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)
Friday, September 08, 2017
Shocking News as Governor of Virgin Islands Orders National Guard to Seize Americans’ Firearms
NRA-ILA, Breaking News: With hurricane season now upon us, U.S. states and territories are preparing for a barrage of potentially damaging weather. In the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), however, those preparations include an order by Gov. Kenneth E. Mapp for the National Guard to seize residents’ lawfully-owned firearms and ammunition, ostensibly as a means of promoting public order and protecting life and property during Hurricane Irma.
The order states in no uncertain terms that the Adjutant General of the U.S. Virgin Islands National Guard is “authorized and directed to seize arms, ammunition, explosives, incendiary material and any other property” deemed necessary to the mission of maintaining or restoring order during the storm.
Certainly, the rest of America’s thoughts and prayers are with the USVI as they recover from the damage Irma caused. Nevertheless, Gov. Mapp’s Sept. 4 order was an inexcusable incursion on the right of the U.S. citizens who reside on the USVI to protect themselves from the all-too-predictable outbreaks of looting and crime that can occur when normal emergency services are over-taxed by an extraordinary event. Simply put, it violated the U.S. Constitution and threatened to put innocent people at further risk.
America has seen similar overreaches in the past, most notoriously during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when local officials ordered the confiscation of lawfully-owned firearms from New Orleans residents. First responders had been overwhelmed by the demands of the storm, and those who had not managed to evacuate were dealing with virtual anarchy. For many gun owners, the shocking site of a frail woman being slammed to the ground in her own home by police enforcing the post-Katrina order remains an indelible image of the very sort of violent firearm seizures that some claim could never happen in the U.S.
The NRA intervened in federal court and was able to halt the New Orleans confiscations and obtain an order requiring the return of the seized firearms. Nevertheless, the city delayed compliance with the order for as long as it could, including requiring unrealistic documentation from gun owners whose lives had been turned upside by the storm. Only in 2008 did the NRA and the city agree on mutually acceptable terms for the return of the unlawfully confiscated property.
The NRA also promoted legislation to prevent government officials from using their emergency powers as a pretext for disarming the citizenry. In 2006, Congressman Bobby Jindal (LA) led the fight to protect America’s gun owners against these abuses by introducing H.R. 5013 in the House, a final version of which was signed by President George W. Bush in October of that year. Now codified at 42 U.S.C. § 5207, the law prohibits persons acting under color of federal law, receiving federal funds, or acting at the direction of a federal employee from seizing or authorizing the seizure of lawfully-possessed firearms during a state of emergency. The majority of U.S. states now have similar laws.
The NRA quickly condemned Gov. Mapp’s order and pledged to take any necessary legal action to ensure that the people of the USVI were not deprived of their constitutionally protected arms when they might need them the most.
Barely 24 hours later, Gov. Mapp appeared before a national audience on the Tucker Carlson Show and furiously backpedaled, bizarrely claiming that the order simply meant that Guard units could purchase necessary emergency supplies at retail without the formalities of normal procurement procedures. “This is not about seizing anybody’s personal property,” he insisted.
That on-the-fly revision was too much even for the “fact-checking” (and typically antigun) website Snopes, which acknowledged there was no support for this interpretation in the actual words of the order itself.
Just what Gov. Mapp meant to do or thought he was doing with his “seizure” order remains unclear. To date, the NRA has received no information that any actual seizures have occurred.
Nevertheless, the incident should serve as a wake-up call for those who insist that the threat of civilian firearm confiscation is a scare tactic invented by the NRA. Americans saw it themselves this week, stamped with the gold seal of officialdom.
As ever, your NRA will remain vigilant and prepared to act so that no law-abiding American is forced to face danger without the protection guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
-------------------- Source: NRA-ILA Tags:U.S. Virgin Islands, NRA, ILA, Chris W. Cox, State Of Emergency, Gun Confiscation, Confiscation, Emergency Powers, Emergency Powers LawsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
by Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: Voter Fraud - As you may recall, President Trump has promised to aggressively investigate voter fraud. Vice President Mike Pence is leading the president's Commission on Election Integrity. The commission appears to be taking a serious look at New Hampshire's voting practices.
New Hampshire is among 15 states that allows individuals to register on Election Day. This convenience, known as "same-day voter registration," is a popular demand of the left. And the potential for fraud is obvious -- there is no time to check the status of these potential voters.
According to various reports, more than 6,500 people in New Hampshire using out-of-state driver's licenses as ID registered to vote last year on Election Day, claiming they had just moved in and didn't have time to get a new license. Fair enough. New Hampshire gives new residents 60 days to get their license.
But state records show that as of August 30th, just over 1,000 of those 6,500 same-day registrants had gotten New Hampshire driver's licenses. Either a lot of people are driving around on invalid licenses or more than 5,500 out-of-state residents illegally cast ballots in New Hampshire.
One possible explanation is that these individuals are out-of-state college students. But that is what absentee voting is for. And how do we know they didn't vote twice -- once by absentee in their home state and again in New Hampshire?
Here's why this matters: Hillary Clinton won New Hampshire by just 2,736 votes. Maggie Hassan (D) defeated then-Senator Kelly Ayotte (R) by just 1,017 votes. As our friends at Breitbart noted, Sen. Ayotte's vote could have made the difference on repealing Obamacare.
Good News - The Trump Justice Department filed an amicus brief yesterday in support of Jack Phillips. Mr. Phillips is a Christian baker who was punished by the state of Colorado because he declined to make a cake for a same-sex wedding. His case is likely to be the most important religious liberty case argued during the Supreme Court's next term, which begins in October.
In 2014, Colorado ordered Phillips and his staff to make cakes for gay weddings, to submit to sensitivity training and to file quarterly reports stating whether he had refused any other business. As a result, Phillips stopped making wedding cakes entirely, costing his business at least $100,000 a year.
This is where the so-called "progressive" and "tolerant" left has led America -- a nation founded on the idea that our liberty comes from God. It is not enough for the left to "live and let live." Men and women of faith are being forced into the closet. Their businesses are being destroyed and their livelihoods threatened.
Thankfully, the Trump Administration is fighting back. As Justice Department spokeswoman Lauren Ehrsam explained:"The Department filed an amicus brief in this case today because the First Amendment protects the right of free expression for all Americans. Although public-accommodations laws serve important purposes, they -- like other laws -- must yield to the individual freedoms that the First Amendment guarantees."In addition, 86 members of Congress -- all Republicans -- signed another amicus brief supporting Mr. Phillips.
On an unrelated note, here's some more good news: New York's highest court ruled against assisted suicide. In a unanimous decision, the court declared:"We reject plaintiffs' argument that an individual has a fundamental constitutional right to aid-in-dying as they define it. . . We also reject plaintiffs' assertion that the State's prohibition on assisted suicide is not rationally related to legitimate state interests. . . The State also has a significant interest in preserving life and preventing suicide, a serious public health problem."Faith Under Fire
Earlier this week, I told you that liberal senators were abusing Senate traditions in order to prevent the confirmation of President Trump's judicial nominees. Unfortunately, they are also smearing his nominees with disgusting attacks on their faith.
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this week, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) berated Notre Dame Law School Professor , saying, "When you read your speeches, the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you, and that's of concern. . ."
Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) asked Professor Barrett, "Do you consider yourself an orthodox Catholic?" Barrett, who clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia, answered by saying that she was a faithful Catholic.
Sen. Al Franken questioned Barrett's judgment for speaking to the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal defense organization. Citing claims by the discredited Southern Poverty Law Center, Franken slandered ADF as a "hate group," and by extension accused Professor Barrett of being a bigot.
Once again, the left is demonstrating its disdain for men and women of faith. Not to mention its ignorance of the Constitution, which specifically prohibits a religious test" for public office.
New Threats - As the U.S.-led coalition racks up big gains against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the Islamic supremacists are getting desperate. And like cornered animals, they are lashing out. Intelligence agencies are warning that ISIS has ordered new attacks against Western targets in order to boost the morale of their fighters.
French police discovered a "bomb factory" in a Paris apartment Wednesday.
Spanish and Moroccan authorities busted another jihadist cell involving six individuals plotting "large-scale attacks."
Other reports say ISIS is plotting to poison food in grocery stores and even attack relief shelters in Houston.
And, of course, Monday marks the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
"Because of Gracia" - I am pleased to tell you about a new film -- "Because of Gracia" -- which comes out on September 15th across the nation. In the film, actor Chris Massoglia plays a young Christian man who is hesitant to stand up for his faith in high school. But through the encouragement of Gracia, he finds his courage and helps a young pregnant classmate struggling with the decision of whether to abort her unborn child.
This is just the kind of movie that we've hoped Hollywood would make and now we have it. Let's get behind this film and "vote" with our feet when it arrives in theaters on September 15th, so that more movies like this one, starring Christian actors like Chris Massoglia, get made.
You can watch a trailer and find theater listings at BecauseofGracia.com.
------------------- Gary Bauer is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families Tags:Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, Voter Fraud, Good News, Because Of GraciaTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Half of America Wants the Other Half to Die in a Hurricane
by Megan Fox: Hurricane Irma has left death and destruction in her wake and Hurricane Jose is right behind her promising more. Entire islands have been destroyed, families torn apart, and property wiped out. This crippling devastation so close to the last hurricane in Texas, from which people are still reeling, is tough to take. These people require our unceasing prayers and help, not scorn and snark.
So who would be cold-blooded enough to savage hurricane victims? Rabid sufferers of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). These are people who were so blindsided by a Clinton loss that they can't see past their election night rage and are wishing destruction on all the Trump voters in Florida along with Trump properties. I don't want to be neighbors with these kinds of people anymore.
Who raised them?
@realdonaldtrump climate change right here. BTW looks like Jose might be heading to MAR-A-LARGO. Good hope he helps destroy it for good! https://t.co/HuBZEw9sCT
Here's hoping #Irma obliterates Mar-a-Lago so our Carrot-in-Chief will be forced to actually do some work instead of play golf and jerk off. pic.twitter.com/xq9SrF5hPZ
Is this how civil wars start? Because it sure feels like it could be. I can't imagine the kind of hate that is harbored in a heart that wishes for half of their countrymen to die violently. I'm disgusted thinking that I may be shopping next to some of these people in the grocery store. I used to care about the other side. I used to think they were good people with wrong ideas. But these days they keep proving they are evil people with evil ideas.
This solidifies to those of us over here, praying and calling friends and watching the hurricane path with horror, that we don't have anything in common with them anymore. We don't share culture or common heroes with them anymore. Twenty years ago there wasn't a person on either side who wouldn't praise Thomas Jefferson or George Washington. Today we find ourselves begging them not to vandalize Mt. Rushmore. We used to value law and order; today they are in the streets demanding anarchy. We can't even watch football with them anymore without a protest against our flag, which they hate.
They're sitting on Twitter as the hurricane tears toward Florida hoping people will die.
There's no "common ground" to be found with people who want me and those like me (and our children) to die violently in a hurricane! These are not friends, compatriots, or countrymen.
Imagine the outcry if a hurricane was coming toward SanFrancisco and the right was tweeting, "Boy, those gays have it coming! Serves them right for putting Heather Has Two Mommies in our curriculum! I hope they all die!" The foaming at the mouth would be epic. The people the left is targeting for death-by-hurricane are not the monsters they want them to be. Most of those firemen, SWAT members, and first responders running into danger to rescue hurricane survivors are Trump supporters. That's who elected him — blue-collar, police, firemen, military and trade workers. And the Trump Derangement Syndrome zombies want them to get killed.
This isn't an abstract idea and it isn't a joke either. As a Trump supporter, I feel unsafe wearing a #MAGA hat without backup or a gun. College professors and public school teachers are attacking Trump supporters with deadly weapons (for fun) on the weekends. This is the kind of stuff that is dangerous to our republic because we've stopped caring about one another as brothers who disagree. We have turned into strangers and worse — strangers who hate one another. Until I saw these sentiments about wiping out people like me I thought we could coexist. That's over.
I want a divorce.
Before the shooting begins, maybe we should try to salvage what's left of this tattered relationship. I'm not even picky about which half of the country we get. North, South, East, or West, it doesn't matter. We'll make whatever part we get great in no time. And if we miss our cities, we'll hire Disney to recreate them — and they won't have any of the crime and poverty (but they will have excellent gift shops). And we can build a big beautiful wall between our side and the side that wants us dead. And they can get on with whatever communist, atheist, multi-sex, trans-human, refugee nightmare they want so badly. We can do this without firing a shot. Can we start that process now and avoid the inevitable violence that follows the absolute dehumanization of half the population? There's only so much of this that people are going to be able to take before it descends into the worst bar brawl anyone has ever seen (with drones). Nobody wants that. Let's get a divorce.
------------------- Megan Fox is a freelance reporter, columnist for PJ Media and other publications. Tags:Megan Fox, PJ Media, Hurricane, Trump Derangement Syndrome, zombiesTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
by Newt Gingrich: The United States of America is the freest, most prosperous country in the world.
Our Founding Fathers, and the many American leaders who came after them, built a nation based on principles that have led to more than two centuries of opportunity, innovation, and excellence totally unique to America. These principles are central to our historic success as a civilization.
For instance, since its earliest days, the United States has been a place where immigrants from other nations could join our society, blend their customs with ours, and add to a unique, unified American culture. That’s how our country became known as the great melting pot. It is a foundational concept of America.
Our nation’s first leaders also understood that without religious faith – and the freedom to practice it – true liberty could not exist. The idea that all people have rights which are “endowed by their Creator”, rather than granted by their government, is clearly expressed in the Declaration of Independence and is core to the American system.
As a final example, the freedom to publicly express dissenting or unpopular views, and to speak truth to power, is critical to ensure the success of our republic and to suppress the threat of tyranny.
Yet, despite experiencing over 200 years of unmatched success as a civilization, there are forces on the radical Left who would like to see our culture, system of government, and entire country fundamentally transformed.
Instead of an America with a common, unified culture, the Left wants “multiculturalism,” which would replace our great melting pot with a so-called “salad bowl.” With this dangerous approach, Americans would be divided into separate groups and subgroups that have their own languages, customs, and interests. This is entirely contrary to our country’s first de facto national motto: E Pluribus Unum – out of many, one.
Radicals on the Left also want to scour religion from our society. This is an effort to replace the concept of God-given rights with a belief that our rights come from a powerful, secular government – which we the people are allegedly meant to serve.
The Left’s attack on free speech is perhaps the most immediate assault. News stories about liberals trying to silence the voices of those with whom they disagree are becoming increasingly more frequent. We see reports of conservative speakers being shouted down at college campuses – or simply barred from speaking. Across the country, agents of the far left are seeking to dismantle historic monuments and rewrite our history so that it fits their radical ideals.
These are just a few of the core American principles that members of the Left are trying to dismantle. If we don’t stop them, they will succeed in fundamentally transforming this country.
That’s why I have put together a new online course called Defending America. This six-part lecture series is my effort to help provide Americans with the historical perspective, facts, and arguments they need to debunk and defeat the false narratives and revisionist views of the Left.
When President Ronald Reagan gave his farewell address on January 11, 1989, he spoke of an “eradication of the American memory” that would “erode the American spirit.”
This loss of memory isn’t from forgetfulness. It is from a deliberate strategy by the Left to instill anti-American values to fundamentally change this country.
Defending America is for all those who want to heed President Reagan’s warning and defend America from the Left.
—
The course launched this week, and the first classes will be released on Thursday, September 14th. Those who subscribe by then can get a 20 percent discount by using the code FREEDOM. Two new lessons will be available each week thereafter.
As Founder John Dickinson, famously wrote in “the Liberty Song” before the Revolutionary War, “By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.” I hope you will subscribe today and join me in Defending America.
---------------------- Newt Gingrich is a former Georgia Congressman and Speaker of the U.S. House. He co-authored and was the chief architect of the "Contract with America" and a major leader in the Republican victory in the 1994 congressional elections. He is noted speaker and writer. The above commentary was shared via Gingrich Productions. Tags:Newt Gingrich,Importance, Defending AmericaTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
The DOJ is no longer a pro-crime organization. And instead of persecuting conservatives, it's now standing up for them against leftist persecution.
The Justice Department on Thursday filed a brief supporting the Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple on faith-based grounds, in the latest religious freedom case to be considered before the nation's highest court.
Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, had refused to sell a customized cake for a gay couple's union, claiming a religious exemption to the state's anti-discrimination law.
“When Phillips designs and creates a custom wedding cake for a specific couple and a specific wedding, he plays an active role in enabling that ritual, and he associates himself with the celebratory message conveyed,” Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey B. Wall wrote in the brief.
Wall added, “Forcing Phillips to create expression for and participate in a ceremony that violates his sincerely held religious beliefs invades his First Amendment rights.”The First Amendment comes first again. And that is as it ought to be.
-------------- Daniel Greenfield is Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and a New York writer focusing on radical Islam. David Horowitz is a Contributing Author of the ARRA News Service Tags:Justice Depatment, stands up for, Christian Baker, Daniel Greedfield, FrontPage MagTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
by Bill Bergman : It depends on what you mean by ‘raise’ or ‘limit.’
A couple days ago, I delivered a fun exercise to my students. In light of growing pressures for the federal government to raise its purported debt ceiling, I asked them to forecast 1) the date the official debt limit increases, 2) the amount of the new limit, and 3) the amount of the increase in reported debt once the new limit goes into effect, given that the reported debt has been effectively frozen by extraordinary accounting measures, even as the real debt has been increasing for months.
When I got back to work after class, I saw that news had broken during class that an agreement had been reached. In a controversial development, the Republican President agreed with relevant Democratic congressional leaders on a plan of action. Nearly all the stories that have come out have identified an agreement to “raise the debt limit.”
Is the debt limit being raised? If it is, what is it being raised to?
One could argue that there are two ways to answer these questions. The debt limit isn’t being raised – it is being suspended, at least until early December, so there will be no debt limit until then (and if then). Another way to answer the question is that the new debt limit will be infinity.
The agreement also reportedly includes discussion of the possibility of eliminating the debt ceiling altogether. Should get interesting.
----------------- Bill Bergman is Director of Research at Truth in Accounting. He is responsible for identifying, collecting and managing State Data Lab's database. This database provides healthy context for understanding state and local government financial conditions. Bergman has over twenty years of financial market experience, including thirteen years as an economist and policy analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Tags:IDC, debt ceiling, Bill Bergman, Truth in AccountingTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
by Patrick Buchanan: Donald Trump is president today because he was seen as a doer not a talker. Among the most common compliments paid him in 2016 was, “At least he gets things done!”
And it was exasperation with a dithering GOP Congress, which had failed to enact his or its own agenda, that caused Trump to pull the job of raising the debt ceiling away from Republican contractors Ryan & McConnell, and give it to Pelosi & Schumer.
Hard to fault Trump. Over seven months, Congress showed itself incapable of repealing Obamacare, though the GOP promised this as its first priority in three successive elections.
Returning to D.C. after five weeks vacation, with zero legislation enacted, Speaker Paul Ryan and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell were facing a deadline to raise the debt ceiling and fund the government.
Failure to do so would crash the markets, imperil the U.S. bond rating, and make America look like a deadbeat republic.
Families and businesses do this annually. Yet, every year, it seems, Congress goes up to the precipice of national default before authorizing the borrowing to pay the bills Congress itself has run up.
To be sure, Trump only kicked this year’s debt crisis to mid-December. Before year’s end, he and Congress will also have to deal with an immigration crisis brought on by his cancellation of the Obama administration’s amnesty for the “Dreamers” now vulnerable to deportation. He will have to get Congress to fund his Wall, enact tax reform and finance the repair and renewal of our infrastructure, or have his first year declared a failure.
We are likely looking at a Congressional pileup, pre-Christmas, from which Trump will have to call on Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, again, to extricate him and his party.
The question that now arises: Has the president concluded that working with the GOP majorities alone cannot get him where he needs to go to make his a successful presidency?
Having cut a deal with Democrats for help with the debt ceiling, will Trump seek a deal with Democrats on amnesty for the “Dreamers,” in return for funding for border security? Trump seemed to be signaling receptivity to the idea this week.
Will he give up on free-trade Republicans to work with Democrats to protect U.S. jobs and businesses from predator traders like China?
Will he cut a deal with Hill Democrats on which infrastructure projects should be funded first? Will he seek out compromise with Democrats on whose taxes should be cut and whose retained?
We could be looking at a seismic shift in national politics, with Trump looking to centrist and bipartisan coalitions to achieve as much of his agenda as he can. He could collaborate with Federalist Society Republicans on justices and with economic-nationalist Democrats on tariffs.
But the Congressional gridlock that exhausted the president’s patience may prove more serious than a passing phase. The Congress of the United States, whose powers were delineated in the late 18th century, may simply not be an institution suited to the 21st.
A century ago, Congress ceded to the Federal Reserve its right “to coin money (and) regulate the value thereof.” It has yielded to the third branch, the Supreme Court, the power to invent new rights, as in Roe v. Wade. Its power to “regulate commerce with foreign nations” has been assumed by an executive branch that negotiates the trade treaties, leaving Congress to say yea or nay.
Congress alone has the power to declare war. But recent wars have been launched by presidents over Congressional objection, some without consultation. We are close to a second major war in Korea, the first of which, begun in 1950, was never declared by the Congress, but declared by Harry Truman to be a “police action.”
In the age of the internet and cable TV, the White House is seen as a locus of decision and action, while Capitol Hill takes months to move. Watching Congress, the word torpor invariably comes to mind, which one Webster’s Dictionary defines as “a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility.”
Result: In a recent survey, 72 percent of Americans expressed high confidence in the military; 12 percent said the same of Congress.
The members of Congress the TV cameras reward with air time are most often mavericks like John McCain, Lindsay Graham and Jeff Flake, who will defy a president the media largely detest.
At the onset of the post-Cold War era, some contended that democracy was the inevitable future of mankind. But autocracy is holding its own. Russia, China, India, Turkey, Egypt come to mind.
If democracy, as Freedom House contends, is in global retreat, one reason may be that, in our new age, legislatures, split into hostile blocs checkmating one another, cannot act with the dispatch impatient peoples now demand of their rulers.
In the days of Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, Congress was a rival to even strong presidents. Those days are long gone.
-------------------- Patrick Buchanan is currently a conservative columnist, political analyst, chairman of The American Cause foundation and an editor of The American Conservative. He has been a senior advisor to three Presidents, a two-time candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, and was the presidential nominee of the Reform Party in 2000. He blogs at the Patrick J. Buchanan. Tags:Patrick Buchanan, conservative, commentary, President Trump, Dumps, Do-Nothing CongressTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Tags:Good Ol’ Days, indigenous people, AmericaTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Trump Orders Military to Shoot Down North Korean Missiles
Kim Jong Un - Missle Crazy
by John Gizzi: President Donald Trump has given military orders for U.S. forces to shoot down and destroy any missile launched from North Korea and moving toward the continental United States, Hawaii, and Guam.
Sources close to the president's national security team tell Newsmax the order was given to Pentagon brass in the wake of last month's threat by North Korea to fire a ballistic missile aimed at Guam, a U.S. territory.
"The threat provoked the president," one source familiar with the decision told Newsmax.
Last Sunday, North Korea detonated a thermonuclear weapon. The communist regime claims they can fit the new device on advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles, known as ICBMs.
This week, South Korean intelligence sources said the North was moving an ICBM in an apparent preparation for another test launch over the northern Pacific and possibly Japan.
The president also is said to be considering a new "shoot down" order for any North Korean missile launched and moving toward Japan or South Korea, another national security source told Newsmax.
"This is a clear exercise of self-defense, and there's no question we should do it," former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told Newsmax.
Bolton said U.S. allies South Korea and Japan "are in jeopardy" and said the United States must take steps to protect them under treaty obligations.
The presidential order came after a flurry of recent provocations from Pyongyang.
In August, President Trump ominously warned the North Koreans that continued threats "will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen."
Soon after, North Korea answered Trump's warning by threatening a ballistic missile strike off the territory of Guam.
The president quickly responded, saying any attack against the U.S. would be met with a fierce response.
"Things will happen to them like they never thought possible," the president said, adding U.S. forces were "locked and loaded."
The situation appeared to be de-escalating when North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un announced he had met with his military commanders and they would not fire the missile at Guam.
In a threatening move Aug. 29, North Korea launched from their capital Pyongyang what they said was an "ultramodern rocket system" — an intermediate range missile. The missile flew over Japanese territory and landed in the Pacific.
"There is general consensus in the White House and the Pentagon that North Korea is quite close to the 'red zone' and that the U.S. must act soon or lose the upper hand," one official told Newsmax.
Bolton, who has advised the president informally on security matters, said the U.S. is being "driven in the direction of a preemptive strike because North Korea won't back down."
"We are close to the finish line," Bolton said, referring to Pyongyang's recent missile and nuclear developments. "It highlights how little time we have here."
Just days after North Korea's nuclear test detonation, Han Tae Song, the North Korean ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told a disarmament conference the U.S. could expect more "more gift packages."
If the U.S. military does act on President Trump's orders to shoot down a missile, this would be achieved through different U.S. anti-ballistic programs under the aegis of the Missile Defense Agency.
Among these programs are the 26-year-old Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, (THAAD), whose "hit to kill" interceptors are designed to shoot down an incoming missile through kinetic energy that explodes the missile on impact.
"It's called stopping a bullet with a bullet," one veteran intelligence expert told Newsmax.
The technology appears to be working.
In late August, a day after the North Korea missile flew over Japan, the U.S. Missile Agency conducted a test that successfully struck down a ballistic missile off the coast of Hawaii.
The White House press office and the Pentagon declined to comment on this report.
At Thursday's White House press conference held with the Emir of Kuwait, the president said while "military action would certainly be an option" in dealing with North Korea, he added "nothing's inevitable."
"I would prefer not going the route of the military," he said.
------------------- John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. Tags:President Trump, orders military, shoot down, North Korean missles,To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
In Alabama, a Republican runoff on the 26th pits controversial Judge Roy Moore, who gained national attention fighting to keep a Ten Commandments monument on court grounds, against U.S. Senator Luther Strange, appointed to the office by Governor Robert Bentley.*
The third place finisher was U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, who, while complimenting Judge Moore for running “a very honest campaign,” has declined to endorse either candidate. As for Strange, Brooks offered: “I want to congratulate the people who were behind him: Mitch McConnell, the Washington establishment, the K street lobbyists. They put together some very tough ads . . .”
McConnell has poured nearly $7 million from the Senate Leadership Fund into Strange’s campaign, giving the incumbent what the Birmingham News called “a staggering financial edge over Moore.”
And yet the paper’s report also noted that this “money advantage has not translated so far into votes.” A recent poll shows Judge Moore with a double-digit lead over Sen. Strange — 52 to 36 percent.
President Trump has also endorsed Strange, which with Trump’s popularity there is likely to help. Meanwhile, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows endorsed Moore, warning that McConnell, a fellow Republican, would flood the state with “millions of dollars in false advertising.”
GOP advertising in Georgia’s June special election bypassed the Democrat running to instead make Democrat House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi the face of opposition Democrats. It seemed to work.
Similarly, Roy Moore’s campaign may very well ignore Strange to make Sen. Mitch McConnell the face of the opposition Washington establishment.
Possible slogan: “The Washington establishment’s choice is Strange.”
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
* The governor was, at the time of the appointment, under investigation by Strange, then Alabama’s Attorney General.
------------------ Paul Jacobs is author of Common Sense which provides daily commentary about the issues impacting America and about the citizens who are doing something about them. He is also President of the Liberty Initiative Fund (LIFe) as well as Citizens in Charge Foundation. Jacobs is a contributing author on the ARRA News Service. Tags:Paul Jacob, Common Sense, Strange Money, strange money, U.S. House, Nancy Pelois, U.S. Senate, Mitch McConnellTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
by Kerby Anderson, Contributing Author: Members of Congress are debating fiscal issues, but unfortunately they often are debating the wrong issues. On the table are two issues: the debt limit debate and the tax reform debate. As important as they are, they pale in comparison to a bigger issue.
Justin Bogie and Chase Flowers say, “America is Heading Straight into Its Most Avoidable Crisis Ever.” In fact, they compare it to the familiar story of the sinking of the Titanic. The crew of the Titanic chose to ignore warnings of icebergs. Congress can fall into the same trap instead of avoiding a crisis that is preventable.
Already the federal debt has reached $20 trillion and is growing at an unsustainable rate. According to the long-term projections of the Congressional Budget Office, “the federal debt is projected to increase from $20 trillion to $92 trillion in the next 30 years.” The only areas of spending that are expected to increase as a percentage of GDP are Social Security, major health care programs, and interest on the debt. These are the three areas that will be driving the national debt.
What will be the impact? First, interest rates could rise sharply because creditors want more protection or because the government is attempting to sell more bonds than people are willing to buy at current rates. Second, these higher rates will mean that the cost of the federal debt will be greater. This will force the government to either tax more or borrow more. Third, this increased federal debt will restrict the government’s ability to use tax and spend policies to respond to a financial crisis or even an economic downturn.
Of course the younger generations in America are the ones who will bear the brunt of these dire economic trends. Unless members of Congress reduce spending and reign in entitlements, higher taxes and lower wages are what await these younger members of society in the future.
-------------- Kerby Anderson is a radio talk show host heard on numerous stations via the Point of View Network endorsed by Dr. Bill Smith, Editor, ARRA News Service Tags:debt crisis,Justin Bogie, Chase Flowers, Most Avoidable Crisis Ever, Kerby Anderson, Viewpoints, Point of ViewTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Al Franken Obstructs Judicial Nominee Because He’s ‘in the Mold’ of Thomas and Scalia
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn
by Tiffany Bates: Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., seems determined to block a judicial nominee from his home state.
On Tuesday, Franken announced his intent to obstruct Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Stras, the president’s nominee to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, by refusing to return Stras’ blue slip.
Why jam up the confirmation of a well-respected state jurist to the federal bench?
Franken lamented that “if confirmed … Justice Stras would be a deeply conservative jurist in the mold of Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia, justices who the nominee himself has identified as role models.”
That sounds like a ringing endorsement to anyone who cares about the proper role of judges.
With his statement, Franken has clearly signaled that he won’t let through any conservative nominee from Minnesota. This was somewhat surprising since, after a delay, other Democrats have returned their blue slips, letting nominees from Michigan and Indiana proceed.
Blue slips are blue sheets of paper that a nominee’s home state senators return to the Judiciary Committee, signaling approval of the nomination. The weight that blue slips receive has varied over time and today remains ambiguous.
If Democrats are going to abuse the procedure, perhaps it’s time Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, consider giving blue slips the pink slip—at least with respect to appellate nominees.
Just who is this nominee?
It came as no surprise when President Donald Trump tapped Stras for a seat on the 8th Circuit—he was one of 21 individuals on the list of judicial rock stars he used to fill the last Supreme Court vacancy.
A graduate of the University of Kansas School of Law, Stras clerked for Judge Melvin Brunetti on the 9th Circuit, Judge Michael Luttig on the 4th Circuit, and Thomas on the Supreme Court.
Stras has served on the Minnesota Supreme Court since 2010. He is believed to be the first Jewish justice to ever serve on that court.
Prior to his judicial service, he practiced law in Washington, D.C., and then was a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, where he taught constitutional law, federal courts, and criminal law, and was named teacher of the year.
Despite this broad support, the left has criticized Stras’ judicial record by claiming he would rule in favor of corporate interests over the “little guy.”
In one case, the Alliance for Justice, NAACP, and other leftist groups chided Stras for “clinging to what he claimed was the ‘plain and unambiguous language’ of the statute” in a case in which they simply did not like the outcome.
Franken also complained that Stras would “reliably rule in favor of powerful corporate interests over working people, and that he would place a high bar before plaintiffs seeking justice at work, at school, and at the ballot box.”
But this is the same tired shtick the left unsuccessfully trotted out against Justice Neil Gorsuch during his confirmation.
Stras has made his view of judging clear. While he may personally sympathize with certain parties before him, that does not affect his application of the law, and he recognizes he can’t change the law if he doesn’t like it.
In a dissent, Stras reproved his colleagues for changing a statute. He wrote, “It is well established that the judiciary does not write statutes; nor do we amend them, no matter the circumstances. … Amending statutes is, and always has been, the legislature’s job … ”
Former colleagues from Faegre Baker Daniels also put these concerns to rest. They wrote:While Justice Stras’s devotion to the law was on full display throughout his time with us, one thing that was not on display was politics or partisanship. We came to know Justice Stras not as a conservative or a Republican, but as an eminently talented lawyer who strove to discover what the law was, and how our clients could best function within the law. … [T]hose of us who have appeared before him since then in his role as justice have found the same person whom we got to know during his time with our firm: smart, rigorous, cordial, impartial, and committed to the law without politics or partisanship. Win or lose, we have never doubted for a minute that he reached his decisions based on his well-considered view of the law, and not personal, political, or ideological considerations.Additionally, 108 Minnesota lawyers, including 6 former Minnesota Supreme Court justices, added:Justice Stras has distinguished himself not only as a top-notch jurist, but as a judge who decides cases without regard to political affiliation or party lines. He has sided with both ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ justices during his tenure on the court, always in pursuit of applying the law as it comes to him, without ideology or favoritism.Franken ended his statement against Stras by calling on the president to “seek out judges who bridge the issues that divide us … ” But it is in fact Congress’ job to enact policies that bridge the nation’s divides, not judges.
The president should seek out judges who apply the law faithfully and without bias—judges just like Stras.
------------- Tiffany Bates (@TiffanyHBates) writes about the Supreme Court and constitutional law as a legal research associate in The Heritage Foundation’s Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies. Tags:Al Frankin, U.S. Senator, Minnisota, President Trump, nominee, Minnesota Supreme Court Justice, David Stras, Mold of Thomas and Scalia, Tiffany Bates, Heritage FoundationTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
If you believe the headlines, President Trump betrayed Republican leaders yesterday when he sided with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. This Washington Post headline says it all: "Trump Cuts Deal With Democrats, Confounding GOP Leaders."
What is going on behind the scenes is bigger than what you are seeing in the headlines.
The entire political establishment was shocked that Donald Trump "slayed" one Republican candidate after another last year to win the GOP nomination. He did so in no small measure because he was willing to take bold positions on issues including Islamic immigration, securing the borders and the globalist trade regime.
Those positions helped Trump win states that John McCain and Mitt Romney did not win like Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, thus accomplishing his first big conservative victory -- preventing Hillary Clinton from finishing Obama's transformation of America.
The Republican leadership in Congress for the first time in eight years finally had a president willing to sign a repeal of Obamacare, willing to secure the border and eager to cut taxes and spending. But so far the GOP leadership has delivered absolutely nothing on any of those issues.
That is a big reason why Congress' approval rating is 16%. Of course, the left hates the Congress because it is run by Republicans. But Republicans hate Congress because it isn't doing anything.
Now let me be clear: None of this is meant to be an attack on the many good conservatives in the House and Senate. The problem is that there are not enough of them. There are just enough squishy moderates to make everything very difficult. (That's why your support for CWF is so important -- so we can elect more conservatives!)
Worse, there is still deep resistance to making Donald Trump's winning platform the platform of the Republican Party.
I will leave it to your imagination to estimate how many members of the GOP establishment secretly wish that he were not president.
Having frequently interacted with the White House, I can tell you that the good folks there are beyond frustrated with the failure of their "friends" on Capitol Hill to unite in support of a conservative agenda.
What Happened - All that leads to yesterday's surprise compromise.
The GOP leadership wanted a long-term debt limit extension. They did not want Hurricane Harvey relief attached to it. They were hoping to extract some spending concessions in exchange for raising the debt limit.
Democrats wanted a much briefer debt limit extension, with the relief attached and, of course, no concessions on spending.
Congress is facing a number of urgent deadlines by the end of the month, and congressional leaders were offering all kinds of excuses for why they couldn't get to other important issues because there was so much on the calendar already.
No doubt the White House was not eager for a long, drawn-out fight in the middle of major natural disasters that would probably end with Ryan and McConnell cutting a deal anyway. (Talk about bad optics -- Washington partisan squabbling while people are suffering.)
So, President Trump shutdown the kabuki dance and accepted a 90-day deal with the Democrats.
I understand and sympathize with conservative groups unhappy about the deal. But I also know that Trump is trying to wake up the GOP leadership. If they had sent to his desk legislation repealing Obamacare, funding for border security and tax reform, it is unlikely Trump would have done this maneuver.
Congressional Republicans might not be happy now, but consider this: Donald Trump didn't come to Washington to continue business as usual. He's not playing partisan games. He ran to get things done. He just cleared the congressional calendar and bought them some time.
Time to plan a strategy for the next debt limit and government funding fight, as well as time to take up . . . tax reform and tax cuts!
Left-wing Hate - The evidence is growing by leaps and bounds that the radical left is partnering with Muslim and Palestinian organizations on university campuses. In what can only be described as obscene, these groups are now smearing pro-Israel students with charges of fascism and white supremacy.
Of course, the foundation for this disgusting smear was established when the progressive left and the U.N. attempted to turn Israel into apartheid South Africa, in spite of the overwhelming evidence that Israel is among the most diverse and tolerant societies in the Middle East.
The latest example of this troubling and dangerous development comes from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) organized a protest on campus this week. It was clear early on that the demonstration was going to take an ugly tone, so campus Jewish groups requested a larger police presence.
Prior to the event, SJP posted an incredibly bigoted statement on its Facebook page. Here is a brief excerpt:
"This opposition highlights the unholy union of American fascists, white supremacists, and Zionists which seeks to weaken and destroy intersectional movements for mass liberation. . . The police, at all levels, represent white supremacy and the preservation of a racist, classist, and sexist society. Increased levels of policing at events like this present a clear danger to black, brown, poor, and queer and trans members of our community. Such actions show that Zionist campus groups do not have a commitment to fighting for justice and have no problem siding with and introducing oppressive forces within radical spaces."Incredibly, UIUC officials have been silent on this disgusting display of anti-Semitism and hatred toward law enforcement. Governor Bruce Rauner (R) and Senators Richard Durbin (D) and Tammy Duckworth (D) should denounce this extremism now!
A Good Man Goes Home - Last week, Michael Cromartie went home to be with the Lord. I have known Michael for over three decades. As a young man, he was a "progressive pacifist" and a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. But his views evolved over the years.
Eventually, Michael joined Chuck Colson's Prison Fellowship Ministry. In 1985, he went to the Ethics and Public Policy Center where, he became vice president. In 2004, he was a Bush appointee to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
During his entire life, Michael promoted civil discourse and the obligation of Christians to be engaged in public life. He will be deeply missed. Michael is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and three children, Ethan, Eric and Heather.
------------------- Gary Bauer is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families Tags:What's Going On, Left-wing Hate, A Good Man Goes Home, Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working FamiliesTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Hillary: My Only Mistake Was Not Being Meaner And Nastier
Hillary Clinton
by Daniel Greenfield: If you're keeping track of What Happened, Hillary's hate letter to America, everyone else is to blame but her. And her only mistake was not being meaner and nastier in going after them.
If it hadn't been for Obama talking her down, she would have gone harder after Bernie Sanders. She should have gone harder after Trump. And after Comey. Clinton wrote that she wanted to “hit back hard” at Comey for calling her “extremely careless” for using a private email server as Secretary of State but that her campaign advised her against it, according to excerpts of the book published by The Daily Beast Wednesday.
“That might have blunted the political damage and made Comey think twice before breaking protocol again a few months later. My team raised concerns with that kind of confrontational approach.”
“In the end, we decided it would be better to just let it go and try to move on. Looking back, that was a mistake.”Here's Hillary admitting that she would have gone after the FBI director in order to intimidate him on her investigation. Obstruction of justice does cover intimidation of public officials. But we all know that's fine for progs. When they do it, it's social justice.
But also, if we believe Hillary, she wanted to spend the election going after a whole bunch of foes, but various people talked her out of it.
And now she's sitting in one of her mansions and stewing at all the hate she should have spewed when she had the chance.
And now she's written a book to do just that.
------------------ Daniel Greenfield is Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and a New York writer focusing on radical Islam. David Horowitz is a Contributing Author of the ARRA News Service Tags:Hillary Clinton, mistake, Daniel Greenfield, FrontPage Mag,To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Dept. of Education Will Finally Confront Campus 'Due Process' Crisis
by Daniel Burnett: a speech today at George Mason University, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos acknowledged that the department’s approach to enforcing Title IX, the law against sex discrimination in federally funded education programs, is fundamentally broken. Secretary DeVos announced the department will launch a public “notice-and-comment” process to “replace the current approach with a workable, effective, and fair system.”
Addressing widespread concerns about the fairness of current college sexual misconduct codes, the secretary noted that respect for due process is “the foundation of any system of justice that seeks a fair outcome,” and that codes must ensure “fair procedures that inspire trust and confidence.” With regard to the unilateral and opaque way that current federal mandates in this area were imposed, she further assured listeners that “the era of ‘rule by letter’ is over.”
The announcement is both timely and vitally important. A study released Tuesday by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education found that college students are routinely denied even the most basic elements of a fair hearing.
Eighty-five percent of America’s top universities receive a D or F grade for not consistently ensuring basic due process rights. For example, a shocking 74 percent of America’s top universities do not even explicitly guarantee accused students the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Fewer than half always require that fact-finders (the equivalent of the judge or jury) in campus hearings be impartial. And at more than half of top universities, students have even fewer due process protections in cases involving sexual misconduct than in cases that don’t.
“Colleges did not simply ‘forget’ obvious principles of fairness like impartiality, the presumption of innocence, and the right to confront one’s accuser: They were reacting to government policy that made it clear that sticking to these principles was a ticket to interminable and intrusive federal investigations,” said FIRE Executive Director Robert Shibley.
On April 4, 2011, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights kicked off an effort to fundamentally change Title IX enforcement by surprising colleges with a “Dear Colleague” letter curtailing due process in college sexual misconduct hearings. Among other things, that letter mandated that schools use the low “preponderance of the evidence” (50.01 percent certainty) standard when determining whether students had committed sexual harassment or assault.
“Six and a half years of this failed policy have left us with a system that victims still don’t trust and that the accused have every reason to believe is stacked against them,” said Shibley. “It’s time to rescind the ‘Dear Colleague’ letter and replace it through the lawful regulatory process so that everyone can have a say."
The government’s follow-up efforts only compounded the problem, including repeated attempts to mandate unconstitutional campus speech codes beginning with a settlement with the University of Montana that the office referred to as a “blueprint for colleges and universities throughout the country.” Secretary DeVos signaled that this would likely change, remarking that “harassment codes which trample speech rights derail the primary mission of a school to pursue truth.”
Campuses responded to the years of federal pressure by creating unjust systems that, predictably, produced unjust results for students:
A Stanford University student was suspended for two years for intoxicated (not incapacitated) sex when the university changed the standard of evidence in the middle of his case.
A federal judge rebuked Brandeis University for holding “what was essentially an inquisitorial proceeding” when it found a student guilty of sexual assault for “offenses” including waking up his then-boyfriend by kissing him and staring at his body in the communal bathroom.
A female student at the University of Oregon was hit with five conduct charges for a four-word joke.
Howard University School of Law Professor Reginald Robinson was found guilty of harassment for a law school test question about a Brazilian wax.
Indeed, since April 4, 2011, students have filed more than 180 lawsuits against colleges for allegedly conducting unfair disciplinary procedures. FIRE is also sponsoring an ongoing court challenge to the Dear Colleague letter’s mandate.
“The last six and a half years represent an enormous missed opportunity to help colleges and universities address campus sexual misconduct in a way that would serve the needs of victims while respecting everyone’s fundamental rights,” said Shibley. “Instead, the Office for Civil Rights sent the message that due process is an impediment to justice, ignoring repeated and painful historical lessons to the contrary. Today’s speech is reason for great optimism that the important issue of campus sexual assault will finally get the fair and open consideration it deserves.”
----------------- Daniel Burnett is the Communications Manager for The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending liberty, freedom of speech, due process, academic freedom, legal equality, and freedom of conscience on America’s college campuses. Tags:Dept. of Education, DOE, Confront Campus 'Due Process' Crisis, Daniel Burnett, The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, FIRETo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
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