Mark Hemingway - White House takes four days to respond to terror attack, but responds to Cheney criticism in matter of hours?

What I can't wrap my head around is that it took the President four days to acknowledge what he termed a "catastrophic" national security failure, but Cheney criticizes the administration's handling of the war on terror and they have a rapid response on the White House blog in a matter of hours? Priorities!

Click to continue reading: Mark Hemingway - White House takes four days to respond to terror attack, but responds to Cheney criticism in matter of hours?

Jindal opposes greenhouse plan

Gov. Bobby Jindal added his opposition Monday to proposed rules aimed at lowering greenhouse gases.

“Louisiana is the second largest refining state in the U.S.,” Jindal wrote in a letter to Lisa Jackson, administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Our state is also a major producer of oil and gas utilized domestically by our country. Implementation of the proposed rules will have a dramatic chilling effect on the refining and production capability of our state.”

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/80243042.html

Congressional Reform Act of 2010...

1. Term Limits: 2 years only.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term, then go home and back to work.

2. No Tenure. No Pension.

A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term, then go home and back to work.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates equally with the American people in the Social Security system.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, server your term, then go home and back to work.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just like all Americans.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term, then go home and back to work.

5. Congress will no longer be able to vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will never be raised unless done so by 'we the people' at the voting booth.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term, then go home and back to work.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as other Americans.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term, then go home and back to work.

7. Congress must equally abide in and by all laws they impose on the States and the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term, then go home and back to work.

8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/10.

The American people did not make this contract with congressmen, congressmen made all these contracts for themselves...

--- from Stand Up America USA (Facebook group)

Anyone know of a site with Obama campaign promises?

I'd like to be able to add a link to one of our sites if there's a place where someone listed Obama's campaign promises and is keeping tabs on what he's actually doing... Seems like every day I hear of another promise that he is NOT doing, in fact he's doing just the opposite and taking it to extremes worse than in the past.

Congress and Obama Show Contempt for Americans
Congress is showing contempt for the American people by excluding them from the crafting of Obamacare The president promised in his campaign he’d deliver transparency, saying, “I’m going to have all the negotiations around a big table” with everybody involved. Those that can’t make it would be able to see “the negotiations televised on C-SPAN.” Too bad this isn’t happening: yet another broken Obama promise...
Read the rest: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=34014

Hundreds of Thousands of Students Will Refuse to Speak on October 20th, as They Stand in Solidarity with Those Who are Killed Every Day by Abortion

/Christian Newswire/ -- Stand True, Christ-Centered Pro-life, will hold its sixth annual Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Last year students from over 4,700 campuses in 25 countries participated in the event, and Stand True expects even more this year. Last year Stand True heard back from participants about 58 girls who canceled their abortions on the day of the event due to the efforts of the students. These students stand in solidarity with each other to bring attention to the holocaust that is killing almost 4,000 babies every day in the United States alone.

"The students are speaking loud and clear; they want an end to legalized child-killing" said Bryan Kemper, President of Stand True Ministries. "We are getting thousands of e-mails, comments and internet messages from students thanking us for giving them a peaceful way to stand up and be counted."

Here are just a couple of the comments we have received from the students:

"I got one girl to not get an abortion because I took a ZERO in class for this and she started crying. She pulled me into the bathroom and told me she was pregnant and was going to have an abortion and she said because of how much this meant to me she didn't! We both sat in the bathroom and cried for a few min. and she put the baby up for adoption!"

"She's about a month or so pregnant. I have her for a couple of my classes. She kept glancing at my shirt all day and she took a flier. But she didn't say anything. Then today in 6th I was getting up and she came up to me. And in front of the whole classroom she began weeping and fell into my arms. She said she didn't want to have an abortion anymore. She said she wanted to receive Christ right there."

Students will not only remain silent but will also wear red armbands and/or red duct tape on their mouths, and distribute educational flyers to anyone who asks why they are silent. Many home-schooled students will also participate in the event by visiting local malls and other public areas to distribute flyers.

Participating students are instructed to be respectful to teachers and other officials and to speak with them when required.

"Thousands of American babies are permanently silenced every day by the violent act of abortion," said Kristan Hawkins, Executive Director of Students for Life. "This is a day for pro-life students to honor those children as they stay silent as an act of solidarity with these innocent victims."

"This is a way for us to challenge students of all ages to be bold advocates for the almost 4,000 pre-born who are murdered every day in our country," said Timmerie Millington of Survivors. "They have an opportunity to stand with their fellow classmates and an obligation to be a voice for the voiceless. By standing in united solidarity across the world, students everywhere can identify with the preborn children, and our silence will proclaim 'stop killing our generation!' We can and must be warriors for the preborn!"

Over the past few years many schools have tried to stop students from participating and have tried to quash their First Amendment rights. Every year, attorneys from the Alliance Defense Fund defend these students and file lawsuits to protect their rights.

There is no cost to participate in the event. Flyers are available for download in PDF format at www.silentday.org. Students can also follow the event on twitter at www.twitter.com/prolifeday

Legal help for students involved is available from the Alliance Defense Fund (www.telladf.org or 1-800-TELL-ADF).

The Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity is a Project of Stand True – Christ Centered Pro-life and co-sponsored by Students for Life of America, Generation Life, Priests for Life, Survivors, Abort73.com and Lifenews.com.
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ACORN's corporate donors backing off

Citigroup, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, US Bancorp, Wachovia, Starbucks Foundation, Ben & Jerry's are some of the donors to ACORN. Not all of them are backing off. The list of corporate donors is long... not sure how many are backing off as the article below doesn't list more than a few. For those who'd like to know more about the tentacles ACORN has into our society and business, scan down to the last link I have below. It's from "Discover the Networks" and it's fascinating.

If you saw the video of The Story of Stuff (put out by the Tides Foundation, a friend of ACORN) which trashes corporate America and big business, you might find it rather nuts that they'd have so many ties to that horrible group of nasty capitalists... But then again, ACORN, the Tides Foundation, SEIU make most businesses look like amateurs when it comes to amassing money. Pot and kettle thing, hmmm?

ACORN's corporate donors backing off
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/ACORNs-corporate-donors-backing-off-61441202.html
By: Kevin Mooney
Commentary Staff Writer
09/25/09 6:36 AM EDT
Corporations that have given ACORN millions of dollars over the years are now cancelling their donations in the wake of videotape revelations of employees of the infamous community organization giving advice on mortgage fraud, tax evasion, prostitution, and child sex slavery.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/ACORNs-corporate-donors-backing-off-61441202.html

*************************

Grantmaker Year Amount Purpose

Arca Foundation 2006 $10,000

Tides Foundation 2005 $21,875

Barbra Streisand Foundation 2005 $7,500

California Endowment 2002 $248,200

California Wellness Foundation 2002 $200,000

James Irvine Foundation 2002 $105,000

Rosenberg Foundation 2002 $50,000

Meyer Memorial Trust 2002 $35,000

Minneapolis Foundation 2002 $25,000

New York Community Trust 2002 $11,000

James Irvine Foundation 2001 $450,000

Annie E. Casey Foundation 2001 $60,000

Rosenberg Foundation 2001 $55,000

Public Welfare Foundation 2001 $45,000

New York Community Trust 2001 $40,000

Open Society Institute 2001 $25,000

Annie E. Casey Foundation 2001 $20,000

Evelyn & Walter Jr. Haas Fund 2001 $20,000

New York Community Trust 2001 $13,600

Prince Charitable Trusts 2001 $10,000

Annie E. Casey Foundation 2000 $65,000

Edna McConnell Clark Foundation 2000 $60,000

Rosenberg Foundation 2000 $50,000

Surdna Foundation 2000 $50,000

Annie E. Casey Foundation 2000 $45,000

New York Community Trust 2000 $45,000

Richard & Rhoda Goldman Fund 2000 $25,000

Annie E. Casey Foundation 2000 $20,000

Evelyn & Walter Jr. Haas Fund 2000 $20,000

Public Welfare Foundation 2000 $20,000

San Francisco Foundation 2000 $20,000

James Irvine Foundation 1999 $150,000

California Wellness Foundation 1999 $100,000

Public Welfare Foundation 1999 $90,000

Rosenberg Foundation 1999 $50,000

Annie E. Casey Foundation 1999 $30,000

Public Welfare Foundation 1999 $30,000

Annie E. Casey Foundation 1999 $25,000

Albert A. List Foundation 1999 $25,000

Saint Paul Foundation 1999 $25,000

Public Welfare Foundation 1999 $20,000

Evelyn & Walter Jr. Haas Fund 1999 $15,000

Scherman Foundation 1999 $15,000

Boston Foundation 1999 $12,500

Boston Foundation 1999 $12,500

Saint Paul Foundation 1998 $10,000

Bell Atlantic Foundation 1998 $5,000

BankBoston Charitable Foundation 1996 $50,000

J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation (formerly Chase Manhattan Foundation) 1995 $40,000

BankAmerica Foundation 1994 $115,000

BankBoston Charitable Foundation 1994 $23,000

Here's a bit from Discover the Networks:
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=6968

In addition to membership fees and government grants, ACORN (and its partner group the ACORN Institute) also have received large donations from a number of charitable foundations, including but not limited to the Annie E. Casey Foundation; the Minneapolis Foundation; the Open Society Institute; the Public Welfare Foundation; the Surdna Foundation; the Woods Fund of Chicago; the Scherman Foundation; the Ben and Jerry's Foundation; the Marguerite Casey Foundation; the Robin Hood Foundation; the Beldon Fund; the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation; the Haymarket People’s Fund; the Streisand Foundation; the Union Bank of California Foundation; the Provident Bank Foundation; the JP Morgan Chase Foundation; the Bank of America Charitable Foundation; the US Bancorp Foundation; the PNC Foundation; the Wachovia Foundation; the Roseanne [Barr] Foundation; the Carnegie Corporation of New York; the Lear Family Foundation; the Starbucks Foundation; the Arca Foundation; the Tides Foundation; the Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Trust; the Needmor Fund; the Citigroup Foundation; and the Democracy Alliance.

Between 2005 and 2008, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) contributed $7.4 million to ACORN’s national organization, state chapters and allied groups. SEIU’s single largest donation of $1.5 million went to the ACORN Community Labor Organizing Center in 2006; the union also made a $1.3 million donation to ACORN International in 2005. Other leading contributors to ACORN in recent years have been the United Food and Commercial Workers, the Longshore and Warehouse Union, the Communication Workers of America, and the National Education Association.

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=6968

Boehner Responds to the President’s Remarks on Climate Change

GOP Leader: “Middle-class families and small businesses are struggling, and they shouldn’t be punished with costly legislation that will increase electricity bills, raise gasoline prices, and ship more American jobs overseas to places like China and India.”

Earlier today, President Obama spoke to a United Nations “Climate Change Summit.” House Republican Leader John Boehner made the following comment in response:

“Yesterday, President Obama’s Energy Secretary compared the American people to ‘teenage kids’ when it comes to energy policy. Earlier today, the President addressed a United Nations ‘Climate Change Summit’ in New York and touted a variation on the Democrats’ national energy tax – legislation that, according to the Administration’s own estimates, will cost families an average of $1,700 a year in higher costs. Out-of-touch Washington Democrats don’t seem to get it. Middle-class families and small businesses are struggling, and they shouldn’t be punished with costly legislation that will increase electricity bills, raise gasoline prices, and ship more American jobs overseas to places like China and India.

“There is a better solution. Republicans’ ‘all of the above’ strategy is the fastest route to a cleaner, more reliable energy future. Our legislation – the American Energy Act – will clean up the environment, lower energy costs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and create a millions of good-paying, new American jobs. That’s change we can truly believe in.”

NOTE: Last week, CBS News and other media outlets reported that a private analysis prepared by the Obama Administration’s Treasury Department estimates that the cap-and-trade national energy tax will result in an average $1,761 in increased costs for American families.

Let Employers Set Their Own Standards of Behavior and Dress

Efforts to equate being a homosexual or a transvestite with being African American or female, by providing federal civil rights protections for "sexual orientation" and "gender identity," will be promoted on Capitol Hill tomorrow. The House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing on H.R. 3017, the "Employment Non-Discrimination Act" (ENDA).

This bill would interfere with private employers' rights to set their own standards for employment to an unprecedented degree, offering protections for a voluntary behavior (unlike those for race or sex) with no foundation in our Constitution (unlike protections for religion). While ENDA is wrong in principle, there's also little need for it.

The state of Oregon saw only 62 complaints in the first 18 months that a similar state law was in effect, which was only 2% of the total number of complaints in all categories. One man who filed a complaint had been fired for cheating on an exam and showing up late for work. One man who is not a homosexual sued based on his "perceived" orientation because colleagues criticized him for wearing earrings. And these were considered some of the stronger cases! ENDA would only invite persecution of Christians who stand up for their beliefs in the workplace. Urge your U.S. Representative to oppose H.R. 3017.

Family Research Council:
801 G Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001
P: 202/393-2100 or 800/225-4008
W: frc.org

Obama wants the newspapers, too...

Obama - I think I could use a newspaper industry
If you get your news primarily from the typical newspapers and alphabet-soup TV networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, et al) then:
Van Jones must be some kind of NBA center or NFL lineman, just like Johnny Malibu, Truck Johnson, or Tractor Traylor.
The words ACORN, hidden cameras, underage prostitution, and tax cheating are not especially related to each other
Republicans are racists because they oppose health care for poor people.
People who protest are racists.
But that didn't become true until this January.
Democrats could get more done if those 40 Senators and 178 House Republicans would quit blocking everything.
You hear the word teabagger in your dreams, and are unaware of a site called urbandictionary.com
Honduras overthrew their president in a coup, but Obama is standing up to them.
Hugo Chavez is misunderstood.
All the world's thugs and dictators are now learning to appreciate how warm and fuzzy America is, and at any moment are about to break into Kum-Ba-Ya and will probably wish us Happy Winter Observance around mid-late December.
America sucks, but Obama is changing that by apologizing to everybody, and fixing all the broken stuff like the banking industry, the auto industry, the health industry...and anything else he can get his hands on.
And because you are so well-informed, the government would like to make it so you are always that well-informed.
Please click here for the rest of the post.

Obama going after the Internet???

Obama Plans Internet Grab: FCC to Embrace 'Net Neutrality'

Since the Internet took root as a mass communications phenomenon in the mid 1990s, a quiet war has raged in Washington over the extent to which the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would regulate the new medium.

Until, now the Internet has been largely self-regulated, and the FCC has taken a hands-off approach.

But that could change dramatically soon if the Obama administration has its way.
http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/obama_internet_fcc/2009/09/20/262385.html

It's gotten to the point that I'm scared to turn off the news for fear I'll miss some other area Obama's going after. It is concerning when you put it all together. The man has a plan and he has plenty of cohorts who're working with him to completely, fundamentally ruin our country, although they'll tell you they're making it better. I contend they're making it better for themselves, and their soon-to-be-the-elite friends.

"I Am a Member of ACORN" -- Is Legislator Blocking Probe?

"I Am a Member of ACORN" -- Is Legislator Blocking Probe?
ACORN is inside the gates.

The American Spectator has learned that a bill introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature to investigate the activities of the controversial Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now -- ACORN -- is stalled in the powerful State Government Committee.
The chairman, State Representative Babette Josephs, a Philadelphia Democrat, is a member of ACORN.

http://spectator.org/archives/2009/09/18/i-am-a-member-of-acorn-is-legi
By Jeffrey Lord on 9.18.09 @ 2:12PM

Obama says immigration reform will allow illegal immigrants to become legal, get health care coverage...

CNSNEWS.COM VIDEO
Obama: Immigration Reform Will Allow Illegal Immigrants to Become Legal and Get Health Care Coverage
(CNSNews.com) - President Barack Obama told the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute on Wednesday evening that illegal immigrants would not get government funded health insurance under his health care reform plan, but he also said the debate over that plan underscores the need to legalize illegal immigrants so they can get that coverage.

Government -run healthcare?

Social Security Sent More than $40 Million in Checks to Dead People, Inspector General Finds(CNSNews.com) – The Social Security Administration has issued benefit checks totaling $40.3 million to an estimated 6,100 beneficiaries for months – and in some cases for decades -- after receiving notification of their deaths, according to a June audit report from the agency’s Office of Inspector General. Approximately 1,760 of the 6,100 listed as deceased actually were dead, the government auditor estimated. The rest were alive, but had been wrongly listed as deceased.

-------------

Gives me goosebumps. Just think, these are the same people that could be deciding whether you or someone you love needs to have a test for cancer... or whether you are young enough to be worth the spending money on for a hip replacement or chemo or whatever... Let's hope they don't have some sort of pay up front and get reimbursed system if we do get stuck with government run healthcare.

Senator Baucus Undermines President Obama's Abortion Funding Claim

Today U.S. Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) introduced a detailed summary of his "America's Health Future Act of 2009" that will be marked-up in the Senate Financial Services Committee next week.

The Baucus legislation explicitly includes abortion and would subsidize health plans that cover all elective abortions and moves well beyond the status quo of preventing federal funds from paying for abortion or subsidizing plans that covers abortion as is prevented under current laws governing Medicaid, the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan and the State Children's Health Insurance Plan. On Friday morning at the Values Voter Summit, this issue will be discussed in greater detail during a congressional panel discussion.

Responding, Tony Perkins said:

"Senator Baucus' new health care bill puts to rest the President's claim that 'abortion is not included' in the Senate health care bill. The Baucus plan includes abortion, pure and simple. Like the Capps abortion amendment in the House bill, the Baucus plan would subsidize health plans that cover elective abortions but with tax credits. The accounting used in the bill is a matter of smoke and mirrors, since elective abortion is authorized for health plans receiving government subsidies.

"The Baucus bill goes even farther by mandating that there be at least one health plan in each region across the country which covers elective abortions. Such a government mandate of abortion-covered plans in each state exchange and subsidizing such plans does little to prevent 'federal funding of abortion' as President Obama said last week. Moreover, the Baucus bill would spend $6 billion to establish health care co-ops and this funding could be used for elective abortion because it is not subject to the Hyde Amendment appropriations provision.

"If President Obama is serious about preventing funding for abortion in health care reform, he should immediately support adoption of Democrat Rep. Bart Stupak's amendment to exclude abortion from all health care reform legislation. Democrat Senator Bob Casey voted for such an amendment in the Senate Health Committee.

"It's time for President Obama to stop the smoke and mirrors on abortion and health care and straightforwardly tell Congress to permanently exclude abortion coverage."

On Beck Today...

My husband and I have changed our whole schedule around just so we can be sure to watch Glenn Beck at 5 p.m. on Fox! May not agree 100% with every single thing, but sure agree our government ain't doing good things right now. Love the energy he's generating across the country. Finally feeling like we're coming together. Go find a tea party group or 9/12 group in your area. Get involved. Make a difference. Don't sit idly by and watch the ruin of our great nation.

Here's what's on Beck today:

9/12 - Media misses the boat again
Wow, what an amazing turn out in Washington DC over the weekend. Hundreds of thousands of regular schlubs like you took time out of their busy lives to head down to Washington and let it be known that they are not happy with the out of control government. Obama's senior advisor, David Axelrod, didn't seem to get the message -- saying he didn't think this represented what America thinks and flatly said 'they are wrong.' Imagine if a crowd like THIS showed up to protest Bush. What do you think David Axelrod would have said then? ( Transcript, Insider Audio)

Know your Czars
Sure, you helped get one of the Czars canned -- but don't gloat, because that wasn't the goal. The goal was to find out what in the world the communist was doing there in the first place. That question was not answered, which is a problem because dozens more Czars still remain. Do you know the name John Holdren? If you do, great -- then pass it on to one of your friends who doesn't. If you don't...WARNING: This guy’s views are so nuts, you may become more crazy just by viewing them. ( Transcript, Insider Audio)

Sunstein Confirmed
Cass Sunstein, Obama's pick for Regulatory Czar, was confirmed in the Senate by a vote of 57-30. How in the world did a guy who thinks that animals should be able to sue human beings in court ever get through the rigorous confirmation process? Glenn answers that question and highlights more of Sunstein's crazy beliefs in the latest Beck Talks video blog.

Kanye at it again
What is with this guy? This complete idiot either has to say something outrageous (GWB hates black people) or be an incredibly rude, egomaniac. Here he shows what a loser he really is, doing something so rude pretty much no human being would ever consider doing. But hey, who are we to question the intelligence behind the genius who penned 'pre-nup is something that you need to have, because when she leave yo butt she gonna leave with half.' After watching this clip, it's hard to imagine why any woman would ever want to 'leave' Kanye's butt. Watch the video here and get Glenn's reaction here. ( Transcript, Insider Audio)

TV Tonight: Another day, another Acorn scandal. Plus, Glenn's reaction to the media coverage of the 9/12 rally in Washington. That's tonight at 5pm only on The Fox News Channel!

Carrie Prejean To Speak At FRC Action Values Voter Summit

Today FRC Action, the legislative lobbying arm of Family Research Council, announced that former Miss California Carrie Prejean will appear at FRC Action's fourth annual Values Voter Summit. Ms. Prejean gained national prominence when she defended traditional one-man, one-woman marriage at the Miss USA Pageant. Ms. Prejean will speak about her experiences over the last year as she has become a role model and spokeswoman in defense of marriage.

Ms. Prejean's confirmation adds to the impressive line-up of conservative "who's who". She will join a growing program of speakers that includes: Governors Rick Perry and Tim Pawlenty, former Governors Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Reps. John Boehner (R-Ohio), Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Mike Pence (R-Ind.), Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Tom Price (R-Ga.), and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Bill O'Reilly, Bill Bennett, actor Stephen Baldwin, best-selling author Joel Rosenberg, Phyllis Schlafly, Ken Blackwell, Star Parker, Lila Rose, and many more.

FRC Action's Values Voter Summit is cosponsored by the American Family Association, Focus on the Family Action, American Values, Family Research Council, and The Heritage Foundation. The Summit will be held September 18-20 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. An exhibit hall, book signings, New Media Row sponsored by the National Organization for Marriage, and much more will be packed into this three-day conference. On Saturday evening, Phyllis Schlafly will be honored at a gala dinner and receive the third annual James C. Dobson Vision and Leadership Award.
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FRC Says Planned Parenthood, Desperate to Hide Agenda, Attacks Hatch and Hides Intent

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins responded today to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America's patently false attack on Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). Hatch last week drew attention to Sen. Barbara Mikulski's (D-MD) attempt to mandate inclusion of the nation's largest network of abortion in a national health care scheme. Perkins said:

"Planned Parenthood, the nation's leading practitioner of abortion on demand at its hundreds of facilities across the country, has issued a completely false attack on Sen. Orrin Hatch. At the legislative mark-up on Friday in the Senate health committee, Sen. Hatch queried Sen. Barbara Mikulski on a cleverly worded amendment she added to the bill to ensure that Planned Parenthood's clinics, 295 of which perform abortions and all of which actively promote and refer for them,(See http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/abortion-services-abortion-referrals-25993.htm) are included in the bill's definition of community health services.

"The term 'abortion' is almost never used by advocates for abortion inside and outside of Congress. They virtually always couch their support for abortion in such euphemisms such as 'family planning,' 'comprehensive health services,' and 'reproductive health' to lull the public into thinking that abortion is not part of the equation

"Because the bill as written has no exclusion for abortion in its language, there is no doubt that Sen. Milkulski's amendment opens the floodgates to massive public underwriting of abortion, a position Planned Parenthood has always favored. Sen. Hatch is to be commended for his clarity in pointing this fact out to the American people, who oppose public subsidies for abortion by a margin of at least two to one (see hearing transcript attached).

"Now caught in the first of what is likely to be many maneuvers to achieve their goal, Planned Parenthood is launching a spurious and erroneous assault on Sen. Hatch. In fact, it is the insistence of Planned Parenthood and other groups that abortion be included, by hook or by crook, in a national health reform that jeopardizes what Americans really want and need, which is a health care system that encourages responsibility and family ownership of health care through market and tax policy reforms that provide portability, protect conscience, promote affordability, and avoid government of the health care system itself.

"Sen. Milkulski's own radical record is clear. (See http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Barbara_Mikulski.htm) She opposed limits on partial-birth abortion, voted against the 'unborn child rule' to protect poor women pregnant for the first time in S-CHIP, opposed 'Laci and Connor's Law' to allow federal penalties in certain cases when a lethal assault upon a woman results in the death of her child in utero, voted for the cloning of human beings, and voted against the right of parents to know if their minor child is being taken across state lines for an abortion to evade local law.

"Family Research Council is calling on all Americans who support current law to thank Sen. Hatch for protecting the right of Americans not to be compelled to fund abortion. We call on the Congress to explicitly and permanently abortion from any health care reform plan considered this ear."
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FRC: Fight for Freedom and Conscience Protection this July 4th

Are you going to a Tea Party on Independence Day? If so, here's a handout that you can share with friends about our campaign to save the U.S. health care system from the Obama Administration's attacks on Life and Conscience.

Encourage others to join our campaign to save and improve the U.S. health care system by visiting clearconsciencehealthcare.org.

Click here to download the flyer

Yours in faith, family, and freedom,
Tony Perkins
President
Family Research Council

Gangster Government

Frightening. Michele Bachmann is so perfectly on target with what she has to say in the video below, and in her stance on the Census.

I used to wonder how an entire country could move from relative freedom to socialism, communism, dictatorships. Now I know. I'm experiencing it first hand. It's such a helpless feeling to watch what is going on and realize how little power I actually have to stop what is happening in our country. I'll be at the next Tea Party. I blog. I network. I share information. I vote. I just hope my vote still matters in 2010 and 2012. As I type the gangster government is continuing to undermine fair elections...

FRC: Comment on Stem Cell Research; Dealine May 26

As you may know, President Bush's policy was to allow funding for research that involved embryonic stem cells taken from human embryos so long as the cells were obtained on or prior to August 9, 2001. Since then, the government has funded research on over 22 stem cell lines. President Bush's policy erected a wall and did not encourage the further killing of human embryos for their cells.

However, on March 9, 2009 President Barack Obama issued an executive order that overturned President Bush's policy and opened the floodgates for funding more embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) that creates an incentive to create and destroy human embryos. President Obama designated the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to draft guidelines for distributing funds for this research. Last week, April 23, NIH officially posted draft guidelines to open federal funding for research on human embryonic stem cells. What these guidelines do is send your tax dollars to experiment on stem cells taken from human embryos that supposedly are "leftover" from in vitro fertilization. Instead of promoting the adoption of these human embryos, these draft guidelines would require their death.

The public comment period on these draft regulations is 30 days, and we ask that you submit comments to oppose these regulations on or before May 26, 2009. To submit your comment, please go to this website and fill out the form with your comment.
Please submit your comment directly to the National Institutes of Health by May 26, 2009 to oppose use of federal funds for research on human embryonic stem cells.

Sincerely,
Tony Perkins
President
Family Research Council

Socialism Preview

Rachel Marsden: French Workers Shut Down Eiffel Tower: A Preview Of Socialism
A Rasmussen poll here in America has just found that only 53% Americans prefer capitalism to socialism. Care to see what the alternative looks like?

Excellent video says it like it is...

An attack from every angle, now it's the First Amendment

I can not believe I am living in America. I note that as of 20 plus minutes ago, the Bill I highlight below has been pulled. However, the fact that the Catholic Church, or ANY legitimate Church, is being attacked by our GOVERNMENT is unconscionable. Friends, we have to be vigilant. It's time to put on our x-ray vision glasses, our kryptonite-proof armor and take up the fight.

Alarming Attempt to Muzzle Catholic Church in Connecticut
Contact: John Horvat II, American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property, 717-225-7147

HANOVER, Penn., Mar. 10 /Christian Newswire/ -- According to the American TFP, same-sex "marriage" advocates and dissident Catholics are joining forces in Connecticut to usurp the authority of Catholic bishops and pastors.

In fact, experts in constitutional law as well as fair-minded Americans are alarmed by Senate Bill 1098 which singles out the Catholic Church. Introduced in the Connecticut General Assembly in early March, the bill repeals elements of present Connecticut law (Section 33-279) that respect the Church's hierarchical form of government.

Most Rev. William E. Lori, Bishop of Bridgeport, points out on the diocesan website: "This bill violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It forces a radical reorganization of the legal, financial, and administrative structure of our parishes."

Connecticut State Senator Michael McLachlan said: "The real purpose of this bill is payback to the bishops and pastors of the Roman Catholic Church in Connecticut for opposing gay marriage."

TFP vice-president John Horvat calls attention to the fact that: "Both co-chairs of the Committee sponsoring the bill, Sen. Andrew J. McDonald (D) and Rep. Michael P. Lawlor (D) support same-sex 'marriage.' It is also telling that the bill mandates changes in the Catholic Church desired by liberal dissident groups such as Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church (ARCC) and Voice of the Faithful."

"By usurping the right of the Church to decide how to structure itself under civil law for purposes of property ownership and the administration of parishes and other corporations, those in favor of SB 1098 join the same band of despots and soviets who threatened Her freedom over the centuries," he continued.

The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property (www.tfp.org) calls on all Americans to repudiate and protest Connecticut's SB 1098 and to be vigilant against similar measures in other states.

Legislative Attack on Connecticut's Catholic Church Poses Threat to all Churches
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Mar. 9 / Christian Newswire / -- An attack on the Catholic Church of Connecticut by leaders of the state legislature's Judiciary Committee "is clearly unconstitutional and poses a danger to all religions, even though its immediate target is the Catholic Church," Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, said today.

Alarming Attempt to Muzzle Catholic Church in Connecticut
HANOVER , Penn. , Mar. 10 / Christian Newswire / -- According to the American TFP, same-sex "marriage" advocates and dissident Catholics are joining forces in Connecticut to usurp the authority of Catholic bishops and pastors.

Catholic Church, State In Power Struggle
A proposed bill that would take power from Catholic priests and bishops and turn it over to parishioners has sparked outrage among church leaders, criticism from opposition lawmakers and questions about its legality.

Debate rages on church bill
HARTFORD -- Lingering bad feelings over multimillion-dollar losses at Roman Catholic parishes in southwestern Connecticut have set off a volatile debate in the General Assembly over the rights of parishioners to oversee church affairs.

21 minutes ago:
Lawmakers Pull Bill That Proposed Changing Catholic Church Governance
A bill to change how Catholic churches operate has drawn widespread criticism and caused a public hearing to be postponed. Opponents say the legislation tramples religious freedoms and should never have been written in the first place.

Did you know the governement has its own money?

Most hilarious opinion survey in history: Opinion Research did a survey for FOX, and here's one of (many) thigh-slappers it produced.

When asked where the government gets its money, 65% said it got it from taxes on wage-earners and businesses.

Twenty-four percent affirmed (I love this) "The government has its own money."

Eleven percent said either that it got it from some other source (aliens? payoffs from lobbyists? Christmas gifts?) or that they just didn't know.

I wonder whether to worry more about the 24% that think the government has a night job or the 11% who are just plain clueless.

Just before the last election, the BBC in London had me on their early morning radio show and the subject was "low-knowledge voters." These are people who aren't knowledgable about politics, candidates, the issues -- or, in fact, anything much of social and economic significance.

The Opinion Research survey shows us exactly what the lowest of low-knowledge voters don't know. It could -- and does -- fill all the books in the Harvard Library.

How many of the 36% who think the money government spends comes from some source other than taxpayers are Obama voters? Without more information, I'd hazard a guess that most of them are. As a famous post-election Zogby Poll demonstrated, most of what Obama voters know is true . . . isn't.

The above is by Steve Maloney, http://draftpalin2012.blogspot.com/ & http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com/ (2 great blogs to read regularly)

Obama promises "Employee Free Choice Act" will pass

In a closed-door meeting Tuesday, President Obama told over 100 top union officials that "we will pass the Employee Free Choice Act."

It's now clear that President Obama, Big Labor, and their left-wing allies in Congress, will attempt an unprecedented power grab that is a mortal threat to our economy and our democratic values.

This is being done in a stealth manner because its backers know that this bill will not pass if the American people understand its destructive nature.

To expose and stop this effort, I've joined American Solutions as National Chairman of our "Freedom Not Fear" campaign, and you can join us by signing our petition here.

The Employee Free Choice Act, or "Card Check," would eliminate the right to vote by private ballot when deciding whether to join a union, and it would undermine the right to freely negotiate contracts.

We can't tolerate this. We must stand for freedom, not fear in the workplace.

We cannot afford to be intimidated. Please stand with us now.

This is about protecting our fundamental right to vote privately without coercion.

It's about protecting the right of employers and employees to negotiate freely.

It's about allowing businessmen and women, not bureaucrats and union bosses, to run our businesses.

And in the end, it's about saving and protecting American jobs.

Please sign the petition now.

Saul Anuzis
National Chairman,
Save American Jobs Project
American Solutions

www.AmericanSolutions.com

Past time to stand up for our Republic

The words this soldier says brought tears to my eyes. Those in power right now are chipping away at every freedom we hold dear. They are killing our Constitution and changing our country one act at a time and most of America is SLEEPING.

Shortcomings in Oversight of Stimulus Spending?

Ya think it might be difficult, no impossible, for the government to figure out who's doing what with the stimulus (porkulus) package dollars? How 'bout controlling the money once it leaves the government printing press and lands in the coffers of various agencies and local governments? Hmmm... Is there any sane, straight-thinking person in the world who actually thinks that the government is capable of good oversight when it comes to spending our tax dollars?

Social Security. Welfare. The IRS. TARP. Anyone want to raise your hand and say the government is doing a good job in any of those areas?

Huge bureaucracy begets lack of communication, fraud, nepotism, favoritism, sloppiness, waste and the list goes on.

Now the prez wants to add more layers of bureaucracy and wants to increase government. He's also printing money like it came on rolls of toilet tissue. And, he's consolidating power in Washington DC so fast it should scare the pants off every American citizen who cares about our country.

Putting Joe-what number is the website for oversight please-Biden in charge would be considered comedy if this weren't such a serious matter.

Mr. Obama is playing games with our heads. He is saying one thing and then doing another. He's telling his media minions what they want to hear and keeping the general masses appeased with rhetoric.

Do you really think he's serious about oversight? Do you really think the government is capable of oversight? Do you really think he intended there to be good oversight?

Max Stier does a great job of pointing out many of the shortcomings in the purported oversight of porkulus in the following article in the Washington Post:

Serious Shortcomings in Obama's Oversight of Stimulus Spending
The $787 billion economic stimulus package has raised serious questions about the ability of our federal government to fulfill its basic duties, and will require more than just the close scrutiny promised by the Obama administration.

Hardly a day goes by without a headline disclosing the failure of a federal agency to carry out its mission because it is short-staffed, under-resourced and ill-equipped, or poorly managed. These are conditions that will inevitably worsen as the government is asked to dispense billions of dollars in stimulus money as quickly as possible.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/25/AR2009022503083.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

Obama's Proposed Budget Would Create $634B Health Care Fund

Obama's Proposed Budget Would Create $634B Health Care Fund
President intends to release a budget tomorrow that would create a 10-year, $634 billion “reserve fund” to partially pay for a vast expansion of the U.S. health system, an overhaul that many experts project will cost as much as $1 trillion over the next decade.

Democracy vs Republic form of government

I saw this on our newest member's blog, http://feedyouradhd.blogspot.com. I need to put a warning on visiting the blog though, there's a photo that hits you right between the eyes when you first go that almost had me closing the browser window, thought I'd gone to the wrong place. It fits with the blog he wrote, but still, this is not a photo I'd want my children to see. It's not a bad blog or anything but that one photo is rather risque to put it delicately.



OK, now tell the truth, how many of you just had to click the link to the blog to see what I was talking about? We just can't help ourselves, can we?

Must reads on card-check, Obama agenda and more

Obama Unbridled
The President has only begun to expand the government.

Holman W. Jenkins Jr.: Obama Needs a 'Not To Do' List
The global economic crisis is exposing the president's preoccupations as the soppy indulgences they always were.

Blue Dogs seek Senate cover on card-check By Kevin Bogardus
Democratic leaders in the House and Senate may have the upper chamber strike first on a controversial labor bill, which would protect conservative Blue Dog Democrats from a tough vote. READ MORE

Michelle Malkin: Those Foreclosure "Victims" Deserve No Sympathy It shouldn't be long before ACORN recruits "Octomom" Nadya Suleman to serve as the radical left-wing group's foreclosure poster child.

Thomas Sowell: "Not One of Us" If Barack Obama has been the most remarkable phenomenon of the recent political scene, Sarah Palin must be second.

And, from Real Clear Politics (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2009/02/msnbc_oh_god.html):



(If the video doesn't work, go here: http://en.sevenload.com/videos/FwkTc86-MSNBCer-Says-Oh-God-Before-Jindal-Reponse)

Another Lobbyist Set to Join Administration

Obama's nominee for U.S. Trade Representative squeezes through lobbying loophole.
From ABC News' Jake Tapper
On first blush, Ron Kirk, the former mayor of Dallas and President Obama's nominee for U.S. Trade Representative, could seem as though he has an enormous impediment standing in his way to the Cabinet: President Obama's high standards against lobbyists in his Cabinet.
As recently as last year, Kirk was a lobbyist for investment bank Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., and President Obama has said no one can work in his administration on issues they lobbied on in the previous two years.
http://www.aim.org/don-irvine-blog/another-lobbyist-set-to-join-administration/

Banking Bailout vs Homeowner Bailout

I ranted last night about the newest bailout Mr. Obama is shoving down our throats (can you tell it wasn't a positive rant?). Rick Santelli's comments has started a taxpayer rally that is spreading like wildfire and I am on the bandwagon!

Someone left a comment on my post asking where I was when the government wanted to bailout the banks.

I was right here, same place. I was calling my elected officials telling the NO, NO, NO.

I have no idea where Rick Santelli was or what he thought about it.

I know that when all of this first started most of us were stunned. I don't know about you guys, but I didn't see the magnitude. My way of handling it would never have been to throw money at the problem.

Our government knew the problem started with housing, yet they chose to throw money at banks first? TARP is and was a fiasco. I will say however, that I do not agree with putting caps on salaries. I think it's fine to give the money and say that it can ONLY be used to give out loans to businesses and individuals, but I am NOT for nationalizing our banks.

Many point fingers at President Bush. Yep, he was right in there with Congress saying we have to do something. But you know what? They split the money and left it up to the Obama administration to decide whether to hand out the rest.

They did, and they mortgaged our kids future to add even more money that doesn't exist to the pile.

Then they heaped even more on with this irresponsible reward program for people who shouldn't be in the houses they're losing in the first place.

They are busily growing government at a clip that should scare the average person.

Rick Santelli's unscripted, from-the-heart rant has given ALL of us a voice. We've been out here yelling and screaming, writing and complaining. We've been calling our elected officials. We've been trying but no one has been listening. They're ignoring us.

The housing bailout for deadbeats (and yes, some who lost jobs and tried honestly and valiantly) may just be the straw that broke the camels back. The last crack in the dam.

I hope that video is on every blog in America by the end of the day. I hope everyone who's been frustrated with what's been going on stands up and yells loud and clear.

There is no difference between this bailout, the trillion dollar spending bill or TARP. They are ALL wrong.

Go Rick, Go! Kudos to Rick Santelli

Rick Santelli said what most of us have been thinking on CNBC - namely that this bailout of irresponsible people who bought more house than they can afford stinks to high heaven.

Sure, there are some that lost their jobs and they're struggling. But many of us who are managing to pay our house payments are struggling, too. The government pushed people who couldn't afford a house into mortgages they were never going to be able to handle. All because they wanted to make sure everyone, whether they were responsible or capable, could own a house.

Well, I have news for the President. Not everyone can handle a house payment. Not everyone "deserves" a house. It's a responsibility.

I rented for years while I scraped together the money to buy a house. A catastrophe happened and I had to use that money for an emergency regarding my son. I had a nice rental house, was happy as I could be in it. Sure, I wanted to own, but it didn't happen for many, many years.

When I bought, I figured out what I could afford. I factored in house maintenance, emergencies, and other things. When I went to buy my house as a single mom, I was told I could buy much more house than I had decided I could handle.

I said thanks, but no thanks.

Many people didn't.

Now, because they got in over their heads I am supposed to bail them out?

It's bad enough that we're going to be stuck with the future-killing stimulus bill.

Rick Santelli is my hero. He said what I'd be saying if I had a platform to say it that would reach millions. We need more Santelli's. We need a nation-wide tea party.



Take the poll: Would You Join Santelli's "Chicago Tea Party?"
http://www.cnbc.com/id/29283701

- ab

Obama signs the stimulus...

Great animation on Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinions/cartoonsandvideos/telnaes/telnaes_main.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

If they attempt card check and the fairness doctrine there may be an uprising before 2010.

NFRW Letter to Editor Campaign re: Stimulus

National Federation of Republican Women Announces a Letter-To-The-Editor Campaign
Questionable Or Non-Stimulative Spending in the American Recovery and Reinvenstment Act

NFRW is hosting a letter-to-the-editor campaign concerning the The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1). Use the facts below to help you get started.

Although the bill has passed, many Americans do not know nor understand that this bill passed having questionable or non-stimulative spending. Let Americans know that the Democrats passed a bill that is clearly questionable and that they should take responsibility for a mistake that will cost Americans billions of dollars.

Questionable or Non-Stimulative Spending in the The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1)

-$50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts
-$2 billion for the Neighborhood Stabilization Fund, providing funds to organizations such as ACORN, which has been accused of practicing unlawful voter registration in recent elections
-$10 million for the inspection of canals in urban areas
-$100 million for grants to small shipyards
-$198 million to authorize payments to certain Filipino veterans from WWII
-$300 million for the Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program
-$2 billion to support the manufacturing of advanced vehicle batteries
-$1 billion for Community Development Block Grants
-$1.3 billion for Amtrak, including $450 million for a new rail security grant program not included in either the House-passed or the Senate-passed bills
-$300 million for federal procurement of plug-in and fuel efficient vehicles
-$8 billion for a High Speed Passenger Rail Program, after the House did not include any funding for the program and the Senate included $2 billion, which will fund at least one project from Las Vegas to Los Angeles
-$15 million for historic preservation at historically black colleges and universities
-$170 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to research the cause, effects and ways to mitigate climate change
- $200 million for Americorps and other paid "volunteerism" programs
-$400 million for NASA to accelerate climate research missions
-$5.5 billion for federal buildings (GSA), including $4.5 billion to convert federal buildings into "high-performance green buildings" and $450 million for a new headquarters for the Department of Homeland Security
-$210 million for a new grant program to modify and upgrade local fire stations
-$142 million for the Coast Guard to alter or remove 4 obstructive bridges
-$25 million for the Smithsonian Institution for maintenance backlogs
-$1 billion for expenses in conjunction with the 2010 decennial census
-$650 million for Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupons
-$1 billion for a Prevention and Wellness Fund, which can be used for sexually transmitted disease (STD) education and prevention programs at the CDC
-$500 million to replace a 30-year old computer system at the Social Security Administration
-$500 million for a health professions training program-funding which an earlier committee report said were allocated because, "a key component of attaining universal health care reform will be ensuring the supply of primary care providers."

Need More Facts?
Download complete summary.

Need Help Writing a Letter-To-The Editor?
Download summary.

Cato Institute Video on Stimulus

Government Contractors

Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken fence at The White House in D.C. One from New Jersey, another from Tennessee and the third, from Florida. They go with a White House Official to examine the fence.

The Florida contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some figures with a pencil. 'Well,' he says, 'I figure the job will run about $900: $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 profit for me.'

The Tennessee contractor also does some measuring and figuring, then says, 'I can do this job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 profit for me.'

The New Jersey contractor doesn't measure or figure, but leans over to the White House official and whispers, '$2,700'

The official, incredulous, says, 'You didn't even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?'

The New Jersey contractor whispers back, '$1000 for me, $1000 for you, and we hire the guy from Tennessee to fix the fence.'

'Done!', replies the government official.

And that, my friends, is how it all works !!!

To Stimulate Economy, Obama Should Revive Reagan-Era Initiative, Law Professor Says

To Stimulate Economy, Obama Should Revive Reagan-Era Initiative, Law Professor Says
The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 (ERTA) offers a blueprint for fiscal stimulus that would be far more effective than the stimulus package currently before Congress, says Bill Brown, a visiting professor of the practice of law at Duke University.

This is the voice of our future? our present? Another Obama voter speaks...

The "logic" behind the pundit piece from The Hill (below) is... not just scary, it's non-existent. He certainly doesn't understand what's in the so-called "stimulus" package, so I'm guessing he gets his news in soundbites from the mainstream media at best.

I'm not much older that this writer and in my opinion, this is the voice of someone who 1) thinks the world owes them something 2) thinks the world owes them something and 3) thinks the world revolves around them. Oh, and they also don't understand economics, what's going to happen when the bill comes due, that the money has to come from somewhere, that there are consequences for actions now, that debt compounds, that inflation happens, and, and, and, sputter, sputter.

I can't believe The Hill featured this one!

When Matt Hardigree grows up, if he ever does, he's going to look back on this pundit post and be embarrassed. That is if he doesn't turn into one of those blustering blow-hards who never admits they're wrong. Or if he doesn't get so wrapped up in a liberal cocoon that he never touches reality again.

He'll argue with me now, but believe me, there will be a point in the future when he is living with the consequences of the stimulus vote, and others coming on its heels, and he will wish he had been on the other side - even if he never admits it publicly.

Debt I'm OK With — It's the Bridge Collapse Death Scenario that Makes Me a Bit Uncomfortable
by Matt Hardigree

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called the stimulus package before Congress generational theft. Which is true. But I'm the generation you're stealing from and I'm giving you a pass on this one, OK? It's nice of you, being not of my generation by what we'll charitably call a small margin, to think about me, but we're all totally cool with this. You can have Cindy Google it. This is why I voted for the other guy. Is it really theft if you ask someone to take it from you?

I'm really pleased you considered me, especially since you were so happy to send my friends and family to die in a war you can't explain; you totally de-funded education so I had to work four jobs to get through college without mountains of debt; and you prioritized defense spending over transit so I've got to drive everywhere.

Being merely a quarter-centry old, and given what the actuarial tables say about my chances, I'm just the person in the crosshairs of this debt. I'll likely be paying taxes for the next five decades, which is something you can't say about a lot of the Republican decisionmakers. And with Democratic decisionmakers, you can't be sure they've ever paid taxes at all.

Even more so, the infrastructure built will be the infrastructure I use my entire life. The power grid built will provide the power I use to heat my house and recharge my iPhone. Those jobs will create my wealth and help start the companies I invest my retirement in. And because of that I can say this: I'm OK with the debt. Put it out of your mind. I'd rather inherit the debt than die in a fiery crash because you thought I was too cheap to invest in a few roads. I want bridges that don't fall apart.

More importantly, I want schools for my kids so they aren't cramped in a tiny classroom with 400 other kids. But hey, some moderate Dems and Reps came in and saved us from $16 billion for school construction, $1 billion for Head Start and an additional $40 billion to help states pay for education costs. Apparently, being a "moderate" means not giving a crap about kids.
But hey, I'll still get the middle-class tax cut. I can take my $500 share and get together with a few thousand other people and we'll build a school. Right? That's how it works? Oh, it doesn't? Bummer.

You know what's generational theft? NOT taking some money from us to invest in schools, roads and infrastructure so we'll have the same opportunities and facilities you had as adults. We, the future generation between the ages of 18 and 39, voted for the other guy by a margin of more than 2-to-1. We voted in such high margins we got a black guy from Chicago with a Hebrew first name, Muslim middle name and an inability to bowl elected president. For this.

By depriving us of what we need, and what we clearly asked for, you're stealing from my generation. Stop being a generational thief, John McCain.

Your generation got the space program funded by government investment, countless Pulitzer Prize-winning plays funded by government investment and some pretty sweet interstates funded by government investment. We've got Twilight, buckling highways and Pluto isn't even a planet anymore. You owe us one.

COMMENT ON THIS POST

-ab

New bailout, next $350B, usual suspects

President Obama's administration has a new plan for the $700 billion financial rescue package, but is relying on some of the same old people to implement it. READ MORE

Money Monitor

Each week, the RSC Money Monitor tracks how bills passed by the House affect authorizations, mandatory spending, and federal government revenue.

Authorizations
Five-year cost of authorizations passed by the house this week: $130.3 million
H.R. 748 (Campus Safety Act): $13.8 million
H.R. 549 (FAST Redress Act): $5.5 million
H.R. 559 (National Bombing Prevention Act) $111.0 million
Five-year cost of authorizations passed by the House this year: $150.3 million

Mandatory Spending
Five-year change in mandatory spending passed by the House this week: $0
Five-year change in mandatory spending passed by the House this year: $333.4 billion

Appropriations
One-year cost of appropriation passed by the House this week: $0
One-year cost of appropriations passed by the House this year:
Fiscal Year 2008: $0
Fiscal Year 2009: $276.9 billion
Fiscal Year 2010: $66.5 billion
Fiscal Year 2011: 4.1 billion

Revenue
Five-year change in revenue passed by the House this week: $0
Five-year change in revenue passed by the House this year: $177.7 billion

Rep. Michele Bachmann (MN-06) to Introduce Truth in Accounting Act

Rep. Bachmann’s Truth in Accounting Act will require the federal government to fully disclose its spending obligations—money Congress has already agreed to spend in future years—in the U.S. Treasury’s annual Financial Report to achieve government transparency and accountability that does not exist today. Traditional fiscal measures such as debt held by the public, deficit projections over short, 5 or 10 year periods, or 75-year estimates of Social Security and Medicare shortfalls do not fully account for all of the government’s spending commitments. The bill would provide a fuller and fairer picture of existing budget deficits and the growing fiscal burden facing every American. (Read more)

RedState: Hypocritical House Democrats’ Trillion Dollar Fiscal Obscenity

Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (MI-11)
Unable to defend the trillion dollar fiscal obscenity they deceitfully christened the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, hypocritical House Democrats are attacking the bill’s opponents – well, just the Republican ones. Evidently, the hypocritical House Democrats are shocked Americans are disgusted by a trillion dollar fiscal obscenity that does much for hiking artists who are trying to stop smoking and avoid STDs, but does nothing – or worse than nothing – to create jobs for working families and respect taxpayers. (Read more)

Washington Times: French Solutions Not the Right Solution for U.S.

So what are we getting for our $500 billion? Basically just a grab bag of non-stimulative liberal spending priorities, such as the National Endowment for the Arts, Americorps, climate research, and yes, it's hard to believe, even a $25 billion down-payment on government-run health care. What about all the wonderful tax cuts supposedly in the bill? This will surprise readers who are not familiar with Washington double-talk, but there is actually not a single income tax cut in the bill. (Read more)

by Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04)

As if TARP and Stimulus didn't spend enough funny money

We're all so focused on the stimulus that we're overlooking other spending that is in the works or soon to be in the works. Democrats have another $410 billion already scheduled to be considered AFTER they stuff the stimulus down our throats. I think these people have lost touch with reality. It's funny money. Print it, spend it, play with it. Fun fun. Whoo hoo.

I want to know why in this time of open and transparent government that Obama's Democrats won't let the Republicans or the rest of us see what's coming next. Not funny.

GOP Challenges House Democrats to Release Omnibus Details
House Republican leaders on Tuesday called for public release of the proposed omnibus package that would include the nine remaining spending bills for fiscal 2009.
Less than an hour earlier, House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters the House is unlikely to consider the omnibus until later in the month, after the Presidents Day recess... The remaining nine spending bills total about $410 billion.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/20090203/pl_cq_politics/politics3023225_5

- ab

Why I oppose the "stimulus"

I had a comment on an earlier blog which chided me for not realizing the strong need for a stimulus package. A quick stimulus package. They noted the unemployment figures and other data which could be fixed or helped with a stimulus package.

For me, the operative word is 'could'. Who knows if it will help.

We rushed through TARP 1 and it did nothing. It was a waste of billions of dollars. In fact, they can't even figure out where $78 billion ended up. Tomorrow, Monday, they'll be asking for TARP, part 2. I understand there's a TARP three in the works, too. Not to mention the huge omnibus package of even MORE spending totaling in the neighborhood of $410 billion. That's $410 BILLION above and beyond TARP and the trillion dollar stimulus package.

I saw a bit today where one of the Senators showed a graphic of a trillion dollars stacked, not end to end flat. It would wrap around the globe, the world, thirty-nine, 39, times. You've probably heard that if you spent a million dollars a day from the day Jesus was born until now that you STILL wouldn't hit a trillion dollars.

We're talking real money here. It's hard to grasp. It's even harder to imagine what printing up that much money with nothing to back it up will do to our economy a few years down the road.

Economists are split over whether this stimulus package will help, hinder or be neutral when it comes to alleviating the current problems we face as a nation. Those who think it might help are split over whether it will help enough, is overkill or timely.

It stands to reason that if the best minds of our day don't know the impact, Congress sure doesn't. If they don't know, rational thought would beg that they go slow. Another few days isn't going to put the economy over a cliff.

The stimulus package is full of programs that have nothing, nada, zip, to do with stimulating the economy.

Why not split out all the controversial stuff? Vote on those programs separately. Why not implement the things that 75% or more of the Senate can agree upon? Why not stick to Mr. Obama's own requirements of targeted and fast working (my paraphrase)?

The stimulus bill is full of NEW government programs that will have even more of the country on some form of "welfare". I don't think more government intrusion into our lives is the answer, I think it will create problems.

So much of what is being funded in this bill will require long-term maintenance. Most of it is not self-supporting projects, they do not create revenue, they need to be on continual life-support.

Almost everyone agrees this is going to create run-away inflation and when the bill comes due for the stimulus, we'll be in an even bigger hole.

I think we need some help. I just disagree with the help that's being offered. We do NOT need MORE government. The jobs being created should be private sector jobs, not government jobs. We don't need to fix up lawns, fund research, or do a large, large percentage of the things that have been stuffed into this gargantuan Christmas package.

I also think that what is REALLY going on here is that we're in the "honeymoon" period and the Democrats know this is the time to ram everything through they want. They have the perfect cover given the urgency of our economic problems. A month, two months, six months down the road the public will be watching and it will be hard to slide some of the things in this "stimulus" package past us.

If you'd like to find out more about what's in the stimulus package to here:

www.readthestimulus.org

Go here to take action against the stimulus package:

www.nostimulus.com
http://www.tcunation.com/ - links to the three Republicans who are voting FOR the bill
http://moveovermoveon.posterous.com - info on all Senators, info on the bill and ways to get involved in stopping

Good info re: what's in the stimulus package

While things have changed some since this article was written on Thursday, there's still a lot of good info on the ridiculous items included in the stimulus bill. If they wanted to stimulate the economy, they could just do a jobs package. Some tax relief and some help for the housing industry. Period. All this other stuff has nothing to do with stimulating the economy. It's simply a mechanism to consolidate power under the Democrats. We will regret this bill.

50 De-Stimulating Facts
Chapter and verse on a bad bill.
By Stephen Spruiell & Kevin Williamson
Senate Democrats acknowledged Wednesday that they do not have the votes to pass the stimulus bill in its current form. This is unexpected good news. The House passed the stimulus package with zero Republican votes (and even a few Democratic defections), but few expected Senate Republicans (of whom there are only 41) to present a unified front. A few moderate Democrats have reportedly joined them.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YjcyODIyZGM2MGU1ZDdkNDgxZDc3OTNjYjM4ZDY1ODI=

Obama: Pork Happens

FRC: Last year, Sen. Barack Obama proposed more than $331 million worth of earmarks to the Appropriations Committee on Illinois's behalf. As CNN says, that was last year. On January 6, 2009, the President-elect pledged to change his ways. He vowed to the American people that the stimulus plan would be pork-free. "We are going to ban all earmarks," he insisted.

What a difference a month--and some public resistance--make. Realizing that his recovery package wasn't headed toward a fairy-tale ending, Obama did what mortal politicians do. He broke his promise. During his speech to the House Democrats' retreat yesterday, Obama returned to politics as usual. "[T]here's the argument, well, this is full of pet projects. When was the last time that we saw a bill of this magnitude move out with no earmarks in it? Not one," he said to applause. "So then you get the argument, well, this is not a stimulus bill--this is a spending bill. What do you think stimulus is?"

In his must-read column today, "The Fierce Urgency of Pork," Charles Krauthammer highlights the President's warning that if Congress doesn't act on the stimulus, the crisis would become "a catastrophe." "So much for the president who in his inaugural address two weeks earlier declared 'we have chosen hope over fear.' Until, that is, you need fear to pass a bill."

Although Republicans have tried to strip some excess from the stimulus, Democrats had a small victory of their own yesterday, defeating Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-S.C.) amendment to ban religious discrimination from the bill by a 43-54 vote. Only Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) deserted the GOP to side with her liberal pals in opposing the provision.

To hear more about the stimulus--straight from the elephant's mouth--please tune in to Washington Watch Weekly for my one-on-one conversation with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). He'll help us break down the bill. Later, our own Dr. Pat Fagan will discuss Obama's socialized health care plan. For a station listing, show schedule, or to subscribe by podcast, visit www.frcradio.com.

Additional Resources
The Washington Post: The Fierce Urgency of Pork

From Family Research Council, www.frc.org

Romney: Stimulate the economy, not government

These are extraordinary times, and like a lot of Republicans I believe that a well-crafted stimulus plan is needed to put people back to work. But the Obama spending bill would stimulate the government, not the economy.

We're on an economic tightrope. The package that passed the House is a huge increase in the amount of government borrowing. And we've borrowed so much already that if we add too much more debt, or spend foolishly, we could invite an even bigger crisis.

We could precipitate a worldwide crisis of confidence in America, leading to a run on the dollar or hyperinflation that wipes out family savings and devastates the middle class.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/06/romney.stimulus/index.html

ALG President Urges Senate to Reject “Stimulus” as Public Turns against Trillion Dollar Spending Bill

Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today urged members of the Senate to vote against the trillion dollar spending bill currently being considered amidst public opinion polls showing increased opposition to the legislation's measures.

“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is going to ram the bill through before support drops to the single digits. It's a race,” Wilson said.

Rasmussen Reports released a poll yesterday showing only 37 percent of the American people supporting the legislation, with 43 percent now opposed. This follows an increasing wave of opposition to the bill, which passed the House last week with a price tag of $819 billion, or $1.2 trillion over a decade with interest.

“This trillion dollar spending spree by Congress to claim they 'did something' for the economy is a rotting carcass,” said Wilson.

“The public is growing wise to what their Congress is up to, and they know it stinks,” Wilson added.

Wilson noted that even if the legislation does pass the Senate today, it will not reach the President's desk until next week the earliest.

“The House and Senate still would need to reconcile their two bills in a conference committee,” Wilson said. “And if past experience is any indication, the bill, which already contains plenty of wasteful provisions that will not stimulate sustainable economic growth, will only get worse.”

The bill contains provisions to balance state government budgets, expand Medicaid, boost education spending, food stamps and unemployment benefits, build federal buildings, provide more for public housing, construct climate change supercomputers, erect trade barriers overseas, create refundable tax credits, and other provisions that Wilson believes are “nothing more than special interest handouts.”

Yesterday, 18 free market and limited government leaders released a joint letter critical of provisions in the legislation already passed by the House of Representatives.

“They need to know that there is still time to tell their Senators to vote 'no', and that even if the bill passes today, there will still be yet more time to tell both the House and the Senate to vote 'no' on the conference report,” Wilson added.

Wilson believes that by that time, public opposition and protest against the legislation will reach a fever pitch.

“Time is not on Congress' side right now. And there will undoubtedly be political consequences for anyone that votes for this trillion dollar turkey,” Wilson concluded.

StimulusWatch.org

Want to see where the money's going? The site doesn't appear to track it all, but it's very interesting. You can vote on the projects and leave comments. I just took a quick look so will need to look a bit closer to see later in the day when I have more time, but wanted to share. Thanks to Moms for Sarah Palin (http://moms4sarahpalin.blogspot.com) for sharing this link in her blog. Here's some info from the site:

Congress and the President are getting ready to spend billions of dollars to try to stimulate the economy. As a result, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has responded by releasing a list of "shovel-ready" projects in cities around the country that the mayors would like to see funded.

President Obama, however, has promised to spend stimulus dollars only on critical projects.

"What we need to do is examine what are the projects where we're going to get the most bang for the buck [and] how are we going to make sure taxpayers are protected," he has said. "You know, the days of just pork coming out of Congress as a strategy, those days are over."

StimulusWatch.org was built to to help the new administration keep its pledge and to hold public officials to account. We do this by allowing you, citizens around the country with local knowledge about the proposed projects in your city, to find, discuss and rate those projects.

The project was started by Jerry Brito after Eileen Norcross pointed out to him the opportunity the mayor's report presented. Jerry herded cats on the project and contributed the graphic design. The development of the site was lead by Peter Snyder, who coded the site in PHP and MySQL and implemented the MediaWiki integration. Peter was assisted by Kevin Dwyer, who helped scrape and format the report data.

Its creators are:

Jerry Brito, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. His research has focused on government transparency and accountability, specifically how the internet can be harnessed to crowdsource the task of keeping officials accountable. You can read his paper on the subject, "Hack, Mash, and Peer: Crowdsourcing Government Transparency," (PDF) pubilshed by the Columbia Science & Technology Law Review. His personal site is jerrybrito.org.

Kevin Dwyer, Senior Computer Scientist at White Oak Technologies, Free Software contributor, and GNU/Linux zealot. Also a Pythonista, Kevin writes about the science of computers and beer at http://squareone.pheared.net.

Eileen Norcross, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Her research has focused on state and local budgets, economic development, and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. For more information, you can read her paper, "The Community Development Block Grant: Does it Work?"

Peter Snyder, contract programming. He specializes in Web 2.0 projects and Cocoa programming in Chicago, IL. He can be contacted about projects or comments at snyderp@gmail.com, or at his website www.peteresnyder.com. You can read is daily thoughts at snyderp.tumblr.com.

Again, this is an independent website that is not affiliated or connected to any organization including the developers' employers.

Trillion TV ad; Slams Reid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqtjYf6M4gU

The Dead Horse

Young Chuck in Montana bought a horse from a farmer for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the horse the next day.

The next day he drove up and said, "Sorry son, but I have some bad news... the horse died."

Chuck replied, "Well, then just give me my money back."

The farmer said, "Can't do that. I went and spent it already."

Chuck said, "Ok, then, just bring me the dead horse."

The farmer asked, "What ya gonna do with him?"

Chuck said, "I'm going to raffle him off."

The farmer said, "You can't raffle off a dead horse!"

Chuck said, "Sure I can, Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead."

A month later, the farmer met up with Chuck and asked, "What happened with that dead horse?"

Chuck said, "I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars a piece and made a profit of $998."

The farmer said, "Didn't anyone complain?"

Chuck said, "Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two dollars back."

Chuck grew up and now works for the government. He was the one who figured out how to "bail us out".