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FIRST IN WAR, FIRST IN PEACE, and FIRST IN THE HEARTS OF HIS COUNTRYMEN

Posted by Cathy O'Brien on February 15, 2010 at 7:32pm

Back in the day, we used to celebrate the birthdays of two of our most brilliant and devoted presidents in American history. Loved by all who had learned of their bravery, sacrifice and contribution to our country. Somewhere along the line, these celebrations lost their way, when they were combined as one and dubbed "President's Day", as though we are now celebrating all presidents, whether they deserve it or not? These two president's contribution to the founding of America are unique, which is why they had their own separate holiday recognition.


FIRST IN WAR, FIRST IN PEACE, and FIRST IN THE HEARTS OF HIS COUNTRYMEN

Not all presidents are George Washington

http://tinyurl.com/ylon6fb

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Stupid Rules of engagement are putting our troops endanger

Posted by Bob J Criswell on February 15, 2010 at 7:02pm
Under the current rules of engagement, troops retain the right to use lethal force in self defense, said U.S. Col. Wayne Shanks, a spokesman for the international force.The rules seek to put the troops in the "right frame of mind to exercise that right," Shanks said. They require troops to ask a few fundamental questions:• Even if someone has shot in my general direction, am I still in danger?• Will I make more enemies than I'll kill by destroying property, or harming innocent civilians?• What are my other options to resolve this without escalating the violence?Our government is going to turn this war into another Nam. Where the troops have to ask permission to shot or bomb the enemy.
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Focus items

Posted by Mark Flanagan on February 15, 2010 at 5:14pm
Two items:
Any discussion of supporting a Constitutional Amendment for a Balanced Budget with Tax limits?

Any discussion on eliminating the Federal Income Tax and replacing it with a National Sales Tax?

m
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the canadian

Posted by james c. cochran on February 15, 2010 at 4:24pm
Ever wonder why we have to depend on the foreign press to find out what's "really" going on in our own country. It's a good thing that Obama and the democrats don't own the Canadian press.. Here is what Howard Galganov predicts for Barack Hussein Obama - PLEASE READ:Barack Hussein Obama: I Told You So – Yes I DidBy Howard GalganovMontreal, Quebec , CanadaWhen Obama won the Presidency with the help of the LEFTIST Media, Hollywood And Entertainment Liberals, Ethnic Socialists (ACORN), Stupid Non-Business Professionals and Bush Haters, I wrote: It won't take six months until the People figure this guy out and realize how horrible a mistake they've made. And when they come to that realization, the damage to the United States of America will be so great it will take a generation or more to repair - IF EVER.The IDIOTS who not only voted for the Messiah, but also worked [hard] to promote his Lordship, are now left holding the bag.Here are two things they will NEVER do: They will NEVER admit to making a Blunder out of all proportion by electing a snake-oil salesman with no Positive social history or management experience of any kind. They will NEVER take responsibility for the curse they've imposed upon the immediate and long-term future of their country.In essence, the people responsible for putting this horror show in power are themselves responsible for every cataclysmic decision he makes and the Consequences thereof.In just six months, the Messiah's polls are showing the following: On Healthcare Reform - He's going under for the third time with polling well Under 50 percent, even within his own Party. Even though he might be able to Muscle a Healthcare Reform Bill by using Chicago BULLY tactics against his Fellow Democrats, it will just make things worse. On Cap and Trade (Cap and Tax) - The Fat-Lady is already singing. On the Stimulus Package (Tax and Spend) - His popularity is in FREE-FALL. On the TARP package he took and ran With from President Bush - It's all but Good-Night Irene. On the closing of GITMO and "HIS" war on what he no longer wants called the War On Terrorism - He's standing in quicksand with his head just about to go under. On a Comparison between himself and George W Bush at the same six months into Their respective first term Presidencies - Bush is ahead of him in the Polls On a comparison between He Who Walks On Water and the 12 preceding Presidents between WW II and now - Obama ranks 10th. On a Poll just Conducted, that asks who would you vote for today between Obama and Mitt Romney - It's a dead heat. Between Obama and Palin - Obama's ONLY ahead by 8 Points and she hasn't even begun to campaign. It seems to me that Obama Wants to be everywhere where he shouldn't be.He's personally invested in 'totally insulting' America 's ONLY REAL Middle Eastern ally ( Israel ) in favor of Palestinian Despots and Murderers. He's traveling the world apologizing for the USA while lecturing others on how to do it right, when in fact and truth he has no experience at doing anything other than getting elected.He went to the Moslem world in Egypt to declare that America IS NOT A CHRISTIAN NATION while he heaped praises on Islam, where he compared the "plight" of the Palestinians to the Holocaust.The Russians think he's a putz, The French think he's rude.The Germans want him to stop spending.The Indians want him to mix his nose out of their environmental business.The North Koreans think he's a joke, The Iranians won't acknowledge his calls.And the British can't even come up with a comprehensive opinion of him.As for the Chinese, he's too frightened to even glance their way. [After All, China now owns a large portion of the United States .]Maybe if America's first Emperor would stay home more, travel less, and work a little bit instead of being on television just about everyday or stop running to "papered" Town Hall Meetings, perhaps he would have a little bit of time to do the work of the nation.In all fairness, it wasn't HARD to be RIGHT in my prediction concerning Obama's presidency, even in its first six months, so I'm going to make yet another prediction:OBAMA WILL PROBABLY NOT FINISH HIS 4-YEAR TERM, at least not in a Conventional way.He is such a political HORROR SHOW, and so detrimental to the USA and his Own Democratic Party, that the Democrats themselves will either FORCE him to Resign or figure out a way to have him thrown out.Who knows, maybe he really isn't a BORN US Citizen and that's a way the Democrats will be able to get rid of him. [He is a citizen, but not a naturalized citizen with both mother and father being US citizens.]Or - MORE LIKELY THAN NOT, the Democrats will make Obama THEIR OWN LAME DUCK PRESIDENT.I don't believe the Democrats have nearly as much love for their country as they do for their own political fortunes. And with Obama, their fortunes are rapidly becoming toast.image001.ZIP3K Download
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CNN, Huffington Post Urge Violence Against Republicans

Posted by Cathy O'Brien on February 15, 2010 at 12:11pm

There are hundreds of thousands of assaults by liberals on conservatives, especially this past year, that if were done in the reverse, conservatives would be excoriated and persecuted. But such is the life of a conservative, and learning to recognize the hypocrisy is a survival tool. A couple of good books on the subject is Ann Coulter's "Guilty" and John Gibson's "How the Left Swiftboated America". But this latest assault has literally turned physical.


CNN, Huffington Post Urge Violence Against Republicans

"Time for Obama to go ‘gangsta’ on GOP"

http://tinyurl.com/yfocdaq

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Please Send to your Senator and Congressmen

Posted by R.T. Hudgins on February 14, 2010 at 1:23pm

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!


I am sending this to virtually everybody on my e-mail list and that includesconservatives, liberals, and everybody in between. Even though we maydisagree on a number of issues, I consider all of you to be true Americansand friends. My friend and neighbor wants to promote a"Congressional Reform Act of 2010 ". It would contain eightprovisions, all of which would probably be strongly endorsed by thosewho drafted the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

I know many of you will say, "this is impossible". Let meremind you, Congress has the lowest approval of any entity in Government and…now is the time all Americans should join together to reform Congress - theentity that represents us.

It’ll be almost impossible and very hard to do, but we need to get a selflessSenator and Representative to introduce this bill in the US Senate and asimilar bill in the House of Representatives. These people will becomeAmerica’s hero's.. Thanks,

A Fellow American



Congressional Reform Act of 2010

1.Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below.

A. Two Six year Senate terms
B. Six Two year House terms
C. One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms

 Serving in Congress is an honor, not acareer. The Founding Fathers envisioned elected citizen legislatorsto serve the best interest of the citizens during their term(s), then returnhome and back to work.



2. No Tenure / No Pension:

A congressman collects a salary while in office and receivesno pay when they are out of office.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The FoundingFathers envisioned elected citizen legislators to serve the best interestof the citizens during their term(s), then return home and back to work.



3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in SocialSecurity:

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to theSocial Security system immediately. All future funds flow into theSocial Security system, Congress participates in Social Security with theAmerican people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The FoundingFathers envisioned elected citizen legislators to serve the best interestof the citizens during their term(s), then return home and back to work.



4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan as all Americans do.

 Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The FoundingFathers envisioned elected citizen legislators to serve the best interestof the citizens during their term(s), then return home and back to work.



5. Congress will no longer be allowed to vote themselves a pay raise. Payraises for Congress will increase by the lower of CPI or 3%.

 Servingin Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned electedcitizen legislators to serve the best interest of the citizens during theirterm(s), then return home and back to work.



6. Congress will loses their current health care system and participates inthe same health care system as the American people.

 Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The FoundingFathers envisioned elected citizen legislators to serve the best interestof the citizens during their term(s), then return home and back to work.



7. Congress will be subject to and must abide in all laws equally that areimposed on the American Citizens.
Servingin Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathersenvisioned elected citizen legislators to serve the best interest of the citizensduring their term(s), then return home and back to work.



8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/11..

The American people did not make this contract withcongressmen, congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

 Servingin Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathersenvisioned elected citizen legislators to serve the best interest of thecitizens during their term(s), then return home and back to work.


 Ifyou agree with the above, pass it on to all in your addresslist.

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Is Barry Obama a Fraud?

Posted by R.T. Hudgins on February 14, 2010 at 1:08pm

Is Obama a fraud?

Wow. This is very interesting,...

I have always wondered why NOONE ever cameforward from Obama's past saying they knew him, attended school with him, washis friend, etc. NO ONE, not one person has ever comeforward from his past. VERY VERY STRANGE.This should really be a cause for great concern. MA
To those who voted for him, YOU HAVE ELECTED THE BIGGEST UNQUALIFIED FRAUD that America has ever known!

This is very interesting stuff. Sort of adds credence to the idea of The Manchurian Candidate thing having happenedhere!

Stephanopoulos of ABC news said the same thing during the 08' campaign.He too was a classmate of BO's At Columbiaclass of 1984. He said he never had one class with him.

Was he there?

While he is such a great orator, why doesn't anyone in Obama's collegeclass remember him? Maybe he never attended class! Maybe he neverattended Columbia? He won't allow Colombia to release his records
either. Suspicious isn't it???

NOBODY REMEMBERS OBAMA AT COLUMBIA !!!!!!!


Looking for evidence of Obama's past, Fox Newscontacted 400 Columbia University students from the period whenObama claims to have been there, but none remembered him.


Wayne Allyn Root was, like Obama, a political science major at Columbia who also graduated in 1983.In 2008, Root says of Obama, "I don't know a single person at Columbia that knew him, and they all knowme. I don't
have a classmate who ever knew Barack Obamaat Columbia. Ever! Nobody recallshim. I'm not exaggerating, I'm not kidding. "Root adds that hewas also, like Obama, "Class of '83 politicalscience, pre-law" and says,
"You don't get more exact or closer than that. Never met him in mylife, don't know anyone who ever met him. At the class reunion, our 20th reunion five years ago,who was asked to be the speaker of the class? Me. No one ever heard ofBarack! And five years ago, nobody even knew who he was. The guywho writes the class notes, who's kind of the, as we say in New York, the machawho knows everybody, has yet to find a person, a human who ever met him.Is that not strange? It's very strange. "Obama'sphotograph does not appear in the school's yearbook and Obama consistently declinesrequests to talk about his years at Columbia, provide school records, or provide the name ofany former classmates or friends while at Columbia.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Allyn_Root#column-one

NOTE: Root graduated as Valedictorian fromhis high school, Thornton-Donovan School, then graduated from Columbia University in 1983 as a Political Science major (in the same class as President Barack Obama WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEENIN).

Can it be that BHO is a complete fraud?? More intrigue concerning "The Manwho wasn't there."

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No Internet Connection Outreach

Posted by Diane M Konrady on February 14, 2010 at 9:04am
Thank you.
I would add the suggestion that all Internet TP users make as good use of their printers, telephones, and coffee pots as possible for copied, phone relayed and face-to-face conversations.
Great use of the new in your notice below, good crossover with strong existing infrastructure;
add a pinch of keep the old and feels like continued progress to me.
No child left behind did not work as expected.
Change we can believe in is still fragile and not from the source that promised it.
The Tea Party needs to remain inclusive to any level of communication and vigilant to see if any citizen is missing from the discussion.
--
Diane Konrady
Vermont's State Motto is Freedom and Unity

On Sat, Feb 13, 2010 at 11:31 PM, TeaParty.org <mail@teapartyorg.ning.com> wrote:

A message to all members of TeaParty.org

Several TP members are wanting to figure out a way to reach NON-Internet users. Here is my answer I am sharing with everyone.

First of all, without Internet access it will be very difficult to contact people. The TP was created around the Internet and social marketing.

However, the staff of TPorg is working on a 3 prong plan to address this issue. Nothing is cut in stone yet, this is ONLY a discussion.

1. we are working with a major processing house to hammer out a direct method to reach tens of millions of non-Internet people. Once/if this takes form, then people can join the educational mailer system by sending us a note, BUT not until it is in place.

2. Dale, and his staff are accomplished speakers. We can make a tour though the Bible belt or any location speaking at Churches of all denominations about God and Country w/o being theologically dogmatic. Also, clubs and Non-Profit organizations.

3.We will encourage people who are not Internet connected to go to their library's and take a Internet basic class (which all the libraries have) and then use the Internet at the public library's. TP chapters can sponsor this as part of their mission. Kool huh!

Do you have any more ideas? We are open and willing to listen!

Steve Eichler

TPorg Exe. Director

OBTW - Dale and his staff will be in Washington D.C. this coming week meeting with several high profile leaders. We are expecting some exciting news within a week or so.....(NO, we are not going to join the Elephant or Jack-ass party!)

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Is there a directory of contact information for those who are involved at what might be considered the "managerial" level of the Tea Party Organization? I'm a little concerned about the lack of organ

Posted by Joel on February 14, 2010 at 7:30am

Is there a directory of contact information for those who are involved at what might be considered the "managerial" level of the Tea Party Organization?

I'm a little concerned about the lack of organization and the lack of "go to" people in this movement on both the national and local levels. I understand and agree that the TP movement should not become personality based and should NOT be identified with one particular personality/politician. I believe that would be the beginning of the end of this great movement. The movement should continue to be based on IDEAS.

On the other hand, there needs to be a way for those of us to more easily contact others in the State/City/Community who are interested and/or willing ot get involved to one degree or another.

On this site for example, there should be the ability to search for members in a specific geographic community. I typed in ILLINOIS and came up with TWO MEMBERS. Now I know there are more than two people in the State of Illinois who have signed on to this effort.

I'd like to try to help create a more effective STRUCTURE that will help and permit people to get involved. If anyone is "like-minded", please feel free to contact me at contribric@sbcglobal.net.

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Ronald Reagan Would Have Supported Tea Party Movement, Says Son

Posted by Cathy O'Brien on February 13, 2010 at 8:18pm

What would Ronald Reagan think of the TEA Party movement today, and what would he think of Sarah Palin? In a recent interview with MSLSD's Hardball and HLN's Joy Behar Show, his left leaning son, Ron, would have you believe President Reagan would have looked down on the tea partiers. Since much of Ronald Reagan's success came from the grass roots, I would have to disagree, as does his oldest son Michael, who played a much bigger role in his campaign.


Ronald Reagan Would Have Supported Tea Party Movement, Says Son
http://tinyurl.com/yftam66

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Beware! Look what the Anti-Teaparty groups really are!

Posted by Bob J Criswell on February 12, 2010 at 12:00pm

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/09/anti-tea-party-web-site-scheme-funnel-funds/%20

Look who is giving all the thousands of dollars to these groups. Probably the same ones that gave to Obama before the 2008 election. When you pull up the above site scroll down to the list below and click on the Donations or the IRS forms. If you belong to one of these groups you should speak your mind about this.


-The American Public Policy Committee Donations/IRS forms
-Patriot Majority Donations/IRS forms
-Citizens for Progress Donations/IRS forms
-Oklahoma Freedom Fund Donations/IRS forms
-Mid Atlantic Leadership Fund Donations/IRS forms
-Public Security Now Donations/IRS forms
-Pioneer Majority Donations/IRS forms
-Bluegrass Freedom Fund Donations/IRS forms

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Shocking

Posted by chris l welch on February 12, 2010 at 9:54am

The other day I was watching one of my religious shows, "Light of the Southwest", and the guest that day was Walid Shoebat(shoebat.com). Walid is an ex-terrorist member of Hamas and now spends his time using his former knowledge to try to warn America of Islamist activity here on our soil.

What he presented that day in these videos made my hair stand on end, my blood pressure to rise, and stirred an anger in me I never felt before!! Unbelievable!

If your sitting down and have your seatbelt on, dare to watch this show. It's 2hrs long, so if needed save the link so you can watch it all! Everyone in America needs to see this, so please pass it on to your Congressman, Senator, friends and enemies.

http://ning.it/aMd3Wp

Sincerely,

Chris Welch

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DECEPTION AS A PRINCIPLE OF GOVERNANCE

Posted by Cathy O'Brien on February 11, 2010 at 7:58pm

Everytime you hear the lie that Bush inherited a surplus when he took office after Clinton, always keep in mind "Every economic crisis we have suffered since WWII has been the result of Democratic Party malfeasance or misfeasance." There is another tidbit to always keep in mind -- The left lies all the time; they have to.

DECEPTION AS A PRINCIPLE OF GOVERNANCE

http://tinyurl.com/ygxp7w8

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OBAMA'S 'ACADEMICALLY APPROVED' APPROACH TO HEALTH CARE

Posted by Cathy O'Brien on February 11, 2010 at 5:26pm

It should not be forgotten that Obama has talked about his desire to re-write our Constitution, because it "is a charter of negative liberties; says what the states can't do to you; says what the federal government can't do to you; but it doesn't say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf". Exactly!! They knew exactly what they were doing, and it is not your place, Mr. Obama, to change it. This is the underbelly of the man we now have in our White House. It should not be a surprise. This information was out there, but America was sold on his "hopie, changie" thing.

OBAMA'S 'ACADEMICALLY APPROVED' APPROACH TO HEALTH CARE

http://tinyurl.com/yjjnusy

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ANTI TEA PARTY WEB SITE PART OF SCHEME TO FUNNEL FUNDS

Posted by Cathy O'Brien on February 10, 2010 at 8:15pm

The Tea Party movement is under attack again, and this time it's by the very people who recently thrashed the Supreme Court for their narrow decision to preserve freedom of speech. With all the noise Obama and his defenders made against this decision, they are the biggest offenders. A group of big corporate companies have organized a new web site targeting the tea parties under the guise of a grassroots organization. It's a very tangled web of corporations, big labor unions, tons of money, and political slush funds to counter the tea party movement.

ANTI TEA PARTY WEB SITE PART OF SCHEME TO FUNNEL FUNDS

Proclaims the Tea Party movement is a fad

http://tinyurl.com/yfwjpr2

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Why We Need Term Limits! We must not let history repeat itself!

Posted by Bob J Criswell on February 10, 2010 at 2:30pm
Bread and Circuses

History tells of how the ancient Romans devised a plan in 140 B.C. to win the votes of the poor; by giving out cheap food and entertaintainment, as a way to gain popularity and thereby buy their votes in elections, Spanish intellectuals between the 19th and 20th centuries complained about the similar pan y toros ("bread and bullfights"). It appears similarly in Russian as хлеба и зрелищ ("bread and spectacle").. The Roman poet Juvenal called this phenomenon "bread and circuses," meaning that as long as the senators provided the mass with the essentials (bread) for human survival and gave them entertainment (circuses) to distract them from more important things in life, the clever leaders in power could manipulate and use the people for their own selfish ends, without no one ever noticing it.
This was a clever tactic pulled by the senators, but most of all, it's an interesting study of the human nature and the relation between the people and the State. Even though modern democracy says we're all capable of making decisions for a country, reality tells us a different story. As long as people have a work and a family, are able to pay their bills and watch TV, the rest of the outside world matters little. Their concerns are always primarily those that relate to their own immediate existence, and that is also how they vote in elections.
When the Romans manipulated people with "bread and circuses," they tried to pacify the people with things they knew would satisfy their basic urges. Much like our people in power today use TV and social acceptance to keep us in check and make sure no one tries to find out the truth about what is going on, the Romans realized that people essentially aren't interested in actual politics. For the mass, it's all just a soap opera and a struggle for how much land or money they will end up with, regardless of how the system operates internally. Therefore we hear people today vote on who they think will lower the taxes and offer them a higher standard of living, discussing Bush and Kerry much like discussing the love affair in their favourite TV show. Politics today isn't about finding the right idea, but finding the most popular one, and advertising that to people whom only grasp the symbolic process.
So why did Juvenal attack his contemporaries like he did? Partly we understand that corrupt senators were able to get away with selfishness, as they had efficiently silenced the people and made politics uninteresting. But what Juvenal most likely saw as most threatening, was the declining spirit and awareness of the people. Contrary to popular belief, fascism and fascist States are not systems that want to pacify people into numb robots - they actively force their citizens to engage in culture and activism, based on their individual capability. Rome managed to build an unbelievably vast empire simply because it had such a strong consensus that made each Roman citizen feeling as if being a vital part of the Roman Empire as a whole. Without the people, Rome was nothing, as seen with the numerous revolts that occurred now and then when the people felt betrayed or treated unjust by the senators.
When consensus and spirit broke down, the senators realized that the only way to keep the power together was to oppress people at their own conditions. Similarly, our modern societies today lack any form of consensus or motivational force, outside producing and consuming products and services, hence why our leaders constantly have to repeat political slogans and dogmatic messages via TV, radio and newspapers. Bread and circuses replace consensus, and like all short term fixes, it lasts as long as convenient and then collapse completely. Without the external control, and without the opium of the masses in the form of entertainment and selfish pleasures, people will run amok and revolt against the corrupt leadership.
More than two thousand years later, and nothing has essentially changed. Most people still don't know nor care, about what is really going on behind the smokescreen of all good-sounding profit making in the name of freedom and democracy. Do we believe them? Not necessarily, but as the Romans knew, it doesn't ultimately matter. As long as people are able to feed and enjoy themselves, they request no more, no matter how corrupt the current system is. Partly they're afraid of what they'll find, partly they feel attached to a system that satisfies their basic urges.
Beyond that lies idealism, or the motivation to find and aspire towards higher ideals, even if it means criticizing the system you currently live in. Not all people can do this. But those who can, those few and brave, are always out there and giving voice to their ideas. That is why we the people of the Tea Party Movements are so important right now, it's our calling to change history.
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GOP'S HEALTHCARE MOMENT

Posted by Cathy O'Brien on February 10, 2010 at 1:26pm

By now, it should be pretty apparent Obama has no intention of a bi-partisan reconciliation on his non-existent [health care] 'Plan' or the House plan or the Senate plan. We all know it's a trap to hog the mike, which is not exactly a meeting. As we speak, Pelosi is scheming a new way to shove her plan through, so why the meeting, when he plans to ram it through anyway? This is another showboating appearance to look 'presidential', when the past year has shown he is anything but. No president would tell you to borrow money to expand your payroll. No president would call his military corpsemen ... multiple times. Jimminy Christmas!

GOP'S HEALTHCARE MOMENT

http://tinyurl.com/yfthmbq

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What They’re Saying About The Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court Decision

Posted by Bob J Criswell on February 10, 2010 at 12:27pm
Contrary to what Mr. President said about the Supreme Court Decision, the following people had this to say about free speech!Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Republican Leader:“For too long, some in this country have been deprived of full participation in the political process. With today’s monumental decision, the Supreme Court took an important step in the direction of restoring the First Amendment rights of these groups by ruling that the Constitution protects their right to express themselves about political candidates and issues up until Election Day.”Congressman John Boehner (R-OH), House Republican Leader:“I think the Supreme Court decisions today are a big win for the First Amendment and a step in the right direction.”Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman:“I am pleased that the Supreme Court has acted to protect the Constitution’s First Amendment rights of free speech and association. These are the bedrock principles that underpin our system of governance and strengthen our democracy. This is an encouraging step, and it is my hope that political parties will one day soon be able to speak as freely as other citizen organizations are now permitted.”Floyd Abrams:“It was a sweeping decision that made it very clear that the First Amendment protects corporate speech about politics and government…It is not for Congress to decide who can say what. It is a holding that corporate expenditures are protected by the First Amendment just as independent expenditures are protected by the First Amendment.”Ted Olson:“The decisions that the Court today overruled rested on the faulty premise that political speech can be restricted in order to prevent corporate money from ‘distorting’ political discourse. In fact, the vast majority of corporations are either nonprofit advocacy groups - like Citizens United - or small businesses. Far from ‘distorting’ the political process, the speech of these corporations reflects the views of their members or the entrepreneurial individuals who formed the corporation. Permitting these individuals to have a voice in the political process adds an important perspective to the public debate and enables individuals of limited means to band together to counterbalance the political speech of the super-rich. McCain-Feingold silenced those speakers, and, as the Court concluded, was therefore impossible to reconcile with the First Amendment.”Marco Rubio, Candidate For U.S. Senate From Florida:“Our political system is at its best when candidates, campaigns and voters focus on ideas, issues and principles. Unfortunately, our citizens’ right to free speech and to participate in the political process has been undermined for years by McCain-Feingold and similar laws. The best way to ensure our political system is less reliant on money is not to pass laws which infringe on fundamental rights, but rather to elect leaders who value policy and principles over politics and special interests. Today’s Supreme Court ruling is a victory for those who truly value the freedoms outlined in our First Amendment.”Michael Steele, Republican National Committee Chairman:“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court in Citizens United v. FEC, serves as an affirmation of the constitutional rights provided to Americans under the first amendment. Free speech strengthens our democracy. While the Court’s recognition that organizations have the freedom to speak on public issues and have their views protected from censorship is fundamental, the Court has now left an imbalance that disadvantages national parties in their ability to support their candidates. We need to encourage a vibrant debate on the issues, and not restrict the free exchange of ideas. Though there is still more work to be done, we are pleased with today’s ruling.”Gregory Casey, President, Business and Industry Political Action Committee:“The Supreme Court’s ruling frees American business from the yoke of second class citizenship. It returns the right of American business to talk about workplace issues and hold candidates accountable....”Stephen DeMaura, President of Americans for Job Security:“For those who believe in free speech and the rights of organizations such as ours to promote our point of view, today was an unequivocal victory....The ruling by the Supreme Court today restores fully the rights of organizations like Americans for Job Security to fulfill our charter cause of discussing and debating the important issues of the day within the marketplace of ideas.”Robin Conrad, U.S. Chamber of Commerce:“Today’s ruling protects the First Amendment rights of organizations across the political spectrum, and is a positive for the political process and free enterprise.”Paul Sherman, Institute For Justice:“The ruling represents a tremendous victory for free speech and a serious blow to proponents of campaign-finance ‘reform,’ who have roundly denounced the ruling and have all but predicted the downfall of the Republic as a result. But the reformers’ rhetoric is just that; the Court’s ruling will simply result in a more diverse mix of political speech, and that is a good thing for American democracy.”
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