Good Government

FRC Criticizes Court Ruling, Warns against the Roe v. Wade of Same-Sex 'Marriage'

2010-08-04T21:08:00.002-05:00

Family Research Council (FRC) criticized today's decision by federal District Court Judge Vaughn Walker which declared that the U.S. Constitution includes a right to same-sex "marriage."

Earlier this year, FRC filed an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") legal brief in a lawsuit brought by advocates of so-called "same-sex marriage" against California's Proposition 8, a state constitutional amendment adopted by California voters in 2008 which says (in full), "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." FRC will now join the fight to reverse the decision on appeal.

FRC President Tony Perkins released the following statement:

"This lawsuit, should it be upheld on appeal and in the Supreme Court, would become the 'Roe v. Wade' of same-sex 'marriage,' overturning the marriage laws of 45 states. As with abortion, the Supreme Court's involvement would only make the issue more volatile. It's time for the far Left to stop insisting that judges redefine our most fundamental social institution and using liberal courts to obtain a political goal they cannot obtain at the ballot box.

"Marriage is recognized as a public institution, rather than a purely private one, because of its role in bringing together men and women for the reproduction of the human race and keeping them together to raise the children produced by their union. The fact that homosexuals prefer not to enter into marriages as historically defined does not give them a right to change the definition of what a 'marriage' is.

"Marriage as the union between one man and one woman has been the universally-recognized understanding of marriage not only since America's founding but for millennia. To hold that the Founders created a constitutional right that none of them could even have conceived of is, quite simply, wrong.

"FRC has always fought to protect marriage in America and will continue to do so by working with our allies to appeal this dangerous decision. Even if this decision is upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals-the most liberal appeals court in America-Family Research Council is confident that we can help win this case before the U.S. Supreme Court."

Click here to download Family Research Council's amicus brief: http://www.frc.org/legalbrief/perry-v-schwarzenegger

Gary L. Bauer - We Must Keep Fighting!

2010-03-22T13:25:00.000-05:00

Last night, the House of Representatives passed ObamaCare by a vote of 219-to-212. The most bi-partisan aspect of the bill was the opposition to it. Republicans voted unanimously against it and they were joined by 34 Democrats. This bill raises taxes by more than $500 billion. It imposes new taxes on investments and new fines on businesses. It imposes unconstitutional mandates on Americans and funds abortion. This is what happens when liberals get power.

In a weekend of outrageous statements, the worst was to hear Obama and Pelosi describing their takeover of nearly 20% of our economy in the language of liberty. They cloaked one of the biggest expansions of government and retractions of liberty in our nation’s history in conservative rhetoric. For example, Nancy Pelosi hailed the vote as “great act of patriotism.”

After the House vote, President Obama said, “We proved that this government — a government of the people and by the people — still works for the people.” But the American people didn’t want this bill. The latest Rasmussen poll found that likely voters opposed it 41%-to-54%. In fact, there is not a single poll the president can point to in the past 60 days that shows public support for the legislation that passed last night.

Conservatives did everything in their power to stop socialized medicine. The reconciliation process used to circumvent conservative efforts is proof of that. And while the Left is celebrating today, it has damaged our democratic republic in the process. The bill was written behind closed doors. Committee hearings were a charade. It passed the Senate not because of the legislation’s merits, but because of special deals and kickbacks. Until the national uproar, Speaker Pelosi had planned on passing it without even voting on it.

When a Republican doesn’t vote consistently for conservative principles, he is called a RINO – a Republican In Name Only. I don’t know what you call a Democrat who betrays his core principles, but this bill should be called the “Stupak Abortion Subsidy Act.”

Rep. Bart Stupak has been elected to Congress as a Democrat since 1992 in a relatively conservative district. But he was always pro-life. Yesterday, Stupak sold out his pro-life values for an executive order from the most pro-abortion president in history. An executive order cannot override legislation. That’s why the Hyde Amendment was so important and has been reaffirmed by every Congress for more than 30 years. The Senate bill funds abortion, which is why Stupak consistently said he was a “No” vote until the very end.

My friends, this is just the beginning. Obama said recently that he was going to wear us down. The Left isn’t done. Immigration “reform” is next. This is gut check time for our values and American Values is not giving up. We have serious concerns with the constitutionality of the healthcare legislation, as do several states. We are exploring various legal avenues to continue the fight for our values in the courts.

Now if your reaction is to throw your hands up in despair, give up and walk away, then the Left has worn you down. But if your reaction is to recommit to the values we cherish and fight even harder, then it’s not too late to make America the “shining city upon a hill” our Founding Fathers envisioned. I’m not giving up and I pray you will continue to stand with me!

American Values
2800 Shirlington Road
Suite 950
Arlington, VA 22206

Phone: 703-671-9700
Fax: 703-671-1680

EMAIL GARY BAUER
VISIT AMERICAN VALUES

Obama Heading to Massachussetts: Pro Troop PAC Says "Dems are desperate"

2010-01-15T18:59:00.001-05:00

Move America Forward Freedom PAC Chief Strategist, Sal Russo, said “deploying President Obama to Massachusetts on Sunday just two days before the election shows just how desperate Democrats have become over the surging poll numbers from Republican Scott Brown. “

MAF Freedom PAC, a political action committee organized to support candidates who stand behind U.S. military troops and their missions in the war on terror, was encouraged to learn that President Barack Obama will be traveling to Massachusetts on Sunday to garner support for Martha Coakley – confirming her vulnerability to losing in this blue state.

“But while Obama is a very good campaigner, I don’t think he can overcome the anti-military and national security views of Martha Coakley. In fact I think his presence will only encourage a record turnout from pro-troop supporters and citizens who are concerned about Coakley’s support for full constitutional rights for terrorists in American civilian courts.

While Scott Brown and Martha Coakley differ on many issues, the Pro-Troop MAF PAC has been hitting Coakley hard on her national security standpoints.

“We chose to endorse Scott Brown because he is an officer in the National Guard who understands serving our country honorably and because he takes a ‘tough on terror’ stand unlike the far-left Coakley. Brown, like the people of Massachusetts, favors military commissions rather than civilian trials and opposes constitutional rights for terrorists. He agrees that it is simply ridiculous that American troops are forced to Miranda rights to some enemy combatants on the battlefield. Martha Coakley wants to close GITMO and bring terrorists to the United States where they can spread their venomous ideas through our prison system.“ Russo added.

The Pro-Troop PAC has contributed the maximum amount to the Scott Brown for U.S. Senate campaign as well as sponsoring online advertising as an independent expenditure for the campaign. The advertising touts Scott Brown’s national security credentials over Coakley and points out Coakley’s support for constitutional rights be given to enemy combatants and terrorists.

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

2009-12-31T07:54:00.000-05:00

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

2009-12-30T10:09:00.001-05:00

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...

2009-12-26T09:01:00.000-05:00

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?

2009-10-19T06:43:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-12T15:16:00.000-05:00

/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

2009-09-25T08:12:00.003-05:00

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

2009-09-22T19:26:00.000-05:00

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

2009-09-22T18:24:00.000-05:00

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...

2009-09-21T11:27:00.001-05:00

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???

2009-09-21T10:05:00.002-05:00

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?

2009-09-20T13:08:00.001-05:00

"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...

2009-09-18T19:09:00.003-05:00

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?

2009-09-18T19:02:00.002-05:00

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

2009-09-16T19:43:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-09-14T14:53:00.003-05:00

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

2009-09-14T13:33:00.000-05:00

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

2009-07-13T20:36:00.000-05:00

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

2009-07-03T06:53:00.000-05:00

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

2009-06-26T14:56:00.006-05:00

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

2009-05-01T16:24:00.001-05:00

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

2009-04-13T08:16:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-03-26T08:14:00.001-05:00

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

2009-03-10T16:56:00.004-05:00

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?

2009-03-09T10:17:00.002-05:00

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

2009-03-06T21:35:00.002-05:00

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

2009-02-28T07:45:00.003-05:00

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?

2009-02-26T09:46:00.004-05:00

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

2009-02-25T16:46:00.001-05:00

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

2009-02-25T16:33:00.003-05:00

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

2009-02-25T10:47:00.003-05:00

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

2009-02-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

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

2009-02-20T08:11:00.002-05:00

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

2009-02-19T23:37:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-02-18T08:56:00.001-05:00

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

2009-02-17T15:34:00.001-05:00

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

2009-02-12T22:36:00.000-05:00

Government Contractors

2009-02-12T21:10:00.000-05:00

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

2009-02-12T10:02:00.000-05:00

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...

2009-02-10T08:40:00.004-05:00

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

2009-02-10T08:37:00.001-05:00

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

2009-02-09T20:41:00.002-05:00

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

2009-02-09T20:41:00.001-05:00

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

2009-02-09T20:37:00.001-05:00

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.

2009-02-09T20:36:00.001-05:00

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

2009-02-08T21:28:00.003-05:00

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"

2009-02-08T13:55:00.005-05:00

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

2009-02-07T22:29:00.004-05:00

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

2009-02-07T07:46:00.002-05:00

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

2009-02-06T10:33:00.001-05:00

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

2009-02-05T16:59:00.000-05:00

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

2009-02-02T08:40:00.003-05:00

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

2009-01-31T15:59:00.000-05:00

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

The Dead Horse

2009-01-30T21:32:00.000-05:00

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".

Stop the Stimulus: Info from NetRight Nation

2009-01-28T12:30:00.000-05:00

We need to take immediate action on the Stimulus bill. The bill will most likely be voted on in the House later this afternoon. I have put together a list of all the information that has been posted on NetRight Nation about the stimulus bill. We need to alert everyone we can over the next few hours to see this bills defeat! Let's get blogging on this!

Call Your Congressman Now: Click here for a full list of phone numbers for Representative district offices. Tell them that you want them to "Vote NO on the Stimulus".

A 40 Year Wish List: This story ran in today's edition of the Wall Street Journal. This story shows just what type of "pork" projects are inside of the stimulus package.

Congress Must STOP the 'Stimulus': The $825 billion economic “stimulus” plan now being proposed by President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats could well result in a federal deficit in excess of $2 trillion for 2009. Which means that it is now up to Senate and House Republicans to make certain that the American people are not consigned to a future of permanent serfdom to foreign creditors.

Putting the Pig Before the Bacon: President Barack Obama may be serious about banning pork in the new “stimulus” bill. And, perhaps, no individual members of Congress will insert “pet projects” (i.e. earmarks) into the legislation that is ultimately passed by Congress and presented for his signature.

200 Economists Against the Stimulus: A list of over 200 economists that are against the stimulus package.

Geithner names ex-lobbyist as Treasury chief of staff

2009-01-28T10:34:00.001-05:00

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner picked a former Goldman Sachs lobbyist as a top aide Tuesday, the same day he announced rules aimed at reducing the role of lobbyists in agency decisions.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-01-27-lobbyist_N.htm?csp=34

Malkin: Contraceptive funding thrown under Obama’s bus

2009-01-27T10:37:00.002-05:00

Love it! You see, all our yelling and screaming and hissy fits CAN have an affect. Now, let's throw a BIG tantrum about the entire unstimulating stimulus package!

Contraceptive funding thrown under Obama’s bus
By Michelle Malkin • January 26, 2009 11:27 PM
Goody. Panicky President Obama wants the Dems to eliminate Pelosi’s pet contraceptive funding from the Generational Theft Act of 2009. Only $800 billion more in needless, unstimulating stimulus spending to kill.
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/01/26/contraceptive-funding-thrown-under-obamas-bus/

Top 20 Fast Facts About the House Democrats' Trillion Dollar Spending Plan

2009-01-27T09:50:00.003-05:00

Read My Lipstick Network just zapped this to me, she rec'd from @PabloMac (Twitter). I signed up for updates from House Republican Leader John Boehner while I was on the site.

http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=109402
Washington, Jan 26 - Earlier this month, when then-President-elect Obama met with Democratic and Republican congressional leaders, he laid out a vision of crafting a bipartisan economic recovery package focused on creating jobs and fast-acting tax relief. However, in the weeks since that meeting, Democratic leaders in Congress have taken that vision and turned it upside down, crafting a plan loaded with hundreds of billions in spending on programs and projects – most of which will not impact our ailing economy for many years, if ever, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Rather than working with Republicans on a proposal that lets families, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and the self-employed keep more of what they earn to create jobs and help fix our economy, it seems congressional Democrats are prepared to barrel ahead with the same-old, same-old – more and more aimless spending – at a time when the American people expect so much more out of their elected officials in Washington. For a taste of just how badly Capitol Hill Democrats have strayed from the vision of a bipartisan plan to get our economy moving again, take a look at these 20 fast facts about their bloated plan:
http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=109402

Stop the Stimulus

2009-01-26T21:43:00.002-05:00

From Read My Lipstick Network:

I don't normally send out group emails, but this one is SO critical. Let's make this viral! We only have TWO days left to stop the stimulus. Visit www.readthestimulus.org for details on the bill then be sure to go to www.nostimulus.com and sign the petition. Don't stop there, call Congress, write letters, post blogs, send emails, send faxes! If enough people call and voice their opinion we CAN stop the stimulus.

Join me in taking a stand in the first major policy battle of President Obama's Administration.

You've seen the coverage of the approximately $1 trillion debt scheme pushed by Speaker Pelosi and President Obama that's being called the "Stimulus Package."

Sadly, many politicians in Washington, DC really believe that driving our nation even deeper into debt and using our money for wasteful government spending boondoggles is the way to get us out of the current recession.

These political leaders don't realize that massive deficits, higher taxes, wasteful spending and heavy-handed regulation are primary reasons for the current recession.

You can fight back today by visiting www.NoStimulus.com and joining the growing army of taxpayers saying NO by signing Americans for Prosperity’s petition to stop this disastrous trillion-dollar debt scheme, known as the “Stimulus Package.”

It is critical that we send a loud and clear message to DC politicians that ordinary citizens simply cannot afford the crushing burden and devastating consequences of this initiative.

Please act now to make your voice heard -- and encourage your friends and family to do the same -- by signing AFP’s petition at www.NoStimulus.com.

Kennedy's go after Patterson

2009-01-26T18:26:00.003-05:00

Whoa, the Kennedy's are saying they're going after Patterson for the Caroline Kennedy situation.

Geithner Confirmed

2009-01-26T18:26:00.001-05:00

Vote 60-34.

Ethics Committee Member Investigating Rangel Gives Back $20K

2009-01-26T17:50:00.004-05:00

Vermont Representative Peter Welch (D), who is on the House Ethics Committee investigating Charlie Rangel, gave back close to $20,000 he received from Rep. Rangel. He returned the money to "avoid any appearance of impropriety" when Nancy Pelosi named him, along with four other Democrats, to the panel.

Rangel is being investigated for a number of alleged ethics violations.

My reaction? No, no, no, no, NO. How can you accept $20,000 from someone and then be impartial when investigating them?

Yes, I realize the whole investigation is a sham to begin with, but pu-leeze, don't assume we're stupid. At least try to pretend you're giving a good effort.

Sure, the guy is giving the money back that he received from Rangel. Big deal. Welch has already used the money to win his seat, what does he need with it now? Besides, what's to say Rangel won't fork over double the amount once he's let off the hook?

I know that money goes back and forth between elected officials all the time. I also know Rangel has been in office for a long, long time and he has built up a lot of loyalty points. However, isn't there someone Pelosi can pick who doesn't owe something to Rangel?

Can you imagine what kind of uproar there would be in the media if a Republican tried this kind? I am getting more than fed up with obvious double-standards in the minds of Congress, the media and some of the public. I'm also getting really tired of our elected officials flaunting their disdain for their voting public.

Welch gives back Rangel contributions
By Susan Crabtree
Posted: 01/26/09 04:43 PM [ET]
Rep. Peter Welch (Vt.), a new Democratic member of the House ethics committee, gave back nearly $20,000 in donations he received from Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), who is under investigation by the panel for an array of ethics charges.
Welch received a total of $19,000 from Rangel’s reelection committee and leadership political action committee over the last four years.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/welch-gives-back-rangel-contributions-2009-01-26.html

This from Fox News Jan. 5th:

Ethics Wrangle
The ethics investigation into House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel still is not done — despite promises from Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Rangel is being investigated in at least four areas — including his failure to report income taxes on a Caribbean villa and the use of rent-controlled apartments in New York. Pelosi said in November, "The report will be completed by the end of this session... which concludes January 3, 2009."

The Hill newspaper reports the investigation will be further delayed because the ethics committee is currently without a chairman.

And Cybercast News reports Rangel will likely hold onto his Ways and Means chairmanship because the House voted Tuesday to eliminate term limits for committee heads. Michael Steel, House Minority Leader John Boehner’s press secretary, says "There's no limit whatsoever on the amount of time Chairman Rangel can remain chairman, despite the ethical questions he faces."

Here's a list of some of the stories on Charlie Rangel:

Rep. Rangel, AIG Sought Favors From Each Other New York Times, 1/5
Rangel Pays Parking Tickets With Campaign Funds CQ Politics, 12/30
This Year in Scandals: Congressmen Behaving Badly ProPublica, 12/24
Trips to Caribbean Appear to Have Broken House Rules The Hill, 12/17
Madoff’s Political Contributions Capital Eye, 12/16
Rangel Investigation Expanded Politico, 12/10
Rangel Disputes Ethics Violations Wall Street Journal ($), 12/9
Rangel Steered Campaign Cash to Son’s Business Politico, 12/5
This Week in Scandals ProPublica, 12/5
NY Times Rebuts Rangel’s Claims on Meeting With Donor Politico, 12/4
Pols’ Trip to the Caribbean Skirted Rules New York Post, 12/3
Rangel Takes on The New York Times Politico, 12/2
Pelosi: Rangel Ethics Probe Will Be Done By Early Jan. Politico, 12/1
Republicans Question Rangel’s Tax Break Support New York Times, 11/26
Rep. Rangel Rebukes ‘Inflammatory’ Media Report CNN, 11/26
Investigations Hamper Rangel’s Sway Politico, 11/25
Rep. Rangel Helped Protect Tax Shelter for Big Donor New York Times, 11/25
Rep. Rangel Reaped DC Home Perk While Renting in NYC New York Post, 11/24
Rep. Rangel (Finally) Hires Forensic Accountant Roll Call ($), 11/13
House Ethics Committee Stymied By ‘Truce’ Reason, 11/12
Rep. Rangel Pays Law Firm With Campaign Funds New York Post, 11/3
Rep. Rangel’s Attorney: Auditor Yet to Be Hired Roll Call ($), 10/28
Rangel’s Beach Trip Got Ethics Thumbs-Up The Hill ($), 10/1
Dem Calls for Rangel to Step Down Politico, 9/29
House Ethics Committee Votes to Investigate Rep. Rangel Politico, 9/24
Rangel Now Faces Losing Low-Rent Apts. New York Post, 9/23
Senate Candidate Refuses to Return Funds from Rep. Rangel Rocky Mountain News, 9/22
Rangel Pays IRS, Complains of ‘Guerilla War’ AP, 9/22
Ethics Committee Moves Toward Rangel Probe AP, 9/19
Rangel Deflects Blame in Open Letter Politico, 9/19
Rangel’s Illegal Free Parking May Be New Tax Woe New York Post, 9/18
Parties Spar over Convicted Donors Politico, 9/18
Rangel to Stay on Tax Committee AP, 9/17
Rangel Could Face $100K Tab for Audit Roll Call ($), 9/17
Rangel Says He Won’t Leave Ways and Means Post Wall Street Journal ($), 9/16
Rangel, Pressured, Meets With Leaders New York Times, 9/16
Rangel Failed to Report Profit on Condo Sale Roll Call, 9/15
Rep. Rangel to Hire Forensic Accountant to Investigate His Finances The Washington Post, 9/15
More Errors for Rangel; Hires New Accountant The Associated Press, 9/15
Rangel’s Papers in Disarray Roll Call, 9/15
This Week in Scandals ProPublica, 9/12
Dems Stand Up for Rangel Politico, 9/11
Watchdog Names the 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress CREW, 9/10
Rangel Tries to Explain Back Taxes on Villa New York Times, 9/10
Rangel Admits ‘Mistakes,’ Lands on Scandal Watch ProPublica, 9/10
Pelosi: Rangel Won’t Be Forced to Step Aside Politico, 9/10
Rangel to Amend Taxes, GOPers Want Him Removed From Tax Panel Chair ProPublica, 9/9
House Republicans Call on Rangel to Step Aside Politico, 9/9
Rep. Rangel to File Amended Tax Returns Wall Street Journal ($), 9/9
Rep. Rangel Asks for an Inquiry Roll Call ($), 9/9
Rep. Rangel Says He Didn’t Known of Loan Terms Washington Post, 9/8
Interest Was Waived for Rangel On Loan for His Caribbean Villa New York Times, 9/5
Rep. Rangel Failed to Report $75,000 in Income New York Times, 9/5
Rep. Rangel’s Shady Filings on Beach Villa Rental Income New York Post, 9/1
House Defeats GOP Bid to Censure Rep. Rangel AP, 8/1
Real Estate Developers Are Major Rangel Donors New York Times, 7/28
Rep. Rangel Acknowledges Seeking Gifts Washington Post, 7/24
Rep. Rangel’s Letters to Potential Donors Washington Post, 7/18
House Ethics Manual Shows Rule Rangel May Have Broken Washington Post, 7/18
Rangel Says He’ll File Ethics Complaint – Against Himself The Wall Street Journal ($), 7/17
Watchdog Seeks Ethics Probe of Rep. Rangel’s Fundraising for NY Center Washington Post, 7/16
Rep. Rangel to Move Office from Low-Rent NYC Apt AP, 7/15
Rep. Rangel Seeks Funds for Pet Project From Firms with Business Before his Panel Washington Post, 7/15
Rep. Rents Apartments at Bargain Rates The New York Times, 7/11

Call Your Senator, Urge Them to Vote Against Geithner

2009-01-26T12:18:00.001-05:00

American Solutions: Late this afternoon the United States Senate will vote on Tim Geithner's nomination for Treasury Secretary.

Last week, we asked you what you thought of his nomination in light of his tax mistakes. With more than 83,000 people responding, an overwhelming 98% of you voted to oppose Geithner.

Please call your Senators right now at 202-224-3121 and urge them to vote against Tim Geithner.

Tell them it would be wrong for someone who failed to pay $34,023 in taxes to become Treasury Secretary in charge of getting taxes from the rest of us. This is not about party, it is about principle. If Geithner is approved, he will be a symbol of favoritism and rich politicians getting a different deal than the rest of us.

Our economic future is at stake, so please call your Senators now and then click here to report back to us on your call.

Sincerely,
Dave Ryan
PresidentAmerican Solutions

Great Pro-Life Commercial from CatholicVote.org

2009-01-24T16:15:00.002-05:00

While I am not Catholic, I support CatholicVote.org (and .com) in their fight against abortion. I signed up for updates a while back and encourage you to do the same if you are pro-life. They started running this commercial on Tuesday I believe. I think it's powerful. It doesn't go over the top, it's rather subtle in its message but it does make the point their intending I think. If not, many of those who don't get it may end up checking out the website... then they'll get it .

Your tax dollars to now fund abortions around the world

2009-01-24T07:41:00.008-05:00

Whether you are pro-abortion or pro-life, this one is hitting everyone in the pocket-book and should have your wondering about Mr. Obama's priorities if nothing else.

At a time when we're being asked to swallow stimulus packages and Obama initiated plans with price tags too large for us to comprehend, the new President has chosen to start sending millions and millions of our tax dollars around the world to fund abortions.

He did it with no fanfare and no press late Friday night. In the dark of the night, with the stroke of a pen, he opted to fund the taking of lives around the world with our hard-earned tax dollars. Those dwindling dollars we're doing everything we can to hold onto at the moment.

How can he justify sending our money, our children's money, to fund abortions in other countries at a time when we're hearing from his lips that things are going to get a lot worse before they get better? Pro-life or pro-choice, this one should raise your ire.

From the AP article linked below (emphasis mine):

"For too long, international family planning assistance has been used as a political wedge issue, the subject of a back and forth debate that has served only to divide us," Obama said in a statement released by the White House. "I have no desire to continue this stale and fruitless debate."

He said the ban was unnecessarily broad and undermined family planning in developing countries.

"In the coming weeks, my administration will initiate a fresh conversation on family planning, working to find areas of common ground to best meet the needs of women and families at home and around the world," the president said.

Obama issued the presidential memorandum rescinding the Bush
policy without coverage by the media, late Friday afternoon. The
abortion measure is a highly emotional one for many people, and the quiet signing was in contrast to the televised coverage of Obama's announcement Wednesday on ethics rules and Thursday's signing of orders on closing the Guantanamo Bay prison camp and banning torture in the questioning of terror suspects.
His action came one day after the 36th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion.

From the Family Research Council:
'Planet' Parenthood
After granting a 24-hour stay on the execution of the unborn, President Obama delivered today on his promise of taxpayer-funded promotion of abortion. This afternoon, the new administration inked the order overturning the "Mexico City policy" and unleashing millions of federal dollars to international abortion groups. Of course, it was no accident that the new president postponed the act until the last possible minute on Friday, knowing the repeal would be buried in the weekend headlines. Issuing it now means that even the presidential blackberry will get more media coverage than his international abortion bailout. The end of "Mexico City" is nothing less than a tragedy for the world's poor. For more on this and other events of this week, watch the video I've recorded which can be seen at www.frcblog.com. (video posted at the end of this blog)

Obama reverses abortion-funding policy
CNN - USA
"By signaling his intention to restore US funding for UNFPA, the UN Population Fund, President Barack Obama is signaling his re-engagement with the...

Obama Reverses Bush Abortion-Funds Policy
ABC News - USA
By MATTHEW LEE and LIZ SIDOTI AP Writers
AP President Barack Obama, walks through the kitchen area of the Brady press briefing room at the White....

The Times Ignores March for Life for Second Year Running
A few dozen left-wing activists protesting Rev. Rick Warren were worthy of a Times story plus a large photo. But when tens of thousands marched in D.C. at the pro-life March for Life, they were completely ignored by the Times for the second year in a row.

Obama reverses Bush abortion-funds policy
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama on Friday struck down the Bush administration's ban on giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide abortion information - an inflammatory policy that has bounced in and out of law for the past quarter-century. Obama's move, the latest in an aggressive first week reversing contentious Bush policies, was warmly welcomed by liberal groups and denounced by abortion rights foes. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090124/D95TDP100.html

Say NO to the un-"Fairness Doctrine", Sign the Petition

2009-01-18T08:04:00.002-05:00

With the election of Barack Obama for President of the United States, and the Democrats controlling both the House of Representatives and the Senate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pushing to re-install the "Fairness Doctrine", a policy enforced by the FCC that called for issues to be debated in an equitable manner.

However, this policy is being reintroduced by Democrats to stifle conservative talk radio shows, like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and others.

By signing this petition, you are pledging your support for conservative talk radio. Please engage family, friends and colleagues to sign this as well and tell Congress NO to the "Un"Fairness Doctrine.

We (Facebook group) plan to have 1,000,000 signatories on this petition and send it to House Speaker Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President-elect Barack Obama.

The link is: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/NoToFairnessDoctrine/

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino delivers her last briefing

2009-01-16T22:55:00.003-05:00

Another class act!

President Bush's Farewell Address

2009-01-16T22:49:00.003-05:00

I thought this was very gracious. I certainly hope history is kind to George W. Bush, I thank him for keeping us safe and for all the good things he accomplished during his eight years.

Stevens trial judge orders explanation from Mukasey

2009-01-16T15:42:00.000-05:00

Anchorage Daily News: Stevens trial judge orders explanation from Mukasey
Seemingly stunned by the conduct of the Justice Department after former Sen. Ted Stevens' trial, the judge today ordered U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey to provide an accounting for how his prosecutors handled a whistle-blower complaint.

If President-elect Bush had the same reception...

2009-01-10T10:36:00.002-05:00

Can you imagine how smoothly the last eight years could have gone if President-elect Bush had received the same adoration and worship from the media that President-elect Barack Obama is receiving?

I'm mindful of the saying 'the higher they rise, the harder they fall' (or some variation of that sentiment) though.

It would have been nice if President Bush had been able to catch at least one break from the press during his tenure. I know, I know, that would have been asking for a miracle.

"Eye for an Eye" or "Turn the Other Cheek"?

2009-01-04T16:33:00.004-05:00

I have to admit, I'm conflicted at times. My general nature is easy-going, help others whenever possible, love your neighbor and hug a liberal if they get nasty.

However, I struggle at times. Some stuff just gets my blood boiling and I struggle with whether it's better to turn the other cheek or poke 'em in the eye.

I got wind earlier of a "conspiracy" if you will by over 90 libs to infiltrate Team Sarah. For those who aren't familiar with Team Sarah, it's a huge and growing group of Sarah Palin supporters. The libs were going to post racist comments and bigoted remarks as though they were Sarah Palin supporters on the site in an effort to discredit Team Sarah.

Despicable tactics, below the belt, nasty, and childish.

Obviously the efforts by Team Sarah and other Sarah Palin supporting groups are getting on the nerves of the lib element.

It's easy to want to stoop to their level and get in the gutter. It's tempting to hit the Huffington Post, the Daily Kos, and other lib groups in a similar manner in retaliations. Eye for an eye, take that ye scurvy dogs... However, then I'd be just like them, wouldn't I?

How these groups and individuals manage to justify pure ugliness as "good" is beyond my comprehension, but I guess they feel they're on the side of right so it's OK to kill and maim. Ya know, they can justify doing all those things they SAY conservatives are doing. Mind boggling.

While I may be tempted by the "eye for an eye" model, I just can't go there. Nor can I follow the "turn the other cheek" model.

I believe the oft-quoted sentiment that if you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything. I believe I have to stand up for my beliefs, however I don't think it's necessary to toss principals out the door in order to do so. I don't believe in bowing down to evil or giving in to corrupt tactics.

I believe one way to combat the corruption that has entered into the hearts of many liberals (and yes, some conservatives) is to shine the proverbial light and expose the actions.

I'm expecting many attacks on conservative values in the future. Rather than using logic or facts, we're going to see the continued twisting of information to make it conform to a belief system. We're going to see more and more people justifying their actions by the perceived end.

It's going to be so important to keep our core principles intact and to learn to ferret out the distortions. It's going to be oh so important to be vigilant and fight the good fight. Yes, fight. I don't mean fight in the gutter with those who are attacking, but we must fight. We must "out" those on both sides of the political spectrum who don't live and act on true conservative values. We have to do our homework, we have to get involved.

I firmly believe we are in the fight for everything good and true. If we don't engage, if we don't clear our mind of the clutter being thrown at us by the mainstream media we will lose this all important battle.

I think we can do it without turning the other cheek, and we can do it without blinding and maiming. I believe right will ultimately win. We just have to make sure we have enough soldiers willing to engage.

State Panel Urges Same-Sex Marriage for New Jersey

2008-12-12T22:23:00.001-05:00

State panel urges same-sex marriage for New Jersey
Susan K. Livio and Claire Heininger, Religion News Service December 10, 2008 8:45PM
New Jersey should enact a law allowing gay marriage and waste no time passing it because the state's civil unions law fails to adequately protect same-sex couples, a report to be released Wednesday said.
The final report of the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission says it gathered "overwhelming evidence" that the civil union law not only fails to provide the same protections as marriage, it also has created economic, medical and emotional hardships for gay couples.
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctpolitics/2008/12/state_panel_urg.html

Supreme Court Declines to Hear "Candy Cane" Speech Case

2008-12-12T22:20:00.001-05:00

Supreme Court declines to hear 'candy cane' speech case

LaNia Coleman, Religion News Service December 12, 2008 12:40PM
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal in a case involving a Michigan fifth-grader who tried to sell candy canes with a religious message at his school.

The high court on Monday denied the petition that the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Alliance Defense Fund filed on behalf of Joel Curry.

Curry was 11 in 2003 when he made candy cane-style Christmas ornaments with notes that school officials considered "religious literature." The notes attached to the ornaments, titled "The Meaning of the Candy Cane," referred to Jesus six times and God twice.

http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctpolitics/2008/12/supreme_court_d.html

Crunch Time for Bills, Including H.B. 276

2007-04-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

Sue Ella Deadwyler's WMVV Radio Commentary, 3/23/07

At this point in the session, time is precious, especially for legislators with bills stuck in committee. To pass this session, bills had to be out of their first committee by the 28th day, which was last Monday. If they did pass the first committee in time, they must pass the Rules Committee before they ever get to the House or Senate floor for a vote.

I'm particularly concerned about H.B. 276 that affects every person in Georgia, whether it passes or dies. If it dies, there'll continue to be no restriction on the use of very sophisticated electronic devices, some of which are, actually, designed to invade our personal privacy and track our every move. Even the harmless older versions of barcodes have been upgraded to read hidden radio frequency identification chips and store personal signatures so accurately they can be printed on paper or plastic. That's a scary fact in this age of identity thefts.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) chips may be hidden anywhere and their radio waves cannot be stopped by solid matter, making information on the chip readable through any barrier, even lead walls that x-rays can't penetrate. RFID chips are extremely versatile, come in various sizes and are priced to sell to nosey governments and businesses. They may be as small as a speck of dust and tiny enough to embed in nails, beads, wires or fibers, print on pages or paint on pictures. A company in the U.S. is busy developing RFID tags and antennas made of conductive ink that would appear as normal printing in any book, magazine or paper.

For a year Representative Ed Setzler's specially appointed committee studied how biological information is being collected and already used or its intended use. Then, on February 2 he introduced H.B. 276 to prohibit the collection, storage, or use of genetic, biometric or unique identification data without personal written consent from each individual. His bill prohibits government or business use of genetic information to decide who can or cannot buy life insurance or who pays high or low insurance rates or for screening job applicants or enrolling or refusing to enroll students in colleges and universities.

H.B. 276 requires the card holder's consent before biometric data, personal or unique ID information and medical records can be put on government issued ID or access cards and devices, including those that can be remotely read. It, also, condemns giving preferential treatment to those allowing collection of their biometric data as opposed to those refusing to release their personal data. This might seem incidental to you, but certain grocery stores discriminate against me every time I check out because I don't have a special card to get reduced prices, because my privacy is worth more to me than the price of beans.

H.B. 276 is still alive but it's on life support. Consumers in Georgia have a right to decide whether their personal biometric data can be collected or used. Call Representative Ralston at 404-656-5943 and ask him to pass this out of committee. It's do-or-die time for this session and I really hate to see this bill die.

Hate Crimes Legislation

2007-03-27T12:53:00.000-05:00

Sue Ella Deadwyler's WMVV Radio Commentary, 3/26/07

The camel's getting his nose under the tent. I don't like the camel's nose and I don't like the tent. In the early '70's pro-homosexual activists stormed the American Psychiatric Association conference and demanded removal of homosexuality from the list of deviant behaviors. The few psychiatrists and psychologists that voted YES that day cast aside centuries of medical, cultural and health standards to accommodate those demands. No doubt, the APA didn't know that crowd won't stop until homosexuality is the norm for everybody.

When the APA agreed to those demands, no one mentioned that several more sexual deviations would be added, but it has happened. Soon the term homosexual was divided into lesbian and gay to distinguish between males and females. When bisexual was added, it wasn't long before they wanted special rights for transsexual, queer (their word, not mine), allies and intersex. An urban dictionary says intersex is an umbrella term for a number of congenital abnormalities of intimate organs. Now, that crowd is known as LGBTQAI, for short.

Lest you wonder what this has to do with legislation, let me explain. S.B. 211 is the latest version of a hate crime bill that homosexual supporters have worked to pass in Georgia for several years. They've tried to add sexual orientation to the list of protected civil rights and have failed every time, but this year's bill is even more bizarre than the others. Not only does it, specifically, demand that sexual orientation become a protected status, Senator Fort agreed to amend his bill by adding "gender identity" as another civil rights category.

Again, the dictionary comes in handy. Gender identity refers to anyone who's trying to be a member of the opposite sex or someone who's undergone surgery to become a member of the opposite sex. Now, let's explore what'll happen if a bill like this passes and a boy decides he's a transvestite. Under this, he could masquerade as a girl and be a girl sometime and a boy sometime. If he wanted to go to the girls' bathroom, he'd use his girly clothes, but for the football team, he could wear his manly duds.

Consider this. The chairman of Georgia Equality's political board explained why they'll be working 'way behind the scenes to get this passed. She wants to "let it go through as quickly as possible as a crime-fighting and terrorism bill,"... and "We certainly don't want to give legislators a reason to vote against the bill because they find out it gives gay rights."

There you have it from the horse's mouth. S.B. 211 is not a hate crime bill. It's a gay rights bill. It protects those who refuse to live within the law that applies to us all. If sexual orientation and gender identity are protected under Georgia law, soon legislators will be asked to expand the list to include LGBTQAI and all other variations they concoct. Call Senator Balfour at 404-656-0095 and ask him to quietly keep S.B. 211 in his committee because it heaps confusion on top of confusion! The more we give, the further they push. Pardon my English, but it's gettin' worser and worser!

Home School Protection

2007-03-15T08:56:00.000-05:00

Sue Ella Deadwyler's WMVV Radio Commentary, 1/31/07

During the early settling of the United States, almost 100 percent of the population learned readin', writin' and 'rithmetic at home. That's before public schools enticed parents to leave their children's book-l'arnin' to professionals. The only problem is, professional book-l'arnin ain't what it used to be and more and more parents are choosing to do the job themselves. It's been almost 20 years since legislators saw such good results from home education they passed a law protecting the right of parents to teach their children at home.

But home education is no easy job and parents that choose it make a huge investment. Not only do they sacrifice big chunks of time every day, they buy their own curriculum while paying public education taxes to fund government schools their children do not attend.

There was no mention of education when the Constitution of the United States was written because it was a given. Education is a local matter, not a responsibility of government. There was no federal Department of Education until Jimmy Carter became president and fulfilled his promise to establish one if the National Education Association would get him elected. They did and he did. Amazingly, he chose Shirley Hufstedler to be the first Commissioner of Education. But, Shirley was not an educator. She was a judge and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies.

With that appointment Jimmy Carter gave the reins of education to humanists and the humanist doctrine that God does not exist, that prayer is an empty gesture, that nothing is right or wrong, all things are relative and situation ethics must guide all decisions. Global government is the humanist goal and national boundaries must become irrelevant. That situation explains why many parents in the United States want to teach their children at home.

But European parents that want that same right are having a tough time. On September 12, 2006 the European Court of Human Rights issued a decision that the German government has power to ban home education. You might wonder what a ruling in Germany has to do with the United States. I'm reminded that our U.S. Supreme Court systematically considers international law when deciding court cases in this country, although international law has no jurisdiction here. Some believe the international threat warrants an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to protect home education here and the founders of the Home School Legal Defense Association are working toward that end.

The current home education issue in Georgia is S.B. 35 introduced by Senator Pearson of District 51. He wants a law to assure parents that home-educated students that complete their high school courses and meet residency requirements will be considered for college entry on the same basis as public and private high school graduates. Call Senator Harp's Higher Education Committee at 404-463-3931 and ask him to pass this out of committee. Home education is great and it must be protected.

Two ways to skin a cat

2007-03-09T12:41:00.000-05:00

Sue Ella Deadwyler's WMVV Radio Commentary, 2/6/07

Since you were a little thing, you probably heard that old saying, "There's more than one way to skin a cat," and that's true. In fact, legislators play all the angles so they'll win, at least, some of the time. It's not unusual for the same or similar bills to be simultaneously introduced in both House and Senate. In fact, that's the strategy used last year to get a bill passed to inform parents of school clubs and extracurricular activities. If that bill had not been introduced in both House and Senate, it would not have passed.

So, the same scenario might work with today's topic. Yesterday, I talked about H.B. 147 Representative Mills introduced in the House on January 25. Today I'll talk about Senator Nancy Schaefer's S.B. 66 she introduced January 29 as a follow-up to her bill that died last year. Both bills would require ultrasound or sonogram exams for women seeking abortions.

Technology has improved so much that a specifically sensitive camera can photograph internal organs of the human body. In this case, the camera scans the contents of the womb to reveal in living color the tiny human growing and moving inside. If either of these bills passes, patients would have the privilege of "seeing" their baby long before it emerges at the end of nine months. They would know its approximate size, development and, probably, its sex.

Both of these bills require physicians that perform abortions to either provide equipment to do ultrasounds or sonograms or refer patients to facilities where such equipment is available free-of-charge. These moving pictures of the unborn child are extremely valuable to physicians who want to know the condition of the baby and whether it requires treatment or corrective surgery that can be done before it's born.

You might remember the phenomenal picture of a baby's hand reaching outside the mother's womb to grip the finger of the doctor who performed corrective surgery on it before it was born. The surgery was completed and the baby continued in the womb until the day of its birth. In addition to being helpful to doctors, ultrasounds and sonograms could be the deciding factor when prospective parents are contemplating abortion.

One interesting part of these bills is the free-will factor. While both bills require women seeking abortions to submit to ultrasound or sonogram examinations, neither bill forces the women to look at the pictures or hear the baby's heart-beat that's audible along with the images. Women may not refuse to have the ultrasound or sonogram, but they have every right to refuse to look at the results or allow the process to cloud their decisions. These are good bills. Yesterday I asked you to call about the House bill. Today, I want you to call Senator Don Thomas at 404-656-6436. He's a medical doctor from Dalton, Georgia. Tell him how much you'd appreciate having S.B. 66 become law. Just think of all those pictures the almost-mama and the almost-daddy can proudly pass around to their friends, even before the baby's born.

Driving Without A License? Watch Out!

2007-03-01T09:55:00.000-05:00

Sue Ella Deadwyler's WMVV Radio Commentary, 2/7/07

Getting a bill passed is quite an accomplishment these days. For many years bills that passed their first committee during the first half of the session went straight to the House or Senate floor for a vote. But, bills that didn't move that fast had another hurdle to jump. They were sent to the Rules Committee that decided whether it got a vote on the floor. In fact, Rules committees are so powerful they're sometimes called "gate keepers".

The Rules Committee gate-keeper role is much like the gate of a community that denies entry to unauthorized traffic. The gate-keeper Rules Committee stops bills and, tremendously, cuts the work load of the House and Senate. Since the Rules Committee kicks in after the sixth day of the session, legislators must work their bills though their first committee assignment and, subsequently, through the Rules Committee to get them to the floor for a vote. That double process, actually, takes place twice - once in the Senate and once in the House. It's not any easier for lobbyists. They follow the same process. Whether they want a bill passed or defeated, they must work both committees in the House and both in the Senate.

Tomorrow will be day 15 of the 40-day session. That means the bill I'm discussing today has already made it through the Senate Judiciary Committee, as well as the Senate Rules Committee. It's S.B. 15. Senator Wiles introduced it on January 9. It passed the Senate on January 26 and went to the House Judiciary Committee three days later.

S.B. 15 is a very important part of an on-going effort to stop illegal aliens and others from driving without a license. First, it puts teeth into current law by requiring violators to be jailed or fined for driving on Georgia roads without a license. Depending on the circumstances and frequency of the offense, violators would get two days in jail for a misdemeanor or one to five years and a fine of $2,500 to $5,000 for felonies or repeated violations.

A particularly important section of this bill requires law enforcement to make an effort to determine that nationality of the person confined or convicted of driving without a license. The bill does not indicate what happens to illegal aliens caught driving without a license, but legislators and law enforcement are getting the picture. The law must be enforced.

Back on April 14,2003 then-Senator Sam Zamarippa amended H.B. 191 to give driver's licenses to illegal aliens and convinced a majority of senators to vote his way on that bill. But then-Senator Casey Cagle immediately moved for reconsideration. After the senators had time to think about their vote, they defeated that bill. Since we seem to be hanging onto the law by a very thin thread, S.B. 15 needs to pass to reinforce our driver's license law so nobody will slip through the cracks. Call Representative Willard at 404-656-5125 and ask him to please pass S.B. 15 out of his committee. Georgia roads are dangerous enough already. We don't need drivers that either can't get a license because they can't drive or don't get a license because they're here illegally.

Sue Ella Deadwyler's WMVV Radio Commentary, 2/8/07

2007-02-27T09:39:00.000-05:00

Whether a person is a citizen of this country or an interloper hoping never to be caught, medical care is available to each regardless of the ability to pay. Of course, good old American tax payers have to pick up the tab and that's not fair, but that's the way it is.

Whether a child is a citizen of the United States or is here illegally, those same good old Americans pay for their education. Legal and illegal children, alike, are taught by teachers whose salaries are paid by tax payers. They all use books and equipment funded by taxes. So, everyone can be educated through the twelfth grade and get health care, regardless of legal status. That suggests that legal status does not matter and there's something wrong with that.

While education and health care are free for the asking, a couple of Georgia legislators of Latino descent have tried to provide even more goodies to illegals. During the 2003 session, for example, Representative Pedro Marin of Duluth, Georgia introduced a bill authorizing temporary work permits for professional counselors that have licenses to practice in a foreign country and did practice professionally there. It was no oversight that the bill did not require such foreign professionals to enter this country legally. That bill died.

Also in 2003, Senator Sam Zamarippa introduced S.B. 181 to authorize driver's licenses for international visitors, students, business people and workers from 34 foreign countries, which he named in the bill, plus other foreign investors or U.S. trade-partners. Those "visitors" were not required to be here legally or to be a resident of the U.S. That bill died, too.

This session, Senator John Douglas introduced S.B. 50 to tighten the notary public law. When the current notary public law passed, no one dreamed illegal aliens would apply for that job in this state. But, that's changed and the law has to change. S.B. 50 simply adds a reasonable provision that any person who wants to be a notary public must, not only be at least 18 years old, but must be a legal resident of the United States.

Current law already requires an applicant to be a resident of Georgia and of the county where the appointment is made and must be able to read and write the English language. But, in this day and age, requiring anyone to be able to read and write English could be a problem.

Current notary public law says anyone violating the notary public law is guilty of a misdemeanor and that's all it says. But S.B. 50 would throw the book at repeat offenders. If this bill passes, any person who violates the notary public law would be guilty of a misdemeanor for the first and second offenses. That's the equivalent of a slap on the wrist. But the third offense would be a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine up to $5,000 or both. Call Senate Judiciary Chairman Preston Smith at 404-656-0034 and ask him to pass this out of committee. This law would keep unscrupulous people from handling official documents when they shouldn't be here in the first place.

Sue Ella Deadwyler's WMVV Radio Commentary, 2/5/07

2007-02-22T14:09:00.001-05:00

When abortion was legalized January 22, 1973, two Supreme Court decisions did the dirty deed. Roe v. Wade legalized abortion through the sixth month of pregnancy. Then on the same day in 1973, the Doe v. Bolton decision legalized abortion through the ninth month. Sandra Cano was the Doe in that case, but she never wanted an abortion and never had an abortion. She, simply, wanted a divorce from her husband who was in and out of prison for molesting children. Margie Pitts Hames, now deceased but then an Atlanta attorney, lied about Sandra's case and got abortion legalized through the ninth month.

When all that happened in 1973, people could get away with claiming the pregnant woman was not carrying a baby, but a "blob of tissue". That's no longer the case. In the mid-'80's DNA proved that three-day-old embryos with four or eight cells were living beings conceived when sperm fertilized a human egg. A single cell could be extracted, analyzed and, when a special enzyme was applied, it reproduced millions of copies of the same molecule in just 24 hours. As early as 1990, scientists could determine whether those tiny embryos were male or female.

Ultrasounds or sonograms are now used extensively in medical facilities to provide added confirmation of pregnancy, along with the condition and sex of the unborn child. That technology has, also, become a deterrent to abortion. The old ultrasound showed couples their unborn babies in two-dimensional black and white moving pictures, but that's old stuff. Now there's General Electric's new four-dimensional ultrasound system showing babies in living color, up close, as they move around, suck their thumbs, hiccup, kick, open their eyes and develop in the womb. There's no doubt. Technology has proven it is a human being. It is a developing baby. It is a boy or girl. It is a son or a daughter from the moment of conception.

Last year a bill was introduced to require ultra-sound or sonogram equipment in all facilities where abortions are performed. No patient would be forced to the view images of her unborn child, but those images would be available as part of her informed consent before she has an abortion. Last year's bill did not pass, but Representative James Mills has already introduced H.B. 147 this session and another ultrasound bill is being introduced in the Senate.

The ultrasound or sonogram would, not only disclose the dimensions of the unborn baby, its sex and internal organs, the sound of the baby's heart beat would be heard at the same time. The expectant mother would be given a list of health care providers, facilities and clinics offering ultrasounds free of charge. H.B. 147 requires doctors to give prospective abortion patients the option to have an ultrasound to better inform her about the baby.

Even after viewing an ultrasound, women could choose to abort or keep their babies. H.B. 147 is in Representative Ralston's Non-Civil Judiciary Committee. Call him at 404-656-5943 and ask him to pass this out of committee. If one picture really is worth a thousand words, this bill should save a whole lot of babies.

New Citizens

2006-07-02T18:58:00.000-05:00

What a great time we had last week! Two of our dear friends became United States citizens. It was exciting. It was emotional. It was joyous.

Just think. WE are here because of birth, taking this wonderful place for granted, since we've never known anything different, but not so with Lanre and Sumbo Omonaiye. They are from Nigeria and speak of so many others who desire - who long - to come to America, not for the prosperity, but for the freedom - the goodness that is here.

Blessed with the new rights and privileges, Lanre Omonaiye spoke more of the duties and responsibilities that ensure these blessings. Do you know the FIRST thing he did, after thanking God for this great blessing? He registered to VOTE! Ahhh, a man after my own heart.

Tuesday, July 18th is the date for the Primary election. Lanre is taking seriously this opportunity to be a part of government of the people and by the people! Are you? Have you sifted through all the information and come up with your choices?

President James A. Garfield said: "Now more than ever before the people are responsible for the character of their congress (or any level of government).If that body be ignorant, reckless and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption."

I know the Omonaiyes won't tolerate these things. And, neither should we.

PRAY! MAKE WISE CHOICES! VOTE!

It's our government. It is what WE make of it.

Congratulations Lanre & Sombo Omonaiye!!! We are glad you are American citizens.

Immigration!

2006-05-18T12:32:00.000-05:00

Immigration! Everyone is talking about it. Without saying "yea or nay," "right or wrong," "good or bad," let us use it as a starting point for another discussion.

When people come to America, for what do they come? Or, why do they come?

The first immigrants came mostly for freedom- both religious and personal. They came through great hardship and struggles so that they could worship God freely, and, without oppression, be able to live the life that was brought forth out of that worship. Then, after more years of struggles and battles to maintain what they had, the people advanced to Union under the Constitution and our republic form of government. Do the immigrants realize the value of this? Do we? Do our children?

Our history is very important, all the good, the bad and even the ugly.

"History, by apprising the people of the past, will enable them to judge the future." Thomas Jefferson.

A true study of it can show us the mistakes that we do not want to make again. And, it

can also show us what is important and the good things that need to be re-instituted or reinforced.

Our history is our heritage. Our heritage connects us in a common bond.

Karl Marx said, "Take away the heritage of a people and they are easily persuaded."

Ominous words! Sure, a while back the Communists would have liked, by force, to take away our heritage so they could control us and all of our wealth. However, we would have immediately risen up and stopped that theft.

The more subtle way of which Marx was speaking consists of slowly but surely diluting our heritagethe history, by focusing on the mundane, obscuring the vital and adding little bits and pieces from here and there to separate rather than maintain the common bond. After a while it is all a jumble and of no value to protect us.

In 1913, Woodrow Wilson said, "A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing if we do not know where we came from or what we have been about."

America has always been about FREEDOM - freedom to worship, freedom to live, freedom to work, grow and prosper. Now this freedom is not to do and get just anything and everything we want. But, this FREEDOM is to live responsibly to and through the very principles on which we were founded.

According to an 1892 Supreme Court decision, "Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be BASED upon and EMBODY the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise: and in this sense and to the extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian. This is a religious people. This is historically true. From the discovery of this continent to the present hour, there is a single voice making this affirmation we find everywhere a clear recounting of this same truth that this is a Christian nation."

Our faith must be our passion, and responsibility to God and our civil government must be our purpose.

So, if the foreigners come to live here and partake of the blessings, let them learn of this heritageour heritage -- the very struggles and high cost to found, to build and

to continue this land of opportunity. May we, too, be reminded of our precious privilege.

GoodMen/Good Government

2006-04-24T16:37:00.000-05:00

"Governments, like clocks, go from the

motion men give them; and as

governments are made and moved

by men, so by them they are ruined too.

Wherefore governments rather depend

upon men, than men upon

governments. Let men be good, and

the government cannot be bad.

William Penn

It really is good men and women that make a good

government. More than you know, it is not only the leaders that must be good, but us, also, in our decisions.

Today (Monday, 4/24/06) down at the Capital in Atlanta there is a flurry of activity. This is the beginning of qualifying week for the elections in November; and, everyone wants to be first to sign up for the office for which they wish to run. It's too bad that we, the electorate, are not as excited and in a flurry of activity to find out about who these folks are and for what they stand.

Promise me--oh well, just PLEASE try this: next Monday (May 1st) go "on-line" to the Secretary of State (or call) and get a list of candidates and the offices for which they are running. For city and county candidates, you can call the county commission office. Then start checking the people out. The candidates will have contact numbers, e-mail addresses and web sights. See if you can meet them personally. Talk to others that know them first hand--are they really as good as their literature says?

NOW-PRAY for wisdom and discernment.

Who, Lord are the ones You have called and equipped with knowledge, understanding and ability to bring forth good for the people?

After having made your informed decisions, give your choices your support-- in time, finances and your vote! That's called government "of the people, for the people and by the people"

While I write this, I am remembering my meeting last week at the Capital with a dear friend. She is running for re-election as senator from a mountain district. This state senator knows good government from bad, is full of honesty and integrity, is hard working and persevering, and she's very kind. I say: "Oh Lord, more like her.

PLEASE!!!

2006-04-05T10:48:00.000-05:00

What is GOOD government?
Do we really want GOOD government?
Are we willing to do what it takes to get it?

Well, let's see what eighty-one year old Benjamin Franklin said when representatives were struggling for weeks to write the Constitution of the United States in 1787. He said:
"I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer
I live, the more convincing proofs I see of
this truth: God governs in the affairs of
man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the
ground without His notice, is it probable that
an empire can rise without His aid? We
have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred
Writings that except the Lord build the
house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly
believe this... I therefore beg leave to move
that, henceforth, prayers imploring the
assistance of Heaven and its blessing on
our deliberation be held on this assembly
every morning."
Our forefathers prayed for wisdom, understanding and help to form the best government. Should we do any less?

Most people might realize that we will be electing a governor, senators, representatives and a whole slew of other officials on November 7th. These winners will be the ones to run the government (good or bad) starting in January, 2007. Some people may even know that we will have a primary in the summer to whittle the number of candidates to one from each party for each office. BUT, if we wait for those times to choose who we wish to represent us at every level of government, we have lost our opportunity to make a difference for Good Government!

Let me explain. Starting Monday,April 24th and running through 12 noon on Friday, April 28th people will be qualifying to run for each office. After the stroke of 12o'clock on Friday, no one else, other than those who qualified, may run for the elections in November.

Good or bad, statesman or crook, those will be the only choices we have. Why don't we do right now what our forefathers did in "imploring the assistance of Heaven and its blessing..." for good in our government?

Lord God, Holy One, build our house of
government for the good of the people,
not only on thecounty level, but the
state and nation as well.
We ask You, Lord to
raise up men and women of integrity,
honesty , and wisdom to hear godly
counsel--those that will do that which is
right in Your sight. Let the upright rise
up to dwell in the government, but let
not the wicked have any place in it.
Lord, give courage and provision to
those that hear Your call, and say,
'Yes, here I am, send me."
So be it, Lord, in Jesus'name.