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Monday Morning - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 19, 2015 at 4:39am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
I Hereby Resolve in 2015...
Burt Prelutsky
 
"Rise up together as one voice"
"Be careful where you stand"
~~~lll~~~
 
 
 Is climate change real? Senate to put it to a vote -   The Hill: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday he will allow the Senate to vote on an amendment asking if they agree that climate change is impacting the planet. At his weekly press briefing, McConnell said ‘nobody is blocking any amendments’ to legislation that would approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline….But a measure proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) had raised questions about whether he would stick to that commitment. The Sanders measure asks whether lawmakers agree with the overwhelming consensus of scientists who say climate change is impacting the planet and is worsened by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Democrats believe the measure could be a tough vote for some Republicans, particularly GOP senators running for reelection in 2016 in states carried by President nObama in 2012….Sanders's amendment is one of many Democrats are looking to tack on to the controversial bill, which Republicans are eager to send to President nObama’s desk. The White House has threatened to veto the Keystone legislation. -Fox News 
 
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 TRUST GAP HAMPERS WORK ON nOBAMACARE 
Nebraska’s freshman Republican Sen. Ben Sasse came to the senate with a unique resume on the number one issue for many in his party: A way to replace nObamaCare. Sasse, a former top Bush administration health insurance official, tells Power Play host Chris Stirewalt about the plan to replace the law and how Washington can restore enough trust with voters to tackle the topic. WATCH HERE.  -Fox News 
 
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 STEYER ‘WILL DECIDE SOON’ ON SENATE RUN 
The Hill: “Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer said Tuesday that he is close to deciding on whether to run for Senate in 2016. Steyer did not say whether he would run for the seat Sen. Barbara Boxer [D-Calif.] is leaving, nor which way he is leaning. ‘Holding office is a sacred trust in our society, and I am honored that so many colleagues and friends have encouraged me to consider entering this race,’ Steyer wrote Tuesday in the Huffington Post. ‘California Democrats are blessed to have a deep bench of talent, and I will decide soon based on what I think is the best way to continue the hard work we have already started together to prevent climate disaster and preserve American prosperity.’  Shortly after Boxer announced her intention to retire from the Senate in two years, a close ally of Steyer said he was considering running, and was reaching out to fellow Democrats in an effort to gauge their interest.”  -Fox News 
 
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 ISLAMIST THREAT OVERSHADOWS nOBAMA’S DOMESTIC   SALES PITCH 
Just as President nObama is hitting the campaign trail to sell a reboot of his domestic policies ahead of next week’s State of the Union Address, the threat from Islamist militants is again crowding out his messages. Starting eight days ago with the deadly attack in Paris, the president has struggled to gain traction for his calls for more spending, higher taxes and new regulations. The nObama media strategy, on which its authors have been congratulating themselves at length in the political press, is to roll out the speech day after day to targeted geographic and demographic groups. This is not unlike what we saw last year when Islamists in Iraq and Syria destroyed the Democratic Midterm communications strategy and focused national attention on concerns over the president’s foreign policy. The president’s campaign to avoid lame duck status looks similarly imperiled.  -Fox News 
 
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 Islamist killing fields in Nigeria -   Fox News: “Amnesty International has released satellite images that it says show widespread destruction in two Nigerian towns attacked by Boko Haram last weekend. The international human rights organization says that the photos show the towns of Baga and Doron Baga in northeast Nigeria, before and after the attacks. The images were taken on Jan. 2 and Jan. 7 of this year. Boko Haram fighters seized a military base in Baga on Jan. 3 and, according to witnesses, killed hundreds of civilians in cold blood in the ensuing days. …Amnesty International calculates that 3,700 homes and other structures were demolished by the Islamic militants over the course of the attack.”
           [Fox News Poll: 64 percent of voters say the threat from Islamic extremists is increasing while 55 percent say President nObama is not prepared to do whatever it takes to defeat them.]  -Fox News 
 
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1.
 Holder on Defensive  
(nicedeb) - Speaking at a Justice Department event honoring Martin Luther King Jr. on Thursday, Attorney General Eric Holder said  he was  “troubled and deeply disturbed by recent mischaracterizations” of the nObama administration’s regard for police officers...The comments came in the wake of a scathing open letter to Holder from a retired FBI agent that went viral. The fact that the top law enforcement officer of the United States felt the need to get in front of a microphone and insist that he has been a big supporter of law enforcement – tells you all you need to know about how “unambiguous” that support has been. He lies just like his leader.        https://nicedeb.wordpress.com/2015/01/16/holder-on-defensive-our-record-of-support-for-law-enforcement-has-been-strong-and-unambiguous-video/
2.
 Saudi reset with Iran is unavoidable  
(M K Bhadrakumar) - The terrorist strike last week on the Saudi border post facing the Iraqi province of Anbar — known to be the Islamic State’s first assault on the kingdom — could be the proverbial straw on the camel’s back...forcing Riyadh into a profound rethink of its regional strategies imbued with the rivalries involving Iran. Tehran has effectively countered the Saudi plots in Syria and Iraq and at the moment would seem to have the upper hand. The last-ditch Saudi attempt to hurt the Iranian economy by forcing a steep decline in oil prices is not only not having the desired effect but, as President Hassan Rouhani explicitly warned yesterday, Riyadh may end up shooting at its own feet (as well as the Kuwaiti brother’s).     http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/2015/01/15/saudi-reset-with-iran-is-unavoidable/
3.
 Freed Gitmo detainee opens Islamic State base in Afghanistan  
(Robert Spencer) - And nObama just keeps freeing more. These men are seasoned, trained, battle-hardened jihadis. What are they going to do, open a deli?...As President nObama frees droves of terrorists—including five Yemenis this week—from the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo news reports confirm that a Gitmo alum who once led a Taliban unit has established the first Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) base in Afghanistan. I have come to the conclusion that's nObama's plan all along.       http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/01/freed-gitmo-detainee-opens-islamic-state-base-in-afghanistan?utm_source=Jihad+Watch+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=b387911b7f-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ffcbf57bbb-b387911b7f-123451509
4.
 nObama denies evidence of North Korea's nukes 
(F. Michael Maloof) - The nObama administration is denying that North Korea has developed miniaturized nuclear warheads and missiles to deliver them, even though the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency have assessed that they exist, charges an adviser to Congress on national security... “President nObama himself began this big lie amidst the 2013 nuclear crisis when North Korea was threatening to make nuclear missile strikes against the U.S. and its allies,” said Peter Vincent Pry, executive director of the privately funded Task Force on National and Homeland Security for the Congressional Caucus on EMP. Pry told WND the DIA and CIA have both assessed that North Korea does have nuclear missiles, but nObama officials such as Director of National Intelligence James Clapper “have suppressed this intelligence.”       http://www.wnd.com/2015/01/obama-denies-evidence-of-north-koreas-nukes/
5.
 Conservative Leaders Light Fire Under Congress  
(breitbart.com) - Conservative movement leaders are unveiling the mandate they say Republicans have heading into this new Congress, after voters gave them a majority in both the House and Senate for the first time during President nObama’s tenure...The document, obtained exclusively by Breitbart News, details how the conservative leaders expect Republicans in Congress to “stop” nObama’s “fundamental transformation of America,” something they say the American people made clear in the 2014 midterm elections with such resounding GOP victories. “The November 2014 election was a repudiation of the complicity of the United States Congress in President nObama’s dramatic and unconstitutional expansion of government,” the document’s introduction reads, before listing several major expectations the American people have of Republicans as this new Congress begins.       http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/01/15/conservative-leaders-draft-mandate-for-gop-stop-obamas-fundamental-transformation-of-america/#sthash.Zc2fxr7z.dpuf
6.
 PA Documents Detail Payments to Terrorists  
(investigativeproject.org) - Official Palestinian Authority policy provides monthly payments for convicted terrorists held in Israeli jails. The longer the sentence, the more the terrorist's family receives...A jury saw the document outlining that policy Thursday during testimony in a $1 billion civil trial brought by American victims of terrorist attacks in Israel between 2002 and 2004. The attacks were carried out by branches of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Palestinian Authority (PA), their employees or others who received assistance from the groups. Alon Eviatar, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Israeli Defense Forces, told jurors that the PA, PLO, Fatah and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade are all part of the same hierarchy. Fatah members dominate PA employee rosters, he said.       http://www.investigativeproject.org/4736/pa-documents-detail-payments-to-terrorists
7.
 nObama Dedicated to Islamist Ascendency  
(Erik Rush) - No sooner had reports of the horrific attack on the office of the Paris satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo by Islamist commandos coalesced last week, than politicians and media talking heads began qualifying their accounts with liberal use of phraseology intended to obscure the fact that these mass murderers were Muslims...In some cases, these parties do not wish to be labeled “Islamophobic.” In other cases, they are deluding themselves in there being some operative distinction that exists between Islam and “radical Islam.” Islam has a 1,400-year history of not playing well with others – of executing the same methodology in subjugating nations across the globe as they are currently executing in the West. I believe that there are many people of good conscience who deny the truth about Islam because if they acknowledged it, they would have to accept remedies to the threat that would be distasteful to them. The truth? Considering the character of Islam at its core, all Muslims are part of this diabolical design of supplanting Western civilization with an Islamic one, indeed, whether they believe it or not. Few may become full-blown jihadis, but rest assured that most of them advocate what the full-blown jihadis are doing – and polling data of Muslims clearly reflects this.       http://sonsoflibertymedia.com/2015/01/obama-dedicated-islamist-ascendency/
8.
 Liberals Are Losing It Over Discovered Of Ted Cruz’s Past  
(conservativetribune.com) - Progressive liberals absolutely revile and fear Texas Senator Ted Cruz, mostly because he is a principled conservative that threatens the status quo of the Establishment and is a constant thorn in the side of the nObama administration...As such, Cruz is constantly attacked and maligned by the Left, who will seize upon any particular bit of information that could be twisted, contorted, and taken out of context to smear Cruz. Ted Cruz received a ticket from the police for being a minor in possession of alcohol back in 1987, when he was a senior in high school — a relatively minor infraction compared to nObama’s admitted drug use and Bill Clinton’s laundry list of sexual dalliances and rape accusations.       http://conservativetribune.com/liberals-losing-minds-cruz-1/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=936184&utm_campaign=0
9.
 Trey Gowdy Makes Major Benghazi Announcement  
(conservativetribune.com) - In a recent press release, Rep. Gowdy announced he’s going to keep on keeping after the nObama administration, holding more classified and public hearings to determine where the blame lies...The latest House Select Committee hearings took place this week, with the members hearing classified information from the Department of State. Gowdy is continuing his meticulous, methodical pursuit of the truth in the Benghazi case, and while processes like this can feel protracted, Gowdy is crossing every T and dotting every I so that those responsible for the Benghazi debacle will have nowhere to run. “The Department of State provided new information to the committee and answered questions raised by committee members.”       http://conservativetribune.com/gowdy-makes-major-announcement/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=936184&utm_campaign=0
10.
 Net Neturality Update: Thune and Upton get to work  
(Neil Stevens (Diary) ) - Well, as has been warned, the FCC will have a vote on Net Neutrality at the end of next month. And after intense lobbying by Barack nObama, Chairman Tom Wheeler has made it clear that he will pursue Title II Reclassification...a ridiculous power grab favored by the extreme left wing, which would place the Internet under 1930s-era telephone regulations. For an overview of the problems with the radical left wing’s ideas on Title II Reclassification, which would effectively undo the light regulatory touch the Internet has had since the bipartisan Telecommunications Act of 1996, Don’t Break the Net is a good resource. In summary though, the plan the far left has is to declare by regulatory fiat that ISPs are no longer information service providers, and so are eligible for a wide range of regulation, including price controls. That extensive regulatory power will then be used to dictate how the Internet should be run, toward an aim of socialized Internet.       http://www.redstate.com/2015/01/15/net-neturality-update-thune-upton-get-work/
I Hereby Resolve in 2015...
Burt Prelutsky
 
     (burtprelutsky.com) - I'm not big on making New Year’s resolutions, but I do pledge to continue holding the feet of liberals to the flames until they pull this computer keyboard out of my cold, dead hands.

     Although I know it’s too much to ask that left-wingers stop providing me with so much grist for my mill, I would appreciate it if they would at least slow down the rate at which they commit their mischief. I’m not getting any younger, after all, and I would appreciate a chance to occasionally catch my breath.

     For instance, nObama made it a point before the midterm elections to remind us that although he wasn’t on the ballot, all of his policies were. So his policies led to across-the-board losses for Democrats, costing them the Senate and a dozen more seats in the House, and somehow nObama took that as a mandate to do more of the same.

     The few Democrats still left in Congress must be sweating blood, worrying about what he’ll do in the next two years to cost them their jobs in 2016. It makes me wonder if those dopey Democrats will ever figure out that nObama was a Trojan Horse the GOP cobbled together in order to destroy their party.

     I readily admit that I could never have been a Secret Service agent because under no circumstances would I ever agree to sacrifice my life -- to take a bullet as the job description puts it -- for a president. But were I to be a Secret Service agent, I’d certainly draw the line at providing cover for a president’s adulterous affairs, as was the case for those who were or continue to be saddled with the task of protecting the likes of JFK, LBJ, Bill Clinton and, according to the National Enquirer, Barack nObama.

     Perhaps we shouldn’t have been so shocked, considering the horny louts they have to associate with, that the Secret Service has been rocked with a number of sex scandals of their very own in recent years. And before you huff haughtily at the mere mention of the Enquirer, keep in mind that was the tabloid that finally broke the news about John Edwards and his ditzy doxy, Rielle Hunter.

     Furthermore, don’t think for a minute there weren’t plenty of reporters and editors at the NY Times and the Washington Post who knew that Edwards was a world-class philanderer. But, as we all know, America’s premier newspapers have all taken a blood oath vowing to never blow the whistle on a Democrat.

     To me, the only two surprises were that it’s apparently with females that nObama is rendezvousing at Washington’s swanky Jefferson Hotel and that Michelle is still letting him walk around in one piece.

     Speaking of nObama, after I recently stated that those who insist that respect must be paid to the office of the presidency sound infantile to me, I heard from a few people who took me to task. To them I responded: “Here’s the deal – I’ll respect the office of the president, but only if and when Barack nObama belatedly shows me that he does.”

     For years, I fully expected, but dreaded, that some European nationalist would rise up and ride to political power by using the Muslims the way that Hitler used the Jews. It’s not that I wouldn’t sympathize with their anti-Islamic feelings, but because one always has reason to fear a European nationalist. Whether his name is Napoleon, Bismarck, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini or Putin, a great deal of innocent blood is always certain to be spilled along the way.

     In any case, this is to report that in Dresden, Germany, 17,000 people recently took part in an anti-Muslim demonstration that was organized by a group calling itself PEGIDA, which translates as Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West. It was a welcome change from the demonstrations Muslims seem to stage every week or so, expressing their displeasure with the host countries that clothe, house and feed these Islamic ingrates. For one thing, this demonstration was peaceful. For another, it was justified.

     For many years, I have balked at the notion that there are good Muslims as well as bad ones. The good ones, I’m told, are those who would never slit the throat of an infidel. So far as I can tell, those are the ones who simply cheer on those who do the actual slitting.

     Shortly after 9/11, I suggested that if American Muslims wished to show their good faith, they would pass the hat at their mosques and raise reward money for Osama bin Laden, dead or alive. Instead, they not only continued funding Middle East terrorism until the FBI shut them down; and, rather than mourn the slaughter of 3,000 innocent Americans, they spent most of their waking hours whining about being racially profiled.

     Because far too many of us in America have been cowed into accepting the lie that every culture is superior to our own and that Islam is every bit as peaceful and life-confirming as Christianity and Judaism, nobody is supposed to question the morality of those who continue worshipping Allah in spite of the fact it is the most blood-thirsty cult the world has ever known.

     My question is why in a world that offers worshippers not only Christianity and Judaism, but Hinduism, Shintoism and Buddhism, would any decent human being cling to Islam, which was born and bred in savagery 14 centuries ago?

     After all, why is it perfectly rational for people to abandon the nation of their birth to seek a better, safer, more productive, life somewhere else in the world, but it’s insulting to suggest they abandon the religion into which they were unfortunately born for equally sensible reasons?
 
Read more…

Saturday Afternoon - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 17, 2015 at 11:53am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
Tyranny of the Minority
Theodore Dalrymple
"Know who you are standing with"
"Show me your friends and I'll show you your future"
~~~lll~~~
 
 The West Isn't Really Standing With Charlie Hebdo  
The West certainly likes the idea of standing with the little paper that could. A week after jihadis murdered two cops and 10 employees of the French satire paper Charlie Hebdo, the streets of Paris thundered with the march of more than a million people supporting free speech and denouncing violent Islam -- among them France's François Hollande, Germany's Angela Merkel and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu. Meanwhile, the paper whose staff was obliterated a week ago published another edition that hit the newspaper stands in Paris this morning, selling out in minutes. It seems the West will defend the right to state an opinion, no matter how unsettling or contrarian. (Well, unless you oppose any part of the Left's agenda.) But already the signs of cultural rot show through the narrative. People are standing with Charlie today (or as the French say, "Je suis Charlie"), while the institutions that claim to defend the ideal of free speech are falling away. This is a cultural double standard. The New York Times -- once a paper that fought with the U.S. government all the way to the courts over whether or not it could publish materials deemed classified by the government -- backed away from publishing the simple caricature of Muhammad because a group of radical Islamists might take their grievances to the court of violence and terror instead of public opinion.  -The Patriot Post 

 WHAT’S WITH THE WORD GAME ON ISLAMIST MILITANTS? 
Since when did White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest become a theologian? Pressed on the administration’s tortured effort to avoid the I-word when talking about attacks by Islamist militants, Earnest offered a long disquisition as to why. But the core reason seemed to be that since the Islamists’ conduct did not comport with Islamic values, the militants did not qualify for membership: As Earnest put it, it stems for a desire for “accuracy.” This hearkens to President nObama’s claim this summer that the Islamic State is not Islamic because its conduct doesn’t reflect the values of the faith and not really a state, either. Okay. Or, reaching back to the beginning of what was then known as the Arab Spring, when a top administration official claimed the Muslim Brotherhood was “a largely secular” organization. Or the claim this week from a State Department spokeswoman who said that talking about Islamist extremism might improperly minimize the threat from other forms of violent ideological extremism. Like which ones? Well…
          The president and his team seem to have lashed themselves to the idea that somehow non-Muslim politicians in the West have some say in defining the Pillars of Islam. Facing increasing press criticism for tortured and obfuscatory language, however, the armchair theologians of the White House are spending a lot of time explaining their view of the faith. This stubbornness is interfering with the effort to explain the administration’s policy to a skeptical public and rally support for the president’s plan (whatever that may be). -Fox News 

 
 Sekulow: Legal semantics blunt sane strategy -   Fox News Opinion: Pointing to the deadly threat posed by Western jihadists carrying out attacks on the homeland, Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice writes that it’s time to strip U.S. citizenship from those who enlist in militant groups: “The law currently provides that Americans can lose citizenship when they enter or serve in the armed forces of an enemy foreign state. But ISIS and al Qaeda are not “foreign states,” so the law doesn’t apply….stripping citizenship and revoking passports represent just two small steps – but critical ones – towards a sane national security strategy. However, it’s difficult to take even these small steps with the nObama Administration steadfastly refuses to name our enemies (Mr. President, our enemies are Islamic radicals, not generic “extremists”), accurately describe their ideology (no, they are not “nihilists”), or even to acknowledge their obvious, widespread appeal in the Muslim world.”  -Fox News 

 
 Keep it simple -   WashEx’s Byron York wrote recently that unless Republicans lawmakers bill to block President nObama’s immigration actions is simple and direct they risk failure: “Republicans have two basic options, and as the time to act nears, it appears they are preparing to choose the one more likely to fail. The first option is to pass a brief, simple bill that denies funding for the implementation of nObama’s action…Such a move would be direct, unambiguous, and would focus specifically on nObama's action, which is what the controversy is about in the first place. The second option is to begin with a defunding measure but then add other provisions, targeting not just nObama’s executive action but also a large chunk of the president’s immigration policy going back five years….In answering the president's overreach on immigration, Capitol Hill Republicans are engaging in some overreach of their own.”  -Fox News 

 
 nOBAMA TO USE PEN TO IMPOSE NEW METHANE REGS 
NYT: “In President nObama’s latest move using executive authority to tackle climate change, administration officials will announce plans this week to impose new regulations on the oil and gas industry’s emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, according to a person familiar with Mr. nObama’s plans. The administration’s goal is to cut methane emissions from oil and gas production by up to 45 percent by 2025 from the levels recorded in 2012. The Environmental Protection Agency will issue the proposed regulations this summer, and final regulations by 2016, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the administration had asked the person not to speak about the plan….Environmental advocates have long urged the nObama administration to target methane emissions, and the rules would be the first to do so….The oil and gas industry has pushed back against methane regulations, insisting that new rules could stymie a booming industry and that voluntary industrywide standards are sufficient to prevent methane leaks….The new rules are part of Mr. nObama’s push for regulations designed to cut emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases from different sectors of the economy. The White House says it can make the moves under the Clean Air Act, rather than by trying to push legislation through the Republican-controlled congress.”  -Fox News 

 
 
 
1.
 Egypt Warns of Muslim Brotherhood Organizations in U.S.  
(Ryan Mauro) - An Egyptian government website features a warning that the Muslim Brotherhood has a lobby in the U.S. disguised as civil society organizations. The United Arab Emirates has made similar statements and the U.S. Justice Department has confirmed the existence of a Muslim Brotherhood branch in America...The Egyptian government’s State Information Service has an entire section devoted to documenting the violence and terrorism of the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt is furious with the U.S. for its stance on the Brotherhood. President El-Sisi told the Washington Post in December 2013, then as Defense Minister, that the U.S. has turned its back on Egypt and is misunderstanding the Islamist group.       http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/egypt-warns-muslim-brotherhood-organizations-us
2.
 Argentinian Pres Plotted Cover Up Iranian Role in AMIA Bombing  
(investigativeproject.org) - An Argentinian prosecutor is suing Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and the Argentinian government for allegedly covering up Iranian involvement in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, the Algemeiner reports...According to Argentine newspaper La Nacion, Argentinian special prosecutor Alberto Nisman uncovered a plot designed by the President to overlook Iran's role in the terrorist attack. The motivation behind the plan was to "make a geopolitical move closer to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and to establish full economic ties" and to help alleviate "Argentina's energy crisis through a 'grain for oil' deal." Nisman claims that President Kirchner created a backdoor channel with Iran to collude on the plot. Other major figures have also been accused of engaging in secret talks with Iran on the matter, including members of the Argentinian intelligence services, a parliamentarian, pro-government activists and Jorge "Yussuf" Khalil, a major figure in Argentina's Muslim community who reportedly maintains close relations with Iran.       http://www.investigativeproject.org/4735/prosecutor-argentinian-president-plotted-to-cover#
3. 
 Islam Will Be Defeated... 
(Anthony Bieszad) - Two people I know asked me about the Charlie Hebo massacre this morning and why it happened. I told them it was simply a manifestation of Islamic teachings in practice, and that if anything, we should be surprised this had not happened earlier...I was hoping they would ask more questions. But, as I expected, that was the end of the conversation, and they quickly changed to a new topic, as if almost they were embarrassed to be discussing Islam in such a manner. There comes a crisis period in every civilization when the very identity of a society is threatened. For European Christendom, this often came in the form of Muslim invasions such as those of Poitiers in 732, Constantinople in 1453, or Vienna in 1683.       http://shoebat.com/2015/01/15/islam-will-defeated-victory-will-not-come-secular-values-small-body-strong-heroic-zealous-christian-warriors/
4.
 Egyptian Govt Fighting True Islam while nObama Advancing Islam  
(Ben Barrack) - Political battle lines between the Egyptian government led by el-Sisi and the Barack nObama administration, which leads the U.S., have been drawn...A major salvo was fired on January 1st, when Egyptian president, Gen. Abdel Fatah el-Sisi admonished Islamic scholars at al-Azhar University. As Shoebat.com reported, this was a brazen statement against Barack nObama himself, who nearly six years earlier launched his pro-Muslim Brotherhood / pro-Arab Spring agenda in a speech at that very same university. In many ways, what el-Sisi did to nObama from a podium at al-Azhar was the political equivalent of what he did by leading the overthrow of Mohammed Mursi in 2013. It was also a speech that created pro-nObama and pro-Sisi camps by providing a stark contrast to the nObama ideology that western leaders like Cameron of the UK, Hollande of France and Merkel of Germany have not.       http://shoebat.com/2015/01/14/egyptian-government-fighting-true-islam-obama-muslim-family-supporting-advancing-true-islam/
5.
 Mass Arrests in Crackdown on Free Speech in Socialist France  
(Alex Newman) - Just days after rushing to defend freedom of speech in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, Socialist French authorities launched a wave of mass arrests, detaining dozens of people so far, including children, over their alleged “illegal” speech...Among the supposed thought crimes that are subject to the ongoing crackdown are “apology for terrorism,” “glorification” of terror, racism, “hate speech,” anti-Semitism, and more. The irony of cracking down on speech following a terrorist attack supposedly aimed at silencing free speech did not go unnoticed, however. In the frantic Socialist rush to silence controversial or offensive speech, national authorities at the Justice Ministry ordered law enforcement and prosecutors across the country to come down hard on all thought criminals. Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls reiterated the French government’s position on freedom of speech, too, saying that “racism, anti-Semitism and the glorification of terrorism [apologie du terrorisme] are crimes.” One of the French statutes being used in the latest crackdown, the recently approved “Anti-Terror Act,” prohibits expressing sympathy with terrorists or condoning their activities.        http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/19910-mass-arrests-in-crackdown-on-free-speech-in-socialist-france?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=5552e69ef4-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-5552e69ef4-289778381
6.
 U.S. Businesses Failing Faster Than They’re Created  
(Michael Tennant) - Since 2008, American businesses have been closing faster than they are being created — a trend that suggests that genuine, lasting economic recovery may still be eluding the United States...The U.S. Census Bureau began gathering statistics on U.S. business openings and closings in 1977. Each year for the next three decades, the bureau found that about 100,000 more businesses were started than folded. Then, with the onset of the Great Recession, existing businesses began failing at a faster rate than new ones were being launched. By 2011, the last year for which the Census Bureau has released statistics, there were 70,000 more business deaths than business births. In fact, the annual count of new businesses has fallen so drastically that the United States now ranks 12th among developed nations in terms of business startups.       http://www.thenewamerican.com/economy/markets/item/19908-u-s-businesses-failing-faster-than-they-re-created?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=5552e69ef4-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-5552e69ef4-289778381
7.
 Congress Pushes for More Iran Sanctions  
(Warren Mass) - As Secretary of State Hanoi John Kerry concluded a meeting in Geneva on January 14 with Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif to discuss Iran’s nuclear program...voices rose in Congress to pass legislation that would impose new economic sanctions on Iran. The preference of the nObama administration to obtain an agreement with Iran via the diplomatic route is evidently not welcome by everyone in Congress. Senators Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), for example, plan to introduce a bill that would impose several rounds of increased economic sanctions on Iran beginning June 30 if Iran fails to approve any negotiated agreement or abide by the terms of such an agreement.       http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/foreign-policy/item/19912-congress-pushes-for-more-iran-sanctions?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=5552e69ef4-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-5552e69ef4-289778381
8.
 Last Words Of Pilot Of Crashed AirAsia Plane... 
(Walid Shoebat) - Analyzing the black box of the crashed AirAsia flight QZ8501 revealed the last words of the pilots were "Allahu Akbar." Sounds familiar?... "It is as if we can feel them…Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar were the last words said before they died" says Nurcahyo Utomo, who has been an aviation investigator for almost two decades as he listened to the black box recording. We did a whole video on this: Call me an Islamophobe, but when I research the pilot from the missing flight QZ8501, Captain Iriyanto, I access the local news in Indonesian, not in English. There I find out that the pilot of the missing flight QZ8501 and like the pilot on the other missing flight MH370 are both devout Muslims, I get somewhat paranoid. Translating from Indonesian, I find the following:       http://freedomoutpost.com/2015/01/last-words-pilot-crashed-airasia-plane-allahu-akbar/
9.
 It's not a corrupted version...it IS Islam!  
(Sher Zieve) - How many times have we heard some politically correct (aka politically corrupt) "journalist" from any and all of our nObamaMedia tell us that the "extremist" attacks are due to a "corrupted" or "perverted" form of Islam?...I heard it for the umpteenth time yesterday on Fox News and decided to address this, at best, continuing misconception on the speakers' parts or, at worst, the outright lies about Islam which are meant to deceive. Does anyone on any of the media bother to even somewhat educate themselves on this serious subject that brings with it an increasingly brutal set of actions? It doesn't seem so. All too many of our current set of media journalists are sorely lacking in the ability to even look up sources before opening their mouths and speaking inane tripe.       http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/zieve/150116
10.
 ‘Life is good again!’ Fox News returns to Dish Network  
(Twitchy Staff) - When Fox News and Dish Network parted ways at the end of December...it wasn’t long before Fox News’ on-air personalities took to Twitter to steer frustrated Dish customers to the keepfoxnews.com website. Nearly a month later, the dispute is resolved and Fox News is back on Dish, much to the relief of millions of Fox viewers.       http://twitchy.com/2015/01/15/life-is-good-again-fox-news-returns-to-dish-network/?utm_source=autotweet&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=twitter
Tyranny of the Minority
Theodore Dalrymple

     (city-journal.org) - The shots in the Paris street that were seen and heard around the world killed Ahmed Merabet, a Muslim policeman going to the defense of Charlie Hebdo: a reminder that by no means all Muslims in France, far from it, are France-hating, Allahu-akbar-shouting fanatics, and that many are well-integrated. I go to a Muslim boulanger in Paris whose French bread and pastries are as good as any in the vicinity; and, if anything, I have a prejudice in favor of patronizing his shop precisely to encourage and reward his successful integration. And he is only one of many cases that I know.

     Unfortunately, this is not as reassuring as it sounds, because a handful of fanatics can easily have a much more significant social effect than a large number of peaceful citizens. There is more to fear in one terrorist than to celebrate in 99 well-integrated immigrants. And if only 1 percent of French Muslims were inclined to terrorism, this would still be more than 50,000 people, more than enough to create havoc in a society. The jihadists now have a large pool from which to draw, and there are good reasons to think that more than 1 percent of young Muslims in France are distinctly anti-French. The number of young French jihadists fighting in Syria is estimated to be 1,200, equal to 1 percent in numbers of the French army, and probably not many fewer than the number of Algerian guerrillas fighting during much of the Algerian War of Independence.

     That is why the following argument, taken from an article in the Guardian by French journalist Nabila Ramdani, will not be of much comfort to the French or to other Europeans. Referring to a terrible episode in 1961, when the French police in Paris killed 200 Algerians and threw them in the Seine (though Ramdani fails to mention that 20 times as many Algerians in France were killed by other Algerians at about the same time, in a power struggle among the nationalist factions), she writes: “As the history of Paris shows, extreme violence often inspires further violence. The bloody cycle continues, just as it has always done. But attributing its causes to millions of law-abiding French Muslims is as cynical as trying to blame it on a small group of artists and writers.”

     There is no reason to think that the events in Paris of 1961 “inspired” the Charlie Hebdo massacre—or the follow-on incidents that have ensued, as the crisis unfolds around France—and so their introduction into the argument can only serve to minimize or exculpate. And while it is no doubt true that the majority of French Muslims are law-abiding, minorities, unfortunately, may be more important than majorities. A substantial number are not law-abiding, and they commit violence because of a version of religious belief. Just before Christmas, a man entered a police station in Tours, cut the throat of a policeman and injured two others while shouting “Allah akbar!” A day later, another man shouted “Allah akbar!” as he drove around Dijon, deliberately running over 11 people. He was probably mad, but madness and religious fanaticism are not mutually exclusive. Ramdani fails to explain why France does not have similar problems with its Vietnamese immigrants.

     Fortunately, the response to this week’s attacks has been admirable. The left-wing French newspaper, Libération, which I have often criticized, has bravely given the magazine space in its office; the next edition of Charlie Hebdo will print 1 million copies, 25 times its normal run. And in Britain, the Guardian Media Group has announced a donation of £100,000 to Charlie Hebdo. This stands in marked contrast to the pusillanimity (cowardly)  displayed by George W. Bush during the Danish cartoon crisis of 2006, and by Barack nObama in 2012, when he criticized Charlie Hebdo for being offensive to Muslim sentiment.

http://www.city-journal.org/2015/eon0109td.html

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Saturday Morning - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 17, 2015 at 5:40am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
Our Political Class: 114th Congress
Alan Caruba
 
"Rise up together as one voice"
"Be careful where you stand"
~~~lll~~~
 
 
 nObama's Oil Boom? 
In advance of his State of the Union speech on Jan. 20, Barack nObama and his propaganda machine are in high gear, claiming credit for, among other things, lower fuel prices. Though nObama has erected an insurmountable gauntlet to oil and gas exploration leases, he recently claimed, "We're saving drivers about 70 cents a gallon at the pump." Really? Who is "we"? And this week, after reaffirming his commitment to veto the Keystone XL pipeline project, nObama had the unmitigated audacity to again claim credit for the additional drop in prices: "America is the number one producer of oil, the number one producer of gas. That's helping to save drivers about $1.10 a gallon at the pump over this time last year." Recall if you will that when nObama entered office, gasoline cost about $1.60 per gallon. In four short years, on top of the deepening nObama recession, his severe constriction on oil production increased the price to more than $4.00 a gallon. Ahead of the 2012 election, nObama declared, "We can't just drill our way to lower gas prices. ... [Republicans] are dusting off their three-point plan for $2 gas." Currently the average price for a gallon of gas is under $2 in 18 states. But for the record, oil production on government land is down 16% since 2009, while oil production on private land has increased 61%. Those gains are despite nObama's obstruction of oil exploration. -The Patriot Post
 
 
 Anti-Gunners Snipe at a Patriot  
"American Sniper," the film based on the true story of Navy sniper Chris Kyle and his book of the same name, hits theaters Thursday. Kyle served with the SEAL Team 3 Sniper Element Charlie platoon and was the most lethal sniper in U.S. history. He accumulated 160 confirmed kills and another 95 probables, and was known to his enemies as Al-Shaitan Ramad (The Devil of Ramadi). Though he survived numerous harrowing encounters in Iraq, sadly, he was killed by a vet suffering from PTSD here in the States. That story is, in part, why the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence has provided a Facebook forum for anti-gun jackasses to swap spit over the movie and Kyle's death. "Good Riddance," jeered one. "What goes around comes around," derided another. Chris Walker, executive director of 2nd Vote, said, "Americans' voices don't end on Election Day, they continue with the dollars they spend every day. The companies and groups that are financially supporting outrageous comments like these need to explain why they continue to receive their support or risk a financial backlash as consumers might choose to take their money elsewhere." Indeed, such hateful sentiment deserves scorn of its own.  -The Patriot Post
 
 
 Coming to a State Near You: The Gun Safety-ers  
Gun control should only mean hitting your target. So, facing numerous public debate defeats, gun grabbers have rebranded. They will target individual states and will refer to themselves as advocates of gun safety because it's such a cuddly term. Who could be against gun safety? Sure, we're all for gun safety: Always assume the gun is loaded, keep your finger off the trigger and never leave your firearms in a place where children could discover them -- especially if the child is 75, in Congress and wants to mess with your guns. But the "safety" for which gun grabbers advocate is the iron fist of the government deciding who deserves the right to bear arms. President of Everytown for Gun Safety John Feinblatt told The New York Times that gun grabbers looked to the success of leftist crusades like same-sex marriage for their new strategy. "The arc of the marriage-equality movement started in the federal government, and got them the Defense of Marriage Act," he said. "Then they went to the states and showed that if you can get the majority of the public on your side state by state, that will influence the courts and Congress in the end." Of course, same-sex marriage advocates more often than not won by going to activist judges first, only later winning public opinion through guilt and intimidation. Let's hope support for the Second Amendment is stronger than that. More...  -The Patriot Post
 
 
 Goober Jimmy Carter Speaks About Charlie Hebdo Attack  
The goober farmer stumbled into the national spotlight to talk about the Charlie Hebdo attack by defending Barack nObama and blaming Israel. "I don't think there's any need for criticism," former president Jimmy Carter said of nObama's decision to skip going to Paris. "The president sometimes can't go where he'd prefer to go. He's just come back from vacation so I think he's probably got a lot on his desk." See? According to the least successful president in American history, the president's ways are higher than our ways. The next day, the addlepated ex-president blamed all attacks by violent Islamists on the Jews. Carter appeared on Jon Stewart's comedy news show to say, "Well, one of the origins for it is the Palestinian problem. And this aggravates people who are affiliated in any way with the Arab people who live in the West Bank and Gaza, what they are doing now -- what's being done to them." Two French Muslims attacked a French paper known for its blistering satire about any religion, including Jews, Christians and Muslims. And Carter says the attack has Israel written all over it?  -The Patriot Post
 
 
 Even the King of England Had No Power to Suspend Laws 
Depending on who you ask, Barack nObama has done what King George III never did. Joel Gehrke writes at National Review, "[A]n expert at the Law Library of Congress -- a non-partisan branch of the Library of Congress that has advised Congress and the Supreme Court since 1832 -- tackled a slightly different question: What would George III do when faced with a law he didn't like? Not even the King of England at the time of the American Revolution had the authority to suspend laws unilaterally, the Law Library expert wrote in a memorandum to the Senate committee tasked with responding to President nObama's recent executive orders on the enforcement of immigration law." But yet, nObama claims he can unilaterally decide who his administration will deport and who will remain de facto citizens -- even if they came into this country illegally. nObama has become the king the Founders warned about. More...  
 -The Patriot Post
 
 
 
1.
 Duck Dynasty’s Phil: They Didn’t Want Us to Pray ‘In Jesus’ Name’  
(Michael W. Chapman)- Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson said that when the Duck Dynasty show began on A&E in 2012, the video editors, based in Los Angeles, would often take out the words “in Jesus’ name” from the family prayer scene...because they thought the name “Jesus” might “offend some of the Muslims or something.” Robertson said he advised the show’s producers, in West Monroe, La., that they and the entire world kept time, the “year of Our Lord,” A.D., Anno Domini, based upon Jesus Christ and that it would not hurt to “throw His name in there from time to time,” and he noted that this example represented, the “spiritual warfare” that is always occurring.       http://cnsnews.com/blog/michael-w-chapman/duck-dynasty-s-phil-they-didn-t-want-us-pray-jesus-name-not-offend-some
2.
 Republican Writes Bombshell Handbook on Immigration  
(shawn) - Lower wages, higher unemployment, and a heavier tax burden. Those are the trio of “benefits” American citizens enjoy as a result of President nObama’s executive amnesty...according to a new handbook written by Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions. Sessions, one of the administration’s fiercest critics on the subject of illegal immigration, delivered the handbook on Monday to Republican congressman. Entitled “Immigration Handbook for the New Republican Majority,” it is a 25-page roadmap outlining what Sessions believes should be the GOP position on immigration. “The largest untapped constituency in American politics are the 300 million American citizens who have been completely left out of the immigration debate,” Sessions says in the handbook. “Speak to that constituency—with clarity and compassion—and change the issue forever.”      http://unfilteredpatriot.com/republican-writes-bombshell-handbook-on-immigration/
3.
 Bret Baier of FOX no Longer Fair and Balanced on Homosexuality 
(Bryan Fischer) - Last year, Bret Baier, one of Fox News’ most popular anchors, told a fan that he tries to play it right down the middle. “I truly try not to lean. I have thoughts and feelings about things…I try to keep them to myself…I am a registered independent.” It looks like Mr. Baier may have to hand in his independent registration form, at least on the issue of human sexuality. He has taken sides, as we all must do at some point, on the issue of homosexuality. And he has chosen the wrong side. He has reneged on a commitment he made to speak at the 2015 Legatus Summit. The problem? Legatus, as an orthodox Catholic organization for laymen and laywomen, believes that marriage is the union of one man and one woman and that sexual expression should be reserved for marriage.       http://sonsoflibertymedia.com/2015/01/bret-baier-fox-news-no-longer-fair-balanced-homosexuality/
4.
 nObama's New Push: Paid Family, Sick Leave  
(Jenn Gidman) - One of the first steps President nObama took in 2015 was to propose free community college. Now he's expected to announce today that he'll direct federal agencies to offer employees up to six weeks of paid leave after the birth or adoption of a child, the New York Times reports...He'll also ask Congress to pass a bill that would let workers earn up to seven paid sick days a year, setting up a $2 billion incentive fund to assist states that set up family leave programs. The move was announced in a LinkedIn blog post last night by Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett, who had this to say about the announcement venue: "This is the very first place we're breaking this news because you're in the best position to drive change," she writes to the professionals and companies that frequent the site.       http://www.newser.com/story/201322/obamas-new-push-paid-family-sick-leave.html
5.
 The Biggest Conservative Group In Congress Is Breaking Up  
(W. James Antle III) - The Beatles broke up. So, eventually, did Led Zeppelin. The biggest conservative caucus in Congress appears to be next...House conservatives are planning what National Journal described as a “mass exodus” from the Republican Study Committee. The departing lawmakers complain that the RSC has stopped fighting for its founding principles– much like the Republican Party itself. Unlike the Beatles, the RSC isn’t going away. But dissatisfied conservatives are going to start a splinter group of their own.       http://dailycaller.com/2015/01/14/the-biggest-conservative-group-in-congress-is-breaking-up/?advD=1248%2C48782&bt_alias=eyJ1c2VySWQiOiJjNTliYzIxYy1kM2ZhLTQ5MWMtYjhmZC02M2M2MjhjYzNjZjMifQ%3D%3D#mnetint
6.
 Iraq War Vet Senator Rips Barack H. nObama to Shreds  
(conservativetribune.com)A U.S. senator who served in the Iraq War has accused President Barack nObama of putting his own interests ahead of what’s best of the country...Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan as a U.S. Army officer, said that nObama is “risking our national security to secure a presidential legacy” — namely, a nuclear deal with Iran. Rather than continuing to heed administration requests that Congress refrain from taking any action against the Islamic country lest it push them away from the negotiating table, Cotton argued that congressional action against Iran is overdue.       http://conservativetribune.com/iraq-vet-senator-rips-obama/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=936184&utm_campaign=0
7.
 Creeping Anti-Israelism in the Evangelical Movement  
(Jim Fletcher) - The tentacles of anti-Jewish fervor are seemingly everywhere. Not even the American Church is immune from the sickness of anti-Semitism, and tracing the networks can be a fascinating exercise...They are so diverse, and so unequally yoked in various ways. But they are all linked by a dislike of Jews and Israel. So it is that I spend much of my time now researching the decline of Israel support, specifically within American Evangelicalism, once a stronghold of support for the Jewish state. From visits to captured Palestinian weaponry and propaganda literature displayed in Israel, to sitting in on evangelical leadership conferences that feature anti-Israel speakers, watching the erosion of support for Israel is jarring.       http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/jim-fletcher/creeping-anti-israelism-in-the-evangelical-movement/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=723a7e0522-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-723a7e0522-156509103
8.
 How the Islamic Republic Is Shaping Iraq & Syria  
(Majid Rafizadeh) - It appears that President nObama continues to believe that resuming diplomatic relationships with the Iranian ruling clerics — through efforts such as striking a final nuclear deal, lifting the UN Security Council sanctions, directly or indirectly cooperating with the Iranian military in the region — is an informed policy...This position has led to the unprecedented level of compromises being made on the part of the nObama administration. Some of these compromises are not written in contracts or papers, but are applied implicitly behind-the-scenes and through weak leadership in the Middle East. This strategic, geopolitical and security gamble has resulted in turning a blind eye to the Iranian cleric establishment’s role in the region, primarily in Iraq and Syria. The Islamic Republic has profited from the civil war in Iraq and instability in the region. Although President nObama is planning to send thousands of troops to Iraq to train Iraqi forces, it is the Islamic Republic which has recently signed an agreement with Iraq to allow Iran to take covert control of Iraq’s security and military establishments. After the agreement Iraqi Defense Minister Khalid al-Obeidi stated, “We assume Iran’s increased support for the Iraqi armed forces as a strategic necessity,”       http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/majid-rafizadeh/how-the-islamic-republic-is-shaping-iraq-syria/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=723a7e0522-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-723a7e0522-156509103
9.
 Hezbollah prepared for war deep into Israel, beyond the Galilee 
(YASSER OKBI/ MAARIV HASHAVUA) - Hezbollah is prepared for military intervention in Israel's Galilee and beyond, deeper into Israeli territory, the group's leader Hassan Nasrallah said in an interview with Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen TV to be aired Thursday evening... "We have made all necessary preparations for a future war with Israel," Nasrallah said. He vowed that the group would not stay quiet in the face of attacks attributed to Israel in Syria. "We will provide an answer for every attack against Syria," he said.       http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Nasrallah-Hezbollah-prepared-for-war-deep-into-Israel-beyond-the-Galilee-387826?utm_source=Newsletter+1-15-2015&utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=email
10.
 President nObama's Gas-Drilling Dance  
(Ben Geman) - President nObama is doing a two-step when it comes to fossil fuels. nObama and White House officials clear their throats by praising the oil and gas boom, and even taking a measure of credit for it, before moving on to the specific topic at hand...There has been a surge in domestic oil and gas production. Gasoline prices keep falling. The natural-gas boom has helped the manufacturing sector. And the combination of oil-production increases and low prices has boosted the U.S.'s foreign policy leverage against petro-states. But applause for expanded oil and gas drilling is an awkward fit with the president's desire to leave a green legacy and battle climate change. The White House celebrates the natural-gas boom, so why is it hitting industry with new regulations?       http://www.nationaljournal.com/daily/president-obama-s-gas-drilling-dance-20150114
Our Political Class: 114th Congress
Alan Caruba
 
     (factsnotfantasy.blogspot.com) - I have a theory that ties in with backstabber John Boehner’s third election as Speaker of the House on Tuesday.

     Could it be that the newly elected congressmen and women are greeted by one of the members who has been there long enough to be the chairperson of one of the many committees of the House and quickly informed that they now belong to a very exclusive group in which they can, with relative safety, ignore the voters who just elected them?

     In the House there were 58 freshman members and in the Senate, there were 13, some of whom were formerly members of the House. In total, the opening session of Congress welcomed 246 Republicans and 188 Democrats.

     Those contesting for the job of Speaker in addition to backstabber Boehner were Reps. Ted Yoho and Daniel Webster of Florida and Louie Gohmert of Texas. The Democrats nominated Rep. Nancy Pulosi. Four Democrats did not vote for her. Meanwhile Webster received 12 votes, Gohmert earned three, and Yoho won 2. Of the 408 votes cast, backstabber Boehner won 216.

     My other theory is that enough members of the House had concluded that backstabber Boehner had done as good a job as possible under the circumstances and saw no reason to turn the job of Speaker over to someone who might rock the boat. His opposition came mostly from the strongly conservative bloc in the House.

     What we likely have in the 114th Congress is a very pragmatic leadership who are not likely to do anything dramatic regarding immigration, energy, or any of the other issues about which conservatives want action. In both the House and the Senate, they know what they are up against. They will put forward legislation, but all it will do is demonstrate what we already know about nObama.

     In his first speech on the floor of the Senate, Mitch McConnell (KY-R), the Majority Leader, said “Bipartisan compromise may not come easily for the President. The President’s supporters are pressing for militancy these days, not compromise.” Those supporters are the Far Left. I doubt that he or backstabber John Boehner met with the President that much over the past six years.

     The Founding Fathers created a republic in which the business of legislating was intended to move slowly, subject to debate and the need for compromise. nObama has made it clear he has no intention to work with Congress, especially now that it is controlled by the GOP. So gridlock will continue and conservatives will stay angry.

     Regarding my theory that our political class doesn’t really worry that much about what the voters want, do you recall the omnibus budget that was passed in the last hours of the previous Congress? That was 2,000-plus pages crammed full of things we are not likely to ever learn about until well after the money is spent. Does that suggest that the members of Congress think it wiser to keep us in the dark? Yes.

     Think of it another way, Over the course of the last six years with nObama as President, the House passed some fifty resolutions calling for the repeal of nObamaCare. Were we supposed to take that seriously? Are we going to see legislation repealing, for instance, nObamacare’s medical device tax? Maybe. I will be very interested to see any legislation aimed at undermining nObamaCare because I believe the 114th Congress would prefer to wait for the courts to do that for them.

    backstabber Boehner knew early on that nObama was a President who had little regard for Congress or, for that matter, the Constitution.
 
     Despite a major rejection of the Democratic Party and nObama’s policies in the 2013 midterm elections, nObama has been acting as if the Party won those elections and they had confirmed his agenda. He has let it be known he has no intention of negotiating, preferring to use his veto power, unilateral executive orders, and to get what he wants via various federal agency regulations.
     One of the most important functions of the 114th Congress will be oversight of departments and agencies. Has anyone heard from the Justice Department’s Lois Lerner lately? Any word about the Benghazi tragedy?

     Little wonder that, after being elected to his third term as Speaker, backstabber Boehner said “All I ask is that we disagree without being disagreeable.” There are 435 members in the House of Representatives and backstabber Boehner is responsible primarily for its Republican members. If there are Democrats who are willing to cross the aisle, he will welcome their votes. As in the Senate, they will be needed on occasion.

     Regarding the passage of legislation, backstabber Boehner said “It’s the real work. It’s a grind. The battle of ideas never ends and frankly never should. We Americans never quit,” adding “Let’s once and for all prove the skeptics wrong.”

     It is worth keeping in mind, as Karl Rove reminded us in a Jan 7 commentary, "Every Republican senator and virtually every congressman challenged as insufficiently conservative won their primaries." The voters have spoken. 

      As unhappy as many conservatives are with backstabber Boehner and those they call RINOs (Republicans in Name Only), backstabber Boehner did not sound like a man expressing great joy at having been reelected to what appears to be a very difficult job. That this is his third term suggests that his colleagues in the House have a measure of respect for him that his critics do not.

     The House and Senate used to be exclusively an old white man’s club. Now the Speaker and the Senate Majority Leader are looking at an extraordinarily diverse membership.

     The same day backstabber Boehner was reelected Speaker the Congressional Black Caucus hosted a swearing-in ceremony to welcome new and returning members of the House and Senate. There were 46 of them.

     Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah) will make history as the first black Republican woman in Congress. She and the others represent the largest Black Republican class in Congress since the Reconstruction era. Makes you wonder what those blacks rioting in the streets are so angry about? More than 125 blacks have been elected to Congress over the past forty years, including of course, Barack nObama.

     The 114th Congress has been hailed by The Hill as the “Most diverse Congress in history to take power.” There are a record number of female lawmakers at 104, alongside 420 men. Hispanic lawmakers will number 33 with 30 in the House and Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) in the Senate. There are 12 Asian-Americans and Oklahoma has contributed two Native-Americans.

     The Hill reports that “A vast majority of lawmakers identify as Christian, either Protestant or Catholic, along with 16 Mormons.” There are 28 Jews, two Buddhists, two Muslims, and one Hindu.

     Think you’d like to have backstabber John Boehner’s job or Mitch McConnell’s? To all that diversity add political points of view that range from Far Left to Far Right. 

     Let me return to my original theory. In the House, though they must face election every two years, I suspect they quickly conclude that there is no satisfying the voters so they might as well vote as they wish. In the Senate where they face election every six years, that goes double or triple.

     These are professional politicians. Of the new Congress, ten have been governors, 32 were mayors, and 251 served in state legislatures. It’s a job they have chosen and, frankly, I am glad it is them, not me.
Read more…

Friday Afternoon - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 16, 2015 at 11:08am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
Media Cowards and the Cartoon Jihad
Michelle Malkin
"Know who you are standing with"
"Show me your friends and I'll show you your future"
~~~lll~~~
 
 UVA Frat Cleared of Rape Charge  
The fraternity accused of gang rape in the grossly irresponsible fable Rolling Stone published in December has been cleared by the Charlottesville Police Department of wrongdoing and has been reinstated by the University of Virginia. It seems the fraternity will do anything to get out of the spotlight. In a statement released by the university, the president of UVA's Phi Kappa Psi chapter, Stephen Scipione, said the fraternity is working with the university to help enact new measures to prevent what never happened at the fraternity to begin with. "In today's 24-hour news cycle, we must guard against a rush to judgment as we often don't have all of the facts in front of us," he said, adding, "We believe that in the midst of this ordeal, there is an opportunity to move forward with important safety improvements. This has prompted us to take a closer look at ourselves and what role organizations like ours may play in this problem." There you have it. A group of young men were nationally labeled as rapists, but as the police proved their innocence the leftist university president sees the group as champions for her new anti-rape rules. So where's her apology? More...  -The Patriot Post 
 New DC Mayor: I Hate Guns  
Forget taxation without representation -- for years, some residents of the District of Columbia have fought for the basic right to keep and bear arms. Former Mayor Vincent Gray long stonewalled against that basic right. Now, just as the courts have ordered the District to allow its citizens access to handguns, the new mayor has vowed to be as bad as or even worse than her predecessor. In her first week as mayor, Muriel Bower told a gathering at a District church, "You have a mayor who hates guns. If it was up to me, we wouldn't have any handguns in the District of Columbia. I swear to protect the Constitution and what the courts say, but I will do it in the most restrictive way as possible." According to The Washington Post, the mayor has bungled the city's response to a snowstorm and went back on her word that DC would look to host the 2024 Olympics. The Second Amendment, however, is far more consequential. More… 
 Income Redistribution Gets New Packaging  
If you thought Democrats were going to change their class warfare strategy after being resoundingly rejected at the polls in November, think again. On Monday, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), ranking member of the House Budget Committee, announced a proposal to address what leftists believe is the root cause of America's economic malaise -- income inequality. The proposal, billed by The Washington Post as a "stark shift in messaging," is an attempt to redistribute wealth from the rich to the middle class. Just how this represents a shift from previous leftist attempts to rewrite the laws of economics is unclear, but the details sound familiar enough. The first step of Van Hollen's proposal is a paycheck bonus tax credit worth $1,000 to individuals earning less than $100,000 and worth $2,000 for couples earning less than $200,000. This is a significant jump from Barack nObama's "Make Work Pay" tax credit from the 2009 stimulus, which paid out $400 per worker.  -The Patriot Post 
 The Next Big Lie: 'Free' Community College  
The community organizer in chief has a plan to offer "free" community college. It's a terrible idea and one that, as with every other federal program, isn't free at all. While the idea of "free" higher education may sound appealing to high school graduates, taxpayers will be on the hook for an almost surely underestimated $60 billion over 10 years. According to The Hill, "[T]he federal government would pay three quarters of tuition for students enrolled at least half-time who maintain a 2.5 GPA. States would be required to chip in the remainder of the cost -- an additional $20 billion over the next 10 years. Full-time students would save an average of $3,800 per year." Barack nObama, while speaking lecturing at a community college in Knoxville, Tennessee -- which is funded by the state's lottery -- tried to frame the issue as being fundamentally American and urged both parties to come together. He quipped, "If a state with Republican leadership is doing this, and a city with Democratic leadership is doing it, how about we all do it?" A better question is that if a state or a city is doing this, and it's working (a debatable assertion), then why does this president want to ruin it by nationalizing it? Has the former constitutional professor never heard of federalism?  -The Patriot Post 
 
 
 
1.
 The nObama Regime, CAIR, and the Doctrine of Taqiyya  
(nicedeb) - The Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which has been designated a terror organization by the United Arab Emirates, claims to support “freedom expression” but is asking Fox News to drop “Islamophobes like...Robert Spencer, Pamela Geller, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Brigitte Gabriel, and Zuhdi Jasser from its programming. If that sounds strangely inconsistent, welcome to Taqiyya, the doctrine of tactical deception that is practiced by radical Islam and the Alinsky-trained radical left.       https://nicedeb.wordpress.com/2015/01/14/the-obama-regime-cair-and-the-doctrine-of-taqiyya/
2.
 What Do You Think the Left is All About?  
(Gina Cassini) - If this doesn’t say it all about how Democrats put the welfare of illegal aliens — even the most vile among them — above the interests of American citizens, nothing will...More than 80% of House Democrats today voted against a legislative proposal to prioritize the deportation of illegal aliens convicted of domestic violence, sexual abuse or child abuse. The vote makes crystal clear that immigration-related issues trump the supposed concern of Democrats regarding “violence against women,” and protecting “the children.” All of that takes a back seat to raw, race-baiting politics.       http://toprightnews.com/?p=7980
3.
 Rep. Gowdy's Speech on Stopping Executive Action on Immigration   
(The Right Scoop) - Rep. Trey Gowdy gave a floor speech today on stopping the President’s executive action on immigration...saying it’s about damn time the House uses the Power of the Purse to stop Obama. He even got an ovation when he said this is a “fight over whether this branch of government will ever find the courage to stand up for itself.”        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evypo9er1ww
4.
 Muslim Brotherhood Starts a Political Party in Chicago  
(Sara Noble) - The Muslim Brotherhood, named a terrorist organization by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE and favored by Barack nObama, formed the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations to build the framework for a political party...which has as its ultimate aim to elect Islamists to D.C. so they can institutionalize policies favorable to Shariah law. The Center for Security Policy reported last week that the United States Council of Muslim Organizations will be the first political party in the United States to be openly connected to the jihadist Muslim Brotherhood from which most of the Muslim terrorist organizations were spawned. The idea only gave root last year but it’s rapidly growing and politicians including the Governor of Illinois seek them out to gain their votes. Didn't I tell you this was coming.      http://www.independentsentinel.com/muslim-brotherhood-starts-a-political-party-in-chicago/
5.
 US transfer of 5 Gitmo detainees; 4 to Oman, 1 to Estonia  
(FoxNews.com) - The Department of Defense announced Wednesday that five Yemeni terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay had been transferred out of the facility, despite renewed concerns from lawmakers about the risks of releasing detainees...The newly transferred prisoners had been held for more than a dozen years. The men had been cleared for release since at least 2009, but the U.S. has balked at repatriating Guantanamo prisoners back to Yemen, where the government is battling an Al Qaeda insurgency.       http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/14/us-announces-release-5-gitmo-detainees/
6.
 Ralph Peters: nObama Would Have “Easier Time Dealing...   
(nicedeb) - On Hannity, Wednesday night, the host wanted to talk about the apparent snubs by French President Hollande toward Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu...which Peters felt was bad judgement but could be explained by France’s geopolitical interests. “What I find inexplicable is President nObama and his cabinet’s refusal to go – to participate – the apparent order to even Eric Holder not to show up even though he was in Paris,” Peters said, repeating a suggestion he made earlier this week, that cabinet members were ordered not to go. Sean pressed Peters to explain what possible reason nObama had to behave this way.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_WY3l6-qlM
7.
 “New Information” from State Dept. on Benghazi  
(sharylattkisson.com) - Most of the work done by the House Select Committee on Benghazi is happening behind closed doors. Today, Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C. announced that members have just wrapped up a classified briefing with State Department... “The Department of State provided new information to the committee and answered questions raised by committee members,” said Gowdy in a press statement. In addition to questioning State Department officials, the Benghazi Committee has had a closed-door meeting with Justice Department officials regarding document product and potential witnesses.       http://sharylattkisson.com/new-information-from-state-dept-on-benghazi/
8.
 Jihad Jane, she became a jihad terrorist “for love” of Muhammad  
(Robert Spencer) - For love, she gave herself over to hate. For love, she gave herself over to rage. For love, she gave herself over to murder, and became a would-be jihad killer... “‘I became a terrorist out of love': American housewife ‘Jihad Jane’ who converted to Islam and tried to kill a Swedish cartoonist a year before Charlie Hebdo. A white Islamic militant who christened herself ‘Jihad Jane’ and was convicted of plotting to kill a cartoonist who satirized the Prophet Muhammad, has claimed her actions were motivated our of love. Colleen LaRose, 51, of Pennsberg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to charges including planning a jihad and conspiring to kill Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks in 2011 and was convicted in 2014.       http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/01/jihad-jane-says-she-became-a-jihad-terrorist-for-love-of-muhammad-and-the-worldwide-muslim-community?utm_source=Jihad+Watch+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=abcdeceaf1-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ffcbf57bbb-abcdeceaf1-123451509
9.
 Conservatives Battling Comcast Turn to Left-Wing Pressure Tactics  
(Lachlan Markay) - As Comcast pursues an acquisition of competitor Time Warner, some conservatives are adopting corporate pressure tactics pioneered by the left designed to punish the cable giant for what they regard as its support for a liberal policy agenda...Generally averse to targeting businesses over their political affiliations, conservatives are increasingly attempting to exact an economic toll on companies that they see as enablers of their political adversaries and the policies they favor. A right-leaning super PAC called Conservative War Chest PAC is taking out a five-figure ad buy in five battleground states criticizing Comcast for its ownership of NBC and its liberal cable news arm MSNBC.       http://freebeacon.com/issues/conservatives-battling-comcast-turn-to-left-wing-pressure-tactics/
10.
 Four Secret Service Executives Fired  
(Ken Kurson) - Today, four more top United States Secret Service executives have been forced from their posts in a stunning shake-up that the Washington Post, whose Carol Leonnig has unearthed scoop after scoop on this unfolding story...said would “gut much of the Secret Service’s upper management.” Maybe so, but a high-ranking former agent interviewed by the Observer this evening thinks this shocking change will jumpstart morale and begin the healing process. Speaking to the Observer on the condition of anonymity, the agent, who knows and worked with all four of the demoted agents, described a sedentary, low morale culture that had been allowed to fester by lifers who no longer cared to innovate. Former agent: 'Jane Murphy should have never been in the position she was in'.       http://observer.com/2015/01/four-secret-service-executives-fired-stunning-an-already-shaken-agency/
Media Cowards and the Cartoon Jihad
Michelle Malkin

     (townhall.com) - I have never laughed so bitterly as I did while reading Thursday's lead editorial by the great pretender-defenders of free speech at The New York Times.

     Paying obligatory lip service to the 10 cartoonists and staffers of the Paris satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo who were slaughtered for offending Islam, the Times intoned: "It is absurd to suggest that the way to avoid terrorist attacks is to let the terrorists dictate standards in a democracy."

     My GPS tracker of journalistic hypocrisy immediately identified the Times editorial board's high-altitude location -- ensconced atop their own Mt. Everest of absurdity and self-unawareness.

     The Fishwrap of Record priggishly refuses to print any of the Islam-provoking art that cost the brave French journalists their lives. In case you forgot (as its own editorialists have), the Times cowered in 2005-2006 when the Mohammed Cartoons conflagration first ignited. And the publication is capitulating again.

Behold this groveling bow to terrorists dictating democracy's standards:

     "Under Times standards," a newspaper spokesman said in a statement this week, "we do not normally publish images or other material deliberately intended to offend religious sensibilities. After careful consideration, Times editors decided that describing the cartoons in question would give readers sufficient information to understand today's story."

     So says the paper that blithely published a Catholic-bashing photo of the Virgin Mary covered in elephant dung and defended the taxpayer-funded "Piss Christ" exhibit thusly: "A museum is obliged to challenge the public as well as to placate it, or else the museum becomes a chamber of attractive ghosts, an institution completely disconnected from art in our time."

     While they feign free-speech fortitude, what Times editorialists really don't want to see is their heads completely disconnected from their necks. Neither do editors at The Boston Globe, ABC News, NBC News, MSNBC and CNBC, who won't publish any possibly, remotely upsetting images of Mohammed, either.

     But these quivering double-talkers aren't even the most laughable of Cartoon Jihad cowards.

     The Associated Press wins the pusillanimity prize after invoking the sensitivity card to explain why it refrained from publishing "deliberately provocative" Mo toons -- even though the media conglomerate had been selling deliberately provocative "Piss Christ" photos on its website. After the Washington Examiner's Tim Carney pointed out the double standards, AP tried to cover its tracks by yanking the pic.

     More absurdity? The New York Daily News pixelated a Mo toon carried by Charlie Hebdo as if it were pornography. CNN did the same in 2006, when it explained it was censoring the offending images "in respect for Islam" and "because the network believes its role is to cover the events surrounding the publication of the cartoons while not unnecessarily adding fuel to the controversy itself."

    And therein lies the cartoon capitulationists' grand self-delusion. This isn't about cartoons.

     Reminder: The First Mo Toons Wars were instigated in 2005 by demagogue imams who toured Egypt stoking hysteria with faked anti-Islam comic strips attributed to the Danish Jyllands-Posten newspaper (whose actual cartoons criticizing Islam were far more innocuous). The real agenda: Islamist thugs were attempting to pressure Denmark over the International Atomic Energy Agency's decision to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council for continuing with its nuclear research program. From Afghanistan to Egypt to Lebanon to Libya, Pakistan, Turkey and in between, hundreds died in insane riots under the pretext of protecting Mohammed from Western slight. Courageous journalists who stood up to the madness were silenced, jailed and threatened with beheading.

     Cartoons did not start militant Islam's fire. Neither did the Bushes, Israel, the Satanic Verses, the Pope, beauty pageants, KFC restaurants in the Middle East, Mohammed teddy bears or a YouTube video.

     The Religion of Perpetual Outrage hates all infidels for all reasons for all time. The targeting of Mohammed cartoonists is a convenient excuse to feed the eternal flame of radical Islamists' hatred of the West. If it isn't cartoons, it's something else. The grudge is everlasting.

     Instead of acknowledging their gutlessness in the face of Koran-inspired Muslim vigilantes, press pontificators cloak their fear in the mumbo-jumbo of "tolerance." They demand that the rest of us pledge fealty to their selective multi-culti sensitivities lest we be branded "Islamophobes."

     And then they have the audacity to play "I am free-speech Spartacus" with those who risked life and limb to speak truth to Islamic supremacist power.

Sit down, fakers. You fakin'.

http://townhall.com/columnists/michellemalkin/2015/01/09/media-cowards-and-the-cartoon-jihad-n1940521/page/full



Read more…

Friday Morning - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 16, 2015 at 4:58am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
Guilt By Association
Burt Prelutsky
 
"Rise up together as one voice"
"Be careful where you stand"
~~~lll~~~
 
 
 nOBAMA FAVORITE KAMALA HARRIS LAUNCHES SENATE BID 
LA Times: “Attorney General Kamala Harris announced Tuesday morning that she plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Barbara Boxer [D-Calif.,] and immediately began raising money for what is expected to be a costly political campaign. ‘I’m excited to share with you that I’m launching my campaign to represent the People of California in the United States Senate,’ Harris wrote in an email to supporters. ‘Your support has been crucial to me every step of the way, and I’m asking you to help me build a grassroots campaign that reaches every community of California.’ Harris immediately started fundraising for a 2016 bid on Tuesday, soliciting contributions of $2,600 for her run. Harris has cultivated a national profile among liberals, a popularity that her supporters hope she can tap to raise the tens of millions of dollars raised by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts or unsuccessful Texas gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis.”  -Fox News  
 
 'LIKE MY GRANDMA OFFERING ME DRUGS' 
Business Week reports White Castle has begun offering a veggie version of the venerable chain’s beef belly bombers. Still an anomaly among other fast food chains, Burger King offers one, Wendy’s does not and McDonalds has tried to launch them over the years with little success. White Castle Vice President Jamie Richardson expects the limited-time offering to attract new customers to the chain. Veggie sliders were among the top suggestions by consumers. A team of sandwich enthusiasts reviewed the vegetable patties for NPR and found them, well... weird, but “not bad.” Said one: “White Castle offering a veggie burger is like my grandma offering me drugs. Doesn’t seem right, but I’m not gonna say no.”  -Fox News  
 
 White House Admits Goof in Snubbing Paris Rally  
What, the president spending the day watching football or Hanoi John Kerry trying to proselytize climate skeptics in India while other world leaders showed their support for terrorist-hit France was expected to go over well with constituents? "In a rare admission, the White House [Monday] said it made a mistake in not sending a higher-level official to represent the U.S. at the unity rally in Paris on Sunday, in the wake of last week's terror attacks," reports ABC News. Press Secretary Josh Earnest said, "I think it's fair to say that we should have sent someone with a higher profile to be there." He also explained the security issues that arise with a presidential visit, but the Secret Service says they weren't even asked about it -- not to mention other world leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (a Jew), seemed to manage just fine. Memo to the White House: Leading from behind is not leading. The fact it took an uproar to get that through nObama's thick skull is quite telling. More...  -The Patriot Post 
 
 What Terrorism? Hanoi Kerry Still Obsessing Over 'Climate   Change'  
It wasn't enough for State Secretary Hanoi John Kerry to miss a gathering of world leaders in Paris, France, over the weekend following last week's jihadi attacks. Instead, Hanoi Kerry wasted his breath spewing more nonsense on a phenomena that demands far less attention. "I am convinced ... there is one enormous cloud hanging over all of us which requires responsibility from leaders," Hanoi Kerry bemoaned during a speech in Gujarat, India. And what is that cloud? Not Islamic terrorism, according to Hanoi Kerry: "Global climate change is already violently affecting communities not just across India but around the world. It is disrupting commerce, development and economic growth. It's costing farmers crops. It's costing insurance companies unbelievable payouts. It's raising the cost of doing business, and believe me, if it continues down the current trend-line, we will see climate refugees fighting each other for water and seeking food and new opportunity." Let's assume for argument's sake climate change demands immediate attention. Muslim extremists are interested only in eradicating "infidels," and frankly don't care if the globe is warming or cooling. The fight for Liberty's very existence apparently doesn't warrant more concern from apologists like Hanoi Kerry and his ilk. More...  -The Patriot Post 
 
 ISIL Hijacks CENTCOM's Social Media  
A group by the name of CyberCaliphate, a hacking group waging cyber jihad against the West and says it's aligned with ISIL, claimed responsibility for taking control of the Twitter and YouTube accounts of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Monday. For the 40 minutes they had control, CyberCaliphate posted the flag of ISIL, threatened U.S. soldiers and posted non-classified documents containing the names and addresses of senior military leaders. "CENTCOM's operation military networks were not compromised and there was no operational impact to U.S. Central Command," the military said in a statement. "CENTCOM will restore service to its Twitter and YouTube accounts as quickly as possible. We are viewing this purely as a case of cybervandalism." Compared to hacking military servers, gaining control of a social media account is child's play. But this hack is not just a prank. The lifeblood of ISIL's social media strategy is spectacle. While this isn't as shocking as a beheading, this is a victory for ISIL in the propaganda war. More...  -The Patriot Post 
 
 
 
 
1.
 We are charlie, indeed! 22 terror camps in U.S. 
(Leo Hohmann) - The FBI is aware of at least 22 paramilitary Islamic communes in the U.S., operated by the shadowy Pakistan-based group Jamaat al-Fuqra and its main U.S. front group, Muslims of the Americas...With U.S. headquarters in Islamberg, New York, the group headed by Pakistani cleric Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani operates communes in mostly remote areas of California, Georgia, South Carolina, New York, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Michigan, Tennessee and other states. The FBI describes the MOA compound in Texas, called Mahmoudberg, as an enclave and “communal living site.” Located in Brazoria County along County Road 3 near Sweeny, Texas, it was discovered more than 10 years ago by the FBI through a tip from an informant in New York. If the FBI know these camps are terrorist camps what are they doing about them?       http://www.wnd.com/2015/01/22-terror-camps-verified-inside-u-s/
2.
 American Consulate Established 'Armed Arab Militia'  
(Arutz Sheva Staff) - Three Israeli security guards who worked at the US consulate resigned in the wake of a plan to hire 35 Palestinians from East Jerusalem as armed security guards...who are currently undergoing training in Yericho (Jericho). One of them has gone so far as to accuse the consulate of creating "an armed Palestinian militia." According to the report in Yediot Aharonot, the plan is to employ the Palestinians mainly to escort convoys of American diplomats in Judea-Samaria. This is a breach of an agreement between the Consulate and the Israeli government, signed in 2011, whereby only guards who served in combat units in the IDF who are employed by the consulate will be allowed to carry arms.       http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/189924#.VLajHp
3.
 WH floats first-ever methane rules for oil and gas industry  
(Zack Colman) - The nObama administration said it would propose the first-ever regulations on methane emissions from the oil and gas sector Wednesday with an aim of slashing emissions at least 40 percent compared with 2012 levels by 2025...The regulations would affect new and modified oil and gas hydraulic fracturing — or fracking — wells, though administration officials said they ultimately will need to address emissions from existing wells to hit the emissions reduction target. The Environmental Protection Agency will formally propose the regulations this summer and finalize them in 2016. "In the goal that we're setting we are making clear that we need to get reductions from existing sources," Dan Utech, nObama's top climate and energy adviser, said in a media call. He said it was too early to conduct a cost-benefit analysis on the plan. This will raise the cost of energy and gas for sure.       http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/white-house-floats-first-ever-methane-rules/article/2558629
4.
 Victims' Attorney: PA Supported Terror Attacks in Policy, Deeds  
(investigativeproject.org) - Killing civilians was "standard operating procedure" for the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority during Yasser Arafat's reign during the early 2000s...an attorney representing American victims of Palestinian terrorist attacks told a jury Tuesday. Kent Yalowitz began his opening statement by describing a cold, rainy day in Jerusalem in March 2002 when Alan and Yonni Bauer were struck by shrapnel sent flying by a suicide bomber. "The scene was chaotic," Yalowitz said, "filled with smoke and fog." The bomber was a former Palestinian police officer who was helped by other Palestinian Authority officials in plotting the attack, Yalowitz said. The PA continues to pay his family for his martyrdom. Those convicted of helping plot the attack also stayed on the government payroll.       http://www.investigativeproject.org/4733/victims-attorney-pa-supported-terror-attacks-in
5.
 The House will defund nObama immigration plan  
(Pete Kasperowicz) - “The Speaker made clear that the House would push forward in consideration of the Appropriations Committee’s 2015 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill...which takes a number of steps to bolster border security and law enforcement efforts,” backstabber Boehner’s office said after the meeting ended. “The bill will include amendments to stop the president’s unilateral actions on immigration, and the speaker reminded the president that he himself had stated publicly many times in the past that he did not have the power to rewrite immigration law through executive action.” House Republicans have teed up five GOP amendments to the bill, including one from Rep. Bob Aderholt (R-Ala.) that would defund nObama’s action to give legal protection to millions of illegal immigrants. Another from Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) would defund nObama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy is also scheduled, as are others aimed at treating sex offenders as priorities for deportation — the nObama administration has not put those immigrants on the highest level of priority for removal. Lets see if the Speaker will keep his word.      http://www.theblaze.com/blog/2015/01/13/boehner-to-obama-at-white-house-meeting-the-house-will-defund-your-immigration-plan/
6.
 Conversations With Bill Kristol  
(The Weekly Standard) -If you haven't been watching the Conversations with Bill Kristol series, you're cheating yourself...Recent episodes have featured long, wide-ranging interviews with Brit Hume, Joe Lieberman, and Ruth Wisse (among others). But calling them "long and wide-ranging" doesn't really convey how interesting these conversations are: There is no other format where important figures from public and intellectual life will sit and talk, uninterrupted and unedited, for 90 minutes at a time, with no constraints or strictures. And the latest episode, featuring Newt Gingrich, might be the most fascinating one yet.       http://conversationswithbillkristol.org/video/newt-gingrich/?utm_source=newsletters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JVL+1_14_15
7.
 Ex-FBI Agent Calls Eric Holder “Coward” and “Hypocrite”  
(Selwyn Duke) - “There’s a common cause that bonds the black United States attorney with the black criminal.” These words, according to Department of Justice whistleblower J. Christian Adams, were uttered by none other than Attorney General Eric Holder...And now another former government official is blowing the whistle — and blowing off some righteous steam — in Holder’s direction. He is ex-FBI Special Agent K. Dee McCown, currently director of Global Security and Loss Prevention at W.W. Grainger, Inc. He has written a damning open letter to the attorney general, confirmed as authentic by Snopes. It’s a long missive, but worth the read. It follows:       http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/item/19905-ex-fbi-agent-calls-eric-holder-coward-and-hypocrite-in-stunning-letter?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=318ced9715-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-318ced9715-289778381
8.
 House Votes to Defund DACA and Other nObama Actions  
(Warren Mass) - The House of Representatives voted on January 14 to approve an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security’s funding bill that would deny funds for new or renewed applications for the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) program...It was one of five amendments passed to limit the nObama administration’s grants of amnesty to illegal immigrants by executive actions. The Washington-based newspaper The Hill reported that the amendment was passed 218-209, largely along party lines. However, 26 Republicans, many of whom represent districts with large Hispanic populations, voted against the amendment. Don't those 26 Republicans realize they are illegals and have gone against our laws? My goodness.  http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/immigration/item/19906-house-votes-to-defund-daca-and-other-obama-actions?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=318ced9715-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-318ced9715-289778381
9.
 Fracking Saved the nObama Economy  
(Ben Shapiro) - Is nObama responsible for jobs? In a word, no. It turns out that nObama’s recovery hasn’t been his recovery at all: it’s been those evil oil and gas companies...As Stephen Moore of the Heritage Foundation points out, “From 2008 to 2013, the oil and gas industry created more jobs on net than all other industries combined.” There is a reason that the fastest growing jobs state over the past several years has been North Dakota, where the oil and gas boom is centered, thanks to the Bakken formation. And in Texas, the oil and gas industry growth has powered the state, thanks to the Eagle Ford and the Permian and Haynesville formations.       http://www.truthrevolt.org/videos/ben-shapiro-fracking-saved-obama-economy
10.
 Australian PM Infuriates ISIS Terrorists Using A Different Name 
(B. Christopher Agee) - Already known as Islamic State, ISIS, and ISIL, it appears the terrorist network based in Iraq and Syria is experiencing an identity crisis...As Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott recently pointed out, there is at least one more term by which the extremist organization has been identified. Abbott explained that Daesh, or the acronym DAIISH, can accurately be used to describe ISIS, though he noted the organization itself bitterly despises the moniker. It is for that reason, he said, that he will continue to refer to the organization by that name. “Daesh hates being referred to by this term,” he said during recent remarks, “and what they don’t like has an instinctive appeal to me.” The name is a reference to the proper title ‘al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi Iraq wa al-Sham,’ though the resulting acronym and its homophone are obviously unpopular among the group’s rank.   http://www.westernjournalism.com/australian-prime-minister-infuriates-isis-terrorists-calling-different-name/?utm_source=MailChimp&utm_medium=email&utm_content=featured-stories&utm_campaign=DailyEmail01.14.15#dr1bUVpP7JGmAftJ.97
Guilt By Association
Burt Prelutsky
 
     (burtprelutsky.com) - Lliberals are contemptuous of those who believe that associating with bad apples might be an indicator that you yourself are rotten to the core. In fact, if you dared point out that Robert Byrd, who wound up serving 51 years in the U.S. Senate and not only became the Senate majority leader, but the President pro tempore -- placing him third in line of presidential succession -- had jump-started his political career by forming a chapter of the Ku Klux Klan in Sophia, West Virginia, they’d accuse you of McCarthyism.

     Joe McCarthy, for the youngsters in the audience, was a junior senator from Wisconsin. He was a drunk and a boor, but that’s not why his name has come to be equated by liberals with the very worst elements in American politics. After all, Lyndon Johnson was a bigger drunk and a bigger bully, and if you look up “boor” in the dictionary, you’ll find his picture. In spite of that, LBJ is hailed as a shining star and a champion of civil rights by Democrats.

     McCarthy’s sin is that he dared to point out that communists had infiltrated the federal government under FDR and had remained steadfastly loyal to the Soviet Union under Harry Truman and, ultimately, under Dwight Eisenhower.

     What liberals most detested about McCarthy isn’t that some of those he mistook for traitors were merely muddleheaded pacifists -- the sort of boneheads who thought it was a swell idea for America to share our atomic secrets with the Soviet Union, so that Joseph Stalin didn’t have to have American turncoats steal them for Mother Russia -- but that so many of those in the State Department, people like Alger Hiss, whom McCarthy claimed were communist agents actually happened to be communist agents.

     Getting back to Sen. Byrd, in 1946, he wrote to segregationist Sen. Theodore Bilbo (D, Mississippi) to say: “I shall never fight in the armed forces with a negro by my side. Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds.” Is it any wonder that he rose to the KKK rank of Grand Cyclops?

     But that didn’t prevent his Senate colleagues from granting him their greatest honors. And yet, we now see the Democrats baying for the blood of Rep. Steve Skalise (R, Louisiana) for no other reason than that 12 years ago, he gave a speech at a convention of the European-American Unity and Rights Organization.

     Never having heard of the group, I looked up the EAURO and found that I pretty much agreed with their eight principles: (1) Equal rights for white Americans through an end to affirmative action; (2) An end to desegregation busing, which is to blame for declining educational standards, rising racial tensions and the wasting of public money; (3) Welfare reforms that would see welfare recipients work for their money, and the encouragement of family planning; (4) Tougher sentencing for violent crimes, alongside the repealing of hate crime legislation; (5) Very strict limitations on immigration; (6) An end to media portrayal of whites as oppressors; (7) The preservation of white heritage; and (8) A demand for excellence in all things.

     I confess that number eight is rather vague, but there’s no sin in hoping for the ideal.

     This is not to say I’m sending away for my membership card and decoder ring. After all, the group was founded by David Duke, proud racist/convicted con man and tax evader/both a Holocaust and 9/11 denier/ and who, for good measure, spent a lot of time at LSU jack-booting around campus wearing a Nazi uniform.

     Still, Skalise didn’t show up at the convention hoping to take part in a lynching. He gave a breakfast talk to a small group on the subject of taxes. Taxes, for God’s sake! And for that, because he has a leadership role in the Republican-controlled House, the Democrats want to see him lynched.

     Keep in mind these are the same hypocrites who turned a blind eye during the 1990s to the fact that Yasser Arafat, killer of Jewish babies, spent more time at the White House than Bill Clinton, and that today Barack nObama spends even more time playing footsies with America’s number one race hustler, Al Sharpton, than he does playing golf.

     In the spirit of full disclosure, I wish to state that a few years ago, I was informed by a reader that something I had written – possibly an attack on nObama or on the 75% of Jewish voters who insist on voting for progressives every chance they get -- had been posted on a neo-Nazi website. My first reaction was shock: Don’t they know I’m Jewish?! Have the Nazis initiated an Adopt-a-Jew program I hadn’t heard about? But when the reader asked me if I wasn’t going to demand they take down my article, I thought about it and decided I wouldn’t.

    After all, as I explained at the time, I have no problem with people agreeing with me just so long as I don’t have to agree with them.
 

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Thursday Afternoon - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 15, 2015 at 11:33am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
Somali Privilege?
Tom McLaughlin
"Know who you are standing with"
"Show me your friends and I'll show you your future"
~~~lll~~~
 
 ROMNEY REACHES OUT TO RESET CAMPAIGN NET FOR 2016 
WaPo: “Mitt Romney is moving quickly to reassemble his national political network, calling former aides, donors and other supporters over the weekend and on Monday in a concerted push to signal his seriousness about possibly launching a 2016 presidential campaign. Romney’s message, as he told one senior Republican, was that he ‘almost certainly will’ make what would be his third bid for the White House…Romney’s activity indicates that his declaration of interest Friday to a group of 30 donors in New York was more than the release of a trial balloon. Instead, it was the start of a deliberate effort by the 2012 nominee to carve out space for himself in an emerging 2016 field also likely to include former Florida governor Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Romney has worked the phones over the past few days, calling an array of key allies to discuss his potential 2016 campaign.”
          First in the nation phone call - WashEx: “On Saturday morning, Romney phoned Tom Rath, a former senior adviser in New Hampshire, to give him a personal update. According to Rath, Romney confirmed ‘he is taking a look at this, he’s giving it serious consideration, thinking about what it would mean, what it would take to get involved.’
              May speak with other Sixteeners at RNC Winter Meeting this week - “Governor Romney is one among several prominent Republican officials, and leaders, who were invited.” – RNC Communication Director Sean Spicer.  -Fox News  
 
 Former running mate Ryan stands aside -   AP: “Republican Rep. Paul Ryan announced Monday that he will not run for president in 2016, instead focusing on his work as chairman of a powerful tax-writing committee in Congress. Ryan, of Wisconsin, was the Republican candidate for vice president in 2012…‘After giving it a lot of thought, I’ve decided not to run for president,’ Ryan said in a statement. ‘Our work at the House Ways and Means Committee over the next few years will be crucial to moving America forward, and my job as chairman deserves undivided attention.’”  -Fox News  
 
 PAUL NH VISIT TO FOCUS ON GUNS, COMMON CORE 
The Hill: “Sen. Rand Paul [R-Ky.] will visit the early voting state of New Hampshire on Wednesday to meet with business leaders, political leaders and activists ahead of a potential run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. According to an email from RAND PAC, the political action committee backing Paul, the Kentucky Republican will focus on two issues in particular that are important to grassroots voters: guns and Common Core education standards. Paul will hold a Second Amendment Supporters event at the Londonderry Fish & Game Club at noon on Wednesday. Later in the day, he’ll hold a question and answer session on Common Core education standards. Common Core could be an important issue in the fight for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.”  -Fox News  
 
 AFTER PUBLIC THREATS, nOBAMA AND GOP LEADERS HUDDLE   IN PRIVATE 
NYT: “In the halls of the White House and the corridors of the Capitol, there was a stark dissonance last week between President nObama’s rhetoric of consensus and compromise and his confrontational actions, offering the first glimmers of the president’s strategy for engaging with a Republican Congress that holds the fate of his agenda in its hands. On the first day of the 114th Congress, Mr. nObama sat in the Oval Office and said his message to the new Republican Congress would be, ‘Let’s figure out how to work together.’ Only about two hours earlier, his press secretary, Josh Earnest, told reporters that the president intended to veto the first two pieces of legislation Republicans in the House of Representatives were planning to pass: to authorize the Keystone XL oil pipeline and to redefine a full-time worker under the Affordable Care Act…But by insisting that he wants to collaborate with Republicans, the president, who will host congressional leaders of both parties at the White House on Tuesday, also hinted that there is negotiating room beyond those threats.”  -Fox News  
 

 McConnell brings Lee into leadership fold -   WashEx: “From Tea Party agitator to leadership insider, Sen. Mike Lee [R-Utah,] is now counselor to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The Utah Republican is steering committee chairman, a post that often comes with a seat in leadership. But McConnell wasn’t obligated to bring Lee into the fold last week, when he appointed him as one of four counsellors to the Republican leadership…. Lee and McConnell hardly have a chummy history, although the majority leader shrewdly keeps potential enemies close….[Lee] defied McConnell when he joined forces with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and conservative groups in a bid to leverage a partial government shutdown to derail nObamacare….Lee’s decision to join McConnell’s cabinet marks a departure from his carefully constructed outsider image. Lee’s supporters downplay the move, saying it puts the senator in a position to accomplish his primary goal of advancing conservative reforms.”   -Fox News  
 
 
 
1.
 CBS News: “Hitler Appearing In Ads On SF Muni Buses”  
(pamelageller.com) - The attack on truth is full-on in San Francisco. Even now, after Jews were taken captive and slaughtered in a kosher supermarket by a devout Muslim,  the usual suspects and their goosestepping shills are atacking free speech...Another round of controversial ads appearing on San Francisco Muni buses demands an end to U.S. aid to Islamic countries, stating that “Islamic Jew-Hatred: It’s In The Quran,” while depicting Adolf Hitler as an ally of the Muslim world. The black and white campaign, which features a picture of Adolf Hitler, “..and his staunch ally, the leader of the Muslim world, Haj Amin al-Husseini” appeared on at least one San Francisco Muni bus Monday, and may have first appeared in the fall.       http://pamelageller.com/2015/01/cbs-news-hitler-appearing-in-ads-on-sf-muni-buses.html/
2.
 White House: nObama will fight media to stop anti-jihad articles  
(Robert Spencer ) - More self-censorship and voluntary acceptance of Sharia blasphemy laws. The President of the United States is now (again) signaling that terrorism works: he is saying he will act to curtail Americans’ freedom of expression because Muslims are committing mass murder in response of the freedom of expression...He could have said that he would defend those who say things that jihadis dislike from violent attacks, but no. He was as consistent as ever. And the freedom of speech will suffer for it. How long before he shuts down Jihad Watch, to appease our jihadi brethren? President Barack nObama has a moral responsibility to push back on the nation’s journalism community when it is planning to publish anti-jihadi articles that might cause a jihadi attack against the nation’s defenses forces, the White House’s press secretary said Jan. 12.       http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/01/white-house-obama-will-fight-media-to-stop-anti-jihad-articles?utm_source=Jihad+Watch+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=21a859f6ed-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ffcbf57bbb-21a859f6ed-123451509
3.
 Congress Would Repeal Bad Iran Deal in Next Administration  
(Daniel Wiser) - Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) warned the nObama administration on Tuesday that Congress will hold a vote on any final deal on Iran’s nuclear program—and, if unable to prevent the president from lifting sanctions on Iran, would work with the next administration to re-impose them...Cotton said lawmakers aim to soon bring legislation to the floor that would impose additional sanctions on the regime in Tehran if the current negotiations collapse. The bill would likely include language authored by Sens. Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) and Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) that targets Iran’s oil, gas, and banking sectors and requires the administration to certify that the regime is not sponsoring terrorist attacks against U.S. forces. The measure garnered 59 co-sponsors in the last Congress, and some reports suggest that it could be close to acquiring a 67-vote veto-proof majority this year. My question is why not now?
4.
 As EU Becomes Pariah, Iceland Dropping Membership Bid  
(Alex Newman) - With the European Union becoming increasingly unpopular across the continent amid a rapid plunge in what little public support ever existed for the unaccountable super-state seeking to become an all-powerful federal regime...authorities in Iceland announced last week that they planned to back out of membership talks and preserve what remains of their tiny island nation’s sovereignty. EU critics, who have been soaring in the polls, celebrated the news. In a recent interview with a national radio broadcaster, Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, elected in 2013 on what has been widely described as a “centrist” platform, declared that all previous work on joining the controversial EU was “obsolete” and “not valid anymore.” He also suggested that Parliament would vote soon on a measure to officially withdraw Iceland’s membership application.       http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/19898-as-eu-becomes-pariah-iceland-dropping-membership-bid
5.
 Washington State Chipping Away at Religious Freedom  
(fixthisnation.com) - Consider the case of Barronelle Stutzman of Richland, Washington...As the owner of Arlene’s Flowers, Stutzman has been hit with a lawsuit alleging that she illegally discriminated against customer Robert Ingersoll when she refused to provide floral arrangements for his same-sex wedding. Despite the fact that Ingersoll was a longtime customer and that Arlene’s Flowers has a long history of both serving and employing homosexuals in the Richland area, Washington authorities and the ACLU contend that her refusal was discriminatory and illegal. But that’s par for the course when it comes to this country’s war on freedom of religion. In the fight for gay rights, judges and state officials are cherry-picking what counts as discrimination and what doesn’t. And even though there is nothing in the Constitution guaranteeing the right to get gay married, homosexuals are apparently a protected group, above the law of the land.      http://www.fixthisnation.com/conservative-breaking-news/washington-state-chipping-away-at-religious-freedom/
6.
 Senate Republicans cautious on US security bill, immigration fight  
(David Lawder) - U.S. Senate Republicans on Tuesday said it was unclear if they could pass a Department of Homeland Security funding bill that blocks President Barack nObama's immigration initiatives...raising an early stumbling block for the new Republican Congress. Senate Republicans acknowledged that the measure, expected to win approval in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, may not get the 60 Senate votes needed to clear procedural hurdles erected by Democrats. Republicans have a 54-46 Senate majority and would need to persuade some Democrats to vote against nObama's executive action to lift the threat of deportation for millions of undocumented immigrants. The House measure is expected to ban money from being used to implement the order.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/13/us-usa-congress-immigration-idUSKBN0KM1NK20150113
7.
 The UN Uses Paris Attacks for Criminalizing anti-Islamic Speech  
(Ben Barrack) - The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ambassador to the UN, Ufuk Gokcen is using the Paris terror attacks to push an agenda started in his home country of Turkey with the help of then Secretary of State Hilly Clinton in 2011...As an international voice of the OIC, a Muslim bloc of 57 nation states, Gokcen is using the Paris attacks to apply pressure to non-Muslim countries to enact blasphemy laws that would criminalize criticism of Islam. Known as the “Istanbul Process”, which was officially kicked off by Hilly, then Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (now Prime Minister) and the OIC Secretary General from Istanbul in 2011; it’s all about exploiting such tragedies to push its agenda.
8.
 GOP To Close Door On nObama’s Plan To Empty Gitmo  
(Jonah Bennett) - A group of Republicans, led by Sen. Kelly Ayotte, is striking back against the nObama administration by introducing a bill to prevent President nObama from emptying Guantanamo Bay and sending prisoners to Yemen... “Now is not the time to be emptying Guantanamo,” said Ayotte, who introduced the bill, The Hill reports. Ayotte bought up the recent terrorist attacks in Paris as the central motivation for the bill, since the terrorists involved in the shootings had been trained in Yemen, a country which has received 22 transfers directly from Guantanamo Bay since 2004. The legislation prohibits any transfers to Yemen for at least two years, while also keeping detainees away from U.S. soil. Any detainees deemed high- or medium-risk cannot be released.       http://dailycaller.com/2015/01/13/shut-it-down-gop-to-close-door-on-obamas-plan-to-empty-gitmo/?advD=1248%2C48782&bt_alias=eyJ1c2VySWQiOiJjNTliYzIxYy1kM2ZhLTQ5MWMtYjhmZC02M2M2MjhjYzNjZjMifQ%3D%3D#mnetint
9.
 House Republicans Just Torpedoed Hilly Clinton’s 2016 Hopes  
(conservativetribune.com) - The Benghazi Select Committee will continue their investigation for the foreseeable future, as they were just reauthorized by the House, according to Western Journalism...and that is horrible news for Hilly Clinton’s presumed 2016 presidential run. In a mostly party-line vote of 234-172, the Committee was reauthorized by the House. The devastating part for Hillary is that the reauthorization also removed any time or budget limits from the Committee, meaning they could work into 2016, if necessary. This places Hilly Clinton’s 2016 Presidential hopes in jeopardy, as it is widely expected that she will be subpoenaed before the Committee at some point.       http://conservativetribune.com/house-repubs-torpedoed-hillary/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=936184&utm_campaign=0
10.
 CAIR Sues California  
(Lloyd Billingsley) - Elhindi, who left Sudan at age 19, allegedly suffered this abuse while working a California State Prison, Sacramento. He told Steve Magagnini of the Sacramento Bee “My accent was joked about, my color was joked about, and the use of the N word was unbelievable, It’s scary.”...The stress level, he told the Bee, “amounts to emotional torture” and “never stopped.” He declined to retire because “I have a family to support and have invested 27 years of my life into state service and cannot just walk away.” But it wasn’t just about him. “I think it’s a systemic issue,” Elhindi told the Bee. “There are other Muslim officers that have complained of similar treatment, but the majority are scared to report it.” In 2011 Elhindi filed a complaint with Equal Opportunity Commission, which found reasonable cause to believe the California Department of Corrections may have violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The U.S. Department of Justice, however, declined to pursue the case.       http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/lloyd-billingsley/cair-sues-california/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2a3809e7b8-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-2a3809e7b8-156509103
Somali Privilege?
Tom McLaughlin
 
     (tommclaughlin.blogspot.com) - If you drive a taxi in Portland, Maine the best place to wait for a fare is the Portland Jetport. But, you need a special permit. There are only forty-five permits to be had and all are held by Somali and Iranian immigrants. Paul McDonough of Timely Taxi in South Portland claims that is discrimination against him as a white man and he filed suit against the City of Portland. Most of the jetport is in South Portland which is a separate municipality, but the terminal is in Portland, and that city owns the entire facility. It’s city council decides who gets a permit.

     The Portland Press Herald ran a story about the suit January 2nd. I’ve been checking into it, but few city officials want to talk about it. It didn’t help that radical Muslims this past week murdered people in Paris and focused the world’s attention on Islamic terrorism. Most Somalis are Muslim and so are most Iranians. I’ll keep digging though.

     Not getting much out of city hall or the jetport, but I’m learning a lot researching online. According to an article in the Bangor Daily News back in 2011, forty-nine out of fifty jetport permits were held by Somali immigrants and they held a press conference that year to announce legal action against the City of Portland. They were having difficulty renewing their jetport permits in person. Many were traveling back and forth to Somalia and it was hard to show up at the jetport to renew their permits. Hmm. If they’re here in Maine fleeing oppression in Somalia, why are they going back so often? The civil war is still on. And, how can they afford it?

     When Somali taxi driver Jama Farah spoke at the 2011 Portland City Hall press conference, behind him was an unidentified man with an orange beard and orange skullcap. The beard struck me. According to another article by former US Attorney Andrew McCarthy on Somalis in Minnesota, a man named Abdullahi Ugas Farah with a “tangerine beard” once spoke for the radical “Islamic Courts” in Somalia and later was in Minnesota campaigning for Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Senator Al Franken (D-MN). When I punched “Abdullahi Ugas Farah” into Google Images, up popped a man with a tangerine beard and matching hat sitting next to Congressman Ellison. He wore glasses and a tan jacket just like the man at the Portland City Hall press conference. Both he and the spokesman were named Farah. Is it the same guy? Was a radical Muslim from Somalia at the Portland City Hall press conference? So far, I’ve gotten no response from Somali cabdrivers I contacted about the man’s identity. Somalia’s “Islamic Courts” spawned the terrorist group Al Shabaab which last year pledged allegiance to al Qaida.

     Stephen Salamone of S&S Taxi said he’s been trying for years to get a jetport permit. “It’s blatant discrimination,” he said. A retired Portland firefighter, Salamone told me those permit holders get the best riders. “Fares go all over the state,” he said, and “I can’t even get an application. What do I need to do?” He suggests the city open a bidding process or make it a lottery. He wants a level playing field for everyone.

     An online commenter to the Press Herald story, wrote that she prefers to call McDonough’s Timely Taxi and added: “When I arrive after his hours and must use a Jetport cab, I invariably get flack from the driver: ‘no dog, no dog’ when he is confronted with my Seeing Eye dog.”

     The Portland Jetport is significant in the annals of Islamic terrorism since al Qaida terrorist Mohammed Atta boarded a plane there early in the morning of September 11, 2001. Three hours later he crashed another plane into the World Trade Center. Present and former FBI officials with whom I’ve talked still don’t know why Atta was in Portland.

     According to former US Attorney Andrew McCarthy: “Somalis began pouring into America in the mid-Nineties thanks to the State Department’s refugee resettlement efforts . . . In 2008, State was forced to concede that there had been immigration fraud on a massive scale: nearly 40,000 aliens admitted into our country after falsely claiming family ties to immigrants already here.” Somali immigrants in Maine got national attention twelve years ago when nearby Lewiston, Maine Mayor Larry Raymond said his city couldn’t handle any more of them because welfare money was running out. Charges of racism and bigotry rained down on him here in the blue northeast, but he didn’t back down. Since then, mayors in Manchester, NH, Springfield, Massachusetts, and in many other American cities have said the same thing.

     Last August, a Lewiston Somali woman’s ex-husband, Abdirahmaan Muhumed, died fighting for ISIS in Syria. He worked at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport and even had a security clearance! He had multiple wives and left nine children, including two from when he lived on Bartlett Street in Lewiston. He and his Maine wife traveled back and forth between Maine and Minnesota many times before they divorced. KMSP-TV in Minneapolis reported that at least 22 Somali immigrants traveled from Minnesota to Somalia to fight for Al Shabaab and twelve more went to Syria to fight for ISIS. Three quarters of the 900 taxi permits at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport are held by Somali drivers.

     Though some have passed through here, my research shows no radical Muslims living in Maine at present. Somalis with whom I’ve come in contact at various businesses in the Portland area seem very nice. As long as they’re here legally, work to support themselves and assimilate, Mainers would welcome them. That so many are driving taxis is a good thing. That virtually all the plum jetport permits issued by the city went to Somali taxi drivers, however, is, at best, suspicious. I shall continue to investigate as Mr. McDonough’s lawsuit goes forward.
 
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Thursday Morning - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 15, 2015 at 4:24am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
Getting the facts straight
about Islam’s threat to the civilized world
Kevin Coach Collins
 
"Rise up together as one voice"
"Be careful where you stand"
~~~lll~~~
 
 
 GOP STATE GAINS THREATEN DEMS’ NATIONAL   POWER SOURCE 
CHARLESTON, W.VA. -- West Virginia is reeling from a political earthquake. The last Republican to serve as speaker of the state House of Delegates, John William Cummins, left office 84 years ago. That was also the last time that both houses of the Mountain State’s legislature were in Republican control. (By comparison, the U.S. House has changed hands eight times over the same span.) So despite trending Republican on the federal level for 14 years, few here believed that things would really change on the state level. But as the freshly stenciled doors attest, that’s exactly what will happen on Wednesday. And while the change is breathtaking on the state level, West Virginia is just one part of the biggest political story almost no one is talking about.
          The GOP now controls more state legislative chambers than at any point in the party’s history: 68 out of 98 partisan state legislative chambers, up from 59 prior to the 2014 cycle. And while West Virginia still has a Democratic governor, 23 states have Republican chief executives and GOP-controlled legislatures compared to just seven for Democrats. And while much of that is a function of dismal years nationally for Democrats in 2010 and 2014, it also reflects a sea change in Republican thinking after the 2008 presidential election, when states began to matter to a party that had been almost singularly focused on the White House for three generations.
          After the back-to-back beatings the party took in 2006 and 2008, the Republican State Leadership Committee and other groups like GOPAC and the he Redistricting Majority Project got deadly serious about winning on the state level. The goal, laid out by party leaders like former RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie, was to build a ground-up party as opposed to the prior Republican approach of trickle-down political prosperity. Given the clout of government worker unions in state politics, Democrats had ridden out Republican waves of the past secure in their state-level primacy. They could draw the new congressional maps, develop candidates and organize for the next cycle and advance their preferred policies. But after President nObama’s win, Republicans decided it was time for payback. While Democrats shoveled everything they had at keeping the White House, they got swamped on the state level. That money and organization, combined with the new phalanx of energetic first-time office seekers spurred by outrage over nObama’s agenda, proved unstoppable.
         And the success hasn’t just been in swing and red states. Republicans now control 31 governorships, including deep-blue states Massachusetts, Maryland and Illinois. Republicans control legislative bodies in Nevada, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico and New Hampshire. And those defeats came after Democrats had tried to get back on offense in 2014, but mostly failed. As the National Council of State Legislatures reported “The GOP’s November landslide gave the party control of both chambers in 30 states, the most since 1920. Republicans bagged 11 formerly Democratic chambers and gained roughly 290 new House and Senate seats for control of about 4,100 of the nation’s 7,383 legislative seats.” (Statescape has the breakdown by state and party here.)
         And like many of the 29 other state legislatures that are beginning legislative sessions under Republican control this winter, West Virginia lawmakers are preparing a nightmarish list of legislation for Democrats. New restrictions on late-term abortion, tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks are all part of the plan, but so too are measures aimed at breaking up the still-potent collaboration between government worker unions, trial lawyers and the Democratic party. When Republicans here talk about tort reform and changes to union power similar to those that have already been put place in states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana, they are talking about cutting off the multi-generation revenue stream for the Democratic Party.
         While West Virginia Democrats say they are confident they can retake at least the House and retain the governorship in 2010 – “Nothing could be worse than nObama was for us,” one longtime Democratic lawmaker told Fox News First -- the realization here is like it is in much of the country: Republicans have figured out how to pull the plug on the Democratic power source, and that means big trouble.  -Fox News

 WITH YOUR SECOND CUP OF COFFEE... 
On this day in 1929, legendary lawman of the Wild West, Wyatt Earp died in Los Angeles at the age of 80. Best known for the 1881 shootout that killed 3 members of the Clanton-McLaury gang at the OK Corral, the Earp brothers were found to have done no wrong, acting in official police capacity. That decision did not go down well with some residents however and the Earps popularity waned in Tombstone. The gunfight didn’t closeout the feud either. Numerous counterattacks by the Clanton-McLaurys left Virgil Earp without the use of his left arm and a separate incident fatally wounded Morgan. After avenging Morgan, Wyatt traveled throughout the West speculating in gold mines. He ran a saloon in San Francisco, raised thoroughbreds in San Diego and eventually wound up as a consultant for Hollywood Westerns, coaching fledgling industry stars like William Hart and Tom Mix. Wyatt wasn’t able to cash in on his fame however, which was to come after his death when a young journalist named Stuart Lake published Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshall, a wildly fanciful biography that portrayed the gunman as a brave and virtuous instrument of frontier justice.   -Fox News

 
 
 
1.
 CIA bides its time  
(Reuel Marc Gerecht) - The CIA’s Directorate of Operations doesn’t have an acute memory. But it does have durable institutional sentiments. So here’s a guess...In a few years, few operatives in the clandestine service will remember Langley’s rebuttal to a recent Senate report on detention and harsh interrogation practices after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Feinstein has told us that she decided to release the “torture report” because “history” was going to “judge us by our commitment to a just society governed by law and the willingness to face an ugly truth and say ‘never again.’ ” The senator will be disappointed. Whether or not the CIA should feel ashamed of its performance post-9/11, it won’t. If the opportunity arises, the president commands, and senior members of Congress assent (and they always do), America’s shadow warriors won’t be deterred from using “ugly” practices.  http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/cia-bides-its-time/article/2558407?utm_campaign=Washington%20Examiner:%20Opinion%20Digest%20PMI&utm_source=Washington%20Examiner:%20Opinion%20Digest%20PMI%20-%2001/12/15&utm_medium=email
2.
 Senate Advances Keystone Bill, but...  
(Pete Kasperowicz) - More than thirty Senate Democrats on Monday voted against the idea of starting work on a bill to approve the Keystone oil pipeline, even though no Democrats at all objected when a similar vote came up in November...when considering the bill was seen as a way to keep Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) in the Senate. The Senate voted 63-32 in favor of a motion to take up the bill, and every “no” vote came from a Democrat or an Independent. With that vote, the Senate confirmed what everyone already knew — that back in November, Democrats didn’t object to the bill due to the purely political reason of trying to help a fellow Democrat who ended up losing her election anyway.       http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/01/12/senate-advances-keystone-bill-but-something-conspicuous-happened-during-the-vote-with-mary-landrieu-gone/
3.
 Protesters at Clinton Foundation to Complain of 'Missing Money'  
(DANIEL HALPER) - Protesters gathered outside the Clinton Foundation in New York City to complain about "missing money" from the Haiti recovery effort from the 2010 earthquake... "In Harlem, people raised their voices to call attention to the missing money," said the local New York City reporter.  "This protest outside the offices of the Clinton Foundation, which helped lead the reconstruction fund." As secretary of state, Hilly Clinton devoted much of her time in 2010 to the Haiti recovery. Is this a scandal in the making?        http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/protesters-gather-clinton-foundation-complain-missing-money-haiti-recovery_823527.html
4.
 Banning jobs for the poor  
(Scott Walter) - Lots of nonprofits “advocate” for the poor, the underpaid and unemployed. They would surely voice their outrage if a lawmaker stood up and said, “It should be illegal to hire the poor!”...How odd, then, that many of the poor’s self-proclaimed advocates have in fact worked and advocated so hard to make it illegal to hire large numbers of those who most need jobs. I refer, of course, to the demands that the legal minimum wage be raised and raised again. This is currently one of the Left’s favorite causes, in part because it is one of the few items on their agenda that enjoys wide support from Americans.       http://www.philanthropydaily.com/banning-jobs-for-the-poor/
5.
 How the West Destroyed Libya  
(Raymond Ibrahim) - The full impact of Western intervention in Libya was recently highlighted during a televised interview of Worlds Apart with guest Hanne Nabintu Herland, a Norwegian author and historian who was born and raised in Africa for 20 years...Herland also pointed out that, according to UN figures, Gaddafi’s Libya was once the most prosperous nation in Africa. While Oksana Boyko, the host, sometimes disagreed with Herland, she agreed about the West’s counterproductive role, pointing out that Gaddafi “was very active in trying to advance women’s rights, he brought a lot of women into universities and the labor force [a thing few people in the West know, as usual, thanks to the “MSM”] and now what people and women in Libya are facing is Sharia [Islamic law], with the possibility of some of them being sold to ISIS fighters as virgin brides.”       http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/raymond-ibrahim/how-the-west-destroyed-libya/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=873c80fc3c-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-873c80fc3c-156509103
6.
 Welcoming Terrorists at the International Criminal Court  
(Deborah Weiss) - Amidst the rise of ISIS and the jihadi attacks in Europe, the International Criminal Court (ICC) admitted the Hamas-linked Palestinian Authority into its ranks, in effect, welcoming terrorists...The Palestinians have long sought statehood. The official narrative proclaims a desire for an independent state in the “occupied territories” of Gaza and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capitol. But in reality, Palestinians consider all of Israel to be “occupied” and many seek the extermination of the State of Israel entirely. Israel and Palestine are bound by the Oslo accords to negotiate for peace through bilateral talks. The premise is that Israel will relinquish land in exchange for peace and security. But when Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, instead of receiving peace, Israel was bombarded with 10,000 Kassam rockets and Palestinians renamed their streets to “honor” jihadi martyrs.       http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/deborah-weiss/welcoming-terrorists-at-the-international-criminal-court/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=873c80fc3c-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-873c80fc3c-156509103
7.
 Western leaders refuse to address threat from radical Islam  
(Pete Hoekstra) - Brian Lilley: Kill them and spit in their faces. Run them over with your cars. This the new video from ISIS with threats against Canada and other Western nations...The propaganda video was posted online by the terrorist group calls on Muslims to use whatever means necessary to kill Canadian civilians, police, members of the military. The video shows footage of the terrorist attacks in Ottawa, Montreal It also calls for American, French, British and Australians to be killed as well. I want to read off an RCMP internal email that I received talking about the video. It says 'The nine-minute video instructs to kill in any manner or way however it may be, not to ask for anyone's advice and not to seek anyone's verdict. Kill the disbeliever whether he is civilian or military, for they have the same ruling.' The RCMP internal email went on to say 'Given the recent terror attacks in France and in Canada, this new threat should be taken seriously.' Pete Hoekstra is former Congressman and former Chair of the House Intelligence Committee. He joins us now from Washington. Congressman I have to ask you is this more of the same or is this to be taken seriously?       http://www.investigativeproject.org/4732/ipt-shillman-fellow-pete-hoekstra-western-leaders#
8.
 CAIR asks Fox News to drop 'Islamophobe' commentators 
(Thomas Lifson) - How do you say "chutzpah" in Arabic?  For that's the most appropriate word to describe a Hamas-linked organization designated by the United Arab Emirates as a terror organization telling an American news operation to stop talking about jihad...Recently, Sean Hannity's outstanding frankness was joined by Bill O'Reilly telling the truth on jihad.  And throughout the day, FNC has featured knowledgeable commenters, in addition to CAIR apologists, in a "fair and balanced" presentation – something CAIR does not want.       http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2015/01/cair_asks_fox_news_to_drop_islamophobe_commentators.html
9.
 MSNBC Blurs Charlie Hebdo Cover During Interview  
(Chuck Ross) - MSNBC blurred the cover of an issue of Charlie Hebdo during an interview with a contributor to the magazine, sticking to its policy of not airing cartoons of Muhammad which Muslims might deem offensive...More embarrassing for the news network, Caroline Fourest, the Charlie Hebdo contributor, predicted during the interview that the network would blur the cover, a decision which she called “the saddest news” she’s heard as journalists around the world rally around the satirical magazine.       http://dailycaller.com/2015/01/13/msnbc-blurs-charlie-hebdo-cover-during-interview-with-magazine-contributor-video/
10.
 Pulosi name Muslim Congressman to House Intelligence Committee 
(Tim Brown) - In a meeting on Tuesday, Minority Leader Nancy Pulosi (D-CA) announced that she would be naming the first Muslim congressman to the House's Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence...Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) was the one indicated by Pulosi to be named to the position in her weekly caucus meeting. Carson, only the second Muslim to be elected to Congress, represents the seventh district of Indiana. This is just the beginning, they will be more to come and then they will start to change our laws to sharia.        http://freedomoutpost.com/2015/01/nancy-pelosi-to-name-first-muslim-congressman-andre-carson-to-house-intelligence-committee/
Getting the facts straight
about Islam’s threat to the civilized world
Kevin Coach Collins

     (coachisright.com) - The typically cowardly way the lowlife Islamists in Paris murdered their prey-de-jour has given rise to a new round of apologia in support of Islam as the so called, “Religion of Peace.”

     The west’s cowardly media and detestable politicians have once again begun to explain the beauty of Islam and proclaim that the very few murders they acknowledge as being connected to Islam are the exceptions rather than the rule.

     While these people are busy trying to tell us the sky is brown up is really down and in is really out the truth cries out to be heard.

     *Those who are adherent Muslims believe that murdering non-believers the surest way to enter paradise upon their death.

     * They believe in the fiery painful ending of the world as a way to find favor with Allah whom they think is God.

* Being sneaky ambushing innocent people and cheating are part of Islam.

     * Muslims use a “holy book” that contains commands to do the following despicable acts:

     ”But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.”

  • Muslims believe women are little more than specialized farm animals and breeding new Muslims is their only purpose in life.
  • Muslims believe their god wants them to take control of every country on earth by whatever means may be necessary.
  • Becoming a Muslim is a one way street. One can never leave Islam. Those who do are marked for death and become walking tickets to paradise for any thug willing to kill him/her because this is what Allah tells them to do. It is because of this “once in, never out” law that anyone who understands the basics of Islam knows Barack nObama is a Muslim.

     He went to a Muslim a school as a child and since becoming a Muslim is accomplished by merely saying “Allah is God there is no God but Allah” three times and attending a single Friday afternoon service in a mosque, it is impossible that nObama had not fulfilled this requirement. Therefore it is a certainty that he is a Muslim.   

  • There head of the CIA John Brenan is a Muslim convert.

     Given all of these facts, allowing Islamists to come to America is sheer madness and an abrogation of our government’s responsibility to protect us.  Don’t be fooled. They want to kill every last one of America’s non-believers and that includes you and me.      

Get your free PDF of Coach’s book “Crooks Thugs& Bigots: the lost, hidden and changed history of the Democrat Party.” If you don’t know the truth all you’ll have are Democrat lies.

http://www.coachisright.com/getting-facts-straight-islams-threat-civilized-world/

Read more…

Wednesday Afternoon - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 14, 2015 at 11:19am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
In the latest sex scandal
the Clinton and Prince Andrew
parts are believable, but Alan Dershowitz?
Kevin Coach Collins
"Know who you are standing with"
"Show me your friends and I'll show you your future"
~~~lll~~~
 
 U.S. Denies Jihadist Motivation for Paris Attacks  
The man who attacked a Kosher grocery store in Paris, killing four hostages and a policewoman in violent support of the jihadis who attacked the office of Charlie Hebdo, declared allegiance to ISIL. In a YouTube video, he said, "What we are doing is completely legitimate." With al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula allegedly funding and directing the attack on the Charlie Hebdo office, the Director General for MI5 (British intelligence) made a rare appearance to warn, "A group of core al-Qaida terrorists in Syria is planning mass casualty attacks against the West." The Canadian Prime Minister also didn't mince words about the threat of Muslims waging jihad against the West: "They have declared war on any country like ourselves that values freedom, openness and tolerance." But the United States, the home of the free and land of the brave, is still waffling on whether the Paris attacks were perpetrated by jihadis. U.S. State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf said, "First, I think, again, there are a lot of unknowns here. We're certainly not jumping to conclusions." Heaven forbid she call a spade a spade.  -The Patriot Post
 Democrats Start Session by Filibustering Keystone  
Even though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tried to work with Democrats in the upper chamber, the Democrat Party has dug in and started to filibuster the bipartisan bill authorizing the Keystone XL pipeline. "The proceedings represented a role-reversal from the last Congress," The Washington Times reports, "when Democrats tried to push bills to the floor only to face a GOP filibuster. In many of those cases, however, Republicans said they were filibustering because Democrats -- led by Sen. dinky Harry Reid -- blocked out all amendments. This time around, Mr. McConnell promised to allow amendments from all sides." It seems like Democrat senators are trying to defend Barack nObama from conservative legislation, which is puzzling. nObama has unsheathed the veto pen and he loses nothing politically by using it. Yet Democrats have decided this is the legislation on which to begin their campaign as obstructionists -- a term they used to label Republican lawmakers for years. Hypocrisy at its finest. At this point, the GOP is only four votes shy of being able to override a veto. More...  -The Patriot Post
 The Financial Planner You Should Avoid  
"Don't buy something you can't afford." That was Barack nObama's advice to home buyers as he announced a plan to cut mortgage insurance rates through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. "That $900 can go toward grocery, gas [or] children's education. ... That's money back in the economy," he said. Of course, the irony of this president lecturing people on what they can't afford is rich. He began his presidency with a near-trillion dollar boondoggle called the "stimulus" that not only failed to boost the economy but jacked up federal spending and deficits to record highs. Translation: He bought something all of us put together couldn't afford, so don't take financial advice from him. More...  -The Patriot Post
 nObamaCare Takes Nearly 10% of Median Paycheck  
nObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber said in 2009 the "Affordable" Care Act "really doesn't bend the cost curve." Today, skyrocketing prices are being felt by Americans who go to work, earn a paycheck and have health insurance (i.e., middle class America). The law is compelling millions of Americans to get more coverage, which in turn is taking a bigger bite out of paychecks. The Chicago Tribune reports, "Workers continue to be squeezed by rising insurance costs, eroding benefits and stagnant wages, the report from the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund found. Nationwide, the average contribution an employee made to an insurance premium in 2013 and the average deductible together represented 9.6% of the median income of American households with members under age 65." In 2003, Americans were spending 5.3% of their income on health insurance. Gruber was right. And while Americans are compelled to spend almost 10% on health care, the government still demands its share of earnings. More... -The Patriot Post
 
 
 
1.
 CENTCOM sites hacked, publish pro-Islamic State propaganda  
(Thomas Joscelyn) - The official Twitter feed and the YouTube page for US Central Command (CENTCOM) were hacked on Monday...The hacker(s) posted messages threatening CENTCOM staff and warning that "ISIS," an acronym commonly used in the West to describe the Islamic State, had infected CENTCOM's computers. US officials appear to have regained control of the accounts since they were initially compromised. As of this writing, however, CENTCOM's Twitter feed is inactive. CENTCOM uses its Twitter feed to regularly post updates on the airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.       http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/01/centcom_sites_hacked.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LongWarJournalSiteWide+%28The+Long+War+Journal+%28Site-Wide%29%29
2.
 Michigan Public School Board Allows Muslims to Pray 
(Frank Camp) - We—as a society—hate being negatively labeled. We hate it because we’ve learned that once a label is uttered, it usually sticks. Think of any high-profile political personality and certain words will immediately come to mind...Mitt Romney: rich, robotic, flip-flopper. Sarah Palin: dumb, crazy, hick. Ann Coulter: mean, insane, liar. These are the negative labels that have come to define these people in the public consciousness. Though the truth may be entirely different, it doesn’t matter, because the labels have been woven into the fabric of our perception. According to an article from The Christian Post, certain public schools in Michigan have begun to allow prayer in school. I know what you’re thinking. This is outrageous! Isn’t that against the law?! Keep calm, ye separation of church, and state crusaders, for it is not Christians or Jews who are being allowed to pray, but Muslims. Whew! You can all go back to watching today’s Daily Show. This doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. I can pretty much guarantee that the Michigan school board capitulated to CAIR’s requests because they are afraid. Afraid of what? Being labeled a racist, or an Islamophobe.       http://lastresistance.com/9546/michigan-public-school-board-allows-muslims-pray/
3.
 Fox News Video  
Peters: 'President nObama chose the side of the terrorists'. Fox News strategist analysts blasts president for skipping Paris unity rally...       http://video.foxnews.com/v/3984196014001/peters-president-obama-chose-the-side-of-the-terrorists/?cmpid=NL_fntop#sp=show-clips
4.
 Paris march and the continuing rise of the nObama police state  
(Sher Zieve) - Along with millions of others, I watched almost all the Western world's leaders – save one – standing in Paris against Islamists and for the right to free speech after the malevolent and bloody onslaught...I thought it interesting and potentially stalwart but, then asked myself why didn't these leaders stop the influx of ravenous and unrelenting Islam into their countries earlier? I also thought – as I suspect most if not all of the world leaders did – that nObama stands with the Islamic terrorists...not with the humans...and he always has. I hope all of the aforementioned leaders know that now. Because he support the Islamic bloodlusters and the march didn't glorify him, nObama was a no-show and instead sent lackey Eric Holder – who made the statement that the nObama regime (aka syndicate) is "at war with lone wolf terrorists." I guess that means they didn't really care about the multiple terrorists performing attacks in Paris. Eric Holder looked bored and not at all pleased to be there. The nObama syndicate will not be swayed by what Big Boss nObama considers to be unimportant and petty attacks on our neighbors and allies while he is working to totally destroy the USA and subjugate its people with his growing Police State. Besides, as mentioned before, it wasn't about him anyway and he wouldn't be able to take his "selfies" with world leaders. Darn!
5.
 Defending Islam from free speech  
(Robert C. Blitt) - The OIC, whose member states range from moderate U.S. allies such as Jordan to adversaries such as Iran, describes itself as the world's largest international body after the United Nations...For more than a decade, "the collective voice of the Muslim world" has spread the belief that any insult directed against the Muslim faith or its prophet demands absolute suppression. Quashing "defamation of Islam" is enshrined as a chief objective in the organization's charter. With countless internal resolutions, relentless lobbying of the international community and block voting on resolutions advocating a prohibition on defamation of religion at the U.N., the OIC continuously pushes to silence criticism of Islam. Translated into practice inside Islamic nations and increasingly elsewhere, this toxic vision breeds contempt for freedom of religion and expression, justifies the killing of Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and casts a pall of self-censorship over academia and the arts.       http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/01/11/defending-islam-free-speech-muslim-oic-un-hate-speech-criticism-column/21609273/
6.
 Muslim Leaders to Hold ‘Stand with the Prophet’ Rally in Texas  
(Adam Kredo) - Muslim leaders from across America will gather in Texas this weekend to hold the annual Stand With the Prophet in Honor and Respect conference...a weekend forum that is being billed as a “movement to defend Prophet Muhammad, his person, and his message,” according to event information. The Saturday event, which seeks to combat “Islamophobes in America” who have turned the Islamic Prophet Muhammad “into an object of hate,” according to organizers, comes just a week after radicalized Islamists in France killed 17 people. The victims died in events that began with the shooting attack on French newspaper Charlie Hebdo for its satirical cartoons that skewered the prophet.   http://freebeacon.com/issues/muslim-leaders-to-hold-stand-with-the-prophet-rally-in-texas/
7.
 State Depart Refuses, Terror Threat is To Islamic Extremism  
(The Last Refuge) - People keep asking: why won’t the nObama administration admit the terror threat is specifically from Islamic extremists? The reason is simple...They won’t admit it because once the problem is defined, they become responsible for an action plan to address it. The administration does not want to address it, ergo as long as the threat can be obfuscated, no-one will be expected to do anything specific. Hence, when Kelly File guest host Martha MacCallum confronts State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf about why the White House won’t openly say that radical Islam specifically is a major threat to the world – Harf avoids the specifics.       http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2015/01/13/state-department-refuses-to-say-current-terror-threat-specific-to-islamic-extremism/
8.
 Ex-Muslim’s Letter: “What else has to happen so you wake up?”  
(Robert Spencer) - Meet Mark Christian, a brave man who has dedicated his life to exposing what Islam truly is all about...After leaving Islam a decade ago to convert to Christianity, Mark pulls no punches when speaking out about his former religion, frequently calling out the Muslims who choose to murder in the name of their god. The following is an open letter from Mark, not just to Americans, but to those professing to be “peaceful” Muslims. In the light of the recent terror attacks in Paris, this message needs to be heeded and applied before it is too late!     http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/01/ex-muslims-open-letter-to-america-what-else-has-to-happen-so-you-wake-up?utm_source=Jihad+Watch+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=008e605177-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ffcbf57bbb-008e605177-123451509
9.
 America Paying Salaries of Afghan Cops That Don’t Exist  
(Adam Kredo) - The United States continues to pay more than $300 million annually to the Afghan National Police (ANP), and some of that money is going to officers who do not actually exist, according to government officials who warn that fraud and a lack of oversight are causing U.S. taxpayer dollars to be wasted on the force...The United States continues to pay the salaries of ANP officers despite a lack of supervision over the funds and the fact that fraud is rampant among the force, according to a new report by the Special Investigator General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). A U.S. government official familiar with the issue further confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon that American tax dollars are in fact being paid to Afghan police officers who do not actually exist. What the heck is going on State Depart.?       http://freebeacon.com/national-security/u-s-official-america-paying-salaries-of-afghan-cops-that-dont-exist/
10.
 nObama's moral confusion handcuffs America  
(David Limbaugh) - In the wake of President nObama’s pathetic disengagement over the Islamic jihadist attacks on Paris, people are once again decrying his lack of leadership, but the problem is something more fundamental than leadership...Even if nObama were a gifted leader, when it comes to many issues, especially confronting radical Islam, he wouldn’t know where to lead us. If you misapprehend a problem, you can’t possibly navigate, much less lead, toward a solution.       http://www.wnd.com/2015/01/obamas-moral-confusion-handcuffs-america/
In the latest sex scandal
the Clinton and Prince Andrew
parts are believable, but Alan Dershowitz?
Kevin Coach Collins
 
     (coachisright.com) - Throughout his political life former president Bill Clinton has been involved in one sex scandal after another. The guy is horny as a toad.  From Gennifer Flowers to Kathleen Willey, from Paula Jones and Juanita Broaddrick to Monica Lewinsky, Clinton has either wooed his women into bed or just forced himself on them – sometimes violently as in the Broadderick case.

     Now the depraved ex-president’s name has surfaced in a new sex scandal that seems to have “legs.” Recently released court documents show that a woman named Virginia Roberts has alleged that, while she was a minor,  she was pimped by Jeffrey Epstein a millionaire financier and forced to have sex with various friends of his including Prince Andrew of the United Kingdom.  Among the other names that have surfaced is Bill Clinton and most surprisingly Alan Dershowitz, the famous attorney and former Harvard law professor.  Though there is no proof that Clinton had sex with Ms. Roberts or any of the other underage girls under Epstein’s control, it is hard to imagine a horny bee like Clinton not dipping his stinger into a pile of honey someone else had bought for him.  

     Nevertheless, it is the mention of Dershowitz that makes this case so unique. It is Mister Dershowitz’ contention that not only did he never have sex with Ms. Roberts, he never even met her and that the allegations against him are total fabrications.  

     Dershowitz has a strong reputation for honesty and fairness as he sees it. He maintains Virginia Roberts’ story is demonstrably false. He says a review of passenger manifests and his own personal travel itinerary for the period in question 1999 to 2002 will show he was nowhere near this situation. This is a very strong defense; so strong in fact that is raises the question of why the allegation should even include him.

     Could it be that Ms. Roberts is being sold out by someone? Could the answer here be that the name Alan Dershowitz has been injected into this scandal to actually make it look ridiculous? Maybe Ms. Roberts is naïve enough to believe someone telling her that the addition of Dershowitz’s name would fatten her pay day in an “out of court” settlement with the famed attorney and the other friends of Epstein.

     We will eventually get the truth but it won’t be from the American mainstream media. The truth will come from the National Enquirer and British newspapers. Stand by.  
 
 
(As I side note: Seek out Mr Kevin book 'Crooks Thugs and Bigots: the lost hidden and changed history of the Democrat Party?' and others of his books.)
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Wednesday Morning - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 14, 2015 at 4:31am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
Ending Broken Windows?
Matthew Hennessey
"Rise up together as one voice"
"Be careful where you stand"
~~~lll~~~
 
 
 GOOD ECONOMIC NEWS MEANS HILLARY IS READY TO   EMBRACE nOBAMA POLICIES 
The Hill: “Hilly Clinton is ready to run on President nObama’s record when it comes to the economy. Clinton allies say that if the former secretary of State does in fact announce a second bid for the presidency this year, they expect that she’ll tether herself to a main slice of nObama’s legacy. A series of economic reports including Friday’s positive jobs numbers is adding to Democratic confidence that the economy will finally be a winner for nObama in his last two years in office, and that it will help the Democratic White House candidate in 2016. But even as Clinton embraces nObama’s economic record, they expect her to telegraph that more needs to be done to help the middle class, a message nObama will highlight in his State of the Union address later this month. They also predict that Clinton will present policies distinct from those of the nObama administration she served, and even her own husband’s administration, which is regularly credited with presiding over years of strong economic growth.”
          [Politico reports that Democrats held 52 of the top 100 biggest spots for campaign contributions of 2014 with a combined effort of nearly $174 million as compared to $140 million to Republicans.]  -Fox News
American flag animated on a flagpole
 HEADING TO PARIS, Hanoi KERRY CALLS CRITICISM FOR   MISSING MARCH ‘QUIBBLING’ 
Lambasted over President nObama’s decision not to join world leaders in Paris who marched to show unity against terrorism Sunday, the White House is attempting a belated rebound. Fox News: “Secretary of State Hanoi John Kerry called criticism that no top U.S. officials attended Sunday's massive march against terrorism in Paris ‘quibbling’ Monday, even as he announced a trip to the French capital later this week for talks on countering Islamist violence. Hanoi Kerry announced his plans at a press conference in the Indian city of Ahmedabad…’I would have personally very much wanted to have been [in Paris]," Hanoi Kerry said, "but couldn't do so because of the commitment that I had here and it is important to keep these kinds of commitments.’ When asked about criticism directed at the nObama administration for not sending a high-ranking official to take part in the march, Hanoi Kerry said, ‘I really think that this is sort of quibbling a little bit in the sense that our Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland was there and marched, our ambassador [to France Jane Hartley] was there and marched, many people from the embassy were there and marched.’…Hanoi Kerry said he is going to France to reaffirm U.S. solidarity with America's oldest ally. He said as soon as he heard about the march, he asked his team what the earliest time was that he could go. ‘That is why I am going there on the way home and to make it crystal clear how passionately we feel about the events that have taken place there,’”  -Fox News
American flag animated on a flagpole
 Schoen: nObama abdicated role -    New in Fox News Opinion, Fox News Contributor Doug Schoen writes that in deciding to stay home instead of standing with world leaders in Paris, President nObama has “morally abdicated his place as leader of the free world.” “To speak about the most serious terrorist attack on Western soil since 9/11 in between speeches about his free community college plan demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding for the gravity of the situation in Paris and, indeed, the world. To this end, it is not surprising that President nObama is the only Western leader who has refused to call this attack Islamic terrorism, even though President [Francois Hollande] has declared that France is it at war with radical Islam. And to not even send Vice President Loose Lips Joe Biden or Secretary of State Hanoi John Kerry in his place shows a level of disrespect that makes me ashamed of our nation. We are at war with radical Islam. And President nObama needs to say it.”   -Fox News
American flag animated on a flagpole
 White House omits ‘Islamic’ in announcing soft-sided event to fight   terror -   WashEx: “On Sunday the White House announced that President nObama will convene a "Summit on Countering Violent Extremism" on Feb. 18. By ‘violent extremism,’ the White House means the Charlie Hebdo and kosher grocery attacks carried out in Paris last week by Islamic jihadists. The White House has long made a point of leaving the word ‘Islamic’ out of discussions of Islamic terrorism, choosing instead to refer to it as ‘violent extremism.’… The summit will emphasize the soft side of the problem, seeking social scientists and other professionals to address the root causes of what administration officials refer to as a ‘really negative’ ideology.  -Fox News
American flag animated on a flagpole
 WITH YOUR SECOND CUP OF COFFEE... 
What time is it? Well, depends on who you ask. The Atlantic examines a unique and relatively unknown phenomenon that could have major implications over time, more precisely the evolution of time and the precise calendar. Demetrios Matsakis, the chief scientist for Time Services at the U.S. Naval Observatory, “believes that the world should abandon ‘leap seconds,’ the global fiction that keeps a year of Coordinated Universal Time the same length as a solar year.” Leap seconds derive from the evolution that humanity no longer relies on the sun and moon to determine time. As a result, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service adds or subtracts a second to keep everything on time. Official policy as determined by the State Department leaves the United States against leap seconds. As to why, Matsakis said, “[Y]ou know [the leap second] exists. Your readers will know it exists for a month, then they’ll forget.” But for those who don’t account for it, including commercial software programmers, the results can be catastrophic. When the last leap second was added in 2012, Reddit, LinkedIn, Yelp and Qantas Airlines all suffered issues including flight delays. But such a slow gap will only be one minute between now and the end of this century, such a gradual march will be worth it Matsakis said.  -Fox News
American flag animated on a flagpole
 
 
 
1.
 Fight erupts over university's censorship of student speech 
(Michael F. Haverluck) - The censorship of student speech at Marquette University has drawn the attention of several outside organizations, with one legal team demanding the reinstatement of a professor...who blogged about an argument in which a teacher allegedly warned a student that any criticism of same-sex “marriage” and its related issues was banned. The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, or WILL, has written a letter demanding that the school reinstate professor John McAdams to his tenured position because the university’s suspension over his advocacy for academic freedom violated the school’s own commitment to that cause, as well the professor’s contract. WILL’s letter noted that because of the extremely narrow confines of freedom of speech on campus, the university itself would be considered guilty of harassment.       http://www.wnd.com/2015/01/fight-erupts-over-universitys-censorship-of-student-speech/
2.
 Wall Street Journal No Longer Politically Correct on Islam 
(Bryan Fischer) - The Wall Street Journal is the most widely read newspaper in America. When it speaks, people listen. And they should, especially to today’s editorial on the dangers of Islam, written in the aftershock of the Muslim attack in Paris...The Journal points out that Syria has become the “Grand Central Station” of jihad, and quotes Andrew Park of Britain’s MI5: “A group of core al Qaeda terrorists in Syria is planning mass casualty attacks against the West…We face a very serious level of threat that is complex to combat and unlikely to abate significantly for some time.” In other words, Islam is at war with us, and the war is a long way from being over.       http://sonsoflibertymedia.com/2015/01/wall-street-journal-no-longer-politically-correct-islam/
3.
 Andrea Tantaros Drops a Bombshell About nObama and Terrorism  
(conservativetribune.com) - Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly was recently taken to school by fellow Fox News host Andrea Tantaros on a key issue surrounding the fight against terrorism and nObama’s soft stance toward radical Islam...The debate on whether the United States and the rest of the West are doing enough to stop the spread of Islamic terrorism has exponentially increased over the past week due to the cowardly terrorist attack that claimed the lives of ten journalists at the offices of French newspaper Charlie Hebdo. When O’Reilly asked Tantaros if it was true that America doesn’t have a hard and fast policy to defeat Islamic jihadists, Tantaros not only agreed, but took a bold step into the realm of truth.    http://conservativetribune.com/tantaros-bombshell-on-obama/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=936184&utm_campaign=0
4.
 Judge Jeanine Pirro: We Need to Kill Them!  
(Joe Saunders) - Savaging the nObama administration’s sorry record of dealing with Islamist terrorism, Judge Jeanine Pirro warned Saturday night...that a six-year record of appeasement toward Islamists had only placed American lives in danger. “It is time for this to be over,” Pirro said in the beginning of her “Opening Statement” on “Justice with Judge Jeanine.”       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w2ZS231BAQ
5.
 Attacks of Radical Islam Know No Boundaries  
(Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein) - If these audacious and despicable attacks teach us anything, the lesson was summed up for us by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video address to the French people... “The attacks of radical Islam know no boundaries … The terrorists want to destroy our freedoms and our civilization.” Another one of our strongest world leaders, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, echoed Netanyahu’s words, when he said, “The international jihadist movement has declared war … They have declared war on any country like ourselves that values freedom, openness, and tolerance … And we may not like this and wish it would go away, but it is not going to go away and the reality is that we are going to have to confront it.” As Christians and Jews, we are all part of this fight, and it is a fight we must engage in – and win – together. Our response must be clear and unambiguous, and we must speak with one voice. As Jews and Christians we should be just as quick to defend the principle of individual rights – a principle based on our shared Judeo-Christian heritage – as others are to attack them. We must be as quick to reject violence in defense of some misbegotten idea of faith as others are to resort to it. And we must redouble our efforts to fight terror wherever and whenever it occurs.       http://www.ifcj.org/site/News2?abbr=sfi_&page=NewsArticle&id=46117&news_iv_ctrl=3342&s_src=SFIEN&s_subsrc=EN11501XXEXXA&utm_campaign=sfi%20enews&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
6.
 Yes They Are: U.S. Weapons Going to Iranian-backed Militias  
(Thomas R. Eddlem) - According to a damning report from Bloomberg News January 8, “U.S. weapons intended for Iraq’s beleaguered military are winding up in the possession of the country’s Shiite militias,” militias that are allied with Iran...nObama administration officials publicly denied the weapons transfers even as other nObama officials privately confirmed the transfers to Bloomberg. “We have no reason to believe that there is any effort by the Iraqi government to transfer U.S.-supplied weapons to Shia militia,” White House spokesman Alistair Baskey told Bloomberg News. Bloomberg posted one photo from Facebook of an Iraqi militia member with a U.S.-made Abrams tank draped in a Hesbollah flag. Hesbollah, which means “party of God” — a Lebanese Shiite political party that used guerrilla warfare and terrorism against Israel during its occupation of the Golan Heights — has been labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. I don't believe this admin and they would cover up anyting negative towards them.       http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/19879-of-course-they-are-u-s-weapons-going-to-iranian-backed-militias
7.
 Holder, in Paris for terror talks, not seen at unity march  
(FoxNews.com) - Secretary of State Hanoi John Kerry announced Monday that he would travel to Paris later this week amid sharp criticism that no top U.S. official attended Sunday's march against terrorism in the French capital...More than 40 world leaders marched arm in arm through Paris to rally for unity and freedom of expression and to honor the 17 victims killed over three days of terror attacks. However, neither President nObama nor Vice President Loose Lips Biden nor Hanoi Kerry were among them. Attorney General Eric Holder, in Paris to attend a meeting on fighting terrorism, also did not participate.       http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/11/holder-is-top-administration-official-in-paris-for-terror-talks-not-seen-in/
8.
 What is Ignorance, Tolerance and Corruption Breeding in America? 
(Bradlee Dean) - Friends, can you imagine our forefathers George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, etc. sitting across the table from the likes of Barack Hussein nObama, dinky Harry Reid, Nancy Pulosi, Hanoi John Kerry etc.?...They would be speaking two different languages, would they not? The forefathers advocated freedom by establishing the rights that God gave. On the other side of the table, we have the devil and his lawless minions distorting every word that our forefathers intended in an attempt to bring a people into bondage by enslaving them through slow and incremental encroachments. Our forefathers would call for a reformation with a call back to the Christian religion and morality, which are the essential pillars of American society!       http://patriotupdate.com/articles/ignorance-tolerance-corruption-breeding-america/
9.
 Oh Goodie: nObama To Host “Anti-Violent Extremism” Summit  
(nicedeb) - President No-Show will host an “anti-violent-extremism” summit next month. This will be worse than useless, because not only is nObama determined not to name the enemy that actually threatens us, thus not diagnosing the problem and making no headway toward solving it...But he will be tempted to name phantom “enemies” that pose no threat to anyone – just to be fair. “On February 18, 2015, the White House will host a Summit on Countering Violent Extremism to highlight domestic and international efforts to prevent violent extremists and their supporters from radicalizing, recruiting, or inspiring individuals or groups in the United States and abroad to commit acts of violence, efforts made even more imperative in light of recent, tragic attacks in Ottawa, Sydney, and Paris,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement. If you think that nObama won’t use this as an opportunity crack down on conservative religious groups, you haven’t been paying attention for the past 6 years.       https://nicedeb.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/oh-goodie-obama-to-host-anti-violent-extremism-summit/
10.
 nObama's math doesn't add up on free tuition, critics say  
(Brian Hughes) - President nObama’s plan to provide free tuition to community college students has landed with a thud among number crunchers, who argue that overburdened states cannot afford to fund the White House idea...As a political strategy, “free tuition” is as appealing a message as nObama could devise heading into his final two years in office. But when pressed on funding the measure, it gets messier for the White House. Even if nObama had the backing of Republicans to spend $60 billion in federal funds on the education program — he doesn’t — the White House still would have a money problem.       http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/obamas-math-doesnt-add-up-on-free-tuition-critics-say/article/2558466

 
Ending Broken Windows?
Matthew Hennessey

     (city-journal.org) - It’s hard to miss the irony: the same people who have called for an end to Broken Windows-style policing in New York City now blast cops for engaging in a work slowdown. According to the New York Post, the NYPD essentially stopped writing tickets for minor offenses in the week following the December 20 assassination of officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu. A New York Times editorial called the slowdown a “public act of extortion” and called on the leaders of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association to abandon it. “Do your jobs,” the Times said. “The police are sworn public servants and refusing to work violates their oath to serve and protect.”

     Perhaps the Times should first resolve for itself what the cops’ job is. In a July 2014 editorial titled BROKEN WINDOWS, BROKEN LIVES, the Times  called for “a serious discussion of the future” of Broken Windows, which, it said, has “pointlessly burdened thousands of young people, most of them black and Hispanic, with criminal records.”

     The Times and other critics have never understood Broken Windows and how it brought crime down in New York, Los Angeles, and other cities. Some claim—falsely—that no study has shown it to be effective in reducing crime. They say that crime was going down anyway in the 1990s, due to the booming economy and the waning of the crack epidemic. The NYPD, on this view, simply rode that wave, and the crime reductions that we associate with Broken Windows were merely coincident with the strategy, not the result of it. “Correlation does not imply causation,” they intone, but anyone who lived in New York City in the late 1980s and early 1990s—criminals especially—can testify to the changed attitudes of the NYPD during that period and the resultant effect on civic life. Correlation may not imply causation, but it doesn’t rule it out, either.

     Any reluctance now by cops to enforce against quality-of-life offenses such as public urination, solicitation, and subway-fare jumping—whether the result of anger at Mayor de Blasio or concern about the threats coming in against the department—is a detriment to the city. If it persists, it would mark a glaring contrast with the practices of the last 20 years, during which the NYPD trained a new type of cop, one who aggressively acts to stop crime for the benefit of all—including the 54 million tourists that now visit the city each year. Of course, cops will still arrest criminals and detectives will still solve crimes—after they happen. What they may not do is go out of their way to prevent crime from happening in the first place, which was the great contribution of Broken Windows to the life of the city, to the annoyance of both liberals and libertarians. “The Broken Windows metaphor is one of deterioration,” wrote NYPD commissioner William Bratton and Manhattan Institute senior fellow George Kelling, an original proponent of Broken Windows. “A neighborhood where minor offenses go unchallenged soon becomes a breeding ground for more serious criminal activity and, ultimately, for violence.”
 
     Through quality-of-life enforcement, among other reform measures first adopted in the nineties, the NYPD brought crime in New York City to historic lows. Broken Windows is a key part of the difference between a proactive police force and a reactive one. It’s the difference between cops that look for ways to stop criminals from victimizing neighborhoods and ones that sit in patrol cars drinking coffee and waiting for a 911 call to come in. That commitment to dynamic policing permeated the department, from the cop on the beat to the commissioner. Now, thanks to a year of official slander, public protests, and outright lies, the culture of results and accountability that made the NYPD the finest police force in the world could be at risk.

     A new class of police officers was sworn in just last week. They enter an institution in flux. We will find out shortly whether the NYPD’s culture of excellence can survive the current crisis.

http://www.city-journal.org/2015/eon0105mh.html

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Tuesday Afternoon - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 13, 2015 at 11:50am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
"On & Off The Radar"
Burt Prelutsky
"Know who you are standing with"
"Show me your friends and I'll show you your future"
~~~lll~~~
 
 UN Moves Forward With Anti-Gun Treaty  
Moving crews have packed up desks, lamps, chairs, office supplies and other personal items of numerous Democrat Senate and House offices now vacated after November's election. But in a suite of offices located directly across from the Senate Floor, there were relics from the list of bills that passed the U.S. House and sat without action inside dinky Harry Reid's office. Somewhere in that stack likely sits an anti-gun treaty signed by Secretary of State Hanoi John Kerry. To his credit, outgoing-Senate Majority Leader dinky Harry Reid likely knew the United Nation's Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) (full text here) would never meet the two-thirds majority requirement for ratification. But as of Christmas Eve, the treaty has gone into effect internationally. The UN General Assembly first approved the ATT in April 2013 and Hanoi Kerry signed it on Sept. 24, 2013, amid criticism from the Republican side of the upper chamber's aisle.  -The Patriot Post 
 
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 Civic Virtue in Decline  
As we enter 2015, it's worth looking back on some key cultural indicators from 2014. Here is one bad omen: According to a 2014 Associated Press-GfK poll, Americans' sense of civic virtue is in serious decline. "I don't see any recovery," said Rutgers University Professor Cliff Zukin. "The people who were 40 two decades ago aren't as engaged as the people who were 60 two decades ago. This generational slippage tends to continue." The poll was a reprise of questions asked in 1984, and it focused on six civic-oriented activities: voting, volunteering, jury service, reporting crimes, knowing English and keeping on top of news and public issues. Only voting and volunteering were embraced as enthusiastically as they were 30 years ago, yet even those numbers are not particularly encouraging. Only 28% of Americans consider volunteering a "very important obligation." And while 75% characterize voting a central obligation of citizenship, talk is cheap: Voter turnout in the last presidential election dipped to 57.5% of eligible citizens compared to 62.3% in 2008. Voter turnout in 2014? The 36.4% of eligible citizens who bothered to vote represented the lowest turnout in any election cycle since World War II. -The Patriot Post 
 
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 MITT’S QUALMS ABOUT GOP FIELD DRIVING POTENTIAL RUN 
The $100 million question in the Republican Party today is what flipped Mitt Romney’s switch to the “on” position for another presidential run? Coverage of the 2012 nominee’s field-scrambling announcement to a group of donors on Friday that he was considering another run has focused on Romney’s thoughts on how he would run -- less scripted, more nimble, etc. -- but in a weekend conversation with Fox News, the former Massachusetts governor shed new light on why he went from his “no” of a year ago to a definite “maybe.”
          Romney’s rationale is rooted in his concern that no one in the field of announced or soon-to-be announced candidates looks equal to the task of facing down presumptive Democratic nominee Hilly Clinton and her sprawling campaign apparatus, expected to raise and spend at least $2 billion spread across multiple groups. Romney told Fox News that no one is the field is “better prepared and in a better position” to take on Clinton’s campaign. That’s a pretty bold statement about a field that includes not just Jeb Bush, but also four sitting governors and three U.S. senators.
           While Romney was quick to praise the qualities of the individual candidates themselves, he argued that given Hilly’s huge head start, his unmatched fundraising prowess, ready-to-activate national organization and near-universal name recognition might be necessary to keep the GOP from getting steamrolled. Though Romney put no timetable on his decision, he clearly sees time running short for his party. The famed Iowa Straw Poll is just eight months away and the fundraising hurdles and logistical challenges for candidates starting from scratch are steep indeed. If Romney doesn’t see another candidate who he thinks is ready to compete, he’s ready to run. -Fox News  
 
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 Rubio for... governor? -   Miami Herald: “Marco Rubio is expected to run for president. All that’s really in doubt is the year: 2016, 2020, 2024? What’s not uncertain is that the U.S. senator has a tough decision to make: does he make a longshot bid and give up his seat or does he run for president and then seek reelection? Either way, there’s increasing political chatter that Rubio is well-positioned to run for governor in 2018. And then, if he wins, there’s a good chance Gov. Rubio will run for president — 2020 would be attractive if a beatable Democrat is president. The next presidential year, 2024, an open-seat year, would be more likely. He’ll only be 52.” 
-Fox News  
 
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 Carly back to N.H. -   Boston Globe: “Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett Packard chief executive who unsuccessfully ran for the US Senate in California, will return to New Hampshire next month as she explores a potential Republican bid for president next year. Fiorina is scheduled to give a keynote talk at a Feb. 10 ‘Politics and Eggs’ breakfast, an event sponsored by the New England Council that has become a rite of passage for presidential candidates.” 
-Fox News  
 
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1.
 Congress Respond to the President’s Radical Change in Cuba Policy  
(Ana Quintana) - On Tuesday, December 16, President nObama announced that the U.S. would begin to normalize relations with Cuba. This dramatic policy shift follows the release of American aid worker Alan Gross, who was held hostage for over five years by Castro’s regime, in exchange for three Cuban spies...Choosing to normalize relations with a regime whose chief export has been an aggressive anti-American foreign policy will not advance U.S. interests, let alone facilitate a democratic transition on the island. With the pending economic collapse of Venezuela—Cuba’s primary benefactor—the regime would have lost its main revenue source and, ultimately, its ability to govern under communism. Furthermore, by deciding to normalize relations, the President has justified the regime’s aggression during the Cold War, mass murder, brutal torture, and fomenting of Leftist insurgencies throughout Latin America and Africa.      http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/12/how-congress-should-respond-to-the-presidents-radical-change-in-cuba-policy
2.
 Are low oil prices good or bad?  
(Vaclav Smil) - What do those commentators want? When oil prices reached the all-time peak (in current dollars) of $145.31 on July 3, 2008 (using the West Texas Intermediate, WTI, oil values), they claimed that a rise to $250 a barrel was imminent...and that it would bring the end of modern high-energy economies — but by December 23, 2008, the WTI oil price was down to $30.28, dropping by 79 percent in less than half a year. Now, when the prices are falling, some so-called experts see no downward perimeters, and the very people who yesterday blamed OPEC for pushing prices too high are now wondering why the cartel (which has never had any easy control of the market) does not step in, drastically cut its output, and arrest the price fall because (in a white is black reversal) low oil prices are now widely seen as deeply disruptive.       http://www.aei.org/publication/low-gas-prices-good-bad/
3.
 Lights out  
(James V. DeLong) - His current series is called The Change, and it starts off with a simple premise: one day, electricity stops working. What happens next is not pretty...Stirling is a ruthless realist, and without electricity our civilization is about a week from cannibalism. Heat and water disappear, cars and trucks don’t run, planes fall out of the sky, supermarkets exhaust their few days of food, and the economic system collapses because money, which now mostly consists of electronic blips, vanishes. Since no way exists to move food to people or people to food, some in calorie-rich rural areas survive, but few others, and everywhere within 30 miles of a city becomes a dead zone. The die-off exceeds 99.5 percent. Stirling is not alone in his conclusions about the consequences of a grid blackout. In 2009, historian William Forstchen, who has written some careful alternate history novels with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, published One Second After, the story of a town in North Carolina following a devastating electromagnetic pulse (EMP) event. These works have been followed by a slew of other tales of survival, or lack thereof, in a world without electricity.       http://www.aei.org/publication/lights_out/
4.
 Congress Implicated In nObamacare Scandal  
(judicialwatch.org) - They didn’t fess up willingly. But after we applied the appropriate pressure, government officials responsible for operating the Washington D.C. nObamacare “Small Business Exchange” have finally admitted that Congress is taking advantage of health benefits its members and staff are not entitled to claim...At least 12,359 members of Congress, congressional staffers, and their spouses and dependents currently purchase health insurance in D.C.’s Small Business Exchange even though Congress far exceeds D.C. law’s 50-employee limit for participating in the exchange. That’s why we filed a lawsuit in October on behalf of Kirby Vining, a D.C. taxpayer, against the D.C. Health Exchange Authority.  In a court filing, the D.C. government conceded that, under D.C. law, the U.S. Congress is not permitted to obtain insurance through the District’s Small Business Exchange. But members of the political class, true to form, do not believe the rules apply to them. How do we know?       http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/weekly-updates/congress-implicated-in-obamacare-scandal/
5.
 Can America stop Paris-style terror from coming here? 
(Pamela Geller) - As France reels from two bloody terrorist attacks in as many days, Pamela Geller warns this is just the beginning and unless Americans take action, “Such attacks are coming here.”...In an exclusive interview with WND, the author of “Stop the Islamization of America: A Practical Guide to the Resistance” painted a dire picture of the Western future. Even after the most devastating terrorist attacks in French history, Geller judged that “no European nations are doing anything against Islamization at this time, and I don’t see any indication that any will in the near future.” “There is absolutely no evidence that they’re backing away from efforts to impose ‘hate speech’ laws,” Geller told WND. “In fact, just [earlier this week] a Canadian imam called for the criminalization of satirical cartoons of religious leaders.”
6.
 Tens of thousands march to honor victims of Paris attack  
(FoxNews.com) - "Today, Paris is the capital of the world," said French President Francois Hollande. "Our entire country will rise up toward something better."...Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were among the leaders attending, as were top representatives of Russia and Ukraine. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron were alongside Hollande at the front of the crowd, Sky News reports. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is in Paris this week to attend a meeting on fighting terrorism, but did not participate in the march. There are also no known reports of members of Congress attending the event. Ya, right, nObama and the USA, will stand next to French.        http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/01/11/are-charlie-thousands-to-march-to-honor-victims-paris-attack/
7.
 Fox News Airs ‘Stossel’ Special on HOLLYWOOD HYPOCRITES 
(Daily Surge) - Fox News kicked off 2015 by re-airing a hugely-popular special by John Stossel called “Hollywood Hypocrites.” The featured production, taken from Jason Mattera’s New York Times bestselling book Hollywood Hypocrites...The Devastating Truth About Obama’s Biggest Backers, highlighted a cast of characters in Tinseltown whose sanctimonious lectures bear little resemblance to the way they actually conduct themselves day-to-day. Stossel had Mattera on to talk about three hypocrites in particular: Harrison Ford, Bruce Springsteen, and Jon Bon Jovi — their duplicities exposed on the pages of Hollywood Hypocrites. As Stossel pointed out, Han Solo got his chest waxed on camera to bring awareness to climate change and the environment. It was a stunt for a conservationist group, which is fine and all. Except for this inconvenient detail — Ford at the time owned seven aircraft, including a helicopter, and has stated on the record that he often flies up the coast just to grab a cheeseburger. A cheeseburger!       http://linkis.com/dailysurge.com/2015/Eegu8
8.
 NEA Funds “Dead Cops NOW!” Group  
(theminorityreportblog.com) - We’re long on record as being opposed to the National Education Association (NEA). They are nothing short of an enemy of the state.  Some of our readers think we’re a little over the top on that call. We’re not...Today’s story will demonstrate, once again, that the NEA is Public Enemy #1. The NEA is funding a group in Wisconsin called Wisconsin Jobs Now, a group that has nothing to do with education – so it’s not “for the children” – rather, they are an anti-Scott Walker front group that, when they’re not demonstrating against one of the best governors in the nation, are organizing angry, anti-police protests. The same kind of people who are marching shouting for dead cops NOW!       http://www.theminorityreportblog.com/2015/01/10/nea-funds-dead-cops-now-group/
9.
 Did You Know There Are Muslim ‘No-Go’ Zones In The USA  
(Lauren Richardson) - It starts off innocently enough with them wanting to share a neighborhood with like-minded, religious thinking community dwellers. They slowly grow larger, and incorporate more Muslims into the area, and begin buying up property as fast as it becomes available or leasing it...Then they install their own courts, government, justice and punishment system, Sharia law. At that point threats are aimed at anyone living in the neighborhood that is non-Muslim. These areas have been formed with ‘ethnic cleansing’ harassment tactics; forcing existing residents out of their homes by Muslim provocation and fear of property damage and physical harm. It’s very effective, and the results advantageous to the Muslim community in establishing another ‘no-go Sharia controlled zone.’ In the U.S., Dearborn, Michigan: Over 100,000 Muslims, 45% of the city has settled into their first ‘no-go’ zone. The city and police officials have been sued in many cases that allege discrimination “against Christians” effectively by the authorities applying Sharia law. Dearborn-Dar-al-Islam, (a place governed by Islamic Sharia law). The new idea of ‘no-go’ and ‘no-entry’ is significant, and shockingly being upheld. They provide weapons and guards and government officials in their own societies. They build what they want on their compounds. They have schools inside that their kids are educated in. They are taught their religion in school. No separation of Church (mosque) and State. If Americans don’t wake up and get their heads out of the sand fast, what’s quickly overtaking Europe will consume the United States. Muslim religious beliefs do not supersede state and federal laws; the Constitution is the law of the land. And yet, we are being invaded, and nothing is being done to stop them.       http://truthuncensored.net/there-are-muslim-no-go-zones-in-the-usa/
10.
 6 Times The nObama Admin Said Its Job Was to Promote Islam  
(Ben Shapiro) - The real problem, according to the nObama administration, is lack of leadership in defending Islam...There are some individuals that are using a peaceful religion and grossly distorting it, and trying to use its tenets to inspire people around the globe to carry out acts of violence. And we have enjoyed significant success in enlisting leaders in the Muslim community, like I said, both in the United States and around the world to condemn that kind of messaging, to condemn those efforts to radicalize individuals, and to be clear about what the tenets of Islam actually are.  And we’re going to redouble those efforts in the days and weeks ahead. This, of course, is not the first time the nObama administration has discovered a duty to illuminate the inherent beauty and wonder of Islam. Over and over again, the nObama administration, in high culturally imperialist dudgeon, has attempted to explain to the world the true meaning of Islam. This prove without a shadow of doubts that nObama is a Muslim.       http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/01/08/6-times-the-obama-administration-said-its-job-was-to-promote-islam/
"On & Off The Radar"
Burt Prelutsky
 
     (burtprelutsky.com) - When some people dismiss others as low information voters, they’re not always being fair. For instance, I heard from a lot of readers in 2012 complaining that Mitt Romney didn’t bring up nObama’s Benghazi cover-up in the debates, but I pointed out that because the mass media had done such a good job of ignoring the story that if Romney had mentioned Benghazi, most of the viewing audience would have assumed he was speaking in tongues.

     I mainly knew about it because Fox News had done such a good job of covering the story. But being a successful cable station doesn’t compare to being a major network when it comes to the number of viewers. But as good as Fox is, I still wish it had competition from a cable station that didn’t waste our time with the likes of Juan Williams, Alan Colmes, Geraldo Rivera, Bob Beckel and Mark Hannah. We would get plenty of divergent viewpoints if they concentrated solely on Republicans. Pitting Ted Cruz against John McCain or Rand Paul against Marco Rubio would be a great improvement over watching Juan Williams do his impression of a minstrel man, rolling his eyes in mock horror whenever Bret Baier, Steve Hayes or Charles Krauthammer, disagrees with one of his inane statements.

     Although I get a lot of my news from Fox, I wish they had someone whose sole function is to follow up on things that have been lost in the wake of subsequent events. For instance, when Boko Haram kidnapped those 300 Nigerian school girls, I heard that nObama had sent a few hundred soldiers in to assist in the search, and then I heard nothing more about it. Are the soldiers still looking? Is anyone?

     According to Gallup’s latest poll, nObama’s approval rating has soared to 47%. The theory is that a lot of people applauded his re-opening diplomatic relations with Cuba. Even if they disagree with me and Marco Rubio about that bit of executive action, how is it that millions of us have apparently decided after six years of nObamaCare and the Benghazi, Operation Fast & Furious, VA and IRS scandals that they no longer mattered?

     Mark Twain once joked that he didn’t lie because he didn’t have a very good memory. It seems to me that Barack nObama lies because he doesn’t think we have very good memories, and the same goes for the likes of Nancy Pulosi, dinky Harry Reid, Josh Earnest and Jonathan Gruber. When nearly everything we say or do is recorded on video, you would think they would straighten out their acts, but, apparently, unless you watch Fox, you’d have no idea that these people lie, if for no other reason than to stay in practice.

     But maybe nObama is wise to take our ignorance for granted. After all, even after drawing and then quickly erasing red lines with Russia and Syria, and allowing Iran to make a monkey out of him at the negotiating table, our Commander-in-chief has proven himself to be, in the words of my friend Steve Maikoski, the Great Capitulator.

     In other news, we are told that Justin Bieber is worth $200 million. We have also heard that Oprah Winfrey is worth two billion and Warren Buffet is worth roughly 35 billion. I know it’s just a figure of speech, but I wish we would learn to just say these pinheads have an awful lot of money without suggesting they are worth a plugged nickel.

     After dismissing the movie, “Whiplash,” as a waste of time, a friend let me know he planned to see it because he liked “drum music,” and I congratulated him on coming up with a new and unique oxymoron. But after sitting through 16 other DVDs provided by the studios, all seeking my vote in the WGA award competition, I am wondering why movies even pay editors. When the new releases average 150 minutes, it’s hard to imagine that any footage ends up on the cutting room floor. You would have thought editors had gone the way of those guys who used to provide dialogue titles for silent movies.

     Speaking of movies, I can’t say I was disappointed with “Unbroken,” the story of Louis Zemperini, who first survived 47 days at sea after his plane was shot down during WWII and then, according to Laura Hillenbrand’s book, suffered daily beatings by a sadistic Japanese POW camp commander for two long years. It didn’t ring true in the book and didn’t in the movie.

     It was hard enough to survive in Japanese captivity without having to endure constant torture and no medical attention. I even wrote to Ms. Hillenbrand asking if she had actually managed to confirm what she was told or had simply accepted what Zemperini said as gospel. After all, rumor has it that men, even those in their 90s, have been known to brag to women. So far, I haven’t heard back.

     Because it’s been preying on my mind for years, I would like someone to explain why “Peanuts” has enjoyed such lasting success. I never thought it was a funny comic strip. Not funny or clever or thoughtful, and, what’s more, I thought Snoopy was a bore, even when he went up against the Red Baron. What have I been missing?

     I once heard that the best definition of an optimist was a professional accordionist with a pager. But I have come to believe that Alan Jay Lerner, the lyricist and librettist best known for “Brigadoon,” “Gigi,” and “My Fair Lady,” should have his picture next to the word in the dictionary. This is a man who married for the first time when he was 21 years old. By the time he died 46 years later, at the age of 67, he had been married seven more times. What’s more, he was married for 43 of those years, meaning he averaged less than six months between getting a divorce and once again tying the knot. If that’s not optimism, I don’t know what it is. Well, maybe insanity.

     Because some of my more concerned readers continue to ask how I am doing in the aftermath of the surgery on my hand and arm last January, I am happy to report that the rheumatoid arthritis is no longer plaguing me.

     However, I did suffer an attack of the gout recently. My only prior experience with the condition was seeing old Laurel and Hardy or Charley Chase comedies in which men suffering from the gout would be shown with his inflamed foot wrapped in a Turkish towel. But in spite of the towel, someone was sure to step on his aching foot or slam a car door on it.

     I thought it was very amusing until I was the guy who felt like he had a pin cushion sewn up in his big right toe. I never assumed I would have anything more in common with King Henry VIII than the fact we had both been married more than a couple of times -- though not as often as Alan Jay Lerner -- our occasional disagreements with the pope and our roguish little beards. Too bad it couldn’t have stayed that way.

     Believe me, the gout is no joke. The joke is that it’s commonly referred to as the rich man’s disease and somehow I got it!
 
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Tuesday Morning - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 13, 2015 at 4:45am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
Israel Freezes Funds to 'Palestinians'
Over Application to Hague;
Seeks to Bring War Crimes Prosecutions
Allyn Fisher-Ilan 
 
"Rise up together as one voice"
"Be careful where you stand"
~~~lll~~~
 
 
 Jobs Report: Edge of Real Recovery?  
Michael Strain of the American Enterprise Institute says there are two primary indicators that the U.S. economy has turned around and is finally climbing out of nObama's hole: more Americans getting employment, and workers getting increased wages. Unfortunately, neither happened in the month of December, according to the December Jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Oh sure, the headline numbers were good. About 252,000 people joined the workforce and the unemployment numbers declined by 0.2% to 5.6%. But the overall number of people who are in the cubicles, on the job sites, manning the shops, or dishing out the fast food once again declined in December by 0.2%. Now, only 62.7% of American adults are working. And the average wage has hovered at $24.57 an hour. American workers received an average six-cent wage boost in November, but in December, the average wage declined by five cents. The American economy is showing some signs of recovery but in many ways is still sputtering thanks to nObama's policies. It may begin to take off, if nObama doesn't suddenly decide now's the time to put some water in the gas tank. More...  -The Patriot Post 
Statue of Liberty
 Community College Tuition: 'Free' Is Good, Right?  
Barack nObama dropped a bombshell on the country from 75,000 feet as he was jetting from Detroit to Phoenix during his pre-State of the Union tour: He's going to give out free college education for anyone who gets at least a 2.50 GPA at community college. "Put simply, what I'd like to do is to see the first two years of community college free for everybody who's willing to work for it," nObama said in a video. "That's right, free for everybody who is willing to work for it." The White House Blog said the federal wealth transfer machine will pay 75% of tuition and expect state governments to pay the rest. No word yet on how much it's going to cost or how we're going to pay for it, but we don't doubt that the "wealthy" will be hit up for new taxes to pay for mediocre general education classes. As commentator Mollie Hemingway said, "This six-year high school plan is nObama's totally smartest idea yet." Our question is, why stop at community college? How about all higher education? "Free" stuff is awesome, right? More... 
-The Patriot Post 
Statue of Liberty
 Bible Scholar Perez Wants You to Rip Up the Bible  
The only thing the Bible is good for, in Labor Secretary Thomas Perez's estimation, is justifying all the Left's benevolent big-government ideas. At the AFL-CIO's "Raising Wages" summit, Perez insisted that America must raise the minimum wage because the Bible commands taking care of the poor -- as if earning a wage is receiving charity and government compulsion changes people's hearts. "This is really about biblical teachings," Perez pontificated. "This is about what is taught in the Koran and what is in the Torah and what we learn about making sure we 'do unto others.' ... Take the Bible and rip up every page that has a reference to the need to help the poor and the underserved, and the Bible turns into, like, a Newsweek magazine. And that's what this is about. This is about who we are as a nation." Perez apparently fancies himself a scholar of holy texts, and yet he recommends ripping up the Bible to divine its true meaning. (Reader advisory: Results may differ if you do the same with the Koran.) Wonder what he thinks about the passages admonishing Liberty and limited government, like God's warning to Israel about wanting a king. Or did he rip those passages out too? More...  -The Patriot Post 
Statue of Liberty
 Forget Peace, Islam Wants Death  
Of all the questions about Wednesday's dastardly terrorist attack in Paris, the one that has the clearest answer regards the motivation: Kill those who oppose Islam in any way. The Religion of Peace™ has now claimed at least 15 victims in multiple attacks -- all in the name of Allah. Even as police have surrounded the suspects, who insist they "want to die as martyrs," the Left is bending over backward to make apologies for them. Sure, victims received an outpouring of support both in Europe and here in America. Reporters, writers, cartoonists and government officials condemned the attack. But if that kind of support existed when the Charlie Hebdo offices were bombed in 2012, maybe Stéphane Charbonnier, his colleagues and the two unarmed police officers who were nearby would still be alive. There is no reasoning with these maniacal and radical Islamic fundamentalists. Our own fearless leader, Barack nObama, has spent much time in his presidency going through linguistic gymnastics to deny that terror attacks like the one in Paris are related to Islam. "Islam teaches peace," he told us. Worse, the lesson nObama drew from the Sept. 11, 2012, murders of American Ambassador Christopher Stephens and three other Americans at the embassy in Benghazi, Libya, was this: "The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam."  -The Patriot Post 
Statue of Liberty
 
 The Auto Bailout Victory Lap  
In advance of his upcoming State of the Union Address on Jan. 20, Barack nObama kicked off a three-state tour in Michigan highlighting what he considers to be some of the accomplishments of his tenure. His Wednesday speech came from a Ford assembly plant near Detroit, touting his auto bailout. The president said he "didn't want to wait for the State of the Union to talk about all the things that make this country great and how we can make it better. ... I thought I'd get started this week." But there was little in the way of new policy discussion. nObama instead filled his speech with pandering to Detroit Lions fans still smarting over last week's controversial playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys, longing for the new Mustang, and doling out his version of our recent economic story -- one which included his auto industry bailout saving the day. Unfortunately, that bailout came at a cost to taxpayers of nearly $10 billion. And while nObama dubiously insisted that doing nothing would have caused suppliers and distributors to go under along with automakers, the resulting bankruptcy procedure enriched the United Auto Workers at the expense of bondholders and non-union pensioners. A typical bankruptcy may have instead allowed GM and Chrysler to cut costs significantly, with any production stoppage being laid at the feet of the UAW's refusal to make concessions in order to save their workers' jobs. What we got instead was a couple years of "Government Motors" ownership and Chrysler being gift-wrapped by the UAW and presented to Italian automaker Fiat.  -The Patriot Post 
Statue of Liberty
 
 
 
1.
 Navy SEAL's Top Security Advice for 2015  
(Jonathan Gilliam) - 2014 was a year full of exploitations of gaps in security and growing threats that face the United States. Looking back at the crisis and incidents of 2014, it’s easy to make educated predictions about what security vulnerabilities are most likely on our enemies’ hit list in the year to come...2014 saw a rapidly scaled back approach to fighting overseas war and a breakdown of proactive military planning. This weakened the already shaky U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security and set the precedence for 2015. Likewise, border security also took an amazing hit in 2014 simply because politics trumped safety, preventing any real effective improvement. This lack of action enlarged the country’s most vulnerable avenues of approach that allows millions of unchecked people to cross into the U.S. every year. As ISIS emerged as the major player in international terrorism with billions of dollars at their disposal, a thirst for nuclear weapons, and a dialogue of direct threats to the U.S., a lack of border security has created 360 degrees of attack possibilities.       http://www.hannity.com/articles/news-476261/navy-seals-top-security-advice-for-13129831#ixzz3OLnWAjFH
2.
 FBI and Justice Dept. Said to Seek Charges for Petraeus  
(MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and MATT APUZZO) - The F.B.I. and Justice Department prosecutors have recommended bringing felony charges against David H. Petraeus, contending that he provided classified information to a lover while he was director of the C.I.A. ...officials said, and leaving Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to decide whether to seek an indictment that could send the pre-eminent military officer of his generation to prison. The Justice Department investigation stems from an affair Mr. Petraeus had with Paula Broadwell, an Army Reserve officer who was writing his biography, and focuses on whether he gave her access to his C.I.A. email account and other highly classified information. F.B.I. agents discovered classified documents on her computer after Mr. Petraeus resigned from the C.I.A. in 2012 when the affair became public. Why is this coming up after 2 years?       http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/10/us/politics/prosecutors-said-to-recommend-charges-against-former-gen-david-petraeus.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=1
3.
 TERRORIST NATION  
(TruthRevoltOriginals) - From the murder of the Israeli athletes in the Munich Olympics in 1972, through the murder of 5 rabbis at prayer in 2014...the Palestinian cause has been driven by TERROR. In his latest Firewall Bill Whittle discusses their domestic front -- Students for Justice in Palestine.       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qFjV9kQ5yQ
4.
 Al Qaeda turncoat: US nail Al-Awlaki warns of more sleeper cells  
(Perry Chiaramonte) - A former Danish motorcycle gangster who joined Al Qaeda, only to become a double agent who claims to have helped the U.S. hunt down one of the terrorist organization's top leaders...said this week's attacks in Paris prove that sleeper cells are positioned around the west, ready to carry out fresh attacks. Morten Storm, who, as an informant for Denmark’s national intelligence agency Security and Intelligence Service (PET), had first-hand dealings with Anwar Al-Awlaki while the U.S.-born cleric was head of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, said western countries must  protect themselves by canceling the citizenships of homegrown radicals who travel to the Middle East to fight or train. Once radicalized, homegrown jihadists can easily blend into society until given the signal to strike, he said.       http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/01/09/al-qaeda-turncoat-who-helped-us-nail-al-awlaki-warns-more-sleeper-cells/
5.
 Zinke: nObama Foreign Policy ‘Provides Fuel for Terrorism’  
(Bill McMorris) - Congress’ first Navy SEAL says that President nObama’s “reckless” foreign policy has emboldened Islamic terrorists to carry out deadly attacks in France and Australia...Freshman Rep. Ryan Zinke (R., Mont.), a retired Navy commander, said that the administration’s handling of terrorist threats in the Middle East and the failure to combat the Islamic State (IS or ISIS) in Syria has left Western countries vulnerable to terrorist strikes. “This administration’s inaction and lack of commitment and resolve in fighting ISIS provides fuel for terrorism. It gives them hope that they can win and it has ramifications worldwide.”       http://freebeacon.com/national-security/zinke-obama-foreign-policy-provides-fuel-for-terrorism/
6.
 Jay Sekulow on Fox News: Saeed Still in Prison for his Faith  
(aclj.org) - This weekend I appeared on Fox News’ Justice with Judge Jeanine alongside Pastor Saeed’s wife Naghmeh...I discussed how the nObama Administration has decreased sanctions on Iran, but the big question remains: what have we gotten in return?. Pastor Saeed is still suffering in an Iranian prison because of his Christian faith. The nObama Administration is sitting across the table from the Iranians as Naghmeh’s husband and the father of her two children remains in a brutal prison – now more than two years. This Administration can and must do more. As I told Judge Jeanine, the nObama Administration must use the opportunity to demand this U.S. citizen’s release. Let Pastor Saeed go.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tY29H6Jbsw
7.
 Another Ex-Con, Terrorist Attack - The Danger in Closing Gitmo  
(Patrick Dunleavy) - Said Kouachi, Cherif Kouachi, and Amedy Coulibaly, the radicalized Islamic terrorists who brutally murdered police, journalists, and civilians in the streets of Paris share a common theme...with other Muslim terrorists such as Mohammed Merah (Toulouse, France Massacre 2012) Alton Nolen (the Oklahoma beheading), Michael Zehaf Bibeau (Attack on Canadian Parliament) and Carlos Bledsoe (Arkansas Army Recruiting Station). All spent time behind bars. This list would be larger if we included those arrested for plotting terrorist attacks that were thwarted by counter-terrorism officials. Now we are discovering that at least two of the Paris attackers received training in Yemen from al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). More disturbing is that while there they met with noted al-Qaida bomb maker Said Shihri. Shihri spent almost six years in prison for terrorism before his release in 2007. His was incarcerated at Camp Delta Detention Center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. U.S. officials released him to a Saudi Arabian rehabilitation program designed to help captured terrorists re-acclimate themselves into society. The program clearly did not work.       http://www.investigativeproject.org/4729/guest-column-another-ex-con-another-terrorist
8.
 Reconsidering Islamic immigration in wake of Muslim attack in Paris 
(Bryan Fischer) - As Bill O’Reilly pointed out this week, France is now reaping the bitter fruit of virtually unrestrained Islamic immigration...This week, at the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, three Muslims took it upon themselves to massacre 10 journalists and two (unarmed) policemen in the name of Allah.  The response of our political leaders to the Paris attack has been typically feckless and hypocritical. President nObama has leapt to the defense of the cartoonists at Charlie Hebdo who ridiculed Mohammed, while just two-and-a-half years ago locking up a filmmaker whose movie simply told the truth about the founder of Islam.  Were nObama to be consistent with his 2012 self, he would have insisted that any surviving journalists at Charlie Hebdo be immediately imprisoned for a year in the cell next to Nakoula Nakoula for offending the Islamic world.       http://sonsoflibertymedia.com/2015/01/reconsidering-islamic-immigration-wake-muslim-attack-paris/
9.
 The Terror Attack In France Is Much Larger Than We Think  
(Walid Shoebat) - Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula is said to have directed the attack against the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris “as revenge for the honor” of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, a member of the group told The Associated Press on Friday...Shoebat.com had obtained yesterday more clues as to the extent of this operation linking it with ISIS as we will shortly discuss. Also Middle Eastern sources stated that ISIS claimed responsibility: “Abu Saad Ansari leader of all ISIS imams and preachers announced in a mosque in Mosul during Friday prayers that the France operations is a message to all the international coalition countries and will be repeated next in Britain and America. Sheikh al-Ansari said, “The operations of France is a message to all countries of the coalition that participated bombed and killed dozens of our organization in Mosul.” He added: “We adopted the operation in France today and tomorrow it will be Britain and the United States and others and we will carry out a decisive response.”       http://shoebat.com/2015/01/09/terror-attack-france-much-larger-think-will-get-bloodier-going-streets-america/
10.
 Hilly Clinton Adviser Huma Abedin Magically Escapes Honor Killing  
(Ben Barrack) - Saudi Arabia isn’t just governed by a strict interpretation of sharia law. It prohibits the public practice of any other religion; it is also Judenrein. Apostasy is considered much worse than being a Jew and is worthy of death...A Muslim woman marrying a Jew is about the most unspeakable crime a Saudi woman can commit. That is what makes the recent trip of close Hilly Clinton adviser Huma Abedin to Saudi Arabia quite inexplicable if she is not a spy for the Muslim Brotherhood. Joining Huma in what should have been seen as a dishonor to the family was Huma’s sister Heba Abedin. Instead, Huma traveled to Saudi Arabia without fear of death for her crime. Despite being married to Anthony Weiner (a Jew), Huma Abedin (a Muslim) was allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia to witness her mother Saleha being honored by Dar al-Hekma University, where Saleha works as a Vice Dean. As a leader with the Muslim Sisterhood, Saleha should have been dishonored by her daughter’s marriage four years ago. Yet, Huma is permitted to attend the honoring of her Muslim Sisterhood mother at a Muslim fundamentalist University. Once again we see evidence that Huma is an agent of the Brotherhood, not the innocent, moderate Muslim she is portrayed as being.  http://shoebat.com/2015/01/08/though-married-jewish-man-hillary-clintons-muslim-adviser-huma-abedin-travels-saudi-arabia-sister-heba-see-mother-honored-islamic-university/
Israel Freezes Funds to 'Palestinians'
Over Application to Hague;
Seeks to Bring War Crimes Prosecutions
Allyn Fisher-Ilan 
 
     (jewishworldreview.com) - Israel has decided to withhold critical tax revenue from the Palestinians and is seeking ways to bring war crimes prosecutions in the United States and elsewhere against President Mahmoud Abbas and other senior figures, Israeli officials said on Saturday.

     The moves are in retaliation for moves by the Palestinians to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, with the aim of prosecuting Israelis for what they consider war crimes committed on their territory.

     On Friday they delivered documents to U.N. headquarters in New York on joining the Rome Statute of the ICC and other global treaties, saying they hoped to achieve “justice for all the victims that have been killed by Israel, the occupying power”.

     The ICC was set up to try war crimes and crimes against humanity such as genocide. Israel and the United States object to unilateral approaches by the Palestinians to world bodies, saying they undermine prospects for negotiating a peaceful settlement of the decades-old Middle East conflict.

     In a first punitive response to Abbas’ approach to the ICC, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided in consultation with senior ministers on Thursday to withhold a monthly transfer of tax revenue totaling some 500 million shekels ($125 million), an Israeli official said on Saturday.

     The funds are critical to running the Palestinian Authority, which has limited self-rule, and paying public sector salaries. Israel took a similar step in December 2012, freezing revenue transfers for three months in anger at the Palestinians’ launch of a statehood recognition campaign at the United Nations.

     Under interim peace deals from the 1990s, Israel collects at least $100 million a month in duties on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.

     In addition to the revenue freeze, an Israeli official said Israel was “weighing the possibilities for large-scale prosecution in the United States and elsewhere” of President Abbas and other senior Palestinians.

     Israel would probably press these cases via non-governmental groups and pro-Israel legal organizations capable of filing lawsuits abroad, a second Israeli official said, explaining how the mechanism might work.

     Israel sees the heads of the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank as collaborators with Hamas militant Islamists in Gaza because of a unity deal they forged in April, the officials said.

     Netanyahu has previously warned that unilateral moves by the Palestinian Authority at the U.N. would expose its leaders to prosecution over support for Hamas, viewed by Israel as a terrorist organization.

     Hamas “commits war crimes, shooting at civilians from civilian-populated areas,” one official said, referring to the war in Gaza last summer in which more than 2,100 Palestinians and more than 70 Israelis died.

     Palestinians seek a state in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East War.

     Momentum to recognize a Palestinian state has built since Abbas succeeded in a bid for de facto recognition at the U.N. General Assembly in 2012, which made Palestinians eligible to join the ICC.

     The United States, Israel’s main ally, supports an eventual independent Palestinian state, but has argued against unilateral moves like Friday’s, saying they could damage the peace process.

     Washington sends about $400 million in economic support to the Palestinians every year. Under U.S. law, that aid would be cut off if the Palestinians used membership in the ICC to press claims against Israel.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0115/hague_repricussions.php3

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Monday Afternoon - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 12, 2015 at 12:38pm
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
White House Climate Lunacy
Alan Caruba
"Know who you are standing with"
"Show me your friends and I'll show you your future"
~~~lll~~~
 
 A.G. confirmation hearings set -   Politico: “Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley [R-Iowa] plans to hold confirmation hearings for attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch in the last week of January or the beginning of February, an aide said Wednesday. ‘He has spoken with the White House Counsel about this goal, and the White House was agreeable to this timetable,’ Grassley’s spokeswoman, Beth Levine, said in an email. The nomination of Lynch, who was chosen late last year to replace outgoing attorney general Eric Holder, will be one of the highest profile confirmations that the new GOP majority in the Senate will take up early this year.”  -Fox News 
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 dinky Reid ramps up for 2016 challenge -   The Hill: “Senate Majority Leader dinky Harry Reid’s [D-Nev.] chief of staff David Krone is stepping down although he will still advise dinky Reid, according to a source familiar with the staff shakeup. The source said Krone will be replaced by Drew Willison, a longtime senior aide to dinky Reid who recently served as Senate Sergeant-at-Arms. The source added that Krone ‘will have a major role’ on dinky Reid’s re-election campaign. The move dovetails with dinky Reid’s plans to run for re-election in 2016 because Willison oversaw important legislative projects for Nevada while serving as a senior aide on the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee…”  -Fox News 
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 THE JUDGE’S RULING:   Fox News Senior Judicial Analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano illustrates how over the past 100 years the country has been on a slow steady march toward the federal destruction of the presumption of liberty: “…on the transcendental issues of our day -- life, liberty, war and debt -- the leadership of both political parties and the behavior of all modern presidents have revealed a steadfast willingness to write any law and regulate any behavior or permit any evil, whether authorized by the Constitution or not.”   -Fox News 
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 WARREN AIMS TO SHAPE DEBATE AS 2016 RACE BEGINS 
AP: “Sen. Elizabeth Warren [D-Mass.] on Wednesday hammered Washington's leaders, Republicans and Democrats alike, for failing to help middle-class workers since the 1980s. Left unsaid: That time period includes President Bill Clinton's administration. As Warren continues to insist she won't run for president, and all of politics is waiting for Hilly Rodham Clinton to announce her candidacy, it was a notable omission during Warren's speech at a conference sponsored by the AFL-CIO. Bill Clinton famously declared ‘the era of big government is over’ in 1996, and Warren's indictment of three decades of economic policy referenced complaints among liberals that the policies of Democrats contributed to Wall Street excess in the past decade…That sort of rhetoric has some liberals pining for Warren to enter the Democratic presidential contest, a move that would likely pit her against Hilly Rodham Clinton, the party's leading contender should she enter the campaign as is widely expected.”
          Podesta gets ready for Hilly kick off - WaPo: “White House counselor John Podesta will leave the White House next month, according to a senior administration official, and will help Hilly Rodham Clinton’s presidential bid… Clinton is likely to announce her intention to seek the Oval Office this spring, according to her advisers and Democratic strategists.”  -Fox News 
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 No Time for Vets, but Let's Talk Gun Control  
Barack nObama visited Phoenix Thursday, but he could only wave as his motorcade blew past the Veterans Affairs Hospital where the whole wait-time scandal came to light. Not that a presidential visit would have accomplished anything other than to create, well, long wait times, but the symbolism of not caring about veterans was unmistakable. By contrast, nObama did have time to meet with former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was critically wounded exactly four years ago Thursday in a horrific shooting -- because the topic of their meeting was gun control. According to CBS News, "Giffords, who was shot in the head, still struggles to speak and walk. She has become the face of gun control, having founded Americans for Responsible Solutions with her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly. The gun control group raised millions for congressional candidates in the 2014 election." nObama has no time for the vets who fought for our rights because he'd rather spend time figuring out how to take those rights away. More...  -The Patriot Post
4064049297?profile=original
 
 
 
1.
 House passes 40 hour work week bill  
(Sean Lengell) - The opening salvo in the nObamacare fight in the new Republican-controlled Congress has been fired, with the House easily passing a measure Thursday designed to weaken the healthcare law...The bill seeks to revoke the Affordable Care Act’s provision that companies offer health coverage to employees who work at least 30 hours a week. Instead, the measure stipulates that employees must work 40 hours to be eligible for healthcare benefits. The bill passed 252 to 172, with 12 Democrats voting yes. No Republican voted in opposition.       http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/house-passes-40-hour-work-week-bill-as-obamacare-fight-enters-new-phase-on-capitol-hill/article/2558397?utm_campaign=Conservative%20Inbox:%20Top%205&utm_source=Conservative%20Inbox:%20Top%205%20-%2001/09/15&utm_medium=email
2.
 Is It True That Low Gas Prices Hurt the Economy?  
(Kelsey Harkness) - Low prices at the pump are good for consumers, but are they hurting the American economy?...Though oil prices fell below $50 per barrel as of Monday, Jack Gerard, CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, the largest U.S. lobbying arm for the oil and natural gas industry, expressed little concern. Speaking at the annual “State of American Energy” event yesterday in Washington, D.C., Gerard said, “While there may be volatility in the short term … longer-term we the oil industry contribute stability to the price and to the global marketplace.” The more the better.       http://dailysignal.com/2015/01/07/true-low-gas-prices-hurt-economy/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morningbell&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRoluKjKZKXonjHpfsX56%2BQpWqS%2BlMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4FRMJkI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQrLBMa1ozrgOWxX0TD7slJfbfYRPf6Ba2Jw0rvE%3D
3.
 House GOP Plots Attack on nObama Immigration Actions  
(Josh Siegel) - House Republicans, bolstered by a bigger majority, are moving quickly to block President nObama’s executive actions on immigration...Acting on the party’s promise to confront nObama on his unilateral actions to protect millions of undocumented immigrants from deportations, GOP leaders plan to move on legislation as early as next week. “The House will soon take action aimed at stopping the president’s unilateral action when it comes to immigration,” House Speaker backstabber John Boehner said today.       http://dailysignal.com/2015/01/08/house-gop-plots-attack-obama-immigration-actions/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morningbell&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRoluKjKZKXonjHpfsX56%2BQpWqS%2BlMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4FRMJkI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQrLBMa1ozrgOWxX0TD7slJfbfYRPf6Ba2Jw0rvE%3D
4.
 It’s Time to Pursue Regime Change in Iran  
(John Hannah) - There are lots of reasons to be skeptical that 2015 will see a diplomatic breakthrough in efforts to end Iran’s nuclear weapons bid...But one of the more compelling is that there’s virtually nothing in the historical record to suggest that the nObama administration’s current negotiating strategy can succeed. Though rarely referenced, the United States actually has substantial experience in successfully curbing the nuclear ambitions of states, like Iran, that to varying degrees can be described as authoritarian, anti-American, and rogue. The number of cases isn’t huge, but there’s certainly enough to offer policymakers useful food for thought on what has worked in the past.       http://defenddemocracy.org/media-hit/john-hannah-its-time-to-pursue-regime-change-in-iran/
5.
 How Terrorism Harms Radical Islam  
(Daniel Pipes) - An epidemic of recent high-profile attacks by Muslims in the name of Islam – in Canada, Israel, Nigeria, Australia, Pakistan, and France – raises an obvious question...How do the Islamist perpetrators figure that murdering an honor guard, driving cars into pedestrians, slaughtering non-Muslim bus passengers, taking hostage the patrons of a café, or massacring army kids and cartoonists will achieve their goal of applying Islamic law and building a caliphate? Logically, their violence only helps if it terrorizes their enemies and compels them to bend to the Islamists' wishes; intimidation, after all, is the essence of terrorism. Sometimes, Islamist terrorism does achieve this objective. For example, to stay out of trouble, a sizeable number of artists have censored themselves concerning Islam; and the botched government response to the 2004 Madrid train bombings helped the opposition party win an election, then withdraw Spanish forces from Iraq. As a rule, however, terrorism leads not to intimidation but to anger and hostility. Instead of cowing a population, it raises consciousness and provokes hatred for the Islamist cause among Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Rather than advance the Islamist cause, high profile acts of violence harm it.       http://www.danielpipes.org/15347/how-terrorism-harms-radical-islam
6.
 'Europe is finished' Terror expert on Islamic 'no go zones'  
(Steve Emerson) - What’s the report? Europe is done. This is exactly what I’m hearing from my go-to people, but it’s difficult to say out loud when you have friends, family and colleagues that still live in Europe...There is absolutely no willingness on the part of the governments to do anything about their countries being consumed from the inside by Islamic states. It’s for fear of looking like, gasp, a stupid Neanderthal right-winger.       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjtVWaB7jzQ
7.
  nObama's remarks on Paris shooting 'Shariah-compliant' 
(Jerome R. Corsi) -By refusing to associate the Paris terrorist attacks with Islam, President nObama is engaging in “Shariah compliant” speech, charges Joy Brighton, author of the 2014 book “Sharia-ism is Here...The Battle to Control Women; and Everyone Else.” “President nObama defends free speech vehemently, and the press lauds him for this; however, he refuses to use the words “Islam,” “radical Islam,” “Muslim,” “jihad” or “Shariah” when condemning the Shariah-driven shootings in Paris,” she said. Shariah is Islamic law, the moral code of Islam that encompasses all realms of life, from the personal to the criminal, economic and  political.       http://www.wnd.com/2015/01/obamas-remarks-on-paris-shooting-shariah-compliant/
8.
 Amid Terror in Paris, Gun Control Leaves French Defenseless  
(Alex Newman) - With terrorists rampaging through Paris for a second time this week after gunmen massacred 12 victims in the Charlie Hebdo attack, at least four more victims are dead as panic grows across the city and even the nation of France...And thanks to draconian gun-control laws severely infringing on the French people’s right to keep and bear arms, actual and potential victims of the ongoing slaughter have been left largely defenseless, to cower in the face of Islamists armed with Kalashnikovs and other weaponry. Despite all of that, rather than discussing more respect for gun-rights and liberty, experts say it is unlikely that the people of France under Socialist Party rule will be able to even have a real debate any time soon — much less lawfully protect themselves from terrorists and criminals.         http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/19877-amid-terror-in-paris-gun-control-leaves-french-defenseless?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=67fb691ed3-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-67fb691ed3-289778381    
9.
 State to Teenager: Undergo Chemotherapy — or Else  
(Selwyn Duke) - “My body, my choice!” may be a well-known rallying cry, but, increasingly, outside the realm of abortion it goes out the window...And the latest attack on this front involves a 17-year-old Connecticut teen told that she will undergo chemotherapy — whether she likes it or not. Fox CT reported on the story Monday: She’s only identified as “Cassandra C.” in court papers to protect her privacy, but the 17-year-old’s case could soon become known nationwide. Cassandra was diagnosed with cancer in September 2014. Doctors said she had Hodgkins Lymphoma, a rare condition — not to be confused with non-hodgkins lymphoma. Physicians recommended chemotherapy. But the teen refused the treatment, and her mother supported that decision. According to the National Cancer Institute, side effects of chemo can include hair loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue and pain.       http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/health-care/item/19874-state-to-teenager-undergo-chemotherapy-or-else?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=67fb691ed3-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-67fb691ed3-289778381
10.
 nObama: Free” Years of Community College, Taxpayer-Funded  
(Raven Clabough) - President nObama proposed Thursday making two years of community college free for all students. Although his plan does not have an official cost established yet, White House officials estimate that the price tag for taxpayers will be "significant."...In order to qualify under nObama’s plan, students at any age must have at least a C+ average and attend school at least half-time and be considered to be making “steady progress” toward their degrees. The president is proposing that federal funding cover three-quarters of the cost and that the states pay the rest. Of course, there is no authorization in the Constitution for the federal government to fund community college education. But there is also no constitutional authorization for the federal government to fund elementary or secondary education and this has not stopped the federal government from doing it.       http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/19873-obama-proposes-two-free-years-of-community-college-taxpayer-funded?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=67fb691ed3-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-67fb691ed3-289778381
White House Climate Lunacy
Alan Caruba
 
     (Warning Signs) - As January 2014 arrived with a blast of cold air ominously dubbed the “polar vortex”, the White House released a video in which the Chief Science Advisor to President Obama, Dr. John Holdren, managed to get on both sides of it, declaring the “extreme cold” to be “a pattern that we expect to see with increasing frequency as global warming continues.” How the Earth is getting both colder and warmer at the same time defies reality, but that is of little concern to Dr. Holdren and, indeed, the entire global warming—now called climate change--hoax.

     Earlier, in November 2013, the White House made Dr. Holdren available to social media saying he would answer “any questions that you have about climate change…”  As noted by Jim Lakely, Communications Director of The Heartland Institute, the invitation welcomed questions “but only if they conform to the notion that human activity is causing a climate crisis, and restricting human activity by government direction can ‘fight it.’” The answers would have to wait “because the White House social media experts are having a hard time sifting through the wreckage of their ill-conceived campaign and finding the very few that conform to Holdren’s alarmist point of view.”

     Sadly, in addition to the United Nations where the hoax originated and any number of world leaders including our President and Secretary of State, Pope Francis has announced that he too believes the Earth is warming. Someone should tell him that it has been in a natural cooling cycle going on twenty years at this point!
 
     Of course, such facts mean nothing to Dr. Holdren and even less to the President. That is why we are likely to not only hear more about climate change from him, but also discover that the White House intends the last two years of nObama’s term in office to be an all-out effort to impose restrictions and find reasons to throw money at the hoax. Dr. Holdren was no doubt a major contributor to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy initiative announced on December 3rd.

     This “Climate Action Plan” called the “Climate Education and Literacy Initiative” is primarily directed at spreading the hoax in the nation’s classrooms and via various government entities as the National Park Service so they can preach it to the 270 million people who visit the nation’s 401 parks each year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will sponsor five regional workshops for educators and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, along with the American Geosciences Institute and the National Center for Science Education will launch four videos likely to be shown in schools.

     Joining the White House will be the Alliance for Climate Education, the American Meteorological Society, the Earth Day Network, Green Schools Alliance, and others. It adds up to a massive climate change propaganda campaign, largely paid for with taxpayer funding.

     The “science” that will be put forward will be as unremittingly bogus as we have been hearing and reading since the late 1980s when the global warming hoax was launched.

     When Dr. Holdren faced a 2009 confirmation hearing, he moved away from his early doomsday views on climate change, population growth, and the possibilities of nuclear war. Though warned by William Yeatman of the Competitive Enterprise Institute that Dr. Holdren had “a 40-year record of outlandish scientific assertions, consistently wrong predictions, and dangerous public policy choices” that made him “unfit to serve as the White House Science Advisor”, the committee voted unanimously to confirm him. They should have read some of his published views.

     Regrettably Congress generally goes along with the climate change hoax. Dr. Holdren noted that “Global change research (did) well in the 2013 budget. One can look at that as a reaffirmation of our commitment to addressing the climate change challenge. There’s $2.6 billion in the budget for the United States Global Change Research Program.” 

     Let me repeat that. $2.6 BILLION devoted to “research” on global warming or climate change. One must assume it is devoted to finding ways for mankind to cope with the non-existent global warming or the threat of a climate change about which mankind can do nothing. It is comparable to saying that humans can get the Sun to increase or decrease its radiation.

     In June 2014, Ron Arnold, the executive vice president of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise and Washington Examiner columnist, noted that Dr. Holdren has long held the view that the U.S. should “de-develop” its “over-developed” economy.

     That likely explains the nObama administration’s attack on the use of coal, particularly in utilities that use it to generate electricity. In the six years since the policy has been pursued by the EPA, coal-fired utilities have been reduced from providing fifty percent of the nation’s electricity to forty percent. Less energy means less investment in new business and industrial manufacturing, less jobs, and less safety for all of us who depend on electricity in countless ways.

     Arnold reported that “Holdren wrote his de-development manifesto with Paul and Anne Ehrlich, the scaremongering authors of the Sierra Club book, ‘The Population Bomb.’” Aside from the fact that every prediction in the book has since proven to be wrong, but it was clear then and now that Dr. Holdren is no fan of the human population of the planet. Like most deeply committed environmentalists, it is an article of faith that the planet’s problems are all the result of human activity, including its weather.

      In December 2014, Dr. Holdren expressed the view that worldwide carbon dioxide emissions should be reduced to “close to zero”, adding “That will not be easy.”  This reflected the deal President nObama agreed to with China, but carbon dioxide plays no discernable role whatever in “global warming” (which isn’t happening) and is, in fact, a gas essential to all life on Earth, but particularly for all vegetation that is dependent on it for growth.

     Dr. Holdren’s continued presence as the chief Science Advisor to the President encourages nObama to repeat all the tired claims and falsehoods of global warming and climate change. It is obscene that his administration devotes billions of dollars and countless hours to spreading a hoax that is an offense to the alleged “science” it cites.
 
     The North and South Poles are not melting. The polar bear population is growing. The seas are not dramatically rising. Et cetera! One can only hope
that a Republican-controlled Congress will do what it can to significantly reduce the money being wasted and reverse the EPA war on coal and the utilities that use it to produce the energy the nation requires.

     For now, Dr. Holdren will continue to use his influence in ways that confound and refute the known facts of climate science. How does it feel to be the enemy of an environment that Dr. Holdren and others regard as more important than human life?
 
Read more…

Monday Morning - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 12, 2015 at 4:02am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
On Steven Scalise—and Al Sharpton
Dennis Saffran
 
"Rise up together as one voice"
"Be careful where you stand"
~~~lll~~~
 
 
 A pox on media mice -   Peter Beinart at The Atlantic: “But because these assaults aim to intimidate movie studios and journalists, their impact cannot be measured merely by how governments respond. Historically, terrorists and dictators have often used violence to blackmail democratic governments into changing policy. Now they are using violence to blackmail editors and studio heads into doing so. Which means that journalists and media executives, rather than merely politicians, must choose either appeasement or defiance. By first refusing to disseminate The Interview, and then agreeing to, Sony pivoted from the former to the latter. With most of its staff murdered, Charlie Hebdo itself may, tragically, not have the choice. But in deciding whether to show the images that seem to have gotten Charlie Hebdo’s cartoonists and editors killed, countless other magazines, newspapers, websites, and television networks will be acting as either hawks or doves.”  -Fox News  
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 WITH YOUR SECOND CUP OF COFFEE… 
Today would have been Elvis Presley’s 80th birthday and one might wonder what the King of Rock and Roll would be like today had he not died in August 1977 at age 42. Well, consider this: On December 4, 1956 there was an impromptu jam session at Sun Records Memphis studios included Elvis and three other rockabilly pioneers: Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Louis. That session and the famous photo of the four would come to be known as the Million Dollar Quartet. So to guess where The King would be today we can look at what became of the other three, who shared similar backgrounds and sadly, similar demons. Perkins, with the help of Cash, eventually confronted his alcoholism and, after a career tailspin died at age 65, esteemed by all of rock and country music as a legend. Cash has one of the best known stories of loss, redemption and love, written with his beloved wife, June Carter Cash. The Man in Black, who died at 71 in 2003, was still recording and innovating up until the end. The last rockabilly still rocking though is The Killer. Jerry Lee Louis is the subject of new book from Rick Bragg and the author makes it clear that Louis is still struggling with the same tempestuous soul that churned within him even on the day he stood with those three other giants. Some clues to which path Elvis might have taken may be found in his final performances   -Fox News  
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 MERCY RULE: backstabber BOEHNER MAY PARDON SOME COUP   PLOTTERS 
In a move that may prove magnanimous and savvy, House Speaker backstabber John Boehner might forego immediate or lasting retribution against some of the House conservatives who sought to oust the Republication leader, according to Politico: “backstabber Boehner is in a familiar jam: Many of his closest allies want him to pummel members who defy him. The rank and file think retribution is a step too far…Some lawmakers and aides close to backstabber Boehner say Rep. Richard Nugent [R-Fla.] might win back his prized seat on the elite, speaker-appointed Rules Committee, and Reps. Mark Meadows [R-N.C.] and Scott Garrett [R-N.J.] may even get to chair subcommittees on other panels, even though all three voted against backstabber Boehner…For now, backstabber Boehner has empowered his committee chairs to decide on the subcommittee gavels, and Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz [R-Utah] sounds like he will allow Meadows to slide into a prized chairmanship, despite having voted for Rep. Daniel Webster [R-Fla.] for speaker. Chaffetz made clear to his subcommittee chairs before the vote that he expected them to be ‘team players.’…Similarly, Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling [R-Texas] is likely to keep Garrett as chairman of the capital markets subcommittee, an aide said. Garrett voted for Webster, as well.”
-Fox News  
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 IMMIGRATION CROWDS OUT OTHER ISSUES FOR nOBAMA 
While President nObama is in Phoenix today to unveil a plan benefiting potential low income home buyers that some industry insiders say tinkers around the edges of the lagging housing market, the hot topic in the southern border state is immigration. House Republican leaders huddled with rank and file Wednesday in Washington to develop strategies to block the president’s executive action granting temporary amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. The Hill: “Gathered in the Capitol office of Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy [R-Calif.], the Republicans discussed a handful of different GOP proposals designed to prevent nObama’s order from taking effect. Emerging from that meeting, the lawmakers said they haven’t settled on a final design surrounding either the policy or the strategy for moving the language through the lower chamber. But they said they made enough progress that they hope to vote on the measure next week as part of a larger package funding the Department of Homeland Security [DHS] beyond February.”
          [Byron York takes a look at the two GOP plans to put a stop to President nObama’s immigration actions.]  -Fox News  
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 EPA delays coal war salvo -   AP: “The nObama administration on Wednesday said it would delay for months a final rule to control carbon dioxide emissions at new coal-fired power plants, thwarting for now one way the Republican-controlled Congress could have blocked the administration’s plans on global warming. A final rule was due by law on Jan. 8, a year after it was first proposed. But the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday it would wait until midsummer, and issue the new power plant rules with a separate regulation aimed at cutting the pollution blamed for global warming from the existing coal-fired power fleet. That would put the rule weeks past the deadline set by President Barack nObama when he announced his second-term plans for climate in June 2013…Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell [R-Ky.] has vowed to overturn the emissions rules in short order to halt what he views as a war on coal, an industry important to his state but in decline there.”
          States will be forced to comply - NYT: “The Environmental Protection Agency will force states to comply with a federal “model rule” to cut their carbon emissions if the states do not submit customized plans under the nObama administration’s new climate change regulations, a senior official said Wednesday.”  -Fox News  
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1.
 Bodies littering streets as Muslims raid town  
(Robert Spencer) - Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram have attacked the northeastern town of Baga for the second time in a week, leaving bodies littering the streets, according to an official...Two locals said the Islamist insurgents began shooting indiscriminately and burning buildings on Tuesday evening in raids on the civilian population that carried on into Wednesday. The dead are “littered on the streets and surrounding bushes”, said Mr Bukar, speaking from a camp in the city of Maiduguri that is sheltering people who have fled the attacks. You got to thinking, where is the UN or the USA on this. They are silent.       http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/01/nigeria-2000-missing-and-bodies-littering-streets-as-muslims-raid-town?utm_source=Jihad+Watch+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=92d0ad7748-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ffcbf57bbb-92d0ad7748-123451509
2.
 Canada’s Harper: “The jihadist movement has declared war  
(Robert Spencer) - The deadly attacks in Paris serve as a vivid reminder that jihadists are at war with those they disagree with, and the world must confront them, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Thursday... “The international jihadist movement has declared war. They have declared war on anybody who does not think and act exactly as they wish they’d think and act,” Harper told reporters when asked about Wednesday’s attack. “We may not like this and wish it would go away, but it’s not going to go away, and the reality is we are going to have to confront it.”…Its going to happen here if we don't wake up or has it?       http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/01/canadas-harper-the-international-jihadist-movement-has-declared-war-we-are-going-to-have-to-confront-it?utm_source=Jihad+Watch+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=92d0ad7748-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ffcbf57bbb-92d0ad7748-123451509
3.
 U.S. to Shutter 15 European Bases Under Cost Cutting Plan  
(Adam Kredo) - The European restructuring is the culmination of a two-year consolidation plan known as the European Infrastructure Consolidation (EIC) and the changes will take effect in the coming years, according to the Pentagon...The largest force withdrawal will take place across three UK-based bases. Fifteen sites in all will be returned by the United States to their host nations, the Pentagon told reporters on Thursday when announcing the finalized EIC plan, which is reminiscent of a previous decade-long realignment following the Cold War. Germany, Italy, and Portugal also will be most impacted by the restructure. It is expected that local support staff at the bases will lose their jobs.  http://freebeacon.com/national-security/u-s-to-shutter-15-european-bases-under-cost-cutting-plan/
4.
 Labor Sec Perez Finds nObama’s Agenda in Bible, Koran, Torah  
(Keith Koffler) - Many of you may be aware of what Vladimir Lenin, on his deathbed, reminded Trotsky, Stalin, and his other acolytes: “A fundamental tenet of our moral covenant as a nation was, prosperity would be shared.”...Wait a second. That wasn’t Lenin. That was Tom Perez, President nObama’s Secretary of Labor. Yesterday! We live in a nation that is a community . . . Prosperity must be shared! . . . the American workers have helped bake the cake of prosperity, but they are not sharing in the fruits of that prosperity. A fundamental tenet of our moral covenant as a nation was, “prosperity would be shared.”       http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2015/01/08/labor-secretary-perez-finds-obamas-agenda-bible-koran-torah/?awt_l=59AKM&awt_m=3mezSA9WE4TM1Od
5.
 Meanwhile, Saudis Lash Blogger for "Insult" to Islam  
(investigativeproject.org) - For sheer brutality, it pales in comparison to the massacre of journalists and cartoonists Wednesday at the Paris office of Charlie Hebdo, but Saudi Arabia's flogging of a liberal blogger Friday further shows how rooted the concept of violence is in response to any insult of Islam...Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1,000 lashes – he received the first 50 in a public square in Jeddah Friday – along with 10 years in prison and a fine equal to $266,666, Reuters reports. His crime? Creating a website called "Free Saudi Liberals," which advocated greater religious freedom. Saudi Arabia found this "insulting to Islam." In a statement, the International Humanist and Ethical Union called Badawi's punishment "savage, and an absolute violation of human rights and dignity" intended to cow other potential free thinkers into silence.       http://www.investigativeproject.org/4725/meanwhile-saudis-lash-blogger-for-insult-to-islam
6.
 French police kill Paris massacre suspects  
(FoxNews.com) - Near-simultaneous raids by French police Friday evening at locations 25 miles apart took out the Islamist brothers behind Wednesday's massacre at a Paris satirical magazine, and a cop-killing crony who had seized hostages at a Paris grocery on their behalf...but also left at least four hostages dead, according to authorities and reports from the scene. The lightning-quick strikes ended two tense, hours-long standoffs, one at a printing plant north of the city and the other at a kosher supermarket on Paris' east side, where four hostages were killed and as many as four more were killed. A hostage held north of the city by the brothers, who killed 12 in a commando-style attack at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, was reportedly freed. The fast-moving developments, signaled by explosions and gunfire at a printing plant in Dammartin-en-Goele, followed by similar sounds at Hypercacher (Hyper Kosher), a Jewish supermarket in eastern Paris, brought to a climax a three-day terror ordeal and manhunt involving nearly 90,000 police and military personnel. I can tell you one thing for certain, there was a hell of a lot more people involved then just the three that have been identified.        http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/01/09/paris-terror-attack-suspects-reportedly-steal-car-take-hostage-in-northeast/
7.
 Eastwood’s ‘American Sniper’: Republican Propaganda?  
(Mark Tapson) - Nothing galvanizes the kneejerk anti-Americanism of progressive film critics today like a war movie that doesn’t conform to Hollywood’s morally repugnant, self-loathing, post-9/11 narrative...Throughout our conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hollywood’s war movie output consisted almost exclusively of politicized, anti-war propaganda depicting our soldiers as PTSD-riddled war criminals, holding our country as morally culpable as the enemy, and pinning the very war itself on Republican administration lies, greed, and imperialism. Syriana, In the Valley of Elah, Stop-Loss, Rendition, Redacted, Lions for Lambs, Taxi to the Dark Side, Home of the Brave, Green Zone, Brothers, Body of Lies, Grace is Gone, and more – almost all box office duds – attempted to undermine the legitimacy of our side in the war effort.       http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/mark-tapson/eastwoods-american-sniper-republican-propaganda/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9ad37d9660-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-9ad37d9660-156509103
8.
 Greek Radical Left on the March  
(Arnold Ahlert) - Greece is once again at the center of the European Union storm. Following the failure of the Athens parliament to elect a president in late December, Syriza, aka The Coalition of the Radical Left, is poised to assume the reins of power... “The future has already begun,” party leader Alexis Tsipras, the man most likely to become Greece’s Prime Minister, told reporters as the nation prepared for the early elections constitutionally required when presidential polls fail. “You should be optimistic and happy.” The presidency is largely a ceremonial position, but Greek law requires a backing of 180 members of parliament to nominate a president. Current Prime Minister Antonis Samaras failed to garner that number, forcing the parliament to dissolve. The election for a new parliament (and Prime Minister) initially scheduled for June 2015 has been moved up to Jan. 25.       http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/arnold-ahlert/greek-radical-left-on-the-march/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9ad37d9660-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-9ad37d9660-156509103
9.
 Bush Was 100% Right After 9/11  
(David Horowitz) - Fourteen years after 9/11 it is tragically clear that President Bush was right about the threat we faced and Democrats suicidally wrong...The 9/11 attacks were indeed a salvo in the war Islamists have declared on us but even now, fourteen years later, Democrats still want to regard such attacks as acts of individual criminality, and deal with them through the legal justice system, affording American rights to those who want to destroy American rights.  Why, you may ask yourself, is the Boston Marathon bomber going to be tried in a criminal court of law, where he will be able to make propaganda for his cause underwritten by his victims? Because Democrats want it that way. It shows we’re superior to everybody else. Nine days after 9/11 President Bush addressed both houses of Congress to outline his response to the terror attacks. This is what he said about states that harbor Islamic terrorists, like Yemen and Syria:       http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/david-horowitz/bush-was-100-right-after-911-1/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9ad37d9660-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-9ad37d9660-156509103
10.
 House passes Article V rule change  
(Anne Reiner) - Rep. Steve Stivers’ (R-OH) amendment to the House Rules passed by a vote on the House Floor this week, according to a press release published by Rep. Stivers' office...The rule will provide a system with which to track, count, and organize Article V applications to Congress. “I am pleased my colleagues supported my addition to the House Rules this week,” Stivers said. “I believe a Balanced Budget Amendment is the only way to stop out-of-control government spending.  I hope the passage of this rule will put us one step closer to fiscal responsibility and the inclusion of the BBA in the United States Constitution.” We applaud Rep. Stivers' effort to smooth the road to a Convention of States, and we hope his amendment to the House Rules will bring this country one step closer to the change we so desperately need.       http://www.conventionofstates.com/house_passes_article_v_rule_change
On Steven Scalise—and Al Sharpton
Dennis Saffran
 
     (city-journal.org) - Some defenders of House Republican whip Steve Scalise, who is under fire for speaking a decade ago to a group founded by former Ku Klux Klan leader and Nazi sympathizer David Duke, have argued that the congressman shouldn’t be pilloried for one past indiscretion —especially when people like Al Sharpton can command the respect of the president of the United States and the mayor of New York City. If Scalise should go—and I think he should—his departure should at least prompt a discussion of what conduct ought to place one beyond the pale of political acceptability. And a good place to begin is with “Reverend” Al (who, “ordained” as a “boy preacher” at 10, never attended a seminary or led a congregation).

     Sharpton is most infamous for his role in the 1987 Tawana Brawley rape hoax. Brawley, a 15-year-old black girl from Wappingers Falls in the Hudson Valley, went missing and reappeared four days later in a large plastic garbage bag with dog feces smeared on her body, “KKK” and “Nigger” scrawled on her chest, and her jeans burned at the crotch. She claimed that a group of white men, including a police officer, kidnapped and gang-raped her. Sharpton and radical lawyers Alton Maddux and C. Vernon Mason latched on to Brawley, becoming her “advisors.” With no evidence, they accused a young assistant district attorney responsible for prosecuting the case and a young policeman, who had just committed suicide, of involvement in the “rape.” Prevailing on Governor Mario Cuomo to appoint a special prosecutor, they then refused to cooperate with Cuomo’s choice, New York Attorney General Robert Abrams, a liberal Democrat (for whom I then worked) with impeccable civil rights credentials. They charged Abrams with masturbating over photos of Brawley, and Sharpton compared asking Brawley to meet with Abrams, a Jew, with “asking someone who watched someone killed in the gas chamber to sit down with Mr. Hitler.”

     It was all a fraud. A grand jury established that Brawley had made the whole thing up, and defiled herself, to avoid being punished by her stepfather for coming home late after visiting a boyfriend in jail. A Sharpton associate later acknowledged that they knew all along that she was lying; they had thus used this deeply troubled teenager to foment racial conflict. The young prosecutor, Steven Pagones, won a defamation verdict against Sharpton. Wealthy supporters eventually paid the bill for the reverend, but Sharpton won’t apologize, even now, for his role in this outrage.

     Sharpton’s actions in two other notorious episodes were even more incendiary—and in one case deadly. In August 1991, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, a neighborhood shared by African-Americans and Hasidic Jews, a 7-year-old black boy named Gavin Cato was struck and killed by a Hasidic driver. Rioting erupted and a rabbinical student, Yankel Rosenbaum, was fatally stabbed by a group of young black men. Sharpton, who a few days earlier at an unrelated rally in Harlem had said, “If the Jews want to get it on, tell them to pin their yarmulkes back and come over to my house,” appeared on the scene and stoked the flames. In a eulogy at the boy’s funeral, where one banner read “Hitler did not do the job,” he attacked Jewish “diamond merchants” in Crown Heights for doing business with apartheid South Africa and provocatively added: “All we want to say is what Jesus said: If you offend one of these little ones, you got to pay for it. No compromise . . . no coffee klatch.”

     Four years later, Sharpton led a boycott of Freddie’s Fashion Mart, a Jewish-owned Harlem clothing store that was seeking to evict a black sub-tenant (possibly at the behest of its African-American landlord). At a series of Sharpton-organized rallies in support of the sub-tenant, the reverend stood by as speakers attacked Jews, and he himself blasted Freddie’s as a “white interloper.” On December 8, 1995, one of the protesters set fire to Freddie’s, killing seven store employees (all minorities).
 
     This is the man whom Democratic leaders from President nObama on down fawn over. And that’s without mentioning his years of tax evasion. If Steven Scalise should go, then Al Sharpton certainly should be driven from public life, too.

http://www.city-journal.org/2015/eon0106ds.html

Read more…

Saturday Afternoon - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 10, 2015 at 11:10am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
2015: Horrors right out of the gate
Erik Rush
"Know who you are standing with"
"Show me your friends and I'll show you your future"
~~~lll~~~
 
 PERRY 2.0… 
“Outgoing Texas Gov. Rick Perry is making every move to suggest that he is running for president again. He’s hitting the trail hard in early primary states, but more importantly, Perry is touting the fact that he’s been shuttling in a broad array of policy experts to Austin to bone up. I traveled to Texas before Christmas to interview the governor and visit the southern border with him. We talked about his policy workshops, which Perry calls “listening sessions” but certainly sound like cramming for a presidential exam. Tonight on ‘Special Report,’ we’ll share that interview as part our series examining the ‘2016 Presidential Contenders.’ We’ll cover all aspects of a possible Perry run: recovering from the ‘oops’ moment, his confrontation with President nObama over immigration, his legal issues and his prescription for Texas-style prosperity for America.” - Bret Baier. 
          First in the nation, y’all - WMUR: “Texas Gov. Rick Perry has scheduled a trip to the Granite State in another indication that he's planning another presidential run. Perry scheduled his trip to New Hampshire on Feb. 11 and 12. The Republican is said to be strongly considering another bid for the White House. Further details of the trip have not been revealed.”
-Fox News 
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 BIG HIRE: WALKER LANDS TOP GOP CAMPAIGN STRATEGIST 
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker wasn’t just Twitter trolling his potential 2016 GOP presidential rivals on Wednesday. Walker has brought aboard one of the most sought-after presidential strategists for this cycle, Rick Wiley. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last week, Walker suggested for his potential presidential run he would hire someone he knew but had not worked closely with. Wiley fits that bill. Wiley, who is based in Austin, Texas, served as the political director and later executive director of the Wisconsin Republican Party, and then went on to serve in a top position in Rudy Giuliani's 2008 presidential campaign. From there, Wiley went to work for the Republican National Committee, eventually serving as political director. Most recently, as a consultant with Washington, D.C.-based Mercury Public Affairs, Wiley served as a liaison for the Republican Governors Association, helping Walker and other GOP candidates around the country in last fall's elections.”  -Fox News 
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 JERRY JONES GUSHES OVER CHRISTIE: ‘I WANT THAT   ORANGE SWEATER’ 
Dallas Morning News: “Jerry Jones was talking about Chris Christie’s mojo again on Wednesday. The Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager said he will do everything in his power to have the New Jersey governor with him Sunday in Green Bay. ‘Yes he will [be there], if I’ve got anything to do about it, and I’m going to try to have a lot to do about it,’ Jones said during an ESPN interview. ‘I want that orange sweater, and we want him there. We’ve had him in the locker room. It feels good to have him here. We do need all hands on deck to even come close to these Packers. If he’s got enough mojo to pull this thing off for this Cowboys team this year, I’m for him being the President of the United States.’
          Dirty tricks probe still dangling - WSJ: “Federal prosecutors in New Jersey have subpoenaed Gov. Chris Christie’s [R-N.J.] re-election campaign for documents relating to government meetings that were allegedly canceled with Jersey City’s mayor after he declined to endorse the governor, according to people familiar with the matter.”  -Fox News 
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 MCCONNELL: WHITE HOUSE DOWNPLAYING THREAT FROM   ISLAMIST MILITANTS 
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday’s attack in Paris by Islamist militants shows that terrorism is a “long-term problem” and that the administration’s “downplaying the significance of this whole terrorist threat against the Western world” doesn’t help. Asked on “The Kelly File” about White House’s initial ambivalence to call the onslaught a terrorist attack and whether there is a conscious decision not to link these types of attacks to Islam, McConnell told Megyn Kelly, “They refuse to call these attacks what they are.” “These are terrorist attacks invariably spawned by some perverted notion of Islam and to not call it what it is strikes me as not being forthcoming with the American people” Watch the interview here.  -Fox News 
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 Unhappy precedent -   David Harsanyi at The Federalist: “After the horrific and deadly terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris, France, it’s worth remembering again that there is no conciliatory rhetoric or kowtowing that will stop attacks on our liberal values. They won’t stop even if we give in, which is something we’ve done. It’s something we do quite often. Surely you remember that the “Innocence of Muslims” fiasco didn’t end in Egypt. U.S. taxpayers paid for television ads in Pakistan featuring footage of Barack nObama and Secretary of State Hilly Clinton during a press conference – subtitled in Urdu – condemning the film. ‘We absolutely reject its content and message,’ Clinton explained. Bro-ster Tommy Vietor, then spokesman for the National Security Council, told the Washington Post that the White House has ‘reached out to YouTube to call the video to their attention and ask them to review whether it violates their terms of use.’ And due to this pressure – what amounts to no less than de facto censorship – YouTube pulled the video. The man ended up in prison and the extremists won.”  -Fox News 
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1.
 FCC Chief Hints He'll Enact nObama's Net Neutrality Plan  
(Brendan Sasso) - Federal regulators appear to be on the brink of claiming expansive powers over Internet access to protect the principle of net neutrality...Speaking at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler indicated that he's in favor of President nObama's net-neutrality proposal, which would put broadband Internet service in the same legal category as landline telephones. Proponents of the regulatory maneuver claim it's the only way the FCC can enact strong net neutrality rules that can hold up in court. Net neutrality is the principle that Internet service providers should treat all traffic equally.       http://www.nationaljournal.com/tech/fcc-chief-hints-he-ll-enact-obama-s-net-neutrality-plan-20150107
2.
 Barbara Boxer to Retire - Ya!!  
(DANIEL HALPER) - In a mock interview with her grandson, Barbara Boxer announces that she won't run for reelection in 2016...The California Democrat pledged to keep working. "I’m going to continue working on the issues that I love," she said, "I’ll have more time to help other people." Boxer tells her grandson in the video, "I want to come home. I want to come home to the state I love so much." But she's proud of all the support Californians have given her over the years. "I am beyond proud that the people of California have believed in me all these years."       http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/barbara-boxer-retire_823344.html?utm_campaign=Weekly%20Standard%3A%20Daily%20Digest&utm_source=Weekly%20Standard%3A%20Daily%20Digest%20-%2001%2F08%2F15&utm_medium=email
3.
 Limbaugh: The Consequences of nObama’s Benghazi Video Lie  
(Rush Limbaugh) - Remember when the State Department, when the US embassy in Cairo issued an apology on the anniversary of 9/11, and nothing had happened...We issued an apology in advance should there be any riots celebrating 9/11.  Celebrating. This is Egypt, don’t forget. The stated purpose was so get out in front of any protests and silence them, stop them. If we just — here we go again — admit our culpability, if we just admit, if we just apologize — we were the ones that were attacked — but if we just apologize, maybe they won’t protest. Well, not only did they protest, then it blew up over in Benghazi and Libya. And you know the rest of the story. nObama and Hilly ran out all over the world blaming this video. Nobody had ever seen it. They rewrote the talking points and sent Susan Rice on five Sunday morning talk shows to make the point.  And not long off that nObama spoke to the United Nations, and among the things he said, he had this to say about people who mock Islam. "The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam."       http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2015/01/07/#sthash.kzO4Q06m.dpuf
4.
 FEMA: A Disaster for Taxpayers and Federalism  
(Michael Tennant) - “If the government were to design a new disaster declaration system from scratch it surely would not look like the system that we have today,” the just-retired Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) asserted in a report issued shortly before his departure from the Senate...Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was originally intended to assist states only where disasters were of such magnitude that relief was beyond their capabilities, the number of disaster declarations has exploded in recent years. Routine weather events that would not previously have been cause for federal aid are now being declared disasters by FEMA, making the states in which they occurred eligible for assistance from Washington. “At one point this year 2014, there were 33 states with active disaster zones,” of which 18 “were for winter storms, where a large portion of the estimated damages included snow removal,” Coburn wrote. Moreover, the main criterion for determining when a disaster should be declared in a state is skewed such that “in some instances the same storm can result in a declaration on one side of a state border, but not on the other.”       http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/constitution/item/19865-fema-a-disaster-for-taxpayers-and-federalism?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=cc6c9dc964-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-cc6c9dc964-289778381
5.
 Mercedes-Benz Latest to Leave New Jersey Owing to High Taxes  
(Bob Adelmann) - The rumors swirling around the Mercedes-Benz headquarters in Montvale, New Jersey were confirmed by the company’s U.S. president, Stephen Cannon, on Tuesday...It would move its U.S. headquarters from Montvale to Atlanta, starting in July. The move would affect about 1,000 employees, about half of whom would likely be offered the opportunity to move with the company. The decision to move was based on the high-cost and high-tax environment in New Jersey compared to Georgia, although one had to read between the lines of the company's official statement to ferret that out:       http://www.thenewamerican.com/economy/markets/item/19866-mercedes-benz-latest-to-leave-new-jersey-due-to-high-taxes?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=cc6c9dc964-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-cc6c9dc964-289778381
6.
 nObama Announces His Superiority Delivering Gifts To The People  
(theconservativetreehouse.com) - If you find yourself saying: wait a minute – I don’t get anything from government, then you have identified yourself as excluded from the target audience...Most of the people reading this are the people making the payments for nObama’s endless spending; you are to be ridiculed, marginalized and attacked.  Your job is to shut up, accept the ridicule and keep working, citizen.       http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2015/01/08/with-tidings-of-magnanimous-joy-president-obama-announces-his-superiority-in-delivering-gifts-to-the-people/
7.
 Did the United Nations Just Issue a Veiled Threat to Humanity? 
(Susan D. Harris) - If there aren't enough conspiracy theories floating around already, the latest U.N. Dispatch just kicked things up a notch...While flipping through television stations, I ran across a concert called "Global Citizen." This particular concert took place in 2012 in New York City's Central Park, with over 60,000 people in attendance and millions more watching around the world. I have to admit I had never heard of it. It was a disturbing concert where dozens of shady "New World Order" organizations were committing hundreds of millions of dollars to (supposedly) fight extreme poverty around the world. They unabashedly talked about their affiliation with NGO's – Non-Governmental Organizations, and like everything else these days, they had their own symbol – a giant red circle. Even the proscenium of the stage was a giant red circle, and many people in the audience wore clothing bearing the same. Attendees received free tickets after "demonstrating their commitment as Global citizens" by taking some action using social media or "doing something for a partner organization."       http://freedomoutpost.com/2015/01/united-nations-just-issue-veiled-threat-humanity/
8.
 New Assault: Claims Pastors have no Right to a Jury Trial 
(Tim Brown) - Houston's Lesbian Mayor Annise Parker is at it again after standing down on subpoenaing pastor's sermons...We had not heard from her for a few months after she got blasted by pastors and the public following the City Council's attempts to push through an unlawful "bathroom bill" and the city attorney's attempts to manipulate signatures in a petition against their illegal actions. However, that has changed. Now she is claiming that the pastors have no right to a jury trial and is calling for a "special master" to investigate. Though the city withdrew its subpoenas of the pastor's sermons, something that the pastors called a "head fake," it has now begun to submit several motions to the court. Among those motions is a request that the state district court not allow the pastors a jury decision and leave the final say in the hands of a single judge. Houston you must be sick to have elected this woman as your mayor.       http://freedomoutpost.com/2015/01/houston-lesbian-mayor-brings-new-assault-pastors-claims-no-right-jury-trial/
9.
 The regulatory burden is real, and it's $181 billion heavy  
(Anne Reiner) - The nObama administration pushed through $181.5 billion in new or expanded regulations in 2014, according to a new report from a conservative think tank that said California, Texas and Ohio were hardest hit by the additional red tape...The American Action Forum said the new rules mostly focus on clean energy and auto emissions regulations, saying the rules cost California $7.9 billion, Texas $6.5 billion and Ohio $3.4 billion. Last month, the group estimated that the administration’s regulations would cost a total of $143.3 billion in 2014.  http://www.conventionofstates.com/the_regulatory_burden_is_real
10.
 backstabber:'Tooth and Nail’ Against Executive Amnesty He Funded 
(Ali Meyer) - House Speaker backstabber John Boehner (R.-Ohio) vowed today to fight “tooth and nail” against President nObama’s unilateral amnesty of up to five million illegal aliens...an amnesty the administration has been able to move forward with because backstabber Boehner’s House permitted funding of it. The 1,603-page omnibus spending bill that backstabber Boehner pushed through a lame-duck Republican-controlled House last month put no prohibition on nObama using government funds to implement the amnesty. That omnibus funded almost all the government through the end of this fiscal year on Sept. 30 and the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 27.       http://cnsnews.com/news/article/ali-meyer/boehner-vows-fight-tooth-and-nail-against-executive-amnesty-he-funded

 
2015: Horrors right out of the gate
Erik Rush

     (wnd.com) - Given the abundance of material at hand both grave and newsworthy, there are two issues I decided to address this week. There was quite a buildup in the news cycle going into the holidays with the anticipation of a new Congress; many eyes were on President nObama, wondering what regulatory and executive measures he might squeeze through before the end of the year.

     As we have seen, unfortunately some were not spared from the ugliness and contention of issues that captured our attention prior to the holidays. Moving forward, there is only the promise of more ugliness and contention both at home and on the world stage, as we witnessed with the horrific Islamist attack on a French publication this week.

Black groupthink and orchestrated racial tension

     I have to say that America’s liberal power brokers must be laughing their derrieres positively off at the gullibility of black people in this country. I’ve spoken (perhaps ad nauseum) to the fact that black Americans have been very effectively manipulated by said liberal power brokers, but when one sees the readiness with which blacks embrace intellectual mediocrity, self-destruction, hatred and the most transparent of lies, sometimes it is difficult to be sympathetic.

     My esteemed colleague at WND, Mychal Massie, penned a scathing piece this week entitled “It’s time for Al Sharpton to go,” which had to do with that self-appointed spokesman for all black Americans. You’ll get no argument from me as regards Sharpton’s sins contained therein; the man always has been and remains a disgusting individual, a determination at which I arrived when I still resided in our common stomping grounds of New York.

     What’s more disgusting (and I believe, part of the reason for Massie’s conclusion) is the fact that Sharpton has been validated for so long – not only by the brainwashed inner-city numbskulls who don’t know any better, or by the liberal press, which is agenda-driven – but even by so-called media conservatives who, by giving him face time, have cemented his dubious place in history.

     Because in addition to being odious, dishonest and self-aggrandizing, Sharpton isn’t even that good at what he does. He’s marginally literate, belligerent and aesthetically repellant. The fact that he can get more than half a dozen individuals to march through the streets of New York calling for the death of police officers is testimony to the wretched state of blacks’ awareness in general.

     Still, as I mentioned last week, the lies concerning racial components to the Brown and Garner cases that so angered blacks have been promulgated by much heavier political players than Sharpton, although he has been a prominent participant. There is no question that the widespread racial tension we are witnessing is being orchestrated by the nObama administration itself, and we must be prepared to apprise our fellow Americans of this fact whenever possible.

The conservative challenge to Speaker backstabber Boehner

     Despite Rep. backstabber John Boehner having retained the speaker’s gavel for the 114th Congress this week for his third term as speaker of the House, I found it very gratifying that so many rank-and-file Republicans rallied to oust him. Even though he did win, he sustained the largest defection of support for a House speaker since 1923.

     I believe this was well-deserved considering that backstabber Boehner had the temerity to mock members of his party who gave the GOP their historic majority only a month earlier and endorse the “Cromnibus” bill that fully funded both nObamacare and nObama’s illegal amnesty for illegal aliens.

     This fact is, however, that backstabber Boehner still won. Although 25 GOP lawmakers did not vote for him, my question is: Why so few?

     If you and I are aware of the extent of the nObama administration’s criminality, it certainly stands to reason that backstabber Boehner and many of his fellow lawmakers are as well. Thus, their willingness to play politics as usual amounts to criminal complicity. This of course was the genesis of the challenge to backstabber Boehner, and the root of the anger and dissatisfaction amongst those who helped to initiate that challenge.

     The fact that only 25 Republicans voted against keeping backstabber Boehner as speaker is very much indicative of the culture of corruption that exists in Washington. So many of us witnessing the advance of the nObama agenda have wondered time and again, with each audacious landmark he reaches, when the so-called opposition (Republicans) will determine that he has gone too far, and that the obsequious grins and political gamesmanship must be laid aside to save this nation from utter desolation.

     Sadly, I’m afraid the answer is: Never. It is quite possible that enough GOP lawmakers are so compromised in one way or another that there will never be numbers sufficient to manage this creature who plays president in front of the cameras but who is a manifestly evil despot behind them. We’re playing for keeps, but they’re either on board with the agenda, or they’re pretending they don’t know this to save face and their coveted positions. Should we manage to weather nObama’s presidency to its end without some incomprehensibly destructive orchestrated crisis materializing, the RNC has none other than the RINO progressive elite Jeb Bush locked and loaded, ready to fire down the throats of Republican voters next year.

     Or perhaps the cult of personality will win the day again, and we will see the porcine Hilly Rodham Clinton as our celebrated first female president. In either case, the political games will continue, as Marxists in the Democratic Party and progressives in the Republican Party deftly manage the decline of America and the usurpation of our liberties.

     If nObama is any indicator, however, they’ll be doing it in style, which, if you haven’t noticed, counts for a lot these days.

Read more…

Saturday Morning - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 10, 2015 at 6:38am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
Cardinal, Please Spare This Church
Peggy Noonan
 
"Rise up together as one voice"
"Be careful where you stand"
~~~lll~~~
 
 
 Al Sharpton Responds to Shakedown Allegations  
A phone conversation between Al Sharpton and a reporter from the Daily Caller unfolded about how you'd expect. According to the Daily Caller, the race hustler hung up on the reporter once, shouted and asked to record the conversation to later lampoon the conservative news site on his MSNBC television show (and the request was honorably granted). Two days ago, the New York Post published an article describing how Sharpton has threatened companies, telling them to pay him money or he would launch boycotts against them. Sharpton told the Daily Caller that he doesn't understand why the Post would go after him ... because the company that owns the Post has given money to him in the past (as if that should affect the decisions between the two Post reporters and their editors). Sharpton told the Daily Caller reporter, "I am not prepared to do anything but to say that Rupert Murdoch has given, through News Corp, money to us and that we're on the board, on their, have been on their diversity board. I am going to force you to use the quote I give you because that is the only quote I am giving you." In trying to discredit the story, Sharpton further illustrates how far he has gone. More…  -The Patriot Post 
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 EPA Punts Major Emissions Rule 
Just one day before its Jan. 8 deadline, the Environmental Protection Agency delayed its highly anticipated rule that will require a significant reduction in fossil fuels emitted by new coal-fired plants. The purpose, they claim, is to wed the release with other rules scheduled for later this year. "[T]he Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday it would wait until midsummer, and issue the new power plant rules with a separate regulation aimed at cutting the pollution blamed for global warming from the existing coal-fired power fleet," the Associated Press reported. EPA Air and Radiation Administrator Janet McCabe remarked, "This is all about the best policy outcome, and the appropriate policy outcome. That is what we are talking about here, and that is why we think it is important to finalize these rules in the same time frame." Actually, there's a better explanation. With Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress threatening to overhaul the EPA, Democrats are waiting for NOAA's forthcoming announcement that 2014 was the "hottest year ever," which will provide Democrats with much-needed leverage. We need to "do something"! But Republicans are being obstructionists! The same strategy will be employed at the pivotal UN climate assembly later this year. It's quite clever, really. Unfortunately, it doesn't bode well for Liberty.  -The Patriot Post 
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 The Real Islamic Threat  
Two weeks after terrorists killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stephens and three other Americans in Benghazi in September 2012, Barack nObama announced to the UN, "The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam." The Religion of Peace™ took his advice Wednesday in Paris, as jihadis killed 12 people for daring to "slander the prophet of Islam." Two of the victims were police officers (one of whom was wounded and then executed), and 10 were journalists (including the editor-in-chief) for the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, which was firebombed in 2011 for printing cartoons of Muhammad. Charlie Hebdo recovered from that terrorism and published a few more cartoons skewering Muhammad and, more recently, the Islamic State. ISIL filled the terror vacuum in the Middle East after nObama claimed victory against al-Qaida ahead of his 2012 re-election bid.  The Patriot Post 
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 All the Children Left Behind  
As millions of students returned to school this week after Christmas break -- pardon, "winter holiday" -- 535 children legislators convened in Washington to determine, among other things, whether they will allow to continue unchecked the steep deterioration of America's educational system. No Child Left Behind, the behemoth federal legislation that's left not simply one child but an entire generation behind, may be approaching its day of reckoning. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Rep. John Kline (R-MN), chairs of their respective chambers' education committees, are preparing an overhaul of the legislation that would divest the federal government of much of its control over education -- control our Constitution never authorized Washington to have in the first place. Signed into law in 2002, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was the successor to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), first passed as part of Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society." Easily the most far-reaching federal legislation affecting education, ESEA, in its initial form, was 32 pages long, included five titles and provided about $1 billion in federal education funding. Thanks to the growth of federal mandates, programs and general bureaucracy, in fiscal year 2014, funding for NCLB surpassed $25 billion. This, of course, is only a fraction of the more than $130 billion the federal government spends on elementary, secondary and higher education.  The Patriot Post 
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 ARE MITT AND JEB GETTING READY TO RUMBLE? 
When Jeb Bush jumped in the presidential pond, it was widely assumed that it would mean the end of speculation about a possible third run for Mitt Romney. But not only has Romney continued to entertain pleas from advisers to run again, according to two senior staffers from Romney’s 2012 campaign, Bush’s exploratory move hasn’t changed the landscape for Romney that much. Romney huddled with top advisers in California on Wednesday, a group that reportedly was to include big names like Ben Ginsberg, Andrea Saul and Lanhee Chen. While we can’t know exactly what was said, top aides who spoke to Fox News First prior to the conclave said that Bush’s build-out isn’t a factor. One said that Bush and Romney were “fishing in different pools” of donors and could both proceed with explorations. The other pointed out that not even Bush would be likely to equal Romney’s potential fundraising haul. By continuing to entertain the entreaties of an increasingly enthusiastic circle of advisers, though, Romney is putting himself on a collision course with Bush. There may be enough money for both of them, but not enough votes.
          A shot across the bow? - Politico reports that former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., is preparing to release a decade or more of personal tax returns. While others say such a bold move is “grossly premature,” there’s no doubt that Bush will be expansive in his disclosures. If and when such a move happens it is seen by many as an early way to distance himself from 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney who came under fire for such a limited release of his own returns. Romney’s first release came in late January 2012 after the undisclosed returns helped cost him the South Carolina primary. Another release came in late September 2012, a few weeks after the Republican Convention. Romney refused to go further, but offered a summary of information from the previous 20 years as prepared by Pricewaterhouse Coopers.  -Fox News
images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQak1zaT9stBQapPx-QADe0Bzm4ynWmClFOjzwrICghzGG8tAaV
 
 
 
1.
 'We can't wait' for nObama to stop obstructing Keystone  
(washingtonexaminer.com) - The new Republican Congress is sworn in and ready to work. Its first task is to pass a bill that would permit a massive shovel-ready infrastructure project that will create thousands of jobs...This might sound familiar, as it is a bit like what President nObama did when he first took office. The only difference is that this project is privately funded — it won’t cost taxpayers a dime — and it is an oil pipeline that nObama’s radical environmentalist base opposes. It became clear during the last Congress that the bill to permit construction of the Keystone XL pipeline has bipartisan support. Its new version has 60 Senate co-sponsors, meaning there is no question of a filibuster and so it will easily pass both houses. The project will not only put many more Americans to work immediately and in the short run, but it will also have a lasting stimulative effect. It will help the booming oil industry in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana get its product to market more cheaply and safely than the current arrangement by rail. It will also help promote North American energy independence. Unfortunately, nObama has promised to veto the bill that would grant permission for this private construction project. Environmental activists who oppose the use of oil in principle have frightened nObama to the point that he has declined to issue the permit for several years.       http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/we-cant-wait-for-obama-to-stop-obstructing-keystone/article/2558282?utm_campaign=Washington%20Examiner:%20Opinion%20Digest%20PMI&utm_source=Washington%20Examiner:%20Opinion%20Digest%20PMI%20-%2001/07/15&utm_medium=email
2.
 23 Conservative Leaders Warn backstabber Boehner  
(Rob Bluey) - A coalition of 23 leaders in the conservative movement today urged Speaker backstabber John Boehner not to punish Republicans who voted against him for the House’s top job...backstabber Boehner, who removed two of those dissenters from the powerful Rules Committee after the speaker vote, is now rethinking the decision, according to Politico. A total of 25 Republicans did not vote for backstabber Boehner. “It is unacceptable and disappointing to see that some conservatives are already being punished by you and your leadership team for disagreements over policy and the direction of the conference. This must end immediately,” the 23 conservatives wrote in a letter from the Conservative Action Project.       http://dailysignal.com/2015/01/07/23-conservative-leaders-warn-boehner-not-punish-gop-dissenters/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FoundryConservativePolicyNews+%28The+Daily+Signal%29
3.
 nObama: What Are His Allegiances?  
(Jim Geraghty - pamelageller.com) - President nObama has once again gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure not to associate Islam with the deadly attack against the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo despite the Islamic chants and exhortations of the jihadists during the massacre...This is of course consistent with his sharia-adherent policies. nObama has a long history of whitewashing and scrubbing  jihad — from Fort Hood, the Islamic State, the Oklahoma beheading, Benghazi, and on and on. Why? Why did he warn us that “the future does not belong to those who slander the prophet Muhammad.” Where is his allegiance? Either nObama is not-so-secretly a jihad sympathizer or he’s a believer. It’s one and the same. No one in their right mind can justify the unjustifiable. But nObama does just that. In any case, he is a perfidious president putting all Americans in grave danger.       http://pamelageller.com/2015/01/obamas-refuses-to-call-paris-terror-islamic-what-are-his-allegiances.html/
4.
 Palestinian Authority Daily Praises Stabbing of Israeli Soldiers  
(investigativeproject.org) - A Palestinian Authority newspaper praised the Dec. 25 stabbing of two Israeli soldiers, referring to the act as Palestinian "pride," a Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) translation of a story in Al-Asima shows... "Every Palestinian has the right to feel proud of what is seen in the video of the stabbing of the two soldiers in Jerusalem. The Arab has the right to hold his head high and to assert with confidence: There are people among our nation such as this young man, who armed himself with a kitchen knife and attacked Israeli soldiers face to face…," Hamas affiliated columnist Faiz Abu Shamala wrote for the official PA daily. The Al-Asima article also glorified the terrorist who tried to kill the Israelis and called for similar attacks in the future.       http://www.investigativeproject.org/4723/palestinian-authority-daily-praises-stabbing
5.
 U.S. public school forces girls to follow Islam 
(Bob Unruh) - The Douglas County School District in Colorado, under fire for saying that schoolgirls might have to cover up from head to ankle for a field trip to a Muslim mosque, has confirmed that such Shariah requirements will be enforced on the outing... “Students who choose to attend the [Rocky Heights Middle School] world religion field trip are expected to respect the dress code of the host facility,” the school said in a statement posted online. The explanation followed a firestorm of criticism of the school for announcing the field trip for seventh-grade students and including a note that the Shariah dress code could be enforced. But you can forget about bring a bible to school or wearing a cross in expressing your faith. That is being a hypocrite.       http://www.wnd.com/2015/01/u-s-public-school-forces-girls-to-follow-islam/
6.
 Administration ignored warnings about ISIS  
(streiff (Diary)) - We have repeatedly chronicled how the policies of the the nObama administration are directly responsible for the rise of ISIS and because of that bears partial responsibility for the slaughter that has raged in Syria and Iraq over the past two years...In short, the misbegotten embrace of “Arab Spring” destabilized Syria while creating an al Qaeda safe haven in the power vacuum we created in Libya. At the same time, we ignored Iraq. We not only ignored the national government but we also ignored what that government was telling us about the rise of ISIS. As it turns out the story is much more sordid. Not only was the administration warned of the rise of ISIS in Syria, but it threatened retribution against any rebel group who mentioned this to western media:       http://www.redstate.com/2015/01/07/197011/
7.
 Appeasement Comes Back to Haunt France  
(Ari Lieberman) - It’s time that we finally admit it. The battle for Old Europe is over. The Gates of Vienna have finally been breached...Old Europe has been experiencing a tidal wave of violence and terror in recent years correlating to and in direct proportion with the growing influence of Muslims in the western part of the continent. Yesterday’s massacre in Paris by Muslims screaming “Allahuakbar” (what else?) represents a culmination of growing Muslim power and even dominance in France. Britain, Sweden, Belgium and the rest of the sorry lot are not too far behind. Today’s European Muslims have successfully accomplished what the Nazis could not accomplish in World War II. They have sown an irreversible dread into Europe and implanted a fascist-like Islamist seed that has taken firm root.       http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/ari-lieberman/appeasement-comes-back-to-haunt-france/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=f9b67f9c72-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-f9b67f9c72-156509103
8.
 A Warrior Against Communism and Islamism  
(Daniel Greenfield) - “Muslims and the left share the same common goal; the destruction of America and the transformation of individual freedom into obedience to the state. The most powerful force supporting the Islamization of America is the Democratic Party.”...The author of these words, Dr. Vitaly Raevsky, knew a great deal about the left. His life had followed an arc that took him from helping design the spacesuits worn by Russian cosmonauts, including Yuri Gagarin, to escaping the USSR through the intervention of President Nixon and going to work for the Department of Defense. At the age of 84, the celebrated scientist lies in the soil of the America that he came to love so dearly. His passing leaves behind a monumental body of scientific work, patents and publications, and more importantly a legacy of speaking the truth and fighting the good fight no matter the personal cost.       http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/dgreenfield/a-warrior-against-communism-and-islamism/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=f9b67f9c72-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-f9b67f9c72-156509103
9.
 When Will We Wake Up?  
(Bruce Thornton) - The three Muslim gunmen who killed 12 journalists in Paris targeted not just those people and their satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, but a core ideal and human right of the West––the right to free speech in the public square defined by tolerance for different opinions...That’s why the killers, after they had called out the names of their individual victims before they shot them, bragged as they made their escape that they had “killed” Charlie Hebdo. That’s why they also cried, “The Prophet has been avenged,” since the magazine had frequently spoofed Mohammed, most famously in its reprinting in 2006 of cartoons parodying Mohammed. Apparently President Obama was prescient, at least in the case of the twelve dead Parisians, when he warned in 2012, “The future must not belong to those who slander the Prophet of Islam.”       http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/bruce-thornton/when-will-we-wake-up/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=f9b67f9c72-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-f9b67f9c72-156509103
10.
 Infofe Lays Out Plan to Fight nObama's EPA Regulations 
(Michael Bastasch) - Sen. James Inhofe plans to use his position on one of the Senate’s most powerful committees to challenge the nObama administration’s push to regulate carbon dioxide emissions and expand federal power over energy and the environment...The Oklahoma Republican says he will use his chairmanship of the Environment and Public Works Committee to scale back Environmental Protection Agency global warming regulations and other rules that impact drilling, water supplies and private property rights. Inhofe is set to become chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, which has the largest jurisdiction of any Senate committee. One tactic Inhofe specifically mentioned was using the Congressional Review Act – a little-known law that allows Congress to review and possibly vote down agency rules before they are passed.       http://dailycaller.com/2015/01/07/inhofe-lays-out-plan-to-fight-obamas-epa-regulations/?bt_alias=eyJ1c2VySWQiOiJjNTliYzIxYy1kM2ZhLTQ5MWMtYjhmZC02M2M2MjhjYzNjZjMifQ%3D%3D
Cardinal, Please Spare This Church
Peggy Noonan

     (peggynoonan.com) - The Archdiocese of New York is threatening to close down my little church, a jewel in Catholicism’s crown on 89th Street just off Madison, in Carnegie Hill, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. This has caused great pain in our neighborhood this Christmas. St. Thomas More Church is where my son made his first holy communion, where he was confirmed. It is where at the presentation of the cross, on Good Friday, everyone in the parish who wants to—and that is everyone in the parish, poor people, crazy people, people just holding on, housekeepers, shopkeepers, billionaires—stands on line together, as equals, as brothers and sisters, to kiss the foot of the cross. It always makes me cry.

     None of this is important except multiply it by 5,000, 10,000, a million people who’ve walked through our doors the past 75 years to marry, to bury, to worship.

     There is context, of course, and context must always be respected. New York isn’t the only place that is or will be closing churches, so the story may have some national application.

     The Catholic Church, the greatest refuge of the poor in the history of the world, is always in need of money. The New York Archdiocese itself supports schools, hospitals, charities, churches, orders. It is in constant need. There is the refurbishment of mighty St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which has been extremely expensive. There has been the cost, the past 20 years, of all the settlements and legal fees associated with the sex scandals. Compounding this is the constant bureaucratic challenge to manage resources efficiently, professionally.

     The church must save where it can. Churches have been closed. Most had particular stresses in common. Some lost parishioners due to demographic change and a peeling off of the faithful. Some cannot support themselves financially and become a drain on the archdiocese. Some churches have fallen behind in repair and have become structurally dangerous. Some lost their place in the heart and life of their communities.

     But the great mystery at the heart of the threatened closing of St. Thomas is that none of these criteria apply to it. Not one.

     St. Thomas More Church is not empty, it is vital, vibrant and alive. The other day at a special Mass, the standing room only crowd spilled out onto the steps. People move into—and stay in—Carnegie Hill just for the church. Almost half the people at Sunday mass take long car and subway rides to worship there. (All this is from a list of facts about the church put together by its desperate parishioners.)

     St. Thomas More not only supports itself financially, it gives money back to the archdiocese. It’s not structurally unsound, it has just completed a major and costly refurbishment. It hasn’t lost its school, it has a full, lively, respected preschool in the basement that families are desperate to get into. It is the sacramental home of all the Catholic schools in the area that don’t have their own church or chapel. It is “a powerhouse of lay involvement in the spirit of Vatican II,” says the parishioners’ fact sheet, with a large parish council and four separate Catholic instruction programs for children. More can be said but at its heart it is a place for families, many of them old-style Catholics with four and five kids. Coffee hour after the 10 a.m. children’s Mass is jammed.

     St. Thomas More functions too as a town hall for every secular group in the area. It is a meetinghouse for all of them. It is a citizen.

     Our cardinal, my friend Timothy Dolan, being from Milwaukee, would not know, and the members of his many clusters and advisory boards would not know, that St. Thomas More is a mother root of the spiritual life of the Catholics on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

They’re not talking about the closing of a church but the destroying of a world.

     And for what? The archdiocese’s arguments have been varied and lacking. They say there are other churches close by, that St. Thomas More can be relieved of its duties, blended and “merged” with the church of St. Ignatius. But St. Ignatius is near overwhelmed with its own schools and parish life, and could not absorb St. Thomas More’s functions and programs.

     The archdiocese then argues there is a shortage of priests. But St. Thomas More raises priests, three vocations born there the past 20 years. The cardinal’s top media man, Joe Zwilling, last weekend pointed at St. Thomas More and asked, “What will you do in 20 years when there’s no priest” to lead it? Well, over 20 years, in a church founded on miracles, we’ll pray for vocations. More to the point, as one active friend of the archdiocese said to me, “In what way does closing a vital parish create more priests? Please share the logic.”

Yes. Please.

     The archdiocese appears to be scrambling for a respectable rationale. In the meantime parishioners wonder about the reasons for what they’ve come to call the second beheading of Thomas More.

     Is it possible, they ask, the archdiocese is driven by what drove Henry VIII, politics and real estate?

That is an uncharitable thought. Let’s explore it.

     The archdiocese is defensive about closing churches in poor areas. What better way to comfort themselves, and avoid bad press, than closing one in an affluent area? Mr. Zwilling told this newspaper “it would be wrong and unjust” if only less affluent parishes were closed. To me, more sharply, Mr. Zwilling said just because St. Thomas More is in the black doesn’t mean it is “protected.”

     The cardinal himself told one parishioner he sees it as a matter of fairness. “I can’t just close poor parishes,” the parishioner quoted him as saying. The parishioner responded, “Poor people are not helped because rich people are hurt.”

     All this seems in line with the de Blasio-ization of the times: pick a target, move against it. Especially move on excellence, which can be painted as “elitist.” If you can’t help the poor you can at least afflict those you imagine to be rich.

     Real estate? If St. Thomas More is closed it can be sold. New York is experiencing a real-estate boom, Carnegie Hill is desirable. The church and its land could bring in $50 million, maybe $100 million. Any number of developers would jump at the chance. It’s rumored—rumored—any number have.

*   *   *

     In a true spirit of helpfulness some members of St. Thomas More have searched for ways to keep their church alive, give even more money to the archdiocese and help it show greater, deeper affiliation with the needy. The cardinal could sell his grand private mansion in Midtown, just down the street from what has been assessed the most valuable piece of real estate in the city, Saks Fifth Avenue, judged to be worth almost $4 billion. Think of what the cardinal’s mansion would sell or rent for! That would take care of everything. This is what Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley did: sell the cardinal’s estate. He lives now in a small apartment in a modest part of town.

     But that and other ideas can be explored in future columns. For now, Merry Christmas. May peace and love descend on all.

http://www.peggynoonan.com/cardinal-please-spare-this-church/

Read more…

Friday Afternoon - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 9, 2015 at 1:28pm
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
'Palestinian' push for statehood
bombs at United Nations
Louis Charbonneau
"Know who you are standing with"
"Show me your friends and I'll show you your future"
~~~lll~~~
 
 WITH YOUR SECOND CUP OF COFFEE... 
The Daily Mail reports on the spectacular photos of Comet Lovejoy, which will pass Earth at its closest distance today. The comet was first spotted by amateur astronomer Terry Lovejoy in August and is thought to be about 43 million miles away and traveling at 15 miles per second. Lovejoy has an extremely strong record in comet watching, discovering five thus far in with simple equipment. Slowly gaining brightness, the striking comet with its green glow from the cyanogen and diatomic carbon should allow viewers even in light-polluted suburbs to catch a glimpse. Comets are rock, gravel and dust held together by ice.  -Fox News 
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 WARREN TO RALLY LABOR ALLIES 
The Hill: “Sen. Elizabeth Warren [D-Mass.] will fuel speculation that she’s plotting to challenge former Secretary of State Hilly Clinton in 2016 when she delivers a keynote address before the AFL-CIO National Summit on Raising Wages [today] in Washington D.C.. It’s her first major address this year and will likely only add to the growing questions about her plans for the upcoming election cycle. The address also comes as Senate Democrats are planning to make income inequality a focus in 2016.”
          Ready for Warren rallies set for Iowa - Des Moines Register: “House parties are planned Wednesday night in Des Moines and Iowa City by political activists encouraging U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, to run for president…Activists at both parties plan to write postcards to Warren to urge her enter the 2016 presidential campaign, organizers said. They described the Iowa parties as part of a national grassroots effort to draft Warren as a presidential candidate.”  -Fox News 
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 nObama Celebrates Auto Bailout at Idle Factory  
Barack nObama celebrated his economic policies before 700 Ford employees Wednesday by congratulating himself for bailing out the auto industry in 2009. "There is no doubt thanks to the steps we took early on to rescue our economy," the president said. "America is coming back. The facts are the facts." But Investor's Business Daily had some inconvenient facts nObama overlooked. The company that got America on the road with the Model T didn't take the government's handout, though it still took a loan to comply with the government's onerous regulations telling it what kind of cars to make. The bailout was a carrot to entice the auto industry to agree to average fuel economy standards of 54.5 miles per gallon -- a standard IBD says that can only be met if automakers turn to hybrid, electric and compact cars. IBD writes, "The problem is that consumers have never been very interested in these kinds of cars, which is evidenced by the fact the plant will be idle when nObama visits. Slumping sales of the Focus and C-Max Hybrid models caused the plant to stop production for three weeks." nObama took a victory lap on his economic policies when behind him, an idle auto plant blasted his arguments. More...  -The Patriot Post 
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 Fire Chief Sacked Over Christian Book  
The Atlanta fire chief suspended for self-publishing a book that, in part, decried homosexuality has been fired by the city's mayor, Kasim Reed. Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran wrote "Who Told You That You Are Naked?" in 2013 as a way to explain his faith -- that men can be clothed with Christ. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports, "The mayor said he decided to terminate Cochran not just because the fire chief didn't consult him before publishing the book, but also spoke out about his suspension despite being told to remain quiet during the investigation into his leadership. What's more, Reed said he believes Cochran opened up the city to the potential for litigation over future discrimination claims." The fire chief's personal beliefs didn't align with the mayor's office, so the "tolerant" leftist fired him. Imagine how Cochran would have been treated if he was a supporter of homosexuality, attending rallies and speaking out. Probably, the mayor of Atlanta would have lauded him. More...  -The Patriot Post 
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 GLAAD Condemns Lifestyle Choice of Mormon Families  
So much for the pro-LGBT lobby group GLAAD sticking to its advice of living life however you please. The group is protesting a new TLC reality TV show called "My Husband's Not Gay," a show that follows the lives of several Mormon families where the husbands say they're battling same-sex attraction. GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis blasted the show, saying, "This show is downright irresponsible. No one can change who they love, and, more importantly, no one should have to. By investing in this dangerous programming, TLC is putting countless young LGBT people in harm's way." The intolerant leftists even put together a petition asking TLC to not air the show. But the families featured in the show made a decision about the best way to live their lives -- and GLAAD is condemning their decisions in a striking display of intolerance. More... 
-The Patriot Post 
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1.
 Charlie Hebdo: Martyrs for the Truth  
(Abigail R. Esman) - With the massacre of Charlie Hebdo magazine's editors and cartoonists in Paris by Islamic gunmen early Wednesday afternoon, the forces of radical Islam lay the gauntlet down...radical Islam is not just fighting against Western freedom, or the hegemony of Western powers. Their real enemy is truth. The killing of the Charlie Hebdo staff was not the first time Islamists have made a point of murdering journalists or commentators, or the first time they have risen up against satirists in the West. The record is rich with them: the slaughter in broad daylight of Theo van Gogh on the streets of Amsterdam in November, 2004; the many attempts on the life of Kurt Westergaard, the Danish cartoonist responsible for the drawings of Mohammed with a bomb in his turban; the plot to kill Swedish cartoonist Lars Viks, for similar drawings; the kidnap and murder of American journalist Steven Vincent in response to his New York Times article exposing corruption in the Basra police force in 2005; the beheadings of James Foley and Steven Sotloff in 2014; and the 2011 bombing of the Charlie Hebdo offices in response to the magazine's own publication of cartoons about Mohammed. Among others.       http://www.investigativeproject.org/4719/charlie-hebdo-martyrs-for-the-truth
2.
 Undetectable Bombs: The New Threat From Al Qaeda  
(By shawn) - While Americans fret about whether or not terrorists were given the red carpet treatment while in CIA custody, the terrorists themselves have been busy working up new ways to attack the U.S. According to the latest issue of Al Qaeda’s Inspire electronic magazine, they’ve come up with a doozy...A terrorist called the AQ Chef tells the mag that undetectable bombs are the group’s latest weapon against the West. Much of the issue is dedicated to a story called “The Hidden Bomb.” What’s most disturbing about the story is that the steps for creating such a bomb are detailed for anyone to follow at home. “We came up with these simple materials that are readily available around the globe, even inside America,” says the article’s writer. “We spared no effort in simplifying the idea in such we made it ‘another meal prepared in the kitchen’ so that every determined Muslim can prepare.”       http://totalconservative.com/undetectable-bombs-the-new-threat-from-al-qaeda/
3.
 The Pipeline and the Damage Done  
(FRED BARNES) - For a symbolic issue, the Keystone pipeline has sure caused a lot of damage—to Canadian-American relations, to Democrats, to President nObama. And it feeds, underscores, or reflects a variety of political divisions, some of them quite bitter...I’ll get to Keystone’s victims shortly, but first the explanation of why the issue is purely symbolic. If the pipeline is built, it will carry oil from northern Alberta to refineries on the Gulf Coast. If it is not built, the crude oil will be transported either to Canada’s west coast or to New Brunswick, a maritime province in the east, where it will be refined for export. The point is the oil won’t remain underground. It will be extracted, turned into gasoline, and keep cars running all over the world. That means blocking the pipeline, should the president decide to do that, will have no effect on greenhouse gases. That appears to make little difference to the environmental movement. It opposes fossil fuels and anything that facilitates their use, period.       http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/pipeline-and-damage-done_822412.html?utm_campaign=Weekly%20Standard%3A%20Daily%20Digest&utm_source=Weekly%20Standard%3A%20Daily%20Digest%20-%2001%2F07%2F15&utm_medium=email
4.
 California Motorists Pay Double-Tax Under Cap and Trade  
(Steve Byas) - While many now make jokes about the global warming alarmists (a group that includes former Vice President Al Gore) and their proposed solution of "cap-and-trade," events in California demonstrate that this is really no laughing matter...What originates on the "left coast" as an absurdity to many in the rest of the nation, far too often becomes conventional wisdom among the liberals in the mainstream media, popular culture, and academia. "Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket," President nObama said while campaigning for the White House in 2008. "Coal-powered plants, you know, natural gas, you name it, whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money." California motorists have now discovered the stark truth of nObama's ominous prediction, "That will cost money." And the consumers will pay it at the pump.       http://www.thenewamerican.com/economy/sectors/item/19862-california-motorists-pay-double-tax-under-cap-and-trade?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=ad9fb05abf-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-ad9fb05abf-289778381
5.
 House Members Introduce Bills to Undo nObama Amnesty Program  
(Warren Mass) - Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) is prepared to introduce legislation in the 114th Congress that would reverse President nObama’s executive action to defer deportations and grant work permits for up to five million illegal aliens...Other members of Congress have introduced bills to prohibit the use of funds to carry out the nObama executive actions granting amnesty to illegal aliens. According to a report from Politico, which broke the story, the Aderholt bill would also reinstate Secure Communities, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation program that relies on partnership among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The Secure Communities program was discontinued on November 20, 2014, by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).       http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/immigration/item/19860-house-members-introduce-bills-to-undo-obama-amnesty-program?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=ad9fb05abf-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-ad9fb05abf-289778381
6.
 UN Exploits Pseudo-“Human Rights” to Attack U.S  
(Alex Newman) - Despite the troubles in her country, “Elizabeth,” as she became known, was an otherwise happy 13-year-old girl living in the Ivory Coast...Then the United Nations’ “peacekeeping” troops arrived in her town wearing their bright blue helmets — ostensibly to “keep the peace.” Rather than protecting the villagers, however, the UN forces kidnapped and brutally gang-raped young Elizabeth. “They grabbed me and threw me to the ground and they forced themselves on me,” Elizabeth recounted to the BBC in 2008. But Elizabeth is merely one child victim of the UN among countless others — mostly in Africa, but all over the world, too. Just in the Ivorian town Toulepleu, for example, a poll conducted by the non-profit Save the Children revealed that eight out of 10 minor girls admitted to regularly being raped and forced into sexual acts by UN soldiers. Similar horror stories have emerged from virtually every nation occupied by the global body’s “peace” armies.       http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/item/19851-united-nations-exploits-pseudo-human-rights-to-attack-u-s?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=ad9fb05abf-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-ad9fb05abf-289778381
7.
 Illegals from terrorist states caught trying to cross U.S border  
(allenbwest.com) - We keep hearing the border is as secure as it’s ever been. Is that a fact or a politicized pipe dream?...Most likely the latter, according to CNSNews.com who says, “The Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection reports that in fiscal year 2014 (Oct. 1 through Sept. 30) agents apprehended 1,191 individuals from 12 of the 14 countries that DHS and the State Department have considered as countries that have problems with terrorism.” The breakdown of the apprehension of individuals from 12 countries designated as “countries of interest” is as follows, according to CBP: Afghanistan (4); Algeria (3); Cuba (1,061); Iran (4); Iraq (7); Lebanon (10); Nigeria (29); Pakistan (31); Saudi Arabia (16); Somalia (6); Syria (14); and Yemen (6).”      http://allenbwest.com/2015/01/1191-illegals-terrorist-states-caught-trying-cross-u-s-border-2014-many-miss/
8.
 Unsecured: A Dire Report on Immigration  
(fixthisnation.com) - Senator Tom Coburn released his Senate Homeland Security Committee’s report on immigration this week, and the findings demonstrate the dire situation America is in...Though the report has been all but ignored by nObama’s cheerleaders in the mainstream media, anyone who cares about the future of the country should be interested in what Coburn has to say. According to the report, less than 3 percent of illegal aliens will ever be deported. Worse, we still have more than 700 miles of unsecured border between the United States and Mexico, meaning that the problem is far from solved. The report hints at serious corruption in the Border Patrol agency, but concludes that the worst of the problem is based in policy rather than enforcement.       http://www.fixthisnation.com/conservative-breaking-news/unsecured-a-dire-report-on-immigration/
9.
 New York mayor's secret past comes to light 
(Aaron Klein) - Largely unreported in the news coverage of the recent race-related demonstrations is that New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has a history of working with extremist activist groups to stir protests...Further, de Blasio has a largely unreported history with the controversial Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN. ACORN’s renamed group, the New York Communities for Change, is one of the organizations helping to lead the protests over the death of Eric Garner, who was killed by police in July. De Blasio has been accused by critics, including New York police officers, of helping to fuel racial tension between police and protesters.       http://www.wnd.com/2015/01/new-york-mayors-secret-past-comes-to-light/
10.
 Anti Gun Liars Keep on Lying!  
(Tim Brown) - Michael Bloomberg's useful idiot and founder of Moms Demand Action Shannon Watts kicked off 2015 with more anti-gun propaganda, claiming that if polls only asked questions right that polling would show 90 percent of Americans favor background checks in order to purchase a gun...Ms. Watts said the fact that America now has a whistleblower silencing, Fast and Furious cover up head of the unlawful federal agency known as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and an anti-gun Surgeon General makes her and the "moms on the ground feel like we're winning." She failed to mention the anti-gun Attorney General and President in making her case. But winning what? Is this really a war against criminals or an emotional war against arms? I believe it is the latter.      http://eaglerising.com/13664/anti-gun-liars-keep-lying/
'Palestinian' push for statehood
bombs at United Nations
Louis Charbonneau

     (jewishworldreview.com ) - The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday rejected a Palestinian resolution calling for Israel to withdraw from Palestinian territories by late 2017.

     Even if the draft had received the minimum nine votes in favor, it would have been defeated by Washington's vote against it. The United States is one of the five veto-wielding permanent members.

     There were eight votes in favor, two votes against and five abstentions. Australia joined the United States in voting against the measure.

     U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power defended her position against the draft in a speech to the 15-nation council.

     "The United States every day searches for new ways to take constructive steps to support the parties in making progress toward achieving a negotiated settlement," she said.

     "The Security Council resolution put before us today is not one of those constructive steps," she said, adding that it would undermine efforts to achieve a two-state solution. "This text addresses the concerns of only one side."

     Jordanian Ambassador Dina Kawar expressed regret that the resolution was voted down.

     "We had hoped that the Security Council will today adopt the draft Arab resolution because the council bears both the legal and moral responsibilities to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," she said.

     The defeat of the resolution was not surprising. Washington, council diplomats said, had made clear it did not want such a resolution put to a vote before Israel's election in March.

     But the Palestinians, the diplomats said, insisted on putting the resolution to a vote despite the fact that it was clear beforehand that Washington would not let it pass. Their sudden announcement last weekend that they wanted a vote before the new year surprised Western delegations on the council.

     In order to pass, a resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes from the council's five permanent members.

     The Palestinian resolution called for negotiations to be based on territorial lines that existed before Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war.

     It also called for a peace deal within 12 months and ending Israeli occupation by the end of 2017.

     An earlier Palestinian draft called for Jerusalem to be the shared capital of Israel and a Palestinian state. The draft that was voted on reverted to a harder line, saying only that East Jerusalem will be Palestine's capital and calling for an end to Israeli settlement building.

     The Israeli government had said that a Security Council vote, following the collapse in April of U.S.-brokered talks on Palestinian statehood, would only deepen the conflict.

     The Palestinians, frustrated by the lack of progress in peace talks, have sought to internationalize the issue by seeking U.N. membership and recognition of statehood via membership in international organizations.

     Israel, which pulled troops and settlers out of the Gaza Strip in 2005, has said its eastern border would be indefensible if it withdrew completely from the West Bank.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1214/palestinian_bid_for_statehood_bombs.php3

Read more…

Friday Morning - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 9, 2015 at 5:28am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
Bring on 2015—We’re Ready and Hopeful
Peggy Noonan
 
"Rise up together as one voice"
"Be careful where you stand"
~~~lll~~~
 
 
 Here’s how it’s done -   Some advice for conservatives from John Hart, who as a senior staff member, helped execute the successful GOP leadership coup of 1998. He was not impressed by the failed effort. “In contrast, today’s effort gives rebellion a bad name. It is tepid, poorly planned and pretends to be conservative but is conventional Washington politics and posturing at its worst.”  -Fox News 
 
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 nOBAMA TO WARN OF GAS PRICE RISE IN DETROIT GREEN   CAR PITCH 
Detroit News: “President Barack nObama is warning Americans that cheap gas prices won’t last indefinitely, and he’s standing by his support of small, fuel-efficient vehicles. “I would strongly advise American consumers to continue to think about how you save money at the pump because it is good for the environment, it’s good for family pocketbooks and if you go back to old habits and suddenly gas is back at $3.50, you are going to not be real happy,” nObama said in an exclusive telephone interview with The Detroit News on Tuesday, the eve of his visit to Ford’s Michigan Assembly plant in Wayne.”
          Hang time - WashEx: “President nObama has invited the top four Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate to a meeting at the White House next Tuesday, as nObama tries to build momentum for his legislative agenda at the start of the 2015 congressional session.”  -Fox News 
 
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 Swing set -   The Hill: “Senate Republicans are reaching out to about nine Democrats they see as crucial swing votes in the new Congress. With his 54-seat majority, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) is six votes short of overcoming Democratic filibusters, making bipartisan support a necessity for getting most legislation to President nObama’s desk. Republicans have identified six go-to centrists: Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Mark Warner (Va.), Tim Kaine (Va.) and Joe Donnelly (Ind.) and independent Sen. Angus King (Maine), who caucuses with the Democrats. Several other Democrats, including Sens. Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Chris Coons (Del.), Tom Carper (Del.) and Martin Heinrich (N.M.), are also targets, though they are seen as riskier partners.”  -Fox News 
 
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 CBC will feel the Love -   Daily Caller: “Utah Rep. Mia Love, who recently became the first black female Republican ever elected to Congress, joined the Congressional Black Caucus, according to a Tuesday announcement - potentially bad news for the group.  Love, the former mayor of Saratoga Springs, has stated that she would likely join the CBC but would attempt drastic change from within the group, which tends to lean to the left.”  -Fox News 
 
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 ISLAMIST MILITANTS LEAVE NO DOUBT IN PARIS… 
“The Paris terrorist attack is another stark example of the threat the Western world faces from radical Islamists of all names, acronyms, shapes, sizes, and locations – Muslim extremists who seek to impose their ‘law’ on everyone else.  Today’s version involved military style terrorist commandos dressed in black, armed with AK-47s, clearly trained and moving in a coordinated fashion. Multiple reports say the terrorists yelled ‘Allah Akbar’ as they shot reporters and cartoonists in the newsroom of the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris, which had written satirically about Islam and published cartoons about the Prophet Muhammad. Witnesses say the gunmen yelled, ‘We’ve avenged the honor of the prophet!’ in French- before escaping.
          The first public reaction from the White House was to ‘condemn this act of violence’. Pressed on why it wasn’t an act of terrorism, spokesman Josh Earnest said ‘it’s early’. ‘If it’s an act of terrorism we will condemn that too’. Then the French President put out a statement calling the onslaught a horrific act of terror.  Afterwards, Earnest, appearing on Fox, adjusted and called it an ‘act of terror’. What this semantics game shows is that the White House still seems reticent to speak out against radical Islamist terrorists in the strongest terms - early and often. We all understand the ‘fog’ of the early minutes of an ‘attack’, but after a short time this seemed cut and dry. And the French certainly understood it early. We’ll see how forceful the president is about it today as he touts the U.S. economy in Detroit.” – Bret Baier.  -Fox News 
 
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1.
 This Woman has a Message, needs to be heard in America today! 
(Tim Brown - sonsoflibertymedia.com) - As I post this, I realize that as soon as people see that this is a woman they will immediately not listen to what is said...I understand that sentiment as men are God’s design to lead and speak with authority to the people of God. However, men have become so feminized in our culture and particularly in the Church (just take a look at Billy Graham’s grandson as Exhibit A) that women, much like Deborah of the Old Testament, are standing up and doing what men should be doing. With that in mind, take a listen to a video I watched this morning. The speaker is Iona Locke. I don’t know Ms. Locke’s theology and I certainly don’t agree with her being a “bishop” as the Bible is clear that a bishop in the Church is to be a man (1 Tim. 3:1-7). Her theology may be horrible, but I can tell you that the meat of the words she states in this video are spot on and her message is right in line with Jesus the Christ, His apostles and His prophets. That message to a sinful people is to repent.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X_rMhtedSg
2.
 Federal Judge Halts Sheriff Joe’s Workplace Raids  
(USA Today) – A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Monday blocking Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery from enforcing two state laws...that make it a felony for undocumented immigrants to use stolen identities to obtain work. The injunction essentially prevents Arpaio from continuing to conduct his controversial worksite raids to arrest undocumented workers and Montgomery from prosecuting them. However, Arpaio had already announced in December that he planned to disband his worksite unit at the end of January or in early February once they completed an ongoing investigation.       http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/05/joe-arpaio-undocumented-immigrant-raids/21311385/#sthash.3qi5lXtR.dpuf
3.
 Amid Bowl Game Pageantry, Troubling Signs for Army Recruiting  
(Sig Christenson) - When the annual All-American Bowl kicks off at noon Saturday at the Alamodome, the fans and a national TV audience will see some of the country's best high school football players and immerse themselves in pomp, pageantry and patriotic fervor...It's the Army's splashiest recruiting and marketing event. Beyond four quarters of football, it is part of a critical task of getting enough new soldiers into boot camp each year -- something that has never been easy to do and is getting harder.       http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/01/03/amid-bowl-game-pageantry-troubling-signs-for-army-recruiting.html?ESRC=army.nl
4.
 Arson Jihad: Muslim ‘Refugee’ to US Burns Down Buildings  
(Pamela Geller) - Under the Refugee Resettlement Programs, whole Muslim communities are imported into the US from jihad nations. Under this highly questionable program, the UN determines who is designated a “refugee.”...These programs are disastrous to the gateway cities designated for settlement. Lewiston, Maine is one such city. The only “refugees” the US should be bringing in are Christians and other religious minorities who are being oppressed, ethnically cleansed and murdered in Syria, Iraq and other Muslim countries under Islamic rule. But nObama has long abandoned religious minorities under Islamic rule. Instead, nObama continues to import jihad. The consequences of Muslim immigration on free societies are ruinous.       http://pamelageller.com/2015/01/arson-jihad-muslim-refugee-to-us-burns-down-apartment-buildings.html/
5.
 Hilly’s Presidential Campaign Just Got Some Major Bad News  
(conservativetribune.com) - So they turned, logically enough, to Iowa, where the first major electoral event of that election — the Iowa caucuses — will take place, to find out what Clinton supporters thought about their chances next year...There was only one teeny, tiny problem with that research plan. They couldn’t find any Clinton supporters in Iowa. According to Daily Surge, Iowans are interested in learning more about Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Jim Webb — really, anybody but the presumed Democrat nominee.       http://conservativetribune.com/hillary-campaign-bad-news/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=936184&utm_campaign=0
6.
 Judge Nap Makes Massive Announcement About Benghazi  
(conservativetribune.com) - Speaking last year about the subpoena power of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano told Megyn Kelly that congressional investigators could demand practically any information from practically anyone...And that, he said, is exactly what had the White House “terrified.” “The Select Committee cannot prosecute, it cannot charge, it cannot indict,” Napolitano conceded. “But it has extraordinary subpoena power.” If the nObama administration were to resist such a subpoena, the judge added, there was already existing legal precedent that suggested the courts would force compliance.       http://conservativetribune.com/judge-nap-benghazi-bad-news/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=936184&utm_campaign=0
7.
 The ‘Equality’ Racket  
(Thomas Sowell) - Some time ago, burglars in England scrawled a message on the wall of a home they had looted: “RICH BASTARDS.” Those two words captured the spirit of the politicized vision of equality — that it was a grievance when someone was better off than themselves...That, of course, is not the only meaning of equality, but it is the predominant political meaning in practice, where economic “disparities” and “gaps” are automatically treated as “inequities.” If one racial or ethnic group has a lower income than another, that is automatically called “discrimination” by many people in politics, the media and academia.       http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/thomas-sowell/the-equality-racket/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=6fd4c3aa4a-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-6fd4c3aa4a-156509103
8.
 UCLA’s Embarrassment: Prof. Abou El Fadl  
(Daniel Pipes) - The once-promising career of UCLA law professor Khaled Medhat Abou El Fadl has faded over the past decade. Gone are the pleasures of glowing attention of the media, the invitations to join important government bodies and to offer expert testimony at high-profile trials...It’s not clear that this downward spiral resulted solely from my 2004 article demonstrating him to be a “stealth Islamist,” but that exposé, read more than 30,000 times, surely diminished his stature. In it, I showed how, despite Abou El Fadl’s once-vaunted reputation as a moderate Muslim, he wants Muslims to live by Islamic law (the Shari’a), the law that among other things endorses slavery, execution for apostasy, and the repression of women, and which treats non-Muslims as second-class citizens. “Shariah and Islam are inseparable,” he has written, “and one cannot be without the other.” In a revealing passage, he confesses that his “primary loyalty, after God, is to the Shariah."       http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/daniel-pipes/uclas-embarrassment-prof-abou-el-fadl/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=6fd4c3aa4a-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-6fd4c3aa4a-156509103
9.
 Land of Dynasties  
(JAY COST) - In mid-December, Jeb Bush announced his intention to explore a presidential bid. If he runs and wins the Republican nomination and then the election, he will be the third President Bush in 25 years...That unprecedented prospect has left many wondering: In a republic like ours, is it proper for one family to fill the executive seat so often? While we might fret about this for cultural reasons, we must acknowledge that it has not come about by accident. In fact, dynasties make a lot of sense for practical politicians. Acquiring the presidency is enormously challenging, and political dynasties ease at least some of the difficulties either in securing the nomination or in winning the general election. To put it bluntly, dynasties endure because they are politically useful. Not surprisingly, then, political dynasties have actually been quite common in American history, though not always family-based. From the early 19th century into the 20th, there were three state-based political dynasties that were even more dominant than the Bushes.       http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/land-dynasties_822411.html?utm_source=newsletters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JVL+01_07_15
10.
 Iranian General: Our Ideal is the Destruction of the White House  
(Reza Kahlili) - The commander of Iran’s notorious Basij forces declared Monday that the Islamic Republic’s ultimate goal is the destruction of America and Israel... “Today there is no mandate to end our fight because Iran’s greatness in the region and the repeated losses by the Zionists and America are the proof of our fight up to today,” Gen. Mohammad Naghdi said, according to Fars News Agency. “Our ideal is not [nuclear] centrifuges but the destruction of the White House and the annihilation of Zionism [Israel].” The regime’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has also called for the continuation of the fight to destroy America, saying: “This battle will only end when the society can get rid of the oppressors’ front with America at the head of it, which has expanded its claws on human mind, body and thought. … This requires a difficult and lengthy struggle and a need for great strides.”       http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/iranian-general-our-ideal-destruction-white-house
Bring on 2015—We’re Ready and Hopeful
Peggy Noonan

     (wsj.com) -How are we feeling about 2015? With what attitude are people approaching the new year? What do they expect from it?

Let’s ask.

      Yuval Levin, founding editor of National Affairs, says, “Maybe you know the old joke that a Jewish optimist is one who says, ‘Surely things can’t get worse than this,’ and a Jewish pessimist is one who answers: ‘Sure they can!’ Those are the two sides of my thinking about 2015. But that said, I’m approaching the new year with hope, which is not the same as optimism. Hope is not the expectation that things will turn around for the better, but the belief that they can. It invites not passive anticipation but active repair and restoration. Our country has shown an amazing capacity to recover from setbacks because we’ve shown an ability to act on hope.”

     Purdue University President Mitch Daniels says New Year’s is like opening day at the ballpark. “Optimism comes naturally, and that’s a good thing, as no other operating philosophy makes any sense,” he says. You can be “wary” about the economy, Mr. Daniels adds, “worried” about terror threats or “weary” of partisan animus, but you still return to the questions: “What nation would you like to trade problems with? What era of history would you like to move to?”

     The historian Amity Shlaes, presidential scholar at The King’s College in New York, is looking forward by looking back. “The Coco Chanel Rule is worth recalling in 2015: ‘Nothing is new, it is just forgotten.’ It’s sometimes rendered as ‘Nothing is original except what is forgotten.’ ” Ms. Shlaes calls this “an astounding statement from a creator universally venerated for her originality.” She adds, “A good resolution for 2015: Humility in art. A second resolution: Cause the forgotten to be remembered.”

***

     Former Florida governor and possible presidential aspirant Jeb Bush sounded joyful in an evening email. “Regarding 2015, I am very optimistic. I think the DC political process might go back to working as it has for most of our nation’s existence. Regular order! Passing a budget. Allowing amendments to bills. Allowing the ‘ Nixon to China’ moments to go forward.” He said that he is “incredibly optimistic” about “our future because of the acceleration of innovation and technology in our lives. In spite of dysfunction in Washington, we are on the verge of being an emerging nation once again . . . dynamic, aspirational and young at heart.”

     Ohio Sen. Rob Portman is also in an up mood. He says a confluence of factors makes 2015 “the best opportunity to help the American people through legislating” since the 1990s. “First is the new GOP majority in the Senate, which happened with voters looking for a change in partisan gridlock. Second is the accumulation of big and obvious structural problems to address, from a nonsensical tax code to a self-defeating trade policy to regulatory overreach and a fiscal time-bomb. And, finally, a realization by both parties that although the recovery may finally be here, it is leaving too many behind and these structural problems are a major reason.”

     My Wall Street Journal colleague Mary Kissel says: “I feel an overwhelming sense of relief to say adieu to 2014. I’m optimistic that next year will be better—how could it be worse?” She sees the possibility for “incremental reforms in the 114th Congress. Some reform will be better than nothing.”

***

     We got peppery energy pioneer and business magnate Boone Pickens on the phone from his office in Dallas.

He cleared his throat: “The media has given this goofy president a walk.”

     He offered context for his mood: “What was it that did the most for the economy and got no credit? We had the cheapest energy in the world!” Also: “That’s a huge tax break for the consumer in America.”

     He declared that he’s in an “upbeat” mood: “I’m a geologist and geologists are always optimistic because they drill so many dry holes, they better be optimistic.” The November election’s clear results raised his spirits considerably. “Then the goofball says ‘65% didn’t vote and those are the ones I represent!’ ”

     Mr. Pickens said that, before the election, he was worried—“Have we lost America?” Asked if the country is rediscovering itself, he said, “Sure! America still belongs to America,” adding: “We have only another year of this bird to go.”

***

     Legendary editor, now historian Harry Evans is bullish on 2015 because of technology. A high point in 2014: He and his book, “They Made America: From the Steam Engine to the Search Engine,” were a question on “Jeopardy!” “Now I’m excited by what’s called ‘the intelligence of things,’ machines talking to machines. Just watch!”

     We caught former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino in a mellow, reflective mood. What she is feeling right now is “abundance of gratitude, and gratitude for the abundance we have in America—our freedom, opportunity, conveniences.” She is thinking that from abundance and gratitude must come generosity—“being generous in thought and word to all who cross my path. The more grateful I am for the abundance available in America, the more generous I can be—which lifts my spirits and brings me more love, friends and opportunities.”

     The great Vanity Fair special correspondent Maureen Orth reports, “I am feeling good about 2015,” in part because of Pope Francis . “I am looking forward to the follow-up to the phrase ‘spiritual Alzheimer’s.’ How will he top that zinger?” She’s looking forward to witnessing “the jockeying” among leaders on Capitol Hill if Francis accepts their invitation to address a joint session of Congress when he visits the U.S. this fall.

     New York attorney Lloyd Green says he’s approaching the new year “extra hopefully.” At the end of a list of reasons, he adds, “Fishing. Heck, everyone should give fishing a shot. It’s about more than just the fish. There’s nothing like sunrise on the Atlantic on the open water. At that moment it lets me see the jolt of Creation, His majesty and sweep. And nothing beats fighting a fish and not knowing who is going to win.”

     The writer Stephen Smith, former executive editor of Newsweek and editor of the Washington Examiner, is approaching 2015 seeing a return to social traditions. “I am heartened by the surge of young and old back to the cities, and by the radio-listening parties prompted by ‘Serial.’ People still want to be connected physically and culturally even as they connect online.”

     Jeremy Shane, a Washington-based entrepreneur who has worked in energy, health and education, doesn’t characterize his attitude toward 2015, but shares some prophecies, saying that it will be “a clarifying year. The chaff will be separated from the wheat. The potentially vibrant will rise above the demonstrably decrepit, or be swallowed by it.”

     We are seeing a confrontation “between new and old orders,” Mr. Shane says. Keep your eye on the anticorruption campaign in China—President Xi Jinping “will either professionalize the economic and local government elite” or not, but 2015 is the year “Xi breaks through or is neutered.” The outcome “will determine how the next 20 years go.” Another confrontation between new and old orders: “Pope Francis versus the Curia.”

     Father Gerald Murray, pastor of Church of the Holy Family in New York City, sees the new year as, at bottom, another chance: “I look at 2015 as a new opportunity to make up for the wasted opportunities of the previous year. That prospect makes me glad that God has given me more time to get things right.”

Yes. Here’s to getting things right.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/peggy-noonan-bring-on-2015were-ready-and-hopeful-1420156487

Read more…

Thursday Afternoon - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 8, 2015 at 11:14am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
Epic fail: The year in verse
Andrew Silow-Carroll
"Know who you are standing with"
"Show me your friends and I'll show you your future"
~~~lll~~~
 

 Another hire for Hilly -   Politico: “The high-dollar super PAC that plans to support a Hilly Clinton presidential candidacy is bringing on a new finance director to aid it with the daunting task of raising hundreds of millions of dollars for 2016.  Justin Brennan, who worked on President Barack nObama’s 2012 campaign and also raised money for Clinton in 2008, is expected to join Priorities USA as its finance director in the coming weeks, four people familiar with the hire said.”  -Fox News 
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 SCRABBLE RABBLE 
Australian Broadcasting reports that the country’s Scrabble Players Association is set to reverse the suspension of Mohammed Hegazi, who was banned from playing the board game competitively for one year. The allegations included bullying, intimidation and cheating. A court overturned the ban and ordered the group to print a retraction on Hegazi’s behalf. However the cheating allegations remained and Hegazi was ordered to pay the association’s court costs of just over $3,000. Hegazi fought the deal, though ultimately agreed to the original terms, saying “I'm a bit disappointed because the definition is not legally clear.”  -Fox News 
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 AND NOW, A WORD FROM CHARLES… 
“Republicans are going to have a chance to show how retroactively for the last six years everything has stopped in the Senate - Democrats stopped it, dinky Harry Reid stopped it and they effectively acted as a shield to make [President nObama] look as if he wasn't the one stopping stuff.  Well, now he’s going to be exposed because he’s going to have to exercise the veto.” – Charles Krauthammer on “Special Report with Bret Baier” Watch here.  -Fox News 
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 WRECKAGE IN WAKE OF BUNGLED HOUSE COUP 
WashEx: “Republican leaders on Tuesday infuriated conservatives by meting out punishment to a group of far-right GOP lawmakers who tried to oust House Speaker backstabber John Boehner. Hours after 24 Republicans voted against backstabber Boehner, GOP leaders removed two members from a key committee. By late Tuesday, Reps. Daniel Webster and Richard Nugent, both of Florida, were stripped from the powerful House Rules Committee, which governs the legislative process, including amendments and changes to bills before they reach the House floor for debate. Webster was one of three candidates who announced they were running against backstabber Boehner…But GOP lawmakers told the Examiner that others could feel repercussions, including Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J., who could lose his chairmanship of a Financial Services subcommittee.”  -Fox News 
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 Mulvaney blasts bunglers -   Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., took to Facebook to vent his frustrations with the bungled coup: “…the Floor of the House is the wrong place to have this battle. The hard truth is that we had an election for Speaker in November – just among Republicans. THAT was the time to fight. But not a single person ran against backstabber Boehner. Not one. If they had, we could’ve had a secret ballot to find out what the true level of opposition to backstabber John Boehner was. In fact, we could’ve done that as late as Monday night, on a vote of ‘no confidence’ in the Speaker. But that didn’t happen…and at least one of the supposed challengers to backstabber Boehner today didn’t even go to the meeting last night. That told me a lot.”  -Fox News 
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1.
 34 Taliban shadow administrators reported killed or captured 
(LWJ Staff) - Afghan and Coalition forces reportedly killed or captured at least 34 Taliban shadow administrators in 2014, according to local and international media reports...Among those killed were seven Taliban shadow governors, as well as numerous shadow district administrators -- including shadow police, intelligence, and military commanders. At least one other Taliban shadow governor surrendered to Afghan authorities, in Jawzjan province in late December 2014 along with approximately 200 of his subordinates. Overall, Taliban shadow administrators were reportedly killed in 17 out of Afghanistan's 34 provinces [see first graph below]. The highest number of incidents occurred in Badakhshan and Kunar provinces, with both provinces recording a total of five Taliban shadow administrators killed in each, including their respective shadow governors. In the case of Badakhshan, two Taliban shadow governors were killed within a five-month period.       http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/01/afghan_and_coalition_2.php
2.
 High Noon on the Gulf Coast: Canada, Saudi oil set for showdown  
(Catherine Ngai) - As a test of wills between OPEC nations and U.S. shale drillers fuels a global oil market slump, a brewing battle between Canadian and Saudi Arabia heavy crudes for America's Gulf Coast refinery market threatens to drive prices even lower...While the stand-off between the oil cartel and U.S. producers of light, sweet shale oil has captured the limelight in recent months, the clash over heavier grades - playing out in the shadowy, opaque physical market - may put even more pressure on global prices that have halved since mid-2014. Two factors will come into play over the next few weeks: From the North, new oil pipelines will pump record volumes of Canadian crude to the southern refineries, many better equipped to process heavy crudes than lighter shale oil.       http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/06/us-markets-oil-saudi-osp-analysis-idUSKBN0KF10X20150106?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews
3.
 U.S. Spent $65 Mil on Afghan Women with No Result  
(Judicial Watch) -In the latest of many scandals involving U.S. aid for Afghan social issues, tens of millions of American taxpayer dollars have been wasted on programs to supposedly assist women in the Islamic country escape repression yet we have no idea if it’s made a difference because there’s no accountability or follow up...During a two-year period from 2011 to 2013 the U.S. blew $64.8 million on 652 projects, programs and initiatives to support Afghan women though details of how the money was spent and the effectiveness of the costly experiments aren’t available, according to a federal audit. The cash flowed through three agencies—the departments of Defense and State and the famously corrupt U.S. Agency for international Development (USAID)—and it marked the latest of many allocations for the same cause. In fact, the audit, conducted by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), discloses that the agencies spent an “additional $850.5 million on 17 projects, but couldn’t identify the specific amount of funds within the projects that directly supported Afghan women.”       http://libertynewsnow.com/u-s-spent-65-mil-afghan-women-no-result/article630?utm_source=Elist&utm_medium=email&utm_content=subscriber_id:35652032&utm_campaign=Daily%20Newsletter%20-%2001/06/2015
4.
 Crude Oil Prices: The Politics, Implications, and Backlash  
(Bob Adelmann) - With the price of crude dropping significantly below $50 a barrel, prognosticators have come out of the woodwork predicting drops to $40, $30, $20 a barrel, and even lower before it rebounds...Jon Ogg, writing at 247Wall St.com, noted that the precipitous drop in crude oil prices “has serious implications for consumers and companies alike,” and not all of them are unblemished blessings. On the surface the winners are consumers, who are enjoying the equivalent of a $750 annual tax cut thanks to the drop in gas prices at the pump. The ripple effect bodes well, too, for airlines, over-the-road truckers, anyone using oil to haul freight or oil or natural gas to heat their homes, oil or natural-gas fired power plants, restaurants, retailers — just about every conceivable consumer product will be impacted favorably thanks to lower energy costs.       http://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/energy/item/19852-crude-oil-prices-the-politics-implications-and-backlash?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=9f507ea408-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-9f507ea408-289778381
5.
 With Democrats Out, Audit of Federal Reserve Gains Momentum  
(Alex Newman) - Despite frantic opposition by the privately owned Federal Reserve and Democrat leadership in Congress, newly empowered Republican lawmakers, now in the majority in the Senate as well, plan to hold a vote on “Audit the Fed” legislation to scrutinize the secrecy-obsessed central bank...Federal Reserve bosses are already lashing out and lobbying lawmakers “forcefully” to reject efforts at congressional oversight and transparency. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and a coalition of his colleagues, though, are determined to see the bill become law this year, and congressional leadership has pledged to allow a vote. Supporters of the audit point to the central bank’s wild schemes amid the economic crisis to create trillions of dollars out of thin air and bail out mega-banks, cronies, foreign corporations, and even banks owned by hostile foreign powers. Critics of the Federal Reserve’s cloak of secrecy also cite its blatant and well-documented manipulation of markets, its distortion of interest rates leading to widespread malinvestment, its outlandish expansion of the currency supply, the steady erosion of the value of the U.S. dollar, the enabling of exploding government deficits, and much more.        http://www.thenewamerican.com/economy/item/19853-with-democrats-out-audit-of-federal-reserve-gains-momentum?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=9f507ea408-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-9f507ea408-289778381
6.
 State Depart wishes ‘RIP’ to living captives of jihad terrorists  
(Robert Spencer) - This epitomizes how out of touch and frankly stupid the State Department’s Think Again, Turn Away program really is. State Department analysts continue to misdiagnose the problem of the global jihad and apply solutions that only make it worse...and since the mainstream media is just as clueless and compromised, these failed analysts are never called to account for their failed policies. The year began on a rough note for the U.S. State Department’s Think Again, Turn Away anti-terror program. On January 1, the State Department used the program’s official Twitter account to tweet a photo collage accompanied by the message, “Entering 2015, taking time to honor some of terror’s many victims of 2014 and their families – RIP.” However, none of the individuals appearing in the photos are believed to be dead, but rather held captive by terrorists.       http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/01/state-department-wishes-rip-to-living-captives-of-jihad-terrorists?utm_source=Jihad+Watch+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=03531d7be1-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ffcbf57bbb-03531d7be1-123451509
7.
 nObama Cuba Initiative Fears of Gitmo Naval Base Giveaway  
(Bill Gertz) - President nObama’s drive to normalize ties with communist Cuba is raising new concerns among security officials and experts that the administration will give up the strategic naval base at Guantanamo Bay in deal with Havana...White House, Pentagon, and State Department officials offered assurances that the nObama administration currently does not plan to negotiate the return of the base, leased by the United States since 1903. “I’ve not been involved in any talks on normalization in the past … but it will not be on our agenda for upcoming talks,” Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson told the Washington Free Beacon, referring to discussions with the Cubans on the future of what the Pentagon calls Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.       http://freebeacon.com/national-security/obama-cuba-initiative-prompts-new-fears-of-gitmo-naval-base-giveaway/
8.
 Youth Misery Index: nObama is killing young America’s future  
(Sam Rolley) - President Barack nObama was able to sail into the Oval Office twice thanks largely to his campaign efforts to woe young, idealistic voters into believing that “hope,” “change” and...of course, massive student loan forgiveness and basically free insurance were on the horizon. Now, young people are paying for having been fooled twice as Young America’s Foundation reports that its Youth Misery Index numbers for 2014 reached a record high. The YMI is calculated by compiling information on youth unemployment, average graduating student debt (in thousands), and national debt per capita (in thousands). For 2014, the foundation reports that the YMI hit 106.5, up from 98.6 in 2013.       http://personalliberty.com/youth-misery-index-obama-killing-young-americas-future/
9.
 Dump backstabber Boehner movement? Just getting started  
(Joseph Farah) - In the end, backstabber John Boehner even needed help from Democrats to beat off a challenge by House Republicans to his speakership. Had it not been for some 27 members, mostly Democrats, not showing up for a floor vote, he might have been denied re-election...That’s fitting, since backstabber Boehner has been a facilitator of Democrat policies since he first got the job in 2011. When House Republicans alone under his leadership had opportunity after opportunity to deny Barack nObama the borrowed money he needed to implement his radical agenda, backstabber Boehner ensured, year after year, that nObama got what he needed.       http://www.wnd.com/2015/01/dump-boehner-movement-just-getting-started/
10.
 nObama's fake Social Security No. back with a vengeance  
(Diana West) - From the “A” section of the New York Times, Page 15, in less than 100 words, the psychosis of denial as it is hard-wired into American journalism...Fat chance. For starters, there’s that unsolved mystery of why there is a piece of phony electronic artwork on the White House website purporting to be an image of a 1961 government document attesting to the details of Barack Obama’s birth. That this is evidence of what is likely the biggest case of identity fraud in history isn’t news to American media investigating more pressing matters (e.g., the presidential golf game). Nor, it seems, is other evidence of fraud or forgery from different investigations and numerous court proceedings. But it’s not just media (exception: WND.com) that turn their collective blind eye. Relevant federal, state and local authorities (exception: Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio) have consistently ignored, derided or buried all such evidence rather than carry out their legal responsibilities. And guess who is paying for his legal fees, we are. We should demand the true facts.      http://www.wnd.com/2015/01/obamas-identity-fraud-and-mickey-mouse-media/
Epic fail: The year in verse
Andrew Silow-Carroll

     (jewishworldreview.com) Zei Gezunt, Two thousand fourteen! Let's recap the things we have seen, From media bias to unfair attacks To Donald Sterling's rants about blacks, Or a Nobel Prize for chemistry but not between Barack and Bibi).

     Operation Protective Edge Managed to insert a wedge between the world and Israel, which was blamed for overkill — A double standard that resents
 when Hebrews act in self-defense.

     The war ignited acts of rage That often seemed to take a page from other times in history,  like Nineteen Hundred Thirty-Three except this time the streets were lined with so-called friends of Palestine.

     Perhaps the war would not have mattered had not the hope of peace been tattered by bottlenecks and a lack of trust that no one seemed prepared to bust. Not Bibi, Abbas, nor Hanoi Kerry were able to get both sides back to the table.

     Iran's rush, once uncontrolled, to build a nuke was put on hold by sanctions that delivered pain from Ashkezar to Zehadan. But as an end to talks came near, Tehran replied, "Sometime next year."

     U.S. Jews at least could say they kept a nemesis at bay. Our top leaders found a way to deny the Street called J (Despite their claims to probity)
Membership in the C of P.

     Our focus on Hamas and ISIS was diverted by a crisis in conversion set off by a rabbi with a thing for spying on the women in his shul —talk about your dirty pool!

     From soda water to chickpea spread, a movement reared its ugly head to boycott all things white and blue and isolate its people, too. We pushed back with a full-court press to divest mankind of BDS.

     We also took time to recall those whose murders cast a pall, from the Kansas JCC to Israel's kidnapped boys, all three, and Steven Sotloff, a writer who died for telling what was true.

      And that is all the news that fits before we have to call it quits. We know that it's not Rosh Hashana, but you'll forgive us if we wanna wish you a year that's sweet and serene and see you again in 2015!

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0115/silow_carrol_epic_fail.php3

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Thursday Morning - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 8, 2015 at 4:22am
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
The Progressive
Racial Narrative and Its Beneficiaries
Bruce Thornton
 
"Rise up together as one voice"
"Be careful where you stand"
~~~lll~~~
 
 
 JEB LAUNCHES LEADERSHIP PAC 
In his most direct step yet towards a 2016 White House bid, Jeb Bush will be filling paperwork today to officially launch his leadership political action committee, which will be called the Right to Rise PAC. In a statement to Fox News, a source close to the former Florida governor said, “We will celebrate success and risk taking, protect liberty, cherish free enterprise, strengthen our national defense, embrace the energy revolution, fix our broken and obsolete immigration system, and give all children a better future by transforming our education system through choice, high standards and accountability.” The Right to Rise PAC would also help pay the expenses of a burgeoning staff, polling, and finance Bush trips across the country as a possible 2016 contender. The formation of this leadership PAC as well as a separate super PAC by Bush supporters – could be used to flush other GOP potential aspirants out of the 2016 field, by essentially, flexing the formidable financial strength of Jeb’s donor network. Bush is holding a private fundraiser Wednesday, in Greenwich, Conn., and more fundraising events are planned in Florida and Washington, D.C. in the next few weeks, as are meetings with major donors. - More from Fox News here.  -Fox News 
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 And none too soon -   Reflecting the reality of 2016 frontrunner status, Jeb is already facing ramped-up scrutiny of his views on same-sex marriage. Reacting to a judge’s ruling allowing gay couples to wed in parts of the former Florida governor’s home state, he told the Miami Herald Sunday “It ought be a local decision. I mean, a state decision,” The state decided. The people of the state decided. But it’s been overturned by the courts, I guess.” NYT, citing his long time opposition to same-sex marriages, said Bush “…struck a conciliatory note on Monday, telling The New York Times that ‘regardless of our disagreements, we have to respect the rule of law.’…Gay rights leaders said they found Mr. Bush’s statement on Monday encouraging. Fred Sainz, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, a group that has pushed for same-sex marriage, said that ‘most Republican politicians have been adamant in their opposition and provide no room for evolution.’  Mr. Bush ‘at least is expressing his respect for those who support marriage equality,’ Mr. Sainz said. ‘That’s a big change for Republicans.’”  -Fox News 
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 On same-sex marriage, a consistent view but changing language   Buzzfeed reaches back two decades with a deep dive on Jeb Bush’s views on same-sex marriage. “Two decades ago, Jeb Bush wrote there should be no special rights for LGBT people. ‘This opinion editorial from 20 years ago does not reflect Gov. Bush’s views now, nor would he use this terminology today,’ a spokeswoman said. Jeb Bush has said gay couples shouldn’t be ‘discriminated against.’ He has argued that same-sex parents who ‘love their children with all their heart and soul’ are ‘examples to others.’ … The former Florida governor hasn’t changed his position on same-sex marriage. He opposes it, and has since he first ran for office more than 20 years ago.
          But Bush’s recent, somewhat sympathetic language about LGBT rights provides a marked contrast to his early comments on the issue – more in rhetoric than policy.”]  -Fox News 
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 COWBOYS OWNER PAID FOR CHRISTIE’S PRIVATE JET FLIGHT 
The New Jersey Star Ledger reports that Gov. Chris Christie’s private jet trips to watch Dallas Cowboys games were paid for by team owner, Jerry Jones. The governor’s spokesman Kevin Roberts, said, “Governor Christie attended the game last night as a guest of Jerry Jones, who provided both the ticket and transportation at no expense to New Jersey taxpayers.” Despite the criticism for his junkets and love for one of the most hated teams in his home state, Christie said he might do it again and fly to Wisconsin for Sunday’s Cowboys-Packers showdown. 
-Fox News 
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 WARREN NOT BACKING OFF HILLY WALL STREET KNOCK 
WBZ: “…[We] asked [Sen. Elizabeth Warren] if her indictment [of corporate influence over Congress] included former Secretary of State Hilly Clinton, a major beneficiary of Citigroup political donations over the years. ‘I’m just calling out the problem we have right now in Washington, and Citigroup is an example of these big corporations who have undue influence right there in Washington,’ said Warren. Asked if the public should be wary of Citigroup ties to Clinton and current Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, who was chief operating officer of Citigroup in the years prior to the 2008 financial meltdown, Warren said: ‘The public should absolutely be wary of the influence of Citigroup and other large financial corporations and the power they wield in Washington.’” -Fox News 
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1.
 Air Force Drone Program On The Verge Of Collapse  
(Jonah Bennett) - An internal memo from senior officials reveals that the Air Force’s drone program is on the verge of collapse due to limited personnel just when the military is stepping up efforts against ISIS, The Daily Beast reports...The memo from Gen. Herbert Carlisle, commander of the Air Combat Command (ACC), reflects a longstanding dispute between the Air Force and the Pentagon. At a time when more drone flights than ever are needed to combat ISIS, the Air Force is struggling to keep up with demand. What’s missing is not equipment: There are more than enough MQ-1 and MQ-9 Reaper drones in stock; but the Air Force is running dangerously low on trained personnel. “It’s at the breaking point, and has been for a long time,” a senior service official told The Daily Beast. “What’s different now is that the band-aid fixes are no longer working.”       http://dailycaller.com/2015/01/05/air-force-drone-program-on-the-verge-of-collapse/?advD=1248%2C48782&bt_alias=eyJ1c2VySWQiOiJjNTliYzIxYy1kM2ZhLTQ5MWMtYjhmZC02M2M2MjhjYzNjZjMifQ%3D%3D#mnetint
2.
 Fighting Red Maps in Purple States  
( Tarini Parti) - Based on the big elections in Virginia in recent years, the Old Dominion is turning reliably blue: victories by Barack nObama in 2008 and 2012, two Senate wins by Democrats in two years, and Terry McAuliffe’s triumph in between...So how is it that Republicans have a stranglehold on the state’s congressional delegation, holding eight seats to Democrats’ three? That question is at the heart of a legal battle over whether Republicans have improperly leveraged their power over the redistricting process. The outcome could have far-reaching implications because the contours of congressional districts drawn by Republican-controlled legislatures are seen as a driving reason why Democrats may be locked in the House minority until at least after the next census in 2020. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/fighting-red-maps-in-purple-states-113932.html?hp=l1_3
3.
 2015: The Year of Diplomatic Disaster in Iran?  
(Bruce Thornton) - Prognosticators from the London Times to Democratic pundit James Carville are predicting that President nObama this year will finish a deal with Iran regarding its nuclear program...With a record of foreign policy failure, nObama is eager for a seeming success, even if the agreement leaves the mullahs with the capacity to quickly build some nuclear bombs at a time of their choosing. Such an outcome would obviously be a strategic disaster, leaving this country and its regional allies vulnerable to an inveterate enemy driven by an apocalyptic ideology. nObama and his foreign policy team will bear the brunt of responsibility for this failure, as they should. In addition to displaying sheer incompetence and ignorance in his foreign policy, the president has serially sacrificed our security and interests to political needs. Time and again he has made decisions based on partisan calculations that tried to reconcile the ideological dogma of his left-wing base with the demands that something should be done about global threats.       http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/bruce-thornton/2015-the-year-of-diplomatic-disaster-in-iran/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=c927e03a0b-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-c927e03a0b-156509103
4.
 Hanoi John Kerry Lied: The UN Wants to Take our Guns! 
(Tim Brown) - Ever since September 2013, the day Secretary of State Hanoi John Kerry signed the United Nations Small Arms Treaty, I have been bothered by the complete disingenuous concern he presented and outright lies he told to those gathered to witness the signing, and the American people...Here's the video of the signing and his remarks. The first thing I thought of was that this is a former senator who is signing a three inch document, which I'm sure he has never read. This is the disingenuous part of what he is doing. Second, in discussing what the treaty is not, he declares "This treaty will not diminish anyone's freedom. In fact, the treaty recognizes the freedom of both individuals and states to obtain, possess, and use arms for legitimate purposes. Make no mistake, we would never think about supporting a treaty that is inconsistent with the rights of Americans … to be able to exercise their guaranteed rights under our constitution."       http://freedomoutpost.com/2015/01/kerry-lied-national-gun-registration-will-part-un-small-arms-treaty/
5.
 2015: The Year nObamacare Died?  
(leanrightamerica.org) - When Congress convenes on January 6th, it will have a much different makeup than it did in December. Thanks to a Republican blowout in November, the GOP has control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives...And while there is plenty of concern about where loyalties lie when it comes to Republican leadership, even establishment representatives are interested in making some headway against nObamacare. Much of the problem as it pertains to GOP opposition to the Affordable Care Act lies in the lack of an alternative. Going back to the old system is a non-starter. As much as American voters hate nObamacare, there are few convincing arguments to abolish it without replacing it with something new. Too many people would lose their health insurance, making it the kind of political third rail that no one’s going to touch. However, there are signs that Republicans are finally ready to coalesce around a conservative healthcare plan.       http://www.leanrightamerica.org/uncategorized/2015-the-year-obamacare-died/
6.
 Hilly Out? Democrats Should Beware The National Enquirer  
(Roger L Simon) - Say all you want about The National Enquirer, but Democrats of all people should know the scandal rag is one of the few places that does any honest investigative journalism anymore — or even can afford to...Don’t believe me? How do you spell John Edwards? The folks at the New York Times are still trying to get that one right. Now the Enquirer has another hot story: “Bill Clinton Underage Sex Lawsuit Shocker!” It begins in the mag’s inimitable prose: Bill Clinton has been identified in a sex lawsuit involving underage girls – and the sleazy scandal threatens to blow up his wife Hilly’s bid to be president!       http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2015/01/05/democrats-should-beware-national-enquirer/
7.
 Hamas leader Mashaal said deported from Qatar  
(Elhanan Miller) - According to a report in left-wing Turkish newspaper Aydınlık, Qatar has faced significant pressure from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to deport Mashaal...amid a diplomatic reconciliation process currently underway between the small Gulf state and the Arab world. According to CNN, citing a Hamas-run news agency, Mashaal and other Muslim Brotherhood members were most likely to head to Turkey.       http://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-leader-mashaal-said-deported-from-qatar/
8.
 nObama Rolls Dice With American Lives Over GITMO Releases  
(J. D. Gordon) - Yes, just like craps, such is the randomness of President Barack nObama’s gamble on releasing so many radical Islamic terror suspects from Guantanamo and hoping they don’t kill Americans and our allies...Yet sadly it’s no game, countless lives are at stake. Of the 779 detainees ever held at Gitmo, almost 650 detainees have been released. U.S. intelligence authorities report that nearly 1 in 3 are confirmed or suspected of having returned to terrorism. Ex-Gitmo prisoners have become leaders of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Ansar Al-Sharia in Libya. One became a suicide bomber in Iraq. They’ve killed Americans or our allies in each place, most notably in Benghazi.       http://dailycaller.com/2015/01/05/obama-rolls-dice-with-american-lives-over-gitmo-releases/?bt_alias=eyJ1c2VySWQiOiJjNTliYzIxYy1kM2ZhLTQ5MWMtYjhmZC02M2M2MjhjYzNjZjMifQ%3D%3D
9.
 Erdogan Grooms a New Jihad Generation  
(Abigail R. Esman) - First, he promised to build a new, "religious generation." Now, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears to be going one step further...creating, too, a new generation for jihad...If that sounds a bit like the Islamic State, there is one significant distinction: IS leaders shape their youth by teaching them to use Kalashnikovs and knives. Erdogan is shaping children's minds. And that can be far more dangerous. This is not to say that Erdogan is himself a terrorist leader, despite his cozy relationships with Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. And perhaps has has never realized the full gravity of his programs. But is there, leaving many in Turkey's Western, secular, intellectual elite to worry about their children's future.       http://www.investigativeproject.org/4717/guest-column-erdogan-grooms-a-new-jihad-generation#
10.
 America Is Abandoning the Northeast — and Heading to Texas  
(Zach Noble) - Where did Americans move in 2014 — and what states did they leave behind?...A trio of moving companies has released their reports on U.S. moving patterns, and the results show a continuing exodus that’s leaving the Northeast barren and filling up states in the South and West. On Allied Van Lines’ report, Texas had a net gain of nearly 2,000 families, taking the top spot for incoming movers — for the 10th year in a row. The least attractive states: Illinois, Michigan, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.       http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/01/06/america-is-abandoning-the-northeast-and-heading-to-texas/
The Progressive
Racial Narrative and Its Beneficiaries
Bruce Thornton
 
     (frontpagemag.com) - A recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll reveals that nearly 6 in 10 people believe race relations are bad, with 23% saying they are “very bad.” The causes of these perceptions are many, including nationally publicized police killings of two black men, disorderly and violent demonstrators ignoring the facts of the cases to brand the police “racist,” a lazy media neglecting to dig up and then publicize those facts, and a president, Attorney General, and mayor of New York willing to exploit and widen racial division and consort with hustlers like Al Sharpton.

     What we see at work in these events is the long established racial narrative in which endemic white racism accounts for all the ills that afflict black people. Not just individual whites harbor this original sin, but our educational, political, social, justice, and economic institutions are racist as well, favoring white people and hence conferring on them “white skin privilege.” The wide scope of racism means that no matter how well meaning towards blacks, or how socially and economically disadvantaged, individual whites cannot purge themselves of racism. Only radical transformation of all our institutions can redeem America from racism.

     This fairytale regularly ignores numerous facts. The decline in black poverty, for example, calls into question the notion that there is “institutional racism” warping the economy. Thanks to postwar economic growth, the black poverty rate decreased from 87% in 1940 to 28% today. Similar improvement can be seen in the growth of the black middle class and increases in black home ownership. And the claim that blacks are shut out of the job market is hard to square with the fact that millions of illegal aliens are working in this country, and immigrant entrepreneurs are creating small businesses.

     Similarly, the idea that the police are an “occupying army” targeting blacks, a cliché we heard repeatedly during the recent demonstrations over the police shootings in Ferguson and Brooklyn, is exploded by simple statistics that show about 200 blacks a year––most shot while possessing a gun or knife––are killed by police officers, while almost 6,000 a year are killed by other blacks. It’s a strange “army” that endangers itself in order to protect and save the lives of those it’s allegedly “occupying.”

     Then there’s the “voter suppression” charge, the assertion that attempts by states to ensure only legal voters cast ballots really are designed to discourage black voters. The increasing numbers of black people registering and turning out to vote belie this claim, as does the much greater number of blacks holding elected office. Indeed, in 2012 the proportion of black voters turning out in the national election was greater than that of white.

     The fact is, by global standards the largest number of politically free and well off blacks is in the United States. As for those blacks still mired in dysfunctional communities filled with crime, violence, unemployment, drugs, and fatherless children, those evils do not reflect white racism or a “legacy of slavery.” Rather, they can be traced to what Michael Gerson called the “soft bigotry of low expectations,” the culture of dependence and the erosion of self-reliance and self-responsibility created by government handouts and the liberal narrative of endemic white racism that demeans blacks as helpless victims incapable of improving their lives or being accountable for their actions, since through no fault of their own they are imprisoned by “institutional racism.” And don’t forget progressive government policies that inhibit economic growth, historically the great engine for improving black lives, and the culture-wide degradation of sexual mores and the collapse of traditional marriage.

     So cui bono, as the lawyers say, who benefits from this narrative? The federal and state entitlement industry, of course, whose agencies and bureaucrats profit from having a permanent underclass of clients. So too the Democratic Party, which buys black votes with promises to keep the transfers and set-asides flowing. So too the racial grievance industry, that gang of activists, academics, ethnic studies professors, “diversity” consultants, and shakedown artists like Al Sharpton who use black misery as leverage for more power and pelf. So too the leftover leftists, who find in racial discord a weapon for attacking the country that kicked their cherished collectivist ideology into the dustbin of history.

     Most black Americans aren’t invested in this narrative. They’re too busy working and raising their families. But let’s not forget the role this narrative plays in camouflaging the privilege of those millions of blacks who live better and have more social clout than millions of white people. By ignoring their economic advantages and brandishing their scars from alleged racist wounds, many in the black upper-middle and upper class, particularly those in education, sports, entertainment, and government, can gain vicarious victim-privilege and hence social leverage. Thus through a spurious claim to racial brotherhood, they plunder and spend the capital of black suffering many of them have never experienced. They then can enjoy a social cachet and a whiff of exotic authenticity that sets them apart from their bland white counterparts, and that gives them an air of gnostic racial wisdom embodied in the can't phrase, “It’s a black thing, you wouldn’t understand.”

     The phoniness of this ploy can be seen in the various claims well off blacks make about their personal experiences of racism. In the 90s it was the epidemic of racist cabdrivers refusing to pick up black passengers. That one faded when research showed that many of the cabdrivers were themselves black, and were prudently avoiding the murder and mayhem they often experienced at the hands of black passengers. Then there was the “driving while black” trope, which focused on the disproportionate number of blacks pulled over for traffic violations like speeding. Department of Justice investigations ended up with sanctions imposed on states for “racial profiling.” But the study done of drivers on the New Jersey Turnpike, a much-publicized case of “profiling,” revealed that while blacks were 25% of all speeders, they were 23% of those pulled over. That is, they were underrepresented, not overrepresented, among those stopped.

     More recently we have heard affluent, privileged blacks like Eric Holder, and the white father of a half-black son, New York mayor Bill De Blasio, indulge another hackneyed trope, the “talk.” This is the conversation black fathers must have with their sons in order to “train them to be very careful when they have . . . an encounter with a police officer,” as De Blasio said, lest they give a policeman a pretext for the violence incited by their racism. The irony of this claim is that if reflects just how privileged these children are, for people who grow up in the dangerous neighborhoods the police must frequent drink that wisdom in with their mother’s milk. Worse yet, it assumes that a white kid who resists arrest, fights a cop, curses him, or otherwise challenges his authority will be treated with kid gloves. I’ll have to see some hard data before I believe that. The reality is, the biggest danger to a young black man today is not a policeman, but another young black man.

     No doubt some blacks have experienced rude cops or cabdrivers, or have been subjected to the other evidence of racism like those nObama claims to have experienced, such as women clutching their purses more closely in an elevator, or locking their car doors at the approach of a black man. But even if true, these slights don’t amount to “systemic racism.” They more likely reflect prejudices, many acquired through unpleasant experiences. If you want to see what real racism looks like, visit this site and peruse its collection of lynching postcards. You’ll see just how much progress has been made over the last half-century.

     But facts or even common sense don’t matter when it comes to a narrative with so many beneficiaries, the biggest one being Barack nObama, who never would have become president without it. The saddest part of all this, however, is that the black people truly suffering today aren’t on that list. In the racial narrative, black lives don’t matter.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/bruce-thornton/the-progressive-racial-narrative-and-its-beneficiaries/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=202d7c5ecb-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-202d7c5ecb-156509103

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Wednesday Afternoon - The Front Page Cover

Posted by Rudy Tirre on January 7, 2015 at 12:58pm
The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
 
Featuring:
We're The Needy Ones Now
Tom McLaughlin
"Know who you are standing with"
"Show me your friends and I'll show you your future"
~~~lll~~~
 
 GOP Sets Agenda, but Infighting Threatens Delay  
Today, the newly elected 114th Congress convenes, and with it, lots of hype, ambitions, agendas and political drama. Congress will be tasked with passing legislation the president will no doubt oppose, and Republicans will have to keep the infighting to a minimum if they ever hope to stop this administration's assault on Liberty. The GOP appears to be ready to go to work, having put forth an agenda that seeks to accomplish what the 113th Congress -- derailed by then-Senate Majority Leader dinky Harry Reid -- could not. The first order of business for the House is to pass legislation expediting the Keystone XL Pipeline. The Senate is expected to follow suit, with the GOP leadership making it clear that creating jobs and increasing energy production in the United States is a must. Next on the agenda is nObamaCare. In the GOP weekly address, Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) said that the House plans to rework nObamaCare's definition of a full-time employee. The law sets the bar at 30 hours per week, but Republicans seek a return to the traditional understanding of a 40-hour workweek. Obviously, we would prefer Congress repeal the entire law, but it would be foolish to expect the president to sign legislation undoing his crowning "achievement." And some reform is going to be necessary given the possibility of the Supreme Court striking down federal subsidies.  -The Patriot Post  
 
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 Tax Filers to Experience 'Joys' of nObamaCare  
This year, the IRS will be fully involved in policing health insurance coverage under nObamaCare, with federal tax forms requiring for the first time that taxpayers report their health insurance status to the IRS. Filers will have to state whether they had employer-paid health insurance coverage in 2014 or received subsidies to help pay for their coverage. Those who did not have coverage face fines of $325 or 2% of taxable income. Citizens will basically be on the honor system, however, as the IRS says reduced staffing and budgets won't allow it to check up on every tax return. The IRS operating budget has shrunk by $1 billion since 2010, and it has 13,000 fewer employees -- a direct result of Republican attempts to stymie nObamaCare's implementation. The IRS says it won't reject tax returns that don't address the health insurance question, but the agency plans to exercise its audit power. Some filers may be required to file additional forms to prove their health insurance coverage or request one of the 30 different exemptions that currently exist. Open enrollment ends on Feb. 15, though, so the window for filing hardship exemptions is rapidly closing.  -The Patriot Post  
 
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 CAN MCCONNELL THAW THE SENATE WITHOUT GETTING   SOAKED? 
The 114th Congress gets underway today in a snowy Washington with all the media attention on the noisy effort by a small group of Republican foes of House Speaker backstabber John Boehner to embarrass the GOP leader by denying him a first-ballot victory in his election to a third term. But the real action is over in the other chamber, where we will see the first test of incoming Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s effort to reopen the Senate for actual legislation following years of his predecessor’s Heat Miser-style deep freeze. Note: backstabber Boehner was re-elected.  -Fox News  
 
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 Piped in -   The first order of business in the Senate is a bipartisan bill to force the nObama administration to allow an oil pipeline from Canada to be completed. The eventual Keystone XL vote will be the first test of McConnell’s plan to revive the Senate, which seized up during the dinky Harry Reid-era,. For much of dinky Reid’s reign, even Democrats were usually forbidden to introduce or alter legislation on their own. Today marks the return to “regular order” and the first test of McConnell’s effort to thaw things out. And it comes with considerable risk. Democrats have a plan to punish McConnell for the move by not just killing the bill but bedeviling the process. There seem to be the six Democratic votes needed to advance the legislation, however dinky Reid and his presumed eventual successor, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have hopes of hopes of breaking up the bipartisan fun and protecting President nObama from having to veto the popular plan.
          “I think we’ve got all 54 Republicans, looks like they’ll be original co-sponsors and more than half a dozen Democrats. The votes are there.” – Sen-elect Ben Sasse, R-Neb., on the Senate Keystone XL pipeline bill, on “FOX & Friends” this morning.   -Fox News  
 
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 Tougher path -   McConnell is expected to preserve the biggest dinky Reid-era change: lowering the threshold for confirming presidential nominees other than Supreme Court justices from 60 votes to 51 votes. But by reassuming the old, open Senate rules that give broad latitude to all members of both parties to introduce bills and amendments, McConnell is making his job much harder. Not only will he face hijinks from Democrats, but he will give up dinky Reid’s policy of handcuffing problematic members of his own party.  -Fox News  
 
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1.
 Iran’s Occupation of Syria  
(Joseph Puder) - Most people immersed in Middle Eastern affairs have heard the charge, ad-nauseam, “Israeli occupation” of the West Bank...The United Nations (UN) agencies, the European Union (EU), large segments of the American and European media, and many of the so called human rights watchdogs have been critical of Israel’s “occupation,” albeit the Jewish state has attempted to make peace with the Arab states and the Palestinians all along. Moreover, UN Security Council Resolution 242 considered the West Bank “disputed territory.” What one does not hear from the shrill chorus of the aforementioned voices is criticism of the Iranian occupation of Syria.  There are no UN resolutions demanding Iranian withdrawal from Syria, or a firm U.S. government statement to that effect. This amounts to sheer hypocrisy and a double standard.       http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/joseph-puder/irans-occupation-of-syria/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9a4d2ea604-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-9a4d2ea604-156509103
2.
 Expect a 242% Hike in nObamacare Fines for 2015  
(Floyd Brown) - nObamacare was craftily written…Benefits come first, and then the bite comes later. You see, if you remained uninsured in 2014, you would have paid a penalty of $95 (or 1% above the filing threshold)...But the fines were structured to increase over time. And 2015 is the year that average citizens will really start to feel the sting. For 2015, you’re facing a $325 fine, or a penalty that’s 2% of income above the filing threshold.       http://www.wallstreetdaily.com/2015/01/05/obamacare-fines-2015/
3.
 Holder: Congress Passed No Law Making Sex Change a Civil Right 
(Linda Harvey) - They did it again. The nObama Administration, specifically current Attorney General Eric Holder, has invented a new law through “memorandum,” attempting to advance sexual deviance when Congress has made no such law...Sex change is now a federal civil right, Holder declares, and Title VII can apply to fake women just like real women in situations involving alleged sex discrimination. Holder and the Department of Justice will now argue that men who dress as women are girls, too, because their confused minds say it’s so.       http://barbwire.com/2015/01/05/0655-tell-eric-holder-congress-passed-no-law-making-sex-change-civil-right/
4.
 Did the CIA Fiddle With Population Statistics about Iran?  
(Daniel Pipes) - The World Factbook, described as "information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities,"...is perhaps the most prominent unclassified publication of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and a major source of information. Yet, a numerical discrepancy concerning the ethnic makeup of Iran prompted me three months ago, on October 5, 2014, to send the agency a letter (via its website):       http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2015/01/did-the-cia-fiddle-with-population-statistics
5.
 Must See & Share as We are Rapidly Losing Our Culture  
(Brooke McGowan) - I hesitated to share this on Viral.Buzz, as it will be considered controversial...The below video is a remarkable depiction of the demographic cultural battle we all face in the West. If anything needs to go viral, it’s this message. We are rapidly losing our western culture, it’s clearly under attack and many just don’t seem to care enough to do anything about it.       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HoBz68-Q_8
6.
 Saudi religious leader OKs rape of children 
(F. Michael Maloof) - Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh, the kingdom’s top religious authority in the ultra-conservative Wahhabi school of Sunni Islam, has ruled it’s acceptable for men to marry girls...so young the West would deem it nothing short of pedophilia and rape. Despite the Saudi justice ministry’s failed efforts to date to set 15 as a minimum age to marry a girl in the kingdom, Grand Mufti Abdulaziz declared there is nothing prohibiting Muslim men from marrying girls even younger.       http://www.wnd.com/2015/01/saudi-religious-leader-oks-rape-of-children/
7.
 A Conversation With Newt Gingrich 
(DANIEL HALPER) - "Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich sat down with Bill Kristol to discuss the 1994 Republican Revolution, when Republicans took control of both Houses of Congress for the first time in forty years...Gingrich also recalls his first political campaigns and how he began to influence Washington in the 1980s. Finally, the former speaker offers a personal take on mentors, allies, and rivals, including Gerald Ford, Jack Kemp, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton—as well as his reflections on presidents from Eisenhower to nObama. This is a must-see Conversation for anyone interested in contemporary American history and the origins of our current political landscape," writes the Foundation for Constitutional Government, the sponsor of the series.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNA4GgvVD04
8.
 2014: The Year of Peak Stupidity  
(Clarice Feldman) - The year just ended saw one leftist narrative after another collapse under the weight of reality, and the Republicans still sucking their thumbs, turning the other cheek, and failing to effectively respond...For decades, greenies have said we must impoverish ourselves and switch to costly, inefficient sources of energy because we are approaching “peak oil” and the world will soon run out of this valuable resource. With new sources of petroleum energy turning up almost everywhere on earth, the claim has proven hollow. In his usual colorful language, Rick Ballard characterized the left wing’s dilemma, playing off that phrase:       http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/01/2014_the_year_of_peak_stupidity.html
9.
 The Case of Barack nObama and his Muslim Brother Malik  
(Ben Barrack) - There has been a major breakthrough in the case of Malik nObama. It may also help to explain why members of Congress, mainstream media, and shockingly, even the attorneys for Tea Party groups targeted by the IRS have chosen to ignore the earth-shattering scandal involving the President’s eldest brother...This new discovery reveals a mosaic of intrigue that has never before been presented. It’s a scandal with everything… and more. What you are about to read consists of previously reported data points but now also includes a key figure that eliminates much speculation when viewed in the context of these data points – the Executive Director in whose home was formed the Foundation headed by Barack nObama’s Muslim brother, Malik.       http://shoebat.com/2015/01/05/major-breakthrough-case-barack-obama-muslim-brother-malik/
10.
 FCC Net Neutrality Vote Expected in February  
(Raven Clabough) - The Federal Communications Commission announced on Friday it will be introducing and voting on new net neutrality rules in February...The proposals are sure to set off another storm of controversy as net neutrality has long been a contentious issue for those who believe in the free market and free speech. Currently, it is unclear what rules are being circulated amongst FCC officials, but the timing was expected, as the push for stronger regulations grew fiercer. The Washington Post writes, “Advocates of strong net neutrality, including President Obama, have urged the FCC to begin regulating Internet service providers using the same law it uses to oversee telephone companies — Title II of the Communications Act.”       http://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/computers/item/19838-fcc-net-neutrality-vote-expected-in-february-but-will-congress-beat-them-to-it?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=48fbd0bc44-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-48fbd0bc44-289778381
We're The Needy Ones Now
Tom McLaughlin
 
     (tommclaughlin.blogspot.com) - Missionaries from Africa are working here in Maine. What does that say about us? Well, we need missionaries to bolster our faith because it’s waning. Yes, we used to send missionaries to Africa because they were more in need than we were, but that situation has reversed. There’s a critical shortage of priests here in Maine, but not in Africa — or not in western and central Africa where Father Innocent Okozi had been working. Now he lives in Bridgton, Maine where he is pastor of St. Joseph Parish, which includes St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in nearby Fryeburg where I attend, as well as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Parish, which includes St. Catherine of Sienna Church in Norway, Maine, Our Lady of Ransom Church in Mechanic Falls, and St Mary Church, Oxford, ME, which is open only during the summer. 

     When I grew up in suburban Boston in the fifties and sixties, our parish alone had half a dozen priests. Now one has to cover multiple parishes here in Maine, even while church buildings are being closed down and sold off all over the state. Young men in New England and in other, more liberal parts of our country are reluctant to devote their lives to the priesthood compared to former times. Seminaries have few applicants. That’s not as much of a problem in conservative Catholic dioceses in the midwest and south, but here the shortage has reached critical levels.

     Last month I had an opportunity to talk to Father Innocent about this and other topics. “There was a time when Europe and America used to send a lot of priests to Africa. That was a time when there was a vocation boom on this side,” he said. “And now, Africa is enjoying a similar thing.” Some bishops in Africa are reluctant to send their priests out, but if the Church in Rome looks at its worldwide situation, there’s more of a shortage in the United States than elsewhere, except Europe, which faces a more acute shortage than the United States.

     Father Innocent cites two reasons for the shortage: families have fewer children and “their priorities have changed, a lot.” There is less openness to the spiritual life among baby boomers, but the generation following them is seeking that out more, he said. “Because they grew up in a spiritual vacuum?” I asked. “Exactly,” he said. Let’s hope he’s right about that.

     He came to Maine originally for pre-doctoral work in psychology at UMO, the University of Maine Orono, and checked in with the Bishop in Portland as a courtesy. Soon he was filling in at masses in different parishes and, when he finished his studies, then-Bishop Malone asked him to stay on. He and another Nigerian priest, Father Samuel Madza, SMA were both assigned to Bridgton and Norway, with Father Innocent as Pastor. Father Innocent baptized my twin grandsons last year and Father Sam presided over my nephew’s funeral shortly after.

     Christians are persecuted by radical Muslims in Nigeria. Most of the world first became aware of Muslim terrorist group Boko Haram when they kidnapped 200 girls from their school in northern Nigeria last April. The name “Boko Haram" means “western education is forbidden” in Hausa language. The girls have since been sold into slavery or forced to “marry” terrorists. It’s actions are very similar to those of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, with whom the United States had recently gone to war.
 
     According the Gatestone Institute, “in the last four years alone, approximately 1,000 Christian churches have been destroyed by Boko Haram and its Muslim sympathizers in a nation that is approximately half Christian half Muslim.” According to Human Rights Watch, Boko Haram killed 2053 Nigerian Christians just in 2014.
 
     Father Innocent was born the oldest of eight children. As he was studying for the priesthood during the late 1980s and early 1990s in southern Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire respectively, his family moved to the Borno State in Northern Nigeria, which has since become a major hotbed for Boko Haram depredations. His father was transferred there by the automobile dealer he worked for and his mother worked in the restaurant industry. Father Innocent visited them during his Christmas vacation and witnessed firsthand what was then just developing.

     A local Muslim boy was interested in one of his younger sisters, who invited him to a Christmas service. His father was a local leader. As Father Innocent described it: “If he attended not only would his family disown him, some family members may poison him.” Then Father Okozi’s mother was warned by the meat sellers from whom she purchased beef for her restaurant that radical Muslims were planning to poison the meat, knowing that Christians purchased a lot of it during Christmas. Then there were plots to attack Catholics as they left midnight masses on Christmas Eve. Shortly thereafter, his family moved away from Borno State to a safer part of the country. “When I read about what’s going on now, I thank God they moved before things got worse,” he said.

     It’s ironic that priestly vocations are booming where Christians are persecuted, and waning where they’ve gotten complacent.
 
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