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)
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Twelve Students Suspended for Praying Before School
Lawsuit threatened after Washington state high school kids punished for praying on their own time.
by Wendy Cloyd, CitizenLink: The non-profit legal group Liberty Counsel is asking Heritage High School officials, Vancouver, Wash., located on the state’s southern border, to reverse their suspension of 12 Christian students for meeting in the cafeteria during non-instructional time to pray. After a Satanist student approached school administrators to complain about the prayer group, Vice Principal Alex Otoupal told the Christians they could no longer meet.
Mat Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel, said the students might not have been punished if they had met for just about any other reason. "These are students who, if they wanted to gather together and talk about American Idol or talk about whatever subject they wanted to and [there would be] no problem," Staver said. "But in this case they were told not to gather anymore -- ever -- because they wanted to gather together and pray." What the school did is clearly and blatantly illegal . . . . [Read More] Tags:education, prayer, religious freedom, schoolTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Huckabee Joins Five Other Candidates Signing the Presidential Taxpayer Protection Pledge
Gov. Huckabee joined Gov. Mitt Romney, U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, Rep. Duncan Hunter, Gov. Jim Gilmore, and Rep. Tom Tancredo as other presidential candidates to sign the Presidential Tax Pledge for the 2008 Presidential Campaign. Huckabee officially delivered a signed Presidential Taxpayer Protection Pledge to Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) President Grover Norquist during ATR's "Wednesday Meeting" in Washington, D.C. this morning.
The Pledge binds signers to “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates." ATR has offered the Pledge to all candidates for federal office since 1987. Every Republican nominee for President since 1988 has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. To date, President George W. Bush, 43 U.S. Senators, and 196 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed the Pledge. Seven Governors and over 1,100 state legislators have signed the Pledge as well. Copies of the Pledge are available at Americans for Tax Reform[Read More] Tags:Duncan Hunter, GOP, Jim Gilmore, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, presidential candidate, Republican, Sam Brownback, tax pledge, Tom Tancredo, Election 2008
HB2120 - Voter ID Act - was deferred my a majority vote in the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs. The bill would have required voters to show photo ID issued by the Arkansas or US government at the polls. The deferment may be the death for this bill if it is not taken up and reconsidered. Current state law requires poll workers to ask voters to provide identification. However, a voter may bring an electric bill, phone bill or other type bill to prove who they are to vote. Voters may show a voter registration card which offers no picture or signature. It can be printed on a home computer. Voters may show their business id badges as proof even though these again may be forged or invalid. Voters can still cast a ballot even if they do not provide identification.
Loop holes to fraudulent voting need to be stopped especially with 11 to 20 million illegal immigrants (aliens) living in the U.S. The Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D. C., a nonpartisan research organization, estimates that 40, 000 illegal aliens of different ethnic backgrounds lived in Arkansas in 2004. Also past historical experiences of dead people and others voting improperly, evidences it is time for proper identification. Some fear that the Federal Court would override such legislation. Regardless, our legislators must take "right actions" to protect the registered voters by assuring they are the only ones voting on election day. Every vote by legally registered voter who can be properly identified at the polls should count! Contact your Representativesand let's get HB2120 to the House for a full discussion and vote on this issue. Tags:Arkansas, illegal immigrants, voter fraud, voter id, voting
U.S. House may act within weeks to restrict "grassroots lobbying" and right to communicate with federal officials
National Right to Life: The U.S. House of Representatives may act within weeks on legislation that would restrict so-called "grassroots lobbying," and also on legislation that would restrict the right of private citizens to communicate with officials of the federal Executive Branch. Please communicate immediately with your representative in the U.S. House in opposition to restrictions on "grassroots lobbying" and in opposition to the Waxman-Davis "Executive Branch Reform Act" (H.R. 984). For essential details on what is happening, and to access easy-to-use tools to transmit appropriate e-mails and phone calls on these bills, go to the NRLC Legislative Action Center here . . . [Click for more] Contact your senators!Contact your representatives! Tags:congress, free speech, grassroots, lobbying
Hillary Clinton delivers private pro-'gay marriage' speech to homosexual activists
OneNewsNow.com: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) that she intends to make sure "nothing stands in the way of loving couples, gay or straight, who want to adopt children." Peter LaBarbera, a conservative activist known for his staunch opposition to the homosexual agenda, says even he was surprised by what the New York senator and presidential hopeful had to say while addressing America's most powerful and well-funded homosexual activist group.During her address to HRC, Clinton also reaffirmed her support for homosexual civil unions by announcing her co-sponsorship of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act, which would grant the same benefits to homosexual partners of federal workers as those given to legal spouses . . . [Click for more] Tags:Election 2008, Hillary Clinton, homosexual activism, presidential candidateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
A Payback for Nearly $400,000 in Campaign Contributions
NRSC: “Senator Pryor had a chance to choose between our nation’s security and big money campaign contributors. He chose money over Arkansas’ security,” said Rebecca Fisher, NRSC Communications Director.
Union Bosses Payback vs. Nation’s Security: Democrats vote weaken national security in order to pay big labor back for Election Day win: “It's getting to be a full-time job keeping track of the favors that Democrats in Congress are doing for Big Labor. . . Democrats also keep trying to impose collective bargaining rights for all 43,000 screeners at the Transportation Security Administration. Congress expressly denied such organizing ability when it created TSA in 2001, on the sensible grounds that union work rules would compromise security.” (“Unions vs. Security,” Editorial, Wall Street Journal, 3/6/07)
Pryor has taken in almost $400,000 in contributions from big labor: Total PAC contributions from organized labor: $374,460 (Center for Responsive Politics website, www.opensecrets.org, Accessed 2/28/07) [Read More] Tags:Homeland Security, Mark Pryor, unions
World has more oil than far left environmentalists admit
Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: Far-left environmentalists claim that the World Oil reserves are running out. However, reported new discoveries, advanced technology and untapped oil reserves (save the caribou program) prove they are again expressing fiction. In a left leaning biased New York Times article the truth "gushes out. the article, Oil Innovations Pump New Life Into Old Wells, revealed that "engineers here started injecting high-pressured steam to pump out more oil. The field, whose production had slumped to 10,000 barrels a day in the 1960s, now has a daily output of 85,000 barrels. In Indonesia, Chevron has applied the same technology to the giant Duri oil field, discovered in 1941, boosting production there to more than 200,000 barrels a day, up from 65,000 barrels in the mid-1980s. ... Within the last decade, technology advances have made it possible to unlock more oil from old fields, and, at the same time, higher oil prices have made it economical for companies to go after reserves that are harder to reach. With plenty of oil still left in familiar locations, forecasts that the world’s reserves are drying out have given way to predictions that more oil can be found than ever before." And this technology can be applied to American oil fileds when the extraction of oil slows down in the Arab oil fields (figure at right).
"The four giant oil fields ... located under thousands of feet of water off the coast of Louisiana, are just beginning to pump their first barrels. At their peak rates later in the decade, they'll produce some 500,000 bbl. per day, an amount akin to floating a small Middle Eastern country such as Syria or Yemen into the Gulf of Mexico. "Add them together, and it's a massive step change," says David Eyton, BP's vice-president for deepwater in the Gulf. "The investment we're making will more than offset declines we're seeing in Alaska and the Continental Shelf."
And we have not even detailed the oil fields where the left-wing don't want us to drill. Well excuse us and get out of the way!
Arkansas' US Senator Mark Pryor Details Programs to Protect Families [Video]
Arkansas U.S. Senator Mark Pryor (March Newsletter): "Government can and should be a better partner when it comes to standing up for families. That’s why, over the past few weeks, I’ve introduced several initiatives designed to empower parents and consumers."
Protecting Kids from Indecency on TV: The Child Safe Viewing Act will requires the Federal Communications Commission to provide parents with more effective technology to filter inappropriate material on television. There is a new generation of options available that are so advanced they can filter inappropriate scenes and language, even when they are live.
Cleaning Up the Internet: For too long, government has turned a blind eye to online pornography, which has allowed this industry to expand. I wish the solution to protecting kids on the Internet was as easy as shutting every one of these sites down, but it’s not. In the next few weeks, I plan to introduce the Cyber Safety for Kids Act as part of a multifaceted approach to combating online pornography. The bill will require adult sites to provide secure log-ins requiring age identification, clean home pages and the ability to be blocked through filtering technology.
Preventing Identity Theft: The Consumer Identity Protection and Security Act to allow consumers to place a “security freeze” on their financial information. This option offers the single, most effective solution to help consumers protect themselves from becoming an identity theft victim.
Protecting Phone Records: The Consumer Phone Record Security Act bans any person from obtaining another person’s private phone information, requires phone service providers to better protect customer information and it creates strong enforcement mechanisms.
Keeping the Peace: The Do-Not-Call Reauthorization Act that would allow the FTC to continue to collect fees from telemarketing companies to operate the registry. The national Do-Not-Call Registry is set to expire this year.
Editorial Note: Although the ARRA does not promote Democrats, it will identify info from elected officials regardless of party that highlights their actions to seek to promote or to protect traditional families. Readers can then follow the proposed actions. We commend Senator Pryor in introducing the above legislation. Tags:Arkansas, Mark Pryor, Senator, video
Watch Live the Gingrich, Cuomo, Russert - A Lincoln Debate
We previously announced the special 90 minute debate that was held at Cooper Union on Feb. 28th. It was between Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the U.S. House of Rep. and U.S. Representative for Georgia for 20 years, and Mario M. Cuomo, former governor of New York). The moderator was "Meet the Press" Tim Russert. If you missed the exceptionally formatted debate you can watch it now right on your computer (of course free): Click to Watch Tags:Cooper Union, Mario Cuomo, Newt Gingrich, Tim Russert
Conservatives Blast Federal Response to Illegal Immigration
CNSNews.com: As Congress considers how to deal with the illegal immigration issue, conservatives on Saturday discussed how they are handling the debate within their own movement. "Powerful business interest want cheap labor and they found a loophole -- not in the law, but in the federal government's lack of enforcement," Rep. Steve King (R-IA) said during a forum on immigration at the Conservative Political Action Conference." Cheap labor is a commodity. If you flood the market with any commodity, it will drive wages down. For unskilled American workers, their purchasing power is down." The problem extends far beyond economics, according to Georgia State Sen. Nancy Schaeffer, a Republican, who said the violent crimes in her state, including murders and sex crimes, were committed disproportionately by illegal immigrants. . . . [Click for more] Tags:conservative, CPAC, 2007, illegal immigrationTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
A recent comment by a reader caused us to reflect that even though we address serious issues to our state and the nation, it is is good to laugh. Regardless of their political affiliation or belief system, cartoonists are able through humor to cause each of use to reflect on what is the realty of a situation. One such artist is Wiley Miller who said that he has but one simple goal: "Produce the funniest, best-drawn cartoon possible, regardless of theme, subject matter or setting." He does Non Sequitur, which is his wry look at the absurdities of everyday life. It is read by fans of all ages, and syndicated to more than 700 newspapers.
Although Wiley Miller did not post his March 6th comic in response to the CPAC 2007 convention, it is appropriate considering the comments expressed by many over various potential candidates in both major parties. Visit "The Non Sequitur Homepage." Tags:political humor, Wiley MillerTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
HB2120, "An Act to Require that a Voter provide Proof of identity When Voting," is scheduled to be heard Mar 7th by the Arkansas House State Agencies & Gov't Affairs Committee. The bill was proposed by Rep. Jon Woods (Dist. 98). It is a sets forth a requirement that most Arkansans thought existed but does not exits - proof that a voter is who they say they are when voting. Even airports now require that minimum requirement before boarding a plane.
The bill sets for that a voter be required to present a government issued photo identification card before receiving a ballot. You may ask why is this law needed. Currently, a voter may bring an electric bill, phone bill or other type bill to prove who they are to vote. Voters may show a voter registration card which offers no picture or signature. It can be printed on a home computer. Voters may show their business id badges as proof even though these again may be forged or invalid. These loop holes to fraudulent voting need to be stopped especially with 11 to 20 million illegal aliens living in the U.S. In Arkansas, there is historical evidence of dead people voting and others voting for their spouse and others. It is time for every voter to show a government identification which may be a drivers license or Arkansas DMV id card, military ID card, government passport, etc.
Note that even if this bill passes and the voter does not show the required id, they will not be denied the right to vote. In these situations, voters who can’t show identification will vote by provisional ballot and have six days to show proof of identity. Our goal is to make sure every registered voter gets a vote, but only one vote. Our right to vote is diminished and diluted by voter fraud and this legislation will help stifle fraudulent balloting. Take Action: Contact your State Representatives & Senators to support this bill. Tags:Arkansas, voter id, voting
Democrat House Leadership Assault to Begin on Grassroots Activists [Video]
by TVC: The House began hearing debate on S. 1, the “Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007 including consideration of grassroots lobby reform legislation. While Section 220 was stripped on the Senate floor, it appears that the Democrat House leadership will include similar language in the House lobby reform package. Section 220 would have imposed strict and complicated reporting requirements on non-profits and provide both civil and criminal penalties for failures to report on time or making mistakes in reporting! Section 220 would have created a fearful situation that would have discouraged many smaller grassroots lobbying groups from communicating with Members of Congress and other leaders in the federal government. Free speech would be stifled because of the chilling effect on grassroots activism! There is strong opposition from both liberals and conservatives to legislation that regulates grassroots lobbying, and specifically to Section 220-type language.
This grassroots lobbying provision is an assault on the First Amendment’s right of free speech and of the right of Americans to petition their government for a redress of grievances. It will stifle the ability of grassroots groups to communicate with their members and create a climate of fear over the draconian and unneeded reporting requirements. TAKE ACTION: Contact your U.S. Representative at 202-224-3121 and urge them to oppose any attempts to regulate grassroots lobbying through unconstitutional provisions which subvert free speech and the right of all Americans to freely petition their government.[Read More] Tags:First Amendment, free speech, grassroots, Tradional Family Values Coalition, videoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Richard Engle, President NFRA (3/3/07): On Friday Rudy Giuliani told the Conservative Political Action Conference that America is a nation not made of a single ethnic group. He said a lot of other things, many of them good, but this one stuck out.
The upcoming election presents an unprecedented number of non-WASP candidates for President. The statement by the Mayor appears to be indisputably true, on the surface. I would challenge the premise. Not so much because it is in error but because it ought to be errant. An ethnic group is something very specific. The word “ethnic” comes from the Greek word (roughly transliterated, as Greek uses a distinct alphabet) “ethnos” which means “nation." Is America a single ethnic? A single nation?
My intent is not to take issue with the former Mayor of New York. If it were then I would certainly go after him on a far less trivial matter. In fact, I merely utilize his comment as an opportunity to discuss the premise that America should become one ethnic group, one nation in every way. So many discuss the idea that America is a nation of immigrants, but it isn’t. It is a nation of descendents of immigrants. Eventually those descendents must abandon their hyphens and look at themselves as Americans first, foremost and only as Americans. Without casting aside our individuality and the heritage of our own ancestors we can become one “ethnos.” We can, and we should.
How do we do so? Abandon all remnants of racism, all official and institutional recognitions of race. We must insist that black, white, Hispanic, aboriginal, oriental and any other generalized reference to some apparent percentage of a person’s ancestry be unimportant. No government or institutional form should ever even ask people to identify themselves by race. We also should promote in every societal mechanism the premise that citizens of the United States are Americans. Tags:American Ethnic, National Federation of Republican Assemblies, NFRA, Richard Engle To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Arkansas Wetlands Mitigation Bank Act, HB1671, is on the Senate agenda
Arkansas Wetlands Mitigation Bank Act, HB1671 proposed by Lindsley Smith (D-Fayetteville ), who may be the most liberal legislator in Little Rock, has passed the Arkansas House and is being considered by Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development. As an aside, it is interesting to note that as a first term legislator, Ms. Smith has introduced a significant number of liberal bills. It also seems that busy house members did not address the issue of protecting the interests of Arkansas land owners. Various Arkansas conservative groups and land owners oppose HB1671 because they note that the Act "is too broad of an expansion of power for the Director of the Natural Resources Commission without sufficient oversight and includes all aquatic resources ."
Several emails received have expressed, "It is one of those bills that is worded so subtly that in a court of law it could be interpreted to mean a number of things and has to do with our preserving our property rights. It could endanger everyone's property rights in some form or other. " People should contact the Senate Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee members and their State senator to express their concerns in regard to amending the bill or defeating the bill so that it can be properly written to address protecting the land owners in the future. There is no need to rush passage of this bill! Tags:Arkansas, property rights, wetlands
FoxNews: America's conservatives are mad and they're not going to take it anymore. That was the message the movement's leaders delivered throughout the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. last week. One after another, conservatives told FOXNews.com that they are angry, irritated, frustrated and in some cases depressed. And the target of their angst and ire is none other than the Republican Party, which wants and needs their support to win the 2008 presidential election and avoid losing more seats in the Senate and House next election. ... [Read More]
The Arkansas Republican Assembly (ARRA): Women's History Month is a tribute to women who have contributed to the greatness of American culture, a time to remember the significant role so many have had in promoting the rights and virtues of womanhood.
It is not possible to overstate the importance of the many courageous women who have prayed, struggled, and fought for their families and for their communities; who have stood up to the hypocrisies and fallacies of radical feminism and have refused to allow a small, noisy group of women speak for the majority of other women. We can thank God for the women who have loved, protected, and nurtured their babies; and have raised their voices in protest against the slaughter of millions of unborn babies.
While some women have made the world worse according to Kate O'Beirne in her book, Women Who Make the World Worse, there are others like Abigail Adamswho had both the ear and heart of her husband and provided insights on the formation of our government while advocating for the right of women to participate in that government. Another was Susan B. Anthony who worked for the emancipation of the slaves, fought for women's rights to vote and to own property, was a strong voice for the sanctity of life, and a fierce opponent of abortion. Today, women like Phyllis Schlafly ofEagle Forum and Beverly La Haye of Concerned Women of America are helping to give the majority of women a voice in upholding and defending traditional values such as the importance of a traditional family, that every child needs a nurturing mother, that men and women are different, that mothers cannot be fathers and fathers cannot be mothers, that most working women do prefer to stay at home and that it is alright to do so, that a woman does not have to be a man in order to be fulfilled in life. Thank you to all the women who have trained the next generation to cherish God, family, and country. Tags:Abigal Adams, Arkansas Republican Assembly, Beverly La Haye, Black History Month, Concerned Women for America, Eagle Forum, Katie O'Brien, Phyllis Schlafly, Susan B. AnthonyTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Bobby Eberle: The debate over so-called “immigration reform” is beginning to heat up again in the U.S. Senate. However, rather that putting issues on the table for discussion, the leading pro-amnesty senators, such as Ted Kennedy and John McCain, are working on the bill behind closed doors. This action has not only angered other senators but sends up a huge red flag on what will be contained in the bill. [Read More] See also (added 3/6/07): Close the Immigration Vault with Employer Enforcement Senate Democrats preparing push for illegal alien amnestyTags:amnesty, illegal immigration, John Mccain, presidential candidate, Ted KennedyTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Peter Smith, The Courier-Journal: For three decades, Joseph Trafton has been studying artifacts like the Dead Sea Scrolls, and he keeps up on what has been dug up in the Holy Land. So the Western Kentucky University professor was amazed at this week's breathless news reports on something scholars had known about for years -- a tomb near Jerusalem containing burial boxes engraved with names that appear to include Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
The uproar stems from a new documentary, "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," which airs on the Discovery Channel -- and makes claims that challenge the traditional Christian belief in the Resurrection. But Trafton notes that most archaeologists have largely rejected the claims. The names Jesus, Joseph and Mary were common among ancient Jews, for example, and finding them in an ancient tomb is like going to Cave Hill Cemetery and seeing names like "John" and "Smith," said Joel Drinkard, professor of Old Testament, Hebrew and archaeology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. ... When the tomb was first discovered years ago, he said, it "may have gotten a brief notice in one of the journals somewhere, but no more attention until someone comes along and says, 'Here's a way I can sensationalize it.' I don't think it's accidental it comes just as we're leading up to Easter." [Read More] See Also:The fruit of thy tomb Rebuttal to the Claims of the Lost Tomb of Jesus Tags:Christianity, Discovery Channel, James Cameron, Lost Tomb, Jesus Christ
'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Telling of Congressional Priorities
Tony Perkins, Family Research Center:You may not have asked, but I'll tell you any way. Wednesday, Rep. Marty Meehan (D-MA) reintroduced legislation that would not only repeal the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy but also the 200-year-old law that bans homosexuals from openly serving in the military. Citing opinion polls, Meehan says the general support for his bill is growing.
However, what matters in this case is not what the latest poll says, but what's best for our military and the men and women who serve. The same study that found higher civilian backing for the repeal also showed overwhelming opposition to change among our servicemen. Only 26 percent of soldiers support a move to allow gays to serve openly. With the demands on the Armed Services, Meehan estimates that over 40,000 homosexuals would join the military if the ban is lifted.What he doesn't address are the tens of thousands who would not join or who would leave the service if the legislation is passed. As a veteran of the Marine Corps I can say that the defense of our country should not be sacrificed for the promotion of a political agenda. Tags:homosexual activism, military
Mike Huckabee at CPAC: 'Dude, Where's My Candidate?'
Republican Mike Huckabee cast himself Friday as a lifelong conservative the GOP can count on as he fought for the support of restless right-wing activists still searching for a presidential candidate. "We can't afford to elect people who simply reflect a culture and reflect a common view, but don't necessarily believe it," the former Arkansas governor said, ... "Maybe this weekend it might be renamed the conservative presidential anxiety conference," Huckabee said, reflecting the mood of the annual convention, to ripples of chuckles. "The theme might be 'Dude, where's my candidate?'" "I'd like to think that maybe he's standing in front of you," Huckabee said. In a well-received speech, Huckabee emphasized his conservative positions on abortion, gay marriage and guns, while seeking to reassure the activists that he's a fiscal conservative despite raising taxes as governor. [Read More] Tags:CPAC, 2007, Mike Huckabee, presidential candidateTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Activist condemns Republican Party 'betrayal' of conservatives
The man known for pioneering the political use of direct mail told activists attending the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, DC, Thursday, that they should not vote for top-tier Republican presidential candidates Rudy Giuliani, John McCain or Mitt Romney. Richard Viguerie, chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, says conservatives will not get to the "political promised land" until they get new leaders.Viguerie says conservatives should feel "angry and betrayed" by the "corrupt and immoral" Republican leaders they have had in Washington. When Republicans claimed the White House and both houses of Congress in January of 2001, he contends, it was almost as if they decided on a one-word strategy for governing -- bribery . . . [Click for more] Tags:Arkansas Republican Assembly, conservative, CPAC, presidential candidate, Richard ViguerieTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Conservative group predicts passage of 'hate crimes' bill
ARRA Editor Opening Comment: Just like the current concern by Arkansans over the need to block a law masquerading as hate crimes legislation, but which is actually intended to push alternative lifestyles into the American mainstream (SB264), we face an assault on the national level.
OneNewsNow: Concerned Women for America fears Democrats will succeed in passing a so-called "hate crimes" bill in Congress. The pro-family group also is vowing to fight a pro-homosexuality bill set to be introduced later this year by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA). Back in January, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) introduced HR 254. The bill would create additional penalties for felonies committed because of the victims' "perceived or actual" identity, such as sexual orientation, gender, or disability. Homosexual activists are seeking passage of the legislation, but conservative groups are doing everything they can to stop that from happening . . . [Click for more] Tags:Arkansas, Barney Frank, hate crimes, homosexual activism, Shelia Jackson, US CongressTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
from a Concerned Teacher: After being interviewed by the school administration, the teaching prospect said, "Let me see if I've got this right:
"You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning.
"You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride.
"You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job.
"You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the state exams.
"You want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card.
"You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps.
"You want me to do all this and then you tell me... I CAN'T PRAY?"
by Sam Berninger, Save the GOP: With the help of 13 Republicans: Ferguson (NJ), Murphy, T. (PA), Fossella (NY), Saxton (NJ), King, P. (NY), Shays (CT), LaTourette (OH), Smith, C. (NJ), LoBiondo (NJ), Walsh (NY), McCotter (MI), Young, D. (AK), and McHugh (NY), Democrats passed House Bill H.R. 800, deceptively named the Employee Free Choice Act of 2007. It is anything but a free choice. It does away with the requirement of a secret ballot among workers when voting on whether or not to unionize their workplace, instead allowing union representatives to merely collect signatures knowing full well who is supporting their efforts and who isn’t.The ramifications of this are obvious. It opens up the doorway that can take us back in time to the days of union intimidation tactics exercised to force cooperation and union involvement through fear and threats. The name of this act is a nothing more than a bald-faced lie and runs ramshot over freedom of choice that liberals so fervently claim they support (but perhaps that only applies when you want to slaughter your unborn child.) ...
It’s also of no surprise that the Democrats are fully behind this swipe of freedom. After all, they receive millions and millions of dollars in donations from the Teamsters, NEA, and other unions every year. Sound like an exchange of favors? Not a good start for what we were told would be the “most ethical Congress in history.” Being that all but one of the Republican sympathizers are in the heavily unionized northeast, I am not floored by their votes. I am angry about Young’s vote, though. Alaska is a very conservative state and there is no reason for the GOP to tolerate a RINO like him. He has a poor conservative voting record and he needs to be primaried in 2008. [Read More]
Republican Low Income Tax Break Bill Passes Arkansas' Congress
The Arkansas State Senate and House have passed Republican Keven Anderson's House Bill 1443 which was co-authored by numerous representatives and senators. The Bill would provide income tax relief for taxpayers with income below the Federal poverty level and provide tax relief for other low income families who are residents of Arkansas.
It extends tax relief via a tax credit to single tax filers with a taxable income of less than $13,500. Married couples filing jointly would be eligible for the credit if they make less than $21,400. A married couple filing jointly who have two or more dependents get the credit if they make less than $26,700. A single head of household with one or more dependents would qualify if he or she makes less than $19,000. The amount of the credit varies from $416 to $1, depending on the number of dependents and income level. The bill also includes a formula for calculating the credit in future years. The bill has been transmitted to the Governor who has already agreed to sign the bill as part of a negotiated tax package. Tags:Arkansas, Republican, taxes
Judging History -- Reflecting on judicial appointments
Thomas Sowell: It is understandable that liberal Democratic presidents, beginning with Franklin D. Roosevelt, loaded the Supreme Court with liberal, Democratic justices. What is far harder to understand is how a whole succession of conservative Republican presidents -- Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Bush 41 -- managed to appoint so many liberals to the Supreme Court. All these presidents ran on the idea that what courts in general, and the Supreme Court in particular, needed were judges who followed the law instead of making up their own new laws.
President Nixon appointed Harry Blackmun, who created a “constitutional right” to an abortion out of thin air. ... President Ford appointed John Paul Stevens, whose long history of liberal votes was climaxed by his 2005 decision that politicians can seize private homes and turn them over to other private individuals .... Even Ronald Reagan, so eloquent against group preferences and quotas, announced that he was going to appoint “a woman” to the Supreme Court during the 1980 election campaign .... a quarter of a century later, Sandra Day O’Connor’s legacy of incoherent Supreme Court opinions on such issues as affirmative action and abortion have made a mockery of the very concept of law. ...
Senate Democrats went all out to stop the nomination of Judge Robert Bork to the Supreme Court and to try to stop the nomination of Judge Clarence Thomas. These Democrats did not let either truth or decency cramp their style. But Republicans voted overwhelmingly to confirm liberal-left nominees Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer when Bill Clinton nominated them. No need to savage either nominee, but they should have been voted against — and the reasons for those votes explained to the public. Otherwise Democrats define what is a “mainstream” judge. Republicans need to rethink their views on judges — [Read Complete Article] Tags:Democrat, federal judges, judicial appointments, Republican, Supreme Court JudgesTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
by Rep.s Rick Green (Dist. 66) & Jon Woods (Dist. 98) (3/1/07): The Arkansas Republican Caucusis focusing on protecting your job and protecting your vote. HB1024 prohibits state agencies from contracting with businesses that employ illegal immigrants. We believe that our state government needs to set an example for other businesses across Arkansas. This legislation passed overwhelmingly and was signed into law yesterday as Act 157.
Another bill that your Republican Caucus supports is HB 2120 which requires a voter to present a government issued photo identification card before receiving a ballot. Voters who can’t show identification will vote by provisional ballot and have six days to show proof of identity. Our goal is to make sure every registered voter gets a vote, but only one vote. Our right to vote is diminished and diluted by voter fraud and this legislation will help stifle fraudulent balloting. Take Action:Contact your State Representatives & Senators to support this bill. Tags:Arkansas, Arkansas Republican CaucusTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Womack on local appropriations & Payday loan interest
KTLO News: The state legislature continues to wrestle with trying to come up with a legal mechanism that would allow for the funding of local projects from the General Improvement Fund and State Senator Shawn Womack (R-Mountain Home), co-chairman of the Joint Budget Comm., finds himself in the middle of a major controversy.
A coalition of state senators has agreed to delay passage of some appropriation bills to try and make sure that state needs are properly addressed before state funds are committed to local projects. Womack was critical of the effort led by State Sen. Jim Argue (R-Little Rock). While some other legislative leaders declined to comment, Womack called it "some folks throwing a tantrum because they are not driving the bus anymore." Womack was referring to a major change in Senate and House leadership last fall. ...
Also in the Senate, is a bill sponsored by Sen. Womack that is designed to severely limit the interest rate on "payday loans." It hit a major roadblock in the Senate Comm. on Insurance and Commerce. The bill, which had passed the House by an large margin, needed five votes to move it to the full Senate, but it got only one. It can be brought up one more time in the committee. Every payday lending store in Arkansas, about 275, charge more than 17% annual interest the maximum allowed by the state constitution. Tags:Arkansas, Jim Argue, Payday loans, Shawn Womack
Commanders ruled Klingenschmitt's 'in Jesus name' too sectarian
WorldNetDaily: A federal appeals court has cleared the way for the U.S. Navy to dismiss Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt, who earned the ire of his commanders with his prayers "in Jesus' name," from his 16-year career as early as today. The result is that the U.S. Navy ordered him immediately to prepare for his dismissal from the service, which would happen by midnight tonight. To further punish him, his commander informed him that the chief of naval operations had contacted the Conservative Political Action Conference, where Klingenschmitt had been invited to deliver the invocation tonight, and had his invitation rescinded. [Read More]
ARRA Breaking News Update: Gordon Klingenschmitt has advised the ARRA editor that Last night he received orders to separate by 1 Mar 07, so this morning he signed the DD 214 ending his 16 year military career. Anyone wishing to call him for an interview may reach him at 719-360-5132 (cell phone). Read about Kingenschmitt's struggle to defend Chaplains'right to pray
Tags:chaplain, church, free speech, Gordon Klingenschmitt, military, religous freedom
2007 German horror tale - Could it become an American one?
Homeschooled teen removed from parents By Paul Belien: Earlier this month, a German teen-ager was forcibly taken from her parents and imprisoned in a psychiatric ward. Her crime? She is being home-schooled. On Feb. 1, 15 German police officers forced their way into the home of the Busekros family in the Bavarian town of Erlangen. They hauled off 16-year-old Melissa, the eldest of the six Busekros children, to a psychiatric ward in nearby Nuremberg. Last week, a court affirmed that Melissa has to remain in the Child Psychiatry Unit because she is suffering from "school phobia."
Home-schooling has been illegal in Germany since Adolf Hitler outlawed it in 1938 and ordered all children to be sent to state schools. The home-schooling community in Germany is tiny. As Hitler knew, Germans tend to obey orders unquestioningly. Only some 500 children are being home-schooled in a country of 80 million. Home-schooling families are prosecuted without mercy . . . [Click for more]At present, young Melissa Busekros' ordeal is a German horror story. Could it soon be an American one?Paul Belien is editor of the Brussels Journal and an adjunct fellow of the Hudson Institute. Tags:Germany, German horror tale, home schoolTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
AEFC: House Bill 2242 was introduced by Rep. Ray Kidd (D-Jonesboro). The bill proposes to reduce the percentage of registered voter’ signatures on petitions necessary to call a local option election to change the dry/wet status of a county or a political subdivision of a county. Currently, the petitions must bear signatures of 38% of the registered voters in the county or subdivision. HB2242 will lower that percentage to 15%.
While 38% may seem high for some, lowering the percentage by over 60% appears drastic for proponents on both sides of the issue. Currently, proponents of changing a county’s status to dry from wet must gather the same number of signatures as those wanting to convert a dry county to a wet one. The playing field is more level at 38%.
The issue of alcohol is a polarizing one for many communities. Strong opinions can be found on both sides. If a community is to be put through such a divisive, emotionally-charged, and draining battle, it should take a significant number of registered voters to initiate it. Talk to those in counties who have suffered through local option election campaigns and ask them if that is something they would enjoy enduring every two years. A 15% level for signatures could result in just that, repetitive elections that never settle the issue and that keep the folks on both sides fussing and feuding. That is not conducive to a high quality of life for those communities.
Lowering that level to 15% is a sure recipe for unsettled and difficult times. Those in dry counties need to give special and concentrated attention to HB2242 as it will if passed most directly impact you. However, every county in Arkansas should be concerned about B2242 to prevent the precedent being used for other initiatives. Tags:alcohol, HB2242, Arkansas, AEFC, Jonesboro, ARTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
OneNewsNow: Congressman John Boozman, an Arkansas congressman is throwing his support behind Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, saying the former governor espouses the conservative values that many Americans expect and possesses the skills necessary to effectively communicate his message to the American people. On Friday on Capitol Hill, Governor Mike Huckabee, considered by many political analysts to be a long-shot candidate, plans to announce that Representatives John Boozman (R-AR) and Don Young (R-AK) will serve as congressional chairmen of his presidential campaign. [Read More] Tags:Arkansas, Don Young, John Boozman, Mike Huckabee, presidential candidate
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Lawsuit threatened after Washington state high school kids punished for praying on their own time.
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