porker of the Month award last year, Senator Mark Pryor has remained more centered in his positions and has led by example if not by actually occupying a position in the Senate leadership. Sen. Pryor has supported several conservative positions including the Military Commissions Act, for the Protect America Act, for telecom immunity, support for the Troops in Iraq adn opposed every Iraq redeployment measure. Also during his current term of office, he brokered an agreement with senators from both his parties which prevented a melt-down over confirmation of judicial nominations. These actions left him a strong enough position that he was not even challenged by former presidential candidate and governor Mike Huckabee.

As for the four U.S. Congressmen returning to Congress, their positions do merit some consideration. Rep. John Boozman [R, AR-3] has remained attuned to his constituents and remained true to his conservative principles. The results the Arkansas Democrat Party, the majority party in Arkansas, could not field a candidate to challenge Rep. Boozman. Rep. Mike Ross [D, AR-4] voted both conservative on some issues and left of center on others. However, his leadership among Blue Dog Democrats has gained him respect by both Republicans and Democrats in his district.

However, two elected officials should have been challenged. The first is Rep. Victor Snyder [D, AR-2] with his extreme liberal voting record which shows at best his minimum willingness to support the positions of Arkansans verses his fellow liberal constituents. The second is Rep. Robert "Marion" Berry [D, AR-1] whose less than professional appearance and demeanor have even been highlighted by the Arkansas press and Berry's taste for pork for his own personal benefit in the form of farm subsidies. Unfortunately, an anemic Republican Party of Arkansas' (RPA's) lack of both funds and willing candidates resulted in Snyder and Berry running unopposed. However, the RPA was successful in its focus on State level congressional positions and has already gained the re-election and election without opposition of several members of the legislature. In addition, the RPA has fielded several other legislative candidates.

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Tags: Arkansas, Arkansas Republican Party, ARRA, ARRA News Service, Bill Smith, Blanche Lincoln, Election 2008, John Boozman, Marion Berry, Mark Pryor, Mike Ross, RPA, US Congress, Vic Snyder To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

What's Happened to Teaching History?

by Phyllis Schlafly: A survey of British under-age-twenty kids recently reported that more than a fifth of them believe Winston Churchill, Richard the Lionheart and Florence Nightingale were fictional characters, but that Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes and King Arthur were real people. We hope American students are more knowledgeable, but evidence is not reassuring. They scored an F, or just 54 percent, in a new survey by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute of 14,000 freshmen at 50 U.S. colleges and universities. Students were asked 60 questions to test their knowledge of American history and government. In general, the better a college ranked on the widely publicized U.S. News & World Report list, the lower it ranked on civic learning. Another just-released survey found that a significant proportion of U.S. teenagers live in "stunning ignorance" of history and literature. That survey was conducted by a new research organization called Common Core. An earlier survey of college seniors at 50 top colleges conducted by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni found that more than half didn't know that George Washington was the commanding general of the Continental Army during the American Revolution who accepted Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown. Some 36 percent thought it was Ulysses S. Grant, and 6 percent said it was Douglas MacArthur. . . . [Read More]

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Tags: colleges, education, History, Phyllis Schlafly, Research, Survey To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

War Protesters Interrupt Arkansas Sen. Lincoln

As reported by the press today:
The Hill: Anti-war protesters shut down Senate proceedings momentarily Wednesday afternoon by chanting slogans that disrupted a debate over the budget resolution.
Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) was speaking on the Senate floor at 2:20 p.m. when the group began chanting, “We are from the National Campaign for Non-Violent Resistance” over and over. . . . Anti-war protesters shut down Senate proceedings momentarily Wednesday afternoon by chanting slogans that disrupted a debate over the budget resolution. Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) was speaking on the Senate floor at 2:20 p.m. when the group began chanting, “We are from the National Campaign for Non-Violent Resistance” over and over. . . . The protest halted Senate proceedings for about 10 minutes. When calm was restored, senators resumed the budget debate.
The Washington Times: Debate on the Senate floor was briefly halted this afternoon when about 10 Iraq war protesters stood up in the visitor's gallery and shouted anti-war slogans.
Several of the protesters, who were with a group called the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance, donned gauze shrouds and displayed T-shirts that read "we will not be silent" before police quickly escorted them out of the gallery. All were arrested without further incident.

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Tags: Anti War protests, Blanche Lincoln, news, US Senate To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Today in Washington D. C. - March 12, 2008

On The Floor: Senate reconvened at 9:30 AM today and resumed consideration of the fiscal 2009 budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 70). Today, Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) introduced an amendment to the budget to eliminate the alternative minimum tax (AMT). Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) introduced a competing amendment to eliminate the AMT while raising other taxes to “pay for” it. The budget is scheduled for 50 hours of floor debate, as is required. The annual “vote-a-rama” on a series of amendments to the budget is likely to occur Thursday night.

Yesterday, the House rejected< a Republican attempt to offer a resolution calling for the immediate consideration of the Senate-passed FISA bill. In subsequent vote, the House failed to override President Bush’s veto of the fiscal 2008 intelligence authorization bill, which would have limited the interrogation techniques the CIA and other intelligence agencies could use. Finally, House Democrats broke their own rule about holding votes open in the process of passing a bill creating an ethics office independent from the House ethics committee.

From Senate & News Sources: House Democrats have finally decided to take some action on FISA, but unfortunately, they decided to unveil another bill that again leaves out immunity for telecom companies. Roll Call writes today, “The House’s refusal to bow to Senate and White House demands to include immunity for telecommunications companies that provided information to the federal government in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has been one of the main obstacles in reaching agreement, and Democratic leaders continued to block such provisions in the new bill.” House Republican Leader John Boehner said of the bill, “This latest FISA proposal from House Democratic leaders is dead on arrival.”

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino excoriated the Democrats’ bill saying, “It is clear that House Democratic leaders have once again bowed to the demands of class-action trial lawyers, MoveOn.org, and Code Pink and put their ideological interests ahead of the national interest. . . . House Democratic leaders know that this proposal is unacceptable to the Intelligence Community, the U.S. Senate, and the Administration. It is time for House Democratic leaders to get serious about our national security, put aside these partisan games, and bring the bipartisan Senate bill to a vote immediately.” Even Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s spokesman acknowledged to The Washington Post that the new House bill is “unlikely to achieve 60 votes in the Senate.”

The Senate, meanwhile, continues work on the budget today. Leader McConnell again warned about the budget’s assumption of a $1.2 trillion tax increase, noting, “Under the Democrat plan for taxing the ‘rich,’ 43 million families would be hit with an average tax increase of $2,300 next year.” $2,300 isn’t an insignificant amount of money for most families. It could buy eight months worth of groceries, home heating oil and electricity for nearly a year, gasoline for two cars for over a year (even at today’s prices), or health care expenses for almost a year. Clearly Democrats’ focus on expanding the federal budget does not bode well for the family budget.

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Tags: FISA, US Budget, 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!

Save the "Save Act"

by Carmen Mercer, Minuteman Civil Defense Corps: House Republicans are circulating a discharge petition this week in order to expedite passage of the SAVE ACT (H.R. 4088). They need 218 signatures in order to force the bill to a floor vote, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi drags her feet, and whines that Congress needs "some balance in what [they] do"— Pelosi speak for Amensty.

The Save Act will greatly reduce the number of corporations who knowingly provide jobs to illegal aliens, and as a result, who provide illegal aliens with an unfair advantage over American citizens and legal foreign workers. Citizens should not have to keep working harder only to reap diminished results and fewer benefits—while our feckless government and greedy corporations reward the criminal behavior of illegal aliens successfully cheating the system subsidized by hard-working U.S. taxpayers!

Speaker Pelosi and her cronies want to pass their new 5 year Amnesty plan and invalidate the critical provisions of the Save Act before it can reach a floor vote this week. It is vitally important that all 435 Congressmen hear from their constituents, especially since Pelosi's henchmen are attempting to strong-arm Democrats that support the Save Act, in order to prevent its vote from occurring this week.

To save the U.S. economy, we must change the equilibrium by permitting only those workers legally authorized to hold jobs, and to compete for employment. Let’s tell these politicians that they are sworn to uphold the rights and duties of American citizenship—not undermine and debase them by allowing millions of illegal aliens to enter our country, destroy our sovereignty and steal our jobs! Contact your representatives! Demand the immediate passage of the Save Act and an end to Washington rewarding the criminal behavior of illegal aliens. See also: GOP aims to force immigration debate

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Tags: employing illegals, illegal aliens, illegal workers, Save Act, US House To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Hillary Wants to be the First President to March in Gay Pride Parade

Bill Smith, Editor: The Democrats are getting desperate. Recently, Barack Obama issued an open letter to the homosexual community vowing his support for the homosexual agenda, including the full repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. However, in an interview with the Washington Blade, a homosexual newspaper, Hillary Clinton had already beaten him to the punch by stating that if elected, she would be the first U.S. president to march in a "gay rights" parade:

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) reiterated her “strong” support for a range of gay rights initiatives in an exclusive interview with the Washington Blade on Sunday. She called for extending federal recognition to same-sex couples, repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and rejected claims that she doesn’t speak forcefully enough on gay issues . . . “I talk about gay issues frequently,” she said. “I’ve been a longtime friend of the gay community . . .

Clinton and Obama have both said they oppose same-sex marriage. The substantive distinction between their positions is that Obama has called for a full repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, while Clinton supports repealing only the section that prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex couples. She again defended that position as a necessary means of thwarting efforts at passing a federal constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. . . . She repeated her call for a repeal of Section 3 of DOMA, because it prohibits the federal government from recognizing decisions made by the states in terms of enacting civil unions, domestic partnerships or, in the case of Massachusetts, full marriage rights.

“I think extending federal benefits is a very important step forward,” she said. “I don’t see why a same-sex couple in California, which has a domestic partnership law, should be able to take advantage of the Family Medical Leave Act if one of them is ill, while a couple in another state without such a law cannot. I would like to see federal benefits extended to same-sex couples that meet certain standards of commitment regardless of the state in which they reside. Too many couples cannot share life decisions, or jointly own property or take care of one another within a recognized legal framework. I want to change that.”

. . . She also said she would become the first U.S. president to march in a Gay Pride parade and that she had not heard about former Vice President Al Gore’s recent video endorsement of same-sex marriage.

To quote Gary Bauyer, "If elected, maybe she can also march next to the North American Man Boy Love Association's float!" See also: Washington Blade endorses Hillary for President: "As gay Rep. Barney Frank told the Blade last summer, 'all the Democrats are very good and all the Republicans are very terrible.' . . . She has marched in our Pride parades, promised unprecedented access to her administration and backed nearly all of our issues. Clinton has earned the support of gay voters in 2008."

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Tags: Barack Obama, gay marriage, gay parade, Hillary Clinton To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

PigFoot barred from presenting Murtha with 2007 Porker of the Year Award

Thomas A. Schatz, President, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW): Check out what happens when CAGW's mascot, PigFoot, tries to present Rep. John “Jack” Murtha (D-PA) with his 2007 Porker of the Year Award? After earning a whopping 63.4% of the vote in the CAGW online poll, Rep. Murtha, who serves as chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, received CAGW’s 2007 Porker of the Year title for inserting special-interest earmarks whenever and wherever he can to serve himself and his district. In fiscal year 2008, Rep. Murtha brought home 72 pork-barrel projects costing more than $149 million, many benefiting the defense contractors in attendance at last month’s fundraiser.

P.S. If you have not already done so, please tell your Senators to support the DeMint-McCain Amendment to the Fiscal 2009 Budget Resolution, which would place a year-long moratorium on earmarks that benefit “Porkers” like Rep. Murtha. A vote on this key earmark reform measure is expected this week!

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Tags: 2007, CAGW, Citizens Against Government Waste, Congressional Pork, John Murtha, pork, pork-barrel spenders, Porker of the Year To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Will Media Give Spitzer the Foley Treatment?

by Brian Fitzpatrick, Senior Editor, Culture and Media Institute: The coverage of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s prostitution scandal will teach us a great deal about how the media view sexual morality, especially as it applies to politics and law. Are maintaining high moral standards and respecting the rule of law more important than partisan interest? Or do the ink-stained wretches consider sexual scandals to be nothing more than clubs for bashing political enemies, such as former Rep. Mark Foley and Sen. Larry Craig? The Spitzer mess provides the media an opportunity to raise a bar that has been dropped much lower than is good for the nation. Here are some questions the media ought to be asking:
1. “Governor Spitzer, why haven’t you resigned yet?” . . .
2. “Senator Obama, do you think Governor Spitzer’s involvement with prostitutes is morally wrong?”
3. “Senator Clinton, do you reject Governor Spitzer’s political support now that a federal wiretap has allegedly caught him breaking the law, and do you favor removing him as a super delegate to the Democratic convention?” . . .

The longer this scandal persists, the more questions we will suggest. If the Democrats decide to circle the wagons around Spitzer, the media should hold their feet to the fire for week after week, as they did to Republicans following the revelations about Mark Foley and Larry Craig. . . . [Read More]
See also: Stand By Your Womanizer; NY Gov. Spitzer Linked to Prostitution Ring;
Sources: Spitzer Resignation Expected & Spitzer Into The Wind

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Tags: CMI, culture, Culture and Media Institute, Eliot Spitzer, New York To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Today in Washington D. C. - March 11, 2008

On The Floor: The Senate reconvened at 10 AM today and began an hour of morning business. Following the completion of morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the fiscal 2009 budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 70). Two tax amendments could be offered to the budget today. Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) may offer an amendment to extend some tax cuts Democrats like, such as the child tax credit, the 10% tax bracket, and the elimination of the marriage penalty. (Of course, most Democrats voted against creating these in 2001.) Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) may offer an amendment to make the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent. The budget is scheduled for 50 hours of floor debate, as is required. The annual “vote-a-rama” on a series of amendments to the budget could come Thursday night.

From Senate & News Sources: As debate on the budget gets under way in earnest, Senate Republicans are sounding the alarm on Democrats’ plans for higher taxes. Democrats repeatedly promised not to raise taxes on Americans, but their latest budget assumes a $1.2 trillion tax increase, which would be the largest in U.S. history. What would such a tax increase mean for Americans? 116 million Americans would see a tax increase, and each year 43 million families would pay $2,300 more in taxes, 18 million seniors would pay $2,200 more, and 27 million small businesses would pay $4,100 more.

In addition, the budget calls for a $211 billion increase in spending, which Democrats purport to pay for with gimmicks such as closing the tax gap which is "hardly enough to rely upon for offsetting the billions of dollars in new spending Democrats are proposing.”

On the other side of the Capitol, The New York Times and CQ Today report that House Democrats are preparing to offer a new version of the FISA modernization bill. Unfortunately, this proposal again leaves out the essential immunity from lawsuits that telecom companies face for cooperating on terrorist surveillance. Since the president is unlikely to sign such a bill, the result could be the House leaving for yet another recess without fixing our degraded capability to gather intelligence. It was irresponsible for the House to allow the Protect America Act expire and then leave town back in February, and it would be just as irresponsible to leave town with things as they are a month later. The House should pass the Senate’s FISA bill before Congress leaves on Friday.

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Tags: FISA, US Budget, 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!

Natural Forces, Not Man, Causing Global Warming, Scientist Says

by Kevin Mooney, CNSNews Writer: Natural forces, not human activity, are primarily responsible for any global warming taking place, prominent atmospheric and space physicist Fred Singer declared Monday at the Heartland Institute's 2008 International Conference on Climate Change in New York City.What's more, the preponderance of scientific evidence about natural forces causing global warming is so great that the issue is settled, Singer said. "The science is settled in the sense that we have evidence that most of the climate change taking place today is caused by natural forces and not by human activity," Singer said during his luncheon address at the conservative Heartland Institute . . . [Read More] See also: Researcher: Basic greenhouse equations "totally wrong"

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Tags: climate change, fraud, global warming, science To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Reconquista - Mexico's War on America (Part 2)

2008 Blogs4Borders! 03/10/08 In this weeks edition . . . Reconquista Part 2: Second in a three part series. A look at how ethnocentric American non profits are part of Mexico’s lobbying machine. And a video reminder of reconquista statements uttered over the years for the nonbelievers. And 100% Preventable! Americans continue to suffer and die due to open borders. When will the madness end?

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Tags: America, Blogs for Borders, criminals, deportation, illegal aliens, illegal immigration, invasion, Mexico, Reconquista, video To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Obama & The Chicago Way

Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: In Arkansas, we know about the Little Rock Clinton machine. Fortunately with their departure for D.C., much of the machine went with them and never returned and other parts of the machine wound up in jail. It is interesting that, Hillary choose not to return to her home state of Illinois to pursue her political ambitions after graduate school or after her time living in the White House. She found it easier to marry an unknown guy from Hope, Arkansas and later to establish redundancy in New York to run for the US Senate than it was to return to Illinois to work with the Chicago political machine.

With the current struggle between Hillary and Barack, it seem reasonable and critical for us to look at Obama rapid rise in Illinois politics. We have heard about his Muslim childhood, his wild youth and college years, his adoption of the Christan faith and his membership in a church biased solely toward those of African ancestry. But where did first term Senator come from politically to take on the First Lady of the Democrat party? Rick Moran at Right Wing Nuthouse reflects that "Many of us familiar with Chicago politics have been wondering for months at the apparent disconnect of the media regarding Obama’s relationship to the Chicago political machine. Where did they think this guy came from?" Moran then lays out for us a clearer picture. I join is supporting the recommendation of Al Czervic, editor of The Catskill Commentator who advises his readers:

You simply MUST read the exhaustive piece by Rick Moran over at rightwingnuthouse.com concerning how things are done in ChiTown and how the ‘outfit’ controls every aspect of life, in particular how Hussein Obama flimflammed his way into the Senate. For a complete history of Chicago corruption and the Dem Machine read here. Another must-read-for-your-education link. If there’s only one thing you read about the elections this month, this is the one: Excerpt from OBAMA, REZKO AND MEDIA IGNORANCE –THE CHICAGO WAY: Besides, examining Obama’s first state senate race should have been a tip off to the national press that this fellow can play the game of politics “The Chicago Way” as well as any corrupt Daleycrat:

The day after New Year’s 1996, operatives for Barack Obama filed into a barren hearing room of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. There they began the tedious process of challenging hundreds of signatures on the nominating petitions of state Sen. Alice Palmer, the longtime progressive activist from the city’s South Side. And they kept challenging petitions until every one of Obama’s four Democratic primary rivals was forced off the ballot.

Fresh from his work as a civil rights lawyer and head of a voter registration project that expanded access to the ballot box, Obama launched his first campaign for the Illinois Senate saying he wanted to empower disenfranchised citizens. But in that initial bid for political office, Obama quickly mastered the bare-knuckle arts of Chicago electoral politics. His overwhelming legal onslaught signaled his impatience to gain office, even if that meant elbowing aside an elder stateswoman like Palmer.

A close examination of Obama’s first campaign clouds the image he has cultivated throughout his political career: The man now running for president on a message of giving a voice to the voiceless first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it. . . . [Read More]

See also: Glorifying Obama is one of the greatest journalistic failures in American history

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Tags: Arkansas, Barack Obama, Chicago, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, Illinois, Mob, Richard Daly, Bill Clinton, Bill Smith To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

La Raza Seeks to Censor the Media

by Roy Beck, NumbersUSA: "If you can't beat them, shut them up" seems to be the new motto of groups that have been continually losing in their attempts to pass an amnesty for illegal aliens. US Today reported:
National Council of La Raza President Janet Murguia announced plans to pressure television network executives and candidates seeking their parties' presidential nominations to clamp down on such remarks. . . . "Hate groups and extremists have taken over the immigration debate in an unprecedented wave of hate," Murguia said. Although some comments could be considered free speech, "there is a line that sometimes can be crossed when it comes to free speech," she said. Murguia named as offenders Pat Buchanan, who appears on MSNBC as a commentator, CNN's Lou Dobbs and Glenn Beck of Headline News, a CNN network. . . . Murguia accused the television networks of cloaking members of hate groups as anti-immigrant experts on their programs. Among those she singled out was Jim Gilchrist, a co-founder of the Minuteman Project. In response, Gilchrist called the National Council of La Raza a racial supremacist group . . . "My son-in-law is Mexican and two of my three grandchildren are half Mexican. The Minuteman Project is comprised of every race color and creed. ... She has a right to her opinion, but she's wrong."Led by the National Council of La Raza and the Anti-Defamation League, the open-borders groups have started a concerted campaign to persuade Cable TV executives to either bar me and our Director of Government Relations Rosemary Jenks from their shows, or to always introduce us as representing an "extremist" organization with ties to hate and racist groups. Their characterization of NumbersUSA and our members is without any connection to reality, facts or even common decency. But if all of us remain silent in the face of this campaign of character assassination, we might indeed be silenced on TV and beyond. . . . So broad is the attempt at censorship that the open-borders groups suggest that virtually no spokesman or group fighting illegal immigration or asking for less overall immigration should be allowed on TV. And they want Lou Dobbs off CNN, and Pat Buchanan off MSNBC, and Sean Hannity off Fox.

La Raza suggests that no pro-enforcement group has a legitimate right to free speech. The total censorship advocacy of La Raza and its friends can be seen in the fact that their website lists NumbersUSA as "the most reasoned" of all groups on the restriction side of the immigration issue ... but then it says even NumbersUSA should not be allowed on TV, or quoted by the Washington Post. In other words, no group that stands for enforcing immigration laws should be allowed on TV, because all of them are less reasonable than NumbersUSA, which La Raza describes as being an "extremist group targeting Latinos." These comments from La Raza are so desperate and disconnected from reality . . . . NumbersUSA has always cautioned against anti-immigrant expressions.. . .

I can tell you that the majority of text on the La Raza website . . . is simply not factual. The website is called "We Can Stop The Hate dot org." But it might as well be called "We Can Stop The Debate." According to the ADL's Stacy Burnett on the website, anybody who uses words like conquest, invasion, swarms, hordes, crime and disease in connection with illegal immigration -- or who even suggests that immigration is an economic threat to a community -- is guilty of hate speech. La Raza says such talk is "used to justify extreme action, sometimes even genocide, since the people using those labels claim that the 'larger public interest' is at risk." The website also says that more than 40 million Americans are members of hate, racist and extremist groups that apparently are fanning the passions of genocide toward immigrants. Wow! And I thought we were just trying to reduce the numerical level of immigration and to enforce immigration laws that have been on the books for decades.

Don't you find that 40 million figure a little hard to believe? What groups can they possibly be counting? This stuff sounds so nuts that you can see why I dismissed it at first, but the website is rallying its own supporters to a relentless campaign to pressure TV executives to erase nearly all opposition to amnesties from TV. . . . send an email to CNN, Fox and MSNBC executives to urge them to continue to keep their shows open to all sides of the immigration debate. Unlike the open-borders, pro-amnesty groups, our side of the debate does not want to silence our opponents. We believe in freedom of the press, freedom of speech and in allowing American citizens to hear all points of view . . . [Read More]

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Tags: hate speech, Jim Gilchrist, La Raza, Lou Dobbs, NumbersUSA, Roy Beck To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!