Monthly Archives: October 2011

When Politics Trumps Responsibility

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The Jews are the canary in the coal mine. Whatever cruelty is done to the Jews will be eventually aimed at the rest of us. That is the reason we need to pay attention when anti-Semitism is expressed. Usually the Anti-Defamation League (ADF) handles that job very well. However, they are currently ignoring what is in front of them because it would interfere with their politics.

Yesterday Big Government pointed out that there have been a number of anti-Semitic statements and signs at the various Occupy Wall Street protests and the ADF has been strangely silent.

This is one picture from one of the protests. The picture is from Pajamas Media.

One quote from a protester (cited in the Big Government article) was posted on October 12 at Reason.tv.  Patricia McAllister, a self-described employee of the Los Angeles Unified School District, and a demonstrator at Occupy LA:

“I think that, uh, the Zionist Jews who are running these big banks, and our Federal Reserve, which is not run by the federal government–they need to be run out of this country.”

This is not acceptable and Americans need to speak out against this kind of anti-Semitism. If this sort of statement were directed at certain other favored groups (pick your group), there would be outrage, charges of hate speech, and charges of whateverphobia the liberal press thought might apply. We need to protest the double standard that is at work here.

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Brigitte Gabriel In New England

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I went to an event tonight sponsored by the Boston Chapter of Act for America. The guest speaker was Brigitte Gabriel, a frequent commentator on Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC news programs.  Ms. Gabriel is the founder, president, and CEO of Act for America, a group formed to combat the growing threat to America that Islamist terrorism represents.

Ms. Gabriel began speaking by telling her personal story of life in Lebanon before the radical Muslim takeover of the country. Lebanon used to be the only Christian majority country in the Middle East. It was the garden spot of the region. Lebanon was 67 percent Christian and was a truly multi-cultural country—there was freedom of religion for all religions. Gradually Muslims immigrated to Lebanon and became the majority of the country. The Muslims formed the Arab Lebanese Army, attacked Christians in a church, and started a civil war. The Muslims killed Christians, burned churches, and committed other atrocities. None of the western democracies came to the aid of Lebanon. Finally Israel began to help the Lebanese Christians fight back. They provided food, weapons, and bomb shelters.  Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, setting up a security zone to protect Christians. Ms. Gabriel shared the story of her mother being wounded in one of the Muslim attacks and taking her mother to Israel for treatment. The Lebanese ambulance driver who knew her family and was her fellow countryman charged her half of all the money she had to drive her to the Israeli border. The Israeli ambulance driver, who was a total stranger, who drove her and her mother to the Israeli hospital, charged her nothing. Ms. Gabriel points to this event as one that demonstrated to her the difference between the Israeli culture and the Arab culture. At the Israeli hospital, people of all races and religions were treated with equal care. It did not matter that the Arab soldier, given the opportunity, would gladly have slit the throat of the doctor treating his wounds—the Israeli doctor still treated those wounds with care.

Ms. Gabriel pointed out that the majority of Muslims are moderate and are not terrorists. Radical Muslims represent only about 15 to 25 percent of the Muslim population. Unfortunately, that minority is about 180 to 300 million people. It is that minority that is driving the agenda and forcing the nations of the free world to defend themselves. She rightfully pointed out that the peaceful majority was irrelevant in Germany during the reign of Adolph Hitler. The peaceful majority was irrelevant in pre-World War II Japan, and the peaceful majority was irrelevant in China and Russia.

As someone who is from the Middle East, Ms. Gabriel has a different perspective on terrorism than most Americans born and raised in America. She stated that September 11, 2001, turned her world upside down. She stated, “The terrorists I thought I had left behind had come to America.”

Ms. Gabriel talked about the systematic infiltration of America by groups under the umbrella of the Muslim Brotherhood. “The Project,” introduced as evidence in the Holy Land Foundation Trial details the Muslim Brotherhood’s plan for North America, written in 1991. The plan outlines tactics and proposals detailing how to maintain the appearance of moderation while infiltrating clubs, and offices of government. There were 29 front groups under the Muslim Brotherhood operating in America named in the trial as co-conspirators. CAIR is still trying to get itself taken off that list.

The Muslim infiltration has impacted American education at the college level. Many of the political science departments and Middle East studies departments in our major universities and community colleges are underwritten by Saudi Arabian petrodollars. Pro-Israel speakers are no longer welcome at American universities. We now have Islamic consultants working with children’s textbook publishers. Our sixth and seventh grade textbooks have an Islam course that encourages children to become Muslims for three weeks. Our children are being taught that jihad is a struggle against oppression, invasion, or injustice. Muslim children are taught that jihad is making war against infidels. The Muslim course is indoctrinating our children with the talking points of those who want to destroy our freedom and our country.

Ms. Gabriel set up ACT for American as an action group to fight this sort of indoctrination of American children and the continuing creep of Sharia Law.  ACT has over 175,000 members today, over 600 chapters nationwide, and a full-time lobbyist on Capitol Hill. The organization uses grass roots networks to protect American freedoms and national security. Their website is actforamerica.org. Their purpose is to build a grassroots network to stop the creep of Sharia Law and stop the infiltration of the American schools. They have been effective enough for CAIR to begin to use their name in its fund raising efforts. That is one definition of success!

Please follow the link to their website to learn more about this organization. They are deserving of the support of all Americans. There are ways that all of us can help—big or small. In addition to what they do, they are also making more Americans aware of the threat that we currently face.

I would like to thank Ms. Gabriel for having the courage to speak up. I would also like to note that it was refreshing to hear her appreciation of America and the people in the audience who had served in the American military. I have said before on this blog that I am the daughter of a World War II veteran who landed on Utah beach on D-Day, the wife of a Vietnam-era veteran, and the mother-in-law of someone currently serving in the military. I appreciated her thank you. She is lady of courage doing what she can to preserve her adopted country. Thank you.

Brigitte Gabriel will be speaking again in New England:

October 17, 2011 at 7:00pm-9:00pm

Word of Life Christian Fellowship Church
95 Old Loudon Rd.
Concord, New Hampshire

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An Interesting Perspective From Mort Zuckerman

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Yesterday the Wall Street Journal posted an interview with Mort Zuckerman on the state of things in America. Mort Zuckerman is a successful businessman who is a Democrat. He is not thrilled with the leadership skills of President Obama.

The article quotes Mr. Zuckerman:

The Boston Properties CEO is trying to understand why Mr. Obama has made little effort to build relationships on Capitol Hill or negotiate a bipartisan economic plan. A longtime supporter of the Democratic Party, Mr. Zuckerman wrote in these pages two months ago that the entire business community was “pleading for some kind of adult supervision” in Washington and “desperate for strong leadership.” Writing soon after the historic downgrade of U.S. Treasury debt by Standard & Poor’s, he wrote, “I long for a triple-A president to run a triple-A country.”

When President Obama was elected, the Democrats controlled the House of Representatives, the Presidency, and had a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. The had free reign to do anything they wanted to do. President Obama said in a meeting with Republican leadership, “We won,” indicating that he was going to push through his ideas and was not open to compromise. I believe that is the problem. The basic attitude of the President is that he is going to do what he wants–with or without Congress. We have seen federal agencies used to enforce regulations Congress refused to pass. We have seen the results of ignoring the voters and simply passing edicts. It’s time for a change.

The article further states:

At that time he supported Mr. Obama’s call for heavy spending on infrastructure. “But if you look at the make-up of the stimulus program,” says Mr. Zuckerman, “roughly half of it went to state and local municipalities, which is in effect to the municipal unions which are at the core of the Democratic Party.” He adds that “the Republicans understood this” and it diminished the chances for bipartisan legislating.

Then there was health-care reform: “Eighty percent of the country wanted them to get costs under control, not to extend the coverage. They used all their political capital to extend the coverage. I always had the feeling the country looked at that bill and said, ‘Well, he may be doing it because he wants to be a transformational president, but I want to get my costs down!'”

Mr. Zuckerman recalls reports of Mr. Obama consulting various historians on the qualities of a transformational president. “But remember, transformations can go up and they can go down.”

Mr. Zuckerman concludes:

“Democracy does not work without the right leadership,” he says later, “and you can’t play politics.” The smile inspired by Reagan memories is gone now and Mr. Zuckerman is pounding his circular conference table. “The country has got to come to the conclusion at some point that what you’re doing is not just because of an ideology or politics but for the interests of the country.”

Well said.

I’ve Heard This Song Before

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On Friday, ABC News reported that President Obama would be sending 100 U. S. troops to Uganda to help that country deal with the forces of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), it’s leader Joseph Kony, and senior leaders of the LRA.

The article reports:

The president made this announcement in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, Friday afternoon, saying that “deploying these U.S. Armed Forces furthers U.S. national security interests and foreign policy and will be a significant contribution toward counter-LRA efforts in central Africa.”

He said that “although the U.S. forces are combat-equipped, they will only be providing information, advice, and assistance to partner nation forces, and they will not themselves engage LRA forces unless necessary for self-defense.”

I will not argue that the LRA is a nasty group of people. I just hate to see any more U. S. troops deployed anywhere. It would seem to me that if the United Nations were worth anything, this would be a job their peace-keeping forces could do. I understand that the United States makes up a large portion of those forces, but I truly think it is time for that to change.

Just a reminder. According to Wikipedia:

November 1, 1955 — President Eisenhower deploys the Military Assistance Advisory Group to train the ARVN (South Vietnamese Army). This marks the official beginning of American involvement in the war as recognized by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

We have forgotten how to fight a war. You go in with guns blazing, kill the bad guys, help set up a viable government, then leave. Consider how Japan and Germany were treated after World War II. Japan had not been a democracy and their were serious doubts as to whether the Japanese were capable of being a stable, capitalistic, democracy. Frankly, I think they got it! Sending in advisers leads to more advisers, leads to soldiers, leads to more soldiers, leads to ridiculous rules of engagement. leads to dead Americans. I understand that the LRA are bad people, but America has no national security interest in Uganda. I wouldn’t object to putting together a group of countries to send in troops, but I object to America sending in 100 troops by itself.

I Really Don’t Understand Who Knew What About Fast And Furious–Or When They Knew It!

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On Thursday, Real Clear Politics posted two transcripts–one of Eric Holder testifying before Congress in May saying he had first heard of Operation Fast and Furious “for the first time over the last few weeks” and another of the President in March saying “Eric Holder has — the attorney general has been very clear that he knew nothing about this. We had assigned an I.G., inspector general, to investigate it.”

I have no idea what the truth is here. My conclusion is that we need an independent investigator to find out why the U. S. Government was engaged in gun running to Mexico. Who knew, what they knew, and when they knew are all questions that need to be answered.

Please follow the link above to Real Clear Politics to read the entire interviews. The whole situation seems to get more confusing every day.

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Behind The Scenes At Occupy Wall Street

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Big Government has posted two articles on some of the people involved in the Occupy Wall Street protests. The first article is here. It summarizes some of the emails that reporters from Big Government have obtained. These emails show who the people and groups are that are behind Occupy Wall Street, what these groups are planning, and what their goals are.

One highlight of the article:

The true purpose of the Occupy movement appears to be further economic and governmental destabilization, at a time when the world is already facing major financial and political challenges. By embracing the Occupy movement, President Barack Obama, the Democrat Party, and their union allies may be supporting an effort to harm both the domestic and global economies; to create social unrest throughout the democratic world; and to embrace other radical causes, including the anti-Israel movement. Ironically, the emails suggest that the President and the Democrat Party may soon find their friends in the Occupy movement to be a political burden. The email below calls for the Occupy movement to begin “executing higher-risk actions, civil disobedience and arrests,” and suggests: “We must draw a line, disavow the Democrats explicitly, make our messaging a little uncomfortable.” 

The second article at Big Government explains what caused Big Government to investigate the people behind Occupy Wall Street.

The article reports some disturbing connections:

Then, at the end of August, we were alerted by a fellow researcher that information about USDoR (U.S. Day of Rage, to which Occupy Wall Street is connected) had been posted on Shamuk and Al-Jahad, two Al-Qaeda recruitment sites. We began to take the “Occupy” protest more seriously, and dedicated more time to research and monitoring.

Days later, Anonymous announced that it would be releasing its new DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) tool. Because of the Al-Qaeda posting, we contacted the New York Field Office of the FBI so they could investigate the potential threat. From that point on, we decided we needed to include the Human Element of Intelligence (HUMINT), and to infiltrate the protestors to map their ties to Anonymous, and to the postings on Shamuk and Al-Jahad.

Admittedly, a protest movement cannot truly control who shows up to protest, but I do think recruiting on Al-Qaeda websites is a bit much.

The second article contains links to emails relating to specific plans of the protesters. So far, the attempts at violence and financial disruption have failed. Hopefully, that will be the case in the future.

I will admit to being a child of the sixties. I have protested. I was a peaceful protester. I never destroyed property or was rude to police or protesters on the opposite side of the issue. Protests are valid in a free society. Destruction of property and violence are not valid. As Occupy Wall Street continues, we need to take a very close look at who is behind the protest and exactly what they are doing and what they intend to do.

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I Guess It Depends On Your Idea Of A Good Investment

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In my head I can hear my stockbroker yelling, “Dump that turkey!” What am I talking about? The current state of the government’s investment in General Motors.

Yesterday the Daily Caller posted an article about the current state of the stock in General Motors that the government still owns.

The article points out:

President Obama glowingly defended the $85 billion auto industry bailout during a speech to Detroit auto workers Friday, saying “the investment was worth it.”

But the government still owns 500 million shares of General Motors which, if sold at today’s market price of $20 a share, would leave taxpayers on the hook for $16.5 billion in losses.

And…under the law of unintended consequences (I’m not sure about the unintended part), the agreement the government signed with General Motors and Chrysler makes Ford (the company that is not partially owned by the government) the only company that the United Auto Workers (UAW) can strike against.  As reported in rightwinggranny.com on October 13, 2011, the UAW is already making plans to strike Ford Motor Company.

Where is this going? Unless someone throws a wrench in the works, it is leading to a nationalization of the American auto industry.

My husband, a drive-by reader of this site, just pointed out to me that if the UAW strikes Ford, forcing them to be bailed out, then the UAW will not be able to strike any American auto company. Payback is a *****!

 

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A Little Media Bias Humor

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This is not original. Nor is it new. But it is still funny. It is from my daily email from Human Events. It is from the book 365 Ways to Drive a Liberal Crazy.

A biker is riding by the zoo, when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion’s cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her before the eyes of her screaming parents.

The biker jumps off his bike, runs to the cage, and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch. Whimpering from the pain, the lion jumps back, letting go of the girl, and the biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly.

A New York Times reporter has witnessed the whole scene, and addressing the biker, says, “Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I saw a man do in my whole life.”

“Why, it was nothing, really, the lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger, and acted as I felt right.”

“Well, I’ll make sure this won’t go unnoticed. I’m a journalist from the New York Times, you know, and tomorrow’s paper will have this on the front page. What motorcycle do you ride and what political affiliation do you have?”

“A Harley Davidson, and I am a Republican.”

The journalist leaves.

The following morning the biker buys the New York Times and reads, on the front page:

*REPUBLICAN BIKER GANG MEMBER ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH*

Brigitte Gabriel To Speak In Westborough Massachusetts Sunday October 16th

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The ActBoston Chapter is proud to cosponsor the New England debut of:
Brigitte Gabriel
Leading Expert on Global Islamic Terrorism
Sunday, October 16th at 7:00pm
Indian Meadows Country Club
275 Turnpike Road (Route 9W)
Westborough, MA 01581
This event is open to the public. Please RSVP at actboston@gmail.com
If you have any additional questions, please send them to
actboston@gmail.com
Additional Co-sponsors:
ACT for America Connecticut /New Hampshire/Rhode Island/Maine Chapters, Rabbi Jon Hausman
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Something To Think About As We Approach 2012

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Yesterday John Hinderaker at Power Line posted an article about voter fraud. Mr. Hinderaker lives in Minnesota, so the focus of the article is on voter fraud in Minnesota, but there are some interesting generic points in the article.

A group called Minnesota Majority has done some research on voter fraud in Minnesota. The group reports:

The report finds that 113 individuals who voted illegally in the 2008 election have been convicted of the crime, “ineligible voter knowingly votes” under Minnesota Statute 201.014.

The article at Minnesota Majority also reported:

Minnesota’s recent charges and convictions stem from research initiated by Minnesota Majority. The research identified upwards of 2,800 ineligible felons believed to have unlawfully voted in Minnesota’s 2008 general election.

“These convictions are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Davis. “The actual number of illegal votes cast was in the thousands. Most unlawful voters were never charged with a crime because they simply pled ignorance. We have evidence of these people casting illegal ballots, but in Minnesota, ignorance of election law is considered to be an acceptable defense.”

I don’t think that number of illegal votes mattered in 2008, but if 2012 is a close election, that number of illegal votes in some states could make a difference in the outcome of the election. Those of us over the age of 60 remember that there were some serious questions about the validity of John Kennedy’s victory in the 1960 presidential election. Richard Nixon chose not to litigate the election, although he certainly could have. The difference in the 1960 election was the city of Chicago. Somehow that city provided the right amount of votes for Kennedy to win. Hmmm.

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The Wall Street Journal’s View Of The Wall Street Protesters

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Today’s Wall Street Journal posted an article on the ongoing Wall Street protests. There were some interesting points:

In the matter of Occupy Wall Street, the allegedly anticapitalist movement that’s been camped out in lower Manhattan for the past few weeks and has inspired copycat protests from Boston to Los Angeles, we have some sympathy. Really? Well, yeah.

OK, not for the half-naked demonstrators, the ranting anti-Semites, Kanye West or anyone else who has helped make Occupy Wall Street a target for easy ridicule. But to the extent that the mainly young demonstrators have a valid complaint, it’s that they are trying to bust their way into an economy where there is one job for every five job-seekers, and where youth unemployment runs north of 18%. That is a cause for frustration, if not outrage.

That’s editorial speak for “I feel their pain.” I think everyone can identify with the struggles of young people trying to get jobs in a miserable economy, but the protesters need to rethink some of their protest targets. On Wednesday, they marched on J.P. Morgan Chase’s headquarters. J.P. Chase did not take excessive mortgage risk and did not need or receive TARP money. So why are they being protested?

Something else the protesters might consider when complaining that they cannot find jobs:

Now move from words to actions. Want a shovel-ready job? The Administration has spent three years sitting on the Keystone XL pipeline project that promises to create 13,000 union jobs and 118,000 “spin-off” jobs. A State Department environmental review says the project poses no threat to the environment, but the Administration’s eco-friends are screaming lest it go ahead. 

The article concludes:

This probably won’t do much to persuade the Occupiers of Wall Street that their cause would be better served in Washington, D.C., where a sister sit-in this week seems to have fizzled. Then again, most of America’s jobless also won’t recognize their values or interests in the warmed-over anticapitalism being served up in lower Manhattan. Three years into the current Administration, most Americans are getting wise to the source of their economic woes. It’s a couple hundred miles south of Wall Street. 

The easiest way to revive the stalled economy is the develop America’s fossil fuel energy sources. Unfortunately, under this administration, that will not happen.

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About That ‘Civility’ Thing

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Hot Air posted an article today about the attempt by Republicans in the House of Representative to make sure that there is no federal funding of abortion under Obamacare (assuming Obamacare is not overturned in the courts or repealed by a new Congress or President).

The article reports:

On the House floor today, in disgustingly disingenuous fashion, Nancy Pelosi smeared the intent behind the Protect Life Act, which aims to ensure that no funds authorized or appropriated by Obamacare may be used to pay for abortion or abortion coverage and also reinstates conscience protections for pro-life medical workers.

The exact quote in question:

“For a moment, I want to get back to what was asked about the issue on the floor today that Mr. Hoyer addressed. He made a point and I want to emphasize it. Under this bill, when the Republicans vote for this bill today, they will be voting to say that women can die on the floor and health care providers do not have to intervene if this bill is passed. It’s just appalling.”

Just for the record, that is not what the bill is about. The conscience protections for pro-life medical workers have been undermined by the Obama administration. The Protect Life Act seeks to bring these protections back to where they were before the Obama administration changed them.

A website called “Freedom2Care” reports:

October 13, 2011

News reports are highlighting the fact that suddenly “…the federal government is mandating that all private health insurance plans cover contraceptives and sterilization services [including the “morning after pill–Plan B” or the “ella” drug that can end the life of a developing human being]  free of charge. “Organizations that provide insurance to their employees will be forced to cover such services, even if they object. The effect is that the cost of these ‘free’ services will be shifted to plan participants through higher premiums both to employees in employer sponsored plans, and to individuals in the individual insurance market.”

If we are to be a truly free society, then the rights of those people with religious beliefs have to be respected as well as the rights of those people who do not share those beliefs. This mandate on private health insurance plans does not respect the rights of those people with religious convictions. I have no problem with having healthcare providers providing whatever medical services are requested. I do have a problem with the idea that the wishes of those with religious convictions are being ignored and overridden.

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The End Of Free Enterprise In The American Automobile Industry

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Today’s Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that the union workers at Ford Motor Company’s Chicago assembly plan have voted to reject a new four-year contract proposed by Ford Motor Company.

I would like to repost a quote from an article posted at rightwinggranny.com on September 19, 2011:

Workers at Chrysler Group LLC, whose contract also expired on September 14, continue to negotiate for terms of their new deal.

The UAW is not allowed to call strikes for workers at GM and Chrysler under the terms of the federal bailouts which those companies received.

Workers at Ford Motor (which did not receive a federal bailout, which allows them to strike) are also in talks for a new contract.

One of the problems the union workers have with the proposed contract:

Some workers are angry that in the wake of Ford earning $9.3 billion in profits the last two years, the contract does not give back some of the things they lost in previous agreements, including cost-of-living raises. They are also mad about Ford CEO Alan Mulally’s $26.5 million pay package for 2010.

Also included in the proposed contract:

The deal would also commit Ford to hiring a total of 2,000 workers in the Chicago area, including 1,100 to be part of a new third shift at the company’s Chicago assembly plant. The contract agreement calls for Ford to hire 900 workers at its stamping plant and assembly plant within the next four years.

The most amazing statement in the article:

Morton (Grant Morton, United Auto Workers Union Local 551 plant chairman) said he still expects the 1,100 new jobs and new third shift at Ford’s Chicago assembly plant even if the contract does not pass. That is because the company plans to produce sedan and SUV versions of its new Police Interceptor vehicle at the plant. The vehicle will be launched in February. The plant has already produced a couple hundred of the Interceptors, according to Morton. The plant also produces the Lincoln MKS, Ford Taurus and Ford Explorer.

Something has gone horribly wrong with the way people look at their jobs and the companies that hire them. I suppose heads of corporations make ridiculous money. They also work a lot of hours and carry a lot of weight on their shoulders, why shouldn’t they be paid for it? What relationship does that have to the man who does an honest day’s work on an assembly line and goes home when the whistle blows? As employees, we need to be concerned about making ourselves more valuable to the companies we work for rather than worrying what the officers of the company make. I guess this is a very old-fashioned idea, but generally speaking, people are paid for the jobs they do. Some industries pay better than others, and some jobs pay better than others, but usually if you want a really high-paying job, you either have to have skills that are unique and hard to find, or you have to work at a job that has a high risk of failure. Those of us who are ‘average’ are going to receive ‘average’ wages. I’m sorry, that’s just the way it is, and no amount of labor disruption or strikes against companies will change that. The only thing a prolonged strike against Ford will do is create financial problems for the company and put jobs at risk. Considering the economics of the present time, that is probably not a really good idea.

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Some Things To Keep In Mind About The Recently Discovered Iranian Plot Against The United States

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The recently-discovered Iranian plot against America was a shock to all of us. It shouldn’t have been–Iran has been killing American soldiers since we first went into Afghanistan, but it was.  I have heard a few questions about the timing of the news on this plot and the motives behind them. My best source on this is Andrew C. McCarthy.

Mr. McCarthy posted an article at National Review’s The Corner with his perspective on the foiled plot.

Mr. McCarthy reports:

The case is being handled by my old office (the Southern District of New York), where the U.S. attorney is a very honorable guy and the prosecutors are notoriously resistant to micro-management by Main Justice. The FBI director is also a straight arrow, as are the vast, vast majority of agents. There are just too many people involved — good, hardworking people, who would take no part in a charade designed to take the heat off the AG.

The article further points out that historically Iran has been willing to work with almost anyone if it involves working against American interests in the world. To quote the article directly:

Al Qaeda is a Sunni terrorist organization that is not overly fond of Shiite Muslims. The Taliban was Iran’s nemesis when it was running Afghanistan. Yet, the Iranians have colluded with al Qaeda and armed the Taliban for what they see as the greater good of making trouble for us.

Mr. McCarthy reminds us that the brazenness of the attack should not be a surprise–Iran has been attacking us for some time, and we have not responded strongly. Why not continue if there are no consequences? He points out that in our search for moderates in the Iranian government, we are willing to avoid responding to almost anything–including an attempt at a direct attack within America.

At some point America is going to have to decide whether or not we are worth defending. Either our way of life is worth preserving or it is not. How should we deal with those who are determined to put an end to the American way of life?

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The Double Standard At Work

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The Boston Globe is reporting today that Boston will ban smoking in public housing, beginning in September 2012.

The article reports:

The policy is aimed at protecting nonsmokers, especially children, from breathing in secondhand cigarette smoke from neighboring units, which can cause asthma attacks, respiratory infections, lung cancer, and heart disease.

“We feel this is in the best interests of our residents,’’ said the Boston Housing Authority’s spokeswoman, Lydia Agro. “When you have buildings with multiple apartments next to each other, there is no way to contain the smoke.’’

Meanwhile, back at the ranch… WTSP Channel 10 in Tampa Bay, Florida, reports that the Florida law requiring welfare recipients to pass a drug test is a violation of the 4th Amendment.

The article reports:

In 2003, a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling from Michigan backed that up saying, “Michigan law authorizing suspicionless drug testing of welfare recipients was unconstitutional.”

…As we 10News reported Wednesday, attorneys from the ACLU are already working on a lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of these drug tests.

First of all, I would like to state that as someone who has never smoked or used illegal drugs, I don’t have a horse in this race. I do, however, possess a rather ironic sense of humor, and I think looking at these two stories together is very interesting. Which is more harmful to a child–a parent who smokes or a parent who uses illegal drugs? Before you answer than, consider the people the parent comes in contact with in obtaining illegal drugs. Smoking is legal; illegal drugs are illegal. Why is the ACLU fighting the drug test and not the smoking ban? This seems a little odd to me.

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With Friends Like These…

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Fox News reported yesterday:

Juan Pablo Pino, 24, a member of Saudi Arabia’s Al Nasr soccer club, was taken into custody in Riyadh on Friday by Saudi moral police after mall customers complained about the tattoos. Pino was visiting the mall with his pregnant wife, the Catholic News Agency reports.

Mr. Pino, who was born in Colombia was detained because he walked through a mall wearing a sleeveless shirt that revealed his religious tattoos, including one of Jesus

The article further reports:

Nayimi Sheik Mohammed, a Saudi cleric, told Colombia Reports that the country respects Shariah law and that tattoos must be covered at all times.

I really think it would be a good idea to re-evaluation our relationship with Saudi Arabia.

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Hope For New England Fishermen

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During the Obama administration, there has been an attack on the commercial fishing industry in New England. I have posted on this before (rightwinggranny August 27, 2010). Now the fishermen have two allies in the Senate who are preparing to help their cause.

Senators Scott Brown and Kelly Ayotte introduced S. 1678 on Tuesday. The bill would amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to permit eligible fishermen to approve certain limited access privilege programs.

An article at The Republic states it more clearly:

Under the bill, New England’s program would be terminated if more than 15 percent of participating fishermen lost their jobs in the first year. The new system finished its first year in May, but it’s not yet known if the 15 percent threshold was reached.

The bill also requires a two-thirds vote by fishermen before any future fishery management systems are approved.

This does not restore the businesses of the fishermen who have been put out of business by over regulation, but it is a first step in limiting the power of the federal government to choose winners and losers in the fishing industry.

These are quotes from Senator Ayotte’s website about the need for the legislation:

“Catch share programs are driving New Hampshire’s fishermen out of business.  Five months after federal catch shares were implemented in New England, 55 out of the initial 500 boats in the fishery controlled 61 percent of the revenue, and 253 of the boats were sitting at the dock, unable to fish without quota,” said Senator Ayotte, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee and the Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fishers, and Coast Guard.  “This legislation would help level the playing field for independent small fishermen by scrapping unreasonable federal mandates that are killing jobs while giving local fishing communities more control during the program establishment process.”

Senator Brown said: “It is clear that the hastily implemented system of catch-share management in New England has led to fewer fishing jobs and a consolidated fishing fleet.  As more and more jobs disappear from Massachusetts ports, Congressional action is needed to save the fishing industry from overzealous federal regulation.  This bill sends a clear message to NOAA that the broken relationship between the agency and fishermen needs to be fixed and we need to work together to save fishing jobs and ensure a robust and vibrant industry in Massachusetts.”

Both of these Senators are to be congratulated for their efforts on the part of New England fishermen.

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A World Of Misleading Headlines

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Tampa Bay Online posted this headline last night:

GOP senators vote to defeat Obama’s jobs bill 

The New York Daily News reports:

Senate Republicans vote to kill Obama’s $447 million jobs bill

Those are two examples. If you choose to look, I’m sure you can find dozens. Let’s look at the facts. This the current breakdown of the Senate: Democrats: 57, Republicans: 41, Independents: 2. Because of the filibuster, it takes 60 votes to get anything voted on in the Senate.

The New York Daily News reports:

The $447 billion plan died on a 50-49 tally that garnered a majority of the 100-member Senate but fell well short of the 60 votes needed to keep the bill alive. The tally had been 51-48, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., switched his vote to “nay” so that he could force a future revote.

Power Line reports:

the bill stalled with Democratic Sens. Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Jon Tester (Mont.) joining all 46 voting Republicans to oppose the motion. …

At least three Members of the Democratic Conference who voted to move the legislation forward, Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Jim Webb (D-Va.), said they would have opposed its final passage absent significant adjustments.

I realize that I am being picky, but considering this will be a campaign issue in 2012, I think it’s a good idea to get the facts straight at the outset. The only bipartisanship was against the bill. All the Republicans voted against cloture, but two Democrats joined them. All but two of the Democrats voted for cloture, but some Democrats said they would not vote for the bill unless it was changed significantly. The Republicans did not block this bill–the Democrats were simply not able to get the support of all their members and make a case good enough to get a few Republican votes. It’s not gridlock–it’s simply a bad bill that did not pass!

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Not All Civilizations Are Equal

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Benjamin Netanyahu

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This is one of those rambling posts I put up occasionally. If that bothers you, please feel free to stop reading. In a briefing on Islam given to his fellow Army doctors before his shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Nidal Malik Hasan stated, “We love death more than you love life!” We need to think about that for a minute. Western civilization does not have a perfect record on loving life–we treated the American Indians badly, we treated the slaves badly, and we currently allow abortion (which kills the innocent unborn). We’re not perfect. However, generally speaking, we seek to preserve life. Sometimes we’re even a little nutty about it. We value people as individuals and seek to protect them. Unfortunately, that puts us at a disadvantage when dealing with a culture that worships death.

Yesterday Reuters posted an article stating that Israel and the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip have agreed to a prisoner swap. Israeli captive soldier Gilad Shalit will be exchanged for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Gilad Shalit was kidnapped in 2006.

The article reports:

Announcing to his cabinet, and television cameras, that a deal had been signed earlier in the day, Netanyahu said he feared time was running out for Shalit amid political upheaval in the Arab world.

“I believe we have reached the best agreement possible at this time, when storms are raging in the Middle East. I don’t know if we could have reached a better agreement, or even achieved one at all, in the near future,” he said.

“It’s possible that this window of opportunity would have closed for good and we never would have brought Gilad home.”

What is he saying? There is so much upheaval in the Middle East right now, and the entire area seems to be moving against Israel. As more militant Islamists take over the countries surrounding Israel and exert their power, the chances of getting Gilad back to Israel alive will grow dimmer. Again, kidnapping has proved to be a worthwhile activity on the part of those who are opposing western civilization. Iran has used it consistently to raise money. Lebanon has also used kidnapping as a weapon. In Beirut between 1982 and 1992, 96 foreign hostages of 21 national origins were kidnapped. You think we would have learned by now that this is a prime money-raising activity (and prisoner release activity) of terrorists.

I admire Prime Minister Netanyahu for making this deal. He knows as he signs the paper that he is paving the way for more terrorist attacks in Israel. He also knows that this is the only way to bring Gilad home alive. Terrorists do not play fair, and until the western world stands in unity against them, they will continue to promote death and violence.

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Defunding The Cats So The Mice Can Play

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US-GeneralAccountingOffice-Seal

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At the end of September, the Washington Examiner posted an article about attempts by the Democrats in the Senate to defund the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO is a non-partisan group that looks for government waste.

The article reports:

Seven months ago, the non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a landmark report identifying at least $200 billion in wasteful, duplicative, and fraudulent government programs.

This is simply downright inconvenient. The article reports the Democrat response to this information:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, said the report, “shows all kinds of redundancies and overlapping.  Those are places we can cut money.  Let’s do it.”

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, agreed.: “Again, we all agree we have to get rid of waste, fraud, abuse, duplication, obsolescence, and the rest. The GAO has given us a blueprint for that, and we subscribe to that.  We all agree that we must reduce the deficit, and the fiscal commission has given us a road map for that.  We can agree or disagree with some of it; but the fact is it gives us a blueprint for how to go forward, and we should take heed of that.”

Yet, in the last seven months, Congress has failed to send a single cut identified by GAO to the president’s desk.  Even worse, instead of cutting the spending identified by GAO, the Senate Appropriations Committee is now proposing to slash funding for GAO itself.

Somehow that is not surprising. Congress has not passed a budget in more than two years, despite being required by law to do so. Please follow the link to the Washington Examiner to see the games the Democrats in the Senate are playing with the GAO in an attempt to avoid being held accountable for their runaway spending.

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Crony Capitalism Underwritten By Junk Science

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In 2008, Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts signed the Global Warming Solutions Act. The stated purpose of the act was to make Massachusetts one of the first states in the nation to move forward with a comprehensive regulatory program to address Climate Change.

Meanwhile the Wall Street Journal posted an opinion piece on October 6th entitled, “Five Truths About Climate Change.”

Some basic facts pointed out in the article:

Here’s a reality check: During the same decade that Mr. Gore and the IPCC dominated the environmental debate, global carbon-dioxide emissions rose by 28.5%.

Those increases reflect soaring demand for electricity, up by 36%, which in turn fostered a 47% increase in coal consumption. (Natural-gas use increased by 29% while oil use grew by 13%.) Carbon-dioxide emissions are growing because people around the world understand the essentiality of electricity to modernity. And for many countries, the cheapest way to produce electrons is by burning coal. 

China’s emissions jumped by 123% over the past decade and now exceed those of the U.S. by more than two billion tons per year. Africa’s carbon-dioxide emissions jumped by 30%, Asia’s by 44%, and the Middle East’s by a whopping 57%. Put another way, over the past decade, U.S. carbon dioxide emissions—about 6.1 billion tons per year—could have gone to zero and yet global emissions still would have gone up.

The science is not settled, not by a long shot. Last month, scientists at CERN, the prestigious high-energy physics lab in Switzerland, reported that neutrinos might—repeat, might—travel faster than the speed of light. If serious scientists can question Einstein’s theory of relativity, then there must be room for debate about the workings and complexities of the Earth’s atmosphere. 

Please follow the link to the Wall Street Journal to read the entire article. Global warming is NOT settled science.

Meanwhile, back to Massachusetts. Many of the solar and wind energy companies have received grants from the state and from the federal stimulus program. When you look at the officers of these companies, you find that many of them went from state government to ‘green energy’ and took government money with them. There are some questionable connections here. In March of this year, the Hawaii Free Press reported:

Paul Gaynor, CEO of First Wind stood comfortably with Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie, Rep Mazie Hirono, and HECO CEO Dick Rosenblum at the grand opening of the Kahuku Wind energy project on Oahu’s North Shore Thursday.   As he should. 

First Wind–formerly known as UPC Wind–got its start in wind energy by launching Italy’s IVPC–a company now subject to a record breaking asset seizure by Italian police.  The Financial Times September 14, 2010 explains:

Please follow the links to read the entire story. Paul Gaynor was appointed by Governor Patrick to be Co-chair of “The Climate Protection Advisory Committee” under the Global Warming Solutions Act.

I think it’s time to re-evaluation the entire ‘green energy’ idea. We don’t need another place for politicians to line their pockets at the expense of taxpayers.

For more information on the ‘follow the money’ aspect of green energy, see rightwinggranny post of August 14, 2010. Also, please understand that Solyndra was counting on the passage of Cap and Trade legislation so that they could increase the price of their product and make a profit. If Cap and Trade had passed through Congress, we would probably have never heard of Solyndra. That may be one reason President Obama is attempting to virtually pass Cap and Trade by using EPA regulations to do the same thing.

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More Bad News From Operation Fast And Furious

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22 – El Paso, Texas

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On Saturday the Los Angeles Times reported that 100 assault weapons acquired under Fast and Furious ended up in a home belonging to the purported top Sinaloa cartel enforcer in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, whose organization was terrorizing that city with the worst violence in the Mexican drug wars.

The article reports that three months into the Fast and Furious program, El Paso, Texas, began to emerge as a hub for the weapons traffic.

The article reports:

On Jan. 13, 2010, El Paso police stumbled upon 40 firearms after following a suspicious dark blue Volkswagen Jetta that backed into a garage at a local residence, according to federal court records.

The article further reports:

Two others, Ivan Chavira and Edgar Ivan Galvan, were subsequently charged in that gun recovery, along with the recovery of 20 Fast and Furious weapons on April 7, 2010, in El Paso. Those guns also were discovered by chance by local authorities, and ATF trace records show that the weapons were purchased in Phoenix two weeks before they were found in El Paso.

Notice that in both cases, the weapons were discovered by alert police officers–whatever tracing the government claims to have put on these guns was non-existent. The Los Angeles Times also posted a chronology of events regarding Fast and Furious through October 8. It is amazing to realize the scope of this program.

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About The Anti-Capitalism Aspect Of The Wall Street Protests

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HotAir posted a story today that featured this ad from Craig’s List:

I realize it’s hard to read the small print, but the bottom line here is that you can get paid to make a difference by joining the Wall Street protests. Isn’t that capitalism?

This is a portion from the body of the add:

You must be an energetic communicator, with a passion for social and economic justice.  Only outgoing, articulate dedicated, determined candidates will be considered for the positions.

For those candidates that qualify WFP offers substantial paid-training provided by senior leadership, on varied issues such as: advocacy, public speaking, mobilizing, fundraising, networking and organizing. We invest in passionate people with excellent communication skills and a full benefits package is offered to those candidates that qualify. In addition, there is opportunity for advancement and travel to our satellite chapters and out of state affiliates.

This is not a policy job! Through direct action you will be shaping NY state politics for the next 20 years.

The article at Hot Air points out that generally ‘direct action’ means protesting.  More from the ad:

Compensation: $350-$650 A Week Depending On Responsibility & Length Of Time On Staff.

 The $350 a week works out to $8.75 an hour for a forty-hour week. Are these protesters working forty-hour weeks


I Understand The Desire To Report The News But I Wonder About This…

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Yesterday the Boston Globe reported the name of the person who told the FBI where to find James “Whitey” Bulger. Whitey Bulger had been a fugitive since 1994. He fled Boston when he was tipped off by a former FBI handler about a pending indictment on Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charges.

Whitey Bulger had a lot of questionable connections in both the worlds of crime and law enforcement. Some of those connections are still alive and well. My concern is whether or not the Boston Globe put that person in danger by reporting that she is the one who told the FBI where to find Whitey Bulger. When he was operating in Boston, he was not known as a very nice person. Hopefully his reach does not extend her location.

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Do College Clubs Have The Right To Set Their Own Rules ?

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Library of Congress Photo, Kissam Hall, Vander...

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On Wednesday, CBN News reported that Vanderbilt University has put four groups on provisional status because their bylaws include requirements like Bible study and worship. The school is conducting a review of student groups to make sure all groups are in compliance with their non-discrimination policy. The review is the result of the fact that an openly gay student was kicked out of the Christian fraternity Beta Upsilon Chi last year.

The article reports:

Justin Gunter, president of the CLS (Christian Legal Society) chapter, said he was shocked when the school brought up the issue since there seems to be so much religious diversity and acceptance on campus.

“Up until now, the campus had been very welcoming of religious individuals,” he explained.

“These rules essentially will reduce the religious diversity on campus overall,” Gunter said. “Religious groups now can’t even say that we want a Christian group to be led by a Christian, a Muslim group to be led by a Muslim.”

Vanderbilt University was founded by the Methodist Church. It has definitely wandered from its roots–last year the university made the decision to recognize Wiccan holidays.

This university has Christian roots. There is no reason why they have to limit the freedom of Christians in order to be ‘diverse.’ Simply allowing the Christian groups to follow their beliefs in setting up their organizations is not discrimination–it is respect for the beliefs of the organization.

 

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