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, June 21, 2008
Lt Col William Russell Back On Duty
Bill Smith, ARRA Editorial: Two local papers in Pennsylvania's 12 District besmirched William (Bill) Russell (Republican for Congress) after their primary. The Tribune Democrat, Johnstown PA said in a spurious editorial: "William Russell - Missing in Action. 12th district candidate strangely silent. . . . And what we see now is a candidate who has been all-but-invisible . . . But we suspect Russell has done more damage to his election chances through his own lack of action . . . " The Herald, Sharon, PA carried the same story (word for word). Who ever wrote the story wrote without getting the facts or failed to reveal the facts. The facts show the papers owe William Russell an apology.
After winning a write-in primary effort to place him back on the November ballot, Lt Col William Russell, a member of the US Army Reserves, returned to "active duty" for the period April 30, 2008 to July 26, 2008. He has been working at the Pentagon. During this period William Russell is not permitted to campaign. Russell has been in the process of relocating his family from Virginia after his prior long term period on active duty. While he returned to PA and campaigned prior to the Primary, he allowed his children to finish school at his former duty location and for his wife to prepare for their permanent return home to PA. Now that the family is relocating, Russell makes the trip home on weekends to work on their home.
Today, I caught up with Russell today in his home in Johnstown, PA. He was back for the weekend and was working on their home. He made it clear he could not talk about his campaign until after July 26 and referred me to his campaign manager Peg Luksik.
Being a retired Air Force officer, I enjoyed swapping some old war stories with Lt Col Russell and sharing about our concerns for the security of our country. Russell never complained about the false comments made in the above reference articles. He said while others outside the district may not have know where he was, many of his future constituents knew he had returned to active duty during the lull after the primary. As a responsible person, he has to earn a living to care of his family. And as an Iraq veteran, he provides unique experience in addressing military contingency operations. However, Russell looks forward to being back full-time in the 12th District on July 27.
Peg Luksik, campaign manager for the William Russell for Congress, says she is preparing for Russell's return and for a "front porch" campaign as they meet with voters through out the district. She realized that voters attention wanes after a primary, but said Russell is ready to address voters concerns on the economy, energy, and the many other needs of the district. Although their opponent has a larger war chest, she believes the voters of District 12 have even larger hearts and are concerned about change including electing Russell to Congress.
It is disheartening that the local press could easily have learned of William Russell's return to "active duty." They used his absence from the area to promote sensationalism. But even worse, what if they actually knew Lt Col Russell was back on temporary active duty? In either situation, they insulted both their readers and Russell and they assaulted Russell's character by using military terminology like "Missing in Action" and "strangely silent." There is no excuse for not reporting Russell's return to active duty to "serve his country and the residents of the District 12." While an apology would be appropriate from the papers, I expect that none will be forth coming. It is hoped that voters of District 12 know well Murtha cronyism when the see it.
In closing, I have been asked why should I care about the Lt Col Bill Russell and the voters of the PA District 12. It is because literally millions of military and veterans like myself feel dishonored by Rep. John Murtha. He is such a disgrace, we cannot fathom that the voters in his district are not ready for a change. And this week again brought Murtha to our attention, when for the seventh time, charges against one of the eight Marines accused in the incident were dismissed, leaving just one case left. It was Rep. John Murtha who proclaimed without evidence that our Marines “killed innocent civilians in cold blood,” and now Murtha remains "strangely silent" with no comment on the dismissals. In addition, Murtha greed in controlling pork in Congress has led to his being called the "King of Pork." Not just for representing his district but for his internal hand in manipulating wasteful pork barrel spending across the United States. We hope that the voters of the 12th District will elect an honorable man like Lt Col Russell over the failed character and bad performance of "Jack" Murtha. It is Time for a Change!Tags:Bill Russell, candidate, change, Election 2008, John Murtha, Media, media bias, Pennsylvania, US House, William RussellTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
In the interest of legislative process, we hear many speeches on the floor, many members talk to their constituents; I'm going to try to bring a bit of enlightenment to this process . . . We're going to learn how to speak Democrat:
“Speaking Democrat:” A Primer
Speaking “Local Democrat”
“PROGRESSIVE” = “REGRESSIVE”
Statement: “Democrats are progressive.”
Translation: “Democrats are regressive.”
“CHANGE” = “THE 1970s”
Statement: “Democrats will bring you change.”
Translation: “Democrats will bring you the 1970s.”
“GOVERNMENT” = “SOCIALISM”
Statement: “Democrats support proactive government.”
Translation: “Democrats support proactive socialism.”
“ENHANCE REVENUES” = “RAISE TAXES”
Statement: “Democrats will enhance revenues.”
Translation: “Democrats will raise taxes.”
“THE RICH” = “YOU”
Statement: “Democrats will only tax the rich.”
Translation: “Democrats will only tax you.”
“INVEST” = “WASTE”
Statement: “Democrats will invest your money.”
Translation: “Democrats will waste your money.”
“ENERGY” = “LETHARGY”
Statement: “Democrats have an energy policy.”
Translation: “Democrats have a lethargy policy.”
“GREEN COLLAR JOBS” = “UNEMPLOYMENT”
Statement: “Democrats will replace your blue collar jobs with green collar jobs.”
Translation: “Democrats will replace your blue collar jobs with unemployment.”
Speaking “Global Democrat”
“DIPLOMACY” = “MAGIC”
Statement: “Democrats will protect America from Iranian nukes through tough, principled diplomacy.”
Translation: “Democrats will protect America from Iranian nukes through tough, principled magic.”
“ENGAGE” = “APPEASE”
Statement: “Democrats will engage America’ enemies.”
Translation: “Democrats will appease America’s enemies.”
“END” = “LOSE”
Statement: “Democrats will end the Iraq War.”
Translation: “Democrats will lose the Iraq War.”
Contextually Construing “Electoral Democrat”
(i.e. Walking the Party Plank)
Statement: “As a progressive party, Democrats will bring you change by using government to enhance revenues from the rich to invest in the production of energy and green collar jobs; and by using diplomacy to engage America’s enemies and end the Iraq War.”
Translation: “As a regressive party, Democrats will bring you the 1970s by using socialism to raise taxes from you to waste in the production of lethargy and unemployment; and by using magic to appease America’s enemies and lose the Iraq War.”
Tags:Democrats, political video, Politics, primer, Republicans, Thaddeus McCotter, US Congress, US HouseTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
The Patriot Post: Seven down, one to go. The case of the “Iraq My Lai Massacre,” in which U.S. Marines were accused of illegally gunning down Iraqi civilians in Haditha, continued unraveling this week. For the seventh time, charges against one of the eight Marines accused in the incident were dismissed, leaving just one case left. Military judge Colonel Steven Folsom dismissed charges without prejudice against Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Chessani after finding that a general who was overseeing the Haditha investigation was improperly influenced by one of his investigators. “Unlawful command influence is the mortal enemy of military justice. In order to restore the public confidence, we need to take it back. We need to turn the clock back,” Colonel Folsom said in a not-too-subtle rebuke of the Haditha investigation. Colonel Folsom also barred the Marine Forces Central Command from future involvement in the case, another indication of his obvious displeasure with how the case was handled. This leaves only Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich to face charges of voluntary manslaughter. Given the prosecution’s 0-for-seven record thus far, chances are probably good that these charges will be dismissed as well.
Here we would point out once again that Rep. John Murtha (D-Haditha), who said at the time that our Marines “killed innocent civilians in cold blood,” has had no comment on the dismissals. And the Leftmedia, which wanted another My Lai so badly that they rushed to condemn our Marines before the facts were known, have been shamelessly silent about how the case has turned out. Apparently, being treasonous means never having to say you’re sorry. Tags:Haditha Massacre, John Murtha, Marines, military justiceTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Illegal immigrants in prison costing state millions of dollars
H/T to Minuteman HQ for the lead to the following story. Becky Bruce on KSL TV5 reported: "The state of Utah is spending nearly $8 million a year to keep 300 illegal immigrants in prison, but the numbers don't tell the whole story. Angie Welling, spokeswoman for the Utah Department of Corrections, says, "While it sounds like a lot of money, and certainly $8 million is a lot of money, in the overall scheme of things it's not as big as it may seem at first glance." The Utah Department of Corrections only got back about $550,000 from the federal government for locking up undocumented workers last year. . . ."
In Arkansas, the group Secure Arkansas is also trying to "make a difference." They are seeking signature to place a provision on Arkansas November General Election. If approved by the voters, Arkansas government agencies will be among those required to track the associated cost of providing mandated federal services to illegal immigrants.Tags:Arkansas, criminals, economic cost, illegal immigrants, prisons, Secure Arkansas, UtahTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Tony Perkins, FRC Washington Uptate: What do homeschooling and drunk driving have in common? A lot, according to a German judge who made the comparison when he sentenced parents to three months in jail for educating their children at home. Juergen and Rosemarie Dudek, both Christians, are one of the estimated 400 couples in Germany who secretly homeschool their kids despite an antiquated ban on the practice instituted by Adolf Hitler 70 years ago. The decision, which smacks of Nazi-era oppression, will be appealed to a higher court, where the ruling will likely stand. German courts have repeatedly upheld homeschooling as a form of "child abuse," a conclusion echoing that of a California court last February when a three-judge panel struck down the rights of homeschooling parents in that state. While the California ruling was later vacated, both have something in common--the desire to use public education as a vehicle for indoctrinating children in the liberal views of the state. Also Read:German Homeschooling Parents Sentenced to Three Months in Prison Tags:Christians, Germany, homeschoolers, parentsTo 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: Barack Obama and his Green religion backers do not want you to know this: If the existing "marginal wells" in the United States were reopened, within 30 days we would not have to import a single barrel of oil from the Middle East! A marginal well is one that produces 15 or fewer barrels per day. The Democrat controlled Congress refuses to pass the incentives to owners to reopen these wells. The Democrats are also blocking: 14 billion barrels of oil form the Continental Shelf, 10 billion barrels from ANWR, 2 trillion barrels from the Rockey Mountains, and 179 billion barrels from the Canadian Oil Sands. The USA is the only nation in the world that blocks offshore dilling. The USA forbids American oil companies from obtaining oil from the Canadian oil sands. The reserves in the USA are three times those of Saudi Arabia, but laws on the books do not allow exploration. Thank Senator Barack Obama and the Democrats for the price of gasoline. Tags:gasoline prices, oil, oil drilling, oil reserves, 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!
Republican Party of Arkansas: Yesterday, June 19, 2008, the State House Republican Caucus held a meeting to elect its leadership for the next legislative session. Representative Bryan King (Green Forest) was unanimously elected Minority Leader. King will be replacing Representative Johnny Key (Mountain Home), who will be moving to the State Senate.
King represents District 91, which encompasses Carroll and the most western parts of Boone Counties. He serves on both the Transportation and Aging/Children/Youth committees of which he serves as chair of the subcommittee on Aging. He resides in Green Forrest with his wife Lydia and their daughter Meghan. King is both a farmer and businessman.
Others elected during the Caucus meeting include Representative Jon Woods (Springdale) as Minority Whip, Representative Dan Greenberg (Little Rock) as Caucus Treasurer, and Representative Rick Green (Van Buren) as Caucus Secretary. The Caucus also welcomed the nine Republican Representative-Elects and continues to look forward to strengthening their numbers in this November. Tags:Arkansas, Arkansas Republican Caucus, Bryan King, Republican Party of ArkansasTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
On The Floor: The Senate resumed consideration of the housing bill (House message to accompany H.R. 3221). Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed cloture on the bill this morning. Yesterday, the Senate voted against twoamendments to the housing bill by Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) and a motion by Sen. Bunning (R-KY) to send the bill back to committee.
The House passed last night the supplemental war funding bill last night, 500 days after the president initially requested the money. They adopted the the Senate’s amendment adding war funding to the supplemental appropriations bill and a domestic spending amendment to send back to the Senate.
Yesterday, the House leaders and the heads of the Senate Intelligence Committee worked out a compromise on a long-delayed FISA overhaul. They are expected to pass the compromise bill today. The deal “would give telecommunications companies their much sought-after protections from lawsuits. Both the war supplemental and the FISA bill are expected to be taken up in the Senate next week.
From Senate & News Sources: This morning Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell again admonished Democrats for their lack of action on energy and gas prices for yet another week: “[W]hile Congressional Republicans have a solution to the problem, our friends on the other side have shown a stubborn unwillingness over the years to do much at all about increasing domestic supply. And the result of yesterday’s inaction is the strain that American families are feeling today in the form of record high gas prices. By failing to address supply even with gas prices at $4 a gallon, Congressional Democrats are telling the American people that $4 a gallon gasoline is acceptable, that they should get used to it. Well, Kentuckians aren’t interested in getting used to $4 a gallon gasoline, and neither am I. Congress has the power to do something about high gas prices, and we should.”
Fortunately, Congressional Democrats were stopped earlier this month from doing one of the worst things they could have done, passing an expensive cap-and-trade climate tax scheme. CongressDaily is reporting that key unions, the National Mining Association and the United Auto Workers, both told House Democrats that they could not support the climate bill authored by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA). Tags:cap and trade, FISA, gas prices, housing assistance, troop funding, 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!
Government Is Cause Of, Not Solution To, High Health Care Costs
The Foundry: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Monday that health care spending will “rise relentlessly” unless lawmakers overhaul the health care system. As if trying to prove his point, PriceWaterhouseCoopers released a study yesterday showing employer health care costs will increase 9.9% in 2008, more than double the annual rate of inflation.
Liberals will tell you that health care costs can be controlled through more government regulation of the health care industry. For example, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il) says he can save $200 billion in health care spending every year through investing in electronic medical records, more centralized coordination of individual care, and government mandated reduction of unnecessary medical procedures. Problem is, no one with any training in the economics of health care believes that savings will materialize. John Sheils, vice president of the health care consulting firm the Lewin Group, says the savings “are just dramatically overstated .” And MIT health economist Jonathan Gruber calls the numbers “nonsense,” noting that there is “zero credible evidence to support that conclusion.”
Obama is right about one thing, though. In February of this year, he said: “The reason people don’t have health insurance isn’t because they don’t want it, it’s because they can’t afford it.” That is true. But the solution to expensive health insurance is not more government mandates and regulations; it’s less. A major why reason health insurance premiums keep rising is because special interests keep successfully lobbying state legislatures to mandate more and more procedures into all insurance plans. So even though a 25-year-old male has no need for in vitro fertilization and no interest in acupuncture, a state like New Jersey forces him to buy a plan that covers those procedures. The result? That 25-year-old could buy a basic health plan in Kentucky for $960 a year, but the cheapest plan in New Jersey (full of mandates he doesn’t want or need) costs him $5,880. A study for the Health Insurance Association of America found that 20% to 25% of uninsured Americans lack insurance due to benefits mandates.
Paul Jacob, Common Sense:Could the most important thing one does for one’s community be to send a pocket copy of the U.S. Constitution to local politicians and police? Some officers in the Dallas Police Department are doing things against the letter and the spirit of our laws. After writing a traffic ticket up, and getting the signature, too many on the force then add on infractions.
Gretchen West was stopped for a burned-out tail light. She took away her ticket for $220. And paid. Then she got a letter in the mail, saying she owed an extra $378 for failing to wear a seatbelt and driving without her headlights on. But, but . . . the officer had not mentioned those alleged violations! The Dallas Morning News informs us that an assistant city attorney documented about a dozen cases like this in recent months. This weird twist on ex post facto law is Kafkaesque, actually, the kind of thing you’d expect from a police state.
Now, I know: Dallas, Texas, today, is a better place to live in than was Moscow, USSR, circa 1950. The Soviets set in place a totalitarian police state. Here in America, when our rulers and enforcers forget the importance of the rule of law, and the primacy of citizen liberties, they tend to set up not totalitarian police states but petty ones. . . . But it’s just not the American way. Tags:corruption, Dallas, Paul Jacob, police officerTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
H/T To The Center: In a recent interview, former Arkansas governor and GOP nominee Mike Huckabee said that an offer by John McCain for the number two slot on his party’s ticket would come as a “surprise” to him. . . . McCain’s decision as to whether or not he will pick Huckabee as his running mate will depend on the Arizona senator’s game plan for the fall as well as his degree of comfort with the idea of having the Arkansan on the ticket. "I'm not sure I'm the right fit for him -- that's something only he can know," said Huckabee. "The vice presidency is not a job that a person seeks. It's a job that seeks the person, largely dependent upon how the president is going to feel in terms of comfort level. It would be a real surprise if I got that call. Tags:Election 2008, Mike Huckabee, vice presidentTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Want to participate in tweaking the Drive-By Media? You are aware, probably, that Barack Obama lost his bearings recently and said that he was going to campaign in all 57 states. You heard this? And everybody chalked it up to, 'Well, he's tired.' You know, this is a Dan Quayle moment. I mean, Dan Quayle goes out there and misspells 'potato,' and we still hear jokes about it. Barack Obama says he's gonna go out and campaign in 57 states, he was just tired, you know, it's been such a long campaign, he's been so many places, he probably thinks there are 57 states. Well, I have here a printout from a website called the International Humanist and Ethical Union. And here is how the second paragraph of an article on that website begins. "Every year from 1999 to 2005 the organization of the Islamic conference representing the 57 Islamic states presented a resolution to the United Nations commission on human rights . . ."
We're participating here in a tweak of the media. Obama said he's going to campaign in 57 states, and it turns out that there are 57 Islamic states. . . . So did Obama just lose his bearings, or was this a more telling slip, ladies and gentlemen?
Check out the below video folks! Obama says he has been to every state in the U.S. except 1 and Alaska and Hawaii - been to 57 states. Confused? Obviously, he failed geography or he was confused as Rush says by 57 Islamic States.
Tags:Barack Hussein Obama, Barack Obama, Democrat, Election 2008, Media, presidential candidate, Rush LimbaughTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
On The Floor: Senate began consideration of the housing bill (House message to accompany H.R. 3221). Debate will likely be based off a substitute amendment from Senate Banking Comm. Chair Chris Dodd (D-CT). There could be votes on amendments today and tomorrow. Yesterday, the Senate voted to override the president’s veto of the re-passed farm bill (H.R. 6124).
From News Sources: The frustration of Americans at Congress’ lack of action on energy production is palpable and certainly shared by Senate Republicans. However, there are some positive developments on the Hill today concerning earmarks, terrorist surveillance (FISA), and troop funding.
Energy Production: Echoing many Americans’ frustration on oil and gas prices, today Chuck Norris delivers a roundhouse kick to Congress in an op-ed in Investor’s Business Daily: “Congress needs to take some practical steps now to stop the insanity at the pumps, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, open up some temporary energy production avenues for economic relief (such as shale development), and focus more on developing alternative energy (coal, natural gas, hydrogen, solar, nuclear, wind, etc.). There is simply no reason or justification for us to be dependent on foreign fuels that we can produce in our country.” He’s right, of course!
Democrats continue to vote against drilling for oil and gas here in the U.S. Every time they do, they say, “We can’t drill our way out of this problem.” In a Boston Herald op-ed, Michael Graham has responded: “It is [Sen. Barack] Obama’s position that ‘we can’t drill our way out of this problem.’ This is the intellectual equivalent of saying ‘you can’t eat your way out of your hunger problem.’”
FISA:CQ Today reports that after Republicans and many others put pressure on Blue Dog Democrats to pass the Senate’s FISA bill, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer was forced to work out a compromise on restoring terrorist surveillance capabilities.
Troop Funding:Politico reports that after weeks and weeks of discussions, the House has finally figured out a way to move forward on funding for our troops in the field.
Earmark Reform:Roll Call reports that Sen. McConnell is moving forward with earmark reforms, noting that “Senate GOP Conference would hold a formal meeting next week to discuss the reforms” and “McConnell on Wednesday floated a draft bill [of earmark reform measures] to [Majority Leader Harry] Reid for review.”Tags:earmarks, energy bill, FISA, housing assistance, mortgages, troop funding, 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!
H/T to Jack Moss for recalling this video to our minds.. When many of us were focused on the GOP race and on Clinton as the Dem's frontrunner, we let some of these past comments by Obama slip from our minds. Jack is the radio host of The MacRanger Ranger Show. To quote Jack, Obama's Position "is absolutely shocking reprehensible. He plans to universally disarm our nation. The question is for what, and more specifically 'for whom.'"
Now listen to Barack Obama as he detail how he will disarm America.
Also, if you know anyone weakminded enough to express desires to vote for Obama, have them visit and watch this eye opening video.
Tags:Barack Obama, Blogburst, video, campaign promise, disarming america, National DefenseTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Phyllis Schlafly, Eagle Forum: The elected representatives in Oklahoma passed a law to stem the tide of illegal aliens and, faster than you can say "judicial supremacy," a federal judge blocked its enforcement. The court suspended key sections of the law even before it was due to take effect on July 1.
The Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act was designed to prevent illegal aliens from taking jobs from Americans and from evading taxes by working in the underground economy. The Oklahoma law passed the State Legislature by overwhelming bipartisan veto-proof majorities (88-9 in the House, 41-1 in the Senate) and was signed by the Democratic Governor. Public opinion polls reported that the law enjoys 88 percent public approval, and it was recognized as a model for other states to copy.
The law required employers who have contracts with the state of Oklahoma to use the Oklahoma Status Verification System to verify the legal status of their employees. The law expanded the definition of "discrimination" to include firing an American while retaining an illegal as an employee. The penalty for violating this law was requiring the employer to withhold state taxes in a manner to ensure that Oklahoma would receive all proper employment taxes, including taxes for those employees who are not legally in this country. Oklahoma should certainly be able to protect itself against the non-payment by illegals of taxes that Americans pay as a matter of course. Even though the new Oklahoma law didn't go into effect, it is credited with reducing Oklahoma unemployment significantly below the national average. The bill's sponsor, State Rep. Randy Terrill, said, "Oklahoma is no longer OK for illegal aliens."
The big national news this month is the Department of Labor announcement that U.S. unemployment has surged to 5.5 percent, the sharpest monthly spike in 22 years. The unemployment figures are particularly painful for teenagers; only about one-third of 16- to 19-year-olds are likely to get summer jobs. The employment picture in Oklahoma is quite different: Oklahoma's unemployment rate is now only 3.1 percent and dropping. That's because after the Citizen Protection Act was passed a year ago, illegal aliens began leaving the state.
The lawsuit to overturn the Oklahoma statute was brought by the leading trade group for large corporations profiting from hiring illegal aliens at the expense of American citizens. The name of the case is Chamber of Commerce of the United States v. Brad Henry. The judge granted standing to the Chamber of Commerce to sue even though it had not been hurt one iota by the law that had not yet taken effect. The judge, in effect, legislated from the bench by blocking the statute from taking effect, so all its benefits may never be known. The judge accepted the Chamber's argument that Congress has preempted state laws by federal statutes about immigration. But we all know that the federal government is incapable or unwilling to carry out the necessary enforcement of existing laws that the American people deserve to have enforced.
There is even a federal law called the Tax Injunction Act that prohibits federal courts from interfering with state taxation. The court sidestepped that law, declaring that the federal court could interfere because the Oklahoma statute is more like a regulation than a tax. Across the country, 43 states have passed more than 182 immigration-related laws. Several leading decisions, such as the federal decision reviewing the ordinance passed in Valley Park, Missouri, have upheld the laws against challenges.
Taxes and jobs are not the only reasons why states need to protect their citizens against illegal aliens. Rep. Terrill says, "Our Bureau of Narcotics here in Oklahoma estimates that something in excess of 40 percent of the drug trafficking through Oklahoma is directly attributable to our illegal alien problem." The courts should not be interfering with legislative remedies to protect American citizens from losing their jobs to illegal aliens who may not even be paying taxes on their wages. And we certainly should not tolerate drug trafficking coming in from Mexico.
Overturning the massive votes in the Oklahoma legislature and the will of the people makes this new decision one more example of how the courts are trying to make themselves an elite branch of government whose every pronouncement is accepted as "the law of the land." It's time for Americans to rise up and reject the rule of judges and return to rule by our elected representatives. Congress can and should withdraw jurisdiction from federal courts to interfere with prudent attempts by states to protect their governments and lawful residents. Congress could simply amend the Tax Injunction Act to clarify that federal courts lack authority to entertain any challenge to a state law that involves the collection of taxes from illegal aliens. Tags:Eagle Forum, illegal aliens, judicial activism, judicial supremacy, Oklahoma, Phyllis SchlaflyTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), TownHall: There is little debate right now on Capitol Hill about whether the American economy is struggling. The real conversation in Washington, D.C. and in living rooms across the country is about how to get our economy moving again. Essentially this debate boils down to one question: Should America promote economic growth and job creation or raise taxes to destroy jobs and economic opportunity?
Beginning this week, Republicans will make all House members decide which side of this debate they are on by forcing votes on a bill I introduced, the Tax Increase Prevention Act (H.R. 2734). House members will have to choose whether they support Speaker Pelosi’s budget proposal that, in total, is the single largest tax increase ever proposed in the history of the United States, a $3,000 per taxpayer tax increase.
With so much money already being wasted in Washington, I believe it is wrong for Congress to try and take more money out of the paychecks of hard-working Americans. My bill would make permanent the tax relief of 2001 and 2003, and stop tax increases on raising children, earning money, saving and investing, operating a small business, adopting a child, paying off college loans and even dying.
Consider the implications of the Democrats’ proposed $680 billion tax hike in 2011 alone:
Marginal income tax rates will increase as follows:
--35% bracket will increase by 13 percent
--33% bracket will increase by 9 percent
--28% bracket will increase by 11 percent
--25% bracket will increase by 10 percent
--10% bracket will increase by 50 percent
Capital gains rates for individuals will increase from 15% and 0% to 20% and 10%.
Restoration of the marriage penalty tax.
The child tax credit will be slashed 50 percent, raising taxes by $500 per child.
The death tax will go from 0% to 55%.
I have always held the conviction that American citizens should keep as much of their hard-earned money as possible. With Americans facing rising health care costs, high energy prices and economic instability, the absolute last thing families need is to be hit with a massive, job-killing tax increase . . . [Read More] Tags:capital gains taxes, Democrat, economy, tax increases, Tim Walberg, TownhallTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
On The Floor: Senate resumed consideration of the motion to proceed to the House-passed tax extenders bill (H.R. 6049). Since Democrats have little to offer on gas prices, they’ve moved on to other bills. Later today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is expected to move to the Housing bill (H.R. 3221) to deal with the troubled housing markets. At a time when there are so many questions revolving around politicians and mortgage deals, it’s more important than ever to have a full and transparent debate on any new government action on housing. It would be unfortunate if Reid and Democrats tried to jam the bill through by moving to fill the amendment tree and cut off debate. Debate would likely be based off a substitute amendment from Dodd.See Yesterdays ARRA News Service Post: Dodd Sponsors Lender Bailout, Takes VIP Loans
In the House: Democrats have reversed course and are set to pass a supplemental spending bill similar to the one they passed last month. After weeks of negotiations, Democrats have returned to adding to the bill: billions in unemployment insurance, the over $50 billion tax hike, and unacceptable war policy restrictions. Even though President Bush has threatened to veto the bill over all of these provisions and Democrats do not have the votes for a tax increase in the Senate, the House Democrat leaderships doesn't care. After all their wrangling and voval exercises, they have returned to their position one month ago: a bill full of provisions provoking a veto and our troops without the assurance that the money they need to complete their mission will be there. The major difference? We’re now one month closer to the Pentagon running short on funds. Another example of Democrats’ mismanagement by the Democtat leadership (Pelosi, et.al) of this Congress. An example which may have "deadly consequences" for our troops.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin took to the floor this morning to again complain that Senate Republicans voted against moving to the Democrats’ “energy bill.” Durbin claimed it would have addressed the “root causes” of high oil and gas prices. Even The Washington Post points out that Durbin;s Democrats bill is “For the most part, it was election-year symbolism.” The Post noted that the Democrats’ proposals “such as a Justice Department investigation of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, a windfall profits tax and an end to certain oil industry tax breaks, . . . would have had little or no impact on prices at the gas pump.” The editorial admonished Democrats that “Congress cannot repeal the law of supply and demand.” In contrast, Senate Republicans has repeatedly offered proposals that would create more American energy and more American jobs, but Democrats have voted them down every time.
Tags:bailout, Chris Dodd, domestic drilling, energy bill, housing assistance, lender bailout, mortgage default, oil drilling, taxes, 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!
Bobby Eberle, GOPUSA: I realize that Democrats want government to rule our lives -- to be in every aspect of our daily routine -- at the expense of our hard-earned tax dollars. They believe that "government" is some sort of separate being that should "care" for us, but they forget that government has no money of its own. Nothing is free, and when the government does something to "help," that money is coming from our pockets.
Now, ultra liberal Barack Obama wants the government to pay fathers for being fathers. That's right, instead of expecting fathers to have common sense to do the right thing in raising families, Obama wants the government to give the father a payment. As the father of two, and the son of a single parent, I find this proposal to be outrageous. People need to take responsibility for their own actions. I have no desire whatsoever to pay even more taxes just to get some 18-year-old punk to act like a father.
We should reward fathers who pay that child support with job training and job opportunities and a larger Earned Income Tax Credit that can help them pay the bills. We should expand programs where registered nurses visit expectant and new mothers and help them learn how to care for themselves before the baby is born and what to do after -- programs that have helped increase father involvement, women's employment, and children's readiness for school. We should help these new families care for their children by expanding maternity and paternity leave, and we should guarantee every worker more paid sick leave so they can stay home to take care of their child without losing their income.
Letting this passage soak in and reading other parts of his speech, you see just how liberal and on the far left fringe Obama is. Leading up to the comments above, Obama said, "Because if fathers are doing their part ... then our government should meet them halfway." What in the world is he saying? I'll tell you... he's saying that if a father does what he is supposed to be doing, he should get taxpayer-funded benefits. This is ridiculous! Let's see an "Obama" example.... A father is ordered by the court to pay child support. The father complies with the law, and now part of my paycheck is supposed to be forwarded to this guy simply because he is obeying the law? What kind of sense does that make? . . . [Read More] Tags:Barack Obama, Bobby Eberle, GOPUSA, liberalism, Politics, Responsible FatherhoodTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
New Gallup survey results released! In just two years, the percent of registered Republicans who said the moral condition of America is "poor" has risen by 15 points! Today 51 percent of the GOP is frustrated by the nation's cultural climate compared to 36% in 2006, and 81% think it's "getting worse." The overall results to the question about the state of moral values show that, as has been the case consistently throughout the decade, few Americans give the country's moral climate high marks. Only 15% consider moral values to be "excellent" or "good" while 41% call them "only fair" and 44% consider them to be "poor."
Gallup's "Bottom Line" for the survey indicated that:
Americans are reliably negative when it comes to rating moral values in the country. Since 2002, a majority of Americans have consistently said the state of moral values is less than good and getting worse. Apart from this general pattern, Republicans' disaffection with the nation's moral climate (but not Democrats' or independents') has been elevated over the past two years, A number of "values" issues have been in the news in recent years, including gay marriage, pop-star misbehavior, and reports of high-profile elected officials involved in sex-related scandals, but it is unclear that any of these are responsible for the pattern in the data. Whatever the cause, this may signal that Republicans will be particularly anxious to elect a new president this November who will help to uphold or restore the values they now find lacking in the country.
Republicans are becoming more concerned about traditional values--not less.And, Republican candidates had better start listening and speaking to moral issues. See:Republicans Sour on Nation's Moral Climate Tags:candidate, Election 2008, Gallup Poll, morals, RepublicansTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Peter Suderman, Freedom Talks: Senator Chris Dodd is one of the driving forces behind the $300 billion FHA-mortgage-refinancing bill currently making its way through the Senate (see David C. John’s analysis). The bill’s being sold as aid to struggling homeowners, but it’s also a huge boon to lenders holding a lot of risky debt. That’s because it allows these banks to cherry-pick their riskiest loans and slough them off onto the publicly backed FHA; in other words, the bill moves the risk from the bank’s portfolio to the taxpayers’. One of those lenders is Countrywide Financial, and surprise surprise, it looks as if Senator Dodd benefited — possibly improperly — from a VIP loan program for personal friends of Countrywide’s president. . . . [Read More]
Senator Chris Dodd has taken special sweetheart loans not available to the public from Countrywide Financial. Now he's sponsoring a lender bailout that will provide a massive financial benefit to -- you guessed it -- Countrywide! Find out more at www.AngryRenter.com Tags:bailout, Chris Dodd, Countrywide, Freedom Talks, homes, lender bailout, VIP loansTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Assimilation blues: why are la Raza and several other Hispanic groups so afraid of scrutiny toward the Hispanic community? We investigate.
100% Preventable! Americans continue to pay the bloody price for open borders! When will the madness end?
And, Who are the people in your neighborhood? Globalists, open border freaks and diversophiles insist that we are enriched by other cultures. But is this always true? We take a look.
Tags:video, Blogs for Borders, illegal aliens, illegal immigration, La Raza, open borders, Politics, videoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
On The Floor:Senate will resume consideration & will vote on cloture of the motion to proceed to the House-passed tax extenders bill (H.R. 6049). The vote was moved from Monday. A cloture vote on the same bill failed last week. This week’s schedule remains undetermined but action could occur on a number of issues including housing legislation, unemployment insurance, the Defense authorization bill, or a return of the Medicare fix bill.
The House: Funding for the D.C. school voucher program will be debated in a House appropriations subcommittee today. Two great articles: Virginia Walden Ford’s “Choice for the Children” and William McGurn’s “School Choice Is Change You Can Believe In.” Heritage Foundation, Dan Lips also wrote a thorough analysis of the D.C. voucher program last month.
As detailed below, the impact of rising gas prices continue in the news although he impact of flooding in the Central U.S. is now on the front covers. Sen. McConnell hit the nail on the head this morning with regard to the Democrats plans regarding gas prices, “Telling people whose livelihoods depend on getting to and from work that they should get used to high gas prices is not an energy policy. Supporting a ‘gradual adjustment’ to $4 a gallon gasoline is not an energy policy.” McConnell is correct; for a liberal Democrats desiring a "Nanny State" their efforts are right on track and now very exposed. Their objective: continues to be limiting individual rights while advancing increased government control through economic hardships, environmental restructuring, government control and providing government handouts and subsidies.
From Senate & News Sources: Today’s New York Times features an eyebrow-raising editorial pointing to a “silver lining” to high gas prices, seemingly endorsing Democrats’ “gradual adjustment” approach to energy. The NY Times applauds the decision by GM to “shutter much of its production of pickups and sport utility vehicles” because Americans now prefer more fuel efficient cars.: “Americans’ response to rising gasoline prices makes an excellent case for a gas tax. It proves that drivers will change their behavior in response to high fuel prices.”
The Times’ discussion of this “silver lining” sounds an awful lot like what Democrat Sens. Barack Obama and Byron Dorgan had to say when they were asked if increased gas prices could be a good thing. Obama said, “I think that I would have preferred a gradual adjustment,” and Dorgan said, “[I]t certainly forces some conservation for people that can't afford to fill their tank.” Since high gas prices seem to be advancing liberal goals, one has to wonder if Democrats would prefer things to continue as they are in light of their refusal to vote on efforts to increase domestic energy supplies.
Roll Call reports that House Democrats may have finally decided how to move forward on the war supplemental after another long round of deliberations. Recall that House Democrats spent weeks back in April trying to figure out how to move troop funding the first time. Their dilemma then was the same as now - how to get the most unrelated domestic spending possible to piggyback on a must-pass bill. This time, Democrats are looking to push through $16 billion in unemployment benefits. Democrats have been negotiating among themselves for so long, they may have forgotten that the president has threatened to veto any bill that includes too much extra domestic spending.
Fortunately, though, in the process of all the wrangling over domestic spending, Democrats may have finally decided that it is unwise to also pursue ill-considered troop withdrawal requirements in the supplemental funding bill. Reutersreports that Democrats are preparing to move the bill without these provisions. It’s long past time to get this bill completed and signed by the president. One would hope that Democrats would look for the path most likely to produce that result. Tags:housing legislation, unemployment insurance, Defense authorization bill, Medicare fix bill, D.C., School voucher program, 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!
National Guard Will Be Withdrawn From Unsecured Border
CNSNews: Members of Congress are split on whether the National Guard should end its deployment along the U.S.-Mexico border in July, as planned.On Monday, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff predicted the border would not be secured until 2011 . . .[Read More] Tags:border control, Mexican Border Issues, National GuardTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
On The Floor: The Senate reconvene at 2 PM today. Following an hour of morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to the House-passed tax extenders bill (H.R. 6049). At 5:30 PM, senators will vote on cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill. A cloture vote on the same bill failed last week. This week’s schedule remains undetermined but action could occur on a number of issues including unemployment insurance, housing, and a return of the Medicare fix bill.
Unfortunately, House Democrats are suddenly insisting that Congress permanently raise taxes in exchange for a temporary extension of existing tax credits. A bill that extends the credits but includes tax hikes was passed in the House but rejected in the Senate last week. Yet Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has scheduled another cloture vote on the motion to proceed to the House bill today. Is he that eager to raise taxes? Republicans are not, and the bill is likely to be blocked once again.
From Senate & News Sources: With the price of gasoline still above $4 per gallon this week, Senate Democrats continue to oppose commonsense measures to increase domestic energy production and create American jobs. Asked on Fox News Sunday about Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) comments last week in which he said he “would have preferred a gradual adjustment” when it comes to increased gas prices. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) said, “Well, it certainly forces some conservation for people that can’t afford to fill their tank.” The question is, of course, does that mean Democrats think that is a good thing?
Later in the program, Dorgan said, “This issue of production is a canard.” That attitude seems indicative of the Democrats’ approach to energy, which almost completely ignores the very real supply issues. Dorgan claims that “Some Democrats, including myself, have supported additional production as well,” but he was one of 48 Democrat senators who voted last month against proposals to increase domestic energy production. The Hill reports that House Democrats want to try their hand at energy legislation again, but it nothing in the article indicated that there would be any ideas concerning supply forthcoming from this effort. When asked about the lack of domestic energy production, Democrats often reply that it is more important to support renewable and alternative energy technologies. Tax credits to do just that have repeatedly received bipartisan support. In fact, the Senate voted 88-8 back in April to extend these tax credits.Tags:energy bill, gasoline prices, taxes, 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!
Obama's Poor Judgment in Choosing Unethical Associates
Bill Smith, ARRA News: When I was young, my father and mother warned me that others would judge me by the friends with whom I associated. This fundamental truth applies to all of us as we are forced to evaluate with whom we associate and with whom we would like to represent us. Just a few days ago, Jim Johnson, the CEO of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) from 1991 to 1998, resigned form Sen. Obama's vice presidential search committee. The Wall Street Journal reported Mr. Johnson received $1.9 million in loans at below market rates from Countrywide Financial, thanks to his friendship with Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo. In a press conference last Tuesday, Sen. Obama dismissed criticism of Mr. Johnson as "a game," and said he would keep him on. A day later, after The New York Times and The Washington Post raised more serious questions about Mr. Johnson and he resigned. In 2004, it was learned that Fannie Mae executives had concealed $10.6 billion in losses through questionable accounting practices. This was about 19 times the size of Enron's losses, but attracted much less media attention.
Now we see the patter pattern of using associates with unethical problems continuing with the potential appointment of Eric Holder to Obama vice presidential search committee. As reported by the Pittsburg Post Gazette, Eric Holder was deputy attorney general during the Clinton administration and was a key figure in the last-minute pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich, whose ex-wife, Denise, was a major contributor to Clinton campaigns and to the Clinton library fund. Mr. Rich, who fled to Switzerland to avoid prosecution on 51 counts of tax fraud, was not eligible for a pardon under Justice Department guidelines. But Mr. Holder circumvented normal procedures and kept other Justice Department lawyers in the dark. A congressional committee described his conduct as "unconscionable."
Obama willingness to appointment people with low ethics to his Vice Presidential search committee should be a major issue of concern for all voters. If Obama were elected president, what other individuals with ethical problems or worse would he place in critical positions that will affect all of us? Cronyism and "pay back" appears high on Obama list. His past associations with bigoted people, convicted criminal, and others of questionable ethical problems, evidence Obama's poor judgement. Obama's poor judgment and his continued willingness to appoint friends and associates with low ethical standards reflects Obama association with the influence of the Chicago's Daley political machine rather than running his running for President of the United States. Of course, David Axelrod, Mayor Daley's chief image defender, is a top strategist for Obama's campaign and he was also the media consultant for Obama's US Senate campaign. See also:There goes another oneandObama: ‘If They Bring a Knife to the Fight, We Bring a Gun’andObama Business Parter, Friend & Supporter Convicted of Corruption Tags:Barack Obama, Election 2008, Ethics, judgementTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
"My Dad" by Paul Peterson is a song honoring Fathers.
This video is a tribute to Dads on Father's Day.Tags:2008, Father's DayTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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Bill Smith, ARRA Editorial: Two local papers in Pennsylvania's 12 District besmirched William (Bill) Russell (Republican for Congress) after their primary. The Tribune Democrat, Johnstown PA said in a spurious editorial: "William Russell - Missing in Action. 12th district candidate strangely silent. . . . And what we see now is a candidate who has been all-but-invisible . . . But we suspect Russell has done more damage to his election chances through his own lack of action . . . " The Herald, Sharon, PA carried the same story (word for word). Who ever wrote the story wrote without getting the facts or failed to reveal the facts. The facts show the papers owe William Russell an apology.
