Is ADE Article Government Propaganda?

Ken James, State Department of Education Commissioner, in a Democrat Gazette guest editorial (9/10/06), said, "Never in this state have we been able to boast the academic progress we?ve experienced in the last few years. To be able to do so in such a short time is nothing short of amazing." In response, to the article, Women's Prayer & ActionGroup asks if the editorial qualify as "government propaganda" and identify some not so amazing facts about Arkansas Education:

Test Scores are 11 Percentile Points lower than in 1990 (a 22% decrease)

College Remediation Rate is 51.6% (46.6% in 1995); National Average is 33%

Only Nine States Scored Lower Than Arkansas in 8th Grade Math on NAEP Test

US Dept of Educations says Arkansas Benchmark Tests May Be Too Easy

Only 28% of AR students pass test on AP courses, while 59.4% pass nationwide

Fordham Foundation Gives Arkansas an F on Standards

National Report Card on Higher Ed. Gave Arkansas a D+ In High School Preparation for College.

Educational Reforms Have Cost $1.4 BILLION which equals a 3% sales tax in AR Read More...

Nancy Pelosi wants to be President

The Speaker of the House is first in succession, after the Vice President to become President of the United States. Make no mistake about it - if Nancy Pelosi becomes Speaker of the House she will work to impeach the President. Mrs. Pelosi does not want Hillary Clinton to become the first woman President - she wants that title for herself. Nancy Pelosi has told The Washington Post the first thing her party would do if it won control of the House would be "to launch a series of investigations, including the run-up to the war. She has said that impeachment was not on the agenda, but added: "You never know where it leads to."

Sound scary -- it is! How can you help stop Pelosi? You could support her opponent Mike DeNunzio. But, the BEST way is to get out and work to elect the Republican candidate for your U.S. Congress: 1st District Stubby Stumbaugh, 2nd District Andy Mayberry, 3rd District Congressman John Boozman & 4th District Joe Ross.

Vic Snyder hard core protection for illegal aliens

Vic Snyder continues to demostrate that he is hard core in supporting protection of illegal aliens. The proof is in his actions. His votes demostrate his support of illegal immigration. While our three other congressmen (2 democrates & 1 republican) voted yes, Snyder is the ONLY Arkansas US Congressman to vote NO on the following three bills to reduce illegal aliens:
H.R. 6094 ... Passed 328-95 Community Protection Act of 2006. Who Voted Provides for the detention of dangerous aliens, the removal of deportable criminal aliens, and the inadmissibility and deportability of aliens participating in street gang activity.
H.R. 6095 ... Passed 277-140 Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 Who Voted Reaffirms the inherent authority of state and local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws. Hopefully, a strong symbol to all the local governments around the country who just now are flexing their enforcement muscles to try to break up illegal populations in their communities.
H.R. 6061 ... Passed 283-138 the Secure Fence Act of 2006 Who Voted Called for a double-layered fence to protect about a third of the long and porous border. Reported on previously

Snyder like all other Members of Congress did not want to face the voters this fall and explain why they wanted to protect the tunnels, so he did vote yes on H.R. 4830 ... Passed 422-0 The Tunnel Bill Who Voted Creates explicit penalties for construction and/or use of a border tunnel because there have not been explicit laws against digging networks of tunnels under our borders -- this bill was overdue.

Million Calls To Be Made

State GOP director says that Arkansas Republicans plan to make one million phone calls in the next 50 days to carry the GOP team to victory in this Morning News of NWA story. Read More

Prayer at the Pole Sept. 27 '06

Before classes begin on Wednesday, Sept. 27, students will join with hundreds of thousands around the nation to pray around the flagpoles and elsewhere on their campuses. The annual "See You At The Pole" is not a demonstration or political rally - it is an observance featuring student-led prayer for the nation, as well as for local needs. More Info

UN Tax - Dangerous Precedent

Too often, voters in an election year wait to be asked by candidates for Congress for support. It should be the voters who put the candidates on the spot.

In 2004, 115 countries supported a resolution before the United Nations General Assembly to study international taxes to finance development. France has already has instituted an international tax on air travel and nine other countries have expressed similar interest. Propenents for the tax contends the United States is a leading opponent of international taxation and that the US position is a disgrace. However, what UN tax supporters see as a "good idea" is really about picking the pockets of American taxpayers and those of many other countries ? to finance the grand schemes of UN officials. Read the Article by Paul Weyrick 9/20/06 [How would your Congressman vote on a UN Tax?]

US House Passes Bill to Make Voters Show ID

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House voted (228-196) on a new photo ID plan Wednesday to require Americans to show proof of citizenship in order to vote HR4844 , and the Senate moved to build a 700-mile fence along the Mexican border as Republicans sharpened attacks on illegal immigration before the midterm elections.... Read More [Update: Review of vote showed that that all three Arkansas Democrat congressman (Berry, Ross & Snyder) voted against voters showing ID to vote in Federal Elections - the very same type law that we have in Arkansas. Where are their concerns for protecting the vote rights of registered US citizen voters? Do they need the fraudulent votes by pretenders, dead people, felons, and illegal immigrants to keep them in office?]

Halter, Holt clashed on immigration, schools, wages

LITTLE ROCK, AR - In their first debate (9/18/06) , Republican State Senator Jim Holt and Democrat Bill Halter, the statewide candidates for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas, met at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. Halter and Holt clashed on illegal immigration, prekindergarten classes in public schools and the state's minimum wage. Holt stood firm that marriage should be between a man and woman and that the state shouldn't allow gays to be foster parents. When pressed by Holt on the issue of adoptions by gays, Halter answered "yes" that he favors gays being able to adopt children.

Halter argued that prekindergarten classes and better education overall had a direct effect on wages, that wages are tied directly to the skill of the people earning them. Holt identified that businesses capable of hiring the higher-skilled workers do not come to the state because Arkansas' high taxes give it one of the worst business climates in the nation and that spending another $40 million for more prekindergarten classes adds another burden on the people of Arkansas. Asked if illegal immigrants who have jobs should be allowed to stay in the United States, Holt said no: "Either we are a nation of laws or we are not. What about the other employees of this state, who can't get a high-paying job because illegal immigrants drive down wages?" . Holt supported the majority opinion of Arkansans and was a major legislative opponent of a scholarship program for illegal aliens in Arkansas. Halter and Holt are scheduled to debate again in October. The debate will be aired October 12 on the Arkansas Educational Telecommunications Network.

I.R.S. Eyes Religious Groups as More Enter Election Fray

With midterm elections less than two months away, Christian conservatives are enlisting churches in eight battleground states to register voters, gather crowds for rallies and distribute voters' guides comparing the candidates' stands on issues that conservatives consider "family values." However, this year, the religious conservatives are facing resistance from newly invigorated religious liberals and moderates who are creating their own voters' guides and are organizing events designed to challenge the conservatives' definition of "values. Religious flanks are looking nervously over their shoulders at the Internal Revenue Service, which this year announced a renewed effort to enforce laws that limit churches and charities from involvement in partisan political campaigns. Read More ...

1st AR Gubernatorial Debate Video

KAIT/Ch. 8 in Jonesboro has the video from the debate posted on their website. Thoughts on the debate:
1) The debate makes it clear that only Asa Hutchinson is committed to cutting taxes, especially eliminating the sales tax on groceries. In 20 years in the Arkansas Senate, Mike Beebe voted for billions of dollars in tax hikes and never made killing the grocery tax a priority. Asa has a strong tax-cutting record!
2) Asa is the only candidate with a plan to fight illegal immigration by training state police to enforce immigration laws and cracking down on hiring of illegal workers. Mike Beebe has no plan for fighting illegal immigration ast shown by his response in the debate.
3) When questioned on his past failure to lead the way in killing the grocery tax, Beebe lashes out at Asa by attacking him for not being around to vote on the issue in 2002. Well, yes, at that time Asa was serving as head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, leading the nation?s fight against illegal drugs. Beebe?s angry response gives a clear glimpse of how he handles pressure and challenges to his thinking ? and it highlights the stature gap between the two candidates.
Watch the whole exchange at www.kait8.com and form your own opinions.

Nun Shot by Islamic Gunmen Forgave Her Killers on Deathbed

NAIROBI, Kenya - A nun shot four times at the Somali hospital where she worked forgave her killers as she lay dying, colleagues said Monday in the wake of her slaying, which has focused attention on Islamic radicalism in the Horn of Africa. Read More

Beebe: Conflict of Interest on Predatory Payday Lenders

Asa Hutchinson says that Attorney General Mike Beebe has a conflict of interest in taking campaign money from predatory lending companies while showing little appetite for shutting down the abusive practice. Beebe has taken no action for all of his years as Attorney General ? until an election year. Meanwhile, he?s taking campaign contributions from these same predatory lenders. (A familiar pattern?) Asa has called for repeal of Check Cashers Law that opened door for predatory lending. Read More

Media Gatekeepers

Columnist Mike Masterson wonders why Democratic candidates are sidestepping questions about the party?s decision to remove from their party platform the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman. He also chides his fellow journalists for refusing to write about this decision by the Democratic Party. Read More

Is This What They Mean By 'Muslim Tolerance?'

If we bow to this manufactured, hypocritical fury, then we will already have lost one of the most important battles to face us. Listen to direct quotations from the Koran: "Make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites and deal rigorously with them. Hell shall be their home: an evil fate." "Believers, take neither the Jews nor the Christians for your friends." Then there is the instruction to fight against those who are not of the true faith "until they pay tribute out of hand and are utterly subdued." Read More

Are you ready for some voting?

"Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual...but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country." Samuel Adams. If voters expect their government officials to maintain a standard of morality and values, then it is the duty of those voters to vote for like-minded candidates of the same worldview. Questions you might ask concerning candidates of choice: Read Insightful Comments

Wake Up America!

ARRA Editor's Pick of the Week: Visit Wake up America . If you have high speed - watch the intro flash movie. One inside the website, you will find lots of interesting links and short patriotic and public issue items and movies to review. Read More

Political Correctness Affecting U.S. Winning A War

Bill Cosby once did a comedy routine wherein he described the "rules" of the American Revolution. Intoning, as would a referee, Cosby announced that the British had to fight in the open, wearing bright red uniforms, that they must march in straight lines and could fire their muskets only when the order was given. Meanwhile, the colonists could wear clothing that blended into the landscape, could hide behind rocks and trees and could fire at will.
Unfortunately, American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan find themselves in a decidedly unfunny situation that is eerily similar to the comedic description Cosby gave us all those years ago. Read More

'Radical Christianity' as Threatening as Radical Islam?

Stupid comment of the week: Now, as a co-host member of Barbara Walters' chat show "The View," Rosie O'Donnell has a new forum to spew her left wing rants, and hopefully viewers will send her back to the unemployment line. In a discussion of the events of Sept 11, 2001, O'Donnell told a nationwide audience this week that "radical Christians" are the same as radical Muslims who piloted hijacked jetliners into New York's Twin Towers, who chop off the heads of individuals and who bomb innocent children in suicide attacks.

"Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America where we have separation of church and state," O'Donnell said. She had been saying that America was attacked "not by a nation." She continued: "And as a result of the attack and the killing of 3,000 innocent people, we invaded two countries and killed innocent people." Even her liberal co-hosts were shocked by her comments. Co-host Joy Behar protested that Christians are not trying to impose mass murder on America. "This group (radical Muslims) is threatening to kill us." Replied O'Donnell: "No, but we are bombing innocent people in other countries. True or false?" O'Donnell was saying there is no difference between the radical Muslims who kill in the name of Allah and Bible-believing Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus.
Neither O'Donnell nor ABC apologized for the comments. Read More