Obama hammers the Supreme Court, and LIES (what else is new); Dems to stop EPA; Stimulus III

“...in questions of power then, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.” - Thomas Jefferson, 1798, Kentucky Resolutions “Justly revered as our great Constitution is, it could be stripped off and thrown aside like a garment…” -  Woodrow Wilson “Ultimately, though, I have to side with Justice Breyer’s view of the Constitution—that it is not a static but rather a living document, and must be read in the context of an ever-changing world.” Barack Hussein Obama, The Audacity of Hope 1) Obama, in a tremendous breach of decorum, hammers the Supreme Court… Justice Alito mouths 'not true' POLITICO's Kasie Hunt, who's in the House chamber, reports that Justice Samuel Alito mouthed the words "not true" when President Barack Obama criticized the Supreme Court's campaign finance decision. "Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our elections," Obama said. "Well I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that’s why I’m urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong." The shot of the black-robed Supreme Court justices, stone-faced, was priceless. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stood up behind the justices and clapped vigorously while Alito shook his head and quietly mouthed his discontent. Schumer and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md) are trying to find a way to legislate around the Supreme Court decision. See: http://www.politico.com/blogs/politicolive/0110/Justice_Alitos_You_lie_moment.html 1a) President Wrong on Citizens United Case Tonight the president engaged in demogoguery of the worst kind, when he claimed that last week's Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC, "open[ed] the floodgates for special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our elections. Well I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities." The president's statement is false (emphasis mine). The Court held that 2 U.S.C. Section 441a, which prohibits all corporate political spending, is unconstitutional. Foreign nationals, specifically defined to include foreign corporations, are prohibiting from making "a contribution or donation of money or ather thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, in connection with a Federal, State or local election" under 2 U.S.C. Section 441e, which was not at issue in the case. Foreign corporations are also prohibited, under 2 U.S.C. 441e, from making any contribution or donation to any committee of any political party, and they prohibited from making any "expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement for an electioneering communication." This is either blithering ignorance of the law or demagoguery of the worst kind (emphasis mine). See: http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZTVkODZiM2M0ODEzOGQ3MTMwYzgzYjNmODBiMzQzZjk 1b) More on this: Obama’s Shameless Demagoguery (1) The Citizens United case dealt with a blanket ban on corporate expenditures. The Court struck down the ban, which is part of 2 USC 441b. (2) A separate section of the law, 2 USC 441e, prohibits “foreign nationals” from making expenditures or contributions. “Foreign nationals” includes corporations that are not incorporated or headquartered in the United States. This is an extremely broad prohibition that applies to any U.S. election (including state and local elections) and to any activity “in connection with” an election. The Citizens United ruling doesn’t touch this prohibition and specifically notes that it makes no judgment about foreign corporations. (3) This would allow a U.S. corporation, incorporated and headquartered in the United States, to make expenditures (Obama, remember, referred to “foreign corporations”). But . . . (4) FEC regulations at 11 CFR 110.20 further delineate the prohibition: A foreign national shall not direct, dictate, control, or directly or indirectly participate in the decision making process of any person, such as a corporation, labor organization, political committee, or political organization with regard to such person's Federal or non-Federal election-related activities, such as decisions concerning the making of contributions, donations, expenditures, or disbursements in connection with elections for any Federal, State, or local office or decisions concerning the administration of a political committee. Additionally, the FEC requires that any funds so spent come from U.S.-generated income (in other words, the parent corporation cannot send capital to the U.S. subsidiary and then have the subsidiary spend that in connection with U.S. elections). See: http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZDcxNjNjNTlhNmQxZDYwYjNkOGJjZjkxZTZiMjI0NTg 1c) Morning Bell: A Speech Only Washington Could Love The more things change, the more things stay the same. A little over a year ago, President Barack Obama came to office expecting to pass a “big bang” of policy changes all in the first year: health care, cap-and-trade, and banking regulation. With the big-bang strategy officially a failure, President Obama’s State of the Union address last night desperately tried to keep all of these legislative efforts alive while also acknowledging that the country has firmly rejected his policy agenda. The result was an incoherent mess of promised tax cuts for small businesses coupled with the threat of tax hikes from his health care and energy proposals; more federal money to encourage banks to lend to businesses, coupled with new taxes on banks and individuals; the continued waste of his $862 billion stimulus plan and $2 trillion in new health care spending, coupled with a delayed and temporary spending freeze. As one of the longest State of the Unions in the past 45 years,… …The Bank Tax President Obama tonight called for a new tax on banks and other large financial institutions, “a modest fee,” he said, “to pay back the taxpayers who rescued them in their time of need.” That sounds great, but in truth, the new tax would do nothing of the kind. Mr. Obama knows that almost every major bank has paid-back their bailout funds, with interest. Taxpayers made substantial profits on those repayments. On the other hand, most of the companies that still owe billions to taxpayers, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and auto firms GM and Chrysler, would not be subject to the tax. In short, Mr. Obama would tax those that have paid back taxpayers and exempt those who have not (emphasis mine). The Spending Freeze Obama’s spending freeze would apply to a narrow sliver of spending (somewhere around 1/8th of total spending) and at best, savings would be less than one percent of the total budget (emphasis mine). Moreover, it explicitly exempts the very entitlement programs driving future deficits. At a time when the deficit is $1.4 trillion and we face a sea of even worse red ink as far as the eye can see, such a freeze is tantamount to bailing out – forgive the double entendre – the Titanic with a dixiecup. And it would start next year, conveniently after the elections. Freezing spending is the right idea, but this freeze falls short of real action. See: http://blog.heritage.org/2010/01/28/morning-bell-a-speech-only-washington-could-love/ 1d) Barack Obama LIED! (Really?) Tonight, Barack Obama said, “To close that credibility gap we must take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to end the outsized influence of lobbyists; to do our work openly; and to give our people the government they deserve. “That’s what I came to Washington to do. That’s why – for the first time in history – my Administration posts our White House visitors online. And that’s why we’ve excluded lobbyists from policy-making jobs or seats on federal boards and commissions.” Maybe this explains why his national security policies are so weak. He put William Lynn in the Pentagon as Deputy Defense Secretary. Mr. Lynn was a lobbyist for Defense Contractor Ratheon. I guess the Deputy Defense Secretary is not a policy-making job. But it is not just Lynn. -Eric Holder, attorney general nominee, was registered to lobby until 2004 on behalf of clients including Global Crossing, a bankrupt telecommunications firm [now confirmed]. -Tom Vilsack, secretary of agriculture nominee, was registered to lobby as recently as last year on behalf of the National Education Association. -William Lynn, deputy defense secretary nominee, was registered to lobby as recently as last year for defense contractor Raytheon, where he was a top executive. -William Corr, deputy health and human services secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until last year for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a non-profit that pushes to limit tobacco use. -David Hayes, deputy interior secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until 2006 for clients, including the regional utility San Diego Gas & Electric. -Mark Patterson, chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, was registered to lobby as recently as last year for financial giant Goldman Sachs. -Ron Klain, chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden, was registered to lobby until 2005 for clients, including the Coalition for Asbestos Resolution, U.S. Airways, Airborne Express and drug-maker ImClone. -Mona Sutphen, deputy White House chief of staff, was registered to lobby for clients, including Angliss International in 2003. -Melody Barnes, domestic policy council director, lobbied in 2003 and 2004 for liberal advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the American Constitution Society and the Center for Reproductive Rights. -Cecilia Munoz, White House director of intergovernmental affairs, was a lobbyist as recently as last year for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group. -Patrick Gaspard, White House political affairs director, was a lobbyist for the Service Employees International Union. -Michael Strautmanis, chief of staff to the president’s assistant for intergovernmental relations, lobbied for the American Association of Justice from 2001 until 2005. See: http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/01/27/barack-obama-lied/ 2) Dems ally against EPA regulation

A resolution would stop the agency from acting on greenhouse gases.

Several Democrats have joined Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in trying to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases. A joint resolution (S.J. Res. 26) with 39 co-sponsors, including three Democrats, was introduced Thursday on the Senate floor. It reflects a political shift in the chamber just days after Democrats lost the supermajority . Until recently, Murkowski didn't have enough votes for her push. Now it seems possible that enough Democrats could deflect from the party line and join her as they court voters for midterm elections. "We cannot turn a blind eye to the EPA's efforts to propose back-door climate regulation with no input from Congress," Murkowski said after introducing the resolution. See: http://www.congress.org/news/2010/01/21/dems_ally_against_epa_regulation 3) Senate permits gov't to borrow an additional $1.9T WASHINGTON – The Senate voted Thursday to allow the government to go a whopping $1.9 trillion deeper in debt, offering a vivid election-year reminder that the government has to borrow 40 cents of every dollar it spends. The measure would put the government on track for a national debt of $14.3 trillion — more than $45,000 for every man, woman and child in the United States. And the debt is increasingly held by foreign nations such as China. …The measure passed 60-39 under ground rules insisted upon by Republicans that required 60 votes to pass it. Democrats and allied independents control 60 seats — for now — and were only able to win the vote because Republican Sen.-elect Scott Brown of Massachusetts has yet to be seated (emphasis mine). See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100128/ap_on_bi_ge/us_senate_debt_limit 4) Audio: “We’re told not to call it another stimulus bill” Honest leadership … open government … and the Tooth Fairy. Breitbart and Naked Emperor News catches Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) telling his constituents in a telephonic town hall meeting that the new stimulus bill Democrats will promote in coming weeks is “pretty much similar” to Porkulus, just smaller in scale — which isn’t exactly news, since even Democratic leadership isn’t foolish enough to think they can get another $787 billion after getting nothing more than the loss of 3.4 million jobs from the first one. In an Orwellian admission, Sherman tells listeners that he’s been told not to call it a stimulus bill, but a “jobs bill,” even though he also admits that the jobs won’t come for years later: See: http://hotair.com/archives/2010/01/27/audio-were-told-not-to-call-it-another-stimulus-bill/ 5) Morning Bell: It Is Time To Prioritize Security Over Terrorist Rights Yesterday, the White House ordered the Department of Justice to begin considering places other than New York City to host the civilian criminal trial of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other terrorists. The New York Times describes a decision to move the trials out of New York as “a retreat by the administration” and reported that the Obama administration “was scrambling” to find a new way forward. This latest bit of self-inflicted national security chaos comes after Obama ally New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced yesterday that he did not want KSM’s trial in Manhattan. And Bloomberg was not the only Obama sympathizer to plead with the President to rethink his detainee policies. Six Senators, including Sens. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Jim Webb (D-VA), John McCain (R-AZ), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) all signed a letter saying of KSM and his conspirators: You will be providing them one of the most visible platforms in the world to exalt their past acts and to rally others in support of further terrorism. And the KSM trial debacle is not the only sign the Obama administration is putting their personal politics over protecting American citizens. Last week, the nation’s top intelligence official, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, told a Senate committee that the Obama administration was wrong to question Flight 253 would-be-bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab with civilian law officers instead of using specially trained interrogators from the recently-created High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group. See: http://blog.heritage.org/2010/01/29/morning-bell-it-is-time-to-priortize-security-over-terrorist-rights/ 6) Pentagon set to seek repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' law Fantastic! That will bolster the already low morale of our warriors for sure! The Pentagon is moving ahead with plans to seek a repeal of the law that prohibits gays from serving openly in the U.S. military in what is expected to set off a new debate on the issue. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are scheduled to testify next week before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the effort to change the law on the policy known as "don't ask, don't tell" that allows gay service members to remain if they do not disclose their sexual orientation. See: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jan/29/pentagon-set-to-seek-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell-/

Public debt 98% of GDP in 2020; Tim Tebow glad he wasn't aborted, NOW not so glad; Dems reject reconciliation

1) Morning Bell: President Obama Is Right, We Have A Spending Problem Tonight in his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama is expected to propose a “freeze” on government spending. Obama’s spending “freeze” will only last three years, will not start until 2011, will only apply to a $447 billion slice of the federal government’s $3.5 trillion budget, and will not apply to any of the unspent $862 billion stimulus plan, his health care plan or the House of Representatives’ additional $156 billion stimulus plan. …The CBO’s summary of the report is bad enough: “Under current law, the federal fiscal outlook beyond this year is daunting … accumulating deficits will push federal debt held by the public to significantly higher levels. At the end of 2009, debt held by the public was $7.5 trillion, or 54% of GDP; by the end of 2020, debt is projected to climb to $15 trillion, or 67% of GDP.” But as bad as those numbers are, our fiscal health is actually worse. The CBO is forced by Congress to make a number of unrealistic assumptions about future revenue and spending changes. But their report makes up for this by including alternative projections that make more realistic assumptions. Heritage fellow Brian Riedl crunched those numbers and found: -The public debt — $7.5 trillion at the end of 2009 — is projected to triple to $22.1 trillion by 2020. -Over what would be President Obama’s eight years in office if re-elected, baseline budget deficits are projected to total $9.7 trillion — nearly triple the $3.3 trillion in deficits accumulated by President George W. Bush. -By 2020, the budget forecasts a $1.9 trillion annual budget deficit, a public debt of 98 percent of GDP and annual net interest spending surpassing $1 trillion. See: http://blog.heritage.org/2010/01/27/morning-bell-president-obama-is-right-we-have-a-spending-problem/ 2) Democrats are waking up #1: Lincoln, Bayh Won't Support Passing Health Care Fixes Via Reconciliation Two Democratic senators, Evan Bayh of Indiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, have declared that they won't support a plan to have the House pass the Senate health care bill whole, then pass fixes to the bill through the reconciliation process. A third, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, suggested lawmakers give up on the comprehensive health care bill entirely and pass reforms one by one. "We need to focus on things where we have a consensus," Bayh said."Just ramming through a bill on a purely party-line vote on a strictly partisan basis will not do much to generate the kind of progress around here on other issues that we need." See: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/lincoln-bayh-nelson-wont-support-passing-health-care-fixes-via-reconciliation.php 3) Democrats are waking up #2: Two Senate Democrats want KSM trial out of NYC Two Senate Democrats are pressuring the Obama administration to move Sept. 11 plotter Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s trial out of New York City and into a military commission. Democratic Sens. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Jim Webb of Virginia signed on to a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder condemning the administration’s November announcement of a criminal trial in Manhattan. “Your decision to prosecute enemy combatants captured on foreign battlefields like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is without precedent in our nation’s history,” the senators wrote. “Given the risks and costs, it is far more logical, cost-effective, and strategically wise to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in the military commissions.” See: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/32021.html 4) And Republicans agree! Chairman and Ranking Republican of Senate Homeland Security Committee: Does Everyone In Obama Administration Know We’re At War? The chairman and ranking Republican of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today urged the Obama administration to transfer the Christmas Day bomber into military custody, and harged that though President Obama “has said repeatedly that we are at war, it does not appear to us that the President's words are reflected in the actions of some in the Executive branch, including some at the Department of Justice, responsible for fighting that war.” See: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/01/chairman-and-ranking-republican-of-senate-homeland-security-committee-does-everyone-in-obama-adminis.html 5) How the court's campaign finance ruling hurts Wall Street favorite Chuck Schumer Politico provided my favorite reaction to the Supreme Court's ruling today that Congress shall, in fact, make no law abridging the freedom of speech, even when it's called "reform": Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) "This activist and far reaching decision is even worse than we had feared. This opens the floodgates and allows special interest money to overflow our elections and undermine our democracy. The bottom line is, the Supreme Court has just predetermined the winners of next November’s election. It won’t be the Republican or the Democrats and it won't be the American people; it will be Corporate America." This is entertaining -- and enlightening -- in the context of some numbers from OpenSecrets.org… …So, of the five most politically active industries (not counting "retired"), Schumer is the top recipient of campaign cash from three of those. You might say he's awash in "special interest money," and sniff some hypocrisy or political posturing here. But Schumer does have a legitimate gripe. Until now, if corporations wanted to influence politics and policy, their ability to speak directly to politicians was limited by law. That meant they needed to make their case through indirect means, such as contributing to politicians -- mostly to Schumer, it seems. Or it meant paying big bucks to hire lobbyists from among the staffs of powerful lawmakers, such as…Or any of the other 9 former Schumer staffers now serving as registered lobbyists. Now, set free of from Congress's speech regulations, non-profits and corporations might not rely so much on these indirect means of political influence. That means less campaign cash coming into Schumer, fewer corporations courting Schumer's staff, and less sucking up to Schumer by lobbyists. See: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/How-the-courts-campaign-finance-ruling-hurts-Wall-Street-favorite-Chuck-Schumer-82288732.html 6) Welfare rolls up in '09; more enroll in assistance programs WASHINGTON — Welfare rolls rose in 2009 for the first time in 15 years, but the 5% increase was dwarfed by spikes in the number of people receiving food stamps and unemployment insurance. The cash-assistance program that once helped more than 14 million people served an average of 4 million in the 2009 fiscal year, up from 3.8 million in fiscal 2008. By comparison, there were more than 37 million people receiving food stamps in September, an increase of 18% from the year before. The number receiving unemployment benefits more than doubled, to about 9.1 million. See: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-01-25-welfare-rolls_N.htm 7) Union Membership Drops 10% Organized labor lost 10% of its members in the private sector last year, the largest decline in more than 25 years. The drop is on par with the fall in total employment but threatens to significantly limit labor's ability to influence elections and legislation. Oh, darn! See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703822404575019350727544666.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines 8) SEIU's Stern: Dems may not get labor's full support in fall midterms A highly influential labor leader Friday suggested congressional Democrats might not the full support of unions in the upcoming midterm elections should they not pass a full healthcare reform package. Service Employees International Union President Andy Stern chided House Democrats for contemplating scaled-back healthcare reform in favor of passing the Senate bill through the House. “It’s gonna be incredibly difficult to stay focused on national politics if by the end of 2010 we have minimal health care and minimal changes on what’s important to our members,” he said in an interview with liberal blogger Greg Sargent. Oh, darn again! See: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/77607-seius-stern-dems-may-not-get-labors-full-support-in-fall-midterms 9) Obama Seen as Anti-Business by 77% of U.S. Investors Jan. 22 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. investors overwhelmingly see President Barack Obama as anti-business and question his ability to manage a financial crisis, according to a Bloomberg survey. The global quarterly poll of investors and analysts who are Bloomberg subscribers finds that 77 percent of U.S. respondents believe Obama is too anti-business and four-out-of-five are only somewhat confident or not confident of his ability to handle a financial emergency. …Carlos Vadillo, a fixed-income analyst at Wells Fargo Securities LLC in San Francisco, said Obama has been in a “constant war” with the banking system, using “fat-cat bankers and other misnomers to describe a business model which supports a large portion of America.” See: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a8UiI1bCRdmY&pos=5 10) Specter Tells Bachmann To Act Like A "Lady": Bachmann stunned by Specter’s arrogance See: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/01/21/specter_tells_bachmann_to_act_like_a_lady.html 11) Help wanted: $24,000 to stop Glenn Beck, 'tea-baggers' 'Grass-roots' organizers sought to 'counter hysteria and lies' Help-wanted ads are appearing on Craigslist that offer to pay citizens $24,000 a year, plus health insurance, to "counter the hysteria and lies of Glenn Beck and other talking heads" and "stop the tea-baggers!" The ads are being posted by Grassroots Campaigns, a canvassing group that has performed services for the Democratic National Committee and MoveOn.org. Its postings can be found among Craiglist listings in Chicago, Ill.; San Francisco, Calif.; Boston, Mass.; Philadelphia, Penn. and Austin, Texas. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=123267 12) States' rights rebellion over National Guard Lawmakers fight to keep governors, not president, in control of troops Responding to an executive order by President Obama, a new push is under way for states to adopt laws limiting the use of their National Guard units unless there is an invasion, insurrection or other limited circumstance. As WND reported, Obama's order establishes a new "Council of Governors" designated to advise on the "synchronization and integration of state and federal military activities in the United States." The recent order, posted on the White House website, was accompanied by the explanation that the group is to work "to protect our nation against all types of hazards." It comes just weeks after the president issued a similarly obscure order vastly expanding INTERPOL's privileges in the U.S. The White House said the new council is to include governors and administration officials to review "such matters as involving the National Guard of the various states; homeland defense, civil support; synchronization and integration of state and federal military activities in the United States; and other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities." However, there was no definition of the group's authority. Can the council recommend "military activities" and can the governors, who already are in command of their own state guard units, mandate activities outside of their areas of jurisdiction? Now the Tenth Amendment Center is recommending a model legislation that states can use to limit the activities of their own National Guard members. The model legislation states: "The governor shall withhold or withdraw approval of the transfer of the National Guard to federal control in the absence of: a) A military invasion of the United States, or b) An insurrection, or c) A calling forth of the guard by the federal government in a manner provided for by Congress to execute the laws of the union, provided that said laws were made in pursuance of the delegated powers in the Constitution of the United States, or d) A formal declaration of war from Congress." See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=122689 13) Busted! Obama praise planted in U.S. newspapers Bogus messages from 'president's supporters' infest American print Obama supporters are flooding newspapers with pro-Obama letters purportedly from average citizens – with duplicate messages appearing in more than 70 publications across the nation. One writer identified as "Ellie Light" has published identical form letters in newspapers around the country. Sabrina Eaton of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Light claims to have different hometowns within the respective newspaper readership areas. Each letter is nearly identical in grammar, style and subject. Light's letters have appeared in many mainstream publications, including Politico.com, the Washington Times, USA Today and even Thailand's Bangkok Post. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=123085 14) Pro-Life, Pro-Abortion Groups Clash on Tim Tebow Super Bowl Ad, Lobby CBS Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The controversy over the coming Super Bowl ad from Focus on the Family about pro-life University of Florida football star Tim Tebow is generating as much, if not more, attention than it will when it runs before and during the championship game. …The New York-based Women's Media Center has coordinated an attack on the ad -- launching a campaign with the pro-abortion National Organization for Women, the Feminist Majority and other groups to persuade CBS not to run it. Today, in an email to its supporters that LifeNews.com obtained, NARAL is also urging its members to lobby CBS and, surprisingly, used the term "pro-life" to refer to it. "CBS has cleared the way to subject nearly 100 million people to Focus on the Family's extreme agenda by agreeing to air its new pro-life ad during the Super Bowl," the group's president Nancy Kenen said. Marjorie Dannenfelser, the head of the Susan B. Anthony List, another pro-life women's group, also weighed in on the debate. "NOW and company are losing their grip as their pro- abortion position sinks in public opinion," she said. "What is real here is their desperation to keep full information from women," Dannenfelser continued. "Shouldn't the 'pro-choice' position respect Pam Tebow's decision to choose Life (emphasis mine)?"

See: http://www.lifenews.com/nat5932.html

15) Calgary Church Loses Charity Status: Opposition to Abortion, Homosexuality Cited as Reasons CALGARY, Alberta, January 21, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has revoked the charitable status of Kings Glory Fellowship (KGF), a Christian church in Calgary. CRA cites a number of issues with KGF's application, but the decision is based, in part, on the ground that certain KGF Board members have spoken out strongly against abortion, and other moral issues. "The members of the Board of Directors espouse strong negative views about sensitive and controversial issues, which may also be viewed as political, such as abortion, homosexuality, divorce, etc.,” wrote CRA agent Dian Prodanov in an October 29th letter. These “political” views make the church ineligible because, according to the agent, a registered charity “may only engage in non-partisan political activities as long as it devotes substantially all (usually 90% or more) of its resources to charitable activities." Time TO be willing to LOSE YOUR TAX EXEMPT STATUS, CHURCH! See: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jan/10012102.html

$1.9 Trillion increase in debt limit; Obama picks fight with banks - stocks slide; Victory for free speech

1) Democrats propose $1.9 trillion hike in debt limit WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Wednesday proposed allowing the federal government to borrow an additional $1.9 trillion to pay its bills, a record increase that would permit the national debt to reach $14.3 trillion (which is about the size of the nation‘s overall economy!). The unpopular legislation is needed to allow the federal government to issue bonds to fund programs and prevent a first-time default on obligations (emphasis mine). It promises to be a challenging debate for Democrats, who, as the party in power, hold the responsibility for passing the legislation. …The measure came to the floor under rules requiring 60 votes to pass. That's an unprecedented step that could mean that every Democrat, no matter how politically endangered, may have to vote for it next week before Brown takes office and Democrats' votes dip from 60 to 59. Democratic leaders are also worried that Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., who opposed the debt- limit increase approved last month, will vote against the measure. The record increase in the so-called debt limit is required because the budget deficit has spiraled out of control in the wake of a recession that cut tax revenues, the Wall Street bailout, and increased spending by the Democratic-controlled Congress. Last year's deficit hit $1.4 trillion. The current year's shortfall promises to be as high or even higher. See: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14234678 And: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/01/senate-discussing-a-raise-in-n.html 2) Obama hits Wall Street, pushes for bank limits WASHINGTON – Embracing Depression-era policy and populist politics, a combative President Barack Obama chastised big Wall Street banks Thursday and urgently called for limits on their size and investments to stave off a new economic meltdown. The banks are not the ones causing the meltdown, Barack Hussein Obama. You are. See article above. Investors responded by dumping bank stock. Obama's rhetoric covered the whole financial industry, but the key changes will affect only a few high-profile players, including JPMorgan Chase & Co., while sparing investment banks like Goldman Sachs Group Inc. The move could undercut Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's strategy of maintaining close ties with the financial industry as part of the administration's overhaul efforts. "We have to get this done," Obama said at the White House. "If these folks want a fight, it's a fight I'm ready to have." YOU are the one who wants a fight. Keep it up, and you’ll GET ONE. ..Markets tumbled on the news, the Dow Jones industrial average losing 213 points and continuing this week's slide that has erased the Dow's gains for 2010 and provided yet another dire sign for recovery. …"Proposals to preemptively break up large, well-managed and well-capitalized banking companies — or to reimpose Glass-Steagall restrictions — are based on a misdiagnosis of the causes of the financial crisis," he said. No kidding. …Financial industry officials are especially frustrated by a proposed change they see as political and punitive without doing anything to prevent future crises. They say the changes would not have prevented the largest bank failures of the crisis. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100121/ap_on_bi_ge/us_financial_overhaul 2a) Stocks slide as Obama calls for tougher bank rules …Obama said Thursday he would ask Congress for limits on how big banks can become and to end some of the risky trades financial companies use to supercharge their earnings. Investors sent stocks tumbling as they worried the plan would destabilize Wall Street's 10-month rally. The destruction of our economy continues…good job, Barack Hussein Obama, mnn, mnn, mnnn! Big bank stocks skidded, yanking the Dow Jones industrial average down 213 points and erasing its gains for 2010. Over the past two days, the Dow dropped 336 points, or 3.1 percent, its worst slump since June. Wednesday's drop came on more global concerns, that China's economy would slow and hurt other countries as well. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100121/ap_on_bi_st_ma_re/us_wall_street

3) Obama health plan in doubt as Dems reject fast fix: ding dong the witch is dead #1!

WASHINGTON – Though reeling from a political body blow, House Democrats rejected the quickest fix to their health care dilemma Thursday and signaled that any agreement on President Barack Obama's signature issue will come slowly, if at all (emphasis mine). …The first chief option would require House Democrats to approve the Senate-passed bill along with a guarantee that the Senate would make several simultaneous changes to health law desired by the House. Senate Democrats presumably would do so with a tactic called "budget reconciliation." It requires only a simple-majority vote for certain budget-related matters, but it cannot be used for every issue. Both parties have used the tactic at times. When Brown is sworn in, Democrats will control 59 of the Senate's 100 seats. They need 60 to block GOP filibusters. The second option calls for drafting a new, compromise bill more palatable to moderates, including some Republicans. But numerous officials said it's far easier said than done. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100121/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_overhaul 4) Supreme Court rolls back campaign spending limits: ding dong the witch is dead #2 WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court has ruled that corporations may spend freely to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress, easing decades-old limits on their participation in federal campaigns. By a 5-4 vote, the court on Thursday overturned a 20-year-old ruling that said corporations can be prohibited from using money from their general treasuries to pay for campaign ads. The decision, which almost certainly will also allow labor unions to participate more freely in campaigns, threatens similar limits imposed by 24 states. The justices also struck down part of the landmark McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill that barred union- and corporate-paid issue ads in the closing days of election campaigns. Advocates of strong campaign finance regulations have predicted that a court ruling against the limits would lead to a flood of corporate and union money in federal campaigns as early as this year's midterm congressional elections. The decision, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, removes limits on independent expenditures that are not coordinated with candidates' campaigns. See: http://www.breitbart.com/print.php?id=D9DC6TE00&show_article=1 5) Air America to Cease Broadcasting Immediately: ding dong the witch is dead #3! What an amazing week for liberty! Air America, the progressive talk radio network, said Thursday that it would cease broadcasting immediately, bowing to what it called a “very difficult economic environment.” “It is with the greatest regret, on behalf of our board, that we must announce that Air America Media is ceasing its live programming operations as of this afternoon, and that the company will file soon under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code to carry out an orderly winding down of the business,” the chairman of Air America Media, Charlie Kireker, said in a memorandum. See: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/air-america-to-cease-broadcasting-immediately/ 6) McConnell: Who Gave the Christmas Day Bomber the Right to Remain Silent? Obama's top counterterrorism adviser won't say who decided to Mirandize Abdulmutallab. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pressing the Obama administration on questions about the handling of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Christmas Day bomber, and makes some news in the process. McConnell notes that several top national security officials offered disturbing testimony yesterday on Capitol Hill about the decisionmaking process on Abdulmutallab -- or why there wasn't one. This leads McConnell to seek answers to "several troubling questions." First, why were Miranda rights given to the obvious terrorist after only a brief session of questioning, which predictably ended his cooperation? Second, at what level of authority was this decision taken to treat him as a criminal defendant instead of an unlawful enemy combatant? Who made this decision? I asked this question last night of John Brennan, the President’s senior counterterrorism adviser, three times and he refused to answer. I think that the Senate is entitled to know precisely who authorized this. A year ago the President decided to revise the Nation’s interrogation policies, and to restrict the CIA’s ability to question terrorists. The administration created a High Value Detainee Interrogation Group to question terrorists. Why wasn’t his group brought in once this terrorist was taken into custody? Americans need to know these answers. See: http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/mcconnell-who-gave-christmas-day-bombr-right-remain-silent 7) A Victory for the Muslim Brotherhood The Obama administration allows Tariq Ramadan to travel to the U.S. In a controversial move, the Obama administration has decided to lift Tariq Ramadan’s ban from the United States. Who is Tariq Ramadan? By birth, he is the grandson of Hassan al Banna – the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). By word and deed, he is today a leading member of the European branch of the MB. The MB is the mother organization for some of the terrorist groups that became part of al Qaeda’s core, including Ayman al Zawahiri’s Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Osama bin Laden himself was first wooed to the dark side by Muslim Brothers teaching in Saudi Arabia. The MB has also spawned other hardcore jihadist organizations, including Hamas. While the MB’s descendents have publicly disagreed over tactics at times (for example, Zawahiri has taken issue with Hamas’s participation in Palestinian elections), they still share the same long-term strategic vision: the re-establishment of an Islamic Caliphate capable of ruling the Muslim world and challenging the West. See: http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/victory-muslim-brotherhood 8) Weapon Maker To Halt Bible References On Gun Sights WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Michigan defense contractor will voluntarily stop stamping references to Bible verses on combat rifle sights made for the U.S. military, a major buyer of the company's gear. In a statement released Thursday, Trijicon of Wixom, Mich., says it is also providing to the armed forces free of charge modification kits to remove the Scripture citations from the telescoping sights already in use. The Marine Corps has purchased more than 200,000 Trijicon sights and the Army has bought about 100,000. The references to Bible passages raised concerns that the citations break a government rule that bars proselytizing by American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, which are predominantly Muslim countries. A spokesman for U.S. Central Command initially said the Trijicon sights didn't violate the ban and compared the citations on the sights to the "In God We Trust" inscription printed on U.S. currency. On Thursday, however, Army Gen. David Petraeus, Central Command's top officer, called the practice "disturbing." How very sad. Ask God to leave and HE WILL. See: http://www.manufacturing.net/article.aspx?id=237244&wnnvz=1750,01282706661 And: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100122/ap_on_bi_ge/us_military_weapons_bible_references

Ding dong, the witch is dead, the wicked witch is dead!; Land of the mostly free?

Ding dong, the witch is dead, the wicked witch is dead! 1) What Has Brown Done for Us? I bet they can hear this cheering all the way in Washington, D.C. It's just the beginning...when there's trouble (for the Dem machine) in Massachusetts, there's trouble everywhere. Rest assured they know it. -from Scott Brown's opening statement last night What has Brown done for us? He just administered a stunning "Tea Party Republican" thrashing to the "Kennedy Liberal Democrats" in Massachusetts -- with Obamacare front and center as the core issue at hand. That's what. Forget any other spin you hear -- that is what just happened. That Brown did not stress the party or the term "tea party" does not matter. His issues were right off of the tea parties' posters and out of the official GOP platform manual. …It was palpable. And this wave continued to rise in November as Republicans -- yes, Republicans -- rolled to stunning wins in New Jersey and Virginia. This wave was obvious to anyone and everyone not occupying office in Washington and certain pundit chairs in the D.C.-Manhattan corridor. The message was consistent. Washington was trying to "fundamentally change" America, and beyond their notice, Americans were waking up to what that means and were shouting not "no" -- but "hell no." And no bigger "hell no" can be remembered in decades than the one given in the Bay State last night. This is Masschusetts! Even McGovern won Massachusetts! Obama won Massachusetts by 26 points in '08. Last night, Coakley -- and Obama -- lost that same population by roughly 6 points. In round numbers, that's a third of the state that has shifted. Simply seismic! …Either way, Scott Brown has done a lot for us. And by "us," I mean America. Stopping health care now and making even more nakedly (or nekkidly) obvious the raw socialist power-grab of the Democrats are both tremendous gifts. …The best line was that American tax dollars "should be used for weapons to fight terrorists, not lawyers to represent terrorists (emphasis mine)." The crowd's roar at that was tremendous. This was not exactly McCain shuffling about on waterboarding. ,,,“Across this country -- to all those folks who are listening, if you're covering me -- we are united by basic convictions that only need to be clearly stated to win a majority -- and if anyone doubts that in this next election season that's about to begin -- well, let them take a look at what happened here in Massachusetts. Because what happened here in Mass can happen all over America." Scott Brown, we were listening. We saw what happened in Massachusetts. And we definitely do hear you now! See: http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/01/what_has_brown_done_for_us.html 1a) MSNBC talk host: 'Cheat to keep these bastards out' On Senate race: 'If I lived in Mass., I'd vote 10 times' MSNBC television and syndicated radio host Ed Schultz declared that he would stuff the ballot box in Massachusetts if he could to prevent Republican Scott Brown from upsetting Democrat Martha Coakley in the race to fill the state's Senate seat formerly held by Edward M. Kennedy. Whatever it takes to keep "the bastards" out of power. "I tell you what, if I lived in Massachusetts I'd try to vote 10 times," said Schultz on his Friday radio show. "I don't know if they'd let me or not, but I'd try to. Yeah, that's right. I'd cheat to keep these bastards out. I would. 'Cause that's exactly what they are." See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=122290 2) Land of the 'Mostly Free'? (text below from Heritage Foundation’s 1/20/10 e-mail newsletter; links below article further explain) The Heritage Foundation has released our 2010 Index of Economic Freedom, and the results are alarming if not terribly surprising: America is no longer ranked among the world’s free economies. Instead, for the first time, America ranks as only "mostly free" -- behind countries like Canada, Ireland and Switzerland. The Index, published for the past 16 years as a joint project with The Wall Street Journal, analyzes the economic freedom of 179 countries and bases their scores on three categories: government burdens upon businesses and entrepreneurs; intrusiveness of government; and fundamental societal characteristics that support today's most prosperous economies. Given the past year, it should come as no surprise that the United States' ranking has declined. After all, government spending has exploded and intrusion into the economy has increased, yet our government continues to raise its debt ceiling to allow for spending package after spending package. See: http://blog.heritage.org/2010/01/20/the-u-s-isnt-as-free-as-it-used-to-be/ And: http://www.heritage.org/Index/ 3) TSA nominee Erroll Southers withdraws President Obama's nominee to lead the Transportation Security Administration withdrew from consideration on Wednesday, saying his nomination was "obstructed by political ideology." …"The Senate could have had an open and transparent debate this week to approve Mr. Southers, but apparently, answering simple, direct questions about security and integrity were too much for this nominee," DeMint said in a statement. "I hope the president will quickly put forward a new nominee that is fully vetted and that will put the safety of the American people first." DeMint, who led GOP opposition to Southers, initially opposed him out of fear that TSA would eventually approve collective bargaining rights for airport security officers. TSA employees can join a union, but cannot collectively bargain. DeMint and other Republicans argued that union interference would jeopardize airport security. See: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/01/tsa_nominee_erroll_southers_wi.html 4) Michigan defense contractor has God in its sights WASHINGTON – Army officials said Tuesday they will investigate whether a Michigan defense contractor violated federal procurement rules by stamping references to Bible verses on combat rifle sights used by American forces to kill enemy fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan. Don’t we have better ways to spend Army officials’ time, like investigating incompetent radicalized Muslims like Nadal Hasan before they shoot another 13 people? The Marine Corps, another major customer of the telescoping sights that allow troops to pinpoint targets day or night, says service acquisition officials plan to meet with the contractor, Trijicon of Wixom, Mich., to discuss future purchases of the company's gear. The references have stoked concerns by a watch dog group about whether the inscriptions break a government rule that bars proselytizing by American troops. But military officials said the citations don't violate the ban and they won't stop using the tens of thousands of telescoping sights that have already been bought. Trijicon said it has been longstanding company practice to put the Scripture citations on the equipment. Tom Munson, Trijicon's director of sales and marketing, said the company has never received any complaints until now. "We don't publicize this," Munson said in a recent interview. "It's not something we make a big deal out of. But when asked, we say, 'Yes, it's there.'" The inscriptions are subtle and appear in raised lettering at the end of the stock number. Trijicon's rifle sights use tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, to create light and help shooters hit what they're aiming for. …Markings on the Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight, which is standard issue to U.S. special operations forces, include "JN8:12," a reference to John 8:12: "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, 'I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life,'" according to the King James version of the Bible. The Trijicon Reflex sight is stamped with 2COR4:6, a reference to part of the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," the King James version reads. …"I don't have to wonder for a nanosecond how the American public would react if citations from the Quran were being inscribed onto these U.S. armed forces gun sights instead of New Testament citations," Weinstein said. The foundation is a nonprofit organization opposed to religious favoritism within the military. Sorry, Mr. Weinstein! We were founded as a CHRISTIAN nation, NOT a Muslim one. And the American public is largely proud of it. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100120/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_military_weapons_bible_passages 5) Canada Government policy now targeting 'homophobia' Goal is to squash belief homosexuality is immoral Opponents of "hate crimes" legislation, who have frequently pointed to Canada as an example of how such laws are used to increasingly suppress moral objections to homosexuality, now have more fuel for their fire in the form of the "Quebec Policy Against Homophobia." The policy, released last month by Quebec's Minister of Justice and Attorney General Kathleen Weil, assigns the government the task of eliminating all forms of "homophobia" and "heterosexism" – including the belief that homosexuality is immoral – from society as a whole. The text and specifics of the policy are steeped in vague bureaucratic language about "coordination" and "synergy," but the goal is spelled out clearly: to enlist the government to normalize homosexuality in society and to quell common criticisms levied against "sexual minorities," a term the policy uses to inclusively describe "lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals and transgenders." …And while the word "church" is never explicitly mentioned in the policy, it does declare it important to publicize the most "insidious" forms of homophobia with a plan to "target the various locations in which homophobic attitudes and behavior patterns, as well as heterosexist stereotypes, are found." The policy also warns, "It will be necessary to deal with the heterosexist values on which some institutional practices are founded (emphasis mine)." See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=122113 6) Revolutionary Holocaust: Genocide by Famine …The Holocaust is not just history, it is a tragedy that forever should remain a part of our consciousness - it is part of me since I witnessed it. Equally tragic was the genocide perpetrated against the Ukrainian people by means of the artificially created famine of 1932-1933 in which anywhere from 7 million to 10 million people perished. ..Between January and March 1930 some 61,887 farms were taken over by the communists. Those who protested were executed on the spot, some were sent to concentration camps, and many families were sent to Siberia, where they were dumped often without food or shelter. Many did not survive. Some were just ordered to leave their districts. Of the more than 1 million Ukrainian farmers expropriated in the early 1930s, about 850,000 were deported in freight trains to the Russian far north. …These terrible conditions created artificially in Ukrainian agriculture, complicated by a drought, did not, however, cause the Famine in Ukraine. After all, even Stalin stated that "the total yield of grain in 1932 was larger than in 1931." The Famine was caused by Stalinist draconian requisition quotas imposed on Ukraine, forcing the devastated villages of the country to deliver millions of tons of grain to the state. Since the farmers could not meet the quotas, Moscow ordered that some 12,000 special brigades be sent to the villages in order to collect the "hidden" food reserves. …And they were starving - dying by the millions, while the Soviet government in 1932 and 1933 was selling 1.73 and 1.63 million metric tons of grain on the Western markets, and the Western liberals, such as Bernard Shaw and The New York Times correspondent Walter Duranty, were praising Stalin for the great progress that the Soviet Union was making (emphasis mine). In his report of March 31, 1933, Duranty went so far as to say that "there is no actual starvation, but there is widespread mortality from diseases due to malnutrition." And yet, he knew the truth.  …That the real objective of Stalin's policy was political was clearly stated in 1933 by one of his lieutenants, Mendel Khataevich, one of the individuals in charge of the grain-procurement program, who proudly declared: "A ruthless struggle is going on between the peasantry and our regime. It's a struggle to the death. This year was a test of our strength and their endurance. It took a famine to show them who is the master here. It has cost millions of lives, but the collective farm system is here to stay. We have won the war." See: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/35215/

Robber barons in power; Ben Nelson booed in restaurant; UN eyes global tax

1) Obama tells banks: `We want our money back' …In a brief appearance with advisers at the White House, Obama branded the latest round of bank bonuses as "obscene." But he said his goal was to prevent such excesses in the future, not to punish banks for past behavior. …The tax, which would require congressional approval, would last at least 10 years and generate about $90 billion over the decade, according to administration estimates. "If these companies are in good enough shape to afford massive bonuses, they are surely in good enough shape to afford paying back every penny to taxpayers," Obama said. …They would have to pay up even though many did not accept any taxpayer assistance (emphasis mine) and most that did have repaid the infusions.

This is not a tax. This is a shakedown.

…"We are already hearing a hue and cry from Wall Street, suggesting that this proposed fee is not only unwelcome but unfair, that by some twisted logic, it is more appropriate for the American people to bear the cost of the bailout rather than the industry that benefited from it, even though these executives are out there giving themselves huge bonuses," Obama said. There are so many things wrong with this statement it is hard to know where to begin! IT IS UNFAIR! I seem to remember YOUR administration forbidding the repay of funds from certain banks not long ago, King Thug Obama, so that you could gain and maintain control of them! I recall that threats were made to banks who refused the bailout. And while we’re talking about bonuses, how about the salaries of Congress continuing to rise while industry is taking pay cuts? …"Politics have overtaken the economics," said Scott Talbott, the chief lobbyist for the Financial Services Roundtable, a group representing large Wall Street institutions. "This is a punitive tax on companies that repaid TARP in full or never took TARP." Even before details came out, Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase & Co., said: "Using tax policy to punish people is a bad idea." …But GOP Rep. Scott Garrett of New Jersey, who's on Frank's committee, called it a "job-killing initiatives that will further cripple the economy by increasing fees passed on to consumers and small businesses, while reducing consumer credit." See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100114/ap_on_bi_ge/us_obama_bank_fees 1a) Obama to unveil bank fee to cover bailout losses: official …Even though auto firms General Motors and Chrysler also got money from the TARP fund, they will not have to pay the fee, the official added, warning financial firms not to make an issue of that omission. In addition, not all the firms that will be targeted by the fee actually received TARP funds. Yes, because this has nothing to do with TARP and everything to do with a shakedown of the banks. Robber barons are now in charge of the government. How long can this continue? "I don't think that it would be wise for them to try to suggest that living up to the letter of the law is somehow an unfair burden on them," the official said. You “don’t think that it would be wise“? What the heck does that mean? Are they going to wake up with a horse’s head in their bed? The cost of the fee levied on the financial firms will be assessed according to a formula looking at their liabilities, total assets and equity and tier-one capital. A bank fee may help the White House channel public anger over big bonus payments on Wall Street, as Americans face the reality of 10 percent unemployment and a slow economic recovery. Yeah, that’ll do it. Increasing confiscatory taxes will increase employment, I’m sure! See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100114/pl_afp/usfinanceeconomybanksobama_20100114142608 1b) Democrats Push to Kill Capitalism; Obama Uses Alinsky Plan on Banks RUSH: In the latest attack -- and it's right out of the Saul Alinsky playbook. In the latest attack on the American private sector, Barack Obama this morning in Washington at the White House spoke about a new tax on banks. OBAMA: When I see reports of massive profits and obscene bonuses at some of the very firms who owe their continued existence to the American people -- folks who have not been made whole and who continue to face real hardship in this recession -- we want our money back, and we're gonna get it. And that's why I'm proposing a Financial Crisis Responsibility Fee to be imposed on major financial firms until the American people are fully compensated for the extraordinary assistance they provided to Wall Street. RUSH: Now, folks, I'm telling you: This is right out of Saul Alinsky. He is trading on the fact that he believes you despise Wall Street, that you despise fat-cat bankers, and that anything done to punish them you will agree to and support Obama for doing. They have paid back the TARP money. They were forced to take it in the first place. Let's get the history of this right. Many of these CEOs at these institutions were dragged into an office at the Treasury department by then-Secretary Henry Paulson, and they were given three hours to sign a document saying that they will accept bailout money. The CEO of Wells Fargo bank did not want any bailout money. They weren't in any problem. They had no exposure to the subprime mortgage crisis. Still, they had to take $25 billion. These firms who were forced to take the TARP money have mostly paid it back (emphasis mine). This is, again, a flat-out lie and disingenuous as hell. "When I see reports of massive profits and obscene bonuses at some of the very firms who owe their continued existence to the American people..." They were said to be "too big to fail" by you, sir! You said they couldn't fail. We were told an economic crisis of biblical proportions would happen if we didn't do this. You forced it on them, and you forced it on everybody else. Folks, don't make a mistake here of assuming that I don't think bankers and financial people ever do anything wrong. What I'm objecting to here is this move by Obama to run in and control every aspect of what they do. It's just another grab at a portion of the private sector that is none of his business, and he's relying on this class envy, him thinking that you hate these people. That's why he didn't object to any of the protests at AIG headquarters homes, the CEOs' homes (which were, by the way, conducted and organized largely by ACORN). So he forces the banks to take the TARP money, they mostly pay it back and now he's going to tax them for forcing them to take it in the first place! Here's another sound bite, before we get to the Alinsky connection here. ..RUSH: Well, it seems to me, Mr. President, the one area of our economy that's doing well is Wall Street! There's money being made on Wall Street, Mr. President. Is that what bugs you, Mr. President? There's money being made there. That's the reason bonuses are being paid. Have you seen what happened to the Dow Jones Industrial Average? It's climbing. It's up 22 points right now. It's at ten six: 10,600. It's the only area of the economy doing well and now you're assaulting it. There's nowhere in the private sector left to invest. That's why money is going to Wall Street, pure and simple. "Business as usual." Not punish Wall Street firms? Yes, it is. It's exactly what you're doing. "Prevent the abuse and excess that nearly caused the... It was not bonuses and salaries that caused the collapse. What caused the collapse was Saul Alinsky, Saul Alinsky and ACORN taking over the banks and demanding that banks make loans to people that they knew could never pay 'em back. The banks were holding worthless paper. So they came up with a bunch of new Financial Products to sell to try to get some insurance on this worthless paper they were forced to lend (emphasis mine). This is just mind-boggling here. It's more manipulation. It is another undisguised attack on free markets, and the president of the United States insisting that go there aren't going to be free markets anymore. He's going to regulate it. We're not going to have risks. We're not going to have up and down cycles. We're not going to have any entrepreneurism, and we're not going to have any qualified people in these institutions because they're all going to leave to find jobs elsewhere, even if they have to leave the financial services industries. …RUSH: They've already paid most of the TARP money back, and getting rid of these bonuses would not make a dent in how much TARP money there was. There's nowhere near $700 billion in bonuses (emphasis mine). There's still $200 billion of TARP money that's not spent. What the hell is he talking about here? I'll tell you what he's talking about: 100%-pure class envy. He wants you to hate these people, and he wants your support because he wants you to believe he hates 'em, too, and he's getting even with them. See: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_011410/content/01125107.guest.html 2) U.S. Chamber warns of 'double-dip' recession because of Dem policies U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue warned the U.S. faces a double-dip recession because of the taxes and regulations under consideration by the Democratic Congress and President Barack Obama. “Congress, the administration and states must recognize that our weak economy simply could not sustain all the new taxes, regulations and mandates now under consideration. It’s a sure-fire recipe for a double-dip recession, or worse,” Donohue said in a speech providing the Chamber's outlook for 2010. See: http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/75401-us-chamber-warns-of-double-dip-recession 3) For health care, a frantic ride in the final days WASHINGTON – Like a roller-coaster ride on its last twisting turns, President Barack Obama's campaign to remake health care is barreling into final days of breathless suspense and headlong momentum. Democrats, led by Obama himself, are deploying this weekend to salvage an unpredictable Senate race in Massachusetts, while senior White House and congressional staffers in Washington hurry to finish work on cost and coverage options at the heart of the sweeping legislation. A Republican victory in the race to fill the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's seat would deprive Democrats of the 60-vote majority needed to pass the bill in the Senate. Obama and Democratic congressional leaders would have a political window of perhaps days only to try to ram the bill through — at considerable risk of incurring public wrath (emphasis mine). See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100117/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_overhaul 4) UNBELIEVABLE: Martha Coakley: Devout Catholics 'Probably shouldn't work in the emergency room' How can a Massachusetts Senate candidate possibly offend 39 percent of voters in her state? If it's Democrat Attorney General Martha Coakley, she would tell devout Catholics not to bother working in an emergency room (H/T Jim Hoft - Big Government). In the audio clip below, Ms. Coakley chokes on a question from radio host Ken Pittman referring to the conscience clause. Under the conscience clause, workers in health-care environments ranging from doctors to maintenance men can refuse to offer services, information, or advice to patients on issues like contraception, blood transfusions, etc..if the workers are morally against it. Here is how Ms. Coakley handled the matter. (audio and transcript below): Ken Pittman: Right, if you are a Catholic, and believe what the Pope teaches that any form of birth control is a sin. ah you don’t want to do that. Martha Coakley: No we have a separation of church and state Ken, lets be clear. Ken Pittman: In the emergency room you still have your religious freedom. Martha Coakley: (……uh, eh…um..) The law says that people are allowed to have that. You can have religious freedom but you probably shouldn’t work in the emergency room. See: http://washingtontimes.com/weblogs/watercooler/2010/jan/14/martha-coakley-devout-catholics-probably-shouldnt-/ 4a) Poll shocker: Scott Brown surges ahead in Senate race Riding a wave of opposition to Democratic health-care reform, GOP upstart Scott Brown is leading in the U.S. Senate race, raising the odds of a historic upset that would reverberate all the way to the White House, a new poll shows. Although Brown’s 4-point lead over Democrat Martha Coakley is within the Suffolk University/7News survey’s margin of error, the underdog’s position at the top of the results stunned even pollster David Paleologos. “It’s a Brown-out,” said Paleologos, director of Suffolk’s Political Research Center. “It’s a massive change in the political landscape.” See: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20100114brown-out_poll_shows_scott_brown_trumping_martha_coakley/srvc=home&position=0 5) Here’s at Least One Job ‘Created or Saved Washington, DC - In the face of rising unemployment and record-breaking deficits, policy experts at the National Center for Public Policy Research are criticizing the Obama Administration for awarding a half million dollar grant from the economic stimulus package to Penn State Professor Michael Mann, a key figure in the Climategate controversy. "It's outrageous that economic stimulus money is being used to support research conducted by Michael Mann at the very time he’s under investigation by Penn State and is one of the key figures in the international Climategate scandal. Penn State should immediately return these funds to the U.S. Treasury," said Tom Borelli, Ph.D., director of the National Center's Free Enterprise Project. See: http://planetgore.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YmRiMjU3YjAxNTNlNDljNTM2YTY4YjExMWUyMDMwYTM= 6) Majority would vote against Obama

A year into his tenure, a majority of Americans would already vote against Pres. Obama if the '12 elections were held today, according to a new survey. The Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor poll shows 50% say they would probably or definitely vote for someone else. Fully 37% say they would definitely cast a ballot against Obama. Meanwhile, just 39% would vote to re-elect the pres. to a 2nd term, and only 23% say they definitely would do so. Obama's first year in office has been marked by an unemployment rate that surged to 10%, an increased commitment of troops to Afghanistan and a health care battle that has taken a serious political toll on the WH. Obama's approval rating is down to 47%, the poll showed, a 14-point drop since the April survey. 45% disapprove, up 17 points from April. Only 41% say they trust Obama more than Congressional GOPers, while 33% pick the GOP over the WH. That 8-point gap is down from a 21-point edge Obama sported as recently as Sept. Just 34% say the country is moving in the right direction, down 13 points since April, and 55% say it is off on the wrong track, up 13 points over the same period. But as GOPers focus on taxes and spending, that message seems to be causing Obama the most harm. Among those who believe Obama's policies have moved the country in the wrong direction, 45% cite spending and government regulation as a top cause for their opposition. See: http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/01/majority_would.php 7) Ben Nelson booed in restaurant Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson and his wife were leaving dinner at a new pizza joint near their home in Omaha one night last week when a patron began complaining about Nelson’s decisive vote in favor of the Senate’s health care bill. Other customers started booing. A woman yelled, “Get him the hell out of here!” And the Nelsons and their dining companions beat a hasty retreat. “It was definitely a scene in there,” said Tom Lewis, a 41-year-old dentist and registered Republican who witnessed the incident. A second witness confirmed the incident to POLITICO. See: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31488.html 8) U.N.'s World Health Organization Eyeing Global Tax on Banking, Internet Activity Such a scheme could raise "tens of billions of dollars" on behalf of the United Nations' public health arm from a broad base of consumers, which would then be used to transfer drug-making research, development and manufacturing capabilities, among other things, to the developing world. The multibillion-dollar "indirect consumer tax" is only one of a "suite of proposals" for financing the rapid transformation of the global medical industry that will go before WHO's 34-member supervisory Executive Board at its biannual meeting in Geneva. The idea is the most lucrative — and probably the most controversial — of a number of schemes proposed by a 25-member panel of medical experts, academics and health care bureaucrats who have been working for the past 14 months at WHO's behest on "new and innovative sources of funding" to accomplish major shifts in the production of medical R&D. See: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583127,00.html

MA Senate winner could be delayed by dems; Dems Voter auto registration plan; BONO wants YOU to pay taxes

1) Seating Mass. Senate winner could be delayed BOSTON – Massachusetts' top election official says it could take weeks to certify the results of the upcoming U.S. Senate special election. That delay could let President Barack Obama preserve a key 60th vote for his health care overhaul even if the Republican who has vowed to kill it wins Democrat Edward M. Kennedy's former seat. Secretary of State William F. Galvin, citing state law, says city and town clerks must wait at least 10 days for absentee ballots to arrive before they certify the results of the Jan. 19 election. They then have five more days to file the returns with his office. Galvin bypassed the provision in 2007 so his fellow Democrats could gain a House vote they needed to override a veto of then-Republican President George W. Bush, but the secretary says U.S. Senate rules would preclude a similar rush today. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100113/ap_on_el_se/us_kennedy_successor_delay Baawney Fwank has a meltdown: "That is the stupidest thing I've been asked in a long time. That is insane, the suggestion could only come from a demented right wing source," erupted Representative Barney Frank (D - MA), when asked by The Washington Times about what he thought of assertions that Massachusetts Democrats would stall the certification process should Mr. Brown win. "There isn't the slightest possibility of it happening---a way of doing it. That is conspiracy theory at its most contemptible." See: http://washingtontimes.com/weblogs/watercooler/2010/jan/12/rep-frank-lashes-out-over-accusations-mass-dems-wo/ 2) Video: Pelosi’s a horrible woman, says … Jack Cafferty Via Breitbart. I know, I know, there are a million different reasons he could have given — why, here’s a new one now — but I won’t spoil the surprise by telling you which one drove him to this. Suffice it to say, you’re already familiar with it if you read the site. This is twice now in less than a week that he’s gone off on Madam Speaker for government waste and corruption. I ask this with some trepidation, but … is Cafferty turning into a tea partier? See: http://hotair.com/archives/2010/01/12/video-pelosis-a-horrible-woman-says-jack-cafferty/ 3) Democrats Weigh New Tax on Investment Income WASHINGTON -- House and Senate negotiators are considering applying for the first time the Medicare payroll tax to investment income as part of a compromise to pay for a health overhaul. The extra Medicare tax would apply only to the wealthy and could allow congressional Democrats to reduce the sting of a tax on high-cost insurance plans, said Democratic aides and others briefed on the negotiations. Wow, that’s fantastic! I’m sure that will do wonders for the economy! See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126325868807825625.html?mod=loomia&loomia_si=t0:a16:g2:r5:c0.0656503:b29745944 4) STIMULUS WATCH: Unemployment unchanged by projects WASHINGTON – A federal spending surge of more than $20 billion for roads and bridges in President Barack Obama's first stimulus has had no effect on local unemployment rates, raising questions about his argument for billions more to address an "urgent need to accelerate job growth." An Associated Press analysis of stimulus spending found that it didn't matter if a lot of money was spent on highways or none at all: Local unemployment rates rose and fell regardless. And the stimulus spending only barely helped the beleaguered construction industry, the analysis showed. With the nation's unemployment rate at 10 percent and expected to rise, Obama wants a second stimulus bill from Congress including billions of additional dollars for roads and bridges — projects the president says are "at the heart of our effort to accelerate job growth." See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100111/ap_on_bi_ge/us_stimulus_unemployment 5) 9 Vt. State Office Candidates Favor Secession SHELBURNE, Vt. (AP) -- Several Vermont political candidates want their state to call it quits with America. In what organizers call the first statewide slate of pro-secession candidates, nine people under the Vermont Independence Day banner are planning to run for governor, lieutenant governor and seven seats in the state Senate. They say they want a fresh start with a real democracy. Their cause is the latest incarnation of a movement that's bubbled in Vermont and elsewhere for years. Few observers give them much hope of winning even in a left-leaning state where the popular Republican governor's decision not to seek re-election has touched off a scramble among would-be successors. Five Democrats and a Republican are in a wide-open race for the seat headed to the November election. See: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/13/us/AP-US-Vermont-Secession-Candidates.html?_r=2 6) New Democrat scheme: 'Vote early, vote often' If you thought health-care bill was scary, check out automatic-registration plan … A political correspondent is making waves with his stern warning that Democrats are scheming to manipulate the electoral process this election year by implementing a federal mandate to involuntarily register millions of people to vote – making the system ripe for unprecedented fraud and abuse. "Democrats were very rattled by the Nov. 3 election results," Wall Street Journal reporter and political commentator John Fund told a crowd in November 2009, at a David Horowitz Freedom Center forum. "What do liberals do when they lose elections? They change the rules." Fund is warning that Sen. Charles Schumer, D.-N.Y., and Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., plan to propose universal voter registration legislation – possibly within weeks. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=121878 7) Obama Leaps into Action on Haiti RUSH: Here's President Obama speaking about Haiti this morning in Washington at the White House. He held a press conference. Now, I want you to remember, it took him three days to respond to the Christmas Day Fruit of Kaboom Bomber, three days. And when he came out after those three days, he was clearly irritated that he had to do it. He didn't want to do it. He comes out here in less than 24 hours to speak about Haiti. …OBAMA: Despite the fact that we are experiencing tough times here at home, I would encourage those Americans who want to support the urgent humanitarian efforts to go to WhiteHouse.gov where you can learn how to contribute. We'll be resolute in our response, and I pledge to the people of Haiti that you will have a friend and partner in the United States of America today and going forward. May God bless the people of Haiti and those working on their behalf. RUSH: So the country that he runs around the world apologizing for, the country that he has chip on his shoulder about, he now turns to as its president and asks people who have lost their jobs because of his policies to donate to WhiteHouse.gov to the people of Haiti, and we will do it. We are the most charitable and the most generous people on the face of the earth. Each and every time a natural disaster like this happens, we step up. We are there (emphasis mine). See: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_011310/content/01125106.guest.html 8) Bono wants YOU to pay taxes Bono writes passionately in the New York Times that the American energy hoarder needs to pay a Carbon tax, while the poor starving person in Africa gets a credit. Here's an idea, how about we just cut a check? It's a little easier. But that's not good enough for Bono and company, they want to mandate that everyone gets taxed. The funny thing is, when Ireland repealed the tax-exempt status for artists, guess who packed up shop and moved operations out of the country? Glenn explains in the latest Beck Talks video blog. See: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/videos/?uri=channels/338017/749189

MA Senator outcome could stop Obamacare; Stupid Reid comments; Carving up Israel

1) MA-SEN ALERT: BROWN WILL OPPOSE OBAMACARE On Tuesday, January 19 -- exactly one week from tonight -- the polls will close in the Massachusetts special election to replace the late Senator Ted Kennedy. The race to fill this open seat, which has become competitive in the final days, is between Democrat Martha Coakley and Republican Scott Brown. Scott Brown has made it clear that he will oppose ObamaCare. This means that if he wins next week, Democrats will not have the 60 votes necessary to pass the health care bill. This would be a major victory for the principles of freedom. See: http://www.sodahead.com/other/ma-sen-alert-brown-will-oppose-obamacare/blog-235579/ And: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9D6A7E80&show_article=1 1a) Video: Cafferty blows stack at Obama, Pelosi over ObamaCare secrecy I guess Jack Cafferty has stopped feeling the Hope and Change, huh? Via the Anchoress and Instapundit, we have Cafferty blowing his stack at Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and just about every Democrat in Congress over the decision to put a bill together in secret — er, excuse me, replace a conference committee with “informal negotiations.” In fact, Cafferty accuses Obama of telling lies “just to get elected,” which seems somehow like a watershed moment in media coverage from CNN, at least: See: http://hotair.com/archives/2010/01/07/video-cafferty-blows-stack-at-obama-pelosi-over-obamacare-secrecy/ 2) Reid fights for political life; Republicans call on him to step down Republican leaders on Sunday called on Harry Reid to step down as Senate majority leader, after the Nevada Democrat apologized for calling Barack Obama as a "light-skinned" African-American who lacked a "Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." Texas Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told POLITICO that Reid should immediately step down as majority leader. Cornyn said Reid's comments "were embarrassing to the Senate" and warrant his removal from leadership. He noted that Reid, then minority whip, had backed the ouster of Republican Leader Trent Lott after he made racially charged comments in 2002.

See: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31300.html

Please go to http://www.sharronangle.com/ and make a donation to Reid's only conservative opponent with legislative experience. 

3) Cheney: 'We’re not going to win this war through more intense airport screenings' Liz Cheney, the founder of Keep America Safe, tells National Review Online that President Obama’s national-security remarks this afternoon, plus the press conference with John Brennan and Janet Napolitano, were “extremely troubling.” “Over the course of the last year, President Obama has taken his eye off the ball and allowed America's counterterrorism systems to erode,” says Cheney. “Brennan and Napolitano both said they were surprised to learn from the review released today that al-Qaeda in Yemen was operational. Napolitano went on to say she hadn't realized previously that al-Qaeda might use an individual to attack us. Yet, in the past year, we’ve had three attacks on America from individuals with Yemeni connections — from the terrorist at the recruiting station in Little Rock to the terrorist at Ford Hood and now the Christmas Day bomber.” Thus, she says, “it is inexplicable that our nation's top counterterrorism officials would be surprised by a method of attack we've repeatedly seen before.” See: http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YTRmOGJlZjBkMTRjNjhmYTFmZWJhOWU1NzNkZjNmZmI= 4) Geithner’s Fed Told AIG to Limit Swaps Disclosure Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, then led by Timothy Geithner, told American International Group Inc. to withhold details from the public about the bailed-out insurer’s payments to banks during the depths of the financial crisis, e-mails between the company and its regulator show. AIG said in a draft of a regulatory filing that the insurer paid banks, which included Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Societe Generale SA, 100 cents on the dollar for credit-default swaps they bought from the firm. The New York Fed crossed out the reference, according to the e-mails, and AIG excluded the language when the filing was made public on Dec. 24, 2008. The e-mails were obtained by Representative Darrell Issa, ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. …“It appears that the New York Fed deliberately pressured AIG to restrict and delay the disclosure of important information,” said Issa, a California Republican. Taxpayers “deserve full and complete disclosure under our nation’s securities laws, not the withholding of politically inconvenient information.” …Issa requested the e-mails from AIG Chief Executive Officer Robert Benmosche in October after Bloomberg News reported that the New York Fed ordered the crippled insurer not to negotiate for discounts in settling the swaps. The decision to pay the banks in full may have cost AIG, and thus taxpayers, at least $13 billion, based on the discount the insurer was seeking. See: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=agWH9TNvdUCg 5) Exposed: Secret talks to carve up Israel, again Clandestine bargaining hastens Palestinian state JERUSALEM – Israel and the Palestinian Authority are negotiating indirectly via the U.S., Jordan and Egypt to outline a future Palestinian state that would encompass Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Middle East security and diplomatic officials told WND. Popular perception has it that talks between Israel and the PA are stalled over a Palestinian demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu extend a 10-month West Bank settlement freeze to include Jewish communities in eastern Jerusalem. Just yesterday, Netanyahu's office released a statement declaring the prime minister would "never" cede control of united Jerusalem nor retreat to the 1967 borders, referring to an evacuation of the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. The statement came after Egypt's foreign minister said in Cairo last week Netanyahu was ready to discuss making "Arab Jerusalem" the capital of a Palestinian state. According to Middle East security and diplomatic officials, however, Netanyahu's statement may be misleading unless he meant he would not retreat to the exact 1967 lines. Those officials, from Egypt, Jordan, the PA and Israel, told WND in separate interviews over the course of the last few weeks that Israel is in advanced stages of outlining a future Palestinian state that would encompass most of the West Bank. Also Jerusalem is being discussed between Israel and members of the Obama administration, the officials said. …The arrangements may include a contingent of Jordanian troops in the strategic territory as well as private Palestinian firms and international soldiers participating in the patrol of the Palestinian side of a future border, the official said. Regarding international forces, one Jordanian security sources said there are "very serious talks about bringing international forces to the borders between the West Bank and Israel, especially the Jordan Valley, where the Israelis would have security guarantees from an international force working in collaboration with the Palestinians." See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=121805 6) Major quake hits Haiti; many casualties expected PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – The strongest earthquake in more than 200 years rocked Haiti on Tuesday, collapsing a hospital where people screamed for help and heavily damaging the National Palace, U.N. peacekeeper headquarters and other buildings. U.S. officials reported bodies in the streets and an aid official described "total disaster and chaos." United Nations officials said hours after the 7.0-magnitude quake struck at 4:53 p.m. that they still couldn't account for a large number of U.N. personnel. Communications were widely disrupted, making it impossible to get a full picture of damage as powerful aftershocks shook a desperately poor country where many buildings are flimsy. Electricity was out in some places. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100113/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_haiti_earthquake

7) N. California dodges major damage in 6.5 quake EUREKA, Calif. – Residents of a Northern California county gingerly cleaned up Sunday after the area dodged a catastrophe, escaping a 6.5 magnitude earthquake with little more than bumps, cuts and broken glass. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100111/ap_on_re_us/us_california_coast_earthquake …and there will be earthquakes in various places… 8) New council to advise on 'military activities' in U.S. Executive order creates team of governors to address 'homeland defense' President Obama by executive order has established a new "Council of Governors" designated to advise on the "synchronization and integration of state and federal military activities in the United States." The recent order, posted on the White House website, was accompanied by the explanation that the group is to work "to protect our nation against all types of hazards." It comes just weeks after the president issue a similarly obscure order vastly expanding INTERPOL's privileges in the U.S. The White House said the new council is to include governors and administration officials to review "such matters as involving the National Guard of the various states; homeland defense, civil support; synchronization and integration of state and federal military activities in the United States; and other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities." See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=121753