Article 2 Section 3
He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Miss America
This is a shameful story. It is common knowledge that not everyone believes in gay marriage. It is ok to be pro gay marriage but if you oppose it how dare you. Where is the right to choose? It is take away from those of us who believe in traditional family values. Miss California should be given an award for living in that liberal cesspool and still having the courage to say how she really feels. If she had said she was pro gay marriage she would have been hailed as a hero by the left and may have won the pageant.
Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton was crowned Miss USA on Sunday, but the big story to come out of the normally politics-free telecast was Miss California's comments regarding gay marriage.
When asked by judge Perez Hilton, an openly gay gossip blogger, whether she believed in gay marriage, Miss California, Carrie Prejean, said "We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."
Keith Lewis, who runs the Miss California competition, tells FOXNews.com that he was "saddened" by Prejean's statement.
"As co-director of the Miss California USA, I am personally saddened and hurt that Miss California believes marriage rights belong only to a man and a woman," said Lewis in a statement. "I believe all religions should be able to ordain what unions they see fit. I do not believe our government should be able to discriminate against anyone and religious beliefs have no politics in the Miss California family."
Co-director Shanna Moakler told FOXNews.com that she fully supported Lewis' statement.
But Prejean told FOXNews.com that she has "no regrets" and is "happy" with the answer she gave.
Story continues HERE
Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton was crowned Miss USA on Sunday, but the big story to come out of the normally politics-free telecast was Miss California's comments regarding gay marriage.
When asked by judge Perez Hilton, an openly gay gossip blogger, whether she believed in gay marriage, Miss California, Carrie Prejean, said "We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."
Keith Lewis, who runs the Miss California competition, tells FOXNews.com that he was "saddened" by Prejean's statement.
"As co-director of the Miss California USA, I am personally saddened and hurt that Miss California believes marriage rights belong only to a man and a woman," said Lewis in a statement. "I believe all religions should be able to ordain what unions they see fit. I do not believe our government should be able to discriminate against anyone and religious beliefs have no politics in the Miss California family."
Co-director Shanna Moakler told FOXNews.com that she fully supported Lewis' statement.
But Prejean told FOXNews.com that she has "no regrets" and is "happy" with the answer she gave.
Story continues HERE
Friday, April 17, 2009
Giving Credit Where It's Due
Even though I do not like him I have to give him the credit that is due, Obama is a pirate killing machine!
Welcome To The Big League
Now that Dear Leader has to make some real decisions he must now know how Bush felt when the left wing kooks were bashing him over "secret prisons" and Guantanamo Bay. These people have now turned on Dear Leader and will attack him for doing his job and keeping us safe.
President Obama signed three executive orders in January that signaled his intent to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, fulfilling a campaign promise popular with liberals and central to his electoral victory.
But three months into the detainee review, Obama finds himself the unexpected target of fresh criticism from liberals over his handling of what they consider the new Guantanamo Bay: the military detention facility at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
The secretive site is home to 660 detainees, 95 percent of whom were captured on the battlefield in Afghanistan. The rest were mostly captured in North Africa and the Middle East.
In an editorial this week, The New York Times claimed Bagram is "the next Guantanamo" and accused the Obama administration of recycling "extravagant claims of executive power."
That's because the Obama White House has sided with the Bush administration in its belief that the Bagram detainees, who are in a war zone, have no right to a court review despite a ruling last year by the Supreme Court granting Guantanamo detainees those rights.
The Justice Department argues that Bagram is different from Guantanamo because it is in an overseas war zone and the prisoners there are being held as part of an ongoing military action. The government argues that releasing enemy combatants into the Afghan war zone, or even diverting U.S. personnel there to consider their legal cases, could threaten security.
But a federal judge rejected that argument earlier this month, ruling that Bagram detainees can challenge their detention. U.S. District Judge John Bates said they should have access to the courts to prevent the United States from being able to "move detainees physically beyond the reach of the Constitution and detain them indefinitely."
The Justice Department is appealing the ruling and said that an interagency task force is working to finish a report by July that outlines the legal options for handling terror suspects in the future.
Surprisingly, Obama finds himself on the opposite side of liberals in the debate over detainee rights.
"If the U.S. is going to close Guantanamo as President Obama has promised, it would be relatively meaningless if new Guantanamos like Bagram are allowed to continue to operate in the future," said Jonathan Hafetz, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who has represented several detainees. "It'd be like putting a band-aid on a much deeper wound and problem."
But conservatives believe the war on terror will be reduced to a criminal matter if the ACLU and others get their way.
"What do you do when 500 terrorists who were just shooting at you all of a sudden raise their white flag and say, 'I surrender, I want my lawyer. I want my three hots (meals) and a cot and I want my green card to America,'" said Charles "Cully" Stimson, a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Story can be found HERE.
President Obama signed three executive orders in January that signaled his intent to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, fulfilling a campaign promise popular with liberals and central to his electoral victory.
But three months into the detainee review, Obama finds himself the unexpected target of fresh criticism from liberals over his handling of what they consider the new Guantanamo Bay: the military detention facility at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
The secretive site is home to 660 detainees, 95 percent of whom were captured on the battlefield in Afghanistan. The rest were mostly captured in North Africa and the Middle East.
In an editorial this week, The New York Times claimed Bagram is "the next Guantanamo" and accused the Obama administration of recycling "extravagant claims of executive power."
That's because the Obama White House has sided with the Bush administration in its belief that the Bagram detainees, who are in a war zone, have no right to a court review despite a ruling last year by the Supreme Court granting Guantanamo detainees those rights.
The Justice Department argues that Bagram is different from Guantanamo because it is in an overseas war zone and the prisoners there are being held as part of an ongoing military action. The government argues that releasing enemy combatants into the Afghan war zone, or even diverting U.S. personnel there to consider their legal cases, could threaten security.
But a federal judge rejected that argument earlier this month, ruling that Bagram detainees can challenge their detention. U.S. District Judge John Bates said they should have access to the courts to prevent the United States from being able to "move detainees physically beyond the reach of the Constitution and detain them indefinitely."
The Justice Department is appealing the ruling and said that an interagency task force is working to finish a report by July that outlines the legal options for handling terror suspects in the future.
Surprisingly, Obama finds himself on the opposite side of liberals in the debate over detainee rights.
"If the U.S. is going to close Guantanamo as President Obama has promised, it would be relatively meaningless if new Guantanamos like Bagram are allowed to continue to operate in the future," said Jonathan Hafetz, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who has represented several detainees. "It'd be like putting a band-aid on a much deeper wound and problem."
But conservatives believe the war on terror will be reduced to a criminal matter if the ACLU and others get their way.
"What do you do when 500 terrorists who were just shooting at you all of a sudden raise their white flag and say, 'I surrender, I want my lawyer. I want my three hots (meals) and a cot and I want my green card to America,'" said Charles "Cully" Stimson, a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Story can be found HERE.
Constitution Reading Of The Day 4-17-2009
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.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Holder Finally Pulled His Head Out
of a tea bag! Oh wait that is only funny when Rachel "Meaty Fingers" Maddow makes jokes about tea bagging.
Someone must have finally gotten to Holder and informed him prosecution of Bush Admin officials that under order from Bush water boarded prisoners was a very bad idea. This is like the kooks on the left that wanted to impeach Bush because Clinton purger himself and got his dumb self impeached. If Bush administration people were prosecuted the next Republican administration would prosecute Obama admin people for something they did. It would be a very slippery slope that could lead to nothing good.
WASHINGTON -- Seeking to move beyond what he calls a "a dark and painful chapter in our history," President Barack Obama said Thursday that CIA officials who used harsh interrogation tactics during the Bush administration will not be prosecuted.
The government also released four memos long held secret by the Bush administration in which its lawyers approved in extensive and often graphic detail the tough interrogation methods used against 28 terror suspects, the fullest and now complete government accounting of the techniques. The rough tactics range from waterboarding -- simulated drowning -- to using a plastic neck collar to slam detainees into walls.
Even as they exposed new details of the interrogation program, Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder, offered the first definitive assurance that those CIA officials are in the clear, as long as their actions were in line with the legal advice at the time.
Obama said in his statement and a separate letter sent directly to CIA employees that the nation must protect their identity "as vigilantly as they protect our security."
"We have been through a dark and painful chapter in our history," the president said. "But at a time of great challenges and disturbing disunity, nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past."
Holder told the CIA that the government would provide free legal representation to CIA employees in any legal proceeding or congressional investigation related to the program and would repay any financial judgment.
"It would be unfair to prosecute dedicated men and women working to protect America for conduct that was sanctioned in advance by the Justice Department," Holder said.
As current CIA Director Leon Panetta put it in a message to employees: "CIA responded, as duty requires."
The CIA has acknowledged using waterboarding, a form of simulated drowning, on three high-level terror detainees in 2002 and 2003, with the permission of the White House and the Justice Department. Former CIA Director Michael Hayden said waterboarding has not been used since, but some human rights groups have urged Obama to hold CIA employees accountable for what they, and many Obama officials, say was torture.
Stacy Sullivan of Human Rights Watch said Obama is "dead wrong" to say that nothing would be gained by examining the past for criminal acts.
"Prosecuting violations of the law is not about laying blame for the past, it's about ensuring that those crimes don't happen again," she said.
The memos produced by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel in 2002 and 2005 were released to meet a court-approved deadline in a lawsuit against the government in New York by the American Civil Liberties Union.
In addition to detailing individual techniques, one memo also specifically authorized a method for combining multiple methods, a practice human rights advocates argue crosses the line into torture even if any individual methods does not.
The methods authorized in them include keeping detainees naked for long periods, keeping them in a painful standing position for long periods, and depriving them of solid food. Other tactics included using a plastic neck collar to slam detainees into walls, keeping the detainee's cell cold for long periods, and beating and kicking the detainee. Sleep-deprivation, prolonged shackling, and threats to a detainee's family were also used.
Interrogators were told not to allow a prisoner's body temperature or caloric intake to fall below a certain level, because either could cause permanent damage, said senior administration officials. They discussed the memos on condition of anonymity to more fully describe the president's decision-making process.
The Obama administration last month released nine legal memos. It probably will release more as the lawsuit proceeds, the officials said.
The ACLU suit has sought to use the Freedom of Information Act to shed light on the treatment of prisoners -- even though the Bush administration eventually abandoned many of the legal conclusions and the Obama administration has gone further to actively dismantle much of President George W. Bush's anti-terror program.
Obama has ordered the CIA's secret overseas prisons known as "black sites" closed and ended so-called "extraordinary renditions" of terrorism suspects if there is any reason to believe the third country would torture them. He has also restricted CIA questioners to only those interrogation methods and protocols approved for use by the U.S. military until a complete review of the program is conducted.
Also Thursday, Holder formally revoked every legal opinion or memo issued during Bush's presidency that justified interrogation programs.
The documents have been the subject of a long, fierce debate in and outside government over how much officials should say.
The Bush administration held the view that the president had the authority to claim broad powers that could not be checked by Congress or the courts in order to keep Americans safe. Obama and Holder, among others, have said that the use of such unchecked powers has actually made Americans less safe, by increasing anti-U.S. sentiment, endangering American troops when captured and handing terrorists a recruiting tool.
"Enlisting our values in the protection of our people makes us stronger and more secure," Obama said in his statement.
Even so, the officials described the president's process of deciding how much to release in response to the suit as very difficult. Over four weeks, there were intense debates involving the president, Cabinet members, lower-level officials and even former administration officials.
Obama was concerned that releasing the information could endanger ongoing operations, American personnel or U.S. relationships with foreign intelligence services. CIA officials, in particular, needed reassuring, the officials said.
But in the end, the view of the Justice Department prevailed, that the FOIA law required the release and that the government would likely be forced to do so by the court if it didn't do so itself, the officials said.
In his statement, Obama said he was reassured about the potential national security implications by the fact that much of the information contained had already been widely publicized -- including some of it by Bush himself -- and by the fact that the program itself no longer exists.
He said "exceptional circumstances surround these memos and require their release" and does not change his determination to keep other intelligence operations secret and information about them classified.
But, said Obama, "Withholding these memos would only serve to deny facts that have been in the public domain for some time. This could contribute to an inaccurate accounting of the past, and fuel erroneous and inflammatory assumptions about actions taken by the United States."
Those assurances are not likely to inoculate Obama against criticism from conservatives. Last month, Vice President Dick Cheney said, for instance, that Obama's decisions to revoke Bush-era terrorist detainee policies will "raise the risk to the American people of another attack."
Story courtesy of www.foxnews.com
Someone must have finally gotten to Holder and informed him prosecution of Bush Admin officials that under order from Bush water boarded prisoners was a very bad idea. This is like the kooks on the left that wanted to impeach Bush because Clinton purger himself and got his dumb self impeached. If Bush administration people were prosecuted the next Republican administration would prosecute Obama admin people for something they did. It would be a very slippery slope that could lead to nothing good.
WASHINGTON -- Seeking to move beyond what he calls a "a dark and painful chapter in our history," President Barack Obama said Thursday that CIA officials who used harsh interrogation tactics during the Bush administration will not be prosecuted.
The government also released four memos long held secret by the Bush administration in which its lawyers approved in extensive and often graphic detail the tough interrogation methods used against 28 terror suspects, the fullest and now complete government accounting of the techniques. The rough tactics range from waterboarding -- simulated drowning -- to using a plastic neck collar to slam detainees into walls.
Even as they exposed new details of the interrogation program, Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder, offered the first definitive assurance that those CIA officials are in the clear, as long as their actions were in line with the legal advice at the time.
Obama said in his statement and a separate letter sent directly to CIA employees that the nation must protect their identity "as vigilantly as they protect our security."
"We have been through a dark and painful chapter in our history," the president said. "But at a time of great challenges and disturbing disunity, nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past."
Holder told the CIA that the government would provide free legal representation to CIA employees in any legal proceeding or congressional investigation related to the program and would repay any financial judgment.
"It would be unfair to prosecute dedicated men and women working to protect America for conduct that was sanctioned in advance by the Justice Department," Holder said.
As current CIA Director Leon Panetta put it in a message to employees: "CIA responded, as duty requires."
The CIA has acknowledged using waterboarding, a form of simulated drowning, on three high-level terror detainees in 2002 and 2003, with the permission of the White House and the Justice Department. Former CIA Director Michael Hayden said waterboarding has not been used since, but some human rights groups have urged Obama to hold CIA employees accountable for what they, and many Obama officials, say was torture.
Stacy Sullivan of Human Rights Watch said Obama is "dead wrong" to say that nothing would be gained by examining the past for criminal acts.
"Prosecuting violations of the law is not about laying blame for the past, it's about ensuring that those crimes don't happen again," she said.
The memos produced by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel in 2002 and 2005 were released to meet a court-approved deadline in a lawsuit against the government in New York by the American Civil Liberties Union.
In addition to detailing individual techniques, one memo also specifically authorized a method for combining multiple methods, a practice human rights advocates argue crosses the line into torture even if any individual methods does not.
The methods authorized in them include keeping detainees naked for long periods, keeping them in a painful standing position for long periods, and depriving them of solid food. Other tactics included using a plastic neck collar to slam detainees into walls, keeping the detainee's cell cold for long periods, and beating and kicking the detainee. Sleep-deprivation, prolonged shackling, and threats to a detainee's family were also used.
Interrogators were told not to allow a prisoner's body temperature or caloric intake to fall below a certain level, because either could cause permanent damage, said senior administration officials. They discussed the memos on condition of anonymity to more fully describe the president's decision-making process.
The Obama administration last month released nine legal memos. It probably will release more as the lawsuit proceeds, the officials said.
The ACLU suit has sought to use the Freedom of Information Act to shed light on the treatment of prisoners -- even though the Bush administration eventually abandoned many of the legal conclusions and the Obama administration has gone further to actively dismantle much of President George W. Bush's anti-terror program.
Obama has ordered the CIA's secret overseas prisons known as "black sites" closed and ended so-called "extraordinary renditions" of terrorism suspects if there is any reason to believe the third country would torture them. He has also restricted CIA questioners to only those interrogation methods and protocols approved for use by the U.S. military until a complete review of the program is conducted.
Also Thursday, Holder formally revoked every legal opinion or memo issued during Bush's presidency that justified interrogation programs.
The documents have been the subject of a long, fierce debate in and outside government over how much officials should say.
The Bush administration held the view that the president had the authority to claim broad powers that could not be checked by Congress or the courts in order to keep Americans safe. Obama and Holder, among others, have said that the use of such unchecked powers has actually made Americans less safe, by increasing anti-U.S. sentiment, endangering American troops when captured and handing terrorists a recruiting tool.
"Enlisting our values in the protection of our people makes us stronger and more secure," Obama said in his statement.
Even so, the officials described the president's process of deciding how much to release in response to the suit as very difficult. Over four weeks, there were intense debates involving the president, Cabinet members, lower-level officials and even former administration officials.
Obama was concerned that releasing the information could endanger ongoing operations, American personnel or U.S. relationships with foreign intelligence services. CIA officials, in particular, needed reassuring, the officials said.
But in the end, the view of the Justice Department prevailed, that the FOIA law required the release and that the government would likely be forced to do so by the court if it didn't do so itself, the officials said.
In his statement, Obama said he was reassured about the potential national security implications by the fact that much of the information contained had already been widely publicized -- including some of it by Bush himself -- and by the fact that the program itself no longer exists.
He said "exceptional circumstances surround these memos and require their release" and does not change his determination to keep other intelligence operations secret and information about them classified.
But, said Obama, "Withholding these memos would only serve to deny facts that have been in the public domain for some time. This could contribute to an inaccurate accounting of the past, and fuel erroneous and inflammatory assumptions about actions taken by the United States."
Those assurances are not likely to inoculate Obama against criticism from conservatives. Last month, Vice President Dick Cheney said, for instance, that Obama's decisions to revoke Bush-era terrorist detainee policies will "raise the risk to the American people of another attack."
Story courtesy of www.foxnews.com
Former CIA Chief Blast Obama Administration
WASHINGTON -- Former CIA Director Michael Hayden says the Obama administration is endangering the country by releasing Justice Department memos that detail the CIA's interrogation techniques authorized by the Bush administration.
Hayden tells The Associated Press the release will give terrorists a precise guide for what to expect in a CIA interrogation if those methods are ever approved for use again.
The Obama administration outlawed the techniques but has a task force reviewing the military's interrogation methods to determine if they are sufficient for CIA use.
Hayden says he worries the revelations will also deter other governments from cooperating with the United States because it shows the U.S. "can't keep anything secret."
Story HERE on www.foxnews.com
Hayden tells The Associated Press the release will give terrorists a precise guide for what to expect in a CIA interrogation if those methods are ever approved for use again.
The Obama administration outlawed the techniques but has a task force reviewing the military's interrogation methods to determine if they are sufficient for CIA use.
Hayden says he worries the revelations will also deter other governments from cooperating with the United States because it shows the U.S. "can't keep anything secret."
Story HERE on www.foxnews.com
Constitution Reading Of The Day 4-16-2009
Article 1 Section 10
No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.
No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it\'s inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.
No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.
No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.
No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it\'s inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.
No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Only In Nazifornia
I mean California!
California, always seeking to be a trendsetter on environmental policy, is weighing a proposal to charge 25 cents for every paper or plastic bag distributed at grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores. The money raised would go into a state fund used to clean up trash and prevent litter related to what the bill calls “single-use” bags.
The bill’s sponsor, Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, says 25 cents a bag is high enough to have a real impact on consumer behavior. The fee would be waived for some low-income Californians.
The idea, of course, is to encourage people to bring their own reusable bags to the supermarket. Brownley argues that a similar program in Ireland has been a success, reducing plastic bag litter by more than 90 percent.
The bill’s other aim is to help the state offset the $25 million a year it spends to clean up plastic bag waste. Municipalities spend $300 million, Brownley says.
Chuck DeVore, a Republican assemblyman from Orange County, said the idea is “just one of a sorry series of tax increases that the Democrats are trying to foist on the working people of California.”
DeVore said the bag charge would add $2 to $3 to the bill every time a family goes to the store. And if that family brings along reusable bags, that can be a health hazard.
“If you buy some chicken or some meat, unless you figure a way to wash those bags every time, you will have salmonella in those natural fibers,” DeVore said.
Currently, retailers in California are required to set up in-store recycling programs for used bags. Brownley, however, says preliminary results show there has only been a negligible increase in bag recycling since that law went into effect.
But how realistic is it to push through a bill during a recession that will effectively make consumers pay more at the grocery store? Would such a law prompt you to break out those reusable bags once and for all?
DeVore says he expects the bill to pass the Assembly and land on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desk.
Original story on Reuters.
California, always seeking to be a trendsetter on environmental policy, is weighing a proposal to charge 25 cents for every paper or plastic bag distributed at grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores. The money raised would go into a state fund used to clean up trash and prevent litter related to what the bill calls “single-use” bags.
The bill’s sponsor, Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, says 25 cents a bag is high enough to have a real impact on consumer behavior. The fee would be waived for some low-income Californians.
The idea, of course, is to encourage people to bring their own reusable bags to the supermarket. Brownley argues that a similar program in Ireland has been a success, reducing plastic bag litter by more than 90 percent.
The bill’s other aim is to help the state offset the $25 million a year it spends to clean up plastic bag waste. Municipalities spend $300 million, Brownley says.
Chuck DeVore, a Republican assemblyman from Orange County, said the idea is “just one of a sorry series of tax increases that the Democrats are trying to foist on the working people of California.”
DeVore said the bag charge would add $2 to $3 to the bill every time a family goes to the store. And if that family brings along reusable bags, that can be a health hazard.
“If you buy some chicken or some meat, unless you figure a way to wash those bags every time, you will have salmonella in those natural fibers,” DeVore said.
Currently, retailers in California are required to set up in-store recycling programs for used bags. Brownley, however, says preliminary results show there has only been a negligible increase in bag recycling since that law went into effect.
But how realistic is it to push through a bill during a recession that will effectively make consumers pay more at the grocery store? Would such a law prompt you to break out those reusable bags once and for all?
DeVore says he expects the bill to pass the Assembly and land on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desk.
Original story on Reuters.
Tax Day Tea Party Update 2
Word is spreading that the Secret Service has pulled the permit for the Lafayette Park protest and the Treasury Building is wrapped in yellow tape to keep us off the steps.
If the Bush Administration had done this type of thing to a left wing group of protesters they would have cried on CNN and PMSNBC for weeks to come. We however shall not be deterred, we will peacefully show our opposition to this government.
If the Bush Administration had done this type of thing to a left wing group of protesters they would have cried on CNN and PMSNBC for weeks to come. We however shall not be deterred, we will peacefully show our opposition to this government.
Tax Day Tea Party
Today is the day, the day when hundreds of thousands of people will organize peacefully to tell our government we have had enough of the ever rising taxes they continue to levee on us.
I am attending the Washington DC tea party. As I type this post I am sitting in the studio live with Mike Church and the famous Mike Church Band. We can be heard on Sirius Patriot 144, live from 9am to 12 noon. After the show we will be heading over to the Treasury Building then off to Lafayette Park. Mike Church is going to be giving a speech at the Treasury Building around 1pm.
Even if you can not get to Washington DC make every attempt to get to your local tea party. Tell this bloated government, not the Bush government or the Obama government, OUR GOVERNMENT you are tired of their tax and spend ways. They are not drunken sailors even though they have been acting as such for many years.
I am attending the Washington DC tea party. As I type this post I am sitting in the studio live with Mike Church and the famous Mike Church Band. We can be heard on Sirius Patriot 144, live from 9am to 12 noon. After the show we will be heading over to the Treasury Building then off to Lafayette Park. Mike Church is going to be giving a speech at the Treasury Building around 1pm.
Even if you can not get to Washington DC make every attempt to get to your local tea party. Tell this bloated government, not the Bush government or the Obama government, OUR GOVERNMENT you are tired of their tax and spend ways. They are not drunken sailors even though they have been acting as such for many years.
Constitution Reading Of The Day 4-15-2009
This post is especially important today, the day our fine government forces us to pay an ever rising unconstitutional tax.
Article 1 Section 2.2
Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.
When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.
The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.
Article 1 Section 2.2
Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.
When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.
The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Right Wing Nut Cases?
I find it very humorous that the clowns on the left ran around screaming that Bush was violating their civil rights but I never heard of anything like this from the Bush administration.
The Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement agencies that recent news is helping "right-wing extremist groups" recruit new members and could lead to violence, and warns about the possible recruitment and radicalization of returning veterans.
The report, issued last week, is part of an ongoing review of extremists on both ends of the political spectrum.
The latest assessment by DHS' Office of Intelligence and Analysis found no specific information that domestic right-wing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence, but right-wing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on fears about the recession and the election of the first African American president. The office called them "unique drivers for right-wing radicalization and recruitment."
"Right-wing extremists have capitalized on the election of the first African American president, and are focusing their efforts to recruit new members, mobilize existing supporters and broaden their scope and appeal through propaganda, but they have not yet turned to attack planning," the assessment reads.
"The current economic and political climate has some similarities to the 1990s when right-wing extremism experienced a resurgence fueled largely by an economic recession, criticism about the outsourcing of jobs and the perceived threat to U.S. power and sovereignty by other foreign powers.," it continues.
The report also suggests that returning veterans are attractive recruits for right-wing groups looking for "combat skills and experience" so as to boost their "violent capabilities." It adds that new restrictions on gun ownership and the difficulty of veterans to reintegrate into their communities "could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks."
"Proposed imposition of firearms restrictions and weapons bans likely would attract new members into the ranks of right-wing extremist groups ... The high volume of purchases and stockpiling of weapons and ammunition by right-wing extremists in anticipation of restrictions and bans in some parts of the country continue to be a primary concern to law enforcement," the report says.
The assessment notes that right-wing recruitment grew in the 1990s but subsided after increased scrutiny by the government following the 1995 Oklahoma City bombings.
It does state that in 2009 "threats from white supremacist and violent antigovernment groups ... have been largely rhetorical and have not indicated plans to carry out violent acts."
"Nevertheless, the consequences of a prolonged economic downturn-including real estate foreclosures, unemployment, and an inability to obtain credit-could create a fertile recruiting environment for right-wing extremists and even result in confrontations between such groups and government authorities similar to those in the past," reads a key finding in the assessment.
DHS spokeswoman Sara Kuban said the April 7 assessment is one in an ongoing series published by DHS "to facilitate a greater understanding of radicalization in the United States."
"DHS has no specific information that domestic right-wing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence, but right-wing extremists may be gaining new recruitments by playing on their fears about several emerging issues," Kuban said.
But some critics have said the DHS is equating conservative views to right-wing terrorism, but a DHS official countered that earlier this year, the department issued a mirror intelligence assessment of left-wing extremist groups.
"This is the job of DHS, to assess what is happening in this country, with regard to homegrown terrorism, and determine whether it's an actual threat or not, and that's what these assessments do. This is nothing unusual. These assessments are done all the time. This is about awareness," the official told FOX News on Monday.
FOX News has obtained a copy of the assessment, dated Jan. 26 and titled "Left-wing Extremists Likely to Increase Use of Cyberattacks Over the Coming Decade." It concentrates largely on the technical savvy of left-wing extremists and not bloodshed.
"The perception that cyberattacks are non-violent aligns well with ideological beliefs, strategic objectives and tactics of many left-wing extremists," the earlier report reads. "The increasing reliance of commercial business and other enterprises on cyber technologies, including interconnected networks and remote access, creates new and expanding vulnerabilities that technically savvy left-wing extremists will exploit."
The report specifically mentions "eco-terrorist" Earth Liberation Front, which has been accused of firebombing construction sites, logging companies, car dealerships and food science labs. The report notes that left-wing extremists prefer economic damage on businesses to get the message across.
"Their no-harm doctrine includes claiming to ensure the safety of humans, animals and the environment even as they attack businesses and associated operations," the report reads. " Direct actions range from animal releases, property theft, vandalism and cyber attacks, all of which extremists regard as non-violent, to bombings and arson."
The assessment says it "focuses on the more prominent leftwing groups within the animal rights, environmental, and anarchist extremist movements that promote or have conducted criminal or terrorist activities."
The assessment report on right-wing extremists can be found here.
The assessment report on left-wing extremists can be found here.
The Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement agencies that recent news is helping "right-wing extremist groups" recruit new members and could lead to violence, and warns about the possible recruitment and radicalization of returning veterans.
The report, issued last week, is part of an ongoing review of extremists on both ends of the political spectrum.
The latest assessment by DHS' Office of Intelligence and Analysis found no specific information that domestic right-wing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence, but right-wing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on fears about the recession and the election of the first African American president. The office called them "unique drivers for right-wing radicalization and recruitment."
"Right-wing extremists have capitalized on the election of the first African American president, and are focusing their efforts to recruit new members, mobilize existing supporters and broaden their scope and appeal through propaganda, but they have not yet turned to attack planning," the assessment reads.
"The current economic and political climate has some similarities to the 1990s when right-wing extremism experienced a resurgence fueled largely by an economic recession, criticism about the outsourcing of jobs and the perceived threat to U.S. power and sovereignty by other foreign powers.," it continues.
The report also suggests that returning veterans are attractive recruits for right-wing groups looking for "combat skills and experience" so as to boost their "violent capabilities." It adds that new restrictions on gun ownership and the difficulty of veterans to reintegrate into their communities "could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks."
"Proposed imposition of firearms restrictions and weapons bans likely would attract new members into the ranks of right-wing extremist groups ... The high volume of purchases and stockpiling of weapons and ammunition by right-wing extremists in anticipation of restrictions and bans in some parts of the country continue to be a primary concern to law enforcement," the report says.
The assessment notes that right-wing recruitment grew in the 1990s but subsided after increased scrutiny by the government following the 1995 Oklahoma City bombings.
It does state that in 2009 "threats from white supremacist and violent antigovernment groups ... have been largely rhetorical and have not indicated plans to carry out violent acts."
"Nevertheless, the consequences of a prolonged economic downturn-including real estate foreclosures, unemployment, and an inability to obtain credit-could create a fertile recruiting environment for right-wing extremists and even result in confrontations between such groups and government authorities similar to those in the past," reads a key finding in the assessment.
DHS spokeswoman Sara Kuban said the April 7 assessment is one in an ongoing series published by DHS "to facilitate a greater understanding of radicalization in the United States."
"DHS has no specific information that domestic right-wing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence, but right-wing extremists may be gaining new recruitments by playing on their fears about several emerging issues," Kuban said.
But some critics have said the DHS is equating conservative views to right-wing terrorism, but a DHS official countered that earlier this year, the department issued a mirror intelligence assessment of left-wing extremist groups.
"This is the job of DHS, to assess what is happening in this country, with regard to homegrown terrorism, and determine whether it's an actual threat or not, and that's what these assessments do. This is nothing unusual. These assessments are done all the time. This is about awareness," the official told FOX News on Monday.
FOX News has obtained a copy of the assessment, dated Jan. 26 and titled "Left-wing Extremists Likely to Increase Use of Cyberattacks Over the Coming Decade." It concentrates largely on the technical savvy of left-wing extremists and not bloodshed.
"The perception that cyberattacks are non-violent aligns well with ideological beliefs, strategic objectives and tactics of many left-wing extremists," the earlier report reads. "The increasing reliance of commercial business and other enterprises on cyber technologies, including interconnected networks and remote access, creates new and expanding vulnerabilities that technically savvy left-wing extremists will exploit."
The report specifically mentions "eco-terrorist" Earth Liberation Front, which has been accused of firebombing construction sites, logging companies, car dealerships and food science labs. The report notes that left-wing extremists prefer economic damage on businesses to get the message across.
"Their no-harm doctrine includes claiming to ensure the safety of humans, animals and the environment even as they attack businesses and associated operations," the report reads. " Direct actions range from animal releases, property theft, vandalism and cyber attacks, all of which extremists regard as non-violent, to bombings and arson."
The assessment says it "focuses on the more prominent leftwing groups within the animal rights, environmental, and anarchist extremist movements that promote or have conducted criminal or terrorist activities."
The assessment report on right-wing extremists can be found here.
The assessment report on left-wing extremists can be found here.
Another Victim of Chavez The Great
Where is the left when things like this happen? All we heard during the Bush administration is that Bush was a walking human rights violation. They praise Chavez and other cruel dictators.
MARACAIBO, Venezuela — The mayor of Venezuela's second largest city is missing, apparently the latest casualty of a crackdown on opposition by President Hugo Chavez that observers are calling outright persecution.
Manuel Rosales ran against Chavez for president in 2006 and lost, but last year he was elected mayor of the port city of Maracaibo, home to over 3 million people.
After Chavez vowed on national TV to throw Rosales in jail, the government filed corruption charges against the 56-year-old mayor. Two weeks ago, Rosales dropped out of sight. Supporters say he is hiding — from an enemy who now has the power to crush all opposition.
Rosales isn't alone in fearing retribution. Antonio Ledezma, another Chavez opponent, was elected mayor of Caracas in 2008 but is being barred from his office by his own police force, which attacked him when he tried to enter.
"It is hard to understand — a mayor can't get into his own office," Ledezma said. "The people there have guns. They have a license for guns, a license for crime."
Political analysts once used the word "authoritarian" to describe Hugo Chavez. Now they have begun to use the word "dictator" after what's happened to Ledezma and others.
"What's going on is persecution," said Susan Purcell, director of the Center for Hemispheric Policy at the University of Miami. "[Y]ou have a political system where people don't have rights, the government controls all the means of communication ... and (Chavez) just doesn't want anybody to come up and challenge him. This is the usual behavior of dictators."
The crackdown began after Chavez won the battle to remove presidential term limits, amending the nation's constitution in a February referendum. The political opposition has learned to fear imprisonment, but some fear violence as well.
"I have already been victim of three murder attempts," said Leopoldo Lopez, mayor of Chacao, now a part of the capital of Caracas. "And two years ago was the last murder attempt and a fellow worker, Carlos Mendoza, was killed — he died in my arms."
While the mayor of Maracaibo hides, his wife, a mother of 10 children, is speaking out.
"It is something like out of a movie. I have to go to secret places to talk to my husband," Eveling Trejo de Rosales told FOX News. "Tanks drive by our house. What do I tell my 3-year-old child, who cries at night and wants to know where his father is?"
It is not clear where Rosales is. The Chavez government says he has gone to Panama or the United States. Supporters say he remains inside Maracaibo, where technically he is still mayor, although even his supporters have difficulty explaining how a mayor in hiding can run a major city.
"The mayor was just here recently. Honestly. He signed some decrees," an aide told FOX News. "Right now I'm the acting mayor, but he is the real mayor. I am simply implementing his decisions."
Chavez is not popular in all parts of the country. FOX News witnessed residents of Maracaibo setting his effigy on fire — but the governors and mayors who oppose the Venezuelan president are fast losing their powers, and sometimes their liberty.
The president's former defense minister, Gen. Raul Baduel, was arrested at gunpoint by government intelligence agents last week, charged with corruption and thrown in jail awaiting trial.
The next opponent could be what's left of the media. Chavez urged this week that sanctions be imposed on the one television station that still criticizes the president.
Courtesy of www.foxnews.com
MARACAIBO, Venezuela — The mayor of Venezuela's second largest city is missing, apparently the latest casualty of a crackdown on opposition by President Hugo Chavez that observers are calling outright persecution.
Manuel Rosales ran against Chavez for president in 2006 and lost, but last year he was elected mayor of the port city of Maracaibo, home to over 3 million people.
After Chavez vowed on national TV to throw Rosales in jail, the government filed corruption charges against the 56-year-old mayor. Two weeks ago, Rosales dropped out of sight. Supporters say he is hiding — from an enemy who now has the power to crush all opposition.
Rosales isn't alone in fearing retribution. Antonio Ledezma, another Chavez opponent, was elected mayor of Caracas in 2008 but is being barred from his office by his own police force, which attacked him when he tried to enter.
"It is hard to understand — a mayor can't get into his own office," Ledezma said. "The people there have guns. They have a license for guns, a license for crime."
Political analysts once used the word "authoritarian" to describe Hugo Chavez. Now they have begun to use the word "dictator" after what's happened to Ledezma and others.
"What's going on is persecution," said Susan Purcell, director of the Center for Hemispheric Policy at the University of Miami. "[Y]ou have a political system where people don't have rights, the government controls all the means of communication ... and (Chavez) just doesn't want anybody to come up and challenge him. This is the usual behavior of dictators."
The crackdown began after Chavez won the battle to remove presidential term limits, amending the nation's constitution in a February referendum. The political opposition has learned to fear imprisonment, but some fear violence as well.
"I have already been victim of three murder attempts," said Leopoldo Lopez, mayor of Chacao, now a part of the capital of Caracas. "And two years ago was the last murder attempt and a fellow worker, Carlos Mendoza, was killed — he died in my arms."
While the mayor of Maracaibo hides, his wife, a mother of 10 children, is speaking out.
"It is something like out of a movie. I have to go to secret places to talk to my husband," Eveling Trejo de Rosales told FOX News. "Tanks drive by our house. What do I tell my 3-year-old child, who cries at night and wants to know where his father is?"
It is not clear where Rosales is. The Chavez government says he has gone to Panama or the United States. Supporters say he remains inside Maracaibo, where technically he is still mayor, although even his supporters have difficulty explaining how a mayor in hiding can run a major city.
"The mayor was just here recently. Honestly. He signed some decrees," an aide told FOX News. "Right now I'm the acting mayor, but he is the real mayor. I am simply implementing his decisions."
Chavez is not popular in all parts of the country. FOX News witnessed residents of Maracaibo setting his effigy on fire — but the governors and mayors who oppose the Venezuelan president are fast losing their powers, and sometimes their liberty.
The president's former defense minister, Gen. Raul Baduel, was arrested at gunpoint by government intelligence agents last week, charged with corruption and thrown in jail awaiting trial.
The next opponent could be what's left of the media. Chavez urged this week that sanctions be imposed on the one television station that still criticizes the president.
Courtesy of www.foxnews.com
Media Malpractice
If you have not drank the kool-aide or you drank it and you threw it back up this is a site you should check out. John Ziegler does something that is over due, he points out the hypocrisy in the media. He brings to light the lies told by the Obama press corp. He points out that there is a difference in Tina Faye and the brilliant Sarah Palin.
Go HERE to see the website for Media Malpractice.
Go HERE to see the website for Media Malpractice.
Paid Obama Troublemakers At It Again
What would a party be without party poopers?
As anti-tax protesters organize tea parties across the country on April 15, rumors are swirling that a backlash is brewing.
Some believe ACORN, which has been under scrutiny for accusations of voter fraud, is preparing to crash some of the tea parties. But ACORN says it is only helping to organize dozens of rallies on the same day in support of President Obama's first budget.
"This is the first we've heard of these so-called 'tea parties.' And, frankly, a bunch of small get-togethers by fringe conservative activists dedicated to simply saying 'no' is of little interest to us," said ACORN spokesman Brian Kettenring.
He did not say where the pro-Obama rallies would take place, leaving open the possibility that they may clash with some tea parties.
Tea party organizers, meanwhile, say they're not worried at all about possible disruption.
"If ACORN wants to send some of their paid, pretend activists to show up, that's fine," John O'Hara, who is holding a tea party in Chicago, told FOX News. "They don't have a message that resonates with the American people or resonates with this broad coalition that's upset with the spending that's going on in Washington."
"We don't take them seriously," said Mark Mekler, who is organizing a tea party in Sacramento. "We expect people to attempt to infiltrate, we expect people to attempt to disturb what we're doing.
"But the reality is this is a very broad-based grassroots movement," he told FOX News. "There is no leader at the top. There is no individual event that they can disturb that would cause us a problem nationwide."
Taxdayteaparty.com, which is helping to organize the protests, said more than 250 locations in all 50 states will hold rallies on April 15. Some believe ACORN will try to make the tea parties look like fringe group efforts at best, and racist undertakings at worst.
Mekler said he is not concerned with how outsiders may try to portray their efforts.
"The people who are involved understand they're not racist, they're not fringe, they're not even partisan," he said.
"I mean, these are events where we have across-the-board Democrats, Republicans, conservatives, liberals, libertarians. The people who are going to be there know what's going on. We're not worried about these folks polluting the event."
ACORN said if there are protesters, it won't be from its ranks.
"The idea that ACORN is out to disrupt these meet-ups of fringe activists is yet another conservative fantasy," Kettenring said.
"At this point, it would not surprise us to wake up tomorrow and see conservative media fingering ACORN's 500,000 member families as the principle cause of global climate change," he said in a written statement.
Go HERE for the original story on www.foxnews.com
As anti-tax protesters organize tea parties across the country on April 15, rumors are swirling that a backlash is brewing.
Some believe ACORN, which has been under scrutiny for accusations of voter fraud, is preparing to crash some of the tea parties. But ACORN says it is only helping to organize dozens of rallies on the same day in support of President Obama's first budget.
"This is the first we've heard of these so-called 'tea parties.' And, frankly, a bunch of small get-togethers by fringe conservative activists dedicated to simply saying 'no' is of little interest to us," said ACORN spokesman Brian Kettenring.
He did not say where the pro-Obama rallies would take place, leaving open the possibility that they may clash with some tea parties.
Tea party organizers, meanwhile, say they're not worried at all about possible disruption.
"If ACORN wants to send some of their paid, pretend activists to show up, that's fine," John O'Hara, who is holding a tea party in Chicago, told FOX News. "They don't have a message that resonates with the American people or resonates with this broad coalition that's upset with the spending that's going on in Washington."
"We don't take them seriously," said Mark Mekler, who is organizing a tea party in Sacramento. "We expect people to attempt to infiltrate, we expect people to attempt to disturb what we're doing.
"But the reality is this is a very broad-based grassroots movement," he told FOX News. "There is no leader at the top. There is no individual event that they can disturb that would cause us a problem nationwide."
Taxdayteaparty.com, which is helping to organize the protests, said more than 250 locations in all 50 states will hold rallies on April 15. Some believe ACORN will try to make the tea parties look like fringe group efforts at best, and racist undertakings at worst.
Mekler said he is not concerned with how outsiders may try to portray their efforts.
"The people who are involved understand they're not racist, they're not fringe, they're not even partisan," he said.
"I mean, these are events where we have across-the-board Democrats, Republicans, conservatives, liberals, libertarians. The people who are going to be there know what's going on. We're not worried about these folks polluting the event."
ACORN said if there are protesters, it won't be from its ranks.
"The idea that ACORN is out to disrupt these meet-ups of fringe activists is yet another conservative fantasy," Kettenring said.
"At this point, it would not surprise us to wake up tomorrow and see conservative media fingering ACORN's 500,000 member families as the principle cause of global climate change," he said in a written statement.
Go HERE for the original story on www.foxnews.com
Texas Stands Up To Dear Leader
Governor Rick Perry has announced he will support and back HCR-50.
Affirming that the State of Texas claims sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution, serving notice to the federal government to cease and desist certain mandates, and providing that certain federal legislation be prohibited or repealed.
This is the first step in succession people. Texas will set the precedence and other states will follow suite.
Go HERE for the bill on the Texas Legislator website.
Affirming that the State of Texas claims sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution, serving notice to the federal government to cease and desist certain mandates, and providing that certain federal legislation be prohibited or repealed.
This is the first step in succession people. Texas will set the precedence and other states will follow suite.
Go HERE for the bill on the Texas Legislator website.
Constitution Reading Of The Day 4-14-2009
Article 1 Section 2.1
The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.
No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.
The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.
No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.
Monday, April 13, 2009
More On The Pirate Story
The Somali pirate group responsible for hijacking the Maersk Alabama have vowed revenge for the beautifully placed shots by our fine boys in blue. I say to them "bring it". There are plenty of SEAL's that would love the opportunity to put a bullet in your sorry heads.
People of Somalia, heed my warning, use your local powers to oust the pirates and the terrorist that think attacking our ships and firing mortars at our congressmen. You do not want the United States to unleash hell and furry on your home.
President Obama and U.S. lawmakers on Monday praised the weekend operation of U.S. Navy SEALS responsible for the rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips, who was taken hostage when his freighter ship, the Maersk Alabama, was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia last week.
"I am very proud of the efforts of the U.S. military and the many other departments and agencies that worked tirelessly to resolve this situation," Obama said at the Department of Transportation.
"I share our nation's admiration for Captain Phillips' courage and leadership and selfless concern for his crew and I want to be very clear that we are resolved to halt the rise of (piracy) in that region, and to achieve that goal we're going have to continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks and we have to continue to be prepared to confront them when they arise, we have to ensure those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable."
"Captain Phillips' rescue in particular demonstrates the Navy SEALS' extraordinary capability to conduct complex and sensitive operations," said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo.
"As long as safe havens exist along the Somali coast, we should expect this criminal piracy to continue. The international community must come together, take a good look at our options and seriously consider what can be done to eliminate the threat. We cannot allow the criminals who threaten the safety of the seas to remain unchallenged," Skelton said.'
With the immediate threat to the Maersk crew over, a Department of Defense official told FOX News that contingency planning is now under way on a variety of possible military operations and it would not be unreasonable to assume action against pirate camps might be one of those operations.
"We never talk about future possible operations and we're not going to start now," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
Neither the official who spoke to FOX News nor Whitman would outright deny that planning is under way, however several Pentagon officials appear wary of getting into a military engagement in Somalia at this time.
Whiteman said such the successful end to the standoff could discourage future attacks but some members of the shipping industry worry that "if they were armed it could cause escalation."
"If the last couple of days have taught us anything, it reinforces the fact that this is a complicated and serious international problem that needs to be addressed broadly. ... This is not a problem that can be solved entirely from the sea. And this is not a problem that can be entirely solved through military means," he said.
While the Navy is being credited with a successful rescue, others have blamed the growth in piracy in part on the U.S. government. The U.S. African Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday urging them to shepherd action through NATO, the European Union and the African Union to demand that ships entering Somalia and East African waters "be held accountable for truthful registration, declaration of exports, and payment of applicable taxes."
"The explosion of piracy and illegal activity off of the coast of Somalia in recent years began with the U.S. supported overthrow of the Somali government by Ethiopia," USACC President Martin Mohammad wrote. "The previous government provided Somalia with rule of law and a functional society. Since it was overthrown, Somalia's new central government has struggled to maintain the rule of law and the economic infrastructure has severely broken down, leaving the people of Somalia in dire conditions. It has also left the Somali coast unprotected."
Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., offered his praised of the military but also said that piracy had long been neglected by the Bush administration.
"I am elated by the safe rescue of Captain Richard Phillips and the crew of the Maersk Alabama and I thank and congratulate the Navy SEALS and others whose remarkable efforts resulted in a successful end to this troubling situation," Feingold said. "While the episode involving the crew of the Maersk Alabama had a happy ending, piracy off the coast of Somalia will assuredly continue since it is a symptom of the state collapse in Somalia, which presents a much greater and more dangerous problem. For years, Somalia's growing instability was neglected by the Bush administration and the international community. The new administration must not make the same mistake."
Mohammad said Clinton and Obama should push efforts to work with the international community in coordination with the people of Somalia to address the illegal entry of international vessels into Somali waters as much as curbing piracy.
The pirates who boarded the Maersk last Wednesday were quickly overthrown by the crew of the U.S.-flagged merchant ship. However, Phillips was captured and held in a lifeboat during the revolt. He tried to escape once but was recaptured by his four captives.
As the seas got rough on Sunday, the lifeboat, which was out of fuel, agreed to be towed by the USS Bainbridge, a Navy ship that was monitoring the situation.
By that time, the youngest of the pirates, identified as not older than 16, had boarded the larger vessel and surrendered. When Navy SEALS heard gunshots coming from the lifeboat, they were able to get clear views of the pirates and took three direct kill shots to each of the pirates' heads.
A diplomatic source told FOX News that the U.S. government is now weighing three options when it comes to handling the young pirate.
The Navy could either bring him to the U.S. to face federal charges there, hand him over to Kenyan authorities for prosecution. The U.S. and Kenya have a memo of understanding regarding the prosecution of pirates.
Another option is to repatriate him to Somali authorities. The northeast region of Puntland, which has a semblance of authority in the otherwise largely ungoverned country, has taken pirates in the past.
Story can be found HERE
People of Somalia, heed my warning, use your local powers to oust the pirates and the terrorist that think attacking our ships and firing mortars at our congressmen. You do not want the United States to unleash hell and furry on your home.
President Obama and U.S. lawmakers on Monday praised the weekend operation of U.S. Navy SEALS responsible for the rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips, who was taken hostage when his freighter ship, the Maersk Alabama, was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia last week.
"I am very proud of the efforts of the U.S. military and the many other departments and agencies that worked tirelessly to resolve this situation," Obama said at the Department of Transportation.
"I share our nation's admiration for Captain Phillips' courage and leadership and selfless concern for his crew and I want to be very clear that we are resolved to halt the rise of (piracy) in that region, and to achieve that goal we're going have to continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks and we have to continue to be prepared to confront them when they arise, we have to ensure those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable."
"Captain Phillips' rescue in particular demonstrates the Navy SEALS' extraordinary capability to conduct complex and sensitive operations," said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo.
"As long as safe havens exist along the Somali coast, we should expect this criminal piracy to continue. The international community must come together, take a good look at our options and seriously consider what can be done to eliminate the threat. We cannot allow the criminals who threaten the safety of the seas to remain unchallenged," Skelton said.'
With the immediate threat to the Maersk crew over, a Department of Defense official told FOX News that contingency planning is now under way on a variety of possible military operations and it would not be unreasonable to assume action against pirate camps might be one of those operations.
"We never talk about future possible operations and we're not going to start now," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
Neither the official who spoke to FOX News nor Whitman would outright deny that planning is under way, however several Pentagon officials appear wary of getting into a military engagement in Somalia at this time.
Whiteman said such the successful end to the standoff could discourage future attacks but some members of the shipping industry worry that "if they were armed it could cause escalation."
"If the last couple of days have taught us anything, it reinforces the fact that this is a complicated and serious international problem that needs to be addressed broadly. ... This is not a problem that can be solved entirely from the sea. And this is not a problem that can be entirely solved through military means," he said.
While the Navy is being credited with a successful rescue, others have blamed the growth in piracy in part on the U.S. government. The U.S. African Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday urging them to shepherd action through NATO, the European Union and the African Union to demand that ships entering Somalia and East African waters "be held accountable for truthful registration, declaration of exports, and payment of applicable taxes."
"The explosion of piracy and illegal activity off of the coast of Somalia in recent years began with the U.S. supported overthrow of the Somali government by Ethiopia," USACC President Martin Mohammad wrote. "The previous government provided Somalia with rule of law and a functional society. Since it was overthrown, Somalia's new central government has struggled to maintain the rule of law and the economic infrastructure has severely broken down, leaving the people of Somalia in dire conditions. It has also left the Somali coast unprotected."
Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., offered his praised of the military but also said that piracy had long been neglected by the Bush administration.
"I am elated by the safe rescue of Captain Richard Phillips and the crew of the Maersk Alabama and I thank and congratulate the Navy SEALS and others whose remarkable efforts resulted in a successful end to this troubling situation," Feingold said. "While the episode involving the crew of the Maersk Alabama had a happy ending, piracy off the coast of Somalia will assuredly continue since it is a symptom of the state collapse in Somalia, which presents a much greater and more dangerous problem. For years, Somalia's growing instability was neglected by the Bush administration and the international community. The new administration must not make the same mistake."
Mohammad said Clinton and Obama should push efforts to work with the international community in coordination with the people of Somalia to address the illegal entry of international vessels into Somali waters as much as curbing piracy.
The pirates who boarded the Maersk last Wednesday were quickly overthrown by the crew of the U.S.-flagged merchant ship. However, Phillips was captured and held in a lifeboat during the revolt. He tried to escape once but was recaptured by his four captives.
As the seas got rough on Sunday, the lifeboat, which was out of fuel, agreed to be towed by the USS Bainbridge, a Navy ship that was monitoring the situation.
By that time, the youngest of the pirates, identified as not older than 16, had boarded the larger vessel and surrendered. When Navy SEALS heard gunshots coming from the lifeboat, they were able to get clear views of the pirates and took three direct kill shots to each of the pirates' heads.
A diplomatic source told FOX News that the U.S. government is now weighing three options when it comes to handling the young pirate.
The Navy could either bring him to the U.S. to face federal charges there, hand him over to Kenyan authorities for prosecution. The U.S. and Kenya have a memo of understanding regarding the prosecution of pirates.
Another option is to repatriate him to Somali authorities. The northeast region of Puntland, which has a semblance of authority in the otherwise largely ungoverned country, has taken pirates in the past.
Story can be found HERE
Obama Being Outsmarted By "Trolls"
Maybe the reason that dummy Bush never tried anything like this is because he had the foresight to see the inherent problems with a stupid idea.
President Obama's pledge to open the White House up to the public through online forums faces an irksome challenge: a plague of Internet "trolls" -- troublemakers who work to derail cyber-conversations through harassing and inflammatory posts.
The problem became immediately apparent last month when Obama held an online "town hall" forum on the economy and invited the public to post questions on the White House Web site.
Those questions, in turn, were voted on by users to determine which ones the president would answer.
Three and a half million people participated in the event, but the "trolls" had their way: Following a coordinated campaign by marijuana advocates to vote their topic to the top of the list, questions on the future of the U.S. dollar and the rising unemployment rate were superseded by questions about legalizing pot as an economic remedy.
The president himself had a good laugh about the volume of marijuana-related questions, saying, "I don't know what this says about the online audience -- we want to make sure that it was answered. The answer is, no, I don't think that is a good strategy to grow our economy."
But the die was cast. Through a perfectly legal "underground" campaign, a relatively insignificant question had risen to the top.
For the White House, the question was not so much how to answer it -- but what to do about it, and how to prevent it in the future.
Story continues HERE
President Obama's pledge to open the White House up to the public through online forums faces an irksome challenge: a plague of Internet "trolls" -- troublemakers who work to derail cyber-conversations through harassing and inflammatory posts.
The problem became immediately apparent last month when Obama held an online "town hall" forum on the economy and invited the public to post questions on the White House Web site.
Those questions, in turn, were voted on by users to determine which ones the president would answer.
Three and a half million people participated in the event, but the "trolls" had their way: Following a coordinated campaign by marijuana advocates to vote their topic to the top of the list, questions on the future of the U.S. dollar and the rising unemployment rate were superseded by questions about legalizing pot as an economic remedy.
The president himself had a good laugh about the volume of marijuana-related questions, saying, "I don't know what this says about the online audience -- we want to make sure that it was answered. The answer is, no, I don't think that is a good strategy to grow our economy."
But the die was cast. Through a perfectly legal "underground" campaign, a relatively insignificant question had risen to the top.
For the White House, the question was not so much how to answer it -- but what to do about it, and how to prevent it in the future.
Story continues HERE
Captain Richard Phillips Free!
There are many on the right that will strongly disagree with me but I want to commend President Obama for the action he authorized in the Indian Ocean. While I wish he would have made this decision 4 days earlier I can stand proud today and say MY PRESIDENT did the right thing. I think this could hurt his popularity among the radical Muslim world he is being praised by the people that really matter.
The real hero's here are the SEAL's that removed these scum bags from the face of the earth. One thing is certain, when you send in a SEAL team with orders to resolve an issue it is certain they will always do so successfully.
Kadima! Hooyah!
It was a stunning conclusion to an Indian Ocean odyssey that began when 53-year-old freighter Capt. Richard Phillips was taken hostage Wednesday by pirates who tried to hijack the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama. The Vermont native was held on a tiny lifeboat that began drifting precariously toward Somalia's anarchic, gun-plagued shores.
The operation, personally approved by President Obama, quashed fears the saga could drag on for months and marked a victory for the U.S., which for days seemed powerless to resolve the crisis despite massing helicopter-equipped warships at the scene.
Negotiations with the three pirates were growing heated, Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said.
Click to view photos
One of them pointed an AK-47 at the back of Phillips, who was tied up and in "imminent danger" of being killed when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge made the split-second decision to order his men to shoot, Gortney said. Navy snipers took aim at the pirates' heads and shoulders, he said.
The lifeboat was about 25-30 yards away and was being towed by the Bainbridge at the time, he said. The pirates had agreed to the tow to move the powerless lifeboat out of rough water.
A fourth pirate surrendered after boarding the Bainbridge earlier in the day and could face life in a U.S. prison. He had been seeking medical attention for a wound to his hand and was negotiating with U.S. officials on conditions for Phillips' release, military officials said.
Somali media were identifying the captured pirate as 16-year-old Mohamed Abdi, according to the Somali Justic Advocacy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
The rescue was a dramatic blow to the pirates who have preyed on international shipping and hold more than a dozen ships with about 230 foreign sailors. But it is unlikely to do much to quell the region's growing pirate threat, which has transformed one of the world's busiest shipping lanes into one of its most dangerous. It also risked provoking retaliatory attacks.
Story continues HERE
The real hero's here are the SEAL's that removed these scum bags from the face of the earth. One thing is certain, when you send in a SEAL team with orders to resolve an issue it is certain they will always do so successfully.
Kadima! Hooyah!
It was a stunning conclusion to an Indian Ocean odyssey that began when 53-year-old freighter Capt. Richard Phillips was taken hostage Wednesday by pirates who tried to hijack the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama. The Vermont native was held on a tiny lifeboat that began drifting precariously toward Somalia's anarchic, gun-plagued shores.
The operation, personally approved by President Obama, quashed fears the saga could drag on for months and marked a victory for the U.S., which for days seemed powerless to resolve the crisis despite massing helicopter-equipped warships at the scene.
Negotiations with the three pirates were growing heated, Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said.
Click to view photos
One of them pointed an AK-47 at the back of Phillips, who was tied up and in "imminent danger" of being killed when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge made the split-second decision to order his men to shoot, Gortney said. Navy snipers took aim at the pirates' heads and shoulders, he said.
The lifeboat was about 25-30 yards away and was being towed by the Bainbridge at the time, he said. The pirates had agreed to the tow to move the powerless lifeboat out of rough water.
A fourth pirate surrendered after boarding the Bainbridge earlier in the day and could face life in a U.S. prison. He had been seeking medical attention for a wound to his hand and was negotiating with U.S. officials on conditions for Phillips' release, military officials said.
Somali media were identifying the captured pirate as 16-year-old Mohamed Abdi, according to the Somali Justic Advocacy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
The rescue was a dramatic blow to the pirates who have preyed on international shipping and hold more than a dozen ships with about 230 foreign sailors. But it is unlikely to do much to quell the region's growing pirate threat, which has transformed one of the world's busiest shipping lanes into one of its most dangerous. It also risked provoking retaliatory attacks.
Story continues HERE
Constitution Reading Of The Day 4-13-2009
Article 1 Section 1
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Constitution Reading Of The Day 4-12-2009
Preamble
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Constitution Reading Of The Day 4-11-2009
Article 1 Section 3.1
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.
Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.
Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.
Let The Lynchings Begin
The article below does not say anything about documents pertaining to the Clinton administration. I assume thats because Sandy Burgler stuffed all the controversial documents in his socks and hid them on a construction site. He was not intentionally trying to hide anything, he didnt realize what he was doing. I will tell you what he was doing, he was trying to avoid the killing other Clinton staffers had to face for being non-conformist.
More than 245,000 pages of records from the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush presidencies will be opened for research on Monday at their respective libraries, the National Archive announced Friday.
"I am delighted that the Obama administration has cleared the way to open these presidential records," said Adrienne Thomas, acting archivist of the United States.
"This action allows the American people to view historical records relating to the presidency and judge for themselves the actions of federal officials," Thomas said.
The records are being released in accordance with the Presidential Records Act and the new Executive Order 13489, which was signed by President Barack Obama on Jan. 21.
On Monday, the Reagan library in Simi Valley will open 244,966 pages of records processed in response to hundreds of Freedom of Information Act requests.
The records include presidential briefing papers, Office of Speech writing research material and about 13,000 pages of declassified records on foreign policy topics.
To date, more than 10 million pages of presidential records have been processed at the Reagan library.
The same day, the George H. W. Bush library will open 797 pages of records that deal with Saudi Arabia. More than 6 million pages of presidential records have been processed at the Bush library in College Station, Texas.
Story can be found HERE.
More than 245,000 pages of records from the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush presidencies will be opened for research on Monday at their respective libraries, the National Archive announced Friday.
"I am delighted that the Obama administration has cleared the way to open these presidential records," said Adrienne Thomas, acting archivist of the United States.
"This action allows the American people to view historical records relating to the presidency and judge for themselves the actions of federal officials," Thomas said.
The records are being released in accordance with the Presidential Records Act and the new Executive Order 13489, which was signed by President Barack Obama on Jan. 21.
On Monday, the Reagan library in Simi Valley will open 244,966 pages of records processed in response to hundreds of Freedom of Information Act requests.
The records include presidential briefing papers, Office of Speech writing research material and about 13,000 pages of declassified records on foreign policy topics.
To date, more than 10 million pages of presidential records have been processed at the Reagan library.
The same day, the George H. W. Bush library will open 797 pages of records that deal with Saudi Arabia. More than 6 million pages of presidential records have been processed at the Bush library in College Station, Texas.
Story can be found HERE.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Strange Bed Fellows?
We often say politics often creates odd bed fellows. I think this takes the cake. Who would have ever thought a Rhodesian Ridgeback would adopt 2 lions. The Ridgebacks were bred for hunting. As hunters, Ridgebacks were sent out in packs of two or more (usually twenty) to track down, then corner and wear down a lion by taunting and goading it into confusion, this is known as keeping the lion "at bay". The dogs, working in revolving groups, kept the lion at bay until the hunter arrived to dispatch the occupied lion with a well placed rifle shot from relatively close range.
The breed was accepted by the AKC in 1955 and is often found in homes as a friendly companion. Below is a really neat video of a female Ridgeback that adopted 2 lions that were abandoned by their mother. She fed the lions until they were old enough to eat solid food.
Enjoy!
The breed was accepted by the AKC in 1955 and is often found in homes as a friendly companion. Below is a really neat video of a female Ridgeback that adopted 2 lions that were abandoned by their mother. She fed the lions until they were old enough to eat solid food.
Enjoy!
Constitution Reading Of The Day 4-10-2009
Article 1 Section 3.2
No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.
The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.
The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.
The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.
Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.
No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.
The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.
The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.
The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.
Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Tea Party Sign Slogans
HERE are some ideas for your sign if you are attending one of the many tax day tea parties.
More Troubles For Dodd
These unfortunate events could not happen to a more deserving jerk. It is my hope that Dodd looses his seat by double digits. There is a very high likely hood that the 6 term senator will loose his seat in 2010. I cant imagine when our founders were writing the constitution they ever imagined a person like Dodd, Kerry, Ted "drunker than a skunk" Kennedy, or Robert Byrd making a career out of sucking off the US tax payer. The original congressmen and senators had a real job, they served the country for a short period of time each year then went back to their homes and took care of their farms.
Sen. Chris Dodd could be caught in the crossfire over the Pentagon's budget proposal, which puts thousands of jobs in his state at risk at a time when his long-held Senate seat is also vulnerable.
The Connecticut Democrat, along with other members of his state's congressional delegation, was meeting Thursday with the Hartford chapter of the machinists' union that would take a big hit under Defense Secretary Robert Gates' call to halt production of the F-22 jet.
"We're very concerned the job base for aerospace would take a blow on this," said Frank Larkin, spokesman for the International Association of Machinists.
He said ending F-22 production would threaten up to 3,000 jobs in Connecticut, and 25,000 nationwide, with many of those job losses affecting his union members. Though the jets are mainly produced in Texas and Georgia, the engines are produced at Pratt & Whitney in Middletown, Conn.
This puts Dodd, a powerful Democrat on Capitol Hill, in a tight spot. Though he is a President Obama ally in a position to be a key cheerleader for his budget proposals, Dodd's poll numbers are at historic lows with an election coming up next year.
This week, Dodd sided with the workers and opposed the F-22 proposal.
Dodd co-signed a letter to Obama with other members of the state delegation Tuesday objecting to Gates' proposal and calling for Congress to "fully fund" the F-22s.
Story continues HERE.
Sen. Chris Dodd could be caught in the crossfire over the Pentagon's budget proposal, which puts thousands of jobs in his state at risk at a time when his long-held Senate seat is also vulnerable.
The Connecticut Democrat, along with other members of his state's congressional delegation, was meeting Thursday with the Hartford chapter of the machinists' union that would take a big hit under Defense Secretary Robert Gates' call to halt production of the F-22 jet.
"We're very concerned the job base for aerospace would take a blow on this," said Frank Larkin, spokesman for the International Association of Machinists.
He said ending F-22 production would threaten up to 3,000 jobs in Connecticut, and 25,000 nationwide, with many of those job losses affecting his union members. Though the jets are mainly produced in Texas and Georgia, the engines are produced at Pratt & Whitney in Middletown, Conn.
This puts Dodd, a powerful Democrat on Capitol Hill, in a tight spot. Though he is a President Obama ally in a position to be a key cheerleader for his budget proposals, Dodd's poll numbers are at historic lows with an election coming up next year.
This week, Dodd sided with the workers and opposed the F-22 proposal.
Dodd co-signed a letter to Obama with other members of the state delegation Tuesday objecting to Gates' proposal and calling for Congress to "fully fund" the F-22s.
Story continues HERE.
Russia Finally Woke Up
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev admitted to President Obama during their summit meeting last week that American intelligence estimates about the pace of Iran's progress toward nuclear weapons capability have been more accurate than Russia's, a senior U.S. official told FOX News.
As a result, Moscow is now said to be open to "much more severe" punishment for Tehran if the regime there persists in enriching uranium into 2010.
The disclosures came as part of a wide-ranging discussion about the Obama administration's now-completed policy review on Iran, which has already led to several high-profile overtures to Tehran by Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. These gestures have included Obama's videotaped greeting marking the Iranian new year holiday of Nowruz, and Clinton's invitation for Iran to attend an international conference on Afghanistan that was held in The Hague on March 31.
The official, who plays a key role in the administration's Iran policy, requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss it publicly.
During their closed-door meetings at London's Winfield House on April 1, Medvedev told Obama, according to the source, that "your assessments have been more right than ours" about how quickly Iran's nuclear program has progressed. Such an admission by the Russian president startled those present, and is significant.
It shows that Moscow shares the sense of alarm about Iran's nuclear program exhibited by American and Israeli leaders; and it reflects renewed confidence abroad in American intelligence data, which many countries derided in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
In the brief joint appearance before reporters that followed their private meetings, neither Medvedev nor Obama explicitly mentioned Iran. However a senior Obama aide who attended the presidents' private session and who was sent to brief the press about it that same day told reporters, without elaborating, that he was "struck by the agreement about threats from countries like ... Iran." That official added: "(The Russians have) always said Iran is not developing a nuclear weapon -- 'We have no evidence of that, show me that this is there.' And this (meeting between the two presidents) was a different tone than that."
The story continues HERE
As a result, Moscow is now said to be open to "much more severe" punishment for Tehran if the regime there persists in enriching uranium into 2010.
The disclosures came as part of a wide-ranging discussion about the Obama administration's now-completed policy review on Iran, which has already led to several high-profile overtures to Tehran by Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. These gestures have included Obama's videotaped greeting marking the Iranian new year holiday of Nowruz, and Clinton's invitation for Iran to attend an international conference on Afghanistan that was held in The Hague on March 31.
The official, who plays a key role in the administration's Iran policy, requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss it publicly.
During their closed-door meetings at London's Winfield House on April 1, Medvedev told Obama, according to the source, that "your assessments have been more right than ours" about how quickly Iran's nuclear program has progressed. Such an admission by the Russian president startled those present, and is significant.
It shows that Moscow shares the sense of alarm about Iran's nuclear program exhibited by American and Israeli leaders; and it reflects renewed confidence abroad in American intelligence data, which many countries derided in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
In the brief joint appearance before reporters that followed their private meetings, neither Medvedev nor Obama explicitly mentioned Iran. However a senior Obama aide who attended the presidents' private session and who was sent to brief the press about it that same day told reporters, without elaborating, that he was "struck by the agreement about threats from countries like ... Iran." That official added: "(The Russians have) always said Iran is not developing a nuclear weapon -- 'We have no evidence of that, show me that this is there.' And this (meeting between the two presidents) was a different tone than that."
The story continues HERE
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