Anti-Israel Proponent to Lead National Intelligence Council

by Sammy Benoit: Here is another tidbit that may surprise the 78% of American Jews who voted for Barack Obama. According to a report in Cable Foreign Policy, Chas W. Freeman Jr. former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia is about to be named as Chairman of the National Intelligence Council [the intelligence community's primary big-think shop and the lead body in producing national intelligence estimates].

. . . [H]e is a terrorist apologist and a master of bashing Israel. Freeman is a believer of the false premise that all Muslim terrorism stems from Israel's battle with the Palestinians . . . Chas also feels that Israel has no right to expect Hamas to renounce violence, and believes that the only reason Israel insists on it is to delay peace talks . . . He also promotes the idea that the US should be engaging terrorists:

Our backing of Israel's efforts to pacify the Palestinians rather than to negotiate peace with them has discredited us as peacemakers without gaining security for Israel. Our attempt to isolate the democratically elected Palestinian government has further discredited us as supporters of democratization in the region. Among other results, our policy has quite predictably left Hamas nowhere to go but deeper into the embrace of Iran. Source

I guess Chas forgets that before Iran was funding the terrorists, it was Iraq and the USSR funding Hamas. The pick of Chas W. Freeman, Jr to head the NIC is just another example of the new US President's plan to change US policy toward Israel. A few of the most recent of the many examples are the selection of Samantha Power to the NSC and the decision to involve the US State Department with the follow up to the Anti-Israel/Anti-Semitic "Durban II" UN Conference on Racism. [Israel Hater to Lead National Intelligence Council]  
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Sammy Benoit writes for the American Thinker and is editor of Yidwithlid

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Tags: Barack Obama, Chas Freeman, Israel, National Intellegence, Sammy Benoit To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Sentenced for Life for Doing Right & Perkins on Point

Tony Perkins, Family Research Council: If Eric Holder needs further explanation for his culture of "cowardice," look no further than Oakland, California. There Rev. Walter Hoye was sentenced yesterday to 30 days in prison for violating the eight-foot "buffer" zone between pro-life protestors and abortion clinics. When he attempted to talk to two women who were entering the Family Planning Specialists Medical Group, Hoye was arrested and later found guilty of violating the law.

In a courtroom full of political activists on both sides, even the county's Deputy Attorney General admitted that Hoye should not be placed in jail. Instead of prison time, Judge Stuart Hing offered the pastor a three-year period of probation from the clinic, but Hoye refused. Like us, he feels the law is unjust. In this environment of political correctness, it has quickly become open season on Christians. While these laws are meant to silence men and women of faith, I challenge the church to step up and defend their right to free speech. That's not cowardice. It's the Constitution. See Also: San Jose Mercury News: Pastor gets jail over Oakland's clinic buffer law
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Perkins on Point - The Family Response: February 20, 2009 Family Research Council President Tony Perkins addresses the events of this week from the perspective of the American family:

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Tags: Barack Obama, employment, family, Family Research Council, FDR, FRC, free speech, great depression, mortgage bailout, New Deal, pro-life, Religious Freedom, stimulus, Tony Perkins, Walter Hoye To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Pelosi Spin on Meeting With Pope Dramatically Different From Vatican Statement - #Pro-life

Pope Rebukes Pelosi, Tells Her Catholic Legislators Obligated to Protect Life: No Pelosi/Pope photos permitted
by John-Henry Westen: VATICAN CITY, Feb. 18, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Vatican Press Office released a note this morning detailing part of the conversation which Pope Benedict XVI had with Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Pelosi also released a statement on the meeting, which ignored the one and only crucial issue mentioned in the Vatican note. While Pelosi presented the meeting as a fully positive encounter, the Vatican indicated the Pope reminded her of the requirement of Catholic politicians to defend life. Also, contrary to normal protocols for such meetings with dignitaries, no photos of Pelosi with the Pope have been released.

The Vatican note reads: “His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church’s consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development.”

Vatican insiders stressed to LifeSiteNews.com that such releases are always phrased in diplomatic language and thus the correction of the Speaker who describes herself as a “faithful Catholic,” despite her abortion advocacy, should be taken as a firm rebuke. . . . Such encounters with the Pope are treasured by politicians for the photo opportunity they provide. Pelosi, however, was not afforded that customary photo by the Vatican. . . .

Pelosi’s positive spin on the meeting is not being swallowed even by left-leaning Papal watchers. Vatican correspondent John Allen, who writes for the National Catholic Reporter, noted that “routine Vatican declarations after diplomatic meetings also generally sum up the range of issues discussed rather than concentrating on a particular point. In that sense, the statement can only be read as a rejection of Pelosi’s statements last summer, and, in general, of her argument that it’s acceptable for Catholics in public life to take a pro-choice position.” Allen also noted that “by issuing an unusual public statement after the session with Pelosi — which insisted that all Catholics, including legislators, are obliged to work for the defense of human life from conception to natural death — the pope also made clear there will no let-up in the pressure on pro-choice Catholic politicians to change their ways.” . . . [Full Story] See also: Were they at the same meeting?

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Tags: Catholic, Nancy Pelosi, politicians, Pope Benedict XVI, pro-life To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Black Cloud Hovers over Holder

Tony Perkins, Family research Council: Attorney General Eric Holder has made more headlines with one speech than most government officials make with a hundred. To a roomful of Justice Department staff, Holder touched on the sensitive topic of racial reconciliation yesterday and ruffled many feathers in the process. "Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot," he said, "in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards..."

Today his remarks have been plastered on newspapers and become the subject du jour on the talk shows. Many people, including conservatives, have recoiled at Holder's observation, which ironically, only seems to prove his point. "Though there remain many unresolved racial issues in this nation, we, average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about race." I think the Attorney General is correct, Americans have cowered to political correctness and as a result we avoid topics like race. The solution to racial reconciliation, however, is not to be found in a more aggressive Department of Justice but in a more aggressive church where we unite around ideals rooted not in skin color but in Jesus Christ.

As Bishop Harry Jackson and I write in Personal Faith, Public Policy, blacks should not work with whites, or visa versa, out of obligation to right past wrongs or to advance personal or political agendas. We should work together because we're brothers and sisters in Christ, and He's called us to be unified around a biblical agenda that advances all of society. See also: FOX News: Attorney General's Remarks Ignite Debate Over Race Relations

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Tags: Attorney General, Eric Holder, Fox News, FRC, Race Relations, Tony Perkins To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

State Sovereignty Bill Filed in the Arkansas House Today

Jason Tolbert, The Tolbert Report: HCR1011, a resolution affirming the sovereignty of the state of Arkansas under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was filed this afternoon by Rep. Debra Hobbs (R-Rogers). The resolution goes on to say that this is to serve as “Notice and Demand to the federal government, as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers.” The resolution is part of a grassroots movement in state legislatures across the country as a protest to the intrusion of the federal government into state government affairs. Oklahoma recently became the first state in this movement to pass this type of resolution, HJR1003. As many as twenty other states are reportedly considering similar resolutions to Oklahoma and actual resolutions have been introduced in Arizona, Hawaii, Montana, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Washington.

I spoke with Rep. Jon Woods, who is co-sponsoring the bill along with Rep. Debra Hobbs and Rep. Roy Ragland. Rep. Woods helped explain to me why they felt this needed to be filed. Rep. Woods said that they “have been working on this legislation since June, due to the growing trend with the Federal Government that all the answers should come within Washington, D.C., whether it’s No Child Left Behind or the Fairness Doctrine.” He said that the final straw was the announcement today from the chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee Chris Dodd who said they may have to nationalize our banking system. Rep. Woods said, “The Federal Government is the agent to the state, we are not an agent to the Federal Government. This resolution affirm that.”

Note former video was deleted by source.

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Tags: 10th Amendment, Arkansas, Daniel Itse, Debra Hobbs, Glenn Beck, Jon Woods, New Hampshire, Roy Ragland, State Sovereignty, US Constitution To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Porkubus to Join Porkulus in Washington D.C. - #pork #statebooks

With the stimulus package [Porkulus] in the rearview mirror, attention on Capitol Hill is beginning to turn to the next round of spending issues, which will encompass an omnibus [i.e, Porkubus not to be confused with the Porkulus] spending bill and President Obama’s first budget.

When Congress returns from recess on Monday, The Wall Street Journal reports that it will take up a $410 billion omnibus spending bill. A continuing resolution passed last fall funds the government through March 6th. The omnibus would fund government operations for the rest of fiscal year 2009, which runs until September 30th. The bill is a combination of the 9 unpassed fiscal year 2009 appropriations bills, which Democrats never even tried to pass because President Bush had threatened to veto them for excessive spending. The Journal writes, “The ‘omnibus’ bill would increase discretionary spending -- funds for programs that aren't benefits like Social Security and Medicare -- by 8.7% over 2008. This would be the largest increase in discretionary spending since at least 1978 -- with the exception of a 10% boost in 2002, shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks -- according to figures from the White House Office of Management and Budget.”

As the omnibus begins to make its way through Congress, the Obama administration will unveil its budget for fiscal year 2010. According to The New York Times, the budget will show a staggering $2.7 trillion in red ink over the next decade. For comparison, according to the Bush White House’s 2009 budget, all federal spending in 2007 amounted to around $2.7 trillion. This year alone, the deficit is expected to reach at least $1.5 trillion.

With this mountain of debt staring Americans in the face, it almost seems ridiculous to see Politico’s report that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is now asking her committee chairmen to “scrutinize our budget, promote efficiency and reduce waste in government spending.” After passing an unprecedented $787 billion bill stuffed with dubious spending projects, it’s hard to believe that Democrats seriously want to address the budget deficit, though it would be a pleasant surprise if they do.

As Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell said last week, “Soon we’ll be asked to consider $50 billion for housing, and unspecified hundreds of billions — possibly even another trillion dollars — for troubled banks. We’ll also soon be voting on a $400 billion Omnibus Appropriations bill that will bring the total discretionary spending for the fiscal year to more than $1 trillion for the first time ever. This isn’t Monopoly money. It’s real. It adds up — and it has to be paid back, by our children and by their children. And the American people still don’t have the facts about the total cost.”

We’re looking at $1.1 trillion in spending, at least, and it’s not even March yet. There are still ten and a half months left in the year. How much more are Democrats going to want to spend before Congress adjourns?

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Tags: bill, Congressional Pork, federal spending, omnibus bill, 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!

Denver Anti-Stimulus Rally

Jim Pfaff, Jon Caldara, Michelle Malkin, and Tom Tancredo lead a rally against Barack Obama's stimulus bill on the west steps of the state capitol in Denver.

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Tags: AFP, Americans for Prosperity, Denver, economic stimulus, Jim Pfaff, Jon Caldara, Michelle Malkin, Rally, Tom Tancredo To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

CNBC Reporter & Floor Revolt!

Rick Santelli of CNBC and the floor traders in Chicago revolt, mocking Obama and his ill-fated plans for our economy. The message? America hates Obama's socialism. The silent majority had better get loud fast. "The government is promoting bad behavior... do we really want to subsidize the losers' mortgages... This is America! How many of you people want to pay for your neighbor's mortgage? President Obama are you listening? How about we all stop paying our mortgage! It's a moral hazard.'"

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Tags: Chicago Exchange, CNBC, housing assistance, mortgages, revolt, Rick Santelli, 2009, video To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!"

American Solutions: By signing the 1,073 page, almost one trillion dollar, pork-filled stimulus yesterday into law, Washington placed its bet on government to fix our economy. How have these big government bets fared recently? The $180 billion stimulus program in the spring of 2008 failed. The $345 billion housing bailout from the summer of 2008 failed. And the $700 billion Wall Street bailout from the fall of 2008 failed. Of course, Washington will never change unless we demand something different. We have an alternative plan, "12 American Solutions for Jobs & Prosperity," that bets instead on the individual, hard-working American who keeps this country going. It is now time to lead. Endorse our plan and invite some other new supporters.

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Tags: American Solutions, Newt Gingrich, solutions To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Have We Borrowed Too Much?

by Kerby Anderson: During the debates about the bailout package and the stimulus package we have heard a number of things. President Obama says that we should be prepared to face "trillion dollar deficits for years to come." His critics say we are borrowing against our children's future. Today I would like to inject a bit of reality into both of these comments.

It is entirely possible we have already borrowed too much and won't be able to find countries in the future that would be willing to fund our national debt. The nations that current fund a majority of our debt are the Chinese, the Japanese, and the Saudis. These are creditor nations that already own trillions of dollars of U.S. government debt and really are the only ones even capable of underwriting the trillions more that President Obama wants to spend.

As Peter Schiff points out, these countries are unlikely to continue funding our debt. "These nations, in other words, must never use the money to buy other assets or fund domestic spending initiatives for their own people. When the old Treasury bills mature, they can do nothing with the money except buy new ones." Does that make sense? Is it reasonable to assume that foreign countries will continue to fund our debt and never decide to cash in their T-bills and use them somewhere else?

In order for this future borrowing to work, our nation's "creditors must give up all hope of accessing the principal, and may be compensated only by the paltry 2%-3% yield our bonds currently deliver." Such an assumption goes against logic and human nature. Yet that seems to be the assumption in most of these debates about the bailout and stimulus packages. President Obama believes we need to borrow to solve our current economic crisis. His critics complain that we are borrowing against our children's future.

What is missing in the discussion is whether we can continue to borrow from foreign nations. If we cannot, then the government will have to go to the Federal Reserve and begin printing more money. The next time you hear someone talking about borrowing against our future, you might reasonably ask whether we have already borrowed too much. I’m Kerby Anderson, and that’s my point of view.

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Tags: borrowed funds, Kerby Anderson, National Debt, Point of View To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Arizona Rancher Ordered to pay illegals $77,000 - Not $32 million

ARRA News Service - On Feb 9th,we posted about 16 illegals sue Arizona rancher for $32 Million. The initial trial is over and the illegals received only $77,804 of the $32 million they requested and Roger Barnett, 64, hopes that award will be thrown out in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Of course, one never know about the liberal 9th Circuit Court! Barnett legal team said, "It was 95% victory for us. What they really wanted were the first two civil rights claims because if they got those, they got attorney's fees. With nine attorneys working on the case, I'm sure their fees were $500,000 to $1 million." Barnett, has previously turned over to US Border Patrol 12,000 trespassing illegal aliens. Seems that the border patrol should reimburse Mr. Barnett, the $77, 804 and his legal fees for assisting them. Paying this cost is far cheaper than US Border Patrol total cost for locating, interdicting, and apprehending 12,000 illegal aliens. Thank you Mr. Roger Barnett!

Chelsea Schilling, WorldNetDaily, provides the update:

Sixteen illegal aliens who sued an Arizona rancher, claiming he violated their civil rights and falsely imprisoned them by holding them at gunpoint on his property along the border, have lost their case. According to the complaint, Barnett, who owns 22,000 acres along the border in southeastern Arizona, approached the group of illegals on an all-terrain vehicle March 7, 2004. He allegedly began yelling at them in English and broken Spanish while aiming his gun at the group. While Barnett's dog barked at the intruders, the illegal aliens accused him of ordering the dog to attack. One of the women said the rancher kicked her because she refused to get up. The jury ruled in favor of Barnett on the battery charge as well.

Barnett detained the trespassing illegals until Border Patrol agents arrived. The lawsuit claimed that the rancher never told the illegals they were trespassing and failed to post a sign notifying them that they were on private property. MALDEF claimed the family attacked, harassed, threatened and held the illegals against their will, because they were motivated by racial and class-based discrimination. The complaint said the Barnetts allegedly caused the group "severe emotional and mental distress," including fear, anxiety, humiliation, stress, frustration and sadness. Each illegal alien sued for $1 million in actual damages and $1 million for punitive or exemplary damages. . . .

The rancher was held liable for limited damages involving assault and emotional distress. Two illegal aliens were given $1,000 plus $10,000 in punitive damages each. Two more received $7,500, plus $20,000 in punitive damages each. . . . [T]he judge left out one part of instruction to the jury that should have been included, and it will be the basis of their appeal. "The law is skeptical of infliction of emotional distress because everybody gets their feelings hurt at times," he said. "So one of the requirements was that whatever is done must be so severe that the average person would be physically disabled by the distress – suffer a complete mental breakdown. The judge wouldn't put that in the instruction. That's straight Arizona law."

Also, two of the plaintiffs received $1,400, and two were awarded $1 each for assault. The term "assault" is legally applied when a person has simply put someone in fear of a harmful contact. According to the attorney, Barnett did carry a gun, but the judge did not include their self-defense argument in the instructions to the jury – another basis for appeal. All together, the illegals received only $77,804 of the $32 million they requested . . .

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"Reid My Lips - Stupid Speak" Continues Even Outside Washington D. C. - Feb 19 2009

Members of Congress have returned to their districts this week and many are discussing the impact of the $787 billion stimulus bill on their constituents. While Republicans have been discussing their concerns with the debt burden the bill adds to and how effective it will be in actually creating jobs, Democrats have fanned out to brag about the bill, but seem to have chosen odd things to be proud of.

In an excellent column titled "Drowning by Fire Hose," George Will questions House Rules Committee Chair Louise Slaughter’s reaction to $50 million in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. Will writes, “those millions elated Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), co-chairwoman of the Congressional Arts Caucus: ‘If we’re trying to stimulate the economy and get money into the Treasury, nothing does that better than art.’ Nothing? Is Slaughter correct about what we're trying to do? Is the point of the government's stimulus spending to get more money into the government – ‘into the Treasury’? She is not the first politician to desire prosperity for the people so that they could be more bountiful taxpayers.” George Will also noted that "In last year's second quarter, GM lost $118,000 a minute, and the next plan for its salvation until the next crisis will require more government money to prevent bankruptcy, which would require more government money."

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took the town hall meeting to a whole different level. Roll Call reports he gave a speech to a joint session of the Nevada state legislature in which he “lauded the recently enacted $787 billion economic stimulus package and trumpeted a new era of leadership in Washington, D.C., that will benefit the Silver State.” Roll Call notes that Reid told state lawmakers, “Despite our affection for President Obama and the strong Democratic majorities in Congress, we did not simply rubber-stamp the president’s plan.” That’s certainly true. In the process of writing the bill, Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ignored key principles President Obama had set at the outset including banning earmarks, avoiding partisan fights, and focusing the bill on creating private sector jobs.

Reid also said, “No one expects Democrats and Republicans to suddenly agree on everything, but we have been engaging in serious pursuit of common ground.” So to Reid, “serious pursuit of common ground” consists of Pelosi bragging, “Yes, we wrote the bill,” Democrats voting down almost every Republican amendment to reduce spending, crafting the final language among Democrats behind closed doors, and finally garnering only 3 votes out of more than 200 Republicans in Congress?

One would think Reid, Pelosi, and other Democrats might want to find other things about the bill to tout.

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Tags: George Will, GM, Harry Reid, Louise Slaughter, stimulus bill, Washington D.C. To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

F-16's developer, Harry J. Hillaker, dies

Bill Smith, Editor, ARRA News Service: Today, I take liberty to digress for this post from politics of the day. I wish to pay tribute to the passing of Harry J. Hillaker. He is known to many as the "Father of the F-16." He affected and still affects the lives of millions of people including mine.

As a young officer, I was assigned to provide support to a F-105 Fighter Wing, the "Flying Tigers." Setting aside the heroics of the men who flew these war horses to take out SAM sites in Vietnam, I became interested in both the design and support of the plane. A few years later, while graduate student at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), I teamed up with another officer, Eric Nelson, to investigate the factors that drive the costs associated with maintaining fighter aircraft and to improve the methodology of forecasting the cost to support emerging fighter aircraft. We developed a taxonomy of characteristics and a theoretical model. We were challenged to prove the effectiveness of our model and were granted access to the flight and maintenance history of all prior "fighter" aircraft and one of the Air Forces top computers systems. We tested our model against the past history of prior fighter aircraft data. Our taxonomy of characteristics proved to be valuable in greatly advancing the the forecasting cost for all aircraft investment spares. Our research was tracked by numerous government agencies and prior to its publication, we briefed the Air Staff at the Pentagon on our research was released to the public as A Taxonomy of Cost Estimating Characteristics as Applied to an Aircraft Replenishment Spares Model.

Although I was a newly promoted Captain, with the attention given to our research, I had hoped to be assigned to the Air Force Systems Command to work on the development and acquisition of new fighter aircraft. However, the Air Force had other plans for me for the next several years. But, fate still smiled. In my 19th year, I forecast my desire to retire at twenty years but was denied my retirement request. Instead, I was assigned to the Air Force Systems Command not as a project officer or a stateside office, but as the Director of the $2 Billion European F-16 Co-production Program headquartered in Brussels with 35 plants in four European countries. The F-16 aircraft design was originally jointly owned by five countries, the United States, Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands and Norway. I met and worked with the finest people in the aircraft industry from all five countries to achieve our goal of manufacturing, assembly, flight testing and delivering F-16 aircraft.

So, with many others, I noted the passing of Harry Hillaker who died on Feb 8th at his home in Fort Worth. He was 89. Hillaker, an aeronautical engineer at General Dynamics for 44 years and known to many as the “Father of the F-16” and a founding member of the “fighter mafia.” F-16 Net News has an excellent article of Hillaker and the "fighter mafia" and reports in part:


As a senior engineer at General Dynamics' Fort Worth aircraft plant in the 1960s, Mr. Hillaker led a design team that worked, secretively at first, with a small group of Pentagon insurgents to turn a collection of ideas, theories and concepts into what would become the F-16.

Their success is evident in that four decades later, the plant, now part of Lockheed Martin, is still producing F-16s. More than 4,400 have been built and delivered worldwide. At the peak of production in the 1980s, close to 25,000 people were working on the program.

"Harry's legacy is an incredible aircraft that has become the mainstay of 25 nations and continues to be in demand today after 30 years of production," said Ralph Heath, president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. "The early F-16 versions paved the way for tens of thousands of jobs, over $100 billion in sales and customer relationships that are the cornerstone for Lockheed Martin's transition to the future with our new aircraft programs."More F-16 Articles.

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Tags: Bill Smith, F-16, fighter aircraft, Harry Hillaker, tribute To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Have Nikita Khrushchev Words For America Taken Root?

Hat Tip to TexasFred for this info. He asks: Do you remember the name of Russia during the Soviet era? United Soviet Socialist Republic? The USSR. And that is where the USSA is rapidly heading! Can outright communism be too far away?

Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will bury you! Nikita Khrushchev I once said, “We will bury you,” and I got into trouble with it. Of course we will not bury you with a shovel. Your own working class will bury you. Nikita Khrushchev Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges even when there are no rivers. Nikita Khrushchev The press is our chief ideological weapon. Nikita Khrushchev

Is it all starting to come together for you now? Hat Tip to Muse with Indy Jane for the picture of Commissar Obama!

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Tags: Barack Obama, Indy Jane, TexasFred, USA, USSR, Nikita Khrushchev To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Truth Doesn't Need a Stimulus

The Patriot Post shared today the following quotes. It reminds us that Truth doesn't diminish with the Stimulus and when we look back, Truth will still be there for people that can recognize it.

"The principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale." --Thomas Jefferson

"The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits." --Roman historian Plutarch (c.45-125 A.D.)

"There's nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all." --Austrian-American writer Peter Drucker (1909-2005)

"The height of statesmanship is to come home with a dam, even if you have nowhere to put it." --humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935)

"[T]he state is getting more and more deeply involved in business, even taking controlling interests in some private companies. And the state is even trying to 'make policy' for private companies they do not control, but merely 'help' with 'infusions of capital'.... So state power is growing at the expense of corporations. But that's not socialism. Socialism rests on a firm theoretical bedrock: the abolition of private property. ... It's fascism." --columnist Michael Ledeen

"The idea that even the brightest person or group of bright people, much less the U.S. Congress, can wisely manage an economy has to be the height of arrogance and conceit. Why? It is impossible for anyone to possess the knowledge that would be necessary for such an undertaking." --economist Walter E. Williams

"The amount of money involved [in the stimulus bill] is staggering. With 90 million tax filers who actually pay taxes, the $787 billion means the average taxpayer will pay over $8,700. By itself, adding $8,700 to the average tax bill should get everyone's attention. But that is on top of everything else that we are spending this year. ...[T]his year's deficit is already at about $1.7 trillion -- almost $19,000 per taxpayer." --economist John Lott

"The big story last week was the incredible Congressional rush to pass a bill that was more than a thousand pages long in just two days -- after which it sat on the President's desk for three days while the Obamas were away on a holiday. There is the same complete inconsistency in the bill itself." --economist Thomas Sowell

"Not that long ago, Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were taking potshots at President George W. Bush for supporting deficit spending. Now that they're in power, they're spending money at record speed that Washington doesn't have. And they're still blaming the Republicans. Will they ever be responsible for the choices they make?" --columnist Debra Saunders [Download the Patriot Post newsletter]

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Tags: stimulus, stimulus bill, The Patriot Post, truth To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Card Check in the hands of Blanche Lincoln

UPDATE (6:15p ET): Jason Tolbert of The Tolbert Report has video of Sen. Lincoln dancing all over the issue from January 2009.

K. Ryan James, an Arkansas voice in Washington, D.C., offers insights today concerning the influence that Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln may have in either protecting or taking away the secret voting rights of workers via Card Check:

David Saunders of Stephens Media’s Arkansas News:

According to Arkansas opponents of the federal Employee Free Choice Act, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may have a tough time getting moderate Blue Dog Democrats to support the union-backed legislation more commonly known as card check.
…
The Blue Dogs strongly urged House leadership not to bring this bill back up on the House floor until the Senate had passed something first, because they look like idiots for continuing to pass it and then it dying in the Senate.

This story is a big one for the people of the right-to-work state that is Arkansas, considering that our senior Senator Blanche Lincoln has has literally been all over the place on this issue - which is to be expected when you consider that Arkansans spectacularly rejected President Barack Hussein Obama and his liberal policies in November.

So imagine my surprise when I checked out Glenn Thrush at Politico just minutes ago:
The Blue Dogs have asked — and Nancy Pelosi has assented — to pushing card check back until the Senate acts, Greg Sargent is reporting.

“Their concern is that the House will pass something, then the Senate will take up the bill and do something different,” the senior leadership aide tells me. “The Blue Dogs don’t want to end up voting on something that won’t even become law. They’re saying, ‘See what can get through the Senate first, and then we’ll vote on it.’” House Dem leaders agree with this assessment, the aide says. Asked if it would anger labor leaders, the aide said that labor might not like it but that labor leaders would “understand the dynamic.” . . .

. . . So now we have House Democrats, in a move acknowledging fractures within the caucus, forcing Speaker Pelosi to show her brand of leadership: punting to the Senate. Considering the “through the roof” moments of the porkulus debate, this ought to be fun.

Which brings us full-circle to Mrs. Lincoln. The closest thing we have resembling a position comes here . . . So it becomes clear that Sen. Lincoln, thanks to her Arkansan Blue Dog allies in the House (Reps. Marion Berry and Mike Ross), the self-styled “Independent Voice” who says that “Arkansans are independent-minded, and I vote with their best interests in mind,” is now a key linchpin in getting Card Check rolling.

Will Sen. Lincoln show her independence and not support a bill that is opposed by virtually all of her home state, including her own Democratic Governor? Or, will she kowtow to the labor lobbyists and their allies at MoveOn and other liberal groups.

I believe Mrs. Lincoln’s mission is clear, and it was put succinctly by one of her own constituents,

Bob Shell: “Ninety-five percent of [Arkansan workers ] are non-union. Seems to me that you’ve got the direction to go,” Shell told Lincoln. “Our state is nonunion and wants to stay that way.”

Now that the ball is in your court, what will you do Senator? . . . [Ryan's Full Article on Sen. Lincoln & Card Check]

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Tags: Arkansas, Blanche Lincoln, Card Check, civil unions, free speech, Secret Ballot To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

What Transparency and Accountability in Washington D.C.?

Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: While campaigning, President Barack Obama made a number of pledges about bringing more transparency and accountability to Washington, DC, but little of that has showed up with his premier accomplishment so far, the stimulus bill. In a ceremony preceding his singing of the bill in Denver yesterday, Obama said, “With a recovery package of this size comes a responsibility to assure every taxpayer that we are being careful with the money they work so hard to earn. . . . We want transparency and accountability throughout this process.”

However Byron York noted in The Examiner, so far transparency and accountability has been more about showmanship than sunlight. York pointed out that last year, “Obama complained that ‘too often bills are rushed through Congress and to the president before the public has the opportunity to review them.’” Yet the final $787 billion stimulus bill was hammered out behind closed doors and then rushed to a vote in both chambers less than 24 hours after it was written. Byron York put it well, “The period in which the public needed sunlight was before the bill was passed, not before it was signed.”

With such a hastily written and approved bill, we’re now seeing what is going to be just the beginning of people discovering problems with the legislation. Politico reports today that even Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is apparently upset about “a provision hidden in the stimulus that makes it tough for New York’s banks to hire foreign workers through the H-1B visa program.” Of course, Schumer, a strong proponent of the bill, is known for paltering and for attempts to distract others from the bigger picture. But it is true, we do not know what troubling issues will be discovered in the coming months and years?

Obama lost his opportunity to be a president honest "to his own words," when he did not veto the stimulus bill and return it to the Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi with the words, "No Pork, No Pet Last Minute Projects, and more transparency - give the public and the minority party more time to review and comment on the bill." But this was not to be. The liberal socialists have shown themselves and are in now in full control of the once great Democratic party. The words "conservative democrat" is now an oxymoron. The expanding dark cloud of socialism has settled over Washington, D.C., and it is spreading across America.

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Tags: accountability, government transparency, socialism, Washington D.C. To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Online GOP Tech Summit Needs & Invites You!

Bill Smith, Editor, ARRA News Service: The RNC Transition Team established working groups in six specific issue areas to further refine the ideas put forth at the GOP Tech Summit and to push the conversation to the next level. Ultimately, there will be a Republican user-generated report produced that we'll present to Chairman Steele and his team for their review and implementation as they see fit.

::: We can't do it alone. We need your help. :::
Join the discussion, on how the party can best embrace (and keep motivated) the grassroots and keep the CONSERVATIVE VOICE strong, at the GOP Tech Summit website.

Over the next seven days -- if you have an idea -- please share it. If you have a comment on another idea put forth, dig in. Let us heed the challenge put forth by Chairman Steele and leave no stone unturned. We are listening. I hope you'll be a part of this Revolution.
::: If you join us in this effort; then invite me as a friend

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Tags: GOP, grassroots, RNC, Tech Summit To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

A Republican Revolution Is Coming - 2010 - 2012

Republicans Conservatives are preparing for 2010 & 2012! We will not rest until we get a President that stands for conservative values like low taxes, less government spending, less government, and strong national defense. All issues on which liberals (socialists) lack backbone. Join the Following Groups - NOW! - GOP Tech Summit - Republican Revolution - Rebuild the Party! - ROAR USA - America Coast 2 Coast - [More Groups Listed Here]

H/T/ to PoliticalMind for this video

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Tags: rebuilding the party, Republican Revolution, Republicans, RNC To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Stock Advice - Obama Signs Porkulus - #pork #statebooks

Patriot Humor, The Patriot Post: Many people are looking for financial advice during these hard economic times. Normally, however, we avoid offering advice regarding buying or selling stocks. But as President Obama prepares to sign the stimulus bill today, the market fell 250 points by noon, and we thought it best to warn investors concerning a few specific companies. Please review any holdings you might have in the following stocks:

American Can

Interstate Water

National Gas Company

Northern Tissue Company

Due to uncertain market conditions, we advise you to sit tight on your Can, hold your Water, and let go of your Gas. You may be interested to know that Northern Tissue touched a new bottom today, and millions were wiped clean.
It's a tough market out there!

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Tags: advice, Congressional Pork, economic stimulus, government spending, government waste, Lisa Benson, political humor, stock market, tax cut, The Patriot Post To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Today in Washington D. C. - Feb 17, 2009

Congress is in recess. On February 24th, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has scheduled a cloture vote on a bill to grant House voting rights the delegate from the District of Colombia (S. 160). This is unconstitutional as reported previously in September 2007 but these days Democrats continue to rule by fiat and to pass bills regardless of the Constitution of the United States. Prior articles: The D.C. Voting Rights Issue is Back! and House Violates Constitution & Votes to give D.C. a seat . . . Display Ignorance of the Constitution. The Constitution says "the several states" shall send representatives to Congress - NOT District or Territories.

Today, President Obama travels to Denver to sign the stimulus bill, You may recall that Obama in Denver broke with tradition and accepted his nomination in almost cult fashion at the stadium. The news in Washington is mostly focusing on post-mortem discussion of the bill.

Politico reports on a dynamic that was mostly beneath the surface of last week’s marathon negotiations: anger from liberal House Democrats over having to compromise with the Senate in order to pass a bill. According to Politico, “House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) is pushing Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to take a harder line with the Senate after a trio of Republican senators forced Congress to trim billions from the $787 billion economic stimulus package. . . . Democrats complained repeatedly about this dynamic as negotiators finalized the stimulus package last week, stripping billions for state aid and school construction at the request of Specter, Snowe and Collins. One House Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said colleagues are ‘furious’ about those changes.”

How far out on a limb are House Democrats if they find the modest and inadequate cuts made to the bloated stimulus bill unbearable? It certainly gives one pause when considering what legislation might be coming from the House in the future.

Meanwhile, cabinet agencies are starting to examine what roles they’ll play in distributing the massive piles of government money in the bill. The New York Times reports today on the $100 billion the Department of Education will get from the bill. Chester Finn, a former Department of Education official, told the NYT, “It’ll be wonderful fun for a time for [Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s] team — it’ll be like Christmas.” It’s a huge sum, even compared to the $59 billion given to states, school districts, and colleges last year. Former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings warned, “It’s hard to imagine moving that much money that quickly. The point is, it’s never been done before, and . . . there’s an awesome opportunity for slippage with that much money moving through the meat grinder.”

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Tags: District of Columbia, Politics, stimulus bill, US Congress, US Constitution, US Senate, voting, Washington D.C. To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Front Row At The Arkansas Legislature

Arkansas State Representative Karen Hopper (R - Dist 81) lives in Lakeview (Baxter County), Arkansas. She shares about her first 30 days as a freshman in the Arkansas House of Representatives.
ARRA News Service Guest Editorial by Rep.Karen Hopper:
~The First 30 Days~
It is indeed an honor and a privilege to serve the almost 27,000 residents of House District 81 as a freshman legislator. Thank you to all of you have contacted me during these first five weeks to voice your feelings about some of the almost 200 bills that have made their way to the House floor, not including the numerous budget bills, as well as other bills that have been introduced and have not cleared the various committees. Your input is invaluable.

Please know I welcome your comments and the opportunity to be of service with individual constituency matters. The best way to reach me during the session is via email-- hopperk@arkleg.state.ar.us.

This past week we passed the 30-calendar-day mark. We have already tackled a number of hot topics. The following is a synopsis of the first five weeks with a few personal observations...

Week 1--January 12-16
Monday and Tuesday were highlighted with ceremonial duties and organizational tasks that take up every legislative session's first couple of days. All 100 members of the House and the 35 members of the Senate were sworn into office on the session's opening day, January 12. The following day, the 35 members of the Senate gathered in the House for the State of the State address by Governor Mike Beebe. The State of the State Address provided a preview of some of the major issues expected to be addressed during the 87th General Assembly.

While the calendar for the first week is traditionally light until bills start flowing through committees, it was not without controversy. On Thursday, the House was divided on a resolution to recess for the presidential inauguration the following week. Some, including myself, voiced our opposition to a random practice of recessing for the inauguration. While the majority were in favor of the recess, we would resolve this matter in Week 4 by passing a resolution that the House will recess on the date of a presidential inauguration without regard to political party affiliation. While the House had recessed for the inaugurations of Presidents Clinton and Obama, it remained in session during both of President George W. Bush's inaugurations.

Week 2--January 21-23
The second week was shortened by the Legislature being in recess on Monday in observance of Robert E. Lee/Martin Luther King Jr. Day and on Tuesday for the presidential inauguration. Among the items receiving passage during the second week:

Returning the state's presidential primary election to its traditional date in May alongside state and local primary election ballots. Lawmakers moved the presidential preferential primary in 2007 to February in hopes of Arkansas gathering more national attention during the campaign season. While Arkansas saw a tremendous voter turnout for the February 2008 presidential primaries, the turnout in May for state and local primary elections was down considerably. Governor Beebe has since signed HB 1021 into law.

By a vote of 98-0 the House approval stiffer penalties for violating a protection order. This bill makes such a violation a Class D felony, punishable by up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, if the offense occurred within five years of a previous conviction for violating a protection order. It is still in the Senate.

By a vote of 99-1 the House passed a bill whereby Arkansas homeowners over age 65 could see lower property taxes. Until Governor Beebe signed this new legislation into law, tax rates for homeowners were frozen when they turned 65. With some home values having dropped over the past few months, this new law ensures that a homestead of a person who is disabled or 65 years of age is assessed for property tax on the lower of the assessed value at the time the taxpayer qualified for the property tax relief or a later assessed value.

Also gaining passage was an act requiring health benefit plans to provide prostate cancer screenings for men 40 years of age and over. HB 1031 has also been signed into law.

Week 3--January 26-30
It was hard to stay focused this week as news arrived of the devastating ice storm back home. However, work continued at the Capitol with passage of the animal cruelty bill in the House and two bills that would restrict the use of cell phones while driving.

After several attempts during past legislative sessions to pass an animal cruelty bill, Arkansas is now the 47th state allowing felony charges to be filed for aggravated cruelty against dogs, cats, and horses. The measure makes the cruelty offense punishable by a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine. It adds five years to any conviction of torturing an animal in the presence of a child. Exemptions are for standard animal-husbandry and agriculture practices. The new law also states that officials with animal rescue groups do not have arrest power in animal cruelty cases. I cast my vote in favor of this measure backed by numerous groups including the Farm Bureau that gained passage in the House 88-9.

With input from a number of constituents, I voted in favor of both HB 1119 and HB 1013 restricting the use of cell phones while driving. HB 1119 prohibits drivers under age 18 from using a cell phone at all times and requires drivers ages 18 to 20 use a hands-free device. HB 1013 prohibits text messaging while driving for drivers of all ages.

I was among 28 voting against a measure that passed giving a city council the power to fill a vacancy on the council without the possibility of veto by the mayor.

By a vote of 93-1, the House passed a measure creating a separate criminal offense for smothering or strangulation or the attempt to smother or strangle. The bill makes such battery a felony offense, rather than the misdemeanor it is now.

Arkansas has a new law honoring and paying tribute to a soldier who is killed in action by lowering all state flags to half-mast on public buildings following House passage of this bill 98-0.

HB 1022 cleared the House Week 3 and has since been signed into law creating a $500,000 loan program for nursing students and faculty through the state Board of Nursing fund balances.

Counties are now required to reimburse their personnel for tips of up to 15 percent, bringing them in line with state employees. This measure easily passed the House and has since been signed into law.

Week 4--February 2-6
Week four arrived with the list of bills for consideration growing daily, including the most contentious item to date--the tobacco tax hike. The week's highlights included the unveiling of a bust of the last Lt. Gov. Winthrop Paul Rockefeller.

In keeping with my campaign pledge to work to both oppose any new taxes as well as reduce existing ones, I was among 24 fellow conservatives voting in opposition to HB 1204 raising tobacco taxes. The initiative gained the 75 votes needed for passage in the House and has since passed the Senate. While many promises have been made for a wide range of healthcare initiatives to be funded from the increased funding the tax will bring, it should be noted HB 1204 provides only for the tax increase. Funds generated from the increased tax will flow into the general revenue account versus a line item where many believe these funds will be automatically set aside for the almost two dozen healthcare initiatives promised in the campaign effort to gain passage of the tax increase. The most costly item promised from the proceeds of the tax increase is a state-wide trauma system with an estimated $28 million annual price tag. I co-sponsored an alternative bill to fund the trauma system through an increase in fines to be deposited in a Trauma System Trust Fund.

A bill to adopt an agreement among the states to elect the president by nationwide popular vote cleared the House Committee on State Agencies on which I serve. I was among those voting in opposition.

Senator Johnny Key of Mountain Home's bill to allow blood donations by 16 year olds with parental permission cleared the House 98-0 and has since been signed into law.

The Senate approved SB 88 lowering the state sales tax on groceries from 3 percent to 2 percent. Lawmakers cut the tax from 6 percent to 3 percent in the last session. It is now in the House Committee on Revenue and Taxation.

Week 5--February 9-13
Week five began with the passage of a resolution congratulating Barack Obama on his historic election as the 44th president. This resolution had stalled earlier in the State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee when a number of us voiced our objection to a line in the resolution that maintained the United States was founded by slave owners. The verbiage was amended to read "a country whose history includes the shame of slavery."

The deadline passed this week for filing proposed constitutional amendments. The General Assembly may refer up to three "general issue" measures to voters each general election. At the close of the deadline, 23 proposed amendment had been filed. I serve on the State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee where all of these measures will be considered.

HB 1237, which I am co-sponsoring, cleared the House 57-42. It would remove churches and other places of worship from the list of places where people with concealed weapons permits are not allowed to carry guns. HB 1237 allows individual church memberships to decide whether to ban weapons versus the state of Arkansas.

The partial birth abortion pan passed the House 84-6. The bill mirrors a federal law upheld as constitutional in 2005 by the U.S. Supreme Court.

A bill that would bring extra revenue to county jails gained passage. The revenue would be generated by an increase in fines for misdemeanor offenses and would allow cities and counties to collect an additional $20 fine from a defendant upon conviction.

HB 1058 would remove the statute of limitations on rape when DNA evidence is present. The current limit is now 15 years.

HB 1046, The Freedom to Farm Bill, passed the House and would allow Arkansas animal owners the option of whether to register or enroll in an animal electronic identification program, except for federally mandated programs.

An initiative Rep. Mike Burris of Malvern has pushed for the past three sessions cleared the House this week and would make it easier and less expensive for students who have completed associate degree programs at two-year colleges to transfer to four-year universities in Arkansas.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Karen Hopper

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Tags: Arkansas, Baxter County, District 81, Karen Hopper, Representative To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Stimulus Bill Given A New Name

Received this from one of our insightful readers.

The stimulus Bill is now Only $ 787,000,000,000 . I know this is without considering interest and government inefficiency and waste. But bear with me.

President Obama wrote in an op-ed piece in the Washington Post that if Congress does not pass his "stimulus" package, and do so right away, "Our nation will slip deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse."

Wow, the stimulus bill must contain some really important stuff if it's critical to the survival of our country! I better take a closer look. Maybe the guy is really onto something. However, research revealed the massive spending proposed in the bill:

-- $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. Yep, we really need more Dancers, Artists and Sculptors.

-- $380 million for the Women, Infants & Children welfare program. To help "Acorn Voters" and Chicago's South Side.

-- $300 million in grants to combat violence against women. Now are they going to pay Violators not to continue?

-- $1.2 billion to provide "youth" with summer jobs. Doing What and Who Hires Them?

-- $2.4 billion for "neighborhood stabilization" activities. That's a good one! Payment Again to Vote Early and OFTEN!

-- $650 million for digital TV coupons. There are Only 300 MILLION People in the U.S. More than Half are on Cable. No need for coupons for them.

-- $150 million for the Smithsonian. They have doing OK for the last 100 yrs; Let them alone!

-- $34 million to renovate the Dept. of Commerce headquarters
Now That's a lot for New Wall Paper and Carpeting!

-- $500 million for improvements to the National Institute of Health facility. Sounds like a Big Medical Bill to pay for What?

-- $44 million for repairs to the Dept. of Agriculture's headquarters. How come? Where is Regular Daily or yearly Maintenance?

-- $350 million for agriculture department computers. Gee, don't they have any now?

-- $88 million to move (that's right, move) the Public Health Service into a new
building. Wait, Didn't we just give them 500 MILLION a few lines back?

-- $1 billion for the Census Bureau. That for Redistricting to get more Democrat voter areas.

-- $89 billion for Medicaid. Now if they would imprison all the MEDICAID CHEATERS, we probably wouldn't need this much!

-- $30 billion for COBRA extensions. What is COBRA and Who gets the Money?

-- $36 billion for expanded unemployment. That's it! Instead of creating employment, pay them to stay home.

-- $20 billion for food stamps. For illegal immigrants too?

-- $850 million for Amtrak. If Amtrak were run like a business instead of Government, it wouldn't need that much.

-- $87 million for a "polar ice breaking ship" (What about the ice caps melting because of global warming?)

-- $1.7 million for the National Park Service not too bad here.

-- $55 million for the Historic Preservation Fund. Some good form this but that's a lot of preservative!

-- $7.6 million for the Rural Advancement Program. That will help a bit.

-- $150 million for "agricultural commodity purchases." It will not help the FARMER, but it will fill the pockets of Traders!

-- $150 million for producers of livestock, farm-raised fish and honey bees. There has to be a Glitch here for someone Other than Farmers to get most of this.

-- $160 million for paid volunteers (what is a "paid volunteer"?) at the Corporation for National and Community Service. "Where do I apply for one of those paid volunteer positions?"

Are we really to believe President Obama that we may not be able to reverse our country's slide if he, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are prevented from ramming all this pork down our throats? And, by the way, what happened to President Obama's pledge to end pork barrel spending?

Another interesting tidbit: President Obama said that one of the reasons Congress must pass the stimulus bill, and must pass it NOW, is to end our dependence on foreign oil. What is astonishing is that he made this proclamation about energy independence less than 24 hours after his new interior secretary canceled the oil and gas leases on 77 parcels of federal land. For me this stinks!!!

We are only a few weeks into Obama's term and already he and his party are out of control, spending our tax dollars .

Until now this Stimulus Bill did not have an Official Name and only a Number. It now has a name. It is called,

" CONGRESSIONAL RELIEF ACTION PROGRAM "
In other words, refer to it by its initials. CRAP!

Smile - maybe the pain will hurt less for 2 seconds. And post your comment or name for this bill.

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Tags: Barack Obama, Congressional Pork, National Debt, stimulus bill, 2009 To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Prominent American Muslim Charged With Beheading His Wife

(Update 2/18) Andrea Lafferty, The Traditional Values Coalition, has detailed insights relative this story and the influence and allowances by Muslim clerics.

Wife Beating And Honor Killings Approved By Islamic Clerics - Muzzammil Hassan has apparently committed what is standard practice in many Muslim families: The so-called “honor killing.” Under radical Shariah Law, this is permitted to restore the supposed honor of the male head of the family. In America, law enforcement agencies are dealing with increasing numbers of these so-called honor killings by Muslim men. The victims are usually wives or daughters who have adopted western ways of thinking or behavior.

Many politically-correct commentators are claiming that Hassan’s actions have no relationship to his religious beliefs. This is false. It has everything to do with Islam’s teachings about the subjection of women under male domination. The use of violence against wives – including honor killings -- are approved practices in Islamic tradition. Punishment ranges from “light discipline” to honor killings. The use of violence against women is rooted in the Qur’an (Koran).

According to Islam founder Mohammed, it was permissible to beat wives if they are “emboldened towards their husbands.” The Koran says in 4:34 that it is permissible to beat wives. Muslim clerics also approve of the practice. Spanish cleric Mohammed Kamal Mustafa authored a book, Women In Islam, that describes how men are to use physical punishment against their wives.

Honor killings are also approved in Islamic cultures even in those nations that don’t fully operate under Shariah Law. Phyllis Chesler, writing in the Middle East Quarterly, (Spring, 2009) writes about how common honor killing is in Muslim nations and is becoming increasingly common in Western nations where there are large populations of unassimilated Muslims. The numbers of honor killings are on the rise. In 2007, in only one province of Pakistan there were 1,261 honor killings! Jordanian Muslim clerics have declared that honor killings are an imperative!

Wife beating and so-called honor killings are part of Islamic belief! Muzzammil Hassan has proven what many Americans believe about radical Islam: It is incompatible with American freedom and those practicing the Wahhabi brand of Islam have no respect for human life or for women’s rights. Hassan’s brand of Islam has no place on American soil. His brutal murder of his wife should be vigorously prosecuted to send a message to other Muslims that if they wish to live in freedom, they must respect our Judeo-Christian legal system and our Constitution.

Original Story: The following new is reported to focus on the question: why after three days are America's major news sources avoiding the information about this alleged "honor" killing in the United States? Even Fox News which reports on many family crimes appears to be avoiding reporting or investigating this situation. This is not the first reported killing of a family member by a Muslim. However, this time, the situation involves a prominent American Muslim. It appears that the media is avoiding all news involving domestic situations with American Muslims. The Buffalo News reported on Friday the following:

by Gene Warner: Muzzammil Hassan, right, founder of Bridges TV, is charged with murder in the beheading of his wife, Aasiya Hassan, left, in Orchard Park. Orchard Park police are investigating a particularly gruesome killing, the beheading of a woman, after her husband — an influential member of the local Muslim community — reported her death to police Thursday. Police identified the victim as Aasiya Z. Hassan, 37. Detectives have charged her husband, Muzzammil Hassan, 44, with second-degree murder.

"He came to the police station at 6:20 p.m. [Thursday] and told us that she was dead," Orchard Park Police Chief Andrew Benz said late this morning. Muzzammil Hassan told police that his wife was at his business, Bridges TV, on Thorn Avenue in the village. Officers went to that location and discovered her body. Muzzammil Hassan is the founder and chief executive officer of Bridges TV, which he launched in 2004, amid hopes that it would help portray Muslims in a more positive light. The killing apparently occurred some time late Thursday afternoon. Detectives still are looking for the murder weapon.

"Obviously, this is the worst form of domestic violence possible," Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III said today. Authorities say Aasiya Hassan recently had filed for divorce from her husband. "She had an order of protection that had him out of the home as of Friday the 6th [of February]," Benz said. Muzzammil Hassan was arraigned before Village Justice Deborah Chimes and sent to the Erie County Holding Center.

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Tags: Hesham Islam, honor killing, Murder, Muslim, New York, Sharia law, traditional values To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!