Same Story–Two Very Difference Perspectives

Yesterday the Washington Times posted a short article on the changes the Texas State Board of Education has made in the history and social studies curriculum. The Washington Post posted an article on the subject today.  Texas textbooks are significant because they generally end up being used in most school systems in the nation.

The Washington Times reports that some of the discussions involved using B.C.E. and C.E. instead of B.C. and A.D. to classify historical periods.   The more traditional B.C. and A.D. were kept.  The students will also learn that America is a “constitutional republic”–not a democracy (that is something that should have been taught all along!).

The Washington Times reports:

“During the monthslong process of creating the guidelines, conservatives successfully strengthened the requirements on teaching the Judeo-Christian influences of the nation’s Founding Fathers and attempted to water down rationale for the separation of church and state.”

The Judeo-Christian roots are America are seen in every constitution of the states that made up the original thirteen colonies.  To deny them is to deny the roots of America.  These roots are also seen in the Mayflower Compact and many of the original charters of our major colleges and universities.

The Washington Post reports:

“The new standards say that the McCarthyism of the 1950s was later vindicated — something most historians deny — draw an equivalency between Jefferson Davis’s and Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural addresses, say that international institutions such as the United Nations imperil American sovereignty, and include a long list of Confederate officials about whom students must learn.”

I will admit I have no idea why students have to learn about Confederate officials, but I really don’t think it will damage them.  To say that McCartyism was vindicated is an interesting idea–when the Soviet Union fell and we had access to their documents, we did find that there were Communist agents planted throughout our country and our government.  That was a fact.  However, I’m not sure if that vindicates some of the things that went on during the Congressional hearings of the era.  On the other hand, there are many things that have gone on in Congress over the life of our country that are not neccessarily things we can be proud of!

It sounds to me as if the ideas in the new curriculum will provide some interesting discussions for students.  If I am being honest, I have to say that when I was in high school, social studies was not one of my priorities.  It was not until after I got out of school and began reading on my own that history became something interesting.  I am grateful for the foundation that my high school teachers laid, but I think the real value of a social studies textbook is to encourage a student to investigate and think on his own. 

Heading Toward Mob Rule

Yesterday Archy Cary at Big Journalism posted a story about a protest in Montgomery County, Maryland.  Doesn’t sound all that unusual–this country was built on protest–but there was a thuggish element to this that, unfortunately, we may see more of.

Washington MPD’s Civil Disturbance Unit (part of Washington, D. C., police department)escorted 500 Service Employees International Union (SEIU) protesters to the house of Greg Baer, a Bank of America executive, where they created a disturbance in the quiet neighborhood.  Mr. Baer was not home at the time, his teenage son was home alone and was terrified by the mob outside.

A personal account of the story written by journalist Nina Easton can be found at Fortune Magazine

In her story, Nina Easton points out:

“SEIU has said it wants to organize bank tellers and call centers — and its critics point out that a great way to worsen employee morale, thereby making workers more susceptible to union calls, is to batter a bank’s image through protest. (SEIU officials say their anti-Wall Street campaign has nothing to do with their organizing efforts.) Complicating this picture is the fact that BofA is the union’s lender of choice — and SEIU, suffering financially, owes the bank nearly $4 million in interest and fees. Bank of America declined comment on the loans.”

Some other details of this event are also posted at Big Government.   Protest is a part of American tradition, but bussing a mob of 500 people to a private home is not protest–it’s intimidation and needs to be stopped.  

 

Respecting State’s Rights

Fox News is reporting today that John Morton, assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has stated that his agency will not necessarily process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona authorities. 

According to the article:

“In response to Morton’s comments, DHS officials said President Obama has ordered the Department of Justice to examine the civil rights and other implications of the law.

“”That review will inform the government’s actions going forward,” DHS spokesman Matt Chandler told Fox News on Friday.

“Meanwhile, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said ICE is not obligated to process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona authorities.

“”ICE has the legal discretion to accept or not to accept persons delivered to it by non-federal personnel,” Napolitano said. “It also has the discretion to deport or not to deport persons delivered to it by any government agents, even its own.””

This is simply unacceptable.  The Arizona immigration law was legally passed; it conforms to the guidelines of United States immigration law; and it does not allow policemen and law enforcement officials to ‘racially profile.’  The lack of federal support to enforce this law is unacceptable.  What part of ‘illegal’ does John Morton not understand?

Making Sense Of The Financial Reform Bill

I was sorry to see newly-elected Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown vote to end the debate on the Financial Reform Bill.  My local paper reports that Senator Brown changed his vote “after receiving promises from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on issues related to Massachusetts.”  We shall see how much Senator Reid’s promises are worth.

Anyway, Jim Kuhnhenn at Townhall.com posted a summary of the bill today.  There are some positive aspects of the bill–if they are properly enforced.  One of the things that caused the mortgage meltdown was banks being pressured by groups such as ACORN to issue mortganges to people that would not be able to pay them back.  If this bill ends the ability of such groups to exert that kind of pressure, that will be helpful.  In the bill, borrowers will be required to show proof that they will be able to make their mortgage payments and lenders would be prevented from raising interest rates to impossible-to-pay levels.  These are steps in the right direction.

The biggest flaw in the bill is that it does nothing to rein in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.   In the first quarter of 2010 Freddie Mac has lost $8 billion.   It has requested another $10.6 billion from the government and stated that it would need more in the future.  This is something that should have been dealt with in the bill.

The Senate version of the bill does eliminate the ‘too big to fail’ fund.  The House is supposed to take its fund out during the reconciliation process. 

This was far from a perfect bill, and I need to see how intrusive it is before I can actually support it.  There were many questionable ideas in its formation, and I am not aware of how many of them have been taken out.  It seems as if Congress really does have to pass a bill in order for any of us to know exactly what is in it.

Please Watch This Video

Please follow this link to a video on You Tube of Representative Tom McClintock’s response to President Calderon of Mexico’s address to Congress.  He says the things that need to be said.

No foreign president has the right to come to America and speak to Congress in order to criticize the laws of one of our American states.  That is not diplomacy.  Thank you, Representative McClintock, for defending America.  I only wish our President had defended our country as well as you did.

Looking For Your Car Keys Under The Streetlight

There is an old joke about a man who was looking for his car keys under a streetlight after having dropped them across the street, near his car.  When asked why he was looking across the street instead of where he had dropped the keys, he explained, “Because the light is better here.”  That is what we have going on in the discussions of President Obama and President Felipe Calderon as they discuss the illegal immigration situation.

Investors.com posted an article yesterday detailing the relationship between illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States and the Mexican drug cartels.  The article points out that up until the mid 1990’s smuggling immigrants across the border was done by small operators who came and went.  When the United States increased its Border Patrols and border control measures, these small businessmen disappeared. 

The article points out:

“The cartels — which had vast networks of smugglers, document forgers, safe house operators, drivers, and officials on the take — had resources to evade border checks and to rake in money.

“Texas’ border crackdown in recent years sealed a key entry point, so Arizona has become the new gateway.”

This is one of the reasons Arizona passed its new immigration law–to protect its citizens.  The article concludes:

“Fact is, drug cartels are financed by cash, and much of that cash is coming from a nonstop stream of illegal immigrants — who, incredibly enough, are being encouraged to immigrate to the U.S. by the Mexican government itself as a convenient means of relieving themselves of the pressure of creating jobs and investing in education.

“Unfortunately, this is now being ignored in the wartime strategy to defeat Mexico’s violent cartels.

“It makes zero sense. Until cartels start losing the billions in cash flow they get from illegal immigrant smuggling operations, it won’t matter how many drug operations are won.”

Aside from the fact that the two Presidents are choosing to encourage a situation that is harmful to the United States, the spectacle of the President of the United States joining the head of a foreign country in bashing an American state from the White House followed by Democrats in Congress cheering a foreign leader as he bashes an American state in a speech before Congress is simply obscene.  If can’t unite against a foreign President encouraging policies that are not beneficial to us, can we unite against anything?

The Attack On Political Free Speech

“Never argue with someone who buys ink by the barreI” is a quote credited to Indiana Congressman Charles Bruce Brownson (1914-1988).  I suspect every United States President since George Washington has had his difficulties with the press.  Congress also has had occasional problems with the press.  In the past, that was simply considered part of the job and everyone just moved on.  Well, things may be changing.

Yesterday’s New York Times reported that President Obama held a ceremony to sign a bill promoting freedom of the press around the world and then refused to take questions from reporters.  At a “news conference” with Felipe Calderón on Wednesday, he took only one question from the American media–Univision.  So far he has avoided any questions on Tuesday’s election results.  It seems to be rather tight control of the press at a time when he says he is promoting freedom of the press.

Meanwhile, Congress is having its own freedom of the press issues.  According to Ed Morrissey at Hot Air yesterday:

“Last week, a congressional hearing exposed an effort to give another agency–the Federal Election Commission–unprecedented power to regulate political speech online. At a House Administration Committee hearing last Tuesday, Patton Boggs attorney William McGinley explained that the sloppy statutory language in the “DISCLOSE Act” would extend the FEC’s control over broadcast communications to all “covered communications,” including the blogosphere.”

The original purpose of the DISCLOSE Act was to require the disclosure of corporate and union political speech after the Supreme Court’s January decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission held that the government could not ban political expenditures by companies, nonprofit groups, and labor unions.

According to Mr. Morrissey: 

“The bill, however, would radically redefine how the FEC regulates political commentary. A section of the DISCLOSE Act would exempt traditional media outlets from coordination regulations, but the exemption does not include bloggers, only “a communication appearing in a news story, commentary, or editorial distributed through the facilities of any broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine or other periodical publication…”

This bill could be used to shut down any non-traditional outlets of political speech on the internet.  Stay tuned. 

Michael Barone On Tuesday’s Elections

Michael Barone is one of the gurus of American politics.  He has forgotten more about what happens in elections than most of us will ever learn.  He posted his analysis of yesterday’s election in today’s Washington Examiner.  He lists five lessons learned from the voters yesterday.

  • Big spenders got defeated.  As he put it, “Suddenly pork is not kosher.”
  • The Tea Party was a force to be reckoned with. 
  • Anti-Obama sentiment will not necessarily mean votes for Republicans (illustrated by the victory of Mark Critz in Pennsylvania).  Critz ran on a very conservative platform and was able to convince the voters to vote for him.  That was a loss for the Republicans, and can be done by other Democrats.
  • The left wing of the Democrat party is not giving up–they did well in two primaries–Louisiana and Pennsylvania.  The labor unions and moveon.org are heavily funding liberal candidates.
  • Because of yesterday’s results, we will probably see more polarization in the future–not less.

I wonder if polarizaiton is a good or bad thing.  In one sense, it allows the country to decide which direction it is going.  In other sense, it makes compromise difficult.  But if the answer to a problem is black and white, why are we looking for gray?  There are areas where compromise is a good thing, but there are also areas where compromise of principles is not a good idea.

Insanity In Foreign Policy

If you ever had any doubts that the Obama Administration supported Israel at all, they are about to be shattered.  Andy McCarthy at The Corner at National Review On Line reports on a Reuters story stating that the President’s national security team is looking for Hezbollah moderates in Lebanon that they can support in order to weaken the influence of the hard liners in the organization. 

According to Reuters (via National Review):

“”Hezbollah is a very interesting organization,” Brennan told a Washington conference, citing its evolution from “purely a terrorist organization” to a militia to an organization that now has members within the parliament and the cabinet.

“There is certainly the elements of Hezbollah that are truly a concern to us what they’re doing. And what we need to do is to find ways to diminish their influence within the organization and to try to build up the more moderate elements,” Brennan said.”

The wisdom involved in this outreach is akin to the wisdom that says I can go into the lion’s cage and pet the lion because he is such a beautiful animal.  These people have no idea what they are dealing with.  Mr. McCarthy also points out that the United States considers Hezbollah a “foreign terrorist organization”.  Why are we trying to befriend terrorists? 

 

Beware The Spin

The elections are over; the spin begins.  Real Clear Politics posted a story yesterday about the White House spin on yesterday’s elections.  The spin is “it’s and anti-incumbent year–incumbents of both parties are being voted out of office.”  Well, maybe, maybe not.

Jay Cost, who wrote the article, points out:

“…Arlen Specter is probably going to lose today. If that happens, Snarlin’ Arlen will make the fourth high-profile pol that Barack Obama embraced in friendship who was later rebuked by the voters of a blue or purple state. Deeds, Corzine, Coakley, Specter. The White House doesn’t want this “narrative” to get out – so they’re pushing this alternative instead.”

There was a time during the Clinton Administration when every person Bill Clinton campaigned for lost.  It seems as if the Obama Administration is running into the same problem.  The only good news for the Democrats yesterday was that they held John Murtha’s congressional seat, but even that is a mixed blessing.   Mark Critz, the Democrat candidate, ran on a platform of opposing the healthcare reform bill (but stating that he is not going to work to repeal it); he claimed to be pro-life and pro-gun.  I wonder if he will be able to keep those stands after he arrives in the House of Representatives.

This sets up the kind of scenario we will see played out in the southern part of America this November if ‘blue dog’ Democrats plan to run for re-election.  The Democrats took over the House by running candidates who appeared to be conservative Democrats.  When these Democrats got to Washington, they elected Nancy Pelosi as Speaker and turned sharply left.  Many of them have resigned and those remaining will have a hard time being re-elected.  A Democrat who runs as a conservative and votes liberal will probably be a one-term Congressman.

The sentiment recently expressed by voters is not ‘anti-imcumbent’–it is more ‘get your hands off my pocketbook and your nose out of my life–it is not the government’s business how much my children weigh!’  It should be an interesting November.

This Needs To Be Looked At Again

Last week Andrea Peyser wrote an article in the New York Post about the construction of a mosque near ground zero.  The Muslim house of worship would be built with a 13-story cultural center in a building that was formerly owned by Burlington Coat Factory.

When I first read this story, it really didn’t register.  But after I heard comments from some of the surviving relatives of the people killed at ground zero on September 11th, I wondered what is really going on here.  There is a lot of land available in New York City to build a mosque.  Land prices are down right now; there is no reason to build at ground zero.  There are also two disturbing things about this mosque.  The planned opening day for the mosque is September 11, 2011.  The cost of the mosque is expected to be in excess of $100 million.  There are some obvious questions as to where this money is coming from.

Fox News reported yesterday that there are now plans to build a second, smaller mosque two blocks from ground zero. 

It seems rather insensitive to build a mosque on a site where Muslims murdered Americans and even more insensitive to open the mosque on the tenth anniversary of that date.  If the Muslims in charge of this mosque truly wanted to convey a message of peace, it seems to me that they would change the location and the opening date of their proposed mosque.

Human Rights In China

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air posted an article yesterday about China’s treatment of Mexicans who were visiting China legally last year.  Mr. Morrissey posted the article in response to China lecturing America on its human rights violations–including Arizona’s new immigration law.  This is the story.

According to Time Magazine last May:

“When AeroMexico Flight 098, the first flight out of Mexico to China since the H1N1 outbreak, arrived in Shanghai in the early morning of April 30, the 25-year-old Mexican tourist who became China’s swine flu patient showed no signs of illness. “He denied having come into close contact with any suspicious case of swine flu within the previous week or having any H1N1 flu symptoms in his health claim form,” said Chen Ming, deputy director of the information center at the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. “His temperature was normal when taken twice at the airport, and he also looked well….But the virus can stay latent for days and still be infectious. The man flew to Hong Kong, where he was later diagnosed with the disease.”

As a result of this diagnosis, the Chinese government quarantined 70 Mexicans who arrived in China over the May 1 holiday weekend, most on different flights from the infected man.  Reportedly, some of those quarantined were held in “unacceptable conditions.”   China then halted all AeroMexico flights coming into China. 

Mr. Morrissey points out that the Mexicans entered China legally and were treated very badly.  If China had been that concerned about the Swine Flu, they could have just put all of them on a plane back to Mexico instead of essentially locking them up.  Somehow I don’t think China should be lecturing us on human rights.

Cockroaches Are Really Hard To Get Rid Of

Yesterday Kevin Mooney at Big Government posted a story on the current status of ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now).  Congress is in the process of defunding the organization after some scandels relating to voter registration and how money was spent. 

Mr. Mooney points out that although ACORN claims to have disbanded, it has simply changed its name and continued.  ACORN Housing, for example, is now the Affordable Housing Centers of America.  Federal records show that ACORN has received over $53 million in federal funds since 1994.  There is some question as to whether or not Congress will successfully cut off these federal funds.  Meanwhile, ACORN is not suffering from a money shortage.  Wellspring Advisors, Vanguard Charitable Endowment, the Rockefeller Fund and the Tides Foundation are some of the organizations people can give to in order to support ACORN. 

Project Vote is the ACORN entity that all of us need to be concerned about in November.  The organization conducts registration drives to register Democrat voters and has a reputation for illegal registrations.  ACORN is the subject of voter registration fraud investigations in at least 14 states.  These are the people who registered to Dallas Cowboys starting lineup to vote in Nevada and Mickey Mouse to vote in Florida. 

The article states:

“The political operatives that continue to stand behind the renamed affiliates are very shrewd in the sense that they will target areas where elections are close and where they have sympathetic local election officials.”

ACORN will continue to be funded as long as there are people who value being in power more than integrity.  I understand that ACORN may have helped people get affordable housing, but the fact that they were willing to fund an underage prostitution ring convinces me that they should not receive federal funds.  Until all their tentacles are defunded, they will be a waste of federal money and a threat to the integrity of American elections.

An Update On The New England Fishermen

This was written by a friend of mine who is trying to stop what could be the end of the small, independent fisherman in New England.

    On May 1 of this year, new regulations were implemented in the NE groundfish fishery. The fishery, comprised of 19 different species, is at its highest levels in 30 years. Fishermen have been promised for years by NOAA and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that when these stocks rebounded, they would be able to have greater access to fish them. However, the newest science demostrating the current levels of these stocks is not being implemented; instead NOAA/NMFS are not only holding back this science but also hiding it from the general public. They instead continue to base regulations off faulty, old data that was collected by a research vessel with well documented problems (i.e. the net it was using in order to catch fish for fish surveys was towed closed and off the bottom, and therefore did not give remotely accurate estimates of the true numbers of fish in the ocean). The new regulations, termed Amendment 16, include even more drastic cutbacks in the face of the highest fish stock levels in many years, and a refusal by NOAA/NMFS to base the plan on the newest science. Due to these severe cutbacks, as well as the way the new plan is managed, 50-75% of the New England commercial fishing fleet could disappear by the end of the summer. If there are so many fish, why the need for the job loss and loss of our cultural heritage??? This will devastate coastal communities.

    Amendment 16 is a radical departure from the former days at sea regulatory system. Rather than an effort controlled fishery, we are now being put into a quota fishery. Under days at sea, a vessel was issued so many days a year to fish, and there were limits of how much you could catch per day, per week, etc. Now, each individual fisherman is given a quota based on his previous catch history-usually of his worst years of the past 20 or so years. This has been not only a complete curency shift, but has rendered many investments by fishermen into days at sea worthless. Even more worrying is that the fishery is regulated by its lowest common denominator- also known as choke stocks. Each fisherman is given a certain allocation of each groundfish species. But once he reaches the limit for the specie with his lowest allocation, he must stop fishing for the entire year. For example, if he is allowed 50,000 lbs of cod for the entire year, but only 100 lbs of yellowtail flounder, once he catches his 100 lbs of yellowtail, he must stop fishing, regardless of if he still has 49,000 lbs of cod left to catch. This is not only unrealistic since these fish all swim in the same areas, but also devastating. Some fishermen have already been shut down for the entire year (think no paycheck for the rest of the year) only ONE WEEK into the program. Ports are virtually closing down and boats are staying tied to the dock. The reason for such low limits on choke stocks? FAULTY AND ABSENT NOAA/NMFS SCIENCE.
 
    The program has many other technical problems to detailed- but just as horrifying- to list here- it is desgined to fail. It is impossible to operate effectivley. Senators and Congressmen from ME to NY have been in uproar over it but have been met by rude indifference by NOAA and the Dept. of Commerce (which oversees NOAA). Why? Because the head of NOAA, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, used to be the chairwoman of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Her brother in law wrote the US treatise on Amendment 16 “catch share” fishery management for EDF. While she was chairwoman of EDF, there was a conference called the Milken Conference hosted by Michael Milken (ead of Lehman Bros when it went down and who has been banned from investing by the Securities and Trade Commission). At the conference, EDF pushed fish quotas in New England as the next hot commodity on Wall St- with a 400-1000% return on an ivestment. The discussion was moderated by Larry Band, now a paid consultant for EDF. See a pattern? Fishermen have already been forced to sell their permits due to Amendment 16 (we are talking 2 weeks into the program). Some people- funded with money from EDF- have already been buying them up from these disenfranchised fishermen. If you want to know why Dr Lubchenco refuses to correct science, fix the problems with Amendment 16, etc, follow the money…….It is much easier to buy fishing permits cheap when people are desperate to sell………………………..
 
This Amendment needs to changed quickly or we will see the end of fishermen as small business owners.

Hidden In The Healthcare Reform Act

Today’s Washington Examiner pointed out another surprise in Obamacare.  The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is inside of the Department of Health and Human Services, has estimated that the healthcare reform act as passed will increase the cost of healthcare by at least $311 billion. 

There are a few more surprises coming.  Companies are looking at the cost of penalties for not providing healthcare for employees versus the cost of insuring the employees.  Since the penalties are cheaper, many companies will be dropping insurance coverage for employees and dumping them into the ‘public’ system. 

Remember the discussion that the ‘public option’ in Obamacare was dead?  Well, according to the article:

“Remember when Obama and congressional Democrats made a big show of dropping the public option government insurance program that was supposedly going to give private insurers competition and drive rates down? The truth is the public option is alive and well, residing in Section 1334, pages 97-100, of the new health care law. That section gives the U.S. Office of Personnel Management — which presently manages the federal civil service — new responsibilities: establishing and running two entirely new government health insurance programs to compete directly with private insurance companies in every state with coverage for people outside of government.”

This does not sound like transparency in government.  It sounds like the first step toward government-controlled healthcare. 

REPEAL AND REPLACE!!!!!  It is the only way forward!!!  Keep that in mind in November.

Information For People In Massachusetts’ Third Congressional District

According to Massachusetts Election 2010:

The North Attleboro Republican Town Committee is sponsoring the first Republican Candidates Debate for the 3rd Congressional District.

The debate will be held on Tuesday, June 15th, from 6:30 to 9:30 at the Cobb Theater, North Attleboro High School, 1 Wilson Whitty Way in North Attleboro. All five Republican candidates running in the primary against Sen. Jim McGovern will be present:

The complete announcement from the North Attleboro Republican Town Committee follows:

On Tuesday June 15th, the 3rd Congressional District of Massachusetts will hold it’s first Republican Candidates Debate In North Attleboro from 6:30pm till 9:30pm.
The Debate will be held at the Cobb Thearter: 1 Wilson Whitty Way in North Attleborough

As a taxpayer, voter and citizen I urge your devoted interest in this Democratic process that so many lives have afforded you in what we call, “Freedom”. Won’t you join our North Attleboro Republican Town Committee as we present you, the voter, an opportunity to directly engage the five Republican candidates running for the Peoples Seat currently held by incummbant Democrat James McGovern.

Our district currently comprises all or most of 28 cities and towns with an economic base alone equal to many 3rd world countries GNP, our population ten years ago included 1/10th of the states residents and an almost exact replica of the now coined phrase “gerrymander district” from 1812, your state comprises one of the largest congressional delegations to Washington of any of our 50 states and if you don’t think your vote counts on primary day Tuesday September 28, 2010 we can only refer you to January 20 headlines of this year.

All five candidates for election as your next Congressional Representative of this 3rd Congressional District will be present: Robert Chipman of Plainville, Brian Herr of Hopkington, Martin Lamb of Holliston, Michael Stopa of Holliston and Robert Delle of Westboro. Each candidate taking questions directly from you the taxpayer, you the voter, you the citizen. Please engage your political interests, be here at the forfront, in the heartland of Scott Brown’s base of support. Without your vote and interest this democracy will loose never think your vote doesn’t count.

I encourage, urge and otherwise respectfully request your presence to this political debate that features a variety of individuals cut from the American fabric who will stand up for your interests, beliefs and concerns. Candidates seeking support through fair, honest, hard working, family oriented citizens like yourselves hoping to save the American Dream.

James Lang
North Attleboro Republican Town Committee

I personally am supporting Marty Lamb, but I will support whoever wins the primary.

The New Morality Of ‘Human Rights’

Yesterday John Hinderaker at Power Line posted a story about the Obama Administration’s efforts to encourage China to treat its citizens more humanely.  Needless to say, the administration is treading carefully because we need China’s support on a number of difficult issues–Iran going nuclear, North Korea getting more aggressive, climate change rules, etc.  However, when you consider the fact that China routinely harvests organs from murdered political prisoners, I think there may be some room for improvement in their human rights policies.  Well, they think we have some problems too.

The article points out:

“Assistant Secretary of State Michael] Posner said in addition to talks on freedom of religion and expression, labor rights and rule of law, officials also discussed Chinese complaints about problems with U.S. human rights, which have included crime, poverty, homelessness and racial discrimination.

“He said U.S. officials did not whitewash the American record and in fact raised on its [sic] own a new immigration law in Arizona that requires police to ask about a person’s immigration status if there is suspicion the person is in the country illegally.”

I have a few questions.  What is China’s policy on illegal immigrants?  Is there poverty in China?  What about China’s one-child per family policy and the murder of girl babies that results from that policy?  What about freedom of religion in China?

If our government can’t see a difference between harvesting organs from political prisoners and closing our borders to illegal immigration, I think it’s time to elect a new government.

Thailand

Michael Yon (MichaelYon-online) has been in Thailand for the past few days reporting on what is going on there.  I don’t believe he has posted anything at his website, but has a profile on Facebook where he is posting what he sees and hears.

Today’s UK Times Online posted a story on what is going on in Thailand.  Anti-government protestors are fighting the military and one of the protest leaders is warning of a civil war. 

The article states:

“With at least 30 dead and more than 232 injured since the fighting erupted on Thursday night, pressure on the Thai Government to end the insurrection is growing. A total of 59 people have been killed since violence erupted in April, almost all of them civilians.”

The protestors have set up fortified encampments within the capital city, and the military has declared these areas “live fire zones”. 

According to Michael Yon on facebook:

“From what I have seen on the ground, Thai soldiers and police have behaved with restraint. They have controlled their fire. Not fired wildly. They have been responsible in the face of madness.”

The protestors (Red Shirts) have asked for a ceasefire, which the government has refused.  They have also requested UN-brokered talks, but that offer was also refused.  The protestors are demanding the dissolution of Parliament and fresh elections. 

A Little Off The Beaten Path, I Found A Ray Of Hope

Billy Graham is said to have stated, “Eleven o’clock Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America.”  I am not sure when that statement was made, but I saw evidence this morning that at least in some parts of New England, it is no longer true.

I had the privilege this morning of attending a church service in a town about an hour from my home.  I was there because my Pastor was there to help install a new Pastor in that church.  As I have said, this was not my usual church, and I was totally encouraged to be there.  In addition to a beautiful service in a unique location (the church meets on the third floor of an office building), I saw evidence that, at least in that city, the church is coming together. 

This was a relatively small church, and I saw people of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds.  So at least in some parts of Massachusetts, eleven o’clock Sunday morning is not the most segregated hour in America–some of us have put aside our differences are are working together to make our families stronger, our communities better, and our country more like what our founding fathers envisioned. 

The church has a role to play as America moves forward.  We are in a unique position to know who is in need and to help them out.  We are in a unique position to deal with some of the addiction problems our society has developed.  And we are in a unique position to strengthen families–the building blocks of our society.  Thank God that some of us are learning to work together regardless of age, race, or ethnic background.  I am sure that there are other churches out there throughout the country that have put differences aside to work together in ways that show the love of Jesus, and I am grateful for them.

Michael Yon Posted This On Facebook This Morning, Please Read it

Michael Yon’s website address is http://www.michaelyon-online.com/.  For anyone who is not familiar with his work, he is a self-funded former Green Beret who has been covering the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since December 2004.  He generally embeds himself into the military.  His information is very reliable and he is a good source.  He is currently in Thailand covering the events of the civil war that is developing there.
 
I know this is long, but please read it.  From Michael Yon.

This came from a solid source. Terrorist threats against the United States from the terrorists TTP in Pakistan. Verbatim as I received. There is said to be a tape with this. I have not seen the tape:

“Tariq Azam TTP Spokesman interviewz”

About the video of Hakimullah Mahsud Amir of TTP I would say that the Pakistani government was making a false propaganda about the death of Hakimullah Mahsud and they had even convinced the Americans that Hakimullah Mahsud has been killed in the American drone attack. But we have been denying this from the start that Amir Sahib has been killed he is alright and he is in contact with all the Taliban leaders active in different areas. Amir Sahib is looking after the day to day business of the movement. But the Pakistani secrete agencies were still making this false propaganda that Amir of TTP Hakimullah has been killed in drone attack. Due to this the Muslim Ommah and Mujahideen were greatly demoralized and disappointed so it was felt that a video of Amir Sahib should be released to tell the world and all the Muslims that Amir Sahib is alive and not only alive but is active and is in contact with all the Mujahideen groups who are fighting against Taghoti forces in any part of the world.

Every Mujahid in the world is receiving his messages and he is in contact with them. By the video we also wanted to show to the world that Tehrik-i Taliban is moving forward towards its goals. The Tehrik is again getting stronger and is getting nearer to its objectives every day.

By this (the Time square attack) we also wanted to give a message to the head of Taghoti forces in the world and which is involved in the killing, displacing and dishonoring of Muslims in the world and its supporters and allies that soon America will also burn and it is digging its own grave and our fidayeens has entered America who will carryout attacks on their soil. Those forces who want to crush Muslims and who want to erase Islam from the world and who want to crush Mujahideen and Jihad we want to tell them that they can’t crush the Muslims or the Mujahideen and neither could they do any harm to Islam but instead they would burn and they would be crushed and they would be digging with their own hands their graves.

The Americans couldn’t even dream of what the TTP has proven to them (by organizing the foiled attack).This was only a car full of explosives which could not explode but many other would explode right on their soil and America would also burn very soon, God Willing.

And by this we also want to send a message to the heads of Americans allies and their supporters that they would also be burned like America if they continue their support to the Americans.

The Tehrik under Amir Sahib is getting popular and is spreading in all the four corners of the world and this Tehrik is now not only confined to the agencies only it is now spreading every where and it is getting stronger. All the Mujahideen in the world are in contact with one another and they are communicating with one another.

As far as Tehrik Taliban Pakistan is concerned it is now not only confined to South Waziristan agency but has been organized in all the tribal agencies and the Tehrik Taliban is fighting against the Taghoti forces. They are united and they have no differences of any kind with one another they are all united.
Thanks to Allah, just like the Russian forces in Afghanistan were defeated similarly America and its allies are facing defeat in Afghanistan.

The Tehrik Taliban is fighting against the enemies of Islam at every front and are defeating them everywhere. The TTP Taliban are organized and active in all the sectors in the agency and they are inflicting great damage to the impure army (Pakistan Army) in the agency. You would have heard and seen that the Pakistani army claimed that they had secured and cleansed Swat of the Taliban and they even took their American masters on the tour of Swat. but it is again coming under the control of the Taliban and attacks are taking place on the army regularly by the Taliban in Swat and the Taliban are again gaining control of Swat.

The army is now forced to admit that the Taliban are still controlling Swat. And in the Khyber Agency, Mohmand Agency, Bajaur Agency, Orakzai Agency and even Kurrum Agency the Taliban are according to their planning inflicting great damage to the Taghoti army, the mercenary army which gets its pay from the Kerry Logar bill is facing defeat everywhere.

All the Mujahedeen groups’ in every part of the world are in contact with one another and they cooperate with each other and they are interdependent on one another those who fights for Allah and their religion. So we are going to take revenge from the Jews and Christians for all the killing and brutalities inflicted upon the Muslims by them.

Where ever there are Mujahedeen they are one and their mission is to impose the laws of Allah in this world.

I will also tell you now with the help of Allah there is no shortage of suicide bombers in the TTP and they are in great numbers in the Tehrik. There are thousands of Suicide Bombers with the TTP in Pakistan. The control of the suicide bombers are in the hands of responsible and intelligent people who use these suicide bombers according to the need of the time. They are used on different occasion against the Taghoti forces in the area.

The TTP don’t target public places through suicide bombers to kill civilians this is done by the government to defame the Taliban to decrease their support in the people. I would also make one thing clear that we believe in fighting Jihad according to the Shariah rules. This is a very brave and proud nation and we don’t want to give this nation into the hands of Americans such as Gen. Paptreas, Holbrooke and Armitage we don’t want this nation to become the slave of the Americans. This is an independent nation and here would be an Islamic rule on this land.

This Pakistani army and government have given a lot of trouble to our people just to please the Americans. They are sacrificing their own country and people to please the Americans. So the people should keep very close watch on this government and now is the time to remove the government whose every policy is against the people and anti-Islam as soon as possible. As long this government is in power military operation by the impure Pakistani army would go on in the area and jihad against them would go on as long as this government goes on pleasing the Americans. We are from the people and the people are ours and so is Pakistan, it belong to us and one day this hypocrite government would also be removed from power in Pakistan.

The media’s main responsibility is to tell the truth to the people about this military operation going on in South Waziristan that what is the real situation on the ground and why has this American war been imposed on our areas. The journalists should tell the truth to the people about this American imposed war in our areas. These are not threats to the journalist community but just to tell them that they should perform their duties honestly. the government is claiming that they are in control in South Waziristan I invite the journalists to come to South Waziristan and see for themselves what is the real situation on the ground in the agency and the journalist should tell the public that the Taliban are in control in the agency and not the Pakistani army and if you can print government news in your newspaper so you should also report about the success made by the Taliban against the army in your papers. I want the journalist to present our side of the story also along the government’s claims. I want to invite the journalist to visit all the area from Swat to South Waziristan and see for themselves the ground situation. Who is stopping the journalists from their duties is this present government who according to the Do More Policy of Armitage is stopping the journalist from reporting the truth.

Did She Mean What She Said

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air today cited Nancy Pelosi’s latest quote about the new healthcare bill.  There is a video at Hot Air (follow the link above) if you would like to hear her comments, but here is what she said:

“We see it as an entrepreneurial bill, a bill that says to someone, if you want to be creative and be a musician or whatever, you can leave your work, focus on your talent, your skill, your passion, your aspirations because you will have health care.”

A few months ago, Ms. Pelosi stated:

“So, you can’t–everybody has so much to gain from this, small businesses, as I said, seniors, young people, women, our economy. Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance or that people could start a business and be entrepreneurial and take risk, but not job loss because of a child with asthma or someone in the family is bipolar–you name it, any condition–is job locking.”

These have to be two of the dumbest statements ever made by a political official.  The best comment on these statements comes from Duane Patterson, Hugh Hewitt’s producer, who stated at the Hughniverse (no link–you have to join to get there).

“If House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s suggestion were to take hold in America. there would be 300 million out of work aspiring artists thinking their health cae is now free, and not having anyone left actually working and paying the taxes necessary to fund it.”

I would love to be a professional muscian, songwriter, singer, maybe.  But there are a few problems–I hate to practice, I can’t sing, and I have never written a song.  Other than that, it’s a great idea–at least as good as Nancy Pelosi’s telling me I should follow my dream even if it doesn’t mean being productive!

Amazing Statements At The Department Of Justice

Almost everyone has seen the video at You Tube of a member of the Black Panther Party holding a nightstick at a Philadelphia voting place in 2008.  Yesterday the Washington Times posted an article explaining that a justice official has stated that there was “insufficient evidence” to bring a civil case against the New Black Panther Party for disrupting election in Philadelphia. 

“Mr. (Thomas E.) Perez, the only Justice Department official to testify publicly before the commission about the case, said that without sufficient proof that party members or the organization’s leader, Malik Zulu Shabazz, directed or controlled unlawful activities at the poll or made speeches to incite or produce lawless action, the complaint “would have likely failed” in court.”

I understand that pictures can be doctored and thus cannot be relied upon as evidence, but this video seems rather clear.

A written statement by the Black Panther Party stated that Mr. Shabazz should not have brought a nightstick to the polling place, but stated that it was an ‘honest error.’  If a tea party member showed up with a nightstick, would that be an ‘honest error’?  I am truly sorry that our Justice Department does not see fit to protect voters from intimidation at the voting booth.  There are laws setting limits on how close political activity can be to polling places, don’t we have laws to prevent voter intimidation?  Is anyone in the current administration interested in upholding them?

Questions About The ‘Paper Trail’

Byron York posted an article at the Washington Examiner yesterday wondering whether the Senate will have access to all of Elena Kagan’s papers during the confirmation process.  Mr. York reminds us that when John Roberts was examined, all of his work done at the Reagan White House Counsel’s Office during the 1980’s was provided to the Senate when they asked for it.  With that precedent set, it will be difficult to withhold Elena Kagan’s papers generated during her time in the Clinton White House Counsel’s Office in 1995 and1996. 

The only questionable item that I have come across in Ms. Kagan’s background is a controversy she was involved in while serving in the Clinton White House in 1996. 

“…the Clinton administration was accused of siding with a group of radical environmentalists locked in a standoff with federal agents in Oregon. Officials at the U.S. Forest Service suspected that a staffer at the White House Council on Environmental Quality tipped off the protesters about a coming federal crackdown.

“The situation drew the attention of Republicans on the House Committee on Natural Resources, who found that Kagan, in the White House Counsel’s Office, did little, if anything, to find or punish the leaker, even though that person had revealed confidential information that potentially endangered the lives of Forest Service agents. GOP investigators asked for Kagan’s notes on the matter at the time, but the White House refused, claiming executive privilege.”

It is not a surprise that a Supreme Court nominee of Barack Obama would be liberal.  The question is whether or not she believes in enforcing laws equally regardless of who is involved.

Actions Have Consequences

Wednesday’s Washington Examiner posted a commentary on the fact that defense contractor Northrop Grumman has decided to move its corporate headquarters from California to northern Virginia. 

The article states:

“This is a big win for the commonwealth, as Northrop employs more than 122,000 people worldwide, generated more than $32 billion in revenue last year, ranks as the fourth-largest defense contractor, and is the nation’s largest shipbuilder. The two spurned suitors have nobody but themselves to blame for their loss to Virginia.”

What were the determining factors in the decision?  Washington, D. C., offered $25 million in tax breaks, Maryland offered $22 million.  Virginia offered $14 million.  So why choose Virginia?  Simple.  Virginia has a 6 percent corporate tax rate (Maryland is 8.25, Washington, D. C., is 9).  While Virginia’s new governor, Bob McDonald, trimmed the state budget by $2 billion, Maryland’s governor, Martin O’Malley, instituted a tax on millionaires that resulted in many high-income people fleeing the state.  Maryland and Washington, D. C., have some of the same problems that caused Northrop Grumman to leave California.  Northrop Grumman has chosen Virginia because that state seems to be taking actions that will avoid those problems. 

A Light At The End Of The Tunnel

As Greece erupts and America (and the IMF) send money, America moves in the direction of bigger government, more spending and higher tax burdens.  There is, however, a light at the end of the tunnel.  A. B. Stoddard posted an article at The Hill on Wesdnesday showing how Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey, is doing the things that will put his financially disastrous state budget back in the black.

Needless to say, the actions necessary to move the state from a deficit of $10.7 billion of a $29.3 billion budget to a balanced budget are not universally popular in the state.  The first thing Governor Christie did when he took office was declare a state of emergency.  He then signed an executive order froze spending and then proceeded to cut $13 billion in spending. 

The Teacher’s Unions are screaming that they are being mistreated–the have had to accept a salary freeze for a year and will now pay 1.5 percent of their healthcare insurance. 

According to the article:

“New Jersey, which has the highest unemployment in the region and highest taxes in the country, lost 121,000 jobs in the private sector in 2009 while adding 11,300 new education jobs. During the last eight years, K-12 enrollment rose just 3 percent while education jobs increased more than 16 percent. According to the Newark Star-Ledger, during the recession that has cost many residents their homes and jobs and scaled back hours and pay for the employed, teachers’ salaries rose by nearly 5 percent, double the rate of inflation.”

Property taxes rose 70 percent in the last ten years, and 1 percent of the taxpayers are paying 40 percent of the income tax in the state.  Needless to say, people who are high-earners, who own large houses, and who own businesses are fleeing the state.

Governor Christie has stated that he does not care about re-elected.  It will be interesting to see when the time comes whether or not the people of New Jersey appreciate or understand what he is doing to save the state from itself.