Barack Obama gets an 'F' for protecting Americans

From the Telegraph:

There is no more solemn duty for an American commander-in-chief than the marshalling of “all elements of American power” – the phrase Obama himself used on Monday – to protect the people of the United States. In that key respect, Obama failed on Christmas Day, just as President George W. Bush failed on September 11th (though he succeeded in the seven years after that)...Yes, the buck stops in the Oval Office. Obama may have rather smugly given himself a “B+” for his 2008 performance but he gets an F for the events that led to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab boarding a Detroit-bound plane in Amsterdam with a PETN bomb sewn into his underpants. He said today that a “systemic failure has occurred”. Well, he’s in charge of that system....The picture we’re getting is more and more alarming by the hour. Here are some key elements to consider:
1. Abdulmutallab’s father spoke several times to the US Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria and visited a CIA officer there to tell him, apparently, that he feared his son was a jihadist being trained in Yemen. According to CNN, the CIA officer wrote up a report, which then sat in the CIA headquarters at Langley for several weeks without being disseminated to the rest of the intelligence community. This was not just a casual encounter. Again according to CNN, there were at least two face-to-face meetings, telephone calls and written correspondence with the
father. If it’s true that the CIA sat on this then it beggars belief.
2. After 9/11, the huge bureaucracies of the Homeland Security Department and the irectorate of National Intelligence (DNI) were created. Inside the DNI, the National Counter Terrorism Center was created. These organisations were created to “connect the dots”. It may well be that the fault lay with NCTC and not the CIA – CIA spokesman George Little says here that “key biographical information” and information about “possible extremist connections in Yemen” was passed to NCTC. If NCTC knew about it, then did someone at the National Security Council within the White House? There’s a huge blame game beginning so we’ll no doubt know soon enough.
3. It wasn’t just the meeting with the father. According to CBS, “as early as August of 2009 the
Central Intelligence Agency was picking up information on a person of interest dubbed ‘The Nigerian’ suspected of meeting with ‘terrorist elements’ in Yemen”. So there were other parts of the jigsaw that were not put together

To read the other seven reasons click here: Barack Obama gets an 'F' for protecting Americans

Rep. Peter King of the House Homeland Security Committee wants military trial for bomber

Since this guy had the freakin' bomb in his underwear, I'm going to stop calling him an "alleged" Bomber and just the bomber. From the AP:

The leading Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee says the Nigerian man accused of attacking an airliner as it approached Detroit should be tried by a military tribunal rather than a civilian court...Rep. Peter King of New York said Tuesday it will be more difficult for authorities to get useful information from the suspect if he is given the legal rights afforded to defendants in civilian courts, including the right to a lawyer...The suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, has been charged in federal court with trying to detonate the device as the plane approached Detroit last Friday. The device burst into flames instead, according to authorities, and he was subdued by passengers.

Read Here: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/dec/29/lawmaker-wants-military-trial-for-alleged-bomber/

Obama moves to curb number of classified records

From the AP:

President Barack Obama on Tuesday ordered the federal government to rethink how it protects the nation's secrets, in a move that was expected to declassify more than 400 million pages of Cold War-era documents and curb the number of government records hidden from the public....Among the changes is a requirement that every record be released eventually and that federal agencies review how and why they mark documents classified or deny the release of historical records. A National Declassification Center at the National Archives will be established to assist them and help clear a backlog of the Cold War records by Dec. 31, 2013....Obama also reversed a decision by President George W. Bush that had allowed the intelligence community to block the release of a specific document, even if an interagency panel decided the information wouldn't harm national security....Advocates for a more open government are cautiously cheering the move...."Everything will depend on implementation," said Steven Aftergood, director of the Project on Government Secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists. But the order "has tremendous potential to reduce the level of secrecy throughout the government."...In a memo to agency heads, Obama said he expects that the order will produce "measurable progress" toward greater openness in government while also protecting the nation's most important secrets...."I will closely monitor the results," he promised.

Read Here: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/dec/29/obama-moves-to-curb-number-of-classified-records/

Yemen vows to eliminate al-Qaida from country

From the AP:

Yemen says it will continue hunting down al-Qaida members and launching military strikes against them until the group's powerful branch in the country is eliminated...Deputy Interior Minister Brig. Gen. Saleh al-Zawari made the pledge Wednesday at a meeting of senior military officials in Mareb, one of three provinces where al-Qaida militants are believed to have taken shelter...The group's growing presence in the country on the edge of the Arabian Peninsula has drawn attention with the attempted attack on a U.S. airliner on Friday. U.S. investigators say the Nigerian suspect in the attack told them that he received training and instructions from al-Qaida operatives in Yemen...THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below....SAN'A, Yemen (AP)—The roommate of the Nigerian suspected in the attempted attack on a U.S. airliner says the would-be-bomber led a devout life and shunned music and women while he stayed in Yemen...Yemeni officials have confirmed that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab spent time in Yemen just before the attempted Christmas Day attack and that he studied Arabic at a local language institute...His roommate, Ahmed Hassan, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the Nigerian would sometimes disappear from the suite they shared without any explanation.

Read Here:Yemen vows to eliminate al-Qaida from country

Gov't moves closer on fresh aid to GMAC

From the AP:

The government was moving ahead Wednesday on a fresh multibillion dollar cash infusion to stabilize auto financing company GMAC Financial Services, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. ...GMAC, based in Detroit, is instrumental to the operations of automakers General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC. It has already received $12.5 billion in taxpayer money and is 35 percent owned by the federal government.

Read Here:AP Source: Gov't moves closer on fresh aid to GMAC

Predictions for December January - The Beginning of the Break up of USA!

TOP TEN CORRUPT POLITICIANS LIST ANNOUNCED BY JUDICIAL WATCH

From Judicial Watch:8. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): At the heart of the corruption problem in Washington is a sense of entitlement. Politicians believe laws and rules (even the U.S. Constitution) apply to the rest of us but not to them. Case in point: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her excessive and boorish demands for military travel. Judicial Watch obtained documents from the Pentagon in 2008 that suggest Pelosi has been treating the Air Force like her own personal airline. These documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, include internal Pentagon email correspondence detailing attempts by Pentagon staff to accommodate Pelosi's numerous requests for military escorts and military aircraft as well as the speaker's 11th hour cancellations and changes. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also came under fire in April 2009, when she claimed she was never briefed about the CIA's use of the waterboarding technique during terrorism investigations. The CIA produced a report documenting a briefing with Pelosi on September 4, 2002, that suggests otherwise. Judicial Watch also obtained documents, including a CIA Inspector General report, which further confirmed that Congress was fully briefed on the enhanced interrogation techniques. Aside from her own personal transgressions, Nancy Pelosi has ignored serious incidents of corruption within her own party, including many of the individuals on this list. (See Rangel, Murtha, Jesse Jackson, Jr., etc.) ...9. Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) and the rest of the PMA Seven: Rep. John Murtha made headlines in 2009 for all the wrong reasons. The Pennsylvania congressman is under federal investigation for his corrupt relationship with the now-defunct defense lobbyist PMA Group. PMA, founded by a former Murtha associate, has been the congressman's largest campaign contributor. Since 2002, Murtha has raised $1.7 million from PMA and its clients. And what did PMA and its clients receive from Murtha in return for their generosity? Earmarks -- tens of millions of dollars in earmarks. In fact, even with all of the attention surrounding his alleged influence peddling, Murtha kept at it. Following an FBI raid of PMA's offices earlier in 2009, Murtha continued to seek congressional earmarks for PMA clients, while also hitting them up for campaign contributions. According to The Hill, in April, "Murtha reported receiving contributions from three former PMA clients for whom he requested earmarks in the pending appropriations bills." When it comes to the PMA scandal, Murtha is not alone. As many as six other Members of Congress are currently under scrutiny according to The Washington Post. They include: Peter J. Visclosky (D-IN.), James P. Moran Jr. (D-VA), Norm Dicks (D-WA.), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), C.W. Bill Young (R-FL.) and Todd Tiahrt (R-KS.). Of course rather than investigate this serious scandal, according to Roll Call House Democrats circled the wagons, "cobbling together a defense to offer political cover to their rank and file.” The Washington Post also reported in 2009 that Murtha’s nephew received $4 million in Defense Department no-bid contracts: "Newly obtained documents…show Robert Murtha mentioning his influential family connection as leverage in his business dealings and holding unusual power with the military.” ....10. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY): Rangel, the man in charge of writing tax policy for the entire country, has yet to adequately explain how he could possibly "forget" to pay taxes on $75,000 in rental income he earned from his off-shore rental property. He also faces allegations that he improperly used his influence to maintain ownership of highly coveted rent-controlled apartments in Harlem, and misused his congressional office to fundraise for his private Rangel Center by preserving a tax loophole for an oil drilling company in exchange for funding. On top of all that, Rangel recently amended his financial disclosure reports, which doubled his reported wealth. (He somehow “forgot” about $1 million in assets.) And what did he do when the House Ethics Committee started looking into all of this? He apparently resorted to making "campaign contributions" to dig his way out of trouble. According to WCBS TV, a New York CBS affiliate: “The reigning member of Congress' top tax committee is apparently ‘wrangling’ other politicos to get him out of his own financial and tax troubles...Since ethics probes began last year the 79-year-old congressman has given campaign donations to 119 members of Congress, including three of the five Democrats on the House Ethics Committee who are charged with investigating him.” Charlie Rangel should not be allowed to remain in Congress, let alone serve as Chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, and he knows it. That’s why he felt the need to disburse campaign contributions to Ethics Committee members and other congressional colleagues.



Read the rest of Judicial Watch's top 10 here: TOP TEN CORRUPT POLITICIANS LIST ANNOUNCED BY JUDICIAL WATCH

THE CONSPIRACY THEORY OF THE MONTH - Capricorn One or We never Landed on the Moon

Starting a new feature on The Contemporary Conservative called “The Conspiracy Theory of the Month.” Why? I recently had a little debate with a “truther” on the implausibility of the 911 attacks being a “Black Op” or "staged" event by our own government and how the bigger a conspiracy plot needs to be to take place the more unlikely it is to have occurred... (i.e. the plot depends on a 200 people acting in accordance at a given time, in a given way no questions asked) especially us Americans who never do what we’re told. Since I have more important things to worry about than stupid conspiracy theories that distract from real issues we all should be concerned with and conspiracies rarely, if ever, hold up once give the true test of logic, I thought I’d let my smart and sane readers decide if these theories are real or not...Why don’t I believe in conspiracies? I’ve been in boardrooms where the only thing being decided was what to get for lunch and no one could agree so I think world domination is definitely out of the picture...
Starting off slow and simple…here is December’s Conspiracy: We never landed on the moon OR what I like to call ” I like O.J. Simpson in that Capricorn One movie so much I think it was real.” Trust me we're going to get a lot more wacky than this next year!!

I just love this video because it's BANNED IN AMERICA!!! :)

Newsmax - Bloomberg: No One’s Read Health Bill

Read Here: Newsmax - Bloomberg: No One’s Read Health Bill:

"Touted by President Barack Obama's camp as a pro-healthcare reform advocate, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has suddenly put a damper on his enthusiasm, lamenting that the nation’s legislators don’t even know what’s in the bills they’ve passed....'You know, if you really want to object to something in this bill, number one, I have asked congressperson after congressperson,” Bloomberg told The Huffington Post. “Not one can explain to me what's in the bill, even in the House version — certainly not in the other version....'And so for them to vote on a bill that they don't understand whatsoever, really, you got to question how — what kind of government we have,” Bloomberg added. “Number two, when they talk about bending the curve — as the governor said — bending the curve is a flimflam euphemism for increasing costs, but we're going to say we'll do it at slightly lower rate than we would have otherwise.......'They are not talking about reducing costs,' he concluded. 'They're talking about changing the first derivate, slowing the growth down. And when you look at where the cost savings are going to be, well, they're going to cut something out of Medicare and Medicaid. Now anybody that runs for office will tell you, you don't do that. I mean, the bottom line is it's so politically explosive, it really would be a first time in the history of the world that they ever cut anything [from those programs].'"

Thomas Sowell : Fables for Adults - Townhall.com

The wisdom of Thomas Sowell:

Many years ago, as a small child, I was told one of those old-fashioned fables for children. It was about a dog with a bone in his mouth, who was walking on a log across a stream...The dog looked down into the water and saw his reflection. He thought it was another dog with a bone in his mouth-- and it seemed to him that the other dog's bone was bigger than his. He decided that he was going to take the other dog's bone away and opened his mouth to attack. The result was that his own bone fell into the water and was lost....At the time, I didn't like that story and wished they hadn't told it to me. But the passing years and decades have made me realize how important that story was, because it was not really about dogs but about people...Today we are living in a time when the President of the United States is telling us that he is going to help us take that other dog's bone away-- and the end result is likely to be very much like what it was in that children's fable....Whether we are supposed to take that bone away from the doctors, the hospitals, the pharmaceutical companies or the insurance companies, the net result is likely to be the same-- most of us will end up with worse medical care than we have available today. We will have opened our mouth and dropped a very big bone into the water....While I was told a story in my childhood to help me understand something about the real world, today adults are being told things to reduce them to childish thinking...The most childish of all the things being said in the august setting of a joint session of Congress last week was that millions of people can be added to the government's health insurance plan without increasing the federal deficit at all....If the President of the United States could do that, it is hard to imagine what he would do as an encore. Walking on water would be an anticlimax....What is equally childish is the notion that the great majority of Americans who have medical insurance, and who say they are satisfied with it, should be panicked and stampeded into supporting vast increases in the arbitrary power of Washington bureaucrats to take medical decisions out of the hands of their doctors-- all ostensibly because a minority of Americans do not have medical insurance....There was a time, within living memory, when most Americans did not have health insurance-- and it was not the end of the world, as so many in politics and the media seem to be depicting it today

Read the rest here: Thomas Sowell : Fables for Adults - Townhall.com

AP source: 2nd man arrested on jet in Detroit

Read Here: AP source: 2nd man arrested on jet in Detroit - Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009 | 11:29 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun:

"The Associated Press has learned that a second Nigerian man has been taken into custody aboard a jetliner in Detroit after locking himself in the airliner's bathroom...A law enforcement official tells the AP that the incident took place aboard the same Northwest flight that was attacked on Christmas Day. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the incident was ongoing."

Man arrested in new disturbance on Detroit flight - Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009 | 12:20 p.m. - Las Vegas Sun

Read Here: Man arrested in new disturbance on Detroit flight - Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009 | 12:20 p.m. - Las Vegas Sun:

"A Nigerian passenger onboard the same Northwest Airlines route that was attacked on Christmas Day was taken into custody in Detroit on Sunday after locking himself in the bathroom for an hour and becoming verbally disruptive upon landing, officials said...The latest disturbance aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 came as the U.S. system for checking suspicious travelers and airport security came under new scrutiny, prompted by an alleged terrorist bent on destroying a jetliner who was thwarted only by a malfunctioning detonator and some quick-thinking passengers...Delta Air Lines spokeswoman Susan Elliott said crew members on Sunday requested that security remove the man from Flight 253 after he became disruptive. The remaining 255 passengers got off safely, she said...A law enforcement official said the man was Nigerian and had locked himself in the airliner's bathroom. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing...An apparent malfunction in a device designed to detonate the high explosive PETN may have been all that saved the 278 passengers and the crew aboard Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day. No undercover air marshal was on board and passengers subdued the suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, of Nigeria."

White House opposes new Jerusalem-area construction | Reuters

Read Here: White House opposes new Jerusalem-area construction | Reuters:

"The White House called on Monday for Israel to halt construction of new homes for Jews in East Jerusalem and urged Israel and the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible...Barack Obama
'The United States opposes new Israeli construction in East Jerusalem,' White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement....Israel announced plans earlier on Monday to build nearly 700 new homes for Jews in areas of the occupied West Bank it considers part of Jerusalem, a city it has excluded from a limited moratorium on settlement construction.

Obama resumes golf game, friend's child is ok | Reuters

Read Here: Obama resumes golf game, friend's child is ok | Reuters:

"President Barack Obama interrupted a golf game on Monday and sped back to his holiday house after the child of friends was hurt in a beach accident...The boy, identified by the White House as the son of Obama's friends Eric and Cheryl Whitaker, is now well, an official said...'Eric and Cheryl Whitaker's son was examined and released from the hospital. He is home playing with his friends and just fine,' said White House spokesman Bill Burton.
Eric Whitaker had been in the president's golfing party when word reached them that the boy had been injured. The presidential motorcade raced back to Obama's vacation house, followed shortly thereafter by an ambulance.
The ambulance later drove off with lights flashing and Obama returned to the golf course to play"

Fatah warns intifada directed against Palestinian Authority | Middle East

Read Here: Fatah warns intifada directed against Palestinian Authority | Middle East:

The killing of the three Fatah operatives in Nablus by the IDF over the weekend could trigger a third intifada, Fatah officials warned on Sunday....But the new intifada, they said, would be different from the first two - this time it would be directed against the Palestinian Authority...During the funerals of the three men, all veteran members and leaders of Fatahs armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, thousands of Palestinians chanted slogans accusing the PA of collusion with Israel and calling for an end to security coordination with Israel and the dismantling of the PA.

Iran tries to beef up legitimacy with sex segregation | International News | Jerusalem Post

Read Here: Iran tries to beef up legitimacy with sex segregation | International News | Jerusalem Post:

An increase in efforts to separate men and women in Iranian institutions has sparked concern that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has ordered a substantial tightening of state policy on sex segregation since his June reelection... World Since Ahmadinejad was elected, the government has made various moves to further segregate office buildings, hospitals, public parks and primary schools and in the half year since the president was reelected a number of Iranian ministers and religious leaders have called for a more strict adherence to sex segregation in various aspects of public life.....There has definitely been a concerted effort to rekindle the kind of policies that enforce gender segregation,.....Dr. Mehrdad Khonsari, a senior research consultant at the Centre for Arab and Iranian Studies told The Media Line. There are efforts to have separate dining areas in universities, to close co-ed places, the atmosphere is just generally different.

Cops fear 25 British-born Muslims are plotting to bomb Western airliners | The Sun |News

Read Here:Cops fear 25 British-born Muslims are plotting to bomb Western airliners | The Sun |News:

"FAILED plane bomber Umar Abdulmutallab has bragged to FBI agents that there are more young men plotting to launch attacks on the West...The 23-year-old Nigerian has told security chiefs of a sinister network in Yemen who are ready and waiting to strike...The reports come after The Sun revealed that cops fear that 25 British-born Muslims are plotting to bomb Western airliners...The fanatics, in five groups, are now training at secret terror camps in Yemen."

First Things First - Actually make the TSA work then worry about the other stuff

From NRN.com and the Washington Eaminer:

Napolitano Wants to Unionize TSA

Written by Mark Hemingway

Monday, 28 December 2009 13:19

From the Washington Examiner:
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano hasn't exactly inspired confidence after proclaiming "the system worked" in response to the recent thwarted terrorist attack. A radical Islamic terrorist -- whose father had warned the U.S. embassy of his dangerous intentions -- smuggled explosives on board a flight into the U.S. and nearly detonated them. It was hardly a victory for Homeland Security. In fact, this paper called for her resignation this morning...Well, as if that weren't bad enough, Napolitano was already at work undermining security measures long before the most recent terrorist attacks. Over the weekend, Senator Jim DeMint, R-S.C., sounded the alarm about the Obama administration's attempts unionize Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) employees:The administration is intent in on unionizing and submitting our airport security to union bosses [and] collective bargaining, and this is at a time, as Senator Lieberman says, we've got to use our imagination we've got to be constantly flexible. We have to out think the terrorists. When we formed the airport security system we realize we could not use collective bargaining and unionization because of that need to be flexible. Yet that appears to be the top priority of the administration....The flexibility that DeMint speaks of is crucial. After a British airliner bombing plot was uncovered in 2006, the TSA overhauled security procedures in a matter of 12 hours to deal with the threat of liquid explosives. It's difficult to imagine that kind of flexibility under ossified union rules....The reason why DeMint is concerned about unionizing TSA is twofold. One, the President's nominee to head up the TSA, Eroll Southers, refuses to say whether he would allow collective bargaining. And two, this exchange between Demint and Napolitano earlier this month probably did not reassure the Senator from South Carolina

Read Here: http://netrightnation.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1252234:napolitano-wants-to-unionize-tsa&catid=1:nrn-blog&Itemid=7

Drunk with Power? No, just Drunk on the Senate floor

Closing the Gap by Using the Lowest Denominator as the Benchmark

When achievement is measured by th lowest denominator then all loose, when it is measured by the greatest, then all strive to meet it.  From the East Bay Express:

Berkeley High School is considering a controversial proposal to eliminate science labs and the five science teachers who teach them to free up more resources to help struggling students...The proposal to put the science-lab cuts on the table was approved recently by Berkeley High's School Governance Council, a body of teachers, parents, and students who oversee a plan to change the structure of the high school to address Berkeley's dismal racial achievement gap, where white students are doing far better than the state average while black and Latino students are doing worse....Paul Gibson, an alternate parent representative on the School Governance Council, said that information presented at council meetings suggests that the science labs were largely classes for white students. He said the decision to consider cutting the labs in order to redirect resources to underperforming students was virtually unanimous....Science teachers were understandably horrified by the proposal. "The majority of the science department believes that this major policy decision affecting the entire student body, the faculty, and the community has been made without any notification, without a hearing," said Mardi Sicular-Mertens, the senior member of Berkeley High School's science department, at last week's school board meeting...Sincular-Mertens, who has taught science at BHS for 24 years, said the possible cuts will impact her black students as well. She says there are twelve African-American males in her AP classes and that her four environmental science classes are 17.5 percent African American and 13.9 percent Latino. "As teachers, we are greatly saddened at the thought of losing the opportunity to help all of our students master the skills they need to find satisfaction and success in their education," she told the board....The full plan to close the racial achievement gap by altering the structure of the high school is known as the High School Redesign. It will come before the Berkeley School Board as an information item at its January 13 meeting. Generally, such agenda items are passed without debate, but if the school board chooses to play a more direct role in the High School Redesign, it could bring the item back as an action item at a future meeting

Read Here: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/berkeley-high-may-cut-out-science-labs/Content?oid=1536705

Q&A: How Insurance Will Change Under the Senate Bill - Washington Wire - WSJ

Read More Here:Q&A: How Insurance Will Change Under the Senate Bill - Washington Wire - WSJ:

"Here are some questions and answers on how the Senate bill would work if it became law:
For consumers:
Q: Would the law force me to buy health insurance?
A: Yes, for most people. Of course, if you already have insurance from your job or are on Medicare, that won’t be a problem for you. Others might have to turn to newly created “exchanges” to buy coverage.
Q: What if I refuse?
A: You’d face a fine. It would start at $95 a year in 2014 and rise to $750 a year by 2016, or as much as 2% of your income, capped at the value of a basic insurance plan.
Q: What if I can’t afford coverage?
A: You’re likely to qualify for subsidies. The new consumer insurance subsidies would mean that a family of four earning about $22,000 a year would pay no more than 2% of its income toward insurance premiums. That assistance would stretch on a sliding scale up to a family of four earning about $88,000 a year and cap its premiums at 9.8% of the family’s income. Medicaid would be available to a family of four earning up to about $29,000.
For employers:
Q: Under the bill, do I have to give my employees coverage?
A: Technically, there’s no requirement, but if you have more than 50 employees and don’t offer coverage, you’re likely to face penalties. Any employer that doesn’t offer affordable coverage and has an employee who gets a tax credit would face a fine of $750 per worker.
Q: What if I have fewer than 50 employees?
A: The penalties don’t apply to you.
Q: With premiums rising so quickly, what’s to stop small employers from dropping coverage?

A: Small employers would get help to encourage them to maintain health coverage. Starting next year, firms with a small number of workers and average wages of up to $25,000 a year would be eligible for tax credits equal to 35% of the company’s cost of their insurance. That help would phase out gradually for firms with more employees and higher wages.

Kerry Floats Plan to Visit Tehran - WSJ.com

Read Here: Kerry Floats Plan to Visit Tehran - WSJ.com:

"Sen. John Kerry has suggested becoming the first high-level U.S. emissary to
make a public visit to Tehran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, a move White
House officials say they won't oppose...The funeral procession for Grand
Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri drew thousands to the holy city of Qom on
Monday.The offer comes as mass protests against Iran's regime are resurfacing and a U.S.-imposed deadline nears to broach international sanctions against Iran. ...'This sounds like the kind of travel a chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee would -- and should --
undertake,' said a White House official, adding it would be at Sen. Kerry's own
behest"

Father of Detroit would-be bomber warned US - Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009 | 2:30 p.m. - Las Vegas Sun

Read Here: Father of Detroit would-be bomber warned US - Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009 2:30 p.m. - Las Vegas Sun:

"U.S. government officials tell The Associated Press that the Nigerian man
charged with trying to destroy a jetliner came to the attention of U.S.
intelligence in November when his father went to the U.S. embassy in Abuja,
Nigeria, to express his concerns about his son. A congressional official said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian, popped up in U.S. intelligence reports about four weeks ago as having a connection to both al-Qaida and Yemen. ..Another government official said Abdulmutallab's father went to the embassy in Abuja with his concerns, but did not have any specific information that would put him on the 'no-fly list' or on the list for
additional security checks at the airport."

Alleged terrorst known but not considered a threat - Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009 | 12:56 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun

Read Here: Alleged terrorst known but not considered a threat - Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009 12:56 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun:

"The alleged Christmas Day terrorist had been in one of the U.S. government's
many terror databases since November, which is when his father brought him to
the attention of embassy officials in Nigeria. ..However, Umar Farouk
Abdulmutallab came to the attention of intelligence officials months before
that, according to a U.S. government official involved in the investigation. The
official spoke on condition of anonymity because it is ongoing....Still, none of
the information the government had on Abdulmutallab rose to the level of putting
him on the official terror watch list or no-fly list. On Christmas Eve, the
23-year-old Nigerian _ who later claimed to law enforcement that he was
operating on orders from al-Qaida _ was able to carry a concealed explosive
device onto a U.S.-bound airplane...Officials warn it is still early in the
investigation. But lawmakers are already calling for hearings, and the
government may order a review. As President Barack Obama received regular
updates on the investigation from his staff, his national security and policy
aides have been asking whether the policies the U.S. has in place are working.
These internal discussions marked the informal start to what will likely become
a formal executive branch inquiry into an attack that failed because the bomb
did not go off as planned and not because the intelligence community stopped
it."

Detroit explosive common, easily detectible - Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009 | 1:45 p.m. - Las Vegas Sun

Read Here: Detroit explosive common, easily detectible - Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009 1:45 p.m. - Las Vegas Sun:

"The explosive device used by the would-be Detroit bomber contained a widely
available _ and easily detected _ chemical explosive that has a long history of
terrorist use, according to government officials and explosive experts. ..The
chemical _ PETN _ is small, powerful and appealing to terrorists. The Saudi
government said it was used in an assassination attempt on the country's
counterterrorism operations chief in August...It was also a component of the
explosive that Richard Reid, the convicted 'shoe bomber,' used in his 2001
attempt to down an airliner. ...PETN was widely used in the plastic explosives
terrorists used to blow up airplanes in the 1970s and 1980s."

What was that you said Senator Reid? | Reuters

Read Here: What was that you said Senator Reid? Reuters: "For months, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid exhorted his fellow senators to vote yes on healthcare reform. But when the big moment came on Thursday, he momentarily voted no -- by mistake.
Reid, who has spent weeks in round-the-clock negotiations over the massive legislation, threw up his arms, bowed his head and quickly corrected his mistake, voting yes for the overhaul that is a top priority for President Barack Obama.
'I spent a very restless night last night trying to figure out how I could show some bipartisanship. And I think I was able to accomplish that for a few minutes today,' Reid quipped at a news conference after majority Democrats passed the bill over solid Republican opposition. The vote was 60-39, along strict party lines."

Senate confirms Miriam Sapiro to be deputy USTR | Reuters

Read Here: Senate confirms Miriam Sapiro to be deputy USTR Reuters:

"The Senate on Thursday approved Miriam Sapiro to be deputy U.S. trade
representative for Europe and the Americas, filling one of several still vacant
slots on President Barack Obama's senior trade team...Sapiro, an Internet policy
specialist with an extensive background in international affairs, was confirmed
along with a host of ambassadors, judges and other officials on a voice vote
shortly before the Senate wrapped up work for the year."

Republicans want Democratic healthcare defectors | Reuters

Read Here: Republicans want Democratic healthcare defectors Reuters:

"The White House sought to downplay differences on Sunday between the two
versions of healthcare legislation passed in Congress as Democrats prepared to
meld them into one, while a top Republican saw 'great unrest' and perhaps more
party-switchers among Democrats...The Senate passed its version of healthcare
reform, President Barack Obama's top legislative priority, on Thursday with no
Republicans voting for it. The House of Representatives passed its bill on
November 7 with just one Republican vote."

White House condemns unjust actions in Iran | Reuters

Read Here:White House condemns unjust actions in Iran Reuters:

"The White House condemned on Sunday what it called the 'unjust suppression' of
civilians by the Iranian government and said the United States was on the side
of protesters...Four people died in Tehran on Sunday when pro-reform protesters
clashed with security forces, Iranian state TV said, in the worst outbreak of
violence since June's disputed presidential election sparked political
turmoil....'We strongly condemn the violent and unjust suppression of civilians
in Iran seeking to exercise their universal rights,' White House National
Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said in a statement."

Wealthy, quiet, unassuming: the Christmas Day bomb suspect - Americas, World - The Independent

Read Here: Wealthy, quiet, unassuming: the Christmas Day bomb suspect - Americas, World - The Independent:

"With his wealth, privilege and education at one of Britain's leading
universities, Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab had the world at his feet – able to
choose from a range of futures in which to make his mark on the world.
...Instead, the son of one of Nigeria's most important figures opted to make his
impact in a very different way – by detonating 80g of explosives sewn into his
underpants, and trying to destroy a passenger jet as it came in to land at
Detroit Airport on Christmas Day."

Nigerian man Saturday with attempting to destroy a Northwest Airlines aircraft

Read Here: Windows Live Hotmail: "The U.S. charged a 23-year-old Nigerian man Saturday with attempting to destroy a Northwest Airlines aircraft on its final approach to Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Christmas Day, and with placing a destructive device on the aircraft. The Justice Department announced: 'A preliminary FBI analysis found that the device contained PETN, also known as pentaerythritol, a high explosive. ... FBI agents recovered what appear to be the remnants of' a syringe from near the man's seat.

For more information...http://www.politico.com

Abortion looms as possible block to health bill

Read Here: My Way News - Abortion looms as possible block to health bill:

"The way abortions are covered under health care reform is a major obstacle to
finalizing the legislation, even though the House and Senate both agree that no
federal money should be used...The stumbling block is whether insurance plans
that get federal money are completely barred from covering abortions, or whether
they can cover it as long as they require customers to write separate checks for
the procedure using their own money....Why does that matter?...Because the
House and Senate solved the dispute in different ways, neither of which makes
everyone happy, and now they have to find a further compromise...'Something's
going to have to give,' said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., author of the abortion
language in the House. ...At this point it's not clear what that will be, although talks to resolve

the issue have already begun and all involved in the intraparty dispute say they want to be able

to support a final health care bill."

Budget Office Rebuts Democratic Claims on Medicare (Update1) - Bloomberg.com

Read Here: Budget Office Rebuts Democratic Claims on Medicare (Update1) - Bloomberg.com:

"The Congressional Budget Office challenged claims by health-care overhaul
proponents that Medicare savings in Senate legislation would help finance
expanded coverage and postpone the bankruptcy of the medical program for the
elderly...The nonpartisan agency said the $246 billion it projected the
legislation would save Medicare can’t both finance new programs and help pay
future expenses for elderly covered under the federal program...Nor could those
savings be used to extend the solvency of Medicare, set to run out of money in
2017, the budget office said in a letter to Senate Republicans. ...What we’ve
seen is a colossal manipulation” by Democrats “of the accounting scores of CBO”
and the independent actuary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, said
Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, the Republican who requested the analysis from
CBO. He called the letter “a potential game-changer.”"

Reports: NWA passenger was trying to blow up flight into Detroit | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Read Here: Reports: NWA passenger was trying to blow up flight into Detroit freep.com Detroit Free Press:

"A man suspected of planning to blow up a Delta Air Lines flight in Detroit
could face charges as soon as Saturday, according to an official familiar with
the case....The suspect, identified by a member of Congress as Abdul Mudallad,
is a Nigerian national who claims to have ties to al-Qaida....It was unclear
today why the man wanted to attack the flight arriving from Amsterdam....The
plane, an Airbus 330, landed about noon in Detroit, and was carrying 278
passengers on a flight from Amsterdam. There were no major injuries....Many on
board were unaware of what had occurred at the front of the plane — learning
about the incident only after they had left the aircraft and were questioned by
FBI agents."

Passengers help foil attack on Detroit-bound plane

Read Here: My Way News - Passengers help foil attack on Detroit-bound plane:

"An attempted terrorist attack on a Christmas Day flight began with a pop and a
puff of smoke - sending passengers scrambling to subdue a Nigerian man who
claimed to be acting on orders from al-Qaida to blow up the airliner, officials
and travelers said.
The commotion began as Northwest Airlines Flight 253,
carrying 278 passengers and 11 crew members from Amsterdam, prepared to land in
Detroit just before noon Friday. Travelers said they smelled smoke, saw a glow,
and heard what sounded like firecrackers. At least one person climbed over
others and jumped on the man, who officials say was trying to ignite an
explosive device."

Pelosi and Reid to Circumvent the Traditional Conference Committee Process..yet another example of violating principles of transparency and accountability in the single-minded pursuit of legislative victory

From the Wall Street Journal:

Look for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to try to circumvent the traditional conference committee process by which the different versions of health care reform passed by each house will be reconciled. If so, it will be the latest example of violating principles of transparency and accountability in the single-minded pursuit of legislative victory....Conferences involving members from both houses are messy things. They are usually conducted in public and often televised, and can produce a compromise version of the bill that leaves rank-and-file members tempted to vote against the final version. That could be perilous in the case of health care since it's likely to pass without a vote to spare in the Senate and the House's version passed by only five votes....North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad, chair of the Budget Committee, has already warned that if the final bill "isn't close to the Senate bill, there will be no way to get the 60 votes here" to shut off debate and pass the final product. But many House members, led by Michigan Rep. John Conyers, are insisting on major changes in the Senate's version....Mr. Reid and Ms. Pelosi would love to come up with a way to bash heads in private and skip any public discussion that further reveals just how incoherent and unworkable both the bills are. Luckily, there is a subterfuge readily available that wouldn't require the House to swallow the Senate's bill unchanged but also ducks the traditional give-and-take of the conference committee.

Read Here:

Losing US Sovereignty at Copenhagen Climate Conference - Steven Groves

The Debt Limit: Made Simple

Heritage Foundation: http://http://www.heritage.org//

The Real Reason for Global Warming - Those Bears are Craaazy!

Climate Change Alliance starts to Crack after Copenhagen

From the Financial Times:

Cracks emerged on Tuesday in the alliance on climate change formed at the Copenhagen conference last week, with leading developing countries criticising the resulting accord....But on Tuesday the Brazilian government labelled the accord “disappointing” and complained that the financial assistance it contained from rich to poor countries was insufficient....South Africa also raised objections: Buyelwa Sonjica, the environment minister, called the failure to produce a legally binding agreement “unacceptable”. She said her government had considered leaving the meeting. ...“We are not defending this, as I have indicated, for us it is not acceptable, it is definitely not acceptable,” she said....There was even harsher criticism from Andreas Carlgren, environment minister of Sweden, current holder of the rotating European Union presidency, who proclaimed the Copenhagen accord “a disaster” and “a great failure”.

Read Here: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c9453654-ef2d-11de-86c4-00144feab49a.html

Rep. Stupak: White House Pressuring Me to Keep Quiet on Abortion Language in Senate Health Bill

From CSN:

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) said the White House and the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives have been pressuring him not to speak out on the "compromise" abortion language in the Senate version of the health care bill....“They think I shouldn’t be expressing my views on this bill until they get a chance to try to sell me the language,” Stupak told CNSNews.com in an interview on Tuesday. “Well, I don’t need anyone to sell me the language. I can read it. I’ve seen it. I’ve worked with it. I know what it says. I don’t need to have a conference with the White House. I have the legislation in front of me here.”...The Michigan Democrat succeeded last month in getting 64 House Democrats to join him in attaching his pro-life amendment to the House version of the health-care bill. The “Stupak amendment,” as the provision is known, would prohibit the federal government from allocating taxpayer money to pay for any part of any health insurance plan that covers abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is in danger.

Read Here: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/58921

You can't make this stuff up!! - Transgendered Anarchist pleads guilty in smashing the windows of Colorado Democrat party headquarters

From the Denver Post:

Activist Maurice Joseph Schwenkler, 24, pleaded guilty Monday to a second-degree misdemeanor for smashing windows at the Colorado Democratic Party headquarters last summer....He received one year of probation and was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution for the Aug. 25 incident at the party headquarters at West Eighth Avenue and Santa Fe Drive, according to the Denver district attorney's office....Schwenkler and an accomplice, who was never identified, took a hammer to 11 plate-glass windows. Police caught them in the act, and Schwenkler was arrested....Anarchist websites across the country raised money for Schwenkler's $5,000 bail, and identified him as "a transgendered anarchist" using the name Ariel Attack. Authorities have consistently identified him as male....The gay, lesbian and transgender protest group Denver Bash Back characterized Schwenkler as one of its "friends and comrades."..Initially, Democratic Party officials blamed conservative opponents of health care reform for stoking animosity directed at Democrats....Then it became known that Schwenkler had previously worked for a Democratic candidate. Conservatives characterized the attack as an attempt to frame Republicans with the blame.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14045675#ixzz0aRxtHKRU

Dem Rep. Parker Griffith may come over to the GOP?

From Politico:

POLITICO has learned that Rep. Parker Griffith, a freshman Democrat from Alabama, will announce today that he’s switching parties to become a Republican....According to two senior GOP aides familiar with the decision, the announcement will take place this afternoon in Griffith's district in northern Alabama....Griffith’s party switch comes on the eve of a pivotal congressional health care vote and will send a jolt through a Democratic House Caucus that has already been unnerved by the recent retirements of a handful of members who, like Griffith, hail from districts that offer prime pickup opportunities for the GOP in 2010...The switch represents a coup for the House Republican leadership, which had been courting Griffith since he publicly criticized the Democratic leadership in the wake of raucous town halls during the summer...Griffith, who captured the seat in a close 2008 open seat contest, will become the first Republican to hold the historically Democratic, Huntsville-based district. A radiation oncologist who founded a cancer treatment center, Griffith plans to blast the Democratic health care bill as a prime reason for his decision to switch parties—and is expected to cite his medical background as his authority on the subject.

Read Here: www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30896.html">http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30896.html

Executive Order gives INTERPOL Immunity in U.S.- Is this the end of our Sovereignty and the Beginning of One World Government?

Our President signed an Executive Order giving INTERPOL immunity in the USA to act as they see fit....but we are not governed by International law you say, we are a Sovereign nation....well we'll see about that in the coming three years. From the White House Press Office:

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release December 17, 2009
Executive Order -- Amending Executive Order 12425
EXECUTIVE ORDER
- - - - - - -
AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER 12425 DESIGNATING INTERPOL
AS A PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION ENTITLED TO
ENJOY CERTAIN PRIVILEGES, EXEMPTIONS, AND IMMUNITIES

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 1 of the International Organizations Immunities Act (22 U.S.C. 288), and in order to extend the appropriate privileges, exemptions, and immunities to the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), it is hereby ordered that Executive Order 12425 of June 16, 1983, as amended, is further amended by deleting from the first sentence the words "except those provided by Section 2(c), Section 3, Section 4, Section 5, and Section 6 of that Act" and the semicolon that immediately precedes them.

BARACK OBAMA

H/T Dawn Marie Jones

Is rover worse than my Rover?

From the AFP:

Man's best friend could be one of the environment's worst enemies, according to a new study which says the carbon pawprint of a pet dog is more than double that of a gas-guzzling sports utility vehicle....But the revelation in the book "Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living" by New Zealanders Robert and Brenda Vale has angered pet owners who feel they are being singled out as troublemakers....The Vales, specialists in sustainable living at Victoria University of Wellington, analysed popular brands of pet food and calculated that a medium-sized dog eats around 164 kilos (360 pounds) of meat and 95 kilos of cereal a year...Combine the land required to generate its food and a "medium" sized dog has an annual footprint of 0.84 hectares (2.07 acres) -- around twice the 0.41 hectares required by a 4x4 driving 10,000 kilometres (6,200 miles) a year, including energy to build the car....To confirm the results, the New Scientist magazine asked John Barrett at the Stockholm Environment Institute in York, Britain, to calculate eco-pawprints based on his own data. The results were essentially the same..."Owning a dog really is quite an extravagance, mainly because of the carbon footprint of meat," Barrett said....Other animals aren't much better for the environment, the Vales say...Cats have an eco-footprint of about 0.15 hectares, slightly less than driving a Volkswagen Golf for a year, while two hamsters equates to a plasma television and even the humble goldfish burns energy equivalent to two mobile telephones.

Read Here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091220/sc_afp/lifestyleclimatewarminganimalsfood

More Bribes - Where's the Change in Government Promised

From The Washington Post:

A $100 million item for construction of a university hospital was inserted in the Senate health care bill at the request of Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., who faces a difficult re-election campaign, his office said Sunday night....The legislation leaves it up to the Health and Human Services Department to decide where the money should be spent, although spokesman Bryan DeAngelis said Dodd hopes to claim it for the University of Connecticut....The provision is included in a 383-page series of changes to the health care bill that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., outlined Saturday. Scattered throughout are numerous items sought by individual lawmakers, many of them directing money explicitly to programs or projects in their home states....The one sought by Dodd provides $100 million for "a health care facility that provides research, inpatient tertiary care, or outpatient clinical services." It must be affiliated with an academic health center at a public research university in the United States "that contains a State's sole public academic medical and dental school."

Read Here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/20/AR2009122002956.html

The Blight of Iowa - Sen. Harkin excuses bribes dealt out to pass Obamacare

I'm so glad this guy no longer represents me and hopefully he'll finally get the boot after all this backroom bribery...corruption is corruption no matter who is in charge and no one I know in Iowa (DEM or REP) will stand for such blatant criminal tactics. As is stated in U.S. Code Title 18 Section 201 these tactics are ILLEGAL Senator Harkin, Illegal

U.S. Code Title 18 Section 201
: Whoever—

(1) directly or indirectly, corruptly gives, offers or promises anything of value to any public official or person who has been selected to be a public official, or offers or promises any public official or any person who has been selected to be a public official to give anything of value to any other person or entity, with intent—

(A) to influence any official act; or

(B) to influence such public official or person who has been selected to be a public official to commit or aid in committing, or collude in, or allow, any fraud, or make opportunity for the commission of any fraud, on the United States; or

(C) to induce such public official or such person who has been selected to be a public official to do or omit to do any act in violation of the lawful duty of such official or person;

(2) being a public official or person selected to be a public official, directly or indirectly, corruptly demands, seeks, receives, accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally or for any other person or entity, in return for:

(A) being influenced in the performance of any official act;

(B) being influenced to commit or aid in committing, or to collude in, or allow, any fraud, or make opportunity for the commission of any fraud, on the United States; or

(C) being induced to do or omit to do any act in violation of the official duty of such official or person;

From ABC News:

Harkin dismissed deals dubbed vote-buying by GOP senators as "small stuff" that distracted Americans from the primary focus of the overhaul bill......"We have to keep our eyes on what we're trying to do here. We're trying to cross a demarcation line," Harkin told

Video here:


Watch CBS News Videos Online

U.S. Code/ Cornall University link here: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/201.html

Read Further Here: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/12/22/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6009356.shtml

First Year Low

Rassmussen:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 25% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-three percent (46%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -21 That’s the lowest Approval Index rating yet recorded for this President...Fifty-three percent (53%) of men Strongly Disapprove along with 39% of women. Most African-American voters (58%) Strongly Approve while most white voters (53%) Strongly Disapprove. ...Seventy-four percent (74%) of Republicans Strongly Disapprove as do 52% of unaffiliated voters. Forty-seven percent (47%) of Democrats Strongly Approve.

Read Here: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

Shocker - Drunk 4-Year-Old Steals Neighbors' Christmas Presents

Palin blasts 'arrogance of man' in Copenhagen - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

From The Hill:

The now-finished climate change summit in Copenhagen marks the "arrogance of
man," former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) said this weekend.Palin, who had urged
President Barack Obama not to attend the conference in Denmark, blasted the
agreement world leaders made late on Friday to begin stemming emissions that
contribute to climate change.Palin tweeted early Saturday
morning:
Copenhgen=arrogance of man2think we can change nature's
ways.MUST b good stewards of God's earth,but arrogant&naive2say man
overpwers natureEarth saw clmate chnge4 ions;will cont 2 c chnges.R
duty2responsbly devlop resorces4humankind/not pollute&destroy;but cant alter
naturl chng
Those tweets and previous skepticism the 2008 GOP vice
presidential nominee has expressed toward global warming science has led some to
label her a climate change "denier."But Palin has maintained
that she does not deny that climate change exists, and that she only
questions the extent of the change and what sort of policies should be put in
place to address it

Read Here: Palin blasts 'arrogance of man' in Copenhagen - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

Shanghai Daily - Harder to buy US Treasuries

From the Shanghai Daily:

IT is getting harder for governments to buy United States Treasuries because the US's shrinking current-account gap is reducing supply of dollars overseas, a Chinese central bank official said yesterday....The comments by Zhu Min, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, referred to the overall situation globally, not specifically to China, the biggest foreign holder of US government bonds....Chinese officials generally are very careful about commenting on the dollar and Treasuries, given that so much of its US$2.3 trillion reserves are tied to their value, and markets always watch any such comments closely for signs of any shift in how it manages its assets....China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange reaffirmed this month that the dollar stands secure as the anchor of the currency reserves it manages, even as the country seeks to diversify its investments....In a discussion on the global role of the dollar, Zhu told an academic audience that it was inevitable that the dollar would continue to fall in value because Washington continued to issue more Treasuries to finance its deficit spending....He then addressed where demand for that debt would come from...."The United States cannot force foreign governments to increase their holdings of Treasuries," Zhu said, according to an audio recording of his remarks. "Double the holdings? It is definitely impossible."

Read Here: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200912/20091218/article_423054.htm

Janet Daley - There'll be nowhere to run from the new world government

From the Telegraph:

There is scope for debate – and innumerable newspaper quizzes – about who was the most influential public figure of the year, or which the most significant event. But there can be little doubt which word won the prize for most important adjective. 2009 was the year in which "global" swept the rest of the political lexicon into obscurity. There were "global crises" and "global challenges", the only possible resolution to which lay in "global solutions" necessitating "global agreements". Gordon Brown actually suggested something called a "global alliance" in response to climate change. (Would this be an alliance against the Axis of Extra-Terrestrials?)...Some of this was sheer hokum: when uttered by Gordon Brown, the word "global", as in "global economic crisis", meant: "It's not my fault". To the extent that the word had intelligible meaning, it also had political ramifications that were scarcely examined by those who bandied it about with such ponderous self-importance. The mere utterance of it was assumed to sweep away any consideration of what was once assumed to be the most basic principle of modern democracy: that elected national governments are responsible to their own people – that the right to govern derives from the consent of the electorate. ...G8 summit must recognise that green taxes won't help the environmentThe dangerous idea that the democratic accountability of national governments should simply be dispensed with in favour of "global agreements" reached after closed negotiations between world leaders never, so far as I recall, entered into the arena of public discussion. Except in the United States, where it became a very contentious talking point, the US still holding firmly to the 18th-century idea that power should lie with the will of the people.

Read Here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/janetdaley/6845967/Therell-be-nowhere-to-run-from-the-new-world-government.html

Republican Leader John Boehner | Sen. Reid’s Government-Run Health Plan STILL Requires a Monthly Abortion Fee

Read Here: Republican Leader John Boehner Sen. Reid’s Government-Run Health Plan STILL Requires a Monthly Abortion Fee:

"Instead the amendment includes layers of accounting gimmicks that demand that
plans participating in the Exchange or the new government-run plan that will be
managed by the Office of Personnel Management must establish “allocation
accounts” when elective abortion is a covered benefit (p. 41). Everyone enrolled
in these plans must pay a monthly abortion premium (p. 41, lines 5-8), and these
funds will be used to pay for the elective abortion services. The Reid amendment
directs insurance companies to assess the cost of elective abortion coverage (p.
43), and charge a minimum of $1 per enrollee per month (p. 43, lines 20-22)."

Delegate Kirk Cox takes lead in fighting against Gov. Kaine's tax increases

Posted by MAXIMUS

"Del. Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, was dismissive of any boost to the state's income tax, calling it "simply shifting to another tax increase." Cox, a budget negotiator, said raising the income tax would not fly in the Republican-dominated House."I see that as having no chance to get through," he said. Kaine is "basically trying to distract the story from the car tax."

link here: http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_kaine-budget_1219dec19,0,5025678.story?page=1

Snubbed, China's delaying tactics threaten climate deal - Climate Change, Environment - The Independent

Read Here: China's delaying tactics threaten climate deal - Climate Change, Environment - The Independent:

"China is attempting to scupper chances of a comprehenive agreement at the
Copenhagen climate summit by using delaying tactics, sources inside the
negotiations have told The Independent.
At an emergency meeting convened at
the Bella Center this morning, Barack Obama and Gordon Brown assembled 26 heads
of state in an attempt to revive a deal. But China's Premier Wen Jiabao did not
attend and was replaced by vice foreign minister He Yafei.
This afternoon,
the US president and his secretary of state Hillary Clinton called another
meeting with China, but were snubbed again when only three low-level Chinese
delegates arrived."

Copenhagen climate summit: 'most important paper in the world' is a glorified UN press release – Telegraph Blogs

Read Here: Copenhagen climate summit: 'most important paper in the world' is a glorified UN press release – Telegraph Blogs:

"When your attempt at recreating the Congress of Vienna with a third-rate cast
of extras turns into a shambles, when the data with which you have tried to
terrify the world is daily exposed as ever more phoney, when the blatant greed
and self-interest of the participants has become obvious to all beholders, when
those pesky polar bears just keep increasing and multiplying – what do you do?
No contest: stop issuing three rainforests of press releases every day,
change the heading to James Bond-style “Do not distribute” and “leak” a single
copy, in the knowledge that human nature is programmed to interest itself in
anything it imagines it is not supposed to see, whereas it would bin the same
document unread if it were distributed openly.
After that, get some
unbiased, neutral observer, such as the executive director of Greenpeace, to
say: “This is the single most important piece of paper in the world today.”
Unfortunately, the response of all intelligent people will be to fall about
laughing; but it was worth a try – everybody loves a tryer – and the climate
alarmists are no longer in a position to pick and choose their tactics."

Pelosi, Rahm do not scare Rep. DeFazio - TheHill.com

Read Here: Pelosi, Rahm do not scare Rep. DeFazio - TheHill.com:

"The White House chief of staff last month expressed frustration with DeFazio’s
resignation calls for President Barack Obama’s top two economic aides — Treasury
Secretary Tim Geithner and White House chief economist Larry Summers — and
appealed for cooperation, according to DeFazio.

But Emanuel, known for
his blunt manner and ability to bend members of his party to his will, did not
raise his voice with the Oregon Democrat.

“Rahm does not yell at me,”
DeFazio said, “because he knows that I yell back.”"

Governor Tim Kaine uses final budget to throw Virginia's First Responders under the Bus

Posted by MAXIMUS

It has come to this. The most powerful man in Virginia Government is using his parting budget proposal to throw state police (and other first responders employed by the Commonwealth) under the bus. These are the folks that protect you and your family. These are the folks that put out forest fires. These folks are Virginia National Guard Troops that are sent out during natural disasters to provide relief and rescue operations for citizens in distress. These folks are the protection class. They don't make a lot of money, but they trade that for working in occupations they love. Many are veterans of foreign wars in which they've fought to protect our freedoms. All they ask is for two simple things:

1.) that the Government of Virginia provide them with good health care, and
2.) that the Government of Virginia take care of their retirement.

The Protection Class of Virginia Government has long ago forsaken getting wealthy for instead they choose to focus one simple premis: to protect and serve the Citizens of Virginia. That's protecting you, me, your family, and even the Delegates and Senators and the Governor himself--just ask Kaine's protection detail how they feel about his Excellency now that he is throwing part of their retirement under the bus.

The folks are the Protection Class of Virginia and the Nation. They have already been asked to take off two days without pay in the current budget cycle to help the Commonwealth meet its budget. Payroll of the Protection Class is a drain don't you know! The Protection Class of Virginia answered that call and did not make a fuss. Better to be without a few days pay than without a job for sure.

With that said, everything changes now that Governor Kaine has proposed a plan to force the Commonwealth's Protection Class to take a substantial pay cut by paying into their retirement plans. How does this work? Gov. Kaine is proposing that the Commonwealth no longer pay it's full contribution into employees retirement accounts as administered by the Virginia Retirement System. Back in the early 80's, the Commonwealth started paying state employees 3% retirement share into VRS--this matched the existing 3% that the state was already kicking in for it's contribution. The state agreed to pay the employees portion of 3% into VRS in lieu of pay raises and this contribution has continued ever since.

As head of the Democratic National Committee, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine has supported the Federal Government's actions in bailing out the private sector to include: TARP money for the financial industry; and bail out of billions for the automotive industry even though the Ford Motor Co. closed it's truck plant in Norfolk, VA. This money will never be repaid to the federal gov't. and this debt will be forgiven by the federal gov't. Giving away government money for private industry usage not defined in the Constitution? Yup, our Einstein of a Governor was there in full throated support. Now that was a federal issue, not a state one for sure. However, these actions that Kaine supported offers a glimpse into the Harvard educated, ivory towered mentality that has besieged the office of the chief executive of Virginia, our Governor.
Simply put, screwed up priorities that benefit special interests/voting constituencies instead of the people at large. In Virginia? Governor Tim Kaine is continuing to put monies into the state budget to pay for Pre-Kindergarten classes, FREE DAY CARE, for some of his pet special interest/constituency voting groups. These costs amount to anywhere from $120 million to $150 million--this Pre-K initiative was Kaine's idea all the way and he is now funding it at the expense of the retirement plans of the Protection Class of State Government. The savings generated from Tim Kaine's retirement raid on the Protection Class is estimated to be in the range of $120 million to $150 million. Governor Kaine is taking from the State Troopers retirement plans to pay for his own pet initiatives during a recession. Screwed up priorities indeed. Governor-elect Robert F. McDonnell has already said that he will not change the retirement contribution formula for existing state employees. The state has an obligation to it's Protection Class and it must be met.

Outgoing Virginia Governor Tim Kaine is now a proven predator of the legitimate financial safeguards of the Protection Class of State Government--he instead prefers to fund non-mandated programs like Pre-K for his special voting constituencies. Screwed up priorities indeed. Missouri is calling her native son back home, but first the Democratic National Committee gets to use Kaine as their Chairman for a few more years. Why? They need a "Progressive Leader" to return Congress to the Republican Party similar to the manner in which Kaine returned the Virginia's Governor's mansion to the Republican Party. You stay classy Tim.

Insane !!! Obama’s Safe Schools Czar Kevin Jennings and his GLSEN organization promoting a book that Romanticized Rape of a 13 Year-Old – Media Silent

From Big Government:

Big Warning on Content)
Yesterday, we reported that Barack Obama’s Safe Schools Czar Kevin Jennings and his GLSEN organization were promoting a book to children that included a pornographic image of men having sex while boy scouts looked on. The day before that we reported that Kevin Jennings’ organization GLSEN was promoting a children’s book that detailed first-graders having sex....As founder and executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Jennings approved of and promoted several filthy sex books for children. Scott Baker from Breitbart-TV.com and Co-Host of ‘The B-Cast‘ submitted a shocking report to Gateway Pundit blog back on December 4, 2009. The report detailed the reading list promoted to 7-12 grade students by Kevin Jennings’ GLSEN organization. This material has not been reported in detail at Big Government website. Remember as you read this that Kevin Jennings is today the nation’s Safe Schools Czar...For today’s report we give you another of of GLSEN’s recommended books for 7-12 graders. This book Queer 13 included a very graphic story about the rape of a 13 year-old child Read excerpts I cannot bring myself to print here: http://biggovernment.com/2009/12/17/fistgate-x-kevin-jennings-suggested-reading-for-kids-included-sick-book-that-romanticized-rape-of-a-13-year-old-media-silent-2/

Read Here: http://biggovernment.com/2009/12/17/fistgate-x-kevin-jennings-suggested-reading-for-kids-included-sick-book-that-romanticized-rape-of-a-13-year-old-media-silent-2/

Newsbusted Again

Sections 3403 and 2021 of the Senate (Reid) Healthcare Bill empowers Medicare to deny treatment based on cost and many more Lies - this bill is scary

From the WallStreet Journal:

...the Reid bill (in sections 3403 and 2021) explicitly empowers Medicare to deny treatment based on cost. An Independent Medicare Advisory Board created by the bill—composed of permanent, unelected and, therefore, unaccountable members—will greatly expand the rationing practices that already occur in the program. Medicare, for example, has limited cancer patients' access to Epogen, a costly but vital drug that stimulates red blood cell production. It has limited the use of virtual, and safer, colonoscopies due to cost concerns. And Medicare refuses medical claims at twice the rate of the largest private insurers.... Section 6301 of the Reid bill creates new comparative effectiveness research (CER) programs. CER panels have been used as rationing commissions in other countries such as the U.K., where 15,000 cancer patients die prematurely every year according to the National Cancer Intelligence Network. CER panels here could effectively dictate coverage options and ration care for plans that participate in the state insurance exchanges created by the bill....Additionally, the Reid bill depends on the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in no fewer than 14 places. This task force was responsible for advising women under 50 to not undergo annual mammograms. The administration claims the task force recommendations do not carry the force of law, but the Reid bill itself contradicts them in section 2713. The bill explicitly states, on page 17, that health insurance plans "shall provide coverage for" services approved by the task force. This chilling provision represents the government stepping between doctors and patients. When the government asserts the power to provide care, it also asserts the power to deny care.....If the bill expands Medicaid eligibility to 133% of the poverty level, that too will lead to rationing. Because Washington bureaucrats have created a system that underpays doctors, 40% of doctors already restrict access to Medicaid patients, and therefore ration care.

Read Here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703514404574588842779569168.html?mod=wsj_share_facebook

Liberals turning on Liberals

From Politico:

In a stunning reversal of fortune for President Barack Obama, top progressives are attacking the health-reform plan moving through the Senate as “hollow,” “unsupportable” and a sellout to corporate interests. ..Republicans, after plotting for months to sink the signature legislation of Obama’s first year, suddenly think that Democrats might wind up doing it for them. ..Most
dangerously for White House chances of assembling 60 Senate votes, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean launched a third day of attacks on the emerging bill, arguing in a Washington Post op-ed that it meets none of his benchmarks for “real reform.”  “[A]s it stands, this bill would do more harm than good to the future of America,” Dean wrote, then took to the airwaves to amplify his case.  Ed Schultz, an influential liberal radio host, declared on his “Ed Show” on MSNBC: “The base is restless. They are wandering in the wilderness, Mr. President. … They want to know, where are you? … Right now, Mr. President, your base thinks you’re nothing but a sellout — a corporate sellout, out that. … The only people who like this current bill right now, Mr. President, is the insurance industry — they get a bunch of new customers.”

Read Here:http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30737.html

Completely Reckless, Completely Irresponsible - Reid hides Healthcare Bill from debate

Completely Reckless, Completely Irresponsible


from the Office of Senator Mitch McConnell

Thursday, December 17, 2009

‘And here’s the most outrageous part: at the end of this rush, they want us to vote on a bill that no one outside the Majority Leader’s conference room has even seen. That’s right. The final bill we’ll vote on isn’t even the one we’ve had on the floor. It’s the deal Democrat leaders have been trying to work out in private’



WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Thursday regarding the importance of getting it right on health care reform:

“Senators on both sides acknowledge that the health care bill we’re considering is among the most significant pieces of legislation any of us will ever consider.

“So it stands to reason that we’d devote significant time and attention to it.

“Indeed, some would argue that we should spend more time and attention on this bill than most — if not every — previous bill we’ve considered.

“The Majority disagrees.

“Why? Because this bill has become a political nightmare for them.

“They know Americans overwhelmingly oppose it, so they want to get it over with.

“Americans are already outraged at the fact that Democrat leaders took their eyes off the ball. Rushing the process on a partisan line makes the situation even worse.

“Americans were told the purpose of reform was to reduce the cost of health care.

“Instead, Democrat leaders produced a $2.5 trillion, 2,074-page monstrosity that vastly expands government, raises taxes, raises premiums, and wrecks Medicare.

“And they want to rush this bill through by Christmas — one of the most significant, far-reaching pieces of legislation in U.S. history. They want to rush it.

"And here’s the most outrageous part: at the end of this rush, they want us to vote on a bill that no one outside the Majority Leader’s conference room has even seen.

“That’s right. The final bill we’ll vote on isn’t even the one we’ve had on the floor. It’s the deal Democrat leaders have been trying to work out in private.

“That’s what they intend to bring to the floor and force a vote on before Christmas.

“So this entire process is essentially a charade.

“But let’s just compare the process so far with previous legislation for some perspective. Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve done and where we stand:

• The Majority Leader intends to bring this debate to a close as early as this weekend — four days from now, on this $2.5 trillion dollar mistake

• No American who hasn’t been invited into the Majority Leader’s conference room knows what will be in that bill

• This bill has been the pending business of the Senate since the last week of November — less than four weeks ago.

• We started the amendment process two weeks ago.

• We’ve had 21 amendments and motions — less than two a day.

“Now let’s look at how the Senate has dealt with previous legislation.

“No Child Left Behind (2001):
• 21 session days or 7 weeks.
• Roll Call votes: 44
• Number of Amendments offered: 157
"9/11 Commission/Homeland Security Act (2002):
• 19 session days over 7 weeks.
• Roll Call votes: 20
• Number of Amendments offered: 30

“Energy Bill (2002):
• 21 session days over 8 weeks
• Number of Roll Call votes: 36
• Number of Amendments offered: 158

“This isn’t an energy bill. This is an attempt by a majority to take over one sixth of the U.S. economy — to vastly expand the reach and the role of government into the health care decisions of every single American — and they want to be done after one substantive amendment. This is absolutely inexcusable.

“I think Senator Snowe put it best on Tuesday:
‘Given the enormity and complexity,’ she said, ‘I don’t see anything magical about the Christmas deadline if this bill is going to become law in 2014.’

“And I think Senator Snowe’s comments on a lack of bipartisanship at the outset of this debate are also right on point.

“Here’s what she said in late November:

‘I am truly disappointed we are commencing our historic debate on one of the most significant and pressing domestic issues of our time with a process that has forestalled our ability to arrive at broader agreement on some of the most crucial elements of health care reform. The bottom line is, the most consequential health care legislation in the history of our country and the reordering of $33 trillion in health care spending over the coming decade shouldn’t be determined by one vote-margin strategies – surely we can and must do better.’

“The only conceivable justification for rushing this bill is the overwhelming opposition of the American people. Democrats know that the longer Americans see this bill the less they like it. Here’s the latest from Pew. It came out just yesterday.

“A majority (58 percent) of those who have heard a lot about the bills oppose them while only 32 percent favor them.”

“There is no justification for this blind rush — except a political one, and that’s not good enough for the American people.

“And there’s no justification for forcing the Senate to vote on a bill none of us has seen.

“Americans already oppose this bill. The process is just as bad.

“It’s completely reckless, completely irresponsible.”

Blizzard Dumps Snow on Copenhagen as Leaders Battle Warming

From Bloomberg:

World leaders flying into Copenhagen today to discuss a solution to global warming will first face freezing weather as a blizzard dumped 10 centimeters (4 inches) of snow on the Danish capital overnight. ...“Temperatures will stay low at least the next three days,” Henning Gisseloe, an official at Denmark’s Meteorological Institute, said today by telephone, forecasting more snow in coming days. “There’s a good chance of a white Christmas.” ...Delegates from 193 countries have been in Copenhagen since Dec. 7 to discuss how to fund global greenhouse gas emission cuts. U.S. President Barack Obama will arrive before the summit is scheduled to end tomorrow. ...Denmark has a maritime climate and milder winters than its Scandinavian neighbors. It hasn’t had a white Christmas for 14 years, under the DMI’s definition, and only had seven last century. Temperatures today fell as low as minus 4 Celsius (25 Fahrenheit).

Read Here: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601130&sid=a5wStc0K6jhY

Obama signs $1.1 trillion spending bill into law

From the AP:

President Barack Obama has signed into law a $1.1 trillion bill that increases the budgets in many areas of the government by about 10 percent, including health, law enforcement and veterans' programs....Obama signed the bill privately at the White House on Wednesday after receiving the bill from Congress on Sunday....The bill lumps together six of the 12 annual appropriations bills for the 2010 budget year that began Oct. 1....Most Republicans opposed the bill, citing runaway federal spending. They also pointed to an estimated $3.9 billion for more than 5,000 local projects sought by lawmakers from both parties

Read Here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091216/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_spending_bill

Less than a year after Inauguration Day, support for the Democratic Party continues to slump

From the Wall Street Journal:

Less than a year after Inauguration Day, support for the Democratic Party continues to slump, amid a difficult economy and a wave of public discontent, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll...The findings underscored how dramatically the political landscape has changed during the Obama administration's first year. In January, despite the recession and financial crisis, voters expressed optimism about the future, the new president enjoyed soaring approval ratings, and congressional leaders promised to swiftly pass his ambitious agenda....In December's survey, for the first time, less than half of Americans approved of the job President Barack Obama was doing, marking a steeper first-year fall for this president than his recent predecessors....Also for the first time this year, the electorate was split when asked which party it wanted to see in charge after the 2010 elections. For months, a clear plurality favored Democratic control.....The survey suggests that public discontent with Mr. Obama and his party is being driven by an unusually grim view of the country's status and future prospects.

Read Here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126100346902694549.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories

New jobless claims rise unexpectedly

From the AP:

The number of newly laid off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week as the recovery of the nation's battered labor market proceeds in fits and starts....The Labor Department said Thursday that the number of new jobless claims rose to 480,000 last week, up 7,000 from the previous week. That was a worse performance than the decline to 465,000 that economists had expected....The four-week average for claims, which smooths out fluctuations, did fall, dipping to 467,500, the 15th straight decline, viewed as an encouraging sign that the labor market is gradually improving. The four-week average is now at its lowest point since late September 2008, the period when the financial crisis was hitting with full force.....Unemployment claims have been on a downward trend since this summer. That improvement is seen as a sign that jobs cuts are slowing and hiring could pick up as soon as early next year. But the rise in weekly claims of 7,000 last week, which had followed an increase of 19,000 the previous week, shows that the improvement has been halting.

Read Here: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20091217/D9CL3AOG1.html

State Senator Steve Martin shows true leadership with this letter to Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb

State Senator Steve Martin shows true leadership with this letter to Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb, lets all follow Senator Martin's lead and write our own letters to Warner and Webb encouraging them to vote no on HR 3962

Martin individualized letters to Senators Warner and Webb


Today at 3:35pm

The Honorable Mark R. Warner

459A Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510



The Honorable Jim Webb

248 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20501



Dear Senators:

You have an important vote upcoming on cloture and then possibly passage of HR 3962, Affordable Health Care for America Act. Of all the many problems with the bill, only a few seem to be capturing most of the public attention. The four most widely discussed issues are the public option verses a trigger, Medicare expansion, taxpayer financing for abortion and the net affect on the government's budget.

As of the writing of this letter, I understand it all of those things remain in flux. In this letter I prefer to focus on the bottom line of just a couple of these headlining issues.

The reason for the initial proposal was to make quality healthcare more affordable and available to all. Yet, I hear advocates for the proposal speaking of cost only as it relates to the net cost to government. How much more of a deficit you have, after having raised revenues from additional sources, does not represent the total cost of the plan. The cost of the plan includes those new revenues you have to raise and the increased premiums for the consumer plus the total cost of premiums for those forced to purchase the coverage. Please do lose sight of the total cost to individuals and families. Do not be fooled by the notion that a tax, fee or penalty imposed on a successful business spares your less affluent citizens an expense. There is no financial burden that you can place on any business that does not ultimately come to be borne by those that are employed by them, buy their products, use their services or live and/or work in the community where the business' profits are spent and/or invested. These are economic burdens you should not ignore, as our representative.

In reality, there is little difference between a bill that imposes a public option that is available to the public in a few years verses a trigger that imposes a public option if certain targets are not met. With the additional cost burden of providing a new level of mandated minimum benefits, mandated coverage for those who are already ill to be offered and priced within the confines of a community rating system, the targets cannot possibly met. The choice between public option and a trigger is a false choice. It is the equivalent of saying, "You must do as I say" (public option) or "If you do not do as I say I will force you to do as I say" (trigger). What's the difference? The fact remains that the federal government is still forcing its control on 17% of the economy and removing the choice and option of buying something less expensive that may better fit your need. There is no better way to describe the net result of either option than as a government controlled monopoly.

The bottom line is that between the cost to government and its taxpayers and the increased cost to consumers you cannot say that this proposal makes quality healthcare more affordable. As a matter of fact any effort to subdue the cost in a monopolized system would, of necessity, compromise quality or availability. One of the two have to give.

My hope is that your vote would be for liberty and expanded competition and choice for consumers while protecting Virginians from the substantial increased cost of such legislation.

Finally, I ask that you remember that we are a collection of federated states, united together for the protection of liberty and security. The fifty states are not branch offices of the federal government and the U.S. Constitution was written in a manner as to make that clear. It intentionally limited Congress and the Federal Government to its necessary duties. The "commerce clause" and "general welfare" provision do not provide license to ignore the balance of the constitution, specifically the Tenth Amendment.

I understand from personal experience that the tasks of your office are not easy and the responsibility you carry is not light. You have been privileged to gain the trust of Virginians and I ask that you honor that trust by voting "NO" on both cloture and any motion to advance this terribly flawed and harmful bill any further. You are fully aware of the strong opposition to this bill and many of its specific provisions. Accordingly, you would not be honoring their trust by voting "yes" on cloture or passage of HR 3962.

Thank you for your careful consideration.

Sincerely,
Stephen H. Martin