Article 1 Section 8.1
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
Friday, June 5, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Obama Stirs Israel
With President Obama set to deliver a high-profile speech to the Muslim world in Cairo, Egypt, tensions are flaring in neighboring Israel over the U.S. president's latest demands on the Jewish state.
Top Israeli officials continue to rebuff Obama's call for the country to freeze all settlement construction in the West Bank. Obama's demand, which he reiterated strongly in an interview with National Public Radio ahead of his trip, is seen as a far tougher stance than that taken by his predecessor in the White House.
Whereas prior administrations generally opposed settlement construction, they allowed for "natural growth" of existing settlements.
But speaking to NPR, Obama said he has told the Israelis "both privately and publicly" that their obligation includes a freeze on settlements, "including natural growth."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have rejected that demand. And Israeli media have fixed on the spat as the U.S. president tours Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and later France and Germany, while skipping Israel.
The Israeli newspapers on Wednesday were packed with stories on what they called a "settlement row," a "public spat" and the United States' "hard-line" stance.
"Israeli-American relations are entering their most serious tailspin in a decade," newspaper Ha'aretz said in its analysis of what it called Obama's "tough love" on Wednesday.
"There's no denying the disturbing change in tone emanating from Washington, which is elevating the settlement issue to an importance which is disproportionate," declared The Jerusalem Post in a recent editorial, accusing Obama of "coddling" the Palestinians while getting tough on Israel.
The editorial said Israel needs to dismantle illegal outposts but suggested that freezing all settlement growth would do little to advance peace with the Palestinians.
Obama met Tuesday, before flying out, with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. He reportedly reiterated his settlement position. With Obama now overseas, Vice President Joe Biden was following up in a meeting with Barak Wednesday in Washington.
Meanwhile, Israel's Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom told reporters at the United Nations Tuesday that "natural growth is needed ... and that's something that should be understood."
Shalom said Israel has committed to halting construction of new settlements, but that natural population growth requires the continued construction of facilities like classrooms and doctors' offices.
Ha'aretz reported that Obama intends to give Netanyahu four to six weeks to give an "updated position" on West Bank settlements and the goal of a two-state solution.
Obama told NPR that the he still believes the United States has a "special relationship" with Israel, but that the "status quo is unsustainable" and that movement toward a Palestinian state is critical to Israeli security.
"The current trajectory in the region is profoundly negative," Obama said. "Not only for Israeli interests but also U.S. interests."
Some analysts see potential progress in Obama's demands, since it could prompt Arab nations to work more earnestly toward peace with Israel.
Nathan Brown, a political scientist at George Washington University, said Obama's demand that Israel freeze settlements will make Arab leaders pay close attention to his speech this week.
"His predecessor, who did talk two-state solution, was not taken seriously because there was no change on the ground," he said, explaining that Muslims want to see something concrete go along with the platitudes.
Israeli politician Haim Oron told The Jerusalem Post Wednesday that Obama's stance is "correct" and in Israel's best interest. He dismissed the concerns of what he called the "Israeli Right."
Courtesy of www.foxnews.com
Top Israeli officials continue to rebuff Obama's call for the country to freeze all settlement construction in the West Bank. Obama's demand, which he reiterated strongly in an interview with National Public Radio ahead of his trip, is seen as a far tougher stance than that taken by his predecessor in the White House.
Whereas prior administrations generally opposed settlement construction, they allowed for "natural growth" of existing settlements.
But speaking to NPR, Obama said he has told the Israelis "both privately and publicly" that their obligation includes a freeze on settlements, "including natural growth."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have rejected that demand. And Israeli media have fixed on the spat as the U.S. president tours Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and later France and Germany, while skipping Israel.
The Israeli newspapers on Wednesday were packed with stories on what they called a "settlement row," a "public spat" and the United States' "hard-line" stance.
"Israeli-American relations are entering their most serious tailspin in a decade," newspaper Ha'aretz said in its analysis of what it called Obama's "tough love" on Wednesday.
"There's no denying the disturbing change in tone emanating from Washington, which is elevating the settlement issue to an importance which is disproportionate," declared The Jerusalem Post in a recent editorial, accusing Obama of "coddling" the Palestinians while getting tough on Israel.
The editorial said Israel needs to dismantle illegal outposts but suggested that freezing all settlement growth would do little to advance peace with the Palestinians.
Obama met Tuesday, before flying out, with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. He reportedly reiterated his settlement position. With Obama now overseas, Vice President Joe Biden was following up in a meeting with Barak Wednesday in Washington.
Meanwhile, Israel's Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom told reporters at the United Nations Tuesday that "natural growth is needed ... and that's something that should be understood."
Shalom said Israel has committed to halting construction of new settlements, but that natural population growth requires the continued construction of facilities like classrooms and doctors' offices.
Ha'aretz reported that Obama intends to give Netanyahu four to six weeks to give an "updated position" on West Bank settlements and the goal of a two-state solution.
Obama told NPR that the he still believes the United States has a "special relationship" with Israel, but that the "status quo is unsustainable" and that movement toward a Palestinian state is critical to Israeli security.
"The current trajectory in the region is profoundly negative," Obama said. "Not only for Israeli interests but also U.S. interests."
Some analysts see potential progress in Obama's demands, since it could prompt Arab nations to work more earnestly toward peace with Israel.
Nathan Brown, a political scientist at George Washington University, said Obama's demand that Israel freeze settlements will make Arab leaders pay close attention to his speech this week.
"His predecessor, who did talk two-state solution, was not taken seriously because there was no change on the ground," he said, explaining that Muslims want to see something concrete go along with the platitudes.
Israeli politician Haim Oron told The Jerusalem Post Wednesday that Obama's stance is "correct" and in Israel's best interest. He dismissed the concerns of what he called the "Israeli Right."
Courtesy of www.foxnews.com
Daily Constitution Reading 6-3-2009
Article 1 Section 8.3
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Daily Constitution Readin 6-2-2009
Article 1 Section 9.2
No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.
No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another; nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.
No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.
No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.
No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another; nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.
No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.
No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Sad End To A Sad Life
Leaders of the anti-abortion movement gathered in front of the Supreme Court Monday morning to denounce the murder of abortion doctor George Tiller, who was gunned down Sunday while attending church in Wichita, Kan.
The pro-life activists also used the platform to blast President Obama's abortion policies and strongly question the beliefs of his Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor.
"It is immoral and it is unchristian," Rev. Rob Schenck of the National Clergy Council said of Tiller's murder. He said the reaction to it "becomes a greater setback to the pro-life movement than anything the so-called pro-choice movement could do."
"We call on President Obama and the [congressional leaders] not to use this tragedy for political gain," added Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalitions.
Tiller was one of few American doctors who specialized in late-term abortions, and the eighth U.S. abortion provider murdered since 1977, according to the National Abortion Federation. Seventeen others had been targeted with attempted murder.
Tiller, who was cleared in March of 17 misdemeanor charges relating to his practice, had been the target of repeated protests and harassment for many years; he was wounded in both arms when an anti-abortion activist shot him in 1993.
The suspect in Sunday's shooting was identified by a law enforcement agent as Scott Roeder. Roeder, 51, was taken into custody about three hours after and 170 miles away from the shooting at Reformation Lutheran Church.
Police said Sunday that all early indications showed the shooter acted alone. Operation Rescue, a group that closely tracked Tiller's work and legal troubles, condemned the killing as vigilantism and "a cowardly act."
Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, told The New York Times that Roeder was "not a friend, not a contributor, not a volunteer," even though a 2007 post on the group's Web site was written by a man identifying himself as Scott Roeder who asked if anyone had thought of attending Tiller's church to ask the doctor and other worshippers about his work.
Operation Rescue's Web site was down on Monday.
The group's former president, Randall Terry, said that, despite Tiller's murder, abortion opponents must not retreat from calling him a "mass murderer."
"The pro-life movement must not be browbeaten by Obama or the child-killers into surrendering our best rhetoric, actions and images. We hold absolutely no responsibility for his death," Terry said in a written statement.
Separately on Monday, Mahoney said it would be a "double tragedy" if politicians or pro-choice groups painted organizations like his with the "broad brush of extremism and violence."
He also used the occasion to attack Obama's abortion policies as "extreme" and said there was no doubt, based on the president's record, that Sotomayor will be a vote for abortion rights if she is confirmed to the Supreme Court.
"Be honest with us," Mahoney said when talking about White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' comments last week that Sotomayor was never asked or explicitly stated her abortion views during the vetting process.
Mahoney took issue with the "code words" coming from the White House about Sotomayor and abortion. But he acknowledged that Sotomayor's record as a federal judge reflects something far different than someone pushing a pro-choice agenda. He conceded that in three known abortion cases before her, Sotomayor supported the position he advocated. None of those cases, however, directly challenged the controversial law.
FOX News' Lee Ross contributed to this report.
The pro-life activists also used the platform to blast President Obama's abortion policies and strongly question the beliefs of his Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor.
"It is immoral and it is unchristian," Rev. Rob Schenck of the National Clergy Council said of Tiller's murder. He said the reaction to it "becomes a greater setback to the pro-life movement than anything the so-called pro-choice movement could do."
"We call on President Obama and the [congressional leaders] not to use this tragedy for political gain," added Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalitions.
Tiller was one of few American doctors who specialized in late-term abortions, and the eighth U.S. abortion provider murdered since 1977, according to the National Abortion Federation. Seventeen others had been targeted with attempted murder.
Tiller, who was cleared in March of 17 misdemeanor charges relating to his practice, had been the target of repeated protests and harassment for many years; he was wounded in both arms when an anti-abortion activist shot him in 1993.
The suspect in Sunday's shooting was identified by a law enforcement agent as Scott Roeder. Roeder, 51, was taken into custody about three hours after and 170 miles away from the shooting at Reformation Lutheran Church.
Police said Sunday that all early indications showed the shooter acted alone. Operation Rescue, a group that closely tracked Tiller's work and legal troubles, condemned the killing as vigilantism and "a cowardly act."
Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, told The New York Times that Roeder was "not a friend, not a contributor, not a volunteer," even though a 2007 post on the group's Web site was written by a man identifying himself as Scott Roeder who asked if anyone had thought of attending Tiller's church to ask the doctor and other worshippers about his work.
Operation Rescue's Web site was down on Monday.
The group's former president, Randall Terry, said that, despite Tiller's murder, abortion opponents must not retreat from calling him a "mass murderer."
"The pro-life movement must not be browbeaten by Obama or the child-killers into surrendering our best rhetoric, actions and images. We hold absolutely no responsibility for his death," Terry said in a written statement.
Separately on Monday, Mahoney said it would be a "double tragedy" if politicians or pro-choice groups painted organizations like his with the "broad brush of extremism and violence."
He also used the occasion to attack Obama's abortion policies as "extreme" and said there was no doubt, based on the president's record, that Sotomayor will be a vote for abortion rights if she is confirmed to the Supreme Court.
"Be honest with us," Mahoney said when talking about White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' comments last week that Sotomayor was never asked or explicitly stated her abortion views during the vetting process.
Mahoney took issue with the "code words" coming from the White House about Sotomayor and abortion. But he acknowledged that Sotomayor's record as a federal judge reflects something far different than someone pushing a pro-choice agenda. He conceded that in three known abortion cases before her, Sotomayor supported the position he advocated. None of those cases, however, directly challenged the controversial law.
FOX News' Lee Ross contributed to this report.
Kim Jong Ill Is At It Again, Or I Mean Still
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea has transported its most advanced missile, believed to be capable of reaching Alaska, to a site where it could be ready for launch in a week or two, news reports said Monday.
The reclusive communist country was also reportedly strengthening its defenses and conducting amphibious assault exercises along its western shore, near disputed waters where deadly naval clashes with South Korea have occurred in the past.
With the launch, Pyongyang could also thumb its nose at U.N. Security Council attempts to rein it in after last week's nuclear test and a series of short-range missile launches.
South Korean media have speculated that the North wants to time the launch for around June 16, when South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has a summit in Washington with President Barack Obama.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the missile had been sent by train to the newly completed missile facility of Dongchang-ni, about 40 miles from the Chinese border.
Yonhap, quoting government sources, said the missile could be ready to launch in a week or two. South Korean defense and intelligence officials refused to comment.
U.S Defense Secretary Robert Gates, speaking at a news conference in the Philippines, said North Korea appears to be working on a long-range missile, but it's not clear yet what they plan to do with it.
Lee, hosting a conference of Southeast Asian leaders, warned the North against any provocation.
"If North Korea turns its back on dialogue and peace and dares to carry out military threats and provocations, the Republic of Korea will never tolerate that," Lee said in his regular radio address.
Adding to tensions this week, the trial starts Thursday in Pyongyang of two American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, accused of entering the country illegally and engaging in "hostile acts."
North Korea faced strong international criticism after its last long-range missile launch, on April 5. The North said the launch was of a rocket intended to put a satellite in orbit. That modified version of the Taepodong-2 rocket flew about 2,000 miles, crossing over Japan before crashing into the Pacific Ocean.
Continue reading the story here.
The reclusive communist country was also reportedly strengthening its defenses and conducting amphibious assault exercises along its western shore, near disputed waters where deadly naval clashes with South Korea have occurred in the past.
With the launch, Pyongyang could also thumb its nose at U.N. Security Council attempts to rein it in after last week's nuclear test and a series of short-range missile launches.
South Korean media have speculated that the North wants to time the launch for around June 16, when South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has a summit in Washington with President Barack Obama.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the missile had been sent by train to the newly completed missile facility of Dongchang-ni, about 40 miles from the Chinese border.
Yonhap, quoting government sources, said the missile could be ready to launch in a week or two. South Korean defense and intelligence officials refused to comment.
U.S Defense Secretary Robert Gates, speaking at a news conference in the Philippines, said North Korea appears to be working on a long-range missile, but it's not clear yet what they plan to do with it.
Lee, hosting a conference of Southeast Asian leaders, warned the North against any provocation.
"If North Korea turns its back on dialogue and peace and dares to carry out military threats and provocations, the Republic of Korea will never tolerate that," Lee said in his regular radio address.
Adding to tensions this week, the trial starts Thursday in Pyongyang of two American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, accused of entering the country illegally and engaging in "hostile acts."
North Korea faced strong international criticism after its last long-range missile launch, on April 5. The North said the launch was of a rocket intended to put a satellite in orbit. That modified version of the Taepodong-2 rocket flew about 2,000 miles, crossing over Japan before crashing into the Pacific Ocean.
Continue reading the story here.
Daily Constitution Reading 6-1-2009
Article 7 Section 1
The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.
The Word, "the," being interlined between the seventh and eighth Lines of the first Page, the Word "Thirty" being partly written on an Erazure in the fifteenth Line of the first Page, The Words "is tried" being interlined between the thirty second and thirty third Lines of the first Page and the Word "the" being interlined between the forty third and forty fourth Lines of the second Page.
Attest William Jackson Secretary
Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names,
The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.
The Word, "the," being interlined between the seventh and eighth Lines of the first Page, the Word "Thirty" being partly written on an Erazure in the fifteenth Line of the first Page, The Words "is tried" being interlined between the thirty second and thirty third Lines of the first Page and the Word "the" being interlined between the forty third and forty fourth Lines of the second Page.
Attest William Jackson Secretary
Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names,
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Daily Constitution Reading 5-30-2009
Article 5 Section 1
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Bush Defends His Decision To Allow Harsh Interrogations
Former President George W. Bush on Thursday defended his decision to allow harsh interrogations on the terror mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, saying he did what was necessary to prevent what his advisers believed was another imminent attack.
Describing the decision to use waterboarding on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed after his capture in March 2003, Bush said the idea was first cleared with his lawyers in order to "take whatever steps that were necessary to protect" the American public.
"The first thing you do is ask, what's legal? What do the lawyers say is possible?" he said. "I made the decision, within the law, to get information so I can say to myself, 'I've done what it takes to do my duty to protect the American people.' I can tell you that the information we got saved lives."
In an apparent reference to former Vice President Dick Cheney, who has recently spoken out against the Obama administration's decision to end the use of harsh interrogations, Bush cautioned, "Nothing I am saying is meant to criticize my successor. There are plenty of people who have weighed in. Trust me, having seen it firsthand. I didn't like it when a former president criticized me, so therefore I am not going to criticize my successor. I wish him all the best."
The often-tearful meetings he had with relatives of fallen soldiers were "in some ways... very hard and in some ways, it was very uplifting," the Texas Republican said in a speech to The Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan at Lake Michigan College.
Bush, the nation's 43rd president, spoke to 2,500 people about "the fog of war" that followed the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the economic downturn and his return to life as a regular citizen.
"It was a roller coaster of emotions, it really was," Bush said of the terror attacks. "I think about it now at times but I definitely thought about it every day as president."
He talked about the economy, blaming "a lack of responsible regulation" in the lending industry for the recession and said that the Federal National Mortgage Association, known as Fannie Mae, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., or Freddie Mac, shouldn't have engaged in certain financial practices.
"I don't want to sound like a self-serving guy, but we did try to rein them in," Bush said.
He also said he believes he was right to depose Iraq president Saddam Hussein and that it may lead to the spread of democracy throughout the Middle East.
The audience, which gave Bush a warm welcome at his arrival, cheered when he said he wanted to be remembered as a president who "showed up in office with a set of principles and he was unwilling to sacrifice his soul for the sake of popularity."
The Associated Press and www.foxnews.com contributed to this report.
Describing the decision to use waterboarding on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed after his capture in March 2003, Bush said the idea was first cleared with his lawyers in order to "take whatever steps that were necessary to protect" the American public.
"The first thing you do is ask, what's legal? What do the lawyers say is possible?" he said. "I made the decision, within the law, to get information so I can say to myself, 'I've done what it takes to do my duty to protect the American people.' I can tell you that the information we got saved lives."
In an apparent reference to former Vice President Dick Cheney, who has recently spoken out against the Obama administration's decision to end the use of harsh interrogations, Bush cautioned, "Nothing I am saying is meant to criticize my successor. There are plenty of people who have weighed in. Trust me, having seen it firsthand. I didn't like it when a former president criticized me, so therefore I am not going to criticize my successor. I wish him all the best."
The often-tearful meetings he had with relatives of fallen soldiers were "in some ways... very hard and in some ways, it was very uplifting," the Texas Republican said in a speech to The Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan at Lake Michigan College.
Bush, the nation's 43rd president, spoke to 2,500 people about "the fog of war" that followed the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the economic downturn and his return to life as a regular citizen.
"It was a roller coaster of emotions, it really was," Bush said of the terror attacks. "I think about it now at times but I definitely thought about it every day as president."
He talked about the economy, blaming "a lack of responsible regulation" in the lending industry for the recession and said that the Federal National Mortgage Association, known as Fannie Mae, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., or Freddie Mac, shouldn't have engaged in certain financial practices.
"I don't want to sound like a self-serving guy, but we did try to rein them in," Bush said.
He also said he believes he was right to depose Iraq president Saddam Hussein and that it may lead to the spread of democracy throughout the Middle East.
The audience, which gave Bush a warm welcome at his arrival, cheered when he said he wanted to be remembered as a president who "showed up in office with a set of principles and he was unwilling to sacrifice his soul for the sake of popularity."
The Associated Press and www.foxnews.com contributed to this report.
Charges Against 'New Black Panthers' Dropped
This should not come as a surprise to anyone. The current President sat in a very radical church for 20 years listening to such things as "god damn America", "US of KKKA", and referring to the 9-11 attacks "Americas chickens are coming home to roost". So when the Obama Justice Department dropped charges on 3 members of The New Black Panther Movement, an organization more ignorant and racist than the KKK, for voter intimidation it was no surprise to me. We knew the kind of person Obama was before he was elected. We know his wife is an American hating racist just like his preacher. So this should not even be a story. This is a given, Obama is "hooking up" the people that hooked him up.
Charges brought against three members of the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense under the Bush administration have been dropped by the Obama Justice Department, FOX News has learned.
The charges stemmed from an incident at a Philadelphia polling place on Election Day 2008 when three members of the party were accused of trying to threaten voters and block poll and campaign workers by the threat of force -- one even brandishing what prosecutors call a deadly weapon.
The three black panthers, Minister King Samir Shabazz, Malik Zulu Shabazz and Jerry Jackson were charged in a civil complaint in the final days of the Bush administration with violating the voter rights act by using coercion, threats and intimidation. Shabazz allegedly held a nightstick or baton that prosecutors said he pointed at people and menacingly tapped it. Prosecutors also say he "supports racially motivated violence against non-blacks and Jews."
Continue reading the story on www.foxnews.com
Charges brought against three members of the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense under the Bush administration have been dropped by the Obama Justice Department, FOX News has learned.
The charges stemmed from an incident at a Philadelphia polling place on Election Day 2008 when three members of the party were accused of trying to threaten voters and block poll and campaign workers by the threat of force -- one even brandishing what prosecutors call a deadly weapon.
The three black panthers, Minister King Samir Shabazz, Malik Zulu Shabazz and Jerry Jackson were charged in a civil complaint in the final days of the Bush administration with violating the voter rights act by using coercion, threats and intimidation. Shabazz allegedly held a nightstick or baton that prosecutors said he pointed at people and menacingly tapped it. Prosecutors also say he "supports racially motivated violence against non-blacks and Jews."
Continue reading the story on www.foxnews.com
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Battle Over Supreme Court Nominee Heats Up
Both parties braced for a summertime confirmation battle over Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, with the White House gathering a team to push her through, and conservative critics sharpening attacks on her past speeches and writings.
In the first wave of TV ads about the nomination, one paid for by a liberal group called Judge Sotomayor, nominated for a Supreme Court seat by President Barrack Obama on Tuesday, a "tough prosecutor" and faithful to the Constitution, while a conservative spot on the Internet questioned whether she would deliver equal justice.
Conservatives are focusing on a speech Ms. Sotomayor delivered at the University of California at Berkeley law school, where she said, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."
"Imagine a judicial nominee said 'my experience as a white man makes me better than a Latina woman.' Wouldn't they have to withdraw?" asked former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on his Web site. "New racism is no better than old racism."
White House aides said the comment was being taken out of context, and predicted it wouldn't put the nomination off course. Indeed, the White House believes the president is operating from a position of strength, and officials emphasized that a pitched confirmation fight isn't inevitable.
"We're all extremely pleased at how the first 24 hours went," said Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.), who has been assigned to chaperon the Bronx-born judge through her confirmation. Judge Sotomayor spent Wednesday at the White House, phoning key senators and preparing for her meet-and-greet tour of Capitol Hill next week.
Nonetheless, the administration is staffing up. Stephanie Cutter, who ran strategy for Senate Democrats on George W. Bush's Supreme Court nominees, moved this week to the West Wing from the Treasury Department.
Continue reading at the Wall Street Journal
In the first wave of TV ads about the nomination, one paid for by a liberal group called Judge Sotomayor, nominated for a Supreme Court seat by President Barrack Obama on Tuesday, a "tough prosecutor" and faithful to the Constitution, while a conservative spot on the Internet questioned whether she would deliver equal justice.
Conservatives are focusing on a speech Ms. Sotomayor delivered at the University of California at Berkeley law school, where she said, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."
"Imagine a judicial nominee said 'my experience as a white man makes me better than a Latina woman.' Wouldn't they have to withdraw?" asked former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on his Web site. "New racism is no better than old racism."
White House aides said the comment was being taken out of context, and predicted it wouldn't put the nomination off course. Indeed, the White House believes the president is operating from a position of strength, and officials emphasized that a pitched confirmation fight isn't inevitable.
"We're all extremely pleased at how the first 24 hours went," said Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.), who has been assigned to chaperon the Bronx-born judge through her confirmation. Judge Sotomayor spent Wednesday at the White House, phoning key senators and preparing for her meet-and-greet tour of Capitol Hill next week.
Nonetheless, the administration is staffing up. Stephanie Cutter, who ran strategy for Senate Democrats on George W. Bush's Supreme Court nominees, moved this week to the West Wing from the Treasury Department.
Continue reading at the Wall Street Journal
Daily Constitution Reading 5-28-2009
For the last few days the site I get the daily constitution reading material from has been down. To my surprise it was back up this morning so you folks can get your dose of the constitution again.
Article 4 Section 3
New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.
The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.
Article 4 Section 3
New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.
The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
N. Korea On The War Path
Obama has decided peace through strength is not the motto he will run his administration by. So here we are 130 days into his administration and N. Korea has flexed their muscles and is not threatening to attack South Korea. Dear Leader Obama, I am afraid your chicken shit diplomacy is not working. I recommend you move an entire battle group off the coast of South Korea and if the mad man known as Kim Jong-il makes another provocative move I recommend you level his cities until he comes to the table on an aircraft carrier begging to be spared, similar to the way Japan did during WWII.
This is your first and most critical test, the way you react to this will set the stage for the way other mad men around the globe will act.
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea launched a tirade Wednesday against world powers threatening to punish it for conducting its second nuclear test, saying it is not afraid of sanctions and calling South Korea's decision to join an operation to prevent the spread of weapons a declaration of war.
The North also has reportedly restarted its weapons-grade nuclear plant. It staged a rally in its capital, Pyongyang, on Tuesday to celebrate the test.
The isolated communist regime said through its official news agency that it would respond with military action if South Korea tries to stop or search any of its ships as part of the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative.
"Those who provoke (North Korea) once will not be able to escape its unimaginable and merciless punishment," the North's official news agency said.
South Korea decided to join the anti-proliferation initiative on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, South Korea's mass-circulation Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported Wednesday that U.S. spy satellites detected signs of steam at the North's Yongbyon nuclear complex, an indication that it may have started reprocessing nuclear fuel.
The report, which could not be confirmed, quoted an unidentified government official. South Korea's Yonhap news agency also had a similar report.
The move would be a major setback for efforts aimed at getting North Korea to disarm.
North Korea had stopped reprocessing fuel rods as part of an international deal. In 2007, it agreed to disable the Yongbyon reactor in exchange for aid and demolished a cooling tower at the complex.
The North has about 8,000 spent fuel rods which, if reprocessed, could allow it to harvest 13 to 18 pounds (six to eight kilograms) of plutonium — enough to make at least one nuclear bomb, experts said. North Korea is believed to have enough plutonium for at least a half dozen atomic bombs.
Further ratcheting up tensions, North Korea has test-fired five short-range missiles over the past two days, South Korean officials confirmed.
North Korea suggested that more missile tests could be planned, telling ships to stay away from waters off its west coast through Wednesday, according to South Korea's coast guard.
Story continued HERE.
This is your first and most critical test, the way you react to this will set the stage for the way other mad men around the globe will act.
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea launched a tirade Wednesday against world powers threatening to punish it for conducting its second nuclear test, saying it is not afraid of sanctions and calling South Korea's decision to join an operation to prevent the spread of weapons a declaration of war.
The North also has reportedly restarted its weapons-grade nuclear plant. It staged a rally in its capital, Pyongyang, on Tuesday to celebrate the test.
The isolated communist regime said through its official news agency that it would respond with military action if South Korea tries to stop or search any of its ships as part of the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative.
"Those who provoke (North Korea) once will not be able to escape its unimaginable and merciless punishment," the North's official news agency said.
South Korea decided to join the anti-proliferation initiative on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, South Korea's mass-circulation Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported Wednesday that U.S. spy satellites detected signs of steam at the North's Yongbyon nuclear complex, an indication that it may have started reprocessing nuclear fuel.
The report, which could not be confirmed, quoted an unidentified government official. South Korea's Yonhap news agency also had a similar report.
The move would be a major setback for efforts aimed at getting North Korea to disarm.
North Korea had stopped reprocessing fuel rods as part of an international deal. In 2007, it agreed to disable the Yongbyon reactor in exchange for aid and demolished a cooling tower at the complex.
The North has about 8,000 spent fuel rods which, if reprocessed, could allow it to harvest 13 to 18 pounds (six to eight kilograms) of plutonium — enough to make at least one nuclear bomb, experts said. North Korea is believed to have enough plutonium for at least a half dozen atomic bombs.
Further ratcheting up tensions, North Korea has test-fired five short-range missiles over the past two days, South Korean officials confirmed.
North Korea suggested that more missile tests could be planned, telling ships to stay away from waters off its west coast through Wednesday, according to South Korea's coast guard.
Story continued HERE.
Great Saying
"Suppose you were an idiot ... And suppose you were a
member of Congress... But I repeat myself." -- Mark Twain
member of Congress... But I repeat myself." -- Mark Twain
Friday, May 22, 2009
Daily Constitution Reading 5-22-2009
Article 2 Section 4
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Air Quality Improved During Bush Administration
All we hear is how the evil Republicans do not care about the environment and how big evil capitalist only care about their profits and could care less about the environment. What do you know, a report from the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research as release a report that says levels of numerous gases linked to air pollution have fallen off since 2001.
Among the findings: Carbon monoxide decreased by 39 percent, ozone by 6 percent, and sulfur dioxide by 32 percent.
"Pick any category you want and pollution levels are generally lower than they were seven years ago," said Steven Hayward, the policy analyst who authored the report, titled "Index of Leading Environmental Indicators," for the conservative think tank.
"(Environmental groups) said air pollution was out of control, but this was always more about politics than it was fact," Hayward said.
Environmental groups agree that tremendous progress has been made since the 1980s, when cities like Houston and Los Angeles were thick with smog and acid rain devastated lakes and forests across the U.S.
The complete story can be found HERE on www.foxnews.com
Among the findings: Carbon monoxide decreased by 39 percent, ozone by 6 percent, and sulfur dioxide by 32 percent.
"Pick any category you want and pollution levels are generally lower than they were seven years ago," said Steven Hayward, the policy analyst who authored the report, titled "Index of Leading Environmental Indicators," for the conservative think tank.
"(Environmental groups) said air pollution was out of control, but this was always more about politics than it was fact," Hayward said.
Environmental groups agree that tremendous progress has been made since the 1980s, when cities like Houston and Los Angeles were thick with smog and acid rain devastated lakes and forests across the U.S.
The complete story can be found HERE on www.foxnews.com
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
2 Death Row Inmates Executed In Texas/Missouri
Two death row inmates spent some of their last moments apologizing for their crimes before they were put to death six hours apart in Texas and Missouri, which executed its first convict in four years.
In a lengthy, written final statement, Dennis Skillicorn expressed sorrow for the 1994 murder of a Richard Drummond, who stopped to offer help after a car carrying Skillicorn and two other men stalled along Interstate 70.
"The last 15 years I've lived daily with the remorse of my actions," Skillicorn wrote. "And I am deeply sorry for all the Drummond family has been forced to endure."
Early Wednesday, Skillicorn mouthed words to his wife and two spiritual advisers as the first drug was administered to him. Soon, he appeared unconscious. He was pronounced dead at 12:34 a.m., 11 minutes after the procedure began.
His execution was the first in Missouri since Marlin Gray was put to death in October 2005.
Story courtesy of ABC News and can be found HERE.
In a lengthy, written final statement, Dennis Skillicorn expressed sorrow for the 1994 murder of a Richard Drummond, who stopped to offer help after a car carrying Skillicorn and two other men stalled along Interstate 70.
"The last 15 years I've lived daily with the remorse of my actions," Skillicorn wrote. "And I am deeply sorry for all the Drummond family has been forced to endure."
Early Wednesday, Skillicorn mouthed words to his wife and two spiritual advisers as the first drug was administered to him. Soon, he appeared unconscious. He was pronounced dead at 12:34 a.m., 11 minutes after the procedure began.
His execution was the first in Missouri since Marlin Gray was put to death in October 2005.
Story courtesy of ABC News and can be found HERE.
Daily Constitution Reading 5-20-2009
Article 2 Section 2
The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.
The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Happiness?
Below is a link to a Fox News story that details the results of a Pew Research Study, that among other things, finds Republicans are happier than Democrats.
Story can be found HERE.
Story can be found HERE.
Senate Dems Deny Obama Gitmo Closing Funds
Senate Democrats pulled $80 million from the Obama war spending bill. The $80 million was going to be spent to close Guantanamo Bay. The administration has no plan for closing the prison where many of the nastiest of the nasty terrorist are housed. Obama has considered allowing the prisoners to be put in US prisons with US rights. Thankfully there are Democrats that do not want the terrorist in their districts so they have refused to provide Obama with the monies he needs to close the prison.
Senate Democrats have decided to pull $80 million from the $91 billion war spending request -- money President Obama had requested to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility by Jan. 22, 2010.
A senior Democratic Senate aide told FOX News the caucus will pull the money and await a plan for closing Guantanamo before putting forward any funding. The caucus pulled back after it was hit hard in recent weeks by criticism from Republicans about the lack of a plan for closing the prison.
Originally, the Senate bill -- which is different from the House version -- fenced off $50 million from the Pentagon, pending a plan, while giving $30 million to the Department of Justice for its part of the closure, as well as for an investigation into Bush-era interrogation policy.
The House withholds all funding in its supplemental bill.
The issue will be the central fight on the war spending bill, as rarely-unified Republicans attempt to capitalize further on what they see as a popular issue with the American people, keeping the remaining detainees from placing a foot on American soil.
Congressional Democrats, lacking clarity from the Obama Administration, were at odds over how to move forward.
Last week the House passed legislation requiring the details of such a plan by Oct. 1. Both chambers are refusing to allow detainees to be relocated to the United States this year.
Republicans, led by GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, who has given 14 Senate floor speeches already this year on the topic, have hammered the decision to set a date certain for closure, Jan. 22, 2010, by executive order, and this week will introduce an amendment that will ban any future federal funds from being used to move Gitmo prisoners onto U.S. soil.
This will be an exceedingly difficult vote for Democrats, illustrated by the about-face this weekend by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va.
Webb, a former Navy secretary, told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that while he praised the president's timeline in January, he had studied the issue with his staff and changed his mind. The senator also lauded the detention center's unique set up, its isolated location thwarting listening devices and its secure courtrooms for sensitive military commissions.
"We shouldn't be creating artificial timelines," Webb said.
Gitmo should be closed eventually, he added, but only after all of its inmates are processed, a problem because some prisoners of war are expected to be held indefinitely. Webb also stipulated that no prisoners should be brought to the United States.
This issue is not new to the Senate or to some members of Obama's administration.
As senators in July 2007, now-Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voted to block detainees from being placed on U.S. soil.
The amendment to a college funding bill, sponsored by McConnell, stated, "It is safer for American citizens if captured members of Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations are not housed on American soil where they could more easily carry out their mission to kill innocent civilians."
The nonbinding amendment went on to say that "detainees housed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, including senior members of Al Qaeda, should not be released into American society, nor should they be transferred stateside into facilities in American communities and neighborhoods."
Then-Sen. Obama was not present for the vote.
On Monday, McConnell asked "What's changed?"
"America is still at war against terror networks around the world. The detainees held at Guantanamo are still some of the most dangerous terrorists alive -- indeed, over the past two years, the inmates there have been winnowed down to an even higher percentage of committed killers than before. And Americans still don't want these men in their neighborhoods."
Indeed, in a new FOX News/Opinion Dynamics poll, just over half of Americans, 55 percent, oppose transferring detainees to prison facilities in the United States. But they are divided on whether bringing the detainees to the United States will put the country at risk. While some 43 percent think transferring the detainees to U.S. prison facilities would make the country less safe, about the same number -- 45 percent -- think it would not make much of a difference. Few -- 8 percent -- think it would make the United States safer.
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., was one of few in his party to challenge the GOP argument publicly. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has taken a wait-and-see approach. Reid has said he is waiting for the outcome of a commission study due out in July.
Echoing the words of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in a case in which the Bush administration's detention policies were rebuffed, Durbin said, "A state of war is not a blank check for the president."
Durbin noted that no Republican objected when the previous administration announced it was closing Gitmo, and said, "Guantanamo became an international embarrassment for the United States and, sadly, tragically, a recruiting tool for terrorists like Al Qaeda."
Some Republicans agree.
"Guantanamo is a serious blot on our reputation," former Secretary of State James Baker, a widely respected diplomat and member of the George H.W. Bush administration, has said..
This perception argument has split some in the Republican Party. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who just returned from Gitmo, praised the facility but acknowledged the "perception problem" overseas, and said the facility should be closed though not by a date certain.
Still, others, like McConnell and Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., who has traveled to the island facility three times, have said there's no better place than Guantanamo for the prisoners and it should remain in service.
"I can't imagine what would happen if they close this place," Inhofe said in a video posted on YouTube during his February visit to the prison. "If they close this place, then you're going to have to find other places. They've identified 17 other places, including my home state of Oklahoma. That would be a terrible risk to us and to all of Oklahoma, and the same would be true of any and all other states."
Click here to watch the Inhofe video.
Webb, on Sunday, appeared to hold out hope that Obama would relax his stand, as he has done on a number of other issues
"They've said a lot of things and taken a look and said some other things. So let's process these people in a very careful way and then take care of it," he said.
Story continues HERE.
Senate Democrats have decided to pull $80 million from the $91 billion war spending request -- money President Obama had requested to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility by Jan. 22, 2010.
A senior Democratic Senate aide told FOX News the caucus will pull the money and await a plan for closing Guantanamo before putting forward any funding. The caucus pulled back after it was hit hard in recent weeks by criticism from Republicans about the lack of a plan for closing the prison.
Originally, the Senate bill -- which is different from the House version -- fenced off $50 million from the Pentagon, pending a plan, while giving $30 million to the Department of Justice for its part of the closure, as well as for an investigation into Bush-era interrogation policy.
The House withholds all funding in its supplemental bill.
The issue will be the central fight on the war spending bill, as rarely-unified Republicans attempt to capitalize further on what they see as a popular issue with the American people, keeping the remaining detainees from placing a foot on American soil.
Congressional Democrats, lacking clarity from the Obama Administration, were at odds over how to move forward.
Last week the House passed legislation requiring the details of such a plan by Oct. 1. Both chambers are refusing to allow detainees to be relocated to the United States this year.
Republicans, led by GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, who has given 14 Senate floor speeches already this year on the topic, have hammered the decision to set a date certain for closure, Jan. 22, 2010, by executive order, and this week will introduce an amendment that will ban any future federal funds from being used to move Gitmo prisoners onto U.S. soil.
This will be an exceedingly difficult vote for Democrats, illustrated by the about-face this weekend by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va.
Webb, a former Navy secretary, told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that while he praised the president's timeline in January, he had studied the issue with his staff and changed his mind. The senator also lauded the detention center's unique set up, its isolated location thwarting listening devices and its secure courtrooms for sensitive military commissions.
"We shouldn't be creating artificial timelines," Webb said.
Gitmo should be closed eventually, he added, but only after all of its inmates are processed, a problem because some prisoners of war are expected to be held indefinitely. Webb also stipulated that no prisoners should be brought to the United States.
This issue is not new to the Senate or to some members of Obama's administration.
As senators in July 2007, now-Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voted to block detainees from being placed on U.S. soil.
The amendment to a college funding bill, sponsored by McConnell, stated, "It is safer for American citizens if captured members of Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations are not housed on American soil where they could more easily carry out their mission to kill innocent civilians."
The nonbinding amendment went on to say that "detainees housed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, including senior members of Al Qaeda, should not be released into American society, nor should they be transferred stateside into facilities in American communities and neighborhoods."
Then-Sen. Obama was not present for the vote.
On Monday, McConnell asked "What's changed?"
"America is still at war against terror networks around the world. The detainees held at Guantanamo are still some of the most dangerous terrorists alive -- indeed, over the past two years, the inmates there have been winnowed down to an even higher percentage of committed killers than before. And Americans still don't want these men in their neighborhoods."
Indeed, in a new FOX News/Opinion Dynamics poll, just over half of Americans, 55 percent, oppose transferring detainees to prison facilities in the United States. But they are divided on whether bringing the detainees to the United States will put the country at risk. While some 43 percent think transferring the detainees to U.S. prison facilities would make the country less safe, about the same number -- 45 percent -- think it would not make much of a difference. Few -- 8 percent -- think it would make the United States safer.
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., was one of few in his party to challenge the GOP argument publicly. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has taken a wait-and-see approach. Reid has said he is waiting for the outcome of a commission study due out in July.
Echoing the words of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in a case in which the Bush administration's detention policies were rebuffed, Durbin said, "A state of war is not a blank check for the president."
Durbin noted that no Republican objected when the previous administration announced it was closing Gitmo, and said, "Guantanamo became an international embarrassment for the United States and, sadly, tragically, a recruiting tool for terrorists like Al Qaeda."
Some Republicans agree.
"Guantanamo is a serious blot on our reputation," former Secretary of State James Baker, a widely respected diplomat and member of the George H.W. Bush administration, has said..
This perception argument has split some in the Republican Party. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who just returned from Gitmo, praised the facility but acknowledged the "perception problem" overseas, and said the facility should be closed though not by a date certain.
Still, others, like McConnell and Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., who has traveled to the island facility three times, have said there's no better place than Guantanamo for the prisoners and it should remain in service.
"I can't imagine what would happen if they close this place," Inhofe said in a video posted on YouTube during his February visit to the prison. "If they close this place, then you're going to have to find other places. They've identified 17 other places, including my home state of Oklahoma. That would be a terrible risk to us and to all of Oklahoma, and the same would be true of any and all other states."
Click here to watch the Inhofe video.
Webb, on Sunday, appeared to hold out hope that Obama would relax his stand, as he has done on a number of other issues
"They've said a lot of things and taken a look and said some other things. So let's process these people in a very careful way and then take care of it," he said.
Story continues HERE.
GPS System Could Fail
Mismanagement and underinvestment by the U.S. Air Force could possibly lead to the failure and blackout of the Global Positioning System (GPS), a federal watchdog agency says.
The risk of failure starts in 2010, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report quoted by PC World.
The failure would impact not only military operations, but also the millions of people and businesses who rely on the satellite-based navigation systems built into cars, boats and cell phones.
"If the Air Force does not meet its schedule goals for development of GPS IIIA satellites, there will be an increased likelihood that in 2010, as old satellites begin to fail, the overall GPS constellation will fall below the number of satellites required to provide the level of GPS service that the U.S. government commits to," the GAO report states.
The report says the Air Force has struggled to build successful GPS satellites within cost and on schedule.
• Click here to read more on this story from PC World.
The risk of failure starts in 2010, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report quoted by PC World.
The failure would impact not only military operations, but also the millions of people and businesses who rely on the satellite-based navigation systems built into cars, boats and cell phones.
"If the Air Force does not meet its schedule goals for development of GPS IIIA satellites, there will be an increased likelihood that in 2010, as old satellites begin to fail, the overall GPS constellation will fall below the number of satellites required to provide the level of GPS service that the U.S. government commits to," the GAO report states.
The report says the Air Force has struggled to build successful GPS satellites within cost and on schedule.
• Click here to read more on this story from PC World.
Angery Atheist In Texas?
Some parents in Frisco, Texas, are fuming because their public school district allowed Christian evangelists to provide Bibles to students on school grounds, which administrators say was done to stop even more proselytizing outside the schools.
Frisco Independent Schools allowed Gideons International to display Bibles on tabletops in all 13 of the district's middle and high schools last week. Officials say it didn't violate the law, but some parents say school is not the place to be offering the Good Book.
"I was never notified by the schools that they were going to allow this. I was a little shocked," said Debbie Lutz, a mother with three children who attend schools in Frisco, about 20 miles north of Dallas.
Michael Baier, who has a son at Frisco's Lakeland High School, said that religious groups should not be allowed to offer their teachings on campus.
"If they're God-fearing Christians ... they should be giving those items wherever they worship. School is a place to learn, not a place to worship," Baier told FOXNews.com.
Lutz said she wants the freedom to raise her children as she sees fit — and without the interference of religious groups. She told FOXNews.com she worried that allowing one group to offer Bibles in the school would open the floodgates to any groups who want to reach students on school grounds.
"It does open the door for other people to have the right to hand out other stuff. And I think that's not a good door to open."
School administrators say that door was opened because the Gideons used to stand on public sidewalks near the schools and distribute Bibles to students as they went home.
That raised some alarms for parents, some of whom even contacted the police about their children's safety. And it stymied the school system, which says it has "no control over what takes place on the public sidewalks."
The Gideons are now taking advantage of a school policy that allows them to leave Bibles on a tabletop in the schools' front offices, though they're barred from interacting with students or remaining there during school hours.
A spokeswoman for the school district said that a number of materials are made available to students this way, including newspapers, camp brochures and tutoring pamphlets. College and military recruitment information is available all year long. The Gideon Bibles were made available for just one day.
"We have to handle this request in the same manner as other requests to distribute non-school literature — in a viewpoint neutral manner," Shana Wortham, director of communications for the district, wrote in an e-mail to FOXNews.com.
Wortham said that the schools did not solicit or invite the Gideons in, and when one of the evangelists tried to speak to students, administrators quickly stepped in to address the violation.
Gideons International had no comment on their in-school offerings when contacted by phone Tuesday.
Adult representatives for the Gideons have been barred by federal circuit courts from offering Bibles inside classrooms, but they continue to offer to provide them at many schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and elsewhere. The group, founded in 1907, has distributed about 1.5 billion Bibles in the last century, mostly in hotel rooms.
Some parents weren't troubled by the presence of the Gideons or their Bibles.
Holly McCall, president of the parent-teacher association at Roach Middle School in Frisco, said she was at the school when the Gideons dropped the books off, and they didn't disturb anyone.
"I didn't feel like [the Bible] was being pushed upon" students at the school, she told FOXNews.com. She said she didn't expect to be notified every time books or pamphlets are on offer in the office at Roach Middle. That would be like an advertisement for the Bible, she said.
School officials told FOXNews.com they would continue to review their policies, but they stressed that they had followed the letter of the law.
But for some parents looking for a neutral education in the public school system, that wasn't enough.
Lutz, whose children go to schools in the district, said she wants the freedom to raise her children as she sees fit — and without the interference of other religious groups.
"I am not atheist — I believe in God," she told FOXNews.com. "But I just don't want any religion forced on my child at school. That's why my child goes to a public school."
Story courtesy of www.foxnews.com
Frisco Independent Schools allowed Gideons International to display Bibles on tabletops in all 13 of the district's middle and high schools last week. Officials say it didn't violate the law, but some parents say school is not the place to be offering the Good Book.
"I was never notified by the schools that they were going to allow this. I was a little shocked," said Debbie Lutz, a mother with three children who attend schools in Frisco, about 20 miles north of Dallas.
Michael Baier, who has a son at Frisco's Lakeland High School, said that religious groups should not be allowed to offer their teachings on campus.
"If they're God-fearing Christians ... they should be giving those items wherever they worship. School is a place to learn, not a place to worship," Baier told FOXNews.com.
Lutz said she wants the freedom to raise her children as she sees fit — and without the interference of religious groups. She told FOXNews.com she worried that allowing one group to offer Bibles in the school would open the floodgates to any groups who want to reach students on school grounds.
"It does open the door for other people to have the right to hand out other stuff. And I think that's not a good door to open."
School administrators say that door was opened because the Gideons used to stand on public sidewalks near the schools and distribute Bibles to students as they went home.
That raised some alarms for parents, some of whom even contacted the police about their children's safety. And it stymied the school system, which says it has "no control over what takes place on the public sidewalks."
The Gideons are now taking advantage of a school policy that allows them to leave Bibles on a tabletop in the schools' front offices, though they're barred from interacting with students or remaining there during school hours.
A spokeswoman for the school district said that a number of materials are made available to students this way, including newspapers, camp brochures and tutoring pamphlets. College and military recruitment information is available all year long. The Gideon Bibles were made available for just one day.
"We have to handle this request in the same manner as other requests to distribute non-school literature — in a viewpoint neutral manner," Shana Wortham, director of communications for the district, wrote in an e-mail to FOXNews.com.
Wortham said that the schools did not solicit or invite the Gideons in, and when one of the evangelists tried to speak to students, administrators quickly stepped in to address the violation.
Gideons International had no comment on their in-school offerings when contacted by phone Tuesday.
Adult representatives for the Gideons have been barred by federal circuit courts from offering Bibles inside classrooms, but they continue to offer to provide them at many schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and elsewhere. The group, founded in 1907, has distributed about 1.5 billion Bibles in the last century, mostly in hotel rooms.
Some parents weren't troubled by the presence of the Gideons or their Bibles.
Holly McCall, president of the parent-teacher association at Roach Middle School in Frisco, said she was at the school when the Gideons dropped the books off, and they didn't disturb anyone.
"I didn't feel like [the Bible] was being pushed upon" students at the school, she told FOXNews.com. She said she didn't expect to be notified every time books or pamphlets are on offer in the office at Roach Middle. That would be like an advertisement for the Bible, she said.
School officials told FOXNews.com they would continue to review their policies, but they stressed that they had followed the letter of the law.
But for some parents looking for a neutral education in the public school system, that wasn't enough.
Lutz, whose children go to schools in the district, said she wants the freedom to raise her children as she sees fit — and without the interference of other religious groups.
"I am not atheist — I believe in God," she told FOXNews.com. "But I just don't want any religion forced on my child at school. That's why my child goes to a public school."
Story courtesy of www.foxnews.com
Teachers Unhappy With Markell
Teachers statewide are not very happy with Governor Markell. The governor is proposing an 8% pay cut for teachers and forcing them to take 3 furlough days that were previously paid days off. I find all of this humorous because these are the same teachers that campaigned for Markell. They were running around telling teachers if Bill Lee was elected as governor they would have to take pay cuts and be forced to take furlough days. Now their beloved Democrat is doing exactly what they said the mean nasty Republican would do.
I have a friend who's wife works for the state of Maryland. She has long been a flaming liberal. She was all excited when O'Malley was elected governor of the great state of Maryland. Now that he has forced all state workers to take a mess of furlough days she has changed her tune and now says she thinks she is really a Republican. Its amazing how your bleeding heart gets all capitalistic when its your pocket book that is affected.
Wake up people. We in Delaware need to get our heads screwed on straight and start voting for the people that are going to build our economy. Markell has to deal with the last 8 years of the Miner administration. No matter what Obama says money does not grow on trees. Markell has to make up for the tax and spend habits of Miner and someone has to take some cuts. This time its the teachers unions that have long been democratic supports.
I always say you get what you ask for. You people asked for Markell and you got him.
Enjoy!
Social studies teacher Dave Bradley usually gets to Mount Pleasant High School around 7 a.m. and leaves after 5 p.m., using the time on either side of the actual school day to give students extra help, grade papers and make lesson plans.
But this week, as a way to show how many extra hours teachers put in, Bradley will work only what his contract requires him to -- 7:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
In every school district across the state except Delmar, teachers and other school employees are participating in a "Bell to Bell" demonstration to protest Gov. Jack Markell's proposed 8 percent salary cut for all state employees.
"We're really unhappy with Markell's proposal. Cutting salaries isn't the way to go," said Bradley, president of the Brandywine Education Association. "Honestly, I feel betrayed. We worked hard to put [Markell] in office."
Instead of the salary cuts, Bradley thinks the governor should consider raising the state income or the corporate franchise tax.
"We aren't saying that we shouldn't be affected by this recession because clearly we should, but we want it to be fair and equitable," he said.
In addition to the 8 percent salary cuts, Markell has proposed raising state employees' health premiums by 50 percent as part of his plan to tackle the state's $800 million budget deficit.
Since the state pays only 70 percent of teachers' salaries and districts pay the other 30 percent, the reduction in the state portion will result in a net salary reduction of just over 5 percent. Three days that were previously paid teacher in-service days will be converted to unpaid -- or furlough -- days for all teachers, which will bring their total reduction to 8 percent, like that for other state employees.
Many teachers don't know how they are going to get by next year.
Barbara Raught, an English teacher at Mount Pleasant and a single mom, is worried about her mortgage payments once her pay is cut.
"I bought a house last year, and I bought it based on my salary at the time," she said. "I honestly don't know how I'm going to make ends meet."
Diane Donohue, president of the Delaware State Education Association, said the Bell-to-Bell demonstrations are meant to show the public and lawmakers how much time school employees put in beyond the normal school day.
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"The amount of work that is done beyond contract hours is absolutely incredible, and to ask them to take an 8 percent cut when we're already not competitive with other states' salaries will not help the education profession in Delaware," she said.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland all pay their teachers higher salaries, Donohue said.
"I'm afraid that if an 8 percent salary cut is implemented in Delaware, many of our teachers and public school employees might choose to go across the line because, while they might be driving farther to get to work, they are going to be compensated better," she said.
As part of his education reform plan, Markell has said he wants to attract high-quality teachers, but Bradley doesn't understand how he plans to do that when he's cutting their pay.
"If I was a [young] teacher, I would leave Delaware," said Bradley, who has taught in Brandywine for 32 years.
Vicki Seifred, a social studies teacher at Stanton Middle School in the Red Clay Consolidated School District, has had her pay frozen several times in her 29-year teaching career but never had a pay cut. Seifred said she would rather see teachers take more unpaid leave than face a salary reduction.
For Kim Eroh, a physical education teacher at Mount Pleasant, the 8 percent pay cut will reduce her salary to what it was 10 years ago. Eroh and her husband, David, who is a science teacher at Brandywine High School, have started to cut back because they both will face pay cuts. They're trying to refinance their Wilmington home. They've purchased a rental property to make up for some of the lost income, and they're cutting back expenditures such as on summer camps for their two children .
"We're just not going to be able to do as much," she said.
The story above is courtesy of www.delawareonline.com and can be found HERE.
I have a friend who's wife works for the state of Maryland. She has long been a flaming liberal. She was all excited when O'Malley was elected governor of the great state of Maryland. Now that he has forced all state workers to take a mess of furlough days she has changed her tune and now says she thinks she is really a Republican. Its amazing how your bleeding heart gets all capitalistic when its your pocket book that is affected.
Wake up people. We in Delaware need to get our heads screwed on straight and start voting for the people that are going to build our economy. Markell has to deal with the last 8 years of the Miner administration. No matter what Obama says money does not grow on trees. Markell has to make up for the tax and spend habits of Miner and someone has to take some cuts. This time its the teachers unions that have long been democratic supports.
I always say you get what you ask for. You people asked for Markell and you got him.
Enjoy!
Social studies teacher Dave Bradley usually gets to Mount Pleasant High School around 7 a.m. and leaves after 5 p.m., using the time on either side of the actual school day to give students extra help, grade papers and make lesson plans.
But this week, as a way to show how many extra hours teachers put in, Bradley will work only what his contract requires him to -- 7:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
In every school district across the state except Delmar, teachers and other school employees are participating in a "Bell to Bell" demonstration to protest Gov. Jack Markell's proposed 8 percent salary cut for all state employees.
"We're really unhappy with Markell's proposal. Cutting salaries isn't the way to go," said Bradley, president of the Brandywine Education Association. "Honestly, I feel betrayed. We worked hard to put [Markell] in office."
Instead of the salary cuts, Bradley thinks the governor should consider raising the state income or the corporate franchise tax.
"We aren't saying that we shouldn't be affected by this recession because clearly we should, but we want it to be fair and equitable," he said.
In addition to the 8 percent salary cuts, Markell has proposed raising state employees' health premiums by 50 percent as part of his plan to tackle the state's $800 million budget deficit.
Since the state pays only 70 percent of teachers' salaries and districts pay the other 30 percent, the reduction in the state portion will result in a net salary reduction of just over 5 percent. Three days that were previously paid teacher in-service days will be converted to unpaid -- or furlough -- days for all teachers, which will bring their total reduction to 8 percent, like that for other state employees.
Many teachers don't know how they are going to get by next year.
Barbara Raught, an English teacher at Mount Pleasant and a single mom, is worried about her mortgage payments once her pay is cut.
"I bought a house last year, and I bought it based on my salary at the time," she said. "I honestly don't know how I'm going to make ends meet."
Diane Donohue, president of the Delaware State Education Association, said the Bell-to-Bell demonstrations are meant to show the public and lawmakers how much time school employees put in beyond the normal school day.
Advertisement
"The amount of work that is done beyond contract hours is absolutely incredible, and to ask them to take an 8 percent cut when we're already not competitive with other states' salaries will not help the education profession in Delaware," she said.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland all pay their teachers higher salaries, Donohue said.
"I'm afraid that if an 8 percent salary cut is implemented in Delaware, many of our teachers and public school employees might choose to go across the line because, while they might be driving farther to get to work, they are going to be compensated better," she said.
As part of his education reform plan, Markell has said he wants to attract high-quality teachers, but Bradley doesn't understand how he plans to do that when he's cutting their pay.
"If I was a [young] teacher, I would leave Delaware," said Bradley, who has taught in Brandywine for 32 years.
Vicki Seifred, a social studies teacher at Stanton Middle School in the Red Clay Consolidated School District, has had her pay frozen several times in her 29-year teaching career but never had a pay cut. Seifred said she would rather see teachers take more unpaid leave than face a salary reduction.
For Kim Eroh, a physical education teacher at Mount Pleasant, the 8 percent pay cut will reduce her salary to what it was 10 years ago. Eroh and her husband, David, who is a science teacher at Brandywine High School, have started to cut back because they both will face pay cuts. They're trying to refinance their Wilmington home. They've purchased a rental property to make up for some of the lost income, and they're cutting back expenditures such as on summer camps for their two children .
"We're just not going to be able to do as much," she said.
The story above is courtesy of www.delawareonline.com and can be found HERE.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Some Cool Animal Pictures
Every now and then we all need a break from politics. Last Saturday I went to Six Flags New Jersey. They have a safari that you drive through. I decided to go up very early and get to the safari at 9am when they opened so I could enjoy it before the park opened. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.
Obama and Netanyahu Meeting, Iran Major Concern
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is signaling he may resist President Barack Obama's pressure to support Palestinian statehood as the two leaders try on Monday to tackle an array of Mideast issues on which they disagree.
A senior aide to Netanyahu, national security adviser Uzi Arad, suggested the Israeli leader might not yield to pressure from Obama for a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict. He also seemed to hint that Israel might consider military action against Iran when he said there was a "sense of urgency" in Israel over the Iranian nuclear threat.
Such rhetoric suggests diplomatic high stakes as the two men hold their first White House meeting against a backdrop of disagreement over several key issues: U.S. overtures to once-shunned Iran and Syria and pressure on Israel to support a Palestinian state.
The Obama administration is trying to promote dialogue with Iran and Syria, Israel's arch foes. Israel fears such efforts could lead to greater tolerance for Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Before his Feb. 10 election, Netanyahu derided the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which stalled late last year, as a waste of time.
While not opposing the Obama administration's efforts to promote dialogue with Iran and Syria, Israel is skeptical.
Like Washington, it dismisses Tehran's claims that its nuclear program is peaceful and fears the U.S. outreach could lead to greater tolerance for Iran's nuclear ambitions. The Israelis are also worried by the recent diplomatic shuttles to Syria for fear they reward Damascus even as it maintains close ties to Tehran and harbors Iranian proxies that have warred with Israel, Lebanon's Hezbollah and Gaza's Hamas.
Still, there have been mixed signals from the Israelis on the Mideast peace process ahead of the Obama-Netanyahu meeting.
Israel's president, Shimon Peres, said Sunday in Jordan that Netanyahu would abide by agreements signed by his predecessors, including the U.S.-backed Mideast peace plan calling for a two-state solution to the conflict with Palestinians. Peres said progress depended on an end to attacks by Hamas militants and greater Palestinian efforts to ensure Israel's security.
Netanyahu has tried to persuade the Americans that Iran, with its nuclear ambitions and anti-Israel proxies in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, must be reined in before peacemaking with the Palestinians can progress. Israel's security services see the Netanyahu-Obama meeting as crucial in this regard, and the military chief of staff, the head of military intelligence and the Mossad chief all held lengthy meetings with the prime minister ahead of the trip, defense officials said.
The meetings focused on what Israel sees as Iran's attempt to develop nuclear weapons and on the effect that would have in strengthening Iran's allies in Hamas and Hezbollah and undermining the stability of Western-allied Arab countries.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the meetings were not made public. There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity surrounding Syria in recent weeks.
An Obama envoy was in Syria to try to repair strained relations and assured the government the U.S. is committed to pursuing a comprehensive Mideast peace.
Courtesy of www.foxnews.com
A senior aide to Netanyahu, national security adviser Uzi Arad, suggested the Israeli leader might not yield to pressure from Obama for a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict. He also seemed to hint that Israel might consider military action against Iran when he said there was a "sense of urgency" in Israel over the Iranian nuclear threat.
Such rhetoric suggests diplomatic high stakes as the two men hold their first White House meeting against a backdrop of disagreement over several key issues: U.S. overtures to once-shunned Iran and Syria and pressure on Israel to support a Palestinian state.
The Obama administration is trying to promote dialogue with Iran and Syria, Israel's arch foes. Israel fears such efforts could lead to greater tolerance for Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Before his Feb. 10 election, Netanyahu derided the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which stalled late last year, as a waste of time.
While not opposing the Obama administration's efforts to promote dialogue with Iran and Syria, Israel is skeptical.
Like Washington, it dismisses Tehran's claims that its nuclear program is peaceful and fears the U.S. outreach could lead to greater tolerance for Iran's nuclear ambitions. The Israelis are also worried by the recent diplomatic shuttles to Syria for fear they reward Damascus even as it maintains close ties to Tehran and harbors Iranian proxies that have warred with Israel, Lebanon's Hezbollah and Gaza's Hamas.
Still, there have been mixed signals from the Israelis on the Mideast peace process ahead of the Obama-Netanyahu meeting.
Israel's president, Shimon Peres, said Sunday in Jordan that Netanyahu would abide by agreements signed by his predecessors, including the U.S.-backed Mideast peace plan calling for a two-state solution to the conflict with Palestinians. Peres said progress depended on an end to attacks by Hamas militants and greater Palestinian efforts to ensure Israel's security.
Netanyahu has tried to persuade the Americans that Iran, with its nuclear ambitions and anti-Israel proxies in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, must be reined in before peacemaking with the Palestinians can progress. Israel's security services see the Netanyahu-Obama meeting as crucial in this regard, and the military chief of staff, the head of military intelligence and the Mossad chief all held lengthy meetings with the prime minister ahead of the trip, defense officials said.
The meetings focused on what Israel sees as Iran's attempt to develop nuclear weapons and on the effect that would have in strengthening Iran's allies in Hamas and Hezbollah and undermining the stability of Western-allied Arab countries.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the meetings were not made public. There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity surrounding Syria in recent weeks.
An Obama envoy was in Syria to try to repair strained relations and assured the government the U.S. is committed to pursuing a comprehensive Mideast peace.
Courtesy of www.foxnews.com
Daily Constitution Reading 5-18-2009
Article 2 Section 1.1
The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.
The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President.
The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.
The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Joe Bidens Political Blunders
Biden has long been known as a speaking idiot. He is apt to say anything, and I mean anything. IT should come as no surprise that he would disclose the location of the bunker Vice President Dick Cheney stayed in during and after the attacks of 9-11. The ironic part is its the same bunker Biden, his family, and aides would stay in if we were attacked again.
Being the political genius Obama is I am very puzzled by his choice of VP. Maybe he figured Biden would always say something stupid and it would keep the spotlight off Obamas ignorance?
The link below is Bidens most recent gaff. I have also included a list of Bidens brilliance going back to 2007.
Click HERE for Bidens disclosure of the VP secure bunker.
Vice President Joe Biden has been keeping a low profile these days. But last week he popped into headlines when he clashed with aides to former President George W. Bush after claiming to have rebuked Bush in private meetings. Recalling a conversation during an interview with CNN, Biden said he told Bush in the Oval Office: "'Mr. President, turn and around look behind you. No one is following.'"
Karl Rove, Bush's top political adviser in the White House, called the conversation "fictional."
This isn't the first time Biden's comments have made news. From historical blunders and Internet gaffes to offensive jokes, Vice President Joe Biden is never shy a quotable moment.
Here's a list of 14 amusing yet cringe-worthy "Bidenisms" made during the vice president's more recent political career.
-- On March 13, 2009, Biden addressed a former Senate colleague by saying, "An hour late, oh give me a f**king break," after he arrived on Amtrak at Union Station in Washington, D.C. The vice president's expletive was caught on a live microphone.
-- During a Feb. 25, 2009, interview on CBS' "Early Show," Biden encouraged viewers to visit a government-run Web site that tracks stimulus spending. When asked for the site's web address, Biden could not remember the site's "number."
"You know, I'm embarrassed. Do you know the Web site number?" he asked an aide standing out of view. "I should have it in front of me and I don't. I'm actually embarrassed."
-- At a Jan. 30, 2009, swearing-in ceremony of senior White House staff, Biden mocked Chief Justice John Roberts for his presidential oath blunder on Inauguration Day.
"Am I doing this again?" Biden said, after Obama asked him to administer the oath. When Biden was told the swearing-in was for senior staff -- and not cabinet members -- the vice president quipped, "My memory is not as good as Justice Roberts," prompting a stern nudge from Obama.
-- On Inauguration Day, Jan. 20 2009, Biden misspoke when he told a cheering crowd of supporters, "Jill and I had the great honor of standing on that stage, looking across at one of the great justices, Justice Stewart." Justice John Paul Stevens -- not Stewart -- swore Biden in as vice president.
-- When criticizing former GOP nominee John McCain in Athens, Ohio, on Oct. 15, 2008, Biden said, "Look, John's last-minute economic plan does nothing to tackle the number-one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S, jobs."
-- In a Sept. 22, 2008, CBS interview, Biden misspoke when he said Franklin D. Roosevelt was president when the stock market crashed in 1929.
"When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn't just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed. He said, 'Look, here's what happened," he said. Herbert Hoover -- not Roosevelt -- was president in 1929, and television had not yet been invented in 1929.
-- During a Sept. 12, 2008, speech in Columbia, Mo., Biden called for Missouri State Sen. Chuck Graham, who is wheelchair-bound, to "stand up."
"Oh, God love ya," Biden said, after realizing his mistake. "What am I talking about?"
-- At a Sept. 10, 2008, town hall meeting in Nashua, N.H., Biden said, "Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America. Quite frankly, it might have been a better pick than me."
-- Biden mistakenly referred to Alaska governor Sarah Palin as the "lieutenant governor" of her state during a town hall meeting on Sept. 4, 2008 at George Mason University in Manassas, Va.
"I heard a very, by the way I mean this sincerely, a very strong and a very good political speech from a lieutenant governor of Alaska who I think is going to be very formidable, very formidable not only in the campaign but in the debate," Biden said.
-- Biden said he was running for president -- not vice president -- during a Sept. 1, 2008, roundtable discussion in Scranton, Pa.
"Today is the moment for me as a United States senator running for president to put aside the national politics and focus on what's happening down there," Biden said.
-- Biden referred to John McCain as "George" during his vice presidential acceptance speech on Aug. 27, 2008, at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Co. "Freudian slip, folks, Freudian slip," he explained.
-- Biden confused army brigades with battalions when speaking about Obama's plan for sending troops to Afghanistan.
"Or should we trust Barack Obama, who more than a year ago called for sending two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan?"
-- During his first campaign rally with Obama as his vice presidential running mate on Aug. 23, 2008, Biden introduced Obama by saying, "A man I'm proud to call my friend. A man who will be the next President of the United States -- Barack America!"
-- On Jan. 31, 2007 -- the day Biden announced his presidential bid -- the Delaware Senator was roundly criticized for calling Obama "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man."
Being the political genius Obama is I am very puzzled by his choice of VP. Maybe he figured Biden would always say something stupid and it would keep the spotlight off Obamas ignorance?
The link below is Bidens most recent gaff. I have also included a list of Bidens brilliance going back to 2007.
Click HERE for Bidens disclosure of the VP secure bunker.
Vice President Joe Biden has been keeping a low profile these days. But last week he popped into headlines when he clashed with aides to former President George W. Bush after claiming to have rebuked Bush in private meetings. Recalling a conversation during an interview with CNN, Biden said he told Bush in the Oval Office: "'Mr. President, turn and around look behind you. No one is following.'"
Karl Rove, Bush's top political adviser in the White House, called the conversation "fictional."
This isn't the first time Biden's comments have made news. From historical blunders and Internet gaffes to offensive jokes, Vice President Joe Biden is never shy a quotable moment.
Here's a list of 14 amusing yet cringe-worthy "Bidenisms" made during the vice president's more recent political career.
-- On March 13, 2009, Biden addressed a former Senate colleague by saying, "An hour late, oh give me a f**king break," after he arrived on Amtrak at Union Station in Washington, D.C. The vice president's expletive was caught on a live microphone.
-- During a Feb. 25, 2009, interview on CBS' "Early Show," Biden encouraged viewers to visit a government-run Web site that tracks stimulus spending. When asked for the site's web address, Biden could not remember the site's "number."
"You know, I'm embarrassed. Do you know the Web site number?" he asked an aide standing out of view. "I should have it in front of me and I don't. I'm actually embarrassed."
-- At a Jan. 30, 2009, swearing-in ceremony of senior White House staff, Biden mocked Chief Justice John Roberts for his presidential oath blunder on Inauguration Day.
"Am I doing this again?" Biden said, after Obama asked him to administer the oath. When Biden was told the swearing-in was for senior staff -- and not cabinet members -- the vice president quipped, "My memory is not as good as Justice Roberts," prompting a stern nudge from Obama.
-- On Inauguration Day, Jan. 20 2009, Biden misspoke when he told a cheering crowd of supporters, "Jill and I had the great honor of standing on that stage, looking across at one of the great justices, Justice Stewart." Justice John Paul Stevens -- not Stewart -- swore Biden in as vice president.
-- When criticizing former GOP nominee John McCain in Athens, Ohio, on Oct. 15, 2008, Biden said, "Look, John's last-minute economic plan does nothing to tackle the number-one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S, jobs."
-- In a Sept. 22, 2008, CBS interview, Biden misspoke when he said Franklin D. Roosevelt was president when the stock market crashed in 1929.
"When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn't just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed. He said, 'Look, here's what happened," he said. Herbert Hoover -- not Roosevelt -- was president in 1929, and television had not yet been invented in 1929.
-- During a Sept. 12, 2008, speech in Columbia, Mo., Biden called for Missouri State Sen. Chuck Graham, who is wheelchair-bound, to "stand up."
"Oh, God love ya," Biden said, after realizing his mistake. "What am I talking about?"
-- At a Sept. 10, 2008, town hall meeting in Nashua, N.H., Biden said, "Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America. Quite frankly, it might have been a better pick than me."
-- Biden mistakenly referred to Alaska governor Sarah Palin as the "lieutenant governor" of her state during a town hall meeting on Sept. 4, 2008 at George Mason University in Manassas, Va.
"I heard a very, by the way I mean this sincerely, a very strong and a very good political speech from a lieutenant governor of Alaska who I think is going to be very formidable, very formidable not only in the campaign but in the debate," Biden said.
-- Biden said he was running for president -- not vice president -- during a Sept. 1, 2008, roundtable discussion in Scranton, Pa.
"Today is the moment for me as a United States senator running for president to put aside the national politics and focus on what's happening down there," Biden said.
-- Biden referred to John McCain as "George" during his vice presidential acceptance speech on Aug. 27, 2008, at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Co. "Freudian slip, folks, Freudian slip," he explained.
-- Biden confused army brigades with battalions when speaking about Obama's plan for sending troops to Afghanistan.
"Or should we trust Barack Obama, who more than a year ago called for sending two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan?"
-- During his first campaign rally with Obama as his vice presidential running mate on Aug. 23, 2008, Biden introduced Obama by saying, "A man I'm proud to call my friend. A man who will be the next President of the United States -- Barack America!"
-- On Jan. 31, 2007 -- the day Biden announced his presidential bid -- the Delaware Senator was roundly criticized for calling Obama "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man."
Friday, May 15, 2009
'Pedophile Protection Act'
James Dobson, the founder of the Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family Christian ministry, warned today that there is "utter evil" coming out of
Washington D.C., these days.
"I want to tell our listeners something has come up that is so shocking and so outrageous, we must make our friends out there aware of it," he said on his daily radio program.
"I'm going to speak very bluntly today because there's no other word for it: the utter evil that's coming out of Congress," he said. "I've been on the air 32 years and I've never seen a time quite like this.
"The radical left controls the executive branch through the president, and the Congress where the Democrats have control of both the House and the Senate," he said, adding the courts are expected to move even further to the left.
The audio of the program is linked here.
The target of his worry is the so-called "hate crimes" bill already approved in the U.S. House and now pending in the Senate.
For a limited time, by special arrangement through WND, for only $10.95 members of the public can send 100 individually addressed letters to each senator by overnight mail. Each letter is individually "signed" by the sender. The letters ask for a written response and call for opposition to the bill, including by filibuster if necessary.
A hearing on the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, already approved by the U.S. House as H.R. 1913 and pending in the Senate as S. 909, is expected in the Senate Judiciary Committee soon. It's been described by Shawn D. Akers, policy analyst with Liberty Counsel, as a bill to create penalties against "victims" who were chosen based on an "actual or perceived ... sexual orientation, gender identity."
Story continues HERE on worldnetdaily.
Washington D.C., these days.
"I want to tell our listeners something has come up that is so shocking and so outrageous, we must make our friends out there aware of it," he said on his daily radio program.
"I'm going to speak very bluntly today because there's no other word for it: the utter evil that's coming out of Congress," he said. "I've been on the air 32 years and I've never seen a time quite like this.
"The radical left controls the executive branch through the president, and the Congress where the Democrats have control of both the House and the Senate," he said, adding the courts are expected to move even further to the left.
The audio of the program is linked here.
The target of his worry is the so-called "hate crimes" bill already approved in the U.S. House and now pending in the Senate.
For a limited time, by special arrangement through WND, for only $10.95 members of the public can send 100 individually addressed letters to each senator by overnight mail. Each letter is individually "signed" by the sender. The letters ask for a written response and call for opposition to the bill, including by filibuster if necessary.
A hearing on the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, already approved by the U.S. House as H.R. 1913 and pending in the Senate as S. 909, is expected in the Senate Judiciary Committee soon. It's been described by Shawn D. Akers, policy analyst with Liberty Counsel, as a bill to create penalties against "victims" who were chosen based on an "actual or perceived ... sexual orientation, gender identity."
Story continues HERE on worldnetdaily.
CIA Denies Cheneys Request
The CIA has turned down former Vice President Cheney's request to release memos he says would show waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques" produced valuable information that saved lives.
CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano says an executive order signed by former President Bush forbids the agency from declassifying documents that are the subject of pending litigation. The memos Cheney wants released are the subject of two Freedom of Information Act lawsuits.
"For that reason-and that reason only-CIA did not accept Mr. Cheney's request," Gamigliano said.
Cheney's office told FOX News that the former vice president is preparing his appeal to the denial.
President Obama could overrule the agency, as he did a month ago when he cited "exceptional circumstances" and declassified four memos that detailed waterboarding and other interrogation techniques used on suspected terrorists.
Cheney and others objected to that release, saying it would tell terrorists what to prepare for. A Senate report concluded days later that the harsh techniques were not just used at the CIA's "secret prisons," but also in Iraq, Afghanistan and at the terrorist detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
During an interview on FOX News last month, Cheney criticized the release of the memos and said he was disturbed that "they didn't put out the memos that showed the success of the effort."
Cheney revealed he had made a formal request that two additional memos be declassified and released. He accused the administration of "dismantling" the national security policies that had kept the country safe and said the interrogation techniques potentially saved "hundreds of thousands of lives."
Obama has said the memos Cheney wants released do not prove the harsh techniques are effective. Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold, a member of the Intelligence Committee who has seen the memos Cheney wants released, accused the former vice president of "misleading the American people" by indicating that the memos show the harsh interrogation techniques were necessary.
Story can be found HERE.
CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano says an executive order signed by former President Bush forbids the agency from declassifying documents that are the subject of pending litigation. The memos Cheney wants released are the subject of two Freedom of Information Act lawsuits.
"For that reason-and that reason only-CIA did not accept Mr. Cheney's request," Gamigliano said.
Cheney's office told FOX News that the former vice president is preparing his appeal to the denial.
President Obama could overrule the agency, as he did a month ago when he cited "exceptional circumstances" and declassified four memos that detailed waterboarding and other interrogation techniques used on suspected terrorists.
Cheney and others objected to that release, saying it would tell terrorists what to prepare for. A Senate report concluded days later that the harsh techniques were not just used at the CIA's "secret prisons," but also in Iraq, Afghanistan and at the terrorist detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
During an interview on FOX News last month, Cheney criticized the release of the memos and said he was disturbed that "they didn't put out the memos that showed the success of the effort."
Cheney revealed he had made a formal request that two additional memos be declassified and released. He accused the administration of "dismantling" the national security policies that had kept the country safe and said the interrogation techniques potentially saved "hundreds of thousands of lives."
Obama has said the memos Cheney wants released do not prove the harsh techniques are effective. Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold, a member of the Intelligence Committee who has seen the memos Cheney wants released, accused the former vice president of "misleading the American people" by indicating that the memos show the harsh interrogation techniques were necessary.
Story can be found HERE.
Obama Weak On Israeli Security?
It should come as no surprise to anyone that the current administration is not going to do anything to help the Israelis protect themselves. Obama has long been pro Palestine and has never had a harsh word for Hamas. Benjamin Netanyahu has his hands full keeping Obama focused on the primary threat, Iran. If Iran thinks for a single second we are weak on the security of Israel they will attack them as soon as technologically possible.
"FiglePorn" (Hebrew for "May god be with you").
The director of the CIA was recently sent on a secret mission to Israel to warn its leaders not to launch a surprise attack on Iran without notifying the Obama administration, the Times of London reported on Thursday.
FOX News could not immediately confirm the report.
As Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, prepares to visit Washington, it emerged on Thursday that Leon Panetta went to Israel two weeks ago. He sought assurances from Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, the defense minister, that their hawkish new government would not attack Iran without alerting Washington.
Concerns have been rising that Netanyahu could launch a strike on Tehran’s atomic program, in the same way that Israel hit Saddam Hussein’s Osirak reactor in 1981. Israel has been preparing for such an eventuality. It has carried out long-distance maneuvers and is due to hold its largest civil defense drills this summer. The country’s leaders reportedly told Panetta that they did not "intend to surprise the U.S. on Iran."
Netanyahu will leave for Washington this weekend, where he will meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Obama, whom he will try to convince of the need for tougher action against Iran.
Obama favors trying to engage Tehran, but his efforts have been received coolly by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The Israeli leader is expected to insist that the U.S. stays focused on Iran, rather than tackling stalled talks with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu has held meetings with Arab leaders this week, including President Mubarak of Egypt and King Abdullah of Jordan. Both Sunni leaders share Israel’s fears of a resurgent Shia Iran.
Click to read the full story from the Times of London.
"FiglePorn" (Hebrew for "May god be with you").
The director of the CIA was recently sent on a secret mission to Israel to warn its leaders not to launch a surprise attack on Iran without notifying the Obama administration, the Times of London reported on Thursday.
FOX News could not immediately confirm the report.
As Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, prepares to visit Washington, it emerged on Thursday that Leon Panetta went to Israel two weeks ago. He sought assurances from Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, the defense minister, that their hawkish new government would not attack Iran without alerting Washington.
Concerns have been rising that Netanyahu could launch a strike on Tehran’s atomic program, in the same way that Israel hit Saddam Hussein’s Osirak reactor in 1981. Israel has been preparing for such an eventuality. It has carried out long-distance maneuvers and is due to hold its largest civil defense drills this summer. The country’s leaders reportedly told Panetta that they did not "intend to surprise the U.S. on Iran."
Netanyahu will leave for Washington this weekend, where he will meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Obama, whom he will try to convince of the need for tougher action against Iran.
Obama favors trying to engage Tehran, but his efforts have been received coolly by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The Israeli leader is expected to insist that the U.S. stays focused on Iran, rather than tackling stalled talks with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu has held meetings with Arab leaders this week, including President Mubarak of Egypt and King Abdullah of Jordan. Both Sunni leaders share Israel’s fears of a resurgent Shia Iran.
Click to read the full story from the Times of London.
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