Tag Archive for: Congress

Florida Pastor to burn 2,998 Qurans on 9/11/2013

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Pastor Terry Jones has bought property in East Manatee County, Florida to where he plans to relocate his church. Photo courtesy of the Associated Press.

As the Muslim Brotherhood is burning Coptic Christian churches across Egypt, Florida’s Reverend Terry Jones, pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center, will burn 2,998 Qurans honoring the fallen of 9/11/2001. Coincidentally, thousands of American Coptic Christians, many who immigrated from Egypt, are protesting across the nation chanting “Obama, Obama, don’t you care? Christian blood is everywhere“. Florida is home to eleven Coptic Christian Churches.

Take our survey at the end of this column: Which is worse burning Churches or burning Qurans?

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has labeled the Dove World Outreach Center a “hate group”. Others feel Reverend Jones is doing the right thing by highlighting the threat of Islamic extremism in America.

The SPLC called Jones “a true fanatical extremist who seems to be drawn mostly by the need for self-promotion and publicity.” In contrast, outrage has grown as the American Muslim Political Action Committee (AMPAC), supported by various National Democratic Party caucuses, plan a “Million Muslim March” [recently renamed the “Million American March Against Fear” (MAMAF)] in Washington, D.C. on 9/11/2013.

To some the SPLC’s accusations against Reverend Jones ring hollow. Some ask when will the SPLC call the Muslim Brotherhood and its American affiliates hate groups?

According to the AMPAC website the following have partnered with and will march in the Million Muslim March:

AMPAC – The American Muslim Political Action Committee AMPAC in cooperation and solidarity with PANDAA – People Against the National Defense Authorization Act, NDPAAC – National Democratic Party Asian American Caucus, NYDPAAC – New York Democratic Party Asian American Caucus, NABAB – North American Bangladeshi Association for Bangladesh, MDPAAC – Missouri Democratic Party Asian American Caucus, CLA – Community Leadership Affairs, SACC – South Asian Chamber of Commerce, Mosque Care, DC Area 9/11 Truth Movement , A&E – Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth Movement, OWS Movement, MAS Freedom – Muslim American Society, MMAT –  Muslim Marching Against Terrorism, MD Rabbi Alam – the Founder of AMPAC, Richard Gage – the Founder of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth Movement, Dr. Kevin Barrett – the National Spokesperson for Muslim Think Tank, Imam Mahdi Bray the National Executive Director of MAS Freedom, Will Coley National Political Director of Muslim for Liberty and AMPAC organizer of Tennessee and The March Against Drones (MAD) will be gathering on the National Mall, and then launching a march on the halls of power.

In May 1991, the Muslim Brotherhood issued to its ideological allies in the US an explanatory memorandum on “the General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America.”

The memorandum, discovered by the FBI, asserts that the Brotherhood’s mission was to establish “an effective and … stable Islamic Movement” on the continent, this document outlined a “Civilization-Jihadist Process” for achieving that objective. It stated that Muslims “must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ its miserable house by their hands … so that … God’s religion [Islam] is made victorious over all other religions.”

The memorandum outlines a  political tactic called “stealth jihad“. Using stealth jihad the Brotherhood would seek to impose Islamic values and customs on the West in piecemeal fashion — gradually, incrementally gaining ever-greater influence over the culture.

The memorandum listed twenty-nine likeminded “organizations of our friends” which sought to realize the same goal. Members of these organizations will be participating in the Million Muslim March.

To view the responses to this survey click here.

Reverend Jones produced this video titled “The Church Must Stand Up!”:

RELATED:

‘Million Muslim March’ Planned On 9/11 Anniversary Prompts Conservative Freakout – Huffington Post

Two Million Bikers Plan Their Own 9/11 March to Washington D.C.

Bikers to counter Muslim march – WorldNetDaily

77% of terror plots are motivated by Islamic jihad doctrine

PETITION: Million Muslim March … Renounce The Hate

Message to “defund Obamacare” resonated with Florida grassroots

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Jim DeMint speaks at the “Defund Obamacare” town hall tour in Tampa on August 21, 2013. Photo courtesy of Eve Edelheit, Tampa Bay Times staff.

Heritage Foundation President and former Senator Jim DeMint and Raphael Cruz, father of Senator Ted Cruz, came to Tampa, Florida to bring their message that now is the time to defund the Affordable Care Act. The Heritage Action for America sponsored event was over booked. Tampa was the third stop on a nine city tour. Over 850 signed up for the event, with only 550 seats available.

Raphael Cruz gave the invocation and was greeted with a standing ovation when he was introduced by Karen Jaroch, Tampa Regional Coordinator for Heritage Action, as the father of Senator Ted Cruz. Cruz ended the event with a stirring call to action.

Senator DeMint then took the stage to a standing ovation. DeMint looked over a packed house of diverse concerned citizens, who traveled from across the state of Florida. DeMint then said in his soft southern voice, “We had you wait in line to get into this event so you can get used to standing in line to get medical care under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. With the over 550 people jammed into this hall you now know what your doctor’s waiting room will look like very soon.” These comments were like throwing raw meat to the grassroots activists in the audience.

Senator DeMint then went into detail on how the Affordable Care Act can be defunded. DeMint explained defunding Obamacare means attaching a legislative rider to a “must pass” bill (e.g. debt limit, annual spending bill or continuing resolution to fund the government) that 1) prohibits any funds from being spent on any activities to implement or enforce Obamacare; 2) rescinds any unspent balances that have already been appropriated for implementation; and 3) turns off the exchange subsidy and new Medicaid spending that are on auto-pilot.

DeMint was then joined by Mike Needham, Chief Executive Officer for Heritage Action for America, to answer questions. The issue of what is the urgency to defund Obama care now was raised. According to DeMint and Needham on January 1, 2014, Obamacare’s new main entitlements – the Medicaid expansion and the exchange subsidies – are scheduled to take effect. Open enrollment for both programs begins on October 1, 2013, at the start of the new fiscal year. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the federal government will spend $48 billion in 2014 and nearly $1.8 trillion through 2023 on these new entitlement programs. Also on January 1, Americans will be forced by their government to buy a product, health insurance, for the first time in history. Individuals and families who don’t comply will be penalized by tax penalties administered through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

One Floridian asked Senator DeMint isn’t is mean to not provide the funding for healthcare. Senator DeMint replied that it is mean for the President to promise Americans that they can keep their current insurance and doctors under Obamacare. It is mean for the President to say that health insurance premiums will go down $2,000 when in fact they will go up over $2,000 or more in some states. It is mean for the President to say everyone will receive better health care when we know from the experiences of Canada and England that socialized medicine leads to rationing and poor care, even to patients dying for lack of attention..

The question of some House Republicans supporting the repeal of Obamacare but not defunding it came up.

DeMint noted that some fear if they take a stand on Obamacare it will hurt them in the 2014 elections. He then pointed out that same tactic of “first do no harm” lost Republicans the US Senate and White House twice. DeMint noted that when he was in the Senate, and since he has become President of the Heritage Foundation, he experienced a Republican leadership that will “cut the legs out from under any who oppose them”.

DeMint said that Republicans took the House of Representatives in 2010 and retained the majority in 2012 on the promise of repealing Obamacare. Either Republicans keep their promise or go home and explain why they lied. DeMint noted that repealing Obamacare is not enough. The House has had numerous votes to repeal the law, but the chances of statutorily repealing the law decreased once President Obama won a second term. Those who oppose Obamacare, he said, cannot wait another three and a half years to ” begin dismantling Obamacare; they need to leverage current opportunities to defund using ‘must-pass’ spending bills.” DeMint said time and again, it is now or never.

The Tampa Bay Times PolitiFact blog took exception to four of the things Senator DeMint said during his presentation. However, DeMint’s message clearly resonated with the audience. The devil is always in the details.

ABOUT HERITAGE ACTION FOR AMERICA:

RELATED:

Congressman Mark Meadows : Letter Encouraging House Leadership to Defund Obamacare

Should We Delay or Defund Obamacare?

Infographic: As gun sales rise gun crimes plummet

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Florida has over one million citizens with concealed carry permits. This does not include the millions more who own a firearm in the state. Florida has come under scrutiny for its Stand Your Ground laws, which protect citizens who are protecting themselves. Gun rights are embedded in America’s history, a part of the Constitution and a right of law abiding citizens.

This infographic is from the National Shooting Sports Foundation says it all.

Gun Crimes Plummet Even As Gun Sales Rise

Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.

About the National Shooting Sports Foundation

The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 8,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers.

“Obama, Obama, don’t you care? Christian blood is everywhere”

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Photo courtesy of The Tennessean.

Robert Spencer from Jihad Watch reports, “How odd that Bob Smietana, a journalist who is reliably biased in favor of Islamic supremacists, didn’t call the rally goers “racist, bigoted Islamophobes.” Spencer is referring to a column by Bob Smietana titled, “”200 Coptic Christians rally in Nashville, call for peace in Egypt.”

Florida is home to eleven Coptic Christian churches while Tennessee has five. Information about the Coptic Christian church may be found at CopticChurch.net.

The Tennessean, August 19th reports:

More than 200 Coptic Christians demonstrated in downtown Nashville, calling for an end to the violence in Egypt.

Many chanted “Obama, Obama, don’t you care? Christian blood is everywhere,” and “Pray for Egypt” while waiving Egyptian flags.

Others, like Anour Fares, held homemade signs with messages like “We are against Muslim Brotherhood.”

Amany Shahata, who has lived in the United States for 16 years, said she feared for Christians living in Egypt, whose churches had been burned down in recent days. She and other protesters blamed the Muslim Brotherhood.

“What is terrorism, but being afraid to go out of your house because someone will attack you,” she said. “… We can build churches anywhere but in our own country.”

At one point demonstrators lined both sides of First Avenue and called out slogans as cars went by. They shouted “eid wahda,” an Egyptian phrase that translates as “one hand,” meaning that the Egyptian people, both Christians and Muslims, were united with the army against terrorism, which they blamed on the Muslim Brotherhood.

Abram Thabet said that he hopes the Obama administration will stand by the Egyptian government. He said that he fled Cairo two years ago with his family because he feared persecution.

“The Christians in Egypt are paying a very high price,” he said. “I couldn’t keep my children safe.”…

UPDATE: Jay Sekulow, ACLJ Chief Counsel, states, “At a press briefing, a reporter asked [White House press secretary Josh Earnest] what the ‘red line’ is for U.S. action to defend Egypt’s Christians from jihad. The White House responded, ‘I didn’t bring my red pen out with me today.’ The press corps fell silent.”

RELATED:

U.S. Egyptians to rally against Muslim Brotherhood at White House, WaPo, CNN, and Hamas-linked CAIR office

Egyptian Military Warns Obama: ‘Supporting Terrorism’ in Egypt is ‘Red Line’

Egyptian official: Obama’s brother architect of major Muslim Brotherhood investments

What is the Difference Between “Extremist” and “Moderate” Muslim Brothers?

Egypt: What the Muslim Brotherhood has accomplished

Raymond Ibrahim: Mubarak’s Muslim Brotherhood Prophecy

Lost: Obama Middle East Policy, 2013-2016,(1) Why U.S. Policy Betrayed the Moderates

The decline and fall of America’s unions

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“Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned.” – Milton Friedman

Many blame the decline of union membership on Republicans and big business. But is that what history tells us? The answer is: No!

As political power becomes more centralized there is an irreversible decline in the power of unions. It is a cause and effect that cannot be denied or stopped.

American unions began forming in the mid-19th century in response to the social and economic impact of the industrial revolution. National labor unions began to form in the post-Civil War Era. The Knights of Labor emerged as a major force in the late 1880s, but it collapsed because of poor organization, lack of effective leadership, disagreement over goals, and strong opposition from employers and government forces.

Government forces are accelerating the collapse of unions. But how?

Oleg Atbashian in his book Shakedown Socialism writes, “Union perks mean nothing when there is nothing left to redistribute. The Soviets learned it the hard way. The American unions don’t seem to be able to learn from the mistakes of others.”

A recent example is how the unions first supported the Affordable Care Act and are now opposing it.

Townhall.com reported in July 2013, “The leaders of three major U.S. unions, including the highly influential Teamsters, have sent a scathing open letter to Democratic leaders in Congress, warning that unless changes are made, President Obama’s health care reform plan will “destroy the foundation of the 40 hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class.”

If that’s not bad enough, the Affordable Care Act, if not modified, will “destroy the very health and wellbeing of our members along with millions of other hardworking Americans,” the letter says.

Atbashian uses the example of Poland’s Solidarnosc, an independent union that spearheaded the overthrow of the oppressive Communist regime in 1989.  Why? Because, “…Current [union] perks can only exist in a free and competitive economy that ensures growth and generates wealth – known as ‘capitalist exploitation’ in the lingo of the champions of ‘redistributive justice’.”

Unions are only relevant if they retain their control to collectively bargain for wages and benefits. If the government takes over this role, as it did workplace safety with OSHA, then unions are doomed.

When government becomes the sole arbiter of the social and economic impact of industry, then unions are forced to submit.

Atbashian notes, “The workers are not herd animals, nor are they a separate biological species with a different set of interests. They are as human as anyone else who possesses a mind and free will, and therefore their long-term interests are not different than the rest of humanity. And since the interests of humanity lie with liberty, property rights and the rule of law, this is what the unions should stand for.”

Milton Friedman, in Free to Choose: A Personal Statement, wrote, “The ICC [Interstate Commerce Commission] illustrates what might be called the natural history of government intervention. A real or fancied evil leads to demands to do something about it. A political coalition forms consisting of sincere, high-minded reformers and equally sincere interested parties. The incompatible objectives of the members of the coalition (e.g., low prices to consumers and high prices to producers) are glossed over by fine rhetoric about ‘the public interest,’ ‘fair competition,’ and the like. The coalition succeeds in getting Congress (or a state legislature) to pass a law. The preamble to the law pays lip service to the rhetoric and the body of the law grants power to government officials to ‘do something.’ The high-minded reformers experience a glow of triumph and turn their attention to new causes. The interested parties go to work to make sure that the power is used for their benefit. They generally succeed. Success breeds its problems, which are met by broadening the scope of intervention.”

Friedman noted, “Bureaucracy takes its toll so that even the initial special interests [e.g. unions] no longer benefit. In the end the effects are precisely the opposite of the objectives of the reformers and generally do not even achieve the objectives of the special interests. Yet the activity is so firmly established and so many vested interests are connected with it that repeal of the initial legislation is nearly inconceivable. Instead, new government legislation is called for to cope with the problems produced by the earlier legislation and a new cycle begins.”

The “angel of death” for unions is progressivism, its primary weapon is big government bureaucrats, the anti-union soldiers.

RELATED: 

Union membership declines in 2012 – US Department of Labor

Under Obama, black unemployment back to twice the white rate – PEW Research

Firearms Freedom Act coming to Florida?

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The SWFL Citizens Alliance has been working to get Florida to be one of the next states to pass a Second Amendment Protection and Firearms Freedom Act. This is happening while Democrats are trying to repeal Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law.

A Firearms Freedom Act passed in Kansas this year. Proponents see it is a strong statement of “State Sovereignty” based on both the Commerce Clause and the 2nd, 9th and 10th Amendments of the US Constitution.

Map of states that have passed, introduced or are considering a Firearms Freedom Act. For a larger view click on the map.

In an email the SWFL Citizens Alliance states, “We have met with and have the support of 7 of our 8 FL House and Senate delegation from Southwest Florida. Rep Matt Hudson submitted the Kansas bill to Florida House Bill writing team and we have a Florida Draft of the bill – see attached. Rep. Dane Eagle volunteered to sponsor this bill and our SWFL delegation strongly supports him to sponsor the House version of this bill.”

“We have had lengthy conference calls with the Kansas Sponsor of their bill, Rep. John Rubin and the NRA Affiliate, Patricia Stoneking, who was co-author of their KS Bill,” notes the Alliance.

The Alliance had a booth at the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) Summer Conference. Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk introduced the Florida draft legislation during the conference. The sheriffs agreed by consensus to ask their Legislative Committee to consider including this in their 2014 Legislative Agenda. The FSA Legislative Committee meets on August 30th.

The Alliance is seeking a Senate sponsor, with “several Senators contacted who are reviewing the draft legislation”.

September 23, 2013 is the first Florida Committee week in Tallahassee. The Alliance hopes to get teams from 8-10 counties to meet with various Committee heads to insure the Second Amendment Protection and Firearms Freedom Act is a priority for both House and Senate in the 2014 cycle.

Read the SWFL Citizens Alliance mission and vision statement here.

Will the Obama clown be invited to the Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo?

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Poster courtesy of The People’s Cube. For a larger view click on the poster.

Daniel Greenfield from FrontPage Magazine reported, “On Saturday night in Sedalia, a Missouri city with a population that would fit into Arrowhead Stadium four times over, the entire nation was shaken when a rodeo clown wearing an Obama mask performed his usual routine. Toward the end of Obama’s first term a tornado had torn through Sedalia blowing off roofs and destroying a school bus barn, but that was nothing compared to this.”

“The governor of Missouri stated that the performance, which involved Obama being chased by a bull, did not “reflect the values of Missourians”. He did not clarify whether the other times that a rodeo clown was chased around by a bull did reflect those values … The Missouri State Fair apologized and banned the unnamed rodeo clown for life and announced that they are reviewing their contract with the Missouri Rodeo Cowboys Association. Their next contract will hopefully have an ironclad ‘No Mocking Obama’ clause in place to prevent another tragedy from taking place,” wrote Greenfield.

The Nation’s Justin Sink reports, “Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas) invited the rodeo clown who sparked controversy by donning a mask of President Obama at the Missouri State Fair to perform in Texas, his office said Wednesday. Liberals want to bronco bust dissent. But Texans value speech, even if its speech they don’t agree with,” Stockman said in a statement. “From Molly Ivins to Louie Gohmert and every opinion between, Texans value free and open political speech. I’m sure any rodeo in Texas would be proud to have [the] performers.”

Stockman dismissed the reaction as “straight out of Alinsky.”

This leaves Floridians wondering if Governor Scott, a member of the Florida legislature or member of the Florida delegation will invite the Obama clown to the Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo being held on September 21, 2013.

Where is a politician with true grit like John Wayne when you need him?

ABOUT THE ARCADIA ALL-FLORIDA CHAMPIONSHIP RODEO:

The Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo is a non-profit organization that was established in 1952 by the Arcadia Rodeo Association, which evolved from a group of American Legion Members who held the first rodeo in 1929. It is the oldest rodeo organization in the state of Florida, and benefits all of Arcadia and DeSoto County.

The Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo Association is made up of members of the local community. The members volunteer their time and energy to make each of the rodeo events enjoyable for all. 

The People’s Cube has picked up on his violation of the First Amendment and is having a good belly laugh with it. Will a ‘No Mocking Obama’ clause be added to the contracts of Jay Leno, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, Conan O’Brien, etc.? The People’s Cube produced a number of graphics (below) the first titled “Bronco Bama”. They are posted here with permission.

BroncoBama

RELATED:

Head of MO NAACP Calls Clown Mask ‘Hate Crime’…

FLASHBACK: Obama wore Obama mask on ‘Saturday Night Live’…

NAACP ripped for demanding federal probe…

Impeachable Offenses: The case for removing Barack Obama from office

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New York Times best selling authors Aaron Klein and Brenda J. Elliott will release their latest book Impeachable Offences: The case for removing Barack Obama from office on August 27, 2013. In their book Klein and Elliott document authoritatively the case for impeaching President Obama. WDW – FL received an advanced copy of the book.

Article 2, Section 4 of the US Constitution states:

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Klein and Elliott explain the term “high crimes and misdemeanors” is derived from the English Parliament circa 1386. The Founding Fathers understood the term well. Officials accused of high crimes and misdemeanors “were charged with offences as varied as misappropriating government funds, appointing unfit subordinates, not prosecuting cases, not spending money allocated by Parliament, promoting themselves ahead of deserving candidates, threatening a grand jury, disobeying an order from Parliament, granting warrants without cause and bribery.”

“In Federalist No. 65 [Alexander] Hamilton explained the concept of impeachment. He defined impeachable offences as ‘those offences which proceed from the misconduct of public men, or in other words from the abuse and violation of some public trust. They are of a nature which may with peculiar propriety be denominated political, as they relate chiefly to injuries done immediately to the society itself’,” write Klein and Elliot.

Klein and Elliott note, “[I]mpeachment is not the final step in removing a high official from office; rather it is the beginning of that process by bringing formal charges, i.e. an indictment.”

For the President to be impeached, clearly he must be accused of “injuries done immediately to society itself”.

impeachable offences book coverExaminer.com reports, “Overpasses for Obama’s Impeachment announced today “The Patriot Wave,” as Americans in cities from coast to coast will rally for Barack Hussein Obama be removed from the office of the President. James Neighbors, National Coordinator and Founder of the movement, said today, as they have done at previous overpasses rallies this summer, participants will hold up signs with slogans like “honk if you want Obama impeached” or “impeach Obama” and other to inspire public support and ultimately pressure Congress to take up consideration of impeachment.

This new national movement is holding demonstrations across Florida.

Cheryl Carpenter Klimek from BizPac Review reports, “The grassroots organization, Overpasses for Obama’s Impeachment, has attracted similar volunteer efforts all over the country, according to their website. The Florida contingency held sign-waving events on overpasses across the state on Tuesday, Kilinksi said. At last count, the cities visited included Boca Raton, Ocala, Port St. Lucie, Naples, West Palm Beach, Orange City, Spring Hill, Kissimmee, Jacksonville and the Tampa/Clearwater/Sarasota area. Orlando had multiple events. Overpasses for Obama’s Impeachment, with Facebook pages for chapters in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., gained national attention after a rally in Southern California snagged traffic in early June.”

On Saturday, August 17th, ten days before the release of the Klein and Elliott book, there will be a National Wave Impeach Obama event in Sarasota, Florida. The demonstrations are held on overpasses to gain the maximum impact as citizen driving on major highways see the demonstrators with their signs. The demonstration in Sarasota will take place on an overpass along Interstate 75. There is even an online petition calling for the President’s impeachment.

The Impeach Obama website states:

Overpasses for Obama’s Impeachment has a simple goal. The removal of the corrupt and criminal President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama.

His actions go unimpeded, our pleas through petitions unanswered. Our calls and letters to Congress are left ignored and unopened.

Our only peaceful recourse is to take to the streets and overpasses of America and DEMAND that our nation be returned to We the People, and that Barack Hussein Obama be Impeached, removed from office, and held accountable for his actions while serving as President.

The impeachment process begins in the Judiciary Committee of the US House of Representatives. “The House Judiciary Committee considers evidence of wrongdoing and votes whether to pass the matter along to the entire body. After articles of impeachment are drawn up, the House then votes on the matter and, if a majority of the members affirm, passes the matter to the Senate,” state Klein and Elliott.

If Republicans maintain their majority in the House and regain the majority in the Senate in 2014 could we see this process begin? We will wait and see.

RELATED:

The Imperial President Will Act on His Own

Benghazi attorney: What Obama just did absolutely illegal, impeachable

Impeachable Offenses: The case for removing Barack Obama from office

Court rules Obama acted illegally; Harry Reid says it ‘means nothing’

The Supreme Court’s Marriage Decisions by the Numbers

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The following is courtesy of the Heritage Foundation:

The morning after two important—and troubling—Supreme Court decisions in the Proposition 8 and Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) cases, here’s the lay of the land. The important take away: The marriage debate is every bit as live today as it was yesterday morning. Some key numbers following the decisions:

50  The number of states whose marriage laws remain the same after the Court’s marriage decisions.

38  The number of states with laws defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. That includes California and Florida, where the scope of today’s Prop 8 decision beyond the specific plaintiffs will be the subject of ongoing debate and, most likely, further litigation.

12  The number of states that can now force the federal government to recognize their redefinition of marriage. The Court struck Section 3 of DOMA, which means that it must recognize same-sex marriages in states that redefine marriage.

1  The number of sections of the Defense of Marriage Act struck down yesterday (Section 3). Section 2, which ensures that no state will be forced to recognize another state’s redefinition of marriage, is still law.

0  The number of states forced to recognize other states’ redefinition of marriage.

Ryan Anderson discusses what the Supreme Court did in its marriage decisions—but why the proponents of same-sex marriage failed to achieve their goal of a court-imposed nationwide redefinition.

The important news you may not be hearing is that the U.S. Supreme Court did not redefine marriage across the nation. That means the debate about marriage will continue. States are free to uphold policies recognizing that marriage is the union of a man and a woman, so that children have a mother and a father.

In the states, support for marriage as the union of a man and a woman remains strong. Many believe the Court should have respected the authority of California citizens and Congress.

On DOMA, it appears the Court did not respect Congress’s authority to define marriage for the purposes of federal programs and benefits. The Court may have gotten federalism wrong.

On Proposition 8, the citizens of California who voted twice to pass Prop 8 should have been able to count on their Governor and Attorney General to defend the state’s constitution. That’s what democratic self-government is all about.

Download your free copy of TheMarriageFacts.com.

Read the Morning Bell and more en español every day at Heritage Libertad.

Has Rubio read his own immigration bill?

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The Weekly Standard reports that at least five S. 744 supporters do not know what is in the bill. When asked about a provision that would give employers a $3,000 incentive to hire amnestied aliens over citizens and permanent legal residents:

Sen. Baucus said: “I don’t know if that’s been solved.”

Sen. Casey: “I just haven’t read it that closely to know.”

Sen. Blumenthal: “that’s a good question. I’d have to check.”

Sen. Carper: “I don’t have the time to drill down on it right now”

Sen. Boxer: “I think if you work for an employer who offers health care, you will get the health care you want.”

Sen. McCain’s and Rubio’s offices didn’t respond.

John Carney of CNBC writes that the Congressional Budget Office says S. 744 would create “another decade of pain” for American workers. But that doesn’t seem to trouble very many Members of the United States Senate.

Instead of discussing the higher unemployment and lower wages S. 744 would mean for American workers, the Gang is “in full horse-trading mode” according to Politico, which also reports (subscribers only) that the entire process has been “mostly via back channels and insider negotiations, with deals reached privately to lock up senators’ votes — rather than amendments adopted publicly on the Senate floor.”

Erick Erickson of Red State has a list of quotes from amnesty supporters back when they were running for office — and againstamnesty.

And Sen. Rubio (among those quoted by Erickson above) reiterated his belief that the Senate needs to convince the American public to trust it on immigration.

Sen. Paul, on the other hand, wrote “Washington parlor tricks disguised as reform will not fool the American people.”

VIDEO: Sen. Ted Cruz Speaks Against Corker-Hoeven Amendment to the Immigration Bill:

Second Florida hotel cancels anti-Common Core conference

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Laura Zorc, SE State Coordinator for Florida Parents Against Common Core, in an email states that the Rosen Hotel, Orlando has cancelled the contract for an anti-Common Core conference. This comes on the heels of the Ritz Carlton/Marriott cancellation.

Billy Hallowell from TheBlaze reported on June 19th, “The Common Core State Standards Initiative has created a fair bit of angst among critics who view it as a poor — or even dangerous — plan to amend the nation’s educational schema. Considering this dynamic, it’s no surprise that some concerned Florida parents are planning to protest a national Common Core conference that is slated to be hosted later this month by The Center for College & Career Readiness.”

“But when FreedomWorks, a non-profit organization, agreed to help these parents by providing a grassroots training to accompany their protest, the conservative organization charges that a hotel abruptly canceled its reservations. The hotel, the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes, however, is denying these claims, stating that the anti-Common Core initiative’s goals had nothing at all to do with the decision — and that the decision was based on crowd-control concerns,” writes Hallowell.

Whitney Neal, director of grassroots initiatives at FreedomWorks, told TheBlaze that the Ritz, a hotel nearby the venue that is hosting the national Common Core conference (the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes Resort and Spa), cancelled the conservative group’s reservations — and after the group had already paid for and booked the space.”

Both the anti-Common Core training and protest of the National Conference on College and Career Readiness and Common Core State Standards will take place on June 28-29, 2013 as planned according to Zore.

Zore states in an email to supporters, “[This] Protest is a legal protest Thank you to a commissioner from Orange county. We have insurance, permit, and police depart has been notified.   The Ritz cannot stop us from being on public property. Since we are in the spotlight now we really need all the parents we can get to come out for this 2 hour protest [against] this National CC conference.”

Web spying: Before PRISM there was TURBULENCE

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Joby Warrick, in his book “The Triple Agent: The al-Qaeda Mole who Infiltrated the CIA” published in May 2012, wrote , “Inside the headquarters of the secretive National Security Agency in suburban Washington is a computer search engine unlike any other in the world. Code-named Turbulence, it is a five-hundred-million-dollar-a-year network that continuously vacuums up terabytes of data from across the Internet and scours them for possible security threats.”

When you Google “Turbulence” you get a reference to this cyber search engine on Wikipedia under NSA:

Turbulence started circa 2005. It was developed in small, inexpensive ‘test’ pieces rather than one grand plan like Trailblazer. It also included offensive cyber-warfare capabilities, like injecting malware into remote computers. Congress criticized Turbulence in 2007 for having similar bureaucratic problems as Trailblazer. It was to be a realization of information processing at higher speeds in cyberspace.

Trailblazer Project ramped up circa 2000 under President Clinton. SAIC, Boeing, CSC, IBM, and Litton worked on it. Some NSA whistleblowers complained internally about major problems surrounding Trailblazer. This led to investigations by Congress and the NSA and DoD Inspectors General. The project was cancelled circa 2003-4; it was late, over budget, and didn’t do what it was supposed to do. The Baltimore Sun ran articles about this in 2006–07. The government then raided the whistleblower’s houses. One of them, Thomas Drake, was charged with 18 U.S.C. § 793(e) in 2010 in an unusual use of espionage law. He and his defenders claim that he was actually being persecuted for challenging the Trailblazer Project. In 2011, all 10 original charges against Drake were dropped.

NSA’s mission, as set forth in Executive Order 12333, is to collect information that constitutes “foreign intelligence or counterintelligence” while not “acquiring information concerning the domestic activities of United States persons”. NSA has declared that it relies on the FBI to collect information on foreign intelligence activities within the borders of the USA, while confining its own activities within the USA to the embassies and missions of foreign nations.

NSA’s domestic surveillance activities are limited by the requirements imposed by the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution; however, these protections do not apply to non-U.S. persons located outside of U.S. borders, so the NSA’s foreign surveillance efforts are subject to far fewer limitations under U.S. law. The specific requirements for domestic surveillance operations are contained in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA), which does not extend protection to non-U.S. citizens located outside of U.S. territory.

Many questions remain on who the NSA is targeting. Given the recent scandals in key federal departments including: the IRS, DOJ, NSA, CIA, EPA and HHS one wonders if US citizens in America are now the targets.

So before PRISM we had TURBULENCE. How prophetic.

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Four Words to Watch in the Immigration Debate

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This column courtesy of the Heritage Foundation:

The Senate will begin debate on the Gang of Eight’s immigration proposal next week. Here are four words to watch out for as the Senators make their case—and warnings about what they might mean.

1. COST

“Cost” is one word that should come up in the immigration debate, because the Gang of Eight’s amnesty proposal has a cost that is simply too high for Americans to bear. Heritage analysis found that amnesty would cost taxpayers trillions of dollars.

Amnesty means that illegal immigrants become legal—and become eligible for Obamacare benefits, Social Security, welfare, and Medicare. But they won’t pay enough into the system in taxes to cover the cost of all these benefits, meaning the rest of the taxpayers will have to bear the burden. This simply isn’t fair to hard-working Americans.

2. BORDER

Despite claims of security—and talk of amending the bill—the Gang of Eight immigration bill doesn’t secure the border. Instead, it “delivers nothing new—other than the promise of spending a lot more money and running up our debt.” As James Carafano, Heritage’s E. W. Richardson Fellow, explains: “Amnesty immediately creates an incentive for illegal border crossings and overstays. Thus, the bill’s strategy would drive up the cost of securing the border.”

3. AMNESTY

Heritage President Jim DeMint has said that it’s a false choice for people to say that amnesty is necessary to immigration reform. Amnesty encourages more illegal immigration, and that is not what immigration reform is supposed to do.

Former Attorney General Ed Meese, Heritage’s Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow Emeritus, reminds us that America has tried this before, and it didn’t work:

Today they call it a “ road-map to citizenship.” Ronald Reagan called it “amnesty.” And he was right. The 1986 reform did not solve our immigration problem—in fact, the population of illegal immigrants has nearly quadrupled since that “comprehensive” bill.

4. “COMPREHENSIVE”

Beware the word “comprehensive.” As Meese notes above, the amnesty of 1986 was also called a “comprehensive” approach to immigration reform. It doesn’t work, and it’s not what we need. We need a separate, step-by-step approach to immigration reform. An approach that works—that the American people can trust—would start with reforming the legal immigration system and enforcing the security measures that are supposed to be in place.

Read the Morning Bell and more en Español every day at Heritage Libertad.

Obamacare’s Negative Impact on Florida’s Seniors

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Column courtesy of the Heritage Foundation.

The Medicare program that provides health insurance to seniors faces a dire financial future. And Obamacare is making it worse.

Medicare’s Part A trust fund is projected to be insolvent by 2026 and the total program has a long-term unfunded obligation of more than $35 trillion. This means the government has made $35 trillion worth of benefit promises to current and future seniors that are not yet paid for — a staggering amount that is more than double the nation’s total current debt.

Despite the fact that the Medicare trustees have been warning of this financing disaster for many years, President Obama’s massive health care law makes the matter much worse, not better.

VIDEO: Ann Lorenz, who has Parkinson’s disease, worries about Medicare’s future:

Ignore the political rhetoric of keeping Medicare “as we know it.” Obamacare has already made significant changes to Medicare, namely through provider reimbursement reductions and the creation of an unelected board of bureaucrats, the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB).

Here are three examples of Obamacare’s impact:

1) Huge payment reductions that reduce access to care. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Obamacare will reduce Medicare reimbursements by $716 billion over 10 years. These cuts will hit Part A providers such as hospitals, nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, and hospices, along with Medicare Advantage plans. The trustees predict that if Congress allows these cuts to go into effect, 15 percent of Medicare providers would go in the red by 2019, 25 percent by 2030, and 40 percent by 2050.

This will absolutely impact seniors’ ability to access medical care. As the trustees explain: “Providers could not sustain continuing negative margins and would have to withdraw from serving Medicare beneficiaries or (if total facility margins remained positive) shift substantial portions of Medicare costs to their non-Medicare, non-Medicaid payers.” (Emphasis added.)

2) Medicare “savings” are spent on other parts of Obamacare. Obamacare’s Medicare “savings” and increased Medicare payroll tax are often touted as increasing the solvency of the Part A trust fund, but that simply is not true. The money is counted as paying for new entitlement spending in Obamacare.

As CBO plainly states, “CBO has been asked whether the reductions in projected Part A outlays and increases in projected [hospital insurance] revenues under the legislation can provide additional resources to pay future Medicare benefits while simultaneously providing resources to pay for new programs outside of Medicare. Our answer is basically no.”

3) The ominous and looming power of IPAB. The board will consist of 15 unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats, charged with meeting a newly created budget target in Medicare. When Medicare spending surpasses the target, IPAB will have to make recommendations to lower Medicare spending. The trustees project the much-hated IPAB will need to step up and make recommendations for the first time in 2016.

Obama’s Medicare agenda falls far short of what is necessary to put the program on a sustainable path, and his law’s negative impact on seniors is yet another reason the law must be repealed in its entirety before its most egregious provisions (Medicaid expansion and exchange subsidies) begin in 2014.

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What Is The Debt Ceiling and why should I worry?

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[youtube]http://youtu.be/zVFFO64OAQ4[/youtube]

The following is from the Heritage Foundation:

A new video by Bankrupting America uses humor to call attention to an issue that is anything but funny, and why it matters for every American household.

Recent Heritage research reveals how the rising national debt hurts American families, including:

  • Higher interest rates on mortgages, car loans, and other loans make it more costly for families and businesses to borrow money.
  • Higher debt and higher interest rates mean more tax dollars must be used to pay the government’s interest expense, leaving less money available for other priorities like national security and making it harder to keep future taxes from rising.
  • Less economic growth means fewer jobs, lower wages and salaries, and fewer opportunities for career advancement.

Over the next few weeks, Members of Congress will be deciding what their priorities for spending reduction will be in connection with any vote to increase the debt ceiling sometime this fall. The debt ceiling vote likely presents an opportunity for real spending restraint this year.

Anyone following the shocking IRS scandal has fresh and frightening evidence of the dangers of a massive, over-reaching, highly intrusive federal government. This is yet another reason to cut spending: Washington has a problem respecting fiscal sense and citizens’ freedoms.

The first step to solving it? Shrink the monster down to size with real spending cuts.

It’s a goal many claim to work toward, yet few seem committed to achieving. Choices presented by the debt limit debate can force both parties to trim down the federal budget—if they don’t get sidetracked.

HOLDING THE LINE: There are refreshing examples of principled leadership among members of Congress committed to getting spending under control. Currently, Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Mike Lee (R-UT) are working hard to prevent any backdoor effort to increase the debt limit without spending cuts.

Cruz_screenshotWhen it comes to holding the line on new spending, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) and five other Senators recently announced their intention to object to consideration of legislation that spends new money unless it also trims the federal budget in other areas. Their goal is to “no longer spend money we do not have to pay for programs we do not need.”

The secret to controlling spending: To get spending under control, you have to know where the dollars are spent.

Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security make up 45 percent of our national budget, as this recent chart shows. Millions of at-risk citizens depend on these programs, and Congress has yet to take the steps needed to reform and preserve them so they benefit those most in need and are affordable for current and future taxpayers.

To fix entitlements and get spending under control, only certain policy changes will make a difference. Key examples of transformative reforms are outlined generally in the landmark Saving the American Dream plan, and more specifically in “Six Bipartisan Entitlement Reforms to Solve the Real Fiscal Crisis.”

While members of Congress may be tempted to fold on the challenge of getting spending under control, now is the time that they as the leaders they were elected to be and deal with balancing the national budget in 10 years.

Read the Morning Bell and more en español every day at Heritage Libertad.