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, October 04, 2008
What Just Happened?
Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: We have posted numerous videos and articles to provide readers with information to aid them in their discussions with friends and maybe with a few who are not so friendly that it was the Democrats who are responsible for the current mortgage crisis situation. Aren't you tired of the Democrats continued lies? Like many others, I am also tired of waiting for the Republican leadership to stand forward to clearly identifying the Democrats’ actions responsible for the current economic crisis. Thus, I was pleased to note the NRCC stepping forward with the below video contrasting the Democrats personal gains against their responsibility for the catastrophe at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Tags: bailout, Barney Frank, Charlie Rangel, Democrats, failure, Fannie mae, Freddie Mac, GOP, Maxine Walters, Meeks, news, NRCC, PoliticsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
McCain’s blogger-in-chief Michael Goldfarb chronicled Sen. Joe Biden's 14 lies in the Vice Presidential debate with Gov. Sarah Palin: 1. TAX VOTE: Biden said McCain voted “the exact same way” as Obama to increase taxes on Americans earning just $42,000, but McCain DID NOT VOTE THAT WAY. 2. AHMEDINIJAD MEETING: Joe Biden lied when he said that Barack Obama never said that he would sit down unconditionally with Mahmoud Ahmedinijad of Iran. Barack Obama did say specifically, and Joe Biden attacked him for it. 3. OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING: Biden said, “Drill we must.” But Biden has opposed offshore drilling and even compared offshore drilling to “raping” the Outer Continental Shelf.” 4. TROOP FUNDING: Joe Biden lied when he indicated that John McCain and Barack Obama voted the same way against funding the troops in the field. John McCain opposed a bill that included a timeline, that the President of the United States had already said he would veto regardless of it’s passage. 5. OPPOSING CLEAN COAL: Biden says he’s always been for clean coal, but he just told a voter that he is against clean coal and any new coal plants in America and has a record of voting against clean coal and coal in the U.S. Senate. 6. ALERNATIVE ENERGY VOTES: According to FactCheck.org, Biden is exaggerating and overstating John McCain’s record voting for alternative energy when he says he voted against it 23 times. 7. HEALTH INSURANCE: Biden falsely said McCain will raise taxes on people's health insurance coverage -- they get a tax credit to offset any tax hike. Independent fact checkers have confirmed this attack is false 8. OIL TAXES: Biden falsely said Palin supported a windfall profits tax in Alaska -- she reformed the state tax and revenue system, it's not a windfall profits tax. 9. AFGHANISTAN / GEN. MCKIERNAN COMMENTS: Biden said that top military commander in Iraq said the principles of the surge could not be applied to Afghanistan, but the commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force Gen. David D. McKiernan said that there were principles of the surge strategy, including working with tribes, that could be applied in Afghanistan. 10. REGULATION: Biden falsely said McCain weakened regulation -- he actually called for more regulation on Fannie and Freddie. 11. IRAQ: When Joe Biden lied when he said that John McCain was “dead wrong on Iraq”, because Joe Biden shared the same vote to authorize the war and differed on the surge strategy where they John McCain has been proven right. 12. TAX INCREASES: Biden said Americans earning less than $250,000 wouldn’t see higher taxes, but the Obama-Biden tax plan would raise taxes on individuals making $200,000 or more. 13. BAILOUT: Biden said the economic rescue legislation matches the four principles that Obama laid out, but in reality it doesn’t meet two of the four principles that Obama outlined on Sept. 19, which were that it include an emergency economic stimulus package, and that it be part of “part of a globally coordinated effort with our partners in the G-20.” 14. REAGAN TAX RATES: Biden is wrong in saying that under Obama, Americans won't pay any more in taxes then they did under Reagan. Tags:Biden's 14 lies, debate, Election 2008, Joe Biden, Politics, Sarah Palin, vice presidentTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Democrats in their own words Covering up the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Scam
We previously posted Burning Down The House: What Caused Our Economic Crisis? Now we share what some would call a "Shocking Video" that unearths Democrats in their own words Covering up the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Scam which caused our Economic Crisis. At a 2004 hearing see Democrat after Democrat covering up and attacking the regulations to protect Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (their Cash Cows) that are now destroying our economy because the Democrats let them cheat.
Tags:Cover up, crisis, Democrats, documentary, Economic Crisis, economy, Fannie mae, financial, Freddie Mac, news, political, Politics, ScamTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
ACORN, one stop shopping for all of your voter fraud and predatory lending needs.
Tags:ACORN, bailout, Barack Obama, Community Reinvestment Act, Democrats, Foreclosure, George Soros, John Mccain, PreventionTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Bash the Bailout: Government is Not the Answer to #Pork
Iain Murray, OpenMarket.org: The bailout bill that passed through Congress today seeks to solve the financial mess by massively increasing government involvement in private finance. But more Government cannot be the answer to a government-created problem. The fact is that short-sighted government policies distorted the market in the first place. Bankers were certainly to blame for responding to these signals from government in the hope of a quick buck, but at its base, much of the problem was caused by government.
The bailout bill is now law, but it does little or nothing to solve the problems government created. As long as they persist, the financial markets will be at serious risk. In the end, we may need to bailout the bailout. Fixing these government-imposed problems must be a priority now if we want to have a strong, free economy. These are the top twelve articles, stories and papers that we think demonstrate this fact.
1. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are at the heart of the crisis, having helped to create an artificial mortgage boom. Fred Smith warned Congress about this in 2000, and was ridiculed for it. Read what happened here. 2.Steven Malanga outlines the “long road to slack lending standards” and just how government encouraged this, at RealClearMarkets. 3.Thomas Sowell explains how economic-populist politicians used their power to help create the problem. 4. The Securities and Exchange Commission requires firms to value their assets in a way that has vastly accelerated the liquidity problem. John Berlau explains why here. 5. A detailed examination of why mark-to-market accounting distorts the market from Peter Wallison of the American Enterprise Institute. 6. Back in 2000, City Journal warned that the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), which encourages unrealistic aspirations to home ownership, was doomed to failure. 7. Earlier this year, Michelle Minton looked at how the CRA had helped contribute to the subprime crisis. 8.Dan Mitchell argues that government created the problem, and more government will make things worse. 9. Even the International Monetary Fund recognizes that government “bailouts” don’t just merely postpone the inevitable in a banking crisis, they make things worse. This is a long paper, but see p. 4 in particular. 10. One of the oldest forms of government intervention in the financial markets has been deposit insurance. Yet globally it destabilizes capitalism, impedes innovation and makes a bad regulatory regime worse. British economist Andrew Lilico explains how. 11. Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron puts it bluntly: “The fact that government bears such a huge responsibility for the current mess means any response should eliminate the conditions that created this situation in the first place.” 12. Government has been becoming more intrusive when it comes to lending over the years. John Berlau looks at how they want to fingerprint anyone originating a home loan.
Iain Murrayis a Director of Projects and Analysis and Senior Fellow in Energy, Science and Technology at Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI). A veteran blogger, Mr Murray contributes to National Review Online's Corner and Planet Gore blogs, The Commons Blog and CEI's own OpenMarket. Tags:bailout, CEI, Competitive Enterprise Institute, government, Iain MurrayTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Tony Perkins, FRC: What do NASCAR, the Motion Picture Association, and Puerto Rico rum makers have in common? They all stand to benefit from the Senate's $700 billion economic bailout plan. Hoping to entice the bill's skeptics with some familiar bait, the upper chamber sweetened its deal with more than a billion dollars in tax breaks for special interests. As the Dow plummets, unnerving investors from coast to coast, the House has approved the Senate's bill. With the economy hanging in the balance, more responsible members were faced with the question-to pork or not to pork? And while the Senate managed to slip in relief for manufacturers of toy arrows, its quiver contained little for American families. As the sun sets on President Bush's tax cuts in 2010, leaders may use these amendments to leave the impression that the major tax issues have been addressed. They couldn't be more wrong. To restore confidence we must actively pursue tax simplification and permanent tax relief. Energizing the economy means expanding the IRS's grace not to a handful of niche markets, as the Senate suggests, but to all Americans, especially American families. If our leaders are this determined to bail out Wall Street, how much more concerned should they be with rescuing the family from our suffocating tax policy? See also: AP: Congress OKs historic bailout bill Tags:bailout, Congressional Pork, economic rescue, FRC, Tony Perkins, U.S. Senate, Washington D.C.To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
ICE arrested 1,759 gang members, associates, criminals and immigration violators in a four-month Operation Community Shield operation that targeted violent street gangs and criminal associates in 53 cities across 28 states. Of those arrested, nearly 1,500 were gang members, associates or those otherwise criminally charged. Operation Community Shield uses immigration and customs authorities to target transnational violent street gangs. "By partnering with other law enforcement agencies across the country, we are successfully targeting these gangs, arresting their leaders, disrupting their operations, and putting their members and associates behind bars," said Assistant Secretary Julie L. Myers. [ICE arrests more than 1,700 during largest ever nationwide gang surge] Tags:arrests, criminals, gangs, ICE, illegal aliens, immigration violatorsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
The Senate is in recess until Monday at 3 PM. The Senate is expected to remain in recess, holding a series of pro forma sessions, until November 17th. The House of Representatives is set to vote on the Senate’s version of the economic rescue package later today. There has been a bit of confusion, though, about the tax extenders package that the Senate attached to the rescue bill.
From Senate & News Sources: The tax extenders bill was passed in the Senate last week by a vote of93-2 and included all the tax provisions that are now in the economic rescue bill. There’s been some speculation as to whether the tax bill was added to make the whole package more attractive to House members. In fact, it is the tax package that is riding on the economic bill in order to get through the House. Democrats in that chamber, led by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Ways and Means Chair Charlie Rangel (D-NY), had been preventing the tax extenders bill, which prevents $20 million Americans from getting hit with the AMT, from moving through the House because they wanted to see tax increases attached to it. Combining the tax extenders bill with the economic rescue bill is a way to get $100 billion in tax relief through the House.
Still, there have been concerns about some of the provisions in the tax extenders bill. Fox News’ Jim Angle did an excellent job explaining these provisions in a Special Report last night. Angle noted, “The vast majority of these tax revisions have been in the law for years and repeatedly approved by members of both parties.” Americans for Tax Reform further clarified that many of the specific provisions that have been reported elsewhere as “earmarks” are in fact tax cuts.
Meanwhile, Democrats in the Senate have continued to demonstrate their troubling knack for unguarded rhetoric. On Wednesday, following a caucus luncheon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid informed reporters, “One of the individuals in the caucus today talked about a major insurance company -- a major insurance company -- one with a name that everyone knows that's on the verge of going bankrupt.” Clearly, Reid did not consider the impact his remarks would have.
The Los Angeles Times reports, “Shares of MetLife Inc., Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. and Prudential Financial Inc. all fell by double-digit percentages Thursday after Reid said Wednesday that the financial-system bailout plan was crucial because a large insurer was at risk of failing.” The LA Times notes this isn’t the first time something like this has happened: “In late June, Democrat [Chuck] Schumer made public a letter he had sent to federal bank regulators, expressing concern that Pasadena-based IndyMac Bancorp was on the brink of failure. When regulators seized the company's IndyMac Bank unit in mid-July, they accused Schumer of fomenting a panic run on deposits that made the bank's collapse inevitable.” Tags:financial system bailout, tax extenders bill, earmarks, Chuck Schumer, IndyMac Bank, 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!
Sarah Palin Rolls Right Over Joe Biden in VP Debate
Gov. Sarah Palin was Outstanding in tonight's Vice Presidential debate, articulating a message for a smaller government, lower taxes, and a strong America. Sen. Joe Biden at times looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car - just waiting to be run over. Palin won her debate and now its in John McCain court to win his next two presidential debates. Below is a new ad released by an independent group who believed that Gov. Sarah Palin would do a great job in the debate even though the media was downplaying Palin before the scheduled debate. Ad by Our Country Deserves Better Committee
Tags:CNN Debate, Election 2008, Joe Biden, Sarah Palin, vice presidentTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Walter E. Williams -- Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis warned, "The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in the insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding." The freedom of individuals from compulsion or coercion never was, and is not now, the normal state of human affairs.
The normal state for the ordinary person is tyranny, arbitrary control and abuse mainly by their own government. While imperfect in its execution, the founders of our nation sought to make an exception to this ugly part of mankind's history. Unfortunately, at the urging of the American people, we are unwittingly in the process of returning to mankind's normal state of affairs.
Americans demand that Congress spend trillions of dollars on farm subsidies, business bailouts, education subsidies, Social Security, Medicare and prescription drugs and other elements of a welfare state. The problem is that Congress produces nothing. Whatever Congress wishes to give, it has to first take other people's money. Thus, at the root of the welfare state is the immorality of intimidation, threats and coercion backed up with the threat of violence by the agents of the U.S. Congress. In order for Congress to do what some Americans deem as good, it must first do evil. It must do that which if done privately would mean a jail sentence; namely, take the property of one American to give to another. . . .
If we Americans didn't give Washington such enormous control over our lives, I doubt whether there would be 10 percent of the money currently spent on lobbying and campaign contributions. This enormous control that Congress has over our lives also goes a long way toward explaining much of the government corruption that we see in Washington . . . [Destroying Liberty] Tags:Destroying Liberty, American, greed, liberty, Walter E. WilliamsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Kerby Anderson, Point of View: In this free society we take for granted that we can use Google to find information and can go to YouTube to watch videos. People in other countries are not so fortunate. China is a prime example. The Chinese government has closed off media access to information about Tibet. Both Google News and YouTube (both owned by Google) have had their sites blocked from the Internet in China. Another example is Pakistan. In that country YouTube has been censored. The government took down YouTube videos because it believed that some of the videos were blasphemous. And in Myanmar, the government blocked the entire Internet during a period of unrest.
In light of these actions against YouTube, you might think that they would be against censorship. That unfortunately has not been the case. There is a growing list of examples of YouTube censorship against pro-life groups. The current case in the news was the decision by YouTube to block the pro-life post from the Kansas Coalition for Life. That video detailed Senator Obama's voting record on the issue of partial-birth abortion. They said that the video violated its "community guideline" concerning such content even though other videos dealing with the topic of abortion remain. Perhaps the real reason had to do with the fact that the video mentioned Senator Obama.
Another example of YouTube censorship is some of the videos produced by Lila Rose. She is the UCLA student who taped conversations with Planned Parenthood workers. When I met with her for an interview recently, she told me that YouTube removed her videos of phone recordings of Planned Parenthood employees who agreed to process donations from a caller with a racist agenda. Other pro-life groups like American Life League and the Population Research Institute have also had videos removed but later restored. I find it a bit ironic that YouTube finds itself censored in China while pro-life groups find themselves censored by YouTube in America. I’m Kerby Anderson, and that’s my point of view. See also:A Slippery Slope of Censorship at YouTube (The NY Times) YouTube blocked video mocking Clinton administrationTags:censorship, Kerby Anderson, Point of View, YouTubeTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Vice Presidential Debates Tonight - as viewed by Gary McCoy
VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE TONIGHT
TIME-DATE: 9 p.m. EDT, Thursday, Oct 2nd
PLACE: Washington University, St. Louis, MO
SUBJECT: Domestic and foreign policy
MODERATOR: PBS' Gwen Ifill, "The NewsHour" and "Washington Week"
Gary McCoy Tags:debate, Election 2008, Gary McCoy, political humor, vice presidentTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Yesterday, the Senate voted 74-25 to pass a new version of the economic rescue plan (H.R. 1424), which includes the previously-passed tax extenders bill (H.R. 6049) and a provision to increase federal deposit insurance coverage to $250,000. Prior to passage, the Senate approved a Dodd substitute amendment containing the rescue plan and voted down by voice vote an amendment by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), which would have raised taxes on wealthy individuals. The Senate also passed an Amtrak reauthorization (H.R. 2095) and approved a bill to implement the US-India civilian nuclear agreement (H.R. 7081). Now House members must reconsider the economic rescue plan.
From Senate & News Sources: After last night’s vote, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and others urged the House to approve the bill, according to Politico. In a piece for the Heritage Foundation yesterday, Ed Meese and Stuart Butler warned of “the continued deterioration of the credit system” and called for passage of the rescue plan, writing, “Without action, ordinary Americans will face the effects of a dramatic economic contraction, including sharp increases in unemployment.” Prior to the Senate vote last night, Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell said, “At the moment, this plan represents the best way to bring stability to the credit markets, avoid a credit meltdown, and put America on the road to economic recovery. But Congress’s job does not end there. After completing this bipartisan effort, members of Congress must recommit ourselves in strengthening America’s long-term economic security.”
Another aspect of Congress’s job is to consider reforms that address some of the problems that brought us to this point. To that end, The Wall Street Journal has a very instructive recap of what some Members of Congress said on previous attempts to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Now that the government was forced to seize Fannie and Freddie, congressional Democrats will hopefully be more open to both examining what went wrong and considering serious reforms going forward. Tags:economic stimulus, tax extenders, 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!
Our View of Congress - the "Crash of 08 in Congress"
Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: After this week's fiasco following this last year of constant Congressional problems and issues, it is obvious that the current Congress, under the leadership of democrats like Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, is seriously broken. The Democrat leadership has shown that they can only manage Congress using dictatorial methods over their party members or deceptive actions like "backroom" deals, outright lies and blaming the opposing minority party. What is even worse is the fact that Democrat leadership of not only both houses of Congress but their committees are controlled by leaders who actually helped create the financial crisis that we are in today. We have reported in other posts on the related issues. And this same Democrat leadership is asking the American public to elect two of their own, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Joe Biden, to lead the executive branch which would give Democrats absolute control of all branches of government in Washington D.C.
Steve Breen, as a political cartoonist, definitely illustrates the majority of our readers' view of Congress. Will Steve Breen and others be allowed to picture for us the White House in the future? Or, will he and the rest of us have our free speech restricted by the Pelosi, Reid and Obama in a government controlled totally by the Democrats? There is still hope if we elect John McCain & Sarah Palin!Also, remember, many of you across the nation can vote for opponents to replace or prevent another Democrat seeking election to the U.S. Congress. If the Democrat's leadership can destroy the Congress in two years, damaged the nation's economy over several years, image what they can do if they have sole control. And to all you Republicans running for office, you had better wake up and stop compromising to get along with the Democrat leadership. Thank You - Steve BreenTags:2008, crash, Democrats, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, political cartoon, Steve Breen, US Congress, Washington D.C.To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Michelle Malkin, GOPUSA: My dictionary defines "moderator" as "the nonpartisan presiding officer of a town meeting." On Thursday, PBS anchor Gwen Ifill will serve as moderator for the first and only vice presidential debate. The stakes are high. The Commission on Presidential Debates, with the assent of the two campaigns, decided not to impose any guidelines on her duties or questions. But there is nothing "moderate" about where Ifill stands on Barack Obama. She's so far in the tank for the Democratic presidential candidate, her oxygen delivery line is running out. In an imaginary world where liberal journalists are held to the same standards as everyone else, Ifill would be required to make a full disclosure at the start of the debate. She would be required to turn to the cameras and tell the national audience that she has a book coming out on Jan. 20, 2009 -- a date that just happens to coincide with the inauguration of the next president of the United States. The title of Ifill's book? "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama." Nonpartisan my foot. . . . [Debate 'Moderator' in the Tank for Obama] Tags:Barack Obama, debate, Election 2008, GOPUSA, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin, vice presidentTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
"The Act prohibits most members of the federal uniformed services ... from exercising nominally state law enforcement police or peace officer powers that maintain 'law and order' on non-federal property. . . . The statute generally prohibits federal military personnel and units of the United States National Guard under federal authority from acting in a law enforcement capacity within the United States, except where expressly authorized by the Constitution or Congress. . . . The Posse Comitatus Act and the Insurrection Act substantially limit the powers of the federal government to use the military for law enforcement."
Gina Cavallaro at the Army Times announced reports: 3rd Infantry’s 1st BCT trains for a new dwell-time mission. Helping ‘people at home’ may become a permanent part of the active Army.
The 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team has spent 35 of the last 60 months in Iraq patrolling in full battle rattle, helping restore essential services and escorting supply convoys. Now they’re training for the same mission — with a twist — at home. Beginning Oct. 1 for 12 months, the 1st BCT will be under the day-to-day control of U.S. Army North, the Army service component of Northern Command, as an on-call federal response force for natural or man made emergencies and disasters, including terrorist attacks.
It is not the first time an active-duty unit has been tapped to help at home. In August 2005, for example, when Hurricane Katrina unleashed hell in Mississippi and Louisiana, several active-duty units were pulled from various posts and mobilized to those areas. But this new mission marks the first time an active unit has been given a dedicated assignment to NorthCom, a joint command established in 2002 to provide command and control for federal homeland defense efforts and coordinate defense support of civil authorities. . . .
“Right now, the response force requirement will be an enduring mission. How the [Defense Department] chooses to source that and whether or not they continue to assign them to NorthCom, that could change in the future,” said Army Col. Louis Vogler, chief of NorthCom future operations. “Now, the plan is to assign a force every year.” . . . they’ll learn new skills, use some of the ones they acquired in the war zone and more than likely will not be shot at while doing any of it. They may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios such as massive poisoning and chaos in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive, or CBRNE, attack. . . .
Obviously, we would appreciate the military's assistance if we had a massive terrorist attack in the United States; especially with the taking out the "bad guys." But do we want the military doing police actions related to routine national, regional or even local "civil unrest and crowd control"? When did the transfer of authority occur which granted military control within the the borders of the United States? Before proceeding, let me note that military officers take an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. In the study of military doctrine and history, military officers confront the theory and past applications as to the extent military officers and the people under their command may be or have been called upon to intervene in domestic affairs. However, Posse Comitatus has provided a clear line in the sand.
Presidents have used the military to enforce their will within the United States. For example George Washington, our first president, used his authority as commander-in-chief in 1794 to call out the militia to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion. President Andrew Jackson ignored the 1832 ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court and forced removal of Native Americans from East of the Mississippi which lead to the infamous Trail of Tears. In 1878, after the bitterness of the Civil War and the quartering of Union troops in the South, Congress passed the Posse Comitatus Act. However, Presidents continued to use the military and the National Guard to enforce their will on the citizens of the Unites States.
One of the worst examples of the use of the military was in the summer of 1932 against 43,000 fellow military veterans, their families and affiliated groups who had assembled in Washington D.C. in what became known as the famous Bonus March. Skipping the merits of the Bonus Army and moving to the conclusion, we find President Herbert Hoover using the military led by General Douglas MacArthur to suppress and disburse fellow veterans. By the time the events ended, hundreds of veterans were injured and several were killed. In this situation, "The Posse Comitatus Act— forbidding civilian police work by the U.S. military — did not legally because Washington, D.C. is a federal district directly governed by the U.S. Congress (U.S. Constitution, Article I. Section 8. Clause 17)."
In 2005, we saw National Guard assist in the aftermath of Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi. However, the National Guard and the New Orleans police overstepped their legal authority, per the U.S. District Court, and illegally confiscated the personal firearms of vulnerable civilians after the hurricane's devastation left property and lives subject to looters and other criminals. Have we and our leaders accepted that Constitutional Rights granted by the US constitution are sacrosanct?
Apparently not! Currently, individual rights may be more at risk as we address the potential of terrorist threats against the United States. The effects of the infamous terrorists attacks on 9-11 continue to ripple through our country. For example, in 2006, the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 passed and was signed into law. The Act included a section titled "Use of the Armed Forces in major public emergencies." This section provided that "The President may employ the armed forces to restore public order in any State of the United States the President determines...." However, in 2008, Congress while passing the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, restored the restrictions of Posse Comitatus. President George Bush signed the Act into law but he also attached an Executive Order identifying that the Executive Branch does not feel bound by the changes enacted by the repeal of the use of armed forces to restore public order in the United States. As previously presidents have done, Bush signaled that he does do not feel bound by Posse Comitatus.
We are now brought full circle to the announcement of the assignment of an Army brigade as well as other service units to enforce the will of the President and or the Department of Defense with regard to homeland security. Even if military units are not used for several years to respond to domestic threats and are not used in any way for several years to restrict the rights of Americans, the result will still be the continued implied transference of authority as troops continue to be assigned to a domestic charter and the leaders of these units develop a comprehensive doctrine designed to cope with domestic situations. Historically, the year 2008 may become identified as the year that the doctrine of Posse Comitatus ceased to have authority. --------------- William (Bill) Smith, Ph.D. is editor of the ARRA News Serviceand National Political Director of Conservative Solutions /Let's Get This Right. He is a conservative political activists working for limited government, traditional family values, individual freedom and responsibility. He is a retired Air Force officer who served as Director of the $2 billion European F-16 co-production program. In his career, he also taught military political science and spent a 3 year tour with the U.S. Army. After retiring, he was a graduate professor and held varied administrative and faculty positions. He has authored professional journal articles on varied topics. He also blogs as Ozark Guru. Tags:Bill Smith, ARRA News Service, Posse Comitatus, military, Unites States, DOD, local law enforcement, military force in United States, NorthCom, police, police state, President, US Government To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Burning Down The House: What Caused Our Economic Crisis?
H/T the Mouth Piece: This video is an informative look at the factors that are causing our current financial and economic crisis. It discusses policy changes 13 years ago that unleashed the sub-prime mortgage-backed securities market, which accelerated prices erratically, inviting speculation and loose lending practices which were both condoned and encouraged by existing regulation and carried out by risk-blind executives and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Tags:ACORN, Barack Obama, documentary, Economic, Financial crisis, grassroots, John Mccain, mortgages, securities, subprimeTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
At 7 PM, the Senate will resume consideration of the Amtrak bill (House message to accompany H.R. 2095). After 30 minutes of debate the Senate will vote on the motion to concur with the House amendment to the bill. The Senate will then resume consideration of the US-India agreement (H.R. 7081) and vote on the amendments and passage of the bill. The senate has been negotiating the the Senate will proceed to consideration of the economic rescue package (H.R. 1424). The Senate will resume consideration of the economic rescue bill and vote on adoption of the Dodd amendment and final passage of the bill.
From Senate & News Sources:Reuters reports, “The Senate agreed to vote on Wednesday night on a $700 billion financial rescue package that will include a sharp increase in the amount of bank deposits insured by the FDIC, but also includes a package of tax breaks the House of Representatives has rejected.” Both Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) will return for this vote.
Confused -- Let's Examine the legislative process (not the value of the bill): Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid agreed last night to move forward with a slightly modified version of the economic rescue legislation negotiated over the weekend. The key change to the bill is a provision that will raise the limit of deposits the government insures from $100,000 to $250,000. This will apply to banks through the FDIC and to credit unions through the NCUA.
The bill will also include the Senate version of a previously-passed tax extenders bill. The tax bill, which passed 93-2 last week, provides for $100 billion in net tax relief and prevents over 20 million Americans from being hit with the alternative minimum tax (AMT) next year. Included in the bill are extensions for the state sales tax deduction, the research tax credit, and deductions for tuition and education expenses. The tax bill also includes billions in renewable energy tax incentives.
The tax extenders bill is being attached to the rescue bill not as a sweetener, but to secure its passage in the House. Previously, House Democrats, led by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Ways and Means Committee Chair Charlie Rangel (D-NY), had refused to pass the extenders bill unless it included tax increases to offset the AMT relief. The Senate and White House have repeatedly made it clear that neither will support such an approach, but House Democrats have not budged. Attaching the extenders bill to the rescue plan is a way to break this logjam in the House.
The tax extenders bill will be combined with the economic rescue bill into a substitute amendment to be offered by Senate Banking Committee Chair Chris Dodd (D-CT). The amendment will require 60 votes to pass, and must be approved by Reid and McConnell.
The Dodd substitute amendment will be offered to a shell bill, H.R. 1424, which was originally a mental health bill that was passed by the House. This is a common procedure in the Senate and nothing from the original bill will be retained, save its number. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will also be allowed to offer an amendment to raise tax rates on wealthy individuals. That amendment will receive a voice vote, which is almost certain to fail. Later tonight, the Senate will vote on adopting the Dodd amendment and then vote on final passage of the rescue plan.
Final Comment: Expected the Senate to stuff several other items into this bill. Watch closely to the political sleight of hands and hang on to your wallets. Tags:AMT, bailout, economic rescue, economic stabilization, tax extenders, US Congress, US Senate, Washington D.C.To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has named Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) Porker of the Month for inserting a provision in the Fiscal 2009 National Defense Authorization Act that gives earmarks contained in the act’s committee report the force of law. President Bush issued an Executive Order on January 29, 2008 instructing government agencies not to fund any earmarks contained in committee reports, or based on any other non-statutory source, such as phone calls from members of Congress. In a brazen attempt to gut the Executive Order, Sen. Levin’s provision incorporates the earmarks listed in the authorization bill’s committee report into the statute itself, making the earmarks “a requirement in law.” For attempting to circumvent the president’s Executive Order and make earmarking the taxpayers' money easier, CAGW names Sen. Levin the September 2008 Porker of the Month. [More on Porker of the Month Carl Levin] Tags:CAGW, Carl Levin, Citizens Against Government Waste, Congressional Pork, Michigan, porker of the month, U.S. SenateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Why And What’s Next? - On the Economic Stablization
Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families: What is the explanation for both solidly liberal Democrats and solidly conservative Republicans voting no on yesterday’s economic rescue plan? This is an important distinction because it tells us everything we need to know about the difference between the two parties. Liberal Democrats voted against it because it did not include billions for leftwing groups, union giveaways, and more money for risky mortgages to low income households. At the same time, many conservatives voted no because they did not like the massive government intervention in the market. They feared that there were not enough taxpayer protections, even though similar efforts in the past have actually worked out well and many believe the government will recoup most, if not all, of the money invested.
You can be proud of Republicans for improving the bill, but here’s the problem we have now. There is no doubt about which side is being blamed for this crisis. The leftwing media and its political allies are blaming Republican policies and the free market. Since this crisis exploded on our TV screens, Barack Obama has taken commanding leads in the polls. The latest Rasmussen daily tracking poll has Obama up six points over McCain – 51%-to-45%. Virtually all the major media outlets are spinning yesterday’s vote as a defeat for McCain.
I know where the blame lies for the subprime mortgage meltdown. (see transcript of a Fox News report.) I know the liberal Democrats, encouraged by leftwing agitators like ACORN, created that problem. ( more on ACORN: op-ed by the New York Post.) But the media are not going to explain that. The same liberal Democrats who created this problem repeatedly thwarted GOP attempts over the past decade to fix it, and they once again control Capitol Hill. We cannot control the media and we cannot control the debate in Congress.
I know some of you are happy this bill was voted down, but let me explain what I think you may be missing “behind the scenes” in Washington. The bill that was voted down was supported by a lot of conservative institutions – from the Heritage Foundation to top executives of trade associations representing the nation’s realtors, the Chamber of Commerce, manufacturers, small businesses, etc. Support for this bill went across the ideological spectrum from a host of folks and industries who are well aware of the dangers of a potential credit freeze. Many people believe we are at risk of a severe recession, possibly even another depression. And good people who have done nothing wrong will be hurt terribly by the fallout if our economy collapses.
The Bush Administration is fearful, with good cause, of a total economic failure. As the president reiterated this morning, “As much as we might wish the situation were different, our country is not facing a choice between government action and the smooth functioning of the free market. We’re facing a choice between action and the real prospect of economic hardship for millions of Americans.” The president is demanding a new bill, and there are numerous warnings that “the Democrats [may] do something on their own with all the stuff they wanted.”
There is a real danger now that the next plan will be far worse because the Democrats have the votes to force whatever they want through the Congress. Republicans did not defeat this bill – the 95 liberal Democrats who voted no defeated this bill! Five Democrat committee chairmen voted no. Half of the Congressional Black Caucus voted no. A majority of the Hispanic Caucus voted no. These liberal Democrats voted no because in their view the bill was too conservative! But, the bill just defeated may have been the best thing we could have gotten out of this Congress. Having succeeded in killing a bill she didn’t like, Nancy Pelosi is now poised to write and pass her own bill, without input or votes from the House GOP. I guarantee you there will be nothing in that legislation to cheer about.
President Bush, Senator McCain and Hill Republicans need to present a bold plan of their own and force Congress to consider it. The plan should suspend the “mark to market rule,” tighten regulations on manipulative short selling, slash corporate and investment taxes and seriously curtail spending. Let’s have a serious debate about economic policy in this country and then let the American people decide the course they want to take in 35 days. Tags:bailout, Democrats, economic stablization, Gary Bauer, Nancy Pelosi, Republicans, US CongressTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Patrick Britton: The elections are still 36 days away but people in Ohio are already voting by absentee. There’s nothing special about voting absentee but what is interesting is the ability for people to register and to vote in the same day. The main problem for politicians has been to get lazy voters into the voting booths on election day. The main problem for politicians has been to get lazy voters into the voting booths on election day. That is not a problem because in Ohio, until October 6th, the Democratic machine is allowed to get out and convince people to register to vote and to vote for Obama at the same time.
In the name of voter’s rights political forces are being allowed to round up voters that would more than likely not vote in November. It’s great that people are being persuaded to register but following up with an absentee ballot is unethical. Instead of allowing people to vote at their own whim they are being coerced to do so for the Democratic nominee. People have a right to vote for who they want when legally allowed. I see this as political bullying and not the proper way to get out the vote. . . . [Full Story: Same-day Voting in Ohio Raises Some Questions]
Tags:early voting, Election 2008, Ohio, same day voting, voter fraudTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Rasmussen Reports: John McCain’s lead over Barack Obama in Arkansas remains stable. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state finds the Republican leading 51% to 42%. McCain had a 10-point lead in July and was ahead by nine points in June. . . . This month, McCain leads 56% to 31% among unaffiliated voters in Arkansas. He also has a 53% to 40% advantage among men and a 50% to 43% edge among women.
McCain is viewed favorably by 60% of voters and unfavorably by 38%. Obama’s ratings are 47% favorable, 52% unfavorable. Rasmussen Markets [as of this report] data gives McCain a 86.0% chance of carrying Arkansas this fall. . . .
Obama’s running mate, Joseph Biden, is viewed favorably by 44% of Arkansas voters and unfavorably by 49%. Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is viewed favorably by 58% and unfavorably by 39%. Voters in Arkansas think McCain made the right choice with Palin by a 56% to 34% margin. They disagree with Obama’s choice of Biden 49% to 27%. A plurality of voters (43%) considers Palin to be very conservative. Just 17% of voters see Biden as very liberal, while 28% view the Democrat as politically moderate. . . . [McCain Maintains Solid Lead in Arkansas ]Tags:Arkansas, Barack Obama, Election 2008, Joe Biden, John Mccain, polling, Rasmussen Poll, Rasmussen Reports, Sarah PalinTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
The House voted down the economic stabilization ("rescue") plan (H.R. 3997) Monday by a vote of205-228, sending Congressional leaders back to the drawing board. More comments later. For those in Arkansas, all four Representatives. The House needs to consider the Senate version of tax extenders bill (H.R. 6049) sent over on Monday. The Senate resumed post-cloture consideration of the Amtrak bill (H.R. 2095). Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has indicated he still wants to pass the Amtrak bill and a bill implementing the U.S.-India nuclear agreement (H.R. 7081), which the House passed on Saturday.
From Senate & News Sources:National Review Online’s editorial reports, “The $700 billion bailout bill is palatable to no one.” Certainly this is true for everyone on Capitol Hill, especially in the House of Representatives . Despite this, most lawmakers on both sides of the aisle still consider some sort of action necessary. The NRO editorial went on to argue the reason why: “If the crunch that [Treasury Secretary Hank] Paulson and [Fed Chairman Ben] Bernanke are warning about comes, it will squeeze off credit — the very lifeblood of capitalism — to businesses, entrepreneurs, and consumers all around the country. The Paulson plan is an intervention designed to keep capitalism functioning rather than supplant it. If it is successful, the assets the government buys will be sold back on the market (perhaps at a profit), after the panic passes.”
It is instructive to look at some potential explanations for yesterday’s House vote. Much of the discussion has centered on House Republicans, but as ABC’s Jake Tapper asks, “What About Those 95 Democrats?” The bill needed only 13 more votes to pass, and NRO notes “[House Speaker Nancy Pelosi] didn’t deliver five of her own committee chairmen and lost more than a dozen of her fellow California Democrats.” Isn’t it the job of the Speaker to ensure that legislation passes the House? The Wall Street Journal sheds some light on why Democrats had no problem voting against the bill, “Democratic leadership aides said they didn’t try to compel rank-and-file lawmakers to vote for the legislation in recent days, leaving individuals largely on their own to make decisions.” So, House Democrats didn’t seriously whip on the bill. No wonder that Tapper writes, “Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., told me yesterday that he felt no pressure at all to vote for the bill.” It is very evident that Pelosi leadership is in the "toilet." She can only try to hide that she is not even in control of her own constituents by haranguing the Republicans for not voting her way.
As NRO wrote, it is important to “keep capitalism functioning rather than supplant it.” Sen. Judd Gregg echoed the opinions of many GOP senators yesterday when he said, “I’m hopeful we can move forward and I certainly intend to follow the (Republican) leaders’ suggestion that we just stay here and keep working.” Tags:economic stabilization, Nancy Pelosi, 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!
Voight plays Washington, slams anti-American films
Washington Times — It's colossal, it's stupendous. In exactly five days, Jon Voight will become the ghost of George Washington, leading a forward attack on those who would sully America. "An American Carol," a frantic satire that takes on filmmaker Michael Moore, Rosie O'Donnell and a host of liberals, opens Oct. 3. And Mr. Voight, indeed, plays the first president of the United States in white wig and sleek Colonial uniform, taking the Moore-inspired character to task for his lack of patriotism, his paucity of Yankee vim. It is a very Scrooge-ian exchange. . . . [More by Jennifer Harper on "An American Carol"] See also:Hollywood takes on the left&An American Carol - review by ARRA editor Tags:An American Carol, George Washington, Jon Voight, Michael MooreTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Alan Gottlieb, AmeriPac: FBI Investigates U.S. Financial Crisis - Where Did $1 Trillion Go? - The high-risk subprime mortgage social engineering community service experiment by left-wing ACORN and Obama has created the largest financial crisis since The Great Depression. The full reach of the corruption and scandal may never be known but those who created it must not be rewarded. The architects, primarily left-wing Democrats, created laws, took donations, looked the other way and instead were too busy overse eing donations to their own presidential campaigns and robbing main street blind. Now these same left-wing Democrats blame everyone else and get up on their high horses and say, “we are here to save you” from the crises they created.
Yes, Mr. Obama knows a great deal about the mess. He is a central figure in the left-wing ACORN exploitation of financial institutions and pressuring them to make high risk loans. The very same left-wing ACORN was guilty of voter fraud in the last presidential election. Now these same Democrats want to do another high risk “community service,” social engineering experiment. They want to elect a high-risk, low experience, socialist one of the same community organizers that created the mess to be our next president. We cannot experiment with the office of president and learn as we go. Barack Obama is not qualified and has no history of success as a leader in government or business.
The FBI investigation - An FBI investigation is under way at Lehman Brothers and three other contributors to America’s financial crisis to determine whether they put pressure on ratings agencies to award top ratings to securities they issued. Concerns that Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG or Lehman may have sought to encourage agencies to inflate their ratings — by offering higher fees or the promise of more work — form part of a broad inquiry by the bureau.
The agencies are widely regarded as having failed debt holders by attributing the top ratings to many securities that turned out to be extremely risky and have lost investors hundreds of billions of dollars. The FBI, which is also investigating whether any of the four institutions deliberately misled investors about the true health of their assets, is expected to demand that they “hold all papers and e-mails under lock and key” as it sifts through the evidence, a source said.
How did we get here? - FOLLOW THE MONEY AND CORRUPTION! A Lending Policy created by democrats for democrats run by democrats monitored by democrats enforced by community organizer democrats and profited from by democrats. Fannie and Freddie acted in response to Clinton administration pressure to boost homeownership rates among minorities and the poor. However compassionate the motive, the result of this systematic disregard for normal credit standards has been financial disaster. ONE key pioneer of ACORN's subprime-loan shakedown racket was Madeline Talbott - an activist with extensive ties to Barack Obama. She was also in on the ground floor of the disastrous turn in Fannie Mae's mortgage policies.
Obama Trains ACORN Staff in Shakedown Tactics - It would be tough to find an "on the ground" community organizer more closely tied to the subprime-mortgage fiasco than Madeline Talbott. And no one has been more supportive of Madeline Talbott than Barack Obama. When Obama was just a budding community organizer in Chicago, Talbott was so impressed that she asked him to train her personal staff. He returned to Chicago in the early '90s, just as Talbott was starting her pressure campaign on local banks. In those years, he also conducted leadership-training seminars for ACORN's up-and-coming organizers. That is, Obama was training the army of ACORN organizers who participated in Madeline Talbott's drive against Chicago's banks.
Obama Funds ACORN - More than that, Obama was funding them. As he rose to a leadership role at Chicago's Woods Fund, he became the most powerful voice on the foundation's board for supporting ACORN and other community organizers. In 1995, the Woods Fund substantially expanded its funding of community organizers - and Obama chaired the committee that urged and managed the shift.
That committee's report on strategies for funding groups like ACORN features all the key names in Obama's organizer network. The report quotes Talbott more than any other figure; Sandra Maxwell, Talbott's ACORN ally in the bank battle, was also among the organizers consulted. More, the Obama-supervised Woods Fund report acknowledges the problem of getting donors and foundations to contribute to radical groups like ACORN - whose confrontational tactics often scare off even liberal donors and foundations.
Indeed, the report brags about pulling the wool over the public's eye. The Woods Fund's claim to be "nonideological," it says, has "enabled the Trustees to make grants to organizations that use confrontational tactics against the business and government 'establishments' without undue risk of being criticized for partisanship."
Obama Aware of Intimidation Tactics - The Woods Fund report makes it clear Obama was fully aware of the intimidation tactics used by ACORN's Madeline Talbott in her pioneering efforts to force banks to suspend their usual credit standards. Yet he supported Talbott in every conceivable way. He trained her personal staff and other aspiring ACORN leaders, he consulted with her extensively, and he arranged a major boost in foundation funding for her efforts.
And, as the leader of another charity, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, Obama channeled more funding Talbott's way - ostensibly for education projects but surely supportive of ACORN's overall efforts. In return, Talbott proudly announced her support of Obama's first campaign for state Senate, saying, "We accept and respect him as a kindred spirit, a fellow organizer." In short, to understand the roots of the subprime mortgage crisis, look to ACORN's Madeline Talbott. And to see how Talbott was able to work her mischief, look to Barack Obama.Tags:ACORN, Alan Gottlieb, AmeriPac, Barack Obama, FBI, mortgage crisisTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Congressional Martial Law.. what's in the bailout? [Video]
H. Res. -- Waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with respect to the consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules
September 27, 2008
H.Res. -- Waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules
Managers: Slaughter / Dreier
Motion offered by: Summary of Motion Vote Tally
Dreier To specify that the provisions of the rule only apply to a bill addressing the current financial crisis or a bill relating to the extension of tax credits. Defeated 4 to 9
Dreier To provide that the House shall not consider any rule on the same day it is reported from the Rules Committee, pursuant to this resolution, unless the Majority Leader has given at least 6 hours notice. Defeated 4 to 9
Dreier To provide that the provisions of the rule only apply to resolutions reported unanimously from the Rules Committee. Defeated 4 to 9
McGovern To report the martial law rule waiving a requirement of Clause 6(a) of Rule XIII with respect to consideration of any resolution reported from the Rules Committee, through the legislative day of September 29, 2008. It does not apply to any specific measure, but rather grants blanket authority. Agreed to by voice vote
BLANKET MARTIAL LAW RULE THROUGH MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH CSPAN clip. Rep. Burgess (R-TX)c onfirms the Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) declared martial law last night!
Tags:economic stabilization, economy, martial law, Congressional Martial Law, the economy, US HouseTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
H/T Michael Asher Tags:Barack Obama, Fannie Mae, gifts, money, political contributions, PoliticsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Missouri Democrat Sheriffs & Prosecutor Seek to Restrict Free Speech
Hat Tip to Gateway Pundit: St. Louis and Missouri Democrat sheriffs and top prosecutors are planning to go after anyone who makes false statements against Obama during his campaign. This is so one sided I can't even begin to describe how wrong this agenda is. It's one thing if they want to keep the campaign fair for both sides, but they clearly only want to enforce the issue for the Obama Camp. KMOV has a video report on the Obama "Truth Squads."
St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce and St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch are threatening to bring libel charges against those who speak out falsely against Barack Obama. KMOV aired a story last night, that stated that St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch and St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, both Obama supporters, are threatening to bring criminal libel charges against anyone who levels what turns out to be false criticisms of their chosen candidate for President. St. Louis C of CC Blog has more on the Obama Truth Squads. . . . [For More Info]
Update - Breaking News (2:10 pm) - House fails to pass economic stabilization bill. The Senate will resume consideration of the House message to accompany the Amtrak bill (H.R. 2095). The House is currently debating the economic rescue plan, now titled the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, and will vote on it this afternoon. The Senate could vote on as early as this evening. On Saturday, the Senate voted 78-12 to pass a continuing resolution (H.R. 2638) to fund the government through March 6, 2009 and fund Defense, Homeland Security and Military Construction and Veterans affairs for fiscal year 2009, which begins Wednesday.
The Senate also cleared by voice vote the fiscal 2009 Defense authorization bill (S. 3001) for the president’s signature. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has indicated he still wants to pass the Amtrak bill and a bill implementing the U.S.-India nuclear agreement (H.R. 7081), which the House passed on Saturday, before the end of this Congress.
The House will be voting on the economic stabilization bill. The House still needs to pass the tax extenders bill (H.R. 6049), which the Senate sent over this morning.
From Senate & News Sources: After a long weekend of negotiations, Democrats and Republicans were able to hammer out an agreement on an economic stabilization bill. Many Republican senators have expressed their frustration with the situation Americans find themselves in and that Congress is in as it considers this plan. There are many people who have concerns about this course of action, yet, as The Wall Street Journal writes today, the plan “deserves to pass because in reality it is an attempt to shield middle America from further harm caused by the mistakes of Wall Street and Washington. . . . the current seizure in the credit markets is real and will do far more harm if not repaired soon” and goes on to say, “We agree with those who say there are better ways to provide this public capital, but Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson’s plan should do some good, and if executed properly shouldn’t cost taxpayers anything close to its $700 billion showroom price.”
The Examiner also reluctantly endorses the stabilization bill, writing, “Failing to enact the bailout risks a major plunge in the stock market, more bank failures and undermining future economic growth.” Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” alsosaid he would probably reluctantly vote for the bill were he still in Congress. Tags:Amtrak bill, Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, 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!
Mike Hucakbee Show's 1st Guest Elisabeth Hasselbeck
Opening of Huckabee Show [Fox 9/27/08]
Elisabeth Hasselbeck Appears On Huckabee Show [Fox 9/27/08]
Part 1
Part 2
Tags:Arkansas, Elizabeth Hasselback, Governor, Mike HuckabeeTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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